Topic: 1972 CB350F - Flake Matador Red

[rshinall]

I've been hard at work on the bike, but this is the first project post I've managed to get around to. To all those who have given input on my tech questions: Thank you very much!

My plan is to post this first update to show where I'm at on everything, and then post a few updates along and along. A little history: I purchased the bike a couple of months ago. It was already cleaned up and running well, with carbs freshly rebuilt by wiredgeorge, brand new Dunlop tires, and a brand new Mac 4-into-1 header. Basically all stock, ~6,500 original miles, in pretty good shape overall.

The day she arrived:


Now if you notice in the photo above, there are no trim pieces on the forks. They had all been removed, with aftermarket ears added. That became one of the first things on my to-do list.

Unfortunately, I skipped the photos on a few of the first changes & tweaks.

First changes: swap out the handlebar for a flat drag bar in satin black, remove the mirrors, and swap out the original shocks for new ones:


I also replaced the clutch because it wasn't engaging smoothly. EBC clutch kit and heavy duty springs - now she's good to go!

A few other angles at this stage (added left-side bar-end mirror, one of my favorite mods):








Notice how far over she leans on the side stand, and how big the gap is between the back tire and the top of the fender:


I guess I should have done a bit more research and measuring before ordering the new shocks! 

Swap out the original taillight for a "Lucas" style piece...getting better:


Swap out the gauge faceplates. That's a whole post in itself. The saga continues, as I have ruined two tachs in the process. The swap went well, but that little spring was somehow damaged both times. The tach would work properly for a few days and then turn into a compass needle and never work properly again. More on this issue next week:


Gotta go for now...more to come soon.

[flybox1]

Looking good.  How's it run now?

[rshinall]

Running well - I think I need a couple of minor adjustments, but I need to ride a while and get a feel for how things are. Bottom line = she's running much better than before, and I'm pretty sure there's more the gain!

Now if it will just stop raining down here in FL...

[rshinall]

Swapped out the shocks for 11" shorties...I like the stance much more than before. My original replacement shocks were around 13.2". Also swapped out the turn signals; smaller with clear lenses / amber bulbs:






Miscellaneous shots:








Time to tackle the swing arm bushings. Sort of felt like she had a hinge in the middle. I absolutely could NOT remove the bushings myself. I tried every technique I could find on the forums. Nothing worked. My final solution was to take the swing arm to a machine shop...and they had to melt the bushings out. Wow. Here's the swing arm after I cleaned & treated the rust, after installing the new bronze bushings and shock bushings:


A coat of primer to get it ready:


And here's what we've got:




Of course, I scratched it nicely when I installed it today. But hey - it looked great for a little while! It's been raining all day and the forecast says it will continue for the next two days. As soon as I can get out and ride I'll post an update of the effectiveness of the upgrade. After the 5 days I spent fiddling with it...it better be tightened up!

[RickB]

Don't let HondaMan see those bushings!

[flybox1]

take a look at how much clearance you have between the rear wheel and the fender when you sit on it, and if it bottoms out when you bounce on it.  looks like it might be an issue....