Topic: Chris' CL350 Cafe Racer Build (Update 09.03.07) FIRST RIDE

[bill440cars]

   
     Hey Chris,   That IS a cool solution that you came up with there. Thanks for showing it.

                                                     Later on, Bill

[ProTeal55]

I like that block off plate.
If I keep the CB450 (And kicks over easy) I might have ya make me one of those
block off plates..

[masonryman]

Here is the aluminum underseat pan. This will be structurally riveted and hold two small batteries and the ignition relay.





We were  just chatting about the flat gel cells and putting the wiring under the seat on my project a few days ago. will you be running an electric starter, what batteries are you using

Mark

[chrisf]

Hi Mark:

I just ordered my batteries. These should arrive Wed. I'm basically using two 12 volt batteries wired such that I will have a total of 1.6aH. This should be enough to keep the lights on during the rare stop and go traffic. The only thing these batteries will run is the headlight, brights and tach light and only then when the charging system is inactive. I have more room under the seat if I need another battery (2.4aH total). In total, I have room--I think--for four batteries.

Yes, I'm just running a kick start.

--Chris

[mgmuellner]

Hi Mark:

I just ordered my batteries. These should arrive Wed. I'm basically using two 12 volt batteries wired such that I will have a total of 1.6aH. This should be enough to keep the lights on during the rare stop and go traffic. The only thing these batteries will run is the headlight, brights and tach light and only then when the charging system is inactive. I have more room under the seat if I need another battery (2.4aH total). In total, I have room--I think--for four batteries.

Yes, I'm just running a kick start.

--Chris

Chris - I'm also doing a cb/cl 350 cafe.  I'm going in a similar direction as you - boxing the frame & kick only at least.  Did you box at all in the rear section of the frame near the swing-arm?  Where did you source the batteries from?  I'd love to see a schematic or pic of your set-up, I'm going kick only too.  Why not when you can kick 'em over with your left hand!   

[chrisf]

Hi:

Check out my website for more pictures and a better description of what I did. I did weld in the outside of the seat post/motor mount spine. I have not boxed it in yet. I need to get the motor in before I can make templates. Then I'll remove the engine and box in the bottom. TBH, I might just skip this step.

I'll post the wiring diagram as I make it. It really won't be that complicated, just a single relay system. The batteries will be wired in series. I love how dead simple motorcycles are. When I built my car, it took ages to come up with a wiring diagram, nevermind the actual fabrication of the chassis.

--ATB, Chris

[Green550F]

As much as I like the idea of ditching the starter, I'm at a loss for how to get around the kicker hitting my rearsets. What solutions have you come up with?

My rersets are bolting into the old passenger peg locations.

[chrisf]

My rersets are bolting into the old passenger peg locations.

Mine too. I'm buying some Tarrozi rearsets thet flip up. So to start, I flip the rearsets up and kick it over. To ride, I flip them down. I'm waiting for the shipment to arrive so I can place an order. Until I get them, I won't know for sure. I figure that worse case is that I have to modify the kick starter arm--that or fabricate a new one. I also might have modify the passenger peg mounts. Either way, there are worse things to do.


--Chris

[Green550F]

My issue is hitting the brake pedal.
I'll eventually find a way around it...

[chrisf]

OK, here are some pics of my battery packs. I have room for four if needed. Hopefully two will do because I need room for my starter relay, etc. If anyone is interested, I got my batteries from Advanced Battery. They supply the battery back systems we use at work, so I got the company cost. I think they retail at $22 each. Each one weighs about 1lbs. That's quite a weight savings!

A better write-up is on my website...



--Chris

[bill440cars]

           Cool Chris, Have you used these before? I'd be interested in how they work out. Sure saves a lot in weight & space, also makes locating them an easier proposition. Since they are 12volt, you're wiring them in parallel so you maintain 12volts but increase the amperage. Hope things work out for ya.

                                                       Later on, Bill    

[chrisf]

I've never used them in a bike application. We use them at work to power phone systems. I got the idea because I had a few laying on my desk. I asked a couple of EEs who said it will work fine. The owner of Advanced Battery agreed. Now, in a real world application....I have my hopes. They will really only be used at idle, so very infrequently. The rear tail light will be an LED bulb. The front headlight will be standard and I'm not running any turn signals

--Chris

[masonryman]

Well if it don't work we will both be wrong, I got 3 battries out of a back up power supply. Mine will have to be mounted perpindicular to the frame, they are a little bigger than yours, they are 4" x 6" x 2" thick. I will be running two 6 volt, 7 amp battries.

Mark

[chrisf]

Wow, I haven't worked on the bike for a month...

