Wide Rims on CL350 CB350 stock forks extended swing arm

Hey everyone just figured I should post this info for those interested in doing custom wheels on their cb/cl350 with stock forks. I'm building a 71 cl 350 and I decided to make it a bit more modern because..... I can ;D. So recently ordered a 3.50x18 sun rim from Cognito moto and I mounted a 120/70-18 shinko tire, not the brand I was looking for but it was in my price range and was the size i wanted the clearance between both sides of the tire walls and the forks are about 5 mm each side. As for the spokes I ordered them off a ebay supplier who sells spokes for cb350 rims which are stainless steel I believe it cost $60 for each rim, the front wheel is mounted on a drum hub and the spokes length are 155 mm I had them custom made for the rim and hub combination also had them make the thread length as long as they could which was only about 35 mm in case I had to shorten the spokes. I was going to do the front fork conversion but realized that it would cost a lot more and It could take too long for me to finish and I really want to ride the bike as soon as possible. My goal is to make it a clean bike and once done hopefully it will look as if it came from the factory once completed. I'm hoping to have the rear wheel in by the end of the year and I am thinking about going with a 4.25x18 sun rim for the rear. hope this helps anyone who wants to install a wider wheel on their cb/cl350.



Update:

Added extension to swing arm and also add the wide rear wheel. Also modified the chain guard to fit around the larger shocks and tire, I figured I should leave the chain guard as is due to it being there to prevent damage to the chain and also I just like how it looks, more complete and less bare my own preference. Will start a new post on just this project over all and hopefully a detailed over view and my progress for those interested in what I'm doing.

Very cool. I like it.
What are you doing on the rear?

Just so you know, that 120 front is way to big for good handling. I ran a 110 -18 front on my CB350 race bike and it made the front very heavy handling. It took a lot of force to get it to turn and I do not recommend even a 110, unless you know what you want in handling, not looks. I deliberately did it because I am a big guy with lots of racing experience and it suited my riding style. I also ran a 130 -18 on the rear and it fits in the stock swingarm and clears the chain. I specifically used the Avon AM22 and AM23 with the VB rear that is designed to work on a WM 3 rim. Make sure you check with the Manufacturer for the recommended rim size for the tire width.

3.5 rim on the front is wider than many liter bikes....

It's wider than the rear on any TZ I built or raced and wider than the rears on any of my GT750s including the one I drag race.

I'd put that rim on the rear and fit a 2.15" WM3 on the front. The tires will still be too wide for good handling but will be a better match.

I'd fit a 1.85 front and 2.15 rear rims or if I wanted to go up a size I'd fit 2.50 rear and 2.15 front with suitable tires. 100 front and 110 or 120 rear would be about right.

ex119x said:

Just so you know, that 120 front is way to big for good handling. I ran a 110 -18 front on my CB350 race bike and it made the front very heavy handling. It took a lot of force to get it to turn and I do not recommend even a 110, unless you know what you want in handling, not looks. I deliberately did it because I am a big guy with lots of racing experience and it suited my riding style. I also ran a 130 -18 on the rear and it fits in the stock swingarm and clears the chain. I specifically used the Avon AM22 and AM23 with the VB rear that is designed to work on a WM 3 rim. Make sure you check with the Manufacturer for the recommended rim size for the tire width.

Click to expand...

that would be true if the rim were stock size

it's not

It is true regardlesss of the rim size. A 120 front is too big for good handling on a CB350. When I ran the 110 front and 130 rear, they were matched to the rim sizes and they were still too big except for a specific purpose for a specific racer, me.
Furthermore, the stock front fork at 33mm and the stock frame can't handle that amount of rubber without flexing. I have bigger forks, braced frame and braced and lengthened swingarm. On the racetrack, before the frame and swingarm mods, there were definite handling issues on the race track.
If this is just going to be a styling exercise, then go ahead and fit whatever you think would look good, but the handling will suffer. I don't have much input for art pieces, but I built my first CB350 race bike in 1983 so I have some experience.

Another factor to consider is that there is such a large contact patch and so much rubber to bring up to operating temperature, that the tires will not stick as well as a more appropriately sized tire. If/when they do stick, the noodle like stock forks will walk and the steering head will deflect and the swingarm will twist and turn. so it's a sub optimal set up.

But if looks are important and performance less so, that probably isn't a big concern.