Author Topic: whats a 1973 350F worth  (Read 6720 times)

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Offline 750goes

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whats a 1973 350F worth
« on: December 08, 2007, 05:04:14 pm »
Guys,

Have just found a 73 350F - it is nearly complete but the motor is locked up...
any particular things that I need to looked out for - any rare or had to get things

one thing I know it does not have any exhaust...........



Offline mark

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2007, 06:52:19 pm »
hmmmmm......... frozen engine..... no exhaust...... other bits gone.....

I'd start the bidding at $50 and recommend rehab if he wants more than $100


Happy trails.


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Offline mattcb350f

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2007, 07:55:59 pm »
How bad is the rest of the bike? If the motor is locked up because the pistons are seized than I bet the wiring and other bits are in rough shape too. As far as no exhaust, original exhaust is rare on any 350F, but there are several options for replacement systems; $350 to $800 range.

As far as rare or hard to get things... original exhaust  :D, the rest is more or less available and I was gonna say look out for broken off cam chain adjuster bolt(loose cam chain), but if shes locked up than that's the least of the worries.

I'd go to more than $100, say, $250  IF it had a good clean tank, side covers and chrome.
...but that's me and I like the lil' fours  ;)
 Matt.
1974 CB350F,  1980 CB125S,  1981 XL80S
Non Honda's: 86 & 87 Husqvarna 400wr's

My CB350F resto: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=30467.0
Gallery at:
http://gallery.sohc4.net/main.php?g2_itemId=298318

Offline 750goes

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2007, 10:58:49 pm »
thanks for the replies so far

it comes with a few spares - sidecovers, some nos pieces, spare swingarm, etc..
it is only a few clicks away so I may try and have a good look at it as well...then make a decision ....or not....

Offline tortelvis

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2007, 12:43:17 pm »
I bought one like that, locked up motor, for $150. It does have as near a brand new seat as possible and the chrome is a lot better than my main 350F. Tank has a small dent but paint is good (green) but one sidecover has a bad scuff on it. Mufflers gone, right hand switch gone with throttle cables as well, no ignition switch, otherwise all there. I figured the parts were worth the $150, heck, the seat alone!

Offline dkruitz

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2007, 02:09:31 pm »
I picked up a '73 this fall with my '71 CB500 - they're both projects but I got 'em for $75 each on ebay.   Had to drive 150 miles to Houston, but that's not too bad I guess.  I sold the 350 to a co-worker at my cost as I didn't need two bikes!  :)
The 350 was not stuck, but the electric starter wasn't working - think it was a bad switch - mostly there and had a nice aftermarket exhaust on it.  He's going to give it the cafe racer treatment.

Offline Geeto67

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2007, 02:13:19 pm »
tell the owner he can set it on fire.....

....or if you really want it $50 and at that price you are doing him a favor.

Parts for the 350F are hard to come by and expensive, espically stock replacement parts. Unless you have one already and you are using this as a parts bike or you intend to part it out it isn't worth restoring (I don't care how much these bikes bring on ebay, you rarely ever make money restoring bikes for yourself).

There are enough running 350fs out there that if you really want one go buy that instead, but a good solid running one with cosmetic issues (if it is a project you are after).
« Last Edit: December 20, 2007, 02:48:15 pm by Geeto67 »
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Offline mj_honda

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2007, 03:12:51 pm »
If the seat is in great shape and the tank and side covers are good you will make your money and then some in parts. $50 to $75 would be the price range that I would go for.

Let me know if you pick it up. I need a couple parts and would be willing to help you with making your money back ;D

Offline 750goes

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2007, 03:55:23 pm »
The bike sold for $178.50, to a guy who had already two weeks before paid on ebay $1000.00 for a running & registered 350F (that looked pretty ordinary)....

The seller listed my Mobile Phone number on ebay as well, after I arranged to go see the bike... I got 3 phone calls from one interested buyer who thought I was the seller,, even when I told him I wasn't the seller he wanted to know what I thought of it...so I told him the truth....yeah right....

