1975 Honda CB360T

DBerkshire

Active Member
Hi,

I've just purchased my first motorcycle in the hopes of converting it into a Cafe Racer, something I've wanted since I was a kid. I plan on changing the frame loop, seat, handlebars, speedo, head
light, shocks, pipes, as well as fix the front brake and tank. I'd then get the bike powder coated after everything is set. With that said, what is the best place to tackle first for modifications? Images
are attached of the bike as it currently is and a (rough) idea of where I'd like it to go.

Below is a list of work that was done prior to the purchase.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Cam chain readjusted
-Retimed with new points plate and ignition wiring
-Valves adjusted to stock tolerances .002 and .003
-Front break bled and adjusted
-Fresh oil change
-Tank cleaned and new gas lines
-Carbs pulled, cleaned, inspected and brought back to stock settings
-Carbs vacuum synced and air screws adjusted to best idle (starts first crank no choke needed).
-Pipes cleaned and baffles repacked
-Newer back tire, stock front tire
-Chain lubed and inspected

*All electrical works: horn, turn signals, hi/low beams, running lights/brake lights, neutral switch indicator, starter button, on/off switch, kill switch
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks!
Dana
 

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Welcome to the forum, my 360 looked just like that when I got it. Probably a little worse for the wear.

I think your plan is pretty solid. Leave the bike mostly intact, get the seat, rearsets, and bars mocked up before pulling the engine or wheels. If you can ride it once you change the riding position and before paint, that's the best test to see if its going to be comfortable or suck to ride.
 
Welcome. First bike? Learn to ride it stock first. Then make changes that you like (not that look cool).
 
That looks quite tidy, despite the obvious damage. Like has been stated, ride it and then make small changes, maybe changing indicators, rear light, handlebars and remove and paint/polish parts (then put them back on) and ride it some more.

Avoid stripping it down to component level, unless you have a solid rebuild plan which includes time, budget, space, tools and expertise.....hopefully life won't get in the way.

I remodelled my Honda without removing the engine, I knew it ran but didn't want too much of it spread around the garage. Have fun.

FqcW01a.jpg
 
Nice, 8) Yes I would just concentrate on small stuff to make it safe to ride and reliable.

Stuff you can get done during weeknights. Then ride on weekends. Then something else next week

Tires/tubes/wheel bearings, chain, brakes, clean electric connectors, bars, cables, lighting...etc

Use this summer to learn about it and enjoy it...Make plans to really dig in deep next winter.

No reason to have a dismantled bike you cant ride this summer.
 
Or you can do what I usually do:

Get the whole thing torn down in a single weekend and get all the parts off to get powdercoated and/or painted. Then you let it sit for a year without touching it. When you finally come back to it, you realize you missed the opportunity to get your fab work done and now you have to strip some of the paint and powder so you can grind and/or weld some stuff you missed the first time. Then you send the parts back out to paint and powder and let the bike sit another year. Now you can really start making progress, except your tank has flash rusted on the inside from sitting empty so long, so you have to treat the rust. But then you spill a bunch of solvent on the tank and have to get it painted again. Lose interest for another year. Year three is going to be the one, this time! Start assembly on the bike, but forgot where everything goes. Dig through piles of printed fiche in the hopes that you can find something detailed enough to where your bike will still be operable. Leave it for another six months. Year four is your year for sure! Everything is back together and the bike is running, but you also have a pile of parts with no home. Maybe they're from one of the other five bikes you've bought and disassembled in the past three years... meh... If the bike is running they couldn't have been that important to begin with... Wait a minute... is that an oil leak?
 
I prefer to totally build them without paint, then ride them for three years and never paint them because I don’t feel like taking them apart again, then get bored with what I did and chop them up again into a totally different bike.


Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON
 
;D ;D ;D

Yeah since its your first bike, get familiar with it and put a good 500-1000 miles on it. Don't tear it down especially right when the weather is getting nice. It seems like all the maintenance has been done so you should have a good rider for the season. Change some little things one small project at a time, don't keep the bike out of commission for more than a day or two. Its very easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged if you start blowing things apart, forgetting how they go back together etc..
 
Hey all, thanks for the welcome and responses! While it is my first bike, I am not entirely new to riding. I have a small amount of experience riding dirt bikes. I also took this one around the neighborhood the other day and it felt good.

I noticed after riding that a small amount of gas is leaking from the choke/petcock tube. Not sure if this is normal or if the work done before purchase is to blame; any input? As for where to start, my main focus - although I mostly mentioned cosmetic things previously - is to make sure it is safe to ride.

Here's what I've thought out so far in order of operation (please feel free to correct me if you think something should be done in a different order!):
1. Caliper Kit (Caliper Assembly w/Pads) - Dime City $119.95.
2. Shocks and Steering Bundle (Shocks, Tapered Roller Steering Bearings, Fork Seals, and Fork Dust Boots) - Common-Motor $181.00
3. Braided Brake Lines/Hosts - ?
4. Master Cylinder Kit - Common-Motor $106

Then I'll move on to:
1. Headlamp - Purpose Built Moto $194.81
2. Handlebars - Undecided
3. Petcock W/ Fuel Line - Common-Motor $44
4. Ignition Rebuild Kit - Common-Motor $50

I have more parts I've started to look for/source but these are the main 8 I feel are the best to start with. As mentioned, if anyone feels the order I would do/work on the bike is incorrect, or that I am missing a key component, please weigh in! I'll be using this site for assistance along with attempting to consult some local mechanics if I can find any that specialize in older bikes.

Best,
Dana
 
That seems like a LOT of money for those parts. $200 for a headlight?! Put an H4 bulb in your stock housing and put the $194 left over into some nice Hagon rear shocks. I suggest you shop around on eBay, amazon, etc.

I would not recommend spending $200 rebuilding the crappy 70's Honda brake system, honestly. If it works and doesn't leak, roll it like it is, maybe put some fresh fluid in there and change the pads. If you really want to go for it, order the caliper piston seal and replace that. Make sure the pivot on the caliper moves freely and is greased. The brakes on these bikes suck, and if you're going to put that much effort into them you'd be better off buying newer components and doing a swap. Believe me, I rebuilt the M/C, caliper, and new brake lines on the stock brakes, after one winter of sitting they had frozen up again and I took the whole thing off and trashed it.

Irk has a pretty well documented swap with an EX650 rotor, tokico caliper and new MC that eliminates the stupid 3 way joint. I did it at the end of my 360 build as well, and for less than $100 all in I had a like-new floating caliper, bigger/lighter rotor and just all around way better brakes.

Look up your bike on All Balls Racing website, get the part numbers for the tapered bearings, fork seals etc and buy them on eBay. Honestly, I did tapered bearings on my first few vintage bikes but I've stopped putting the money into them because the old school ball bearings work fine when properly maintained. I only swap to tapered bearings if there is noticeable play or the balls catch in the race ("notchy" steering), or if you're looking into a fork swap.

Rebuild your petcock, look up the parts in a fiche. Its a rubber gasket, and a couple o-rings and a screen that needs to be cleaned. It should cost you 1/4 the price of a new petcock.

Here's a link to the fiche I use: https://shop.bettencourts.com/fiche_select2.asp?category=Motorcycles&make=Honda&year=1974&fveh=12257
Find the parts you need, and paste the part numbers into eBay.

Why are you rebuilding your ignition if the bike starts up first kick?

I'm not trying to be a downer and my first build went exactly like this. Now that I've had 15+ vintage bikes, I stick to the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." You will end up creating more problems then you started with.

Also, download and print this, and use it for everything. www.dotheton.com/downloads/CB360T.pdf
 
Hey Guys!

The light is a bit expensive, yes. With that said - over time - I'd like a well running, and good looking, machine. The brakes work but they definitely show their age. Not sure if it is just cosmetic or if they need replacing and I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I'd love to have drilled rotors (better yet a GSXR swap) but I haven't been able to determine of any brakes/rotors that will fit. I'll have to investigate the EX650 rotor mentioned! As for the ignition that's a valid point. I'll probably remove that from my list. The bike was missing the kick arm but I've already located a replacement and it'll be here next week. As for shocks, I'm not sure which shocks fit the bike as many state they do not fit the 360 and I'm reticent to buy a set that turns out not to fit/work on the bike. I'll do a search in the forum later to see what others have used as I'm sure someone knows more than I've been able to find so far.

The leak is first on the agenda at this point. It's coming from the fuel line that is connected to the choke lever area (carbs?) I think the house is not high enough on the opening and was also crimped too high or tight.

Thanks all!
Dana
 
Here's a pic of the finished swap on my 360.

index.php


Hagon is probably your best bet for shocks. I haven't personally used them but I hear they are great quality. I bought Progressive shocks from DCC for mine and they were just ok.
 
More hints from Heloise....
Read all of Crazypj's thread, all 97 pages: http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=11736.0
Don't idle while the bike is on the sidestand.
If you don't like the center stand, just remove it. If you cut off the brackets, you will regret it later.
Find and install a CJ360 oil pickup, your engine will thank you.
Read Trek97"s notes on cleaning carbs, starts here: http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=27417.msg827012#msg827012
Do Crazypj's oil mod. somewhere in his thread.
If you have to run pods, send your carbs to Crazypj for mods.
Buy a new regulator/rectifier from Sparck Moto.
Enjoy!
 
More photos. I removed the hose that was crimped and slid it up the nozzle as high as I could without tearing the rubber. Hopefully that’ll stop the leak that was occurring! Now to stop that right side muffler from rattling (bent arm).
 

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More images.
 

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Motion pro clear Tygon premium fuel line is the tits. Amazon.com

Locate and use only pure gas...ethanol destroys rubber carb parts.

https://www.pure-gas.org/

If your considering loosing the stock air boxes/filters don't. Wait on that til winter. Then send them to crazyPJ for the "Pod Mod".

Install inline fuel filters. Don't let them or any part of fuel line touch any part of the engine. It can cause fuel to boil and the bubbles will cause vapor lock. (like it runs out of gas for 2 minutes...every two minutes.

Ive cleaned a couple tanks w Apple cider vinegar, filling to the brim, let it soak for 4 days. Clean as new.

The stock muffler had a rubber bump stop on it, to prevent the center stand from rattling. You can make a small steel angle w a piece of rubber to do the same thing. Bolt it up and under one of the passenger pegs. You will need to cut a small slot to fit the tab on the back of the pegs mount. Unless PO already cut tab off peg installing the after market exhaust.

Or... pull the shaft for the center stand out of the frame and remove the center stand. Get a 8"x5/8" bolt. When you need the center stand, reinstall it using the bolt and just loosely spin a nut on the other end. Takes like 10 seconds to pull it on and off. Just don't throw the center stand away you may use it more than you think.

I love my center stand.
 
I'm sure you've figured out by now that this is probably the most built bike on this forum. HAHA
 
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