It's a CB350 Twin but hopefully you guys won't mind.
I joined the forum just over a year ago when I purchased a 1972 CB500 Four. It was my first bike and after a year of riding I was planning on doing some work to it this winter. I've done basic maintenance throughout the year but nothing serious. Since I'm new to working on motorcycles and engines I was a bit nervous to jump in and tear apart a bike that runs pretty well. About a month ago I ran across a coworker selling his 1971 CB350 Twin. It sat outside for over a year unridden, and through a NYC winter, and he was looking to unload it for pretty cheap. I jumped on it and now have a winter project. It wouldn't start up when I went to pick it up so I charged the battery overnight. That didn't help but we did mange to get it kick started and over to my workspace. It seems to have some electrical problems, including a few wires that are cut and leading nowhere.
My current plans are to take it completely apart and see if I can get it back together and running. It's my first attempt at any kind of engine work or serious motorcycle work. I've loaded up on service manuals, Clymer books and a few motorcycle electrical books. If I manage to get it apart and back together and running then I'll decide what I'm going to do with it.
So a couple weeks back the dismantling started. All the obvious stuff came off the first two days (battery, battery box, tool compartment, tank, air filters, carbs, pipes, side stand, foot rests, brake and clutch controls, kickstart level, chain, rear wheel and brake, fenders and turn signals). I also started to work on seized and several stripped screws on the crank case cover, oil filter cover, stator cover, left engine cover and sprocket cover. Thanks to a newly acquired impact driver and some liquid wrench I managed to loosen just about all of the screws with the exception of two on the sprocket cover and two on the oil filter cover. A previous owner did a number on the heads of those.
After a couple weeks away from the shop I got over there yesterday and went back at it. I drilled the heads off of the two screws for the sprocket cover. Once I pulled off the cover a pair of vice grips removed the rest. With a bit of over confidence I then made my dumb ass mistake of the day. I went to the other side of the bike and drilled the heads off the two oil filter cover screws that had stripped heads. I didn't consider that once I pried off the cover that there wouldn't be much left to grab onto to remove the remaining bits of the screws. At that point I finished unmounting the engine, removed a few cables and called it a day.
Next steps are to lift the engine out of the frame and then see what I can do about the oil filter cover screws. I might be able to dermal a slot in what remains and then get a small flat head in there. Failing that I'll try a screw extractor that should be arriving sometime this week.
That's all for now. Nothing too exciting yet but I'm learning a lot.
Here are some photos.
Day I bought the bike. It looks like it's in great condition in this photo but it's concealing a lot of rust and corrosion. It should all clean up pretty well though.
In the workspace. Tank, side covers, air filters and battery off.
Carbs off. Beautiful and amazingly simple in how they work.
Let the dismantling begin. Pipes and battery box off.
Keeping track of parts. I really have little idea of what I'm doing.
Getting the sprocket cover off. (is that what it's called?) Toughest job so far. I've also had the crankcase and left side engine covers off but they're back on so I don't lose track of the parts.
Removed the starter motor. 325cc marking on the engine. Is it correct that, in theory, I could ditch the electric starter and starter motor and just run this bike with the kickstart? Th re-wiring of this bike is the biggest mystery to me so far. That will be fun to figure out.
I should really prop this thing up more securely. Its a little sketchy working on it only supported by the center stand.
Rear wheel (sans brake) and container of drained oil.
Time to clean up for the day.
More to come.
