Polpetta's CB350

[SacDuc]

So with Bacon Junkie's help I started tearing apart the wife's '71 CB350 today.

Her seat finally came in from www.dimecitycycles.com (and I can't recommend them highly enough for cafe parts) so we started tearing her down in hopes of getting it in shape in time for DIMBY.

DucStew found this bike in Albuquerque for us. He negotiated the deal and made the purchase. Melissa is only 5'2" and the size of this bike makes her extremely happy. She loves it. Plus its a kick start which makes her just giddy every time she kicks it over. THANKS STEW!

what we are doing is 1) getting it ridable 'cause Polpetta has the moto itch in the worst way and 2) playing around with the look and ergos for a total tear down when we will cafe the thing out totally. Some of the basic overall design ideas are already decided. First I want the bike to look recognizable as a cb 350. There were a few things Honda got right (to my eye, like the tank) and I want to preserve those. It may start veering in the toward the bad ass rat-like feel and not the highly stylized cafe racers you see people building. Less will be more when it comes not only to style and lines, but of course the functional bits as well per the cafe racer ethos. The straight simple exhaust (oppose to the up swept mega phones you see a lot of) is the first step in this direction. For now I will just be bolting new bits on and seeing what I like and don't like.

Here she is coming back to Cali with Bacon Junkie's 999 (did you hear he got one? 'Cause he did.)



The Seat:




Fritzy Pants The Good Time Party Dog is thanking Bacon Junkie for doing such a good job with the removing the old pipes from the header:





Honda decided this as the best way to hide the wiring  



Clubman Bars:



Today we removed the signals and fenders and got the wheels removed and prepped to have the new tires and tubes mounted. we fit the new pipes and mounted the club man bars. Gotta cut almost 2" off of the bars, but they look great.

Ordered a tail light, brake pads, a throttle tube and a dry cell battery today.

Found some fork gaiters and turn signals that we like, so those will get ordered soon.

This is fun! And a great way to learn a bit more about wrenching on these things. A few years down the road (after I have more money and more knowledge about motorcycles!) I really look forward to tearing this thing apart and making exactly how my wife wants it. This is really the perfect bike for me to do this with. There are a zillion of these things around so parts are cheap and I don't have to worry about make the beast with two backsing up a classic. And it is in good working order so I have to do very little actual mechanical improvement. Replace some gaskets and a some disposable bits (brake pads, spark plugs, etc.) and she'll run like a top. Maybe some carb work but I shouldn't have to crack the engine! Yay!

If you've built a cafe bike feel free to post up pictures. I need ideas to steal inspiration!

Thanks again to DuckStew and Bacon Junkie! You make my wife very happy. And of course happy wife = happy life.  

Cheers.

sac

[Mother]

How old is that front tire?

[SacDuc]

How old is that front tire?

The tires are . . . drum roll . . . original stock!!      40 years old!!

I've done some stupid stuff on motorcycles but I think doing 50mph on 40 year old tires ranks right up there. Sure was fun though!

sac

[ItsaDuc]

What a great find. I am so envious. I look forward to seeing the progress. Please update often. 

The tires are . . . drum roll . . . original stock!!      40 years old!!

I've done some stupid stuff on motorcycles but I think doing 50mph on 40 year old tires ranks right up there. Sure was fun though!

sac

You Sir, have way bigger balls than me, thats for sure.

[DoubleEagle]

Looks like a blast from the past !

Those old Hondas were a lot of fun.

Even as wild as I ride I would never, ever try riding on a 40 year old front tire.   

Especially at 50 mph, you could kill somebody. What were you thinking ?   

You should be ashamed of yourself endangering others .

Dolph

[The Bacon Junkie]

The tires are . . . drum roll . . . original stock!!     40 years old!!

I've done some stupid stuff on motorcycles but I think doing 50mph on 40 year old tires ranks right up there. Sure was fun though!

sac

We've got video of us (Duck-Stew, Sac, and me) taking turns riding it before loading it on the truck to bring back to Cali.  I don't have it, but somebody should post it.  It's so stupid it's fun!  [moto]

First gear... all good.  

Second gear...  front end wobble.  
Third gear... no more wobble, but carbs started bucking and spitting.  What fun!   [moto]

Looks like a blast from the past !

Those old Hondas were a lot of fun.

Even as wild as I ride I would never, ever try riding on a 40 year old front tire.  

Especially at 50 mph, you could kill somebody. What were you thinking ?  

You should be ashamed of yourself endangering others .

Dolph

Actually, we were on an access road to Stew's storage shed after hours on a Saturday.  The only thing we were endangering was the fence on one side, and the pristine paint on the concrete wall on the other.  And our reputations as fine, upstanding, contributing members to society.  







Oh, I forgot...  The rear tire was in even worse shape! 

[IZ]

 

[TiNi]

i like the paint color... as is 
can't wait to see it with the rest of the bits you ordered

[Speedbag]

i like the paint color... as is 

+1

Nothing says '70s like funky metallic gold. 

[SacDuc]

i like the paint color... as is 
can't wait to see it with the rest of the bits you ordered

If I decide on a different color I'm gonna try to find a used tank to do it on.

sac

[Polpetta]

  I am so excited!!! She is going to be so much fun!!! 

I will be back  [moto] on my own bike!

I think Carl and Ryan are looking forward to taking her out too 

[Jarvicious]

I'm pretty sure my dad still has an old Fulmer that would match that paint perfectly from his KZ days, but that would be yet another blast from the past that I wouldn't call "road worthy".

[atomic410]

I had a 69cl and put the clubmans on it, tiny. traded it for a bicycle and the guy i traded it too put a cb750 front end on it with some sick racing wheels and rear shocks.  also they run great with flatside carbs on them.  I got it back on a trade for another bicycle then sold it back to dude.  lol I think i owned the bike 4 times.  I wish I still had it.....

[Duck-Stew]

Yeah, it was stoopid to run a bike w/40 yr old tires at 50mph, but what a HOOT!

Anywho...  Polpetta / SacDuc...  The bike needs a valve adjustment in case you had forgotten... 

That is all, please continue to mod safely. 

[SacDuc]

Yeah, it was stoopid to run a bike w/40 yr old tires at 50mph, but what a HOOT!

Anywho...  Polpetta / SacDuc...  The bike needs a valve adjustment in case you had forgotten... 

That is all, please continue to mod safely. 

Valve adjustment and gaskets are tops on the list. I'm trying to just get her running for now so I can get her to the DMV to get registered. Then the tweaking and tuning starts. Blow some cleaner through the carbs and what not.

sac