Topic: CL350 Starter - help a girl out with her first bike

[janelu]

Hi All,

I have already posted this on another forum, but my friend thought you guys would have great advice too.

I just bought my first bike. It's a Honda '73 CL350 (with some CB parts for now).  Want to get it running so that I can learn to ride on it.  I'm going to need a lot of help along the way.

Let's start with problem #1:  Every once in a while it will actually come to life with the starter, but most of the time it just makes a really unhealthy grinding noise.  Here are two videos of the starter in action:

Thoughts on what the problem is?  Thanks!

[harisuluv]

second one is private

[grcamna2]

it sounds like your starter clutch is slipping;the starter motor itself sounds healthy.The starter clutch is behind the alternator cover on the left side of the engine as you're sitting on the bike('left foot' side)and you'll need to remove the cover and then remove the alternator rotor w/ a special puller 'bolt' and the starter clutch is bolted onto the back of the alternator 'rotor'.

[2wheels]

Looks like a 350 twin.  Not 4 cyl.
What happen when you kick start?

[seanbarney41]

+1 for Camna...have had a couple cb350's, electric start rarely works in the real world...you gonna have to kick it!


actually feel that the 350 twins, although easy to ride, are one of the worst first bikes anyone could try to use, 'cuz they really need a lot of delicate maintenance.  If you really want to ride, I would like to suggest you get something more modern and dependable.  Learning to ride requires a lot of seat time, not wrenchtime...and its tough to get seat time when the thing needs points and timing work every 500 miles...and the tank must come off to do anything...and everytime you pull the tank, the fuel crossover spills gas everywhere.  And it is dnagerous for a new rider to try and learn on a motorcycle which is difficult to keep idling..Seriously, my first cb350 soured me on motorcycles for several years, and I was already a fairly accomplished auto mechanic.

[janelu]

Sorry.  Second video fixed. 

[Garage_guy_chris]

Thats a typical starter clutch problem that happens with the honda twin's its not typically an expensive or hard thing to fix.

Here is a visual off my CB450 which uses the same system new on left, old on right notice the length of the springs
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Here's the parts required:
http://www.charlies-place.com/shop/starter-clutch-parts/

Come over to Hondatwins.net and poke around you will find many threads discussing it and rebuild walk throughs
http://www.hondatwins.net/forums/

[grcamna2]

Just as Chris has said.
What happens is the little 'caps'/plungers get beat-up along w/ the springs and then the larger 'rollers' get lot's of flat spots & wear marks on them.
That's a one-way-clutch type of system which only engages when the starter motor is spinning the crankshaft over & once the engine starts it is supposed to spin freely w/ no resistance on the crankshaft. When you replace the parts behind there & test it by hand w/ the flywheel off you'll see that it will only turn in one direction.