Author Topic: CB350F with Sidecar Project in NZ (Read 10799 times)

fishman_Phil · « **on:** December 13, 2008, 04:28:56 PM »

Hahahaha

I know ... some of you will be saying it can't be done, should not be done, where is the power going to come from, you will break the frame, it will run like a dog, and much more.
I have picked up a Velorex 562 Sidecar in damaged but partly repaired condition. PO had loaned it out to a fella that filled it up with bricks, and then ran underneath the back of a car at an intersection. PO had started the repairs years ago and now has sold it on to me.
Sidecar investment $500NZ and all there except for the windscreen.
Bike to be used is a parts bike I have had for around 6 years and has had the registration put on hold all this time, so it will be easy to register and put on the road.
Motor will be replaced with a CB400F that I picked up a couple of weeks back. This will give me 6 gears and hopefully make it easier to come up with the right gearing to move the rig along the road.
Main reason for the project is to try and provide a means of taking my dog, Diggy, out for the odd ride, and also provide a talking point.
It will be a fairly slow project initially, as I have little time, Christmas is nearly here, the fish are calling me to go and catch them and several other jobs that need doing. If it can be done by March then I can take it to a National Sidecar Rally that will be held 20 min from where I live.
Any comments, suggestions will be greatly welcomed.
Cheers ... Phil in NZ

scunny · « **Reply #1 on:** December 13, 2008, 04:43:14 PM »

nice project Phil. an easier option is to glue some carpet to the top of the tank and the dog can ride there with his snout in the wind, friend of mine did it and his dog loved it.

CBGhia · « **Reply #2 on:** December 13, 2008, 05:03:34 PM »

I don't know how to tell you this...

but your side car is on the wrong side.

Love it. I want to get one badly.

DollarBill · « **Reply #3 on:** December 13, 2008, 05:30:19 PM »

That looks like a fun project Phil. My brother is working on a 550 with a sidecar and I can't wait to take it for a spin. I don't see why the 350 can't handle it. I doubt your going to really dog it so smooth easy city riding should be fine.

By the way, what kind of car is that in the background? It sorta looks like a mustang...but not?

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #4 on:** December 13, 2008, 05:40:14 PM »

Hi all ... project is in New Zealand and we drive on the correct side of the road, unlike what they do in the States, hence the chair sits on the left side of the bike.
The car in the back ground is my son's 93 Holden Commodore V6. He likes black paint. Goes really well with the mods he has done in it.
Cheers ... Phil in NZ

OakBehringer · « **Reply #5 on:** December 14, 2008, 07:33:53 PM »

This is going to be such a baddass project. I cannot wait to see your progress updates / how this turns out. I'm subscribing to this thread, don't leave me hanging!

JBMorse · « **Reply #6 on:** December 16, 2008, 03:52:53 PM »

Quote from: fishman_Phil on December 13, 2008, 04:28:56 PM

Hahahaha
I know ... some of you will be saying it can't be done, should not be done, where is the power going to come from, you will break the frame, it will run like a dog, and much more.

Nonsense! If you can get a sidecar for a 23 horespower royal enfield, I think a small sohc honda will handle a sidecar easily! People overestimate the amount of power they really need these days (look at the cars and trucks we get in the US).
Good luck with your build!

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #7 on:** December 20, 2008, 08:38:50 PM »

Strip Down _ well the CB350F has now been pretty much stripped down. Amazing how much of the bike will fit into a box. Next job will be to cleanup the frame and paint it.
I am hoping a friend will come to the party with some leading link forks for me which will be a big plus for a sidecar rig, failing that I will stay with the originals.
Has anyone heard of or tried adapting a steering damper to a CB350F ?
The other alternative is to fit miniature shocks to the steering to prevent any shimmy of the front wheel.
Paint colour has not been settled on, but I am looking towards red, which would match the upholstery of the sidecar seating.
Cheers ... Phil in NZ

Hush · « **Reply #8 on:** December 22, 2008, 03:50:14 AM »

Hi Phil, just by chance I met an old guy the other week who has a shed full of CB350F's and one he had started and never finished had a steering damper on it.
I asked him if it made improvement to handling and he said the bike he took it off definately handled better with the addition.
Such a shame the old guy seems to have given up on his restore as he has done so much without finishing and he has 3 others in need of restore, also 550 POLICE BIKE and a sweet little 400f.
I don't think he will part with any of them this lifetime but at least I can tell you with confidence that the steering damper system is a go on the 350f.

