Topic: Finally Joined the Honda 4 Club: My new CB350F Project Cafe Resto

[sbeckman7]

Hi all,

More than a year after my initial post on this forum, I have finally joined the community with a 1972 CB350F, serial number 1018102.  I got this bike for almost nothing, and am still awaiting confirmation from the DMV/CHP it has no stolen reports, but in the mean time I trucked it home and began going through it tonight.  My plans are to do a fairly extensive restoration, down to frame paint, engine cleaning (need more direction on this), and replacing quite a few components I imagine.  At the top of the list: It has no ignition/key tumbler, no throttle twist grip, wiring harness is in bad shape, front brake is frozen, needs a new battery and new tires, and cosmetically it needs to be taken down to bare metal and re-painted.  Has carbs (not pictured) that will need to be cleaned up and probably rebuilt.  Hoping I don't need to open the engine as the oil inside looks good, although it's been outside for an unknown amount of time.  No oil leaks that I noticed.  I am planning to keep it fairly original with hints of cafe racer.

It has some quirks but I was surprised that everything I looked at tonight was structurally sound and still functioned as it should.  I also found out that a flathead screwdriver works as a suitable key substitute for opening the seat lock

I love small displacement multi cylinder engines, and the CB350F has appealed to me for years now but I was never able to find one at school.  Now that I'm home with a little more time on my hands, I can't wait to get into this project!

As she came home today:



Next to my other project, a nearing-completion '97 Triumph Daytona "Cafe" conversion


What is up with these headers?! Home made?



Where I finished for tonight



Ideas moving forward: what do you guys recommend in terms of disassembling?  I would normally go bit by bit (i.e. do the wheels, then the engine, then the frame, etc) but I have never worked on a bike this old or in need of so much love so I would love to hear the opinion of others who have tackled something similar.  The engine seems to be in good condition but is there a best way to remove the oxidized look?  Frame will be powder coated black, but should I save that for last?

Spence

[MoMo]

First thing I would do is make sure it runs before disassembling, that is unless you plan to rebuild the motor, which comes out the right side after everything is disconnected.  I can do it single handed but another person helps when reinstalling to help avoid scratching the powder coating.  Exhaust is from a 400 four, which is one of the sexiest exhaust designs known to mankind. Muffler is aftermarket and appears as though it were welded on.  At present I have a crapload of 350/400 four parts that I am trying to get rid of... Larry

[70CB750]

Looks like a neat project. Hopefully it is not hot

[MoMo]

Looks like a neat project. Hopefully it is not hot

Did you get snow in the 2 foot range? 

[70CB750]

About 30" actually.

[cb650PK]

That Ducati seat cowling on the Triumph hurts my eyes. I ike the 350F, had 400F for a while, much lighter and nimbler handling then my K7. Just don't put wider tires on it.

[NobleHops]

Welcome! Your bike has good bones, you'll have fun. Scan my 400F build thread in my signature, you might find a couple of pearls for your project, Thirsty 1 also did a nice one and cgarbe has one going too. MoMo is an excellent go-to guy on these bikes.

Subscribed!

[carnivorous chicken]

Nice score, I dig those 350Fs.

Looks like you're missing carbs and airbox -- you're going to want to source those. Used carb racks are usually in the $150 range, needing to be rebuilt. I've seen rebuilt sets go for as little as $300 and up to $600 (nevermind, just reread and noticed you've got the carbs). Original airboxes can be had for $50-$100, when they show up. You could use pods -- 350Fs are more forgiving than other bikes -- but I think it will run better with the stock set up. The 400F exhaust won't require rejetting just tuning unless you change the air filter set up, although hard to say with the aftermarket welded on muffler. The header might be shot at that connection, but if not, David Silver Spares sells repro 400F mufflers (and headers too). Throttle tube will easy to come by, and you can get ignition switches on Ebay (as well as Honda keys with the tumbler number if that's all  you can find).

You can test the compression before you go further -- it'll be cold but it will give you an idea of where you are at.

I'd get the thing running before you go further, unless you're planning on a rebuild no matter what. Then decide what you want to do.

