WTB 1973 Honda CB350 G K5

I'm in search of a cheap reliable entry level bike (I sold my last bike over a decade ago) and all my research thus far has pointed me to the seventies era Honda CB350 twin, but I’ve had difficulty locating one anywhere close to Southern Ontario.

I’m preferably looking for one that is running, certified, and ready to go but I’d consider a bike in lesser condition if it was not too bad, either in stock form or tasteful café treatment.

Now I’m a newbie at this so forgive this last statement if it’s silly but I’d also consider other year CB or even a SL350 or CL350 if they have the same engine and they’ve had a front disc brake added.

Thanks,
Christopher

There's a green one getting service at Cyclewerx in Toronto. Maybe you can convince the owner to sell it.

Dr.Chris said:

I'm in search of a cheap reliable entry level bike (I sold my last bike over a decade ago) and all my research thus far has pointed me to the seventies era Honda CB350 twin, but I’ve had difficulty locating one anywhere close to Southern Ontario.

I’m preferably looking for one that is running, certified, and ready to go but I’d consider a bike in lesser condition if it was not too bad, either in stock form or tasteful café treatment.

Now I’m a newbie at this so forgive this last statement if it’s silly but I’d also consider other year CB or even a SL350 or CL350 if they have the same engine and they’ve had a front disc brake added.

Thanks,
Christopher

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http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-motorcycles-1971-Honda-CB350-W0QQAdIdZ35063267

you might want to consider a cb360 they're cheaper,you can get a running on for under $800, they're good cafe platforms, similiar parts, and 6 speeds,

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-motorcycles-FS-1975-cb360-Cafe-Racer-Last-one-back-buys-Coffee-W0QQAdIdZ40202983

I've steered away from the 360 because I read this on Wikipedia (Hey if it's on the Internet it must be true right?):

However fuel consumption was higher (this was the time of the oil crisis) performance reduced and vibration somewhat worse since the engine had lost the self balancing configuration of opposed pistons (reportedly to save cost). Honda reliability was still there but the bristling character of its predecessor was sacrificed and the model was dropped accordingly in 1976.

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As for the 71, how hard and expensive is it to add a front disc to a pre K5?

Christopher

Very easy if you swap out forks with a model that has a disc, and keep your stock tripples.

Cost? not sure... did it on a 450 and it cost about $150, but I allready had the wheel and disc, so we only paid for the forks (and where I live parts for old bikes are pretty steep in price)...

The reservior, brake line / caliper can likely be found on e-bay for pretty cheap, depending on the model you get the forks/front end off...

Hope this helps! There's another post on here about a site with the interchangeability of complete front ends... I believe it links to ohiocaferacers.com. Might want to check that out.

If you really want a 350 don't settle for the 360. There are more differences than similarities. The 350 is the better bike. That red 350 has been for sale for some time now, you can probably talk the seller down to $900. If you can find a 73 front end it's a direct swap. Why do you want the disc? It only performs marginally better than the drum and is prone to sticking. The drum looks better and is easier to maintain. But it never fails, everyone who has a drum wants to convert to disc and disc owners want the drum.

DrJ said:

Why do you want the disc? It only performs marginally better than the drum and is prone to sticking.

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Agreed. I have a cb350G (unfortunately not for sale) model and it does stick.

those drums still perform after drilling them full of holes? i know some say yes and some say if they get wet they arent so good. anyone with holes had any problems?

dcmspikes said:

those drums still perform after drilling them full of holes? i know some say yes and some say if they get wet they arent so good. anyone with holes had any problems?

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On a streetbike the disadvantages of drilling a drum brake outweigh the advantages. Yes, water will reduce the effectiveness of a drum brake.

There is a sweet looking 71 CB 350 for sale in Buffalo,NY. It was just posted on Syracuse craigslist a day or 2 ago. Happy hunting,and good luck !

My Cyclewerx trip, Price Question, disc versus drum debate, & the Buffalo bike

Cyclewerx:
While I'm not sure if DrJ was joking or not, I was actually going to Bloor West the day he suggested I try to convince the owner of the green 73 to sell his bike to me. As luck would have it the owner showed up at Cyclewerx just as I was leaving a note for him.

As it turns out he bought it as a gift for his girlfriend, so it's not for sale. On top of that he said he paid $800 for the bike but said he but $1900 into getting the engine rebuilt. That sounded like A LOT of money! There are running CB350 engines floating around for way less. So I'm sure there would be no way he'd sell it for less than the $2700 he has in it.

Price:
Now having said that, I've happened upon some pretty sweet fully restored models, and some with some really great cafe style. Is it crazy to spend almost $3,000 for one of this in top top condition?

Disc versus Drum:
I'm pretty sure I'll now open my search up to include drum braked models but I did have a question about the debate. If one does not drill holes in their drum is wet weather performance not compromised as much?

The Buffalo Bike:
The owner of the Buffalo bike has recieved 17 calls about it so it will sell quickly. He does NOT have the title for it so I imagine getting it across the border will be very hard, and potentially could be risky if the bike were stolen or something. However if he did have the title how straightforward is it to buy a bike in the US and register it in Canada? After they are 15 years old I know most cars come across with very little effort.

Still searching, thanks for all the help so far!
Christopher

Dr.Chris said:

I'm in search of a cheap reliable entry level bike (I sold my last bike over a decade ago) and all my research thus far has pointed me to the seventies era Honda CB350 twin, but I’ve had difficulty locating one anywhere close to Southern Ontario.

I’m preferably looking for one that is running, certified, and ready to go but I’d consider a bike in lesser condition if it was not too bad, either in stock form or tasteful café treatment.
Now I’m a newbie at this so forgive this last statement if it’s silly but I’d also consider other year CB or even a SL350 or CL350 if they have the same engine and they’ve had a front disc brake added.
Thanks,
Christopher

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LOL... The search is never ending isnt it??!!... Even if you have a few bikes, it still never ends...

Want a cb750f?..