I think when I also mentioned this to the better half - well least said I didn't pursue the purchase...

Offline loonymoon

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2007, 01:20:42 am »
Like has been said probably best avoided unless you have the time to part it out or use it as a parts bike for another cb350F.
So probably not really a loss.

My '73 350F cost me £1000 back in 1999 (at the time the exchange rate was about 1.5$ to £), mine was almost completely mint though with only 2700 miles on the clock... unfortunately missing its original mufflers  :-[.

I suspect I could possibly get a little more than that for it now, who knows!! It is a lot rarer here in the UK than in the US, and I have it insured agreed value for £1500... don't know if that's about right or what!!

Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2007, 03:39:00 am »
 G'Day Charlie, well like most cheap bikes, they're only a "core" and most times you'll only be left with an engine and a frame, and end up replacing just about everything else. I bought this CB350F at the Bendigo Swap Meet in 1995 for 200 bucks and restored it in '96, like has been said before, parts are hard to find and expensive, but I got a couple of (pre-EBay, remember back then?) breaks.

I bought a NOS OEM exhaust for 500 bucks (then it retailed for $2200, or about twice the original purchase price of the bike) and a new seat that I almost beat up the parts counter guy (seriously) at "Town and Country Honda" when he tried to charge me 900 bucks after his boss had agreed on 400. I still reckon should have thumped that priick, ha ha!

All up it cost me a whopping 3900 bucks, and I thought I was screwed until a mate who owns a tool store offered me a new $5000.00 lathe with an extra $1000.00 worth of tooling as a straight swap, and he sold it a few months later to a Mercedes dealer who keeps it in his lounge room. Here's a before and after pic, DAMN! I should have sent it to Klark Kent for the 2008 calendar!  ;D


« Last Edit: December 21, 2007, 03:40:38 am by Terry in Australia »
I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

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Offline loonymoon

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2007, 03:41:42 am »
You were so lucky to get those exhausts!! 8)

Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #12 on: December 21, 2007, 03:50:35 am »
You were so lucky to get those exhausts!! 8)

Yeah, the Honda dealer and I became really good friends, I was working a part time job at a gas station and I got paid 200 bucks cash for a 15 hour shift, so every Monday I'd walk into his shop and buy 200 bucks worth of parts, and walk out with a tiny bag of bits, that 350 stuff is dearer than drugs!

Anyway, he had a 350F resto project that he'd bought the pipes for, and he felt so sorry for me he sold them to me for what he paid for them. It really kicked the project along Loony, before then it was gonna just be a "daily rider", but with those shiny pipes hanging in my garage, I went one step further and had it professionally painted, had EVERYTHING rechromed or zinc plated, (right down to the OEM screws) wheels respoked, etc etc. I'd hate to think what it would have cost in 2007 dollars! Cheers, Terry. ;D
I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline Geeto67

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #13 on: December 21, 2007, 07:15:38 am »
I think it is a little disingenuous to ask about the value of ebay bikes without mentioning it is on ebay in the first place. Ebay has a tendency to do nutty things to bike and parts prices that is not always in line with what is actually going on in the hobby. Think of it as a mini-barrett jackson. Besides whether it is an auction or not is going to change how people respond to your question.
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #14 on: December 21, 2007, 09:43:05 am »
I'm sure Charlie wasn't trying to be disingenuous Geety, he's one of the most genuous blokes I know! ;D
I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline Geeto67

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #15 on: December 21, 2007, 09:48:23 am »
I'm sure Charlie wasn't trying to be disingenuous Geety, he's one of the most genuous blokes I know! ;D

I am sure it wasn't intentional but finding something in real life and "finding" something on ebay are two different things...

I understand wanting to protect your interest in bidding but really there is not point in asking what something is worth when it is on ebay since so often you are bidding against unsophisticated buyers with no idea of the fair market value of things. 
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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #16 on: December 21, 2007, 12:50:08 pm »

I am sure it wasn't intentional but finding something in real life and "finding" something on ebay are two different things...

