Thinking of buying a 74 350F. It is in excellent original condition, 4000k miles, with aftermarket 4 to 1. Owner does have the original 4 to 4 pipes and hangers..in very good condition. Does have a hard starting condition..carbs flood. Any advise on what to look for, common problems. Reasonable price range? New to forum, so pardon if I am covering lfamiliar territory.
I love these bikes, and they've got a following.
If the original pipes are in good shape, they are worth a lot on their own. Carburetor problems are easy to fix -- a rebuild, using the original brass parts, should solve problems unless they are structural. Just look for the usual things when buying an old bike: oil leaks, smoke when it runs, make sure everything works (electrical, brakes, shifting, lights, speedo, tach, brake), rust (see if you can see the forks, they're covered on these bikes but if they are rusty they will eat up seals), sprockets and chain, engine compression, condition of the tank (rust) and other painted bits, etc. One thing to pay attention to is the timing chain -- see if there is a rattle in the front end, and whether the adjuster is functioning. Also -- make sure the original airbox and all its components are there. Some parts for these are pretty expensive -- original exhaust or repros, nice condition tanks and side covers, some things are moderate -- carbs, but there are also a lot of parts still available from Honda or David Silver Spares, as originals or repros. Just don't use an aftermarket carb rebuild kit for the brass parts.
Price depends very much on where you are. Some places in the USA they can be had in decent shape for $1500, others $3000 or more. Location, condition, how much they seller wants to sell and how much the buyer wants to buy are all factors.