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2008, 07:32:20 PM »

Hey Hush, you don't happen to know what he got the damper off that he used on the bike?
Cheers ... Phil in NZ

Hush · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2008, 11:02:40 PM »

Sorry Phil no I don't but even though he is/was a pretty good engineer in his time I do remember him telling me the name so it was a bought item, sorry lousy memory for things like that, completely forgotten it.

CBGhia · « **Reply #11 on:** December 24, 2008, 03:17:56 PM »

I know a lot of folks use VW Bug Steering Dampers for sidecars. Thats whats on my buddies side car, and the local builder buys all of his from a friend that owns a VW shop.

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #12 on:** December 24, 2008, 04:01:15 PM »

Cheers for that. All the options and advice is appreciated. Although one may say there should be no twitching in the steering if setup right, with all the different cambers we have on our local roads, both city, highway and country, I am sure I will need something fitted, to assist. Cheers ... Phil in NZ

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #13 on:** December 27, 2008, 07:32:48 PM »

This 25 degCel summer weather is great for painting. I am thinking of you guys having a white Christmas back in the States, truely I am. Stripped the CB350F frame back this morning with paint stripper, sanded some, washed and then primed her up. Also got the base coat of black on it. Hopefully if the weather stays good tomorrow I will get the final gloss coat on it. Now for a nice cold beer.
Cheers ... Phil in NZ

OakBehringer · « **Reply #14 on:** December 27, 2008, 07:45:04 PM »

Looks great Phil... in Chicago we had unseasonably warm weather today - in the 60's (F) - albeit it was pouring rain. I was excited to pick up and install my freshly painted half-doors for my CJ7, but the darn shop is closed on the weekends. Suck.

Enjoy the weather!

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #15 on:** December 27, 2008, 11:11:33 PM »

Very nice Phil, now a smart-arse would say that you're lucky that the rally is only 20 minutes from home, but I've never been accused of being a smart-arse, so I won't start now, ha ha!

Actually I've got a soft spot for 350/4's, I restored one 12 years ago and it was a brilliant little bike, and it'd (almost) do a genuine 100 MPH with my (then) 240 pounds sat on it, with a long enough stretch of road.

I swapped it for my $5000.00 lathe, (first bike I ever made a profit on) but if it hadn't been for that offer, I'd probably still have it. Although it wouldn't be my first choice for a sidecar rig, I've seen sidecars on Vespa scooters, and back in the day, the Poms put them on anything, including Beeza Bantams!

Go for it mate, and post some pics of the finished article! Cheers, Terry.

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #16 on:** December 30, 2008, 03:39:34 PM »

Well here are the newly painted bits in a Ford colour, Aztec Red. Looked nice on the colour chart and it will match the upholstery of the sidecar. But, until I buff the bits up and put on the badges, it is taking a bit of getting used to. The other green and sparkling 350F in the garage is probably upsetting me.
I need to paint the fenders as the budget does not allow rechoming at this stage.
Need help in deciding whether to go red or a silvery colour.
My CBX400F and my neighbours late model Triumph both have red fenders. They look alright. But I am thinking about painting at least the top half of the sidecar in a silvery colour.
The bike will be a rider and has been built for a role to play, more than just sit in the shed and smile.
The paint went on sweet as in the morning sun outside, but being Dulon, it now requires a good buff up to bring out the shine. I gave it 6 coats or more of paint. It will look better with badges on as well.
Cheers ... Phil in NZ

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #17 on:** December 30, 2008, 04:07:27 PM »

G'Day Phil, looks good mate, but I wouldn't do the fenders in red, too much mate, Honda painted some of their early bikes fenders with an "aluminium" silver, and I reckon that'd be a great contrast to your Ford red.