I understand wanting to protect your interest in bidding but really there is not point in asking what something is worth when it is on ebay since so often you are bidding against unsophisticated buyers with no idea of the fair market value of things. 

Absolutely correct!!!!!

If I buy on eBay it is either a buy-it-now (if I think the item is worth that amount and I want/need it) or I don't bid sooner than 10 seconds before the end of the auction.  Bidding before the last few seconds puts you in the position of simply running the price up for yourself.  Basically bidding against yourself.  Pretty stupid, in my opinion.

Also, I see people pay double or triple prices for items that are still available from dealers.  Duh.  It looks to me like too many people have too much money.

Offline 750goes

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #17 on: December 21, 2007, 12:58:08 pm »
thanks for your thoughts Terry..

I didn't mention it was on ebay - as I don't believe it makes any difference to the items perceived value, whether there is one bidder or 500 bidders...the true value is what someone is prepared to pay for it----period....

I know parts are hard to find and headers/exhaust near impossible to purchase...but it was a question I raised as to "other members" perceptions.......living in the land of OZ there are not many 350F's around and they usually bring a premium price...therefore my question of estimable value by knowledgable people would have given me a yardstick to contemplate...

but I suppose the "offer him $50 or tell him to set it on fire" was not my intention as the owner was a bit down on his luck and was selling off several of his own "projects"..

merry xmas to all................bah humbug to those who don't like merry xmas..






Offline Geeto67

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #18 on: December 21, 2007, 01:33:29 pm »
It is not a matter of 1 bidder or 5000 bidders...it is a matter of 1 overzealous unsophisticated (re: inexpirenced) bidder who has no idea what the fair market value is vs. 1 bidder who is saavy as to what these things are worth and what effort there is.

In a private sale there is much more personal interaction plus the item is physically there for inspection. This alone makes a world of difference and the unsophisticated buyer would be a little more cautious to purchase reguardless of cost, where as on ebay an unsophisticated buyer can get "caught up in the moment" and way overpay for what would be otherwise junk.

Also the buying model is different between ebay and a private sale. In a private sale the buyer sets his price for aquiring the item based on a myriad of personal factors and attempts to aquire it as cheaply as the seller is willing to let go. Onsite competition is very rare and other things can be worked into the price on the spot (such as taking it that day vs holding it a set period of time). The advantage in this situation often lies with the buyer not the seller. On ebay you are competeting with other people looking to acquire the item and have completely different circumstances than you, which means the seller ALWAYS has the advantage unless what he is selling is unsellable. In a private sale it is very likely you could have convinced the previous owner to take $50, but on ebay $178 is a low price.

Ebay is bad for market value because unsophisticated buyers can cause spikes in price by overpaying that leads other sellers into beliving that if one is worth this then they all must be worth this. Just because one idiot is willing to pay $10000 for a kawiyamazuki doesn't mean everyone is actually worth close to that.

Quote
as I don't believe it makes any difference to the items perceived value, whether there is one bidder or 500 bidders...the true value is what someone is prepared to pay for it----period....

This is like saying you do believe in santa claus (and BTW I love christmas). To think that the selling venue doesn't make a difference is naieve. 

One of the main flaws in your valuation principle is that you have not defiend "true value". By what you are saying true value only exists to the buyer, because other factors can make the bike worth more to one person than to another. Sometimes it is location, sometimes it is sentimentality, sometimes it is just a missing widget. If you were asking other people for the true value, then you are asking for people to guess about personal things about your life (BTW way to put in your location would would have been one of the factors). You can't ask anybody else what "true" value is because it is personal to you.

What you were asking for was market value...(which location does play a factor in also so once again way to list were the bike and you were). But market the auction market is much much different than the private seller's market for reasons we discussed before. Market Value for a junk cb350F in america is very low, in OZ it may be different because of the rarety of the bike. Also are you looking for its market value as a parts bike or as a resto canidate?

so there is a lot more to think about then it is just what someone wants to pay for it....but that is part of it....