One problem you'll encounter is that the bike has its stock pegs with 400F exhaust. If you look at the photo of the rear brake lever, you'll notice first that it's at a higher angle than it should be (the lever sits higher than the peg) and that it doesn't have much travel room. You can mount 400F pegs, shifter linkage, and rear brake lever to avoid this clearance issue -- I did this on a 350F about 20 years ago, but the word's out and people are now after 400F pegs for this conversion, so the prices have gotten higher. If you want to restore it, original exhaust are crazy expensive and nearly impossible to come by. Again, David Silver Spares sells repro 4-4 for a grand, and last time I looked they had new but cosmetically challenged sets for $800.

[sbeckman7]

Thanks a lot for the responses everyone! I like the idea to make sure the engine is good before tearing it apart, that just means I'll have to do the purchasing sooner rather than later which I'm ok with. Larry I will be sending you a message soon to see what you've got

What's the general consensus on here re 400 exhaust? Is it a well known upgrade? Could I get some money for it if I wanted to go with a 350F- specific MAC 4-1 header or something similar?

[carnivorous chicken]

I don't know if it's well known, but the 400F headers are unique (550F headers are similar...) and some (myself included) think they're pretty good looking. They were the first stock 4-1 set up as far as I know. And one muffler is lighter than 4. Switching to a Mac or other exhaust will alleviate having to find the 400F peg set up, but verify that you can still use the center stand -- some set ups require its removal. Macs don't have the best reputation, however -- their chrome work is shoddy and doesn't hold up well.

400F headers aren't really worth that much. In the shape yours is in, with the welded on muffler, rust, and road rash, you might get $50 for it. Maybe a little more.

[MoMo]

original 350F exhaust is impossible to find so you may have to go with what you have.  If you plan to "cafe" it why bother to seek out original(expensive) parts?

Larry

[sbeckman7]

original 350F exhaust is impossible to find so you may have to go with what you have.  If you plan to "cafe" it why bother to seek out original(expensive) parts?

Larry

Definitely not looking for a stock exhaust. I'll want to stick to a 4-1 header whichever system I go with. Carnivorous Chicken, pretty interesting about the header size. Wonder if Honda was experimenting a bit with low-end vs. top end power with those design changes. In any case, this will never be a fast bike so I'm going to use my design judgement as the top decision maker

Just got back from the police station, they don't have a record of the bike what should I expect to pay to register this thing? Don't have ANY paperwork or a license plate.

Spence

[Restoration Fan]

Just got back from the police station, they don't have a record of the bike what should I expect to pay to register this thing? Don't have ANY paperwork or a license plate.

Specne,
It will depend upon the state.  I recommend that you go into your profile and update it with your city/state.  Many of us here look at it to see if you're near us when trying to help out.  In my case, I ended up finding out that I live very near one of the best source of SOHC parts around (Bill Benton) and have ended up becoming very good friends with him.

If you put your city/state there and then post it here, obviously...someone in your state may be able to give you an idea of the amount you should expect to pay.

For instance in Georgia, you don't need a title for a bike over 25 years old so you wouldn't need a title here.  And you would pay somewhere between $100 - $130 for the initial registration and then about $16 per year every year after that.

Ron

[carnivorous chicken]

Vermont registration is one way.
Bonded title is another.
Abandoned vehicle title could be an option, depending on where you are.

[MoMo]

First thing I would do is make sure it runs before disassembling, that is unless you plan to rebuild the motor, which comes out the right side after everything is disconnected.  I can do it single handed but another person helps when reinstalling to help avoid scratching the powder coating.  Exhaust is from a 400 four, which is one of the sexiest exhaust designs known to mankind. Muffler is aftermarket and appears as though it were welded on.  At present I have a crapload of 350/400 four parts that I am trying to get rid of... Larry

edit:  Just saw that you do not have a title so I would not do anything at all until that situation is rectified....Larrh

[sbeckman7]

Hi guys,

Today I began with the disassembly and cleaning process.  I removed an incredible amount of leaves, shells, sticks, dirt, etc from various crevices all over the bike, and after doing so I am confident that this could be the base for a great restoration.  The only severe rust is in the air box and battery tray, both items I will replace.  I won't dig any further until I visit the DMV tomorrow to ask about obtaining a title, but after the Police report turned up empty I feel a bit more comfortable.  Hopefully it won't be as expensive as the $500+ fiasco I had with my Triumph, which had back fees all the way from 2010...