Wed night, I spent two hours hand sanding the clucth cover. Today, i spent five polishing it. The picture looks awful, bu the polish came out pretty well. This is a big milestone because I can finally install the engine and start on the fun stuff, like the exhaust. Things should go much quicker from here--at least they will be more fun.



Please contact me if you have a clutch cover gasket for the CL/CB350 motor. That's the only one I need and I'd hate to buy a whole set just for the one.

It's good to be back to building!

--Chris

[bill440cars]

            Hey Chris, That's one slick job on the motor! That work on the side cover really paid off big time!! You take care and keep up the good work.

                                                Later on, Bill  

[ProTeal55]

Looking good - glad to see you are making progress...

[CBGBs]

Motor looks great Chris! 
I work for a top electrical contractor. We have batteries like that for emergency lights. If you need and wiring or electrical parts I may be able to hook you up. Just don't ask me anything about electronics.

[chrisf]

I managed to get the motor in last night and came to a few realizations. First, the scrambler highpipes and rearsets mean that the inside of the leg will likely be in constant contact with the pipe. This is too bad because I really like they way the look. I'm going to wrap the pipes individually, then wrap them together. Hopefully, this makes them bareable. Worse case is that I buy 5 stainless bends and a 2-1 merge collector and fab up my own exhaust that goes under the bike...

Second, I got tired of waiting for my Tarozzi reasets to arrive, so I decided to make my own. This in itself is a huge challenge because the kicker wants to touch the brake pedal on the down stroke. I think I'm going to have to fabricate a new kicker pedal that bends out of the way of the rearset. If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

For you guys running rearsets, do they fold?

--Thanks, Chris

[masonryman]

I have been toying with several rearset ideas, The first couple sets did not fold, next set did but were a little big and heavy so I gave up on the folding option, but with a little more thought I became concerned not with dragging the pegs but with dragging a toe and rolling it under the unforgiving peg and breaking it off.
I think the solution I have came up with is to use the bracket I welded on the frame and adapt it to accept the stock pegs, this way it will look very period correct and most people will not even know there not in the right place.

This whole build thing is like a sickness, I should be painting and reassembeling by now but when I started cleaning the carbs I ended up completly disassembling and polishing the carbs, where dose it end?

later
Mark

[mgmuellner]

^ it ends?   

[Caferacingparts]

Chris,
   What have you done to keep the remnants of the starter from falling out of the engine case? From looking at your website photos it appears that all you did was disassemble/remove the guts of the starter and cut off the mounting points.  If this is correct, there is a good chance that what is left of the starter will fall out while you are riding down the road due to heat, vibration, crankcase pressure, and lubrication. I've attached some photos of a complete Honda twins starter assembly. As you can see there is an O-ring but no fasteners on the business end of the starter.  Worse than the parts actually falling out of the case would be when the splined starter drive shaft backs out far enough to let go of the drive sprocket inside the engine case. The starter drive sprocket and chain would then wrap themselves around the end of the crankshaft and other rotating parts inside the left engine cover. If you haven't done it already, I would strongly recommend removing the starter chain and sprockets and figuring a way to secure your "starter plug" from inside the engine case.


                                             Cheers, Bret @ Glass from the Past
                                                   971-207-2824
                                               www.caferacingparts.com 







                               

[CBGBs]

Uh, it seems to me the crankshaft gear is held on by the generator. It won't fly off. As long as you remove the chain and starter gear I don't see how there can be a problem.  ?

[ProTeal55]

For you guys running rearsets, do they fold?

The resrsets I have on my CB450 (offa 2001 GSXR) don infact fold, but they dont stay folded (on some sort of a spring). It looks like if I kick the bike with just my heel I wont have any issues, but I am prob. gonna keep some sorta bungee/hair tie thing on board to hold the footpeg outta the way while I kick the bike.

We shall see how it all pans out...

[bill440cars]

        Hey Bret,

                    I too was thinking that ALL of the starter parts were removed and if that's the case, how could there be anything to fall out? I.m going to do the same thing on a 450. Besides removing the parts, I'd have thought that the hole, where the starter shaft was, would have been plugged also. Concern is appreciated, I'm sure. I'm thinking about one of those plugs by MG, or something similar.

                                                           Later on, Bill    

[Caferacingparts]

The first two photos show typical Honda twins starter removal from the engine case. Remove two bolts from rear of starter. Slide starter out of engine case. 
The third photo (from Chris' website) shows the starter PARTIALLY removed and disassembled. MOST of the starter has been removed, but the nose of the starter and the drive shaft are still engaged into the engine case.  I don't see anything in the photos and Chris doesn't mention adding any type of retention parts.

My question to Chris:
What is holding your starter nose piece into the engine case?   
 


                                    Cheers, Bret @ Glass from the Past
                                       971-207-2824
                                     www.caferacingparts.com