My personal feelings on the cb350f, as a former owner, is honda could not have made a bigger dog of a bike and the public largely agreed by it not selling well and being a 2 year model only. In OZ they must have felt the same way since they are even rarer there (although from my understanding vintage bikes in OZ are just rare in general). Good and rare are not mutually exclusive and in the cb350F it could not be more true. They have what I call "Edsel value" where they are worth somethng because they are different and sedom seen, but not based on how "good" a bike the are. The only thing a cb350F is good for is sticking a 400F motor in and building a semi-sleeper. If every 350F suddenly spontaneously combusted tomorrow I would find that quite amusing. 

« Last Edit: December 21, 2007, 01:36:58 pm by Geeto67 »
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Offline 750goes

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #19 on: December 21, 2007, 01:48:02 pm »
NFI what you said...too complicated for the common man and for me, just a poor convict trying to get some normal comment-- not some high falutin gibberish, taking into account your bent on ebay auctions - please don't reply to my posts in future - I don't like you - and as a promise I will never post on yours..you are just too perfect..

heres a terryism for you-------------pharkkkkkk yyewwwwwwwwww

I have never deleted a thread I started, and I was hoping for some normal answers....so the thread will be deleted if you reply again...

Offline Geeto67

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #20 on: December 21, 2007, 02:13:01 pm »
NFI what you said...too complicated for the common man and for me, just a poor convict trying to get some normal comment-- not some high falutin gibberish, taking into account your bent on ebay auctions - please don't reply to my posts in future - I don't like you - and as a promise I will never post on yours..you are just too perfect..

heres a terryism for you-------------pharkkkkkk yyewwwwwwwwww

I have never deleted a thread I started, and I was hoping for some normal answers....so the thread will be deleted if you reply again...

ok...delete it then...
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Offline 750goes

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #21 on: December 21, 2007, 02:18:23 pm »
I have requested the moderators to do this..no go and hide under your rock again

Offline Geeto67

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #22 on: December 21, 2007, 02:21:24 pm »
I have requested the moderators to do this..no go and hide under your rock again

None of this is real anyway.....its all just words on a screen....
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #23 on: December 21, 2007, 04:25:16 pm »
Geebus, way to go preaching to the ignorant Geety! But yeah, with a population of 20 million compared to the US' 300 million, not a lot of those bikes made it "down under", and because we've got probably the best motorcycling weather in the free world (although it's pisssing down rain outside as I type this) there weren't too many put away in heated garages and dragged out for a couple of months riding per year, when the weather allowed, so most were just ridden into the ground.

The one I restored looked like an extra from a "Mad Max" movie when I got it, and even though I spent way too much money restoring it, it really was a thing of beauty, and if I wasn't 6'4" tall and 260 pounds (plus...) I'd have kept it for ever, it was such a fun bike to ride.

I always thouht the 400F was way too "slab sided" when compared to the 350F,  and without bad-mouthing the 400F, (which, at 50CC's and negligable increase in BHP was virtually the same engine, apart from having one extra gear taking full advantage of the 350F's "Rev-ability") I for one, thought the 350F was a much nicer bike! (Now I'm starting to know how the K7/8 owners feel.......) Cheers, Terry. ;D
I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline loonymoon

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Re: whats a 1973 350F worth
« Reply #24 on: December 21, 2007, 05:58:09 pm »
Well said Terry.

I didn't buy the CB350 because it was rare or even because it was a classic. I bought it because I sat on it and it felt "right" it was in excellent condition and compared to every other crappy bike I looked at was the one for me. I knew a little about the Honda fours (one of my friends had the 400/4)  but what I know now about it far exceeds what I knew then.

I think the 350 is FAR prettier than the 400, and infact I think it's the prettiest of all the fours. The reviews from the seventies are generally favourable though they do say that it's slow and expensive compared to the twin at the time, but that's not what the 350/4 is about.  It is a pleasure to ride and handles really well.

I'm not exactly a lightweight rider either but I can have fun on my 350F. It's rare, especially so here in the UK where it was never officially imported, but that's not the reason I have it. I have it because I love it.