Topic: Restored? or Original?

[okie]

I have an opportunity to acquire a 350F that is absolutely original, except for the mufflers.  It is a restorer's fantasy.  No dents.  No scratches.  No paint fading.  Not a single bolt, nut, or screw is rounded off or otherwise damaged.  All of the wiring is exactly as it came from the Honda factory.  Not a speck of rust in the tank.  Perfect chrome.  No rust.  Original manual.  Tool kit.  It has been stored indoors for 20 years, so it needs a battery, carb clean/balance and oil change.

I could take it down to the frame and do the best restoration on the planet.  It could also be a killer original un-restored rider with just a little bit of cleaning.

Which would you rather have? 

I don't NEED this bike.  I just want it so nobody else can have it.

[mcpuffett]

Just clean it & do any repairs neccesary & ride it & enjoy it  , it will be the only one with its own patina ,  cheers mick.

[medic09]

Just clean it & do any repairs neccesary & ride it & enjoy it  , it will be the only one with its own patina ,  cheers mick.

+1

[zoo mob]

Find a factory exhaust, put it on it and ride it.

[CB500_k2]

These machines were made to ride.  I recently got a 350f with 2500 miles on it.  The pipes were perfect.  There were a few mechanical problems to be dealt with ( it had been in a bad encounter early in its life).   I decided to put MAC pipes on it as the originals seems very inclined to rust (always thinking about future resale).  Put it on the road and enjoy it.  The 350 is a real delight to ride, particularly in town where the top end is not an issue.  It takes a while to get use to motoring around town at 6000 to 7000 rpm. 

[Raul CB750K1]

I really don't understand what the question is. Restoration is about putting something in its original condition. If it is already, then no restoration is needed. It is always a gently used original than a perfect restoration, at least in my opinion.



Raul

[Jugghead]

Buy it. love it. ride it.
 
I have an original, unrestored Honda 350F (see my link below)
While mine probably isn't as pristine as yours sounds, it is a clean original.
Not a show winner by any means, but it's a second place bike that I ride all the time.

Last weekend I did a 250 mile jaunt of some nice backroads, mainly a 45 mph river road with lots of good hills and curves.
This weekend I did 4 x 125 mile legs for a total trip of 500 miles.  It was at an indicated 70+ mph the first 250mi,
  the second day was done at 60mph in light rain.

The bike gobbled it up, and was so much fun to ride. It cruised at 70mph at 7,000RPM and I wasn't fully into the throttle.
I would twist it the rest of the way open and it would pull and the revs slowly crept higher.
I let it get up to 85 and I have NO doubt it would have climbed right to redline at 100mph and 10,000RPM...eventually
I'm just not that curious to try, nor was there a deserted straight away long enough to get to 100

Anyways, sorry to highjack, my point was ride it first for a while, enjoy it, and see what it needs over the winter or in another year. If you have another 350F that's a rider, maybe you do want a fully restored original.  It would be a fun (expensive!!) project.

[CB500_k2]

I second that.  The 350 is a great bike to RIDE. 

[okie]

Thanks for the answers and ideas.

Raul, the bike is 35 years old.  It has a patina on all of the exposed surfaces.  I think it gives it character.  I just wanted to see if I was the only one who felt that way; obviously I'm not alone. 

I used to be really into street rodding but it seemed to become a big money game.  Guys with fat checkbooks bought their way into the hobby.  The same mindset applied to SOHC 4's would have me spending big bucks to do the world class restoration.  There are a couple of problems with that:  1. Anybody with enough money could do it.  I would rather do something special.  2.  If you make it perfect, you won't want to ride it.  So, what's the point in having it?

If I work out the deal to buy it, the patina stays.

[Jugghead]

Good for you!
I hope you get it, (and if you don't, I hope someone else does who will enjoy it as much as you would).
I can definitely understand the "I-want-to-have-it-so-no-one-else-can-muck-it-up" mentality.
That's part of a collecting mentality.

Just get it, keep it clean (dry) and shiny...do little things, slowly, over the time you own it.
Before you know it, it will be fantastic while still showing its original, unrestored character.
Good luck, and if you don't get it, pass it on to me!

I wanted to add on to my previous rave:
This little 4 handles speed so well, even with the el-cheapo cheng shin regular tires (not the hi-max).
Standard, sweeping, dry highways at 70+ were no problem at all. It had lots of bite and felt really stable.
Plus there was more throttle left if you need to overtake someone (slowly )
Only the wind got to me because it was an especially windy day.

The second day, Rainy, was really confident alternating between 55-60mph on wet roads, depending on how hard it was raining.  It wasn't raining real hard, but a good, steady light rain.

I *think* the rear slipped at fraction of a second on two separate turns. I have never experienced it before, so it could have been something else. A surge or clutch slippage? 
Both times I was accellerating where the banks of an interchange merge with the new highway. The bike was leaned over more than average due to the clover leaf turn, and I was gunning the throttle to get up to mergeing speed.
Other than that, (and it may have been nothing), I am more confident than ever that my 350F can do my planned Philadelphia-Montreal-Quebec-Philadelphia tour before the summer ends.

Keep us posted to your decision!

[mark]

In my humble opinion..

There are plenty of untouchable restored trailer queens out there already.

I would rather see original, unrestored, and on the road any day.

Happy trails.

[CrisPDuk]

A couple of years ago there was a battered looking Porsche 356 doing the rounds of the UK car shows (it probably still is, it's me that isn't). At first glance most people would think "why has somebody let such a nice car get into that state?" But when you got closer and looked at the photographic history it had on display with it, you knew.
It had been bought new, to full factory competiton spec, by the current owner's Father, and had competed in the Mille Miglia, a couple of Targa Florios and many of the other great european road races of the fifties and sixties, until being retired into storage in favour apparently of a 911.  It had earned all of it's dings and scratches and wore them with pride
As far as I can recall it never won any of the 'judged' competitions, but usually walked away with any 'visitors choice' awards on offer

I personally (and so it would seem do a lot of others) would rather see one vehicle (bike or car) like the above, than a hundred too shiny trailer queens that have had their history obliterated under all them layers of new paint and chrome

[spitfire]

Keep it as original as possible, when restoring mine I wanted to keep as many of the original parts as possible, so unless they were not functional or looked really bad I have kept them. My bike is 31 years old and nothing can change that.

Cheers

Den

[jaknight]

Hi Jugghead & Clan,

     Just wanted to say Jugghead, that your riding stories were great.  Sounds like a lot of good old fashioned fun and adventure.  Your short stories are what these bikes are really all about ..........

    If your eyes have seen different dawns and different sunsets, motorcycles have cast a spell over you which can never be cast aside.  It is a journey that only you and your motorcycle can begin and complete......... no other.  The road beckons.......  the road is waiting.......


     ~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~