Cb350 build/entry: Part 3

Had a few setbacks, but I've also made some good progress lately. The new tapered-roller bearings worked out great. All-Balls Bearings makes a universal kit, that fits almost all the early Honda CB's. I ran into a problem, but I can't blame it on the bearings. The CB550 fork is not a bolt-on swap to the CB350 twin. The CB550 triple tree stem was about a half-inch too short for my frame. My solution was to slice off the top bearing cup, and lower it down into the frame. Luckily, I know a good welder. I took it over to Brad's shop yesterday. He laid down a nice bead. Now it's better than new. My son (Eli) helped me put the fork together last night. He's showing some interest, so that's good.

My new tank came in the mail today. I am very happy. I found a "scratch-n-dent" motorcycle-tank supplier. This tank is NOS brand-new. The one dent (in the top) is hard to see. It will fit this build much better than the other tank, which would have been too wide for the clip-ons anyway. The thing I don't like about it is the emblem-holder bracket on the side. That's about the least of my worries though. This tank was listed as "un-identified". It has an odd hole in the bottom. I'm guessing that may have been for a fuel gauge but I really don't care. I can weld that one myself. I don't have to deal with rust. Twenty-five bucks plus ship. Yeah, I'm happy.


Rand Man


P.S. I also got my new rear tire and and wheel mounted.

Cb350 build/entry: Part 2

Last week worked-out pretty well for me and the old CB. I had been at odds with my sand blaster. It has had problems with starting and stopping and could only produce a weak stream. I did a bit of surgery; added an old 80 gal tank I had, for more reserve air capacity. It also helps catch some moisture. Plenty of dry air is the only way to get this thing to work. I was able to take off work early, for several days this week. I really enjoyed the sunshine. After I had removed enough crust, I moved over to the paint booth (yard).

I scrounged through my junk bins and found just what I needed. I had just enough self-etching primer and gloss black paint to do the job. This time my hoarding paid-off. It's good urethane auto paint, so it should hold up well for chassis duty. I'm calling the frame paint job "free". The materials were scraps that a normal person would have thrown-out years ago.

I spent quite a bit of time searching for steering stem bearings. I went to local parts stores and an industrial bearing supplier: no luck. I might as well have brought in a piece of space-junk, as to laid an old bearing and a set of calipers on the counter. The old Honda bearings have part numbers on them, but if those numbers don't show up after they hit the "enter" button, they don't exist. A call to the dealership didn't get me anywhere either. I finally ordered a kit off the bay. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Next, I wanted to get that engine in. I had it cleaned up, thought it would be easy, then I hit a snag. It would not fit. I wrestled that stubborn bastard 'til I was tired. After I slept on it, the solution wasn't too hard to figure. A trip to Harbor Freight got me an impact driver for $6.99. No self-respecting motorcycle mechanic should be without one. Off came the starter, the kick-start lever, and my paint protection towel; slipped in like it was supposed to.

Then I decided to look into this bargain gas tank. I poured in a cup of sheet metal screws and shook the Hell out of it. I had known that the screws were going to be hard to get out of there. BB's are a better choice for most tanks. I thought all the sharp edges of the screws would a better job of busting up the rust that I suspected was inside. Well, the last photo shows just how well they did. I broke out the grinder to find the extent of the cancer. It's terminal. Only a crazy person would attempt to cure this tank. In the next installment, I'll show off my mad fab skills or my new gas tank.

Rand Man

Cb350 build/entry: Part 1

Another build saga begins for the Ozark Mountain Scramble.

Here are a couple photos, to kick-off my Honda CB350, Vintage Roadracer project. First is the $20.00 frame. This is a basket case job, if there ever was one. I started cleaning-up the frame last night. By the time I got my old sand-blaster set-up and running, (dang mud dobbers) it was too dark outside, so I hit the rough spots with the angle grinder and an abrasive wheel.

My "new" tank had just come in the mail, ($18.00) so I couldn't resist taking a cheesy mock-up photo. First off, I know the tank looks huge. It's partly the angle of this shot, but the other thing is, it is really big. Guess I'm giving away my "race" strategy: tank twice as big = half as many pit stops. I'm not sure yet of the exact capacity, but the '82 Silverwing is just about the biggest Honda tank I have found. I'm thinking each leg should take around six gallons of gas. Even if the tank is that big, I'm not sure my old body can go all day without stopping. The color looks to be brown in the photo, but it's really more of a brandy-wine or burgundy. My first road bike was ('78 CB750F) this color, and it looked great, when it was near-new. Other than the frame, new paint might not fit in the budget.

The rear shocks look cool and should work pretty well. They're off a V45 Magna; paid twenty bucks for the set. The trick rear-sets are from a 2000 Honda CBR 929. I think they will be a stand-out feature of this bike after I hit them with the buffing wheel. I also, think they were a bargain at $25.00 each.

I picked up a pair of Sportster mufflers at the swap-meet last weekend ($20.00). They fit the stock head pipe perfectly. They aren't very old, but the reverse-cone style gives them a vintage look. The CB550F fork should be a bolt-on, once I get the right bearing races. Paid $65.00 for the set, complete with wheel and tire. I was surprised to see that it was so short. I've been messing around with dirt bikes lately, so I guess I expected something taller. I think it's a good choice. The rake and trail should be down in the sportbike territory. The small, early Honda fours had a strong reputation as canyon-carvers "back-in-the-day" (not sure if I like that new phrase, makes me feel old).

I was in high school in the late Seventies. That was before modern sportbikes had been invented. I read about custom-built Café Racers in the magazines. A Norton or "Triton" was the cat's ass back then. I couldn't afford one then. I still can't afford a Norton; think I'll call this build a "Compton". I always liked the little Honda twins. I'm stoked about this project. I think the scramble will be a lot of fun. The course looks like a blast. I like the challenge of the budget. The time-budget is also good for me. I've done my bargain-hunting (that's been fun too), now it's time to get on with the build. I'll give you another progress report soon.


Rand Man