Project Log - '72 CB350

.RJ

New Member
I started this project about 6 months ago, but never started a thread here. I dont expect I'm breaking any new ground here, but I'll make a series of posts to catch up to today and then pick up from there.

I bought the 350 from another web forum that I participate on, I have been itching for a 350 project for a while now and it was a good price and partially disassembled with a bunch of new parts waiting to go on....

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after lots of sorting through the stock stuff, installing/tuning the carbs, fixing the wiring harness, changing handlebar and chasing my tail on what I wanted to do with the bike, I got it running and on the street for most of the summer

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And we ended up here. The original tank was too far gone inside for me to want to deal with, so we went purple.

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I rode it for the summer, and the bike was solid, save for being 45 years old and everything that comes with it, but it ran well, but it was ugly - gauges full of condensation, the tank I bought was a bit ratty, fork legs rusty under the old fork ear/headlight mounts as they all are. And the old motorcycle things like steering head bearings, swingarm bushings, etc, etc, etc. I had planned on riding it for the year and stripping it down and rebuilding it cafe racer style, so I just moved up the timeline.

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My last project was similar, only a CB750 - https://www.photodromo.com/Galleries/Motorsports/CB750ForSale/

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Frame goes off to a local fabricator this week for some changes like knocking off all of the tabs/mounts that I dont need, shortening the front fender, welding a loop on the rear frame at the end of the seat. He's also got a vapor blasting setup so he's going to clean up everything and lace up aluminum rims to the stock hubs. After that, powdercoat frame and swingarm. Its going back together with a disc brake front end, new shocks, rearsets, fancy triple clamps, under-seat battery box and new wiring harness, new headlight... and probably a bunch of shit I'm forgetting. But its going to be nice.

I picked up this tank on ebay - its close to the early CB350 'candy gold' but a little different -

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This is my color inspiration. I'm going to have the frame/swingarm powdercoated to match the copper color. Its a little out there but I wanted something I havent seen before.

I havent decided exactly what I'm doing with the motor, but its going to come apart to get the cases vapor blasted. I need go visit dad who worked on these old bikes for years and talk him into rebuilding it with me, but probably bigger bore and a little headwork.

This is the direction of the overall look I'm going for...

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More pics as I go....

And before anyone says install a modern/sportbike front end, I dont think its worth the cost/weight on this. I want to keep spoked wheels and that means custom hub, custom triples, and then you have to do something to the rear to keep the proportions of a bigger tire, and its too much tire for 40-45hp.
 
The fabricator (Moto Relic) that I dropped the frame and a pile of parts with has been getting to my stuff - frame mods and vapor blasting everything I can.

Hubs done -*

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Going out to valley cycles for lacing/truing

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Tail light

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Frame mods happening

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Things are still happening, and the fabricator is wrapping up...

Stock footpeg mounts off, kickstand on

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Seat loop wrapped up

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Shaving down the factory seat

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Frame tubes on the bottom split - water got in the frame tubes and sat there in winter at some point in the past 46 years

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Vapor Blasting, before & after

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Wheels ready to go out to Valley Cycles

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So, what's next... the seat goes off to be recovered. I gotta go pick up all of my stuff and take the wheel hobby kit out to winchester, and the frame and other parts out to powdercoat. Everything else is packed up and if things go to plan, I'll be reassembling this sucker in a garage next month or two.
 
Picked up my wheel parts today and took them out to Valley Cycles in Winchester to get their awesome old school mechanic to lace & true and mount tires up.* Their guy is going on vacation for a bit so looks like I'll have them back in about 3-4 weeks.* The vapor blasted parts look soooooo nice.

Everything else is done and ready, will go back out next week to pick up and take the frame and other parts to powdercoat and the rest of the parts home to wait.* I think I'll be reassembling around christmas holiday if all goes to plan.

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Well you win some you lose some. What's a project without any setbacks?

I went to collect my frame from the powdercoater today and as soon as I saw it I thought "fuck". I ordered about 20 samples from the powder vendor, thought I'd gotten one that looked like the right one and its just not it. The color is too flat, too orange and just not it. I should have had them shoot a sample card first, worst case I'm out the cost of the powder for the job. They're going to strip and repaint it for me, at my cost of course. I'll have it back in 2-3 weeks I hope.

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Wheels done and home

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Seat picked up*

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Frame should be back soon, and in theory the billet triple trees I had made months ago should be here soon too.* I'm really tempted to assemble a rolling chassis with everything I have less the motor, although that will make it harder to put the motor in the frame later.* If all the parts are on hand and ready to assemble I'd tilt the motor on its side, put the frame on the motor and then assemble the rest of the parts on the frame.* Idle hands are the devil's playground tho.
 
Here is one CB350's worth of new and rebuilt parts, in boxes, minus the frame & swingarm which should be back at the end of the month.

I need to start stashing money away to get the motor work done.* I hope to be riding it this spring.

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Billet triple trees arrived for the 350, I paid for these to have made months ago. The wait was worth it though, they're beautiful. Once the chassis is assembled I'll need to take the bike back out to the fabricator wizard and he's going to make me a bracket to mount the stock gauges to these, but tucked down lower against the headlight instead of sticking up in the air like the factory mounts.

I also got a call from the powder shop to come check the sample they shot, going to get out there tomorrow morning. If it looks good I'll have the frame back next week.

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And with that, we're all caught up to current. I need to figure out where to send my motor out for rebuilding, vapor blasting, and a bigger hamster turning the wheel in the cases. I also have a pretty nice CB400F that I picked up off of ebay this winter (seller photos)

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Looks good! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the build.


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Agree with Ethan. Those are some nice custom parts - something I probably need to consider. And I've spent hundreds of hours polishing parts, including the shocks and they don't look anywhere close to yours. Maybe I'll get some vapor blasting done.
 
Looks very nice and pristine. As mentioned, looking forward to more.

Wish I had the talent and time and energy to do that with the 350 I'm currently working on.

I checked into vapor blasting, "expensive" but, well worth it, from the looks you get afterwards.
 
Vapor blasting is really, really nice process. I'm super stoked at the results and I'm really excited to basically assemble a 'new' CB350 - everything painted, refinished, replaced, serviced. I'm in VA just outside of DC, and if any of y'all are within a days drive of here then Sean @ Moto Relic then you owe him a visit. He has done an amazing job for me on the frame mods and vapor blasting, he has a cool shop and he's a nice guy. Cant recommend him highly enough.
 
.RJ said:
I need to figure out where to send my motor out for rebuilding, vapor blasting, and a bigger hamster turning the wheel in the cases.

Why not just do the rebuild yourself?
 
I paid less than that for my 400f, FWIW.

For the motor with everything that I'd like to get into it - bigger pistons, some light headwork, etc - I dont really save any money plus I'd like to have it done right the first time - no fuss, no oil leaks, and I'm happy to pay a pro that will do that for me. If this was a basic re-seal and new gaskets then I'd tear into it, its hard to get these wrong.
 
.RJ said:
I paid less than that for my 400f, FWIW.

For the motor with everything that I'd like to get into it - bigger pistons, some light headwork, etc - I dont really save any money plus I'd like to have it done right the first time - no fuss, no oil leaks, and I'm happy to pay a pro that will do that for me. If this was a basic re-seal and new gaskets then I'd tear into it, its hard to get these wrong.
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