Topic: Which CB350 is best for racing?

[nitrofish1]

For the life of me, my google search yielded me no results, although I have previously read it somewhere that the 68-70 models of the CB350 revved to something like 10.5k rpms, and the 71-73 models only revved to 9k rpms, so if one were picking a bike for amateur road racing events, wouldn't the earlier years be better for such usage? Or after upgrades to bore and cam, and valvetrain etc. done to a later model CB350, yield it to be just as fast?

[bwaller]

nitrofish1, contact TimV840. In the VRRA he owns the P2L class on his CB350 plus has a P1 bike, he'll be able to answer. All I know is there are plenty of go-fast parts available if your pockets are deep!

[grcamna2]

The later 72' & 73' CB/CL350K4 & K5's are the better motors to build up for racing,they did upgrades to a number of things internally.I have a 72' CB350K4 twin & I love it.I'd like to do a small amount of head porting to it..,just enough to still be able to run stock mufflers on it w/ a little added breathing.

[nitrofish1]

nitrofish1, contact TimV840. In the VRRA he owns the P2L class on his CB350 plus has a P1 bike, he'll be able to answer. All I know is there are plenty of go-fast parts available if your pockets are deep!

seems to be that way for most of the Honda's I know lol

[nitrofish1]

The later 72' & 73' CB/CL350K4 & K5's are the better motors to build up for racing,they did upgrades to a number of things internally.I have a 72' CB350K4 twin & I love it.I'd like to do a small amount of head porting to it..,just enough to still be able to run stock mufflers on it w/ a little added breathing.

But didn't the CL350 motors turn less rpm's and hp than the CB350 motors? Or is it a duplicate motor and rated at less due to the rear sprocket difference between the two models?

[grcamna2]

The later 72' & 73' CB/CL350K4 & K5's are the better motors to build up for racing,they did upgrades to a number of things internally.I have a 72' CB350K4 twin & I love it.I'd like to do a small amount of head porting to it..,just enough to still be able to run stock mufflers on it w/ a little added breathing.

But didn't the CL350 motors turn less rpm's and hp than the CB350 motors? Or is it a duplicate motor and rated at less due to the rear sprocket difference between the two models?

Yes,it's a duplicate motor w/ more restrictive exhaust & lower final drive sprocket ratios,all the rest is the same internally.

[tbpmusic]

But didn't the CL350 motors turn less rpm's and hp than the CB350 motors? Or is it a duplicate motor and rated at less due to the rear sprocket difference between the two models?

Same engine in all CB/CL 350's, 350 G, and including the SL350 K0.
Early 350's had a "fatter" cam, did get a few more rpm.
I personally don't remember that the old ones were better performers, but that's the Story.
At SL350 K1/K2, electric starter was dropped, crankshaft was shorter (side to side), non-vacuum carbs appeared.Also went to a direct kick start at SL K1 (kicker directly engaged crankshaft, so you could kick in any gear with the clutch pulled in).

It's a good platform for a racer, Honda sold a LOT of these things, and there are tons of aftermarket go-fast parts.
A relatively inexpensive way to build one and go out to get your butt kicked by vintage 2-strokes like the RD's..........no shame in that, they kicked everyone's butts back in The Day.

[nitrofish1]

There's a guy locally selling a CB350K motor and I'm looking at purchasing a CL350 in a few weeks for a quick winter cafe project, unless the CL350 motor is sufficient for buzzing around town? thought about putting some slide carbs on it to give the motor a little more bark and bite, some home head porting isn't completely out of the picture either....

[grcamna2]

There's a guy locally selling a CB350K motor and I'm looking at purchasing a CL350 in a few weeks for a quick winter cafe project, unless the CL350 motor is sufficient for buzzing around town? thought about putting some slide carbs on it to give the motor a little more bark and bite, some home head porting isn't completely out of the picture either....

It never hurts to have an extra motor for planning different performance scenarios...,especially if your racing.

[nitrofish1]

There's a guy locally selling a CB350K motor and I'm looking at purchasing a CL350 in a few weeks for a quick winter cafe project, unless the CL350 motor is sufficient for buzzing around town? thought about putting some slide carbs on it to give the motor a little more bark and bite, some home head porting isn't completely out of the picture either....

It never hurts to have an extra motor for planning different performance scenarios...,especially if your racing.

I kinda wanted to purchase the CL350 for a quick over-the-winter cafe project and to get acquainted with the motor rebuild, then purchase a CB350 for racing purposes.