I took the compressed air to the frame, loosened the chain (it was CRAZY tight for whatever reason), removed the fenders, seat, battery, and disconnected hoses to clean things up a bit.  The engine feels good to me initially - it kicks with decent compression resistance.  Looking through the intakes of each cylinder, all but one looked good.  The far left (not sure if that's cyl 1 or 4) looked like it might be a little rusty.  The air compressor blew out some rust-dust on that cylinder only as well... Not sure what to make of it.  Compression test next?  I could grab the $25 deal from harbor freight if I need to.

I also began the parts list to determine just what I need to make this thing start again (theoretically).  As far as I can tell, the only parts I'll need to order are a decent twist grip throttle, clutch cable, both ignition coils (spark plug leads severed) , and any remaining hardware needed for the carbs.  The carburetors - by the way - will definitely need a rebuild.  Two of the 4 slides seem to be stuck.  Do I need an ignition coil to kick start the bike for the sake of circuit completion?

I will look to forum members as well as the parts sites I have come across for these pieces.  If anyone happens to have one of the items I've mentioned for sale, please let me know

Some pictures of today's work:

[MoMo]

switches and master cylinder are not original.  I did that same mod on one of my 400's.  Latter year switches were cheap and plentiful compared the original...larry

[carnivorous chicken]

I've got a complete battery box in great shape, and should have a set of stock coils. PM me if you're interested.

[Trad]

Hi guys,

Today I began with the disassembly and cleaning process.  I removed an incredible amount of leaves, shells, sticks, dirt, etc from various crevices all over the bike, and after doing so I am confident that this could be the base for a great restoration.  The only severe rust is in the air box and battery tray, both items I will replace.  I won't dig any further until I visit the DMV tomorrow to ask about obtaining a title, but after the Police report turned up empty I feel a bit more comfortable.  Hopefully it won't be as expensive as the $500+ fiasco I had with my Triumph, which had back fees all the way from 2010...

I took the compressed air to the frame, loosened the chain (it was CRAZY tight for whatever reason), removed the fenders, seat, battery, and disconnected hoses to clean things up a bit.  The engine feels good to me initially - it kicks with decent compression resistance.  Looking through the intakes of each cylinder, all but one looked good.  The far left (not sure if that's cyl 1 or 4) looked like it might be a little rusty.  The air compressor blew out some rust-dust on that cylinder only as well... Not sure what to make of it.  Compression test next?  I could grab the $25 deal from harbor freight if I need to.

I also began the parts list to determine just what I need to make this thing start again (theoretically).  As far as I can tell, the only parts I'll need to order are a decent twist grip throttle, clutch cable, both ignition coils (spark plug leads severed) , and any remaining hardware needed for the carbs.  The carburetors - by the way - will definitely need a rebuild.  Two of the 4 slides seem to be stuck.  Do I need an ignition coil to kick start the bike for the sake of circuit completion?

I will look to forum members as well as the parts sites I have come across for these pieces.  If anyone happens to have one of the items I've mentioned for sale, please let me know

Some pictures of today's work:









What's with this, the 10th photo? haha

[harisuluv]

Uh... well that's kind of weird...

[sbeckman7]

Trad, I was trying to show the switches haha. Rubber grip was deteriorated so I took it off, and the twist grip is either not there or just fused with rust.

Harisuluv, what were you referring to?

[harisuluv]

Dude, there is an explicit picture with nudity in your post.  Trad made it pretty easy to show you as he quoted the picture. 

[sbeckman7]

Seriously?!

This is my view...

[harisuluv]

Dude it was there, you changed it now, it's fixed.  Pierce Brosnan and Jamie Lee Curtis and her nipple are gone.

[sbeckman7]

Dude it was there, you changed it now, it's fixed.  Pierce Brosnan and Jamie Lee Curtis and her nipple are gone.

I have literally no idea what that means and who those people are, so I'm gonna assume this was some sort of link error seeing as only 2 people saw that image 

I upload with Tinypic.com so I can't even edit the photos once they're uploaded.. Really weird.