This weekend I completely stripped my CB350. My intentions started innocently enough, I needed to pull the engine so it could undergo some internal work but once the engine was out I used the most dangerous words in motorcycle mechanics:
ad my fate was sealed...
Now pulling the motor is only a single page in the shop manual, and it really only took me part of Saturday to do. However the operation requires first removing the: fuel tank, mufflers, clutch cable, gear change pedal and step bar, crankcase rear cover, drive chain, rear brake pedal, throttle control cables, air cleaner cases, electrical and contact breaker connections, contact breaker cable connection, high tension terminal assemblies, starter, tachometer cable, and of course the engine hangers.
Phew!
Well once all of that stuff is off the bike, it looks pretty darn bare. After a long shower with special orange grease removing soap I thought about what I should do while I'm at it.
The frame was really exposed and mine had seen better days. Since I'd like to avoid pulling the engine again for as long as possible, I figured at a minimum it was also time to tackle the rust and proceed to strip the bike down with the following in mind:
And, with the exception of leaving the front disc brake and associated hardware attached, that's pretty much what I did:
The other thing I wrestled with Saturday night was what I'll actually do with the engine. Part of me, the part that never wants to pull the engine again, says:
That part, was the part that kept me up late Saturday surfing around CB350 tuner sites. VERY tentatively that part is kicking around the following engine mods:
CB750 Tsubaki Cam Chain
KA Performance Chain Tension er
Bore Tech Hone and Carbide Bore
Todd Henning 362cc Pistons
Megacycle Cam
Titanium Valve Springs
Mikuni 34mm carbs a velocity stack
CL350 exhaust (I just LOVE the look)
The other part of me, the part that still has a year left on his PhD, and therefore is worried about running up the kind of debt those mods would require, just wants to throw in a good used engine.
Now I'm sure you must be wondering how the "Bat Dog" theme factors into this. Well last month I ditched my old CHP style jacket in favor of something armored. I love the jacket Hugh Laurie's character wears on Fox's "House MD", and even found a replica (on the right):
The replica is unfortunately not armoured, but pretty sweet looking if you're looking for style, it's available here:
http://loganscloset.com/catalog1.html
I ended up finding something even cooler on eBay so I jumped all over it and the Bat theme was born (no that isn't me in the pics):
Earlier I'd been researching some LED turn signal options for my OTHER Big Arse Project, the 1986 Volkswagen Syncro GL Westfalia that tows my bike trailer. The VW has 3" tube bumpers on it, and I was trying to source 3" round LED lights as auxiliary lighting on the end caps:
As it turns out, the guy selling the LEDs told me he had used the 3" double sided LEDs on his motorcycle as turn signals. They're actually auxiliary lights for a big rig, but why not.:
The lights are "dual function" which essentially means they will light up at two different intensities. So if it's night and your lights are on they light up on "low", but if you signal they go to "high" (independent of whether your lights are on). They're also reflective which is a nice feature to have. The 3" versions are available here:
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/PROD/LPL/UP39561
He also happens to sell one sided motorcycle lights:
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/CTGY/LHL
As