Re: SL350 Super Moto-Sport Project - It's Done! Ride Report.
- Thread starter cyclhed
- Start date
cyclhed
Been Around the Block
Re: SL350 Super Moto-Sport Project - It's Alive (video)
Took the bike for a shakedown ride on Friday and it worked good. I had a list of stuff to do after so did all that over the weekend and took it out again Sunday afternoon late. The forks are puking - needs new tubes as they are pitted. Made this sidestand "foot" today and welded it on to replace the rusted out one I cut off...what can I say I'm a slave to fashion.
Took the bike for a shakedown ride on Friday and it worked good. I had a list of stuff to do after so did all that over the weekend and took it out again Sunday afternoon late. The forks are puking - needs new tubes as they are pitted. Made this sidestand "foot" today and welded it on to replace the rusted out one I cut off...what can I say I'm a slave to fashion.
Attachments
JustinLonghorn
No Purple Hearts, No Blue Ribbons
Re: SL350 Super Moto-Sport Project - It's Alive (video)
I like your foot, sir.
I like your foot, sir.
cyclhed
Been Around the Block
Re: SL350 Super Moto-Sport Project - It's Alive (video)
Thank you Mr. Longhorn and Mr. Honda!
I've got 112 miles on it now and the rings are seating nicely. The gearing is way too low and more for off roading with 16t front and 40t rear sprockets. I ordered a 33 tooth AL rear sprocket from PBI http://shop.pbisprockets.com/main.sc. That will give CB350 like gearing or as if you were running a 17t on the front of a CB350 (2.1 final ratio).
The clutch is also slipping some so I ordered some Barnett springs and may replace the plates also while I'm in there. It's a bit costly so may try to get away with just the springs first.
The bike is fun as hell to ride on the tight twisty roads around my area - the handling is really nimble and the bike feels super light. The front feels good with just about the right spring stiffness and damping, the rear is nice and stiff and the Progressive 12 series shocks and 75/120 springs feel perfect. The exhaust sounds sweet and pops some on decel. I stuffed the cone with FMF glass packing which quieted it down to a tolerable level.
Overall I'm very happy with the bike and when I get it fully sorted it will be a super fun little play bike for rides on the mountain roads around here.
Thank you Mr. Longhorn and Mr. Honda!
I've got 112 miles on it now and the rings are seating nicely. The gearing is way too low and more for off roading with 16t front and 40t rear sprockets. I ordered a 33 tooth AL rear sprocket from PBI http://shop.pbisprockets.com/main.sc. That will give CB350 like gearing or as if you were running a 17t on the front of a CB350 (2.1 final ratio).
The clutch is also slipping some so I ordered some Barnett springs and may replace the plates also while I'm in there. It's a bit costly so may try to get away with just the springs first.
The bike is fun as hell to ride on the tight twisty roads around my area - the handling is really nimble and the bike feels super light. The front feels good with just about the right spring stiffness and damping, the rear is nice and stiff and the Progressive 12 series shocks and 75/120 springs feel perfect. The exhaust sounds sweet and pops some on decel. I stuffed the cone with FMF glass packing which quieted it down to a tolerable level.
Overall I'm very happy with the bike and when I get it fully sorted it will be a super fun little play bike for rides on the mountain roads around here.
Attachments
cyclhed
Been Around the Block
Re: SL350 Super Moto-Sport Project - It's Alive (video)
I ordered an aluminum 33 tooth rear sprocket from PBI Sprockets and installed it. It made a huge difference is the gearing. Before with the 40 tooth rear the engine was spinning 5600 rpm at 60 mph, not it's running at 4600 at 60. Now it has correct gearing for road use. The front sprocket is 16t so the original final drive ratio was 2.5, now with the 33/16 it's 2.06.
I ordered an aluminum 33 tooth rear sprocket from PBI Sprockets and installed it. It made a huge difference is the gearing. Before with the 40 tooth rear the engine was spinning 5600 rpm at 60 mph, not it's running at 4600 at 60. Now it has correct gearing for road use. The front sprocket is 16t so the original final drive ratio was 2.5, now with the 33/16 it's 2.06.
Attachments
cyclhed
Been Around the Block
Re: SL350 Super Moto-Sport Project - It's Alive (video)
The fork tubes were leaking as I mentioned before. I had installed some new All Balls double lip seals, but the tubes were so badly pitted that they leaked badly. So after calling Franks and getting a price of $300 shipped for new tubes I decided to try a repair.
And it worked! So If any of you have this problem you can try this and maybe save yourself some money.
Here's what I did: I removed the tubes and grabbed them in the vise, using aluminum vise plates and a rag so as not to scar them. Then I polished the pitted areas with emery cloth going around and around, turning the tubes a quarter turn and polishing the area that slides through the seal and polishing the pits. I used some oil with the paper and kept wiping the grit off. After that I cleaned the tubes really well with acetone to get all of the oil off and out of the pits. Then I mixed up some JB Weld and using a body filler spatula I smeared it on around the tubes, working it around and around with the spatula. The I let them dry overnight.
I then put them back in the vise and with some dry emery I sanded all the JB Weld off. I had to keep blowing the dust out of the paper with compressed air to keep it clean, but after the "bondo" was all sanded off I could see and feel that the pits were filled with JB Weld. I reassembled the forks and installed some No Leak seals that I bought on eBay. These seals float about 1/16" in the fork.
I reinstalled the assembled legs and filled with 150cc each of 20w fork oil.
I took the bike on a long test ride yesterday and NO LEAKS! Pictures to follow.
The fork tubes were leaking as I mentioned before. I had installed some new All Balls double lip seals, but the tubes were so badly pitted that they leaked badly. So after calling Franks and getting a price of $300 shipped for new tubes I decided to try a repair.
And it worked! So If any of you have this problem you can try this and maybe save yourself some money.
Here's what I did: I removed the tubes and grabbed them in the vise, using aluminum vise plates and a rag so as not to scar them. Then I polished the pitted areas with emery cloth going around and around, turning the tubes a quarter turn and polishing the area that slides through the seal and polishing the pits. I used some oil with the paper and kept wiping the grit off. After that I cleaned the tubes really well with acetone to get all of the oil off and out of the pits. Then I mixed up some JB Weld and using a body filler spatula I smeared it on around the tubes, working it around and around with the spatula. The I let them dry overnight.
I then put them back in the vise and with some dry emery I sanded all the JB Weld off. I had to keep blowing the dust out of the paper with compressed air to keep it clean, but after the "bondo" was all sanded off I could see and feel that the pits were filled with JB Weld. I reassembled the forks and installed some No Leak seals that I bought on eBay. These seals float about 1/16" in the fork.
I reinstalled the assembled legs and filled with 150cc each of 20w fork oil.
I took the bike on a long test ride yesterday and NO LEAKS! Pictures to follow.
Attachments
cyclhed
Been Around the Block
Re: SL350 Super Moto-Sport Project - It's Alive (video)
I took the bike for a good long ride into the Sierras yesterday and everything works great. The bike handles very well; it's really light and flickable and holds the road in the turns perfectly. I scraped the pegs a couple of times. The suspension is quite stiff, but really dampens nicely with the Progressive rear shocks and 20w oil in the forks. I have 22 psi in the tires. The gearing is perfect with the 16/33 final drive ratio and you can cruise at 50mph at 4000 rpm. It was a beautiful sunny day!
I took the bike for a good long ride into the Sierras yesterday and everything works great. The bike handles very well; it's really light and flickable and holds the road in the turns perfectly. I scraped the pegs a couple of times. The suspension is quite stiff, but really dampens nicely with the Progressive rear shocks and 20w oil in the forks. I have 22 psi in the tires. The gearing is perfect with the 16/33 final drive ratio and you can cruise at 50mph at 4000 rpm. It was a beautiful sunny day!
Attachments
honda53rider
77 XS400,73 SL350, 73 RD350
Grate looking bike! Iv been looking for a sprocket for the SL and had not had much luck until you said something about PBI sprockets! I will be keeping my SL on the road for the most part so the 42T rear wont be much help. Now Iv just got to figure out how small or a rear sprocket I need. The SL350 has a lower final drive ratio than the CB/CL (at least that's what iv heard) so I am going to have to figure out what it is and compare that to say a CB350 and just figure out what size I want.
But the build looks sweet!!
But the build looks sweet!!