Make sure you grab a can of "etch primer" to paint over your old crappy chrome, and your paint won't fall off. Do you get Aussie paint there in Sheepshaggerland mate? If so, I'll give you a heads up with some brands I've used that work real well. Cheers, Terry.

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #18 on:** December 30, 2008, 04:45:11 PM »

Hi Terry ... some of those early Honda Dreams looked good with their painted fenders in silver and I am leaning that way else the bike might look like a plastic fantastic from the present day.
The only Aussie paints we have over here that I am aware of are Septone and one other that SuperCheap Autos sell. The one other that I do not know it's name is in the form of rattle can and covers most of the paint colours used on cars.
I have seen your section on using a rattle can to paint your tank, and cheers my friend, I learn't alot from that article, especially in finding the lows and highs in the surface.
The front fender I am looking at using is off an ex police bike and has been painted in their off-white, although there is a large amount of rusty stuff going with it now. The rear fender is one that has had all the chrome stripped off by a PO to make ready for rechroming. They will be my 2 to use. I will stay with a nice chrome tail-light unit though.
Cheers ... Phil in NZ (we actually have less sheep than you Aussies and we are of the thinking shagging sheep is for the enjoyment of the Aussie farmer)

OakBehringer · « **Reply #19 on:** December 30, 2008, 07:15:10 PM »

Phil,

If the price is right, I might be able to part with my perfectly chromed rear fender. I'm going to be cafe-ing my bike over the winter, so the rear fender will be cut or removed anyway. PM me with an offer, thanks!

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #20 on:** December 30, 2008, 09:55:28 PM »

Cheers for that offer. What I find I am really short of is the rear grab rail. It will not get much use when the sidecar is on the bike but it does allow me to mount the indicators (blinkers/winkers) with the correct components. Cheers

OakBehringer · « **Reply #21 on:** December 30, 2008, 10:11:23 PM »

Oh, I should have mentioned, that will be available too. Most likely with the blinkers and maybe the taillight, as well. No rush, we have a few more months of snow here.

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #22 on:** December 31, 2008, 04:59:25 PM »

Came down to getting an engine ready for the bike today, as to put the engine in on my own I find put it easier to put the eng on it's side and slide the frame down over it. I want the 6-speed box and was looking at using a CB400F engine from a recent purchase. Then I remembered another going to waste in a bike that a PO had been trying to cafe. It was a CB400F bottom end and gearbox with a 350F cylinder and top end.
And to top it off the engine should be good because it had been assembled by a well known guy over here with Hondas, Graeme Duckett. It had been made up using NOS cases with no serial numbers. He had done this project years ago just to prove it could be done to put the 350F top to the 400F bottom and prepare for the track. See the pics where the serial n umbers should have been and the totally original paintwork.
I will not keep the added touch of black crackle paint that was a 70's thing. It will get stripped off. Likewise, I will very likely phase out those finned tappet covers.
The mufflers that were on this bike were 4 into 4 from a CB500F !!
You could see small heat marks on the headers where they had been gas heated and worked a little to get the right bend.
And that back wheel on the frame was in pretty good nick. Hub had been painted in the past and the chrome rim oiled up. Hoping that tyre checks out good as being used with a sidecar it needs to have a fairly wide flattish surface.
Now back to the garage to clean up that engine and prepare her to go into the frame. Cheers ...

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #23 on:** December 31, 2008, 08:53:29 PM »

Great ... I now have the engine cleaned up and painted ready to go into the frame tomorrow. 400F bottom end and 350F top end. Cheers

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #24 on:** January 01, 2009, 02:36:26 AM »

Phil, you're a bloody workaholic! (you sure you're a Kiwi?) There are fellas here who would take a year to get as far as you have in the last week! (Not me, of course, according to Kevin Rudd, I'm a hard working Aussie taxpayer.........

)

Keep going mate, I look forward to seeing pics of the finished article, and I reckon that's a great idea using the 6 speed box on that outfit, the more gears on a little engine like that, the better! Cheers, Terry.

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Author Topic: CB350F with Sidecar Project in NZ (Read 10799 times)