Topic: CL 360

[Rocketman Dan]

I found a 1975 CL 360 in a barn, covered in pigeon poop, front brake lever missing, bad tires, not much rust, original owner with title, 13,000 miles on it.  Owner is interested in selling it; what would be a fair offer to take it off his hands?  Are these considered collector bikes?  If I restore it, will it be worth much?  Or should I pass on it?

I've never restored a motorcycle before but I think this would be a good project.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Johnie]

Honda was thinking this bike would outsell the 350. Did not happen. Partly by the recall on the cam chain tensioner and guide which required getting into the motor to fix. To see if yours was fixed look at the engine ID. If it was fixed the dealer was supposed to put 2 indents at the end of the engine number with a punch. Since it is the original owner maybe he knows too.  Possibly has paperwork on it. These bikes were only made for 3 years...74-76. Not a good seller. Check the kicker to see if the motor can turn over or if the pistons are froze. If they are froze could be a costly fix.

Found this on the web: The original cam chain tensioner is the Achilles Heel of the Honda CL / CJ / CB360 engine; broken cam chain tensioners (sometimes called cam chain slippers) have destroyed many engines over the years. Replacement cam chain tensioners along with its matching cam chain guide from Honda are long gone. Because of this the best one could do was to find a clean used tensioner hoping that it has some life left in it. One could easily say this the single most valuable part in the 360 engine. The good news is a new replacement cam chain tensioner (slipper) and cam chain guide for the Honda CL360, CJ360 and CB360 motorcycles are finally here. This has been a long work in progress and we are proud to offer a kit with a brand new reproduction cam chain tensioner and new cam chain guide. These reproduction parts have been tested for the CL360, CJ360 and CB360 engines with great success and are ready for installation in your Honda.

History: Honda first released the CB360 and CL360 in 1974, the early models had failure issues with the cam chain tensioners. This failure caused severe engine damage, so much so that a factory recall was put out and a re-designed tensioner was installed. Engines that made it in for the recall were stamped with a pair of dots on the engine serial number to indicate that the recall had been performed. However not all engines made it in to get the recall nor did every recalled engine get stamped. Thus cam chain tensioner failure has been the weakness of the 360 engine for years. Additionally the cam chain guide is also commonly broken, worn out or even missing.

The reality is if you have a Honda CB360, CL360 or CJ360 you should change your original cam chain tensioner and guide, period. It is the peace of mind that we have all been waiting for.

[Stev-o]

Def not a collector bike. For what it would take to restore it proper, you would have more in it than it will be valued at. Keep looking.

[Djfob]

Cl exhaust pipes are sought after

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[CycleRanger]

Cl exhaust pipes are sought after

Yes, the CL360's are probably somewhat more valuable.
Don't let the cam chain issue scare you. There are still many CB/CL360's out there running.
Parts (other than the aforementioned slipper) are pretty easy to come by and these bikes are a popular choice for the "cafe" racer crowd.

A titled, intact, lightly rusted, unseized CL would make a good first project if the price is right.
Check out the Honda Twins forum for more info. http://www.hondatwins.net/

[Rocketman Dan]

Thanks for all the advice, greatly appreciated.  I haven't heard back from the owner yet; maybe he's re-thinking letting it go.  What's the best way to clean it?  A friend advised not to use a pressure washer.

[Johnie]

Check out the search function and you will get lots of ideas on how to clean the tank, carbs, chrome, etc. Welcome to the forum. If you need parts check out the honda twins forum that cycleranger mentioned a few posts up. Good luck with your project if he lets it go.