Topic: "The Basement Build!" 1973 Cb350F

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

+1  If you ever want to see how bad two steps forward, one step back can be, take a look at my 750 Nine Lives build thread.  Yikes!

[2strokeTrush]

Get very used to it. You can not realistically expect to tear down a 40 year old bike on a very tight budget in your basement and have everything go "swimmingly".

It's kind of like losing weight- it took time to put it in, it will take time to drop it. The best advice you'll hear is to take breaks from the work when things go wrong. Tempers and frustrations derail more builds than money. Set realistic goals, manage the work load, and when you encounter something "dodgy" FIX IT. Then it's right for the next 40 years and you won't lose time re-doing things.

Even professional builders hit setbacks. And I dare say every member here has hit 1 or 2 on every build.

In fact, I just got my bike back from tuning, running like a scalded dog, painted, ready to go. Voilá! Gas tank leaks! Got strip it back, weld it, and re-spray. Talk about wicked bummed...

Yeah  guess i was due for something to go wrong.      Im going to try and solder the wire somehow and see how it works, if not ill try and find a used one on here or bit the bullet and buy one off Ebay for 80$  Thanks for the advice

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Get very used to it. You can not realistically expect to tear down a 40 year old bike on a very tight budget in your basement and have everything go "swimmingly".

It's kind of like losing weight- it took time to put it in, it will take time to drop it. The best advice you'll hear is to take breaks from the work when things go wrong. Tempers and frustrations derail more builds than money. Set realistic goals, manage the work load, and when you encounter something "dodgy" FIX IT. Then it's right for the next 40 years and you won't lose time re-doing things.

Even professional builders hit setbacks. And I dare say every member here has hit 1 or 2 on every build.

In fact, I just got my bike back from tuning, running like a scalded dog, painted, ready to go. Voilá! Gas tank leaks! Got strip it back, weld it, and re-spray. Talk about wicked bummed...

Yeah  guess i was due for something to go wrong.      Im going to try and solder the wire somehow and see how it works, if not ill try and find a used one on here or bit the bullet and buy one off Ebay for 80$  Thanks for the advice

The good thing is that it will be fixed and you won't have  to worry about that part going south later!

[wowbagger]

Yup, better for it to break now than in a parking lot somewhere in the rain. 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Yup, better for it to break now than in a parking lot somewhere in the rain. 

I've broken down far enough from home to make it a pain in the butt.  AAA RV/Motorcycle tow service is good to have!

[2strokeTrush]

Get very used to it. You can not realistically expect to tear down a 40 year old bike on a very tight budget in your basement and have everything go "swimmingly".

It's kind of like losing weight- it took time to put it in, it will take time to drop it. The best advice you'll hear is to take breaks from the work when things go wrong. Tempers and frustrations derail more builds than money. Set realistic goals, manage the work load, and when you encounter something "dodgy" FIX IT. Then it's right for the next 40 years and you won't lose time re-doing things.

Even professional builders hit setbacks. And I dare say every member here has hit 1 or 2 on every build.

In fact, I just got my bike back from tuning, running like a scalded dog, painted, ready to go. Voilá! Gas tank leaks! Got strip it back, weld it, and re-spray. Talk about wicked bummed...

Yeah  guess i was due for something to go wrong.      Im going to try and solder the wire somehow and see how it works, if not ill try and find a used one on here or bit the bullet and buy one off Ebay for 80$  Thanks for the advice

The good thing is that it will be fixed and you won't have  to worry about that part going south later!

Yeah ill keep that in mind when i drop the money for such a little part! OH well its what you get with a rebuild! Still gotta figure out how to put new throttle cables, grips,and adjust everything after i get the new part! fun fun fun

[2strokeTrush]

Starting to use some of the parts from DCC.  Ill be down tonight trying to get the handlebar situation done tonight so ill update as it goes on.

Ordered some LED bulbs for my new gauges, installed them as well as gutted the wires and bolts from my previous pair.




Also starting to prep some parts for paint. More to come.


Oh yeah remember that switch incident? Girlfriends dad hooked me up with some small soldering, reheated the original and installed a new wire for me!  No reason this shouldn't work right?? My hands shake way to much for me to do this, now ill reassemble the switch and hope it works!

[2strokeTrush]

Ah we are expecting a big snowstorm this week in Baltimore, so maybe i will get lucky and have some extra work time!

Didn't get the bars put together because of a bolt i can't free up.  But i test fitted them and it seems like something is a little off.  When i set the old bars down in the spot it fits perfectly, but the new bars do not go on as snug. I bolted them down tight, but it almost looks like there is some space still and I am wondering if thats safe!



I really do like the look though!


Also cleaned, pulled the rust off, and PlastiDip'd the rear fender the same way i did the front.


Also my new gauges are a little chipped up so i practiced painting the old ones to see how they would turn out after some light sanding, looks like i will be doing my new ones this way as well.


Also noticed something I hadn't seen before, on the bottom of my left sprocket cover, I have a hard time believing that is came like this fro the factory, looks chipped and broken. Maybe sometime through the years she threw a chain and snagged it. Just interesting

[bjbuchanan]

Like Cal said, if it fits tight you are good. The center size/width of the bar could cause it to appear slightly undersized. Either way the tape would work nicely, I do that with cheaper bar end mirrors to help the grip.

That sprocket cover is definitely a tossed chain. You can source another from a WTB or clean it up with some files and run it. Weight reduction

What Plastidip are you using? I want to do something similar and saw you mention something about it coming off easy if you want? I use the regular can stuff, you spraying?

I feel you on the storm, I'm considering moving the GF's 400f inside to get some blizzard work in

[2strokeTrush]

Like Cal said, if it fits tight you are good. The center size/width of the bar could cause it to appear slightly undersized. Either way the tape would work nicely, I do that with cheaper bar end mirrors to help the grip.

That sprocket cover is definitely a tossed chain. You can source another from a WTB or clean it up with some files and run it. Weight reduction

What Plastidip are you using? I want to do something similar and saw you mention something about it coming off easy if you want? I use the regular can stuff, you spraying?

I feel you on the storm, I'm considering moving the GF's 400f inside to get some blizzard work in

Yeah i plan on just smoothing the sharp edge over and tossing it back on! And yup plastidip is great stuff, clean your applied area with parts cleaner and spray it on, I do usually 4coats of it letting the first and last dry the longest.  And if you want to take it off just pressure sprayer works just fine, or you can peel it off to.

[2strokeTrush]

Well guys the storm hit us pretty good! 12 inches, so no school or work for me today, got done some prep and paint for now, ill be back down later to fiddle some more though.

roughed up the frame a little in some spots and hit her with the black paint, not everywhere but covered up some bad spots.






Also did the hanging parts paint box trick I learned from here:


Found something i hadn't seen before, not sure if this is from the factory, previous owner, maybe someone had this at a machine shop for work before me? Anyway anyone ever seen anything like this before? Looks like sharping reading "R21"

[bjbuchanan]

It's production writing on the engine. i thought the same thing when I saw V-- on mine, I thought it was a swapper or something but nope, just factory marking.

[Stev-o]

Youre painting in the house??

[2strokeTrush]

It's production writing on the engine. i thought the same thing when I saw V-- on mine, I thought it was a swapper or something but nope, just factory marking.

Aaahh gotcha just funny i never noticed it.

Youre painting in the house??

Yes sir, had the side windows open and I wore a mouth mask, might smell for awhile tho

[2strokeTrush]

Had planned on doing more then I actually got done tonight, but I found this little gem on the Local Craigeslist, so I threw the ole Toyota down in 4x4 to get through the 12 inches of snow we got plus plowing though the extra 5 still coming down and picked up this 48" Hi-Lift Jack, Basically a Really tall jack for lifted trucks like mine,used on trails.  Disassembled, Cleaned, painted and greased! Will come in handy!!







Also made a few brackets and painted them, Ill weld a few bolts on them an make a holder for the jack.



Anyway, back to my other hobby and what we are all here for:

hadn't really planned on planting these, but they were so sun faded I figured i would try!  Anyone know what kind of paint works best for these?







Still have to get that dang bolt off the throttle body, then I can put the handlebars and dash back together.

[2strokeTrush]

Sorry for no update on much recently guys, I took the test for the Maryland Transportation Authority Police so my nerves have been a little off, But my parents got me a new tach cable and some awesome tank knee pads for my tank for my Birthday! Pretty pumped!

[2strokeTrush]

Got the new Taillight installed!  Took some modifying to get it the way I wanted, but it looks good I think!  Only thing is, the old one had 3 wires, and this one has 2.  What should I do here??






Still have some tiding up to do:


Just left with this huge hole, and the old mounts for the last light, I want to cover this up somehow.  I was thinking maybe JB weld over it, and smooth it down? or get a sticker to put over it?

[wowbagger]

I've got the same tail light. I swapped the tip on the stock ground wire for a crimp on eye tip and connected it to one of the bolts. You don't actually need it though since the tail light grounds through the metal housing. I just added the ground wire to ensure I had good ground.

[2strokeTrush]

I've got the same tail light. I swapped the tip on the stock ground wire for a crimp on eye tip and connected it to one of the bolts. You don't actually need it though since the tail light grounds through the metal housing. I just added the ground wire to ensure I had good ground.

Awesome thanks!  I assume black wire on the new Taillight is Ground?

[bjbuchanan]

No, the bike doesn't have a ground wire, it grounds through the housing. Me and wowbagger did the same thing, run an eye on the end of the stock green wire to a mount bolt. It is more confidently grounded that way.

The black and red are brake and tail. Ground it, and hook it up. If the running tail is brighter than the brake, switch the black and red around. Brighter is the brake light

[2strokeTrush]

No, the bike doesn't have a ground wire, it grounds through the housing. Me and wowbagger did the same thing, run an eye on the end of the stock green wire to a mount bolt. It is more confidently grounded that way.

The black and red are brake and tail. Ground it, and hook it up. If the running tail is brighter than the brake, switch the black and red around. Brighter is the brake light

Thank you!

[2strokeTrush]

Well I'm headed to Tennessee in the morning so I figured i would post this before I leave.

PlastiDiped my fork tubes, and headlight bucket ears, not sure how I feel about it yet,  I didn't want to take the forks off just to paint a few parts, I guess it looks good.


Picked up some small new turn signals, they are carbon fiber look.  Well see how they turn out.




You can't really see them in this picture, but you get it.


Complete with some new Birthday additions:

[dagersh]

Nice progress and Happy Birthday!

Gersh

[2strokeTrush]

Nice progress and Happy Birthday!

Gersh

Thank you sir!  Time to tackle my 20's!!

[dagersh]

Jeez - just a babe in the SOHC4 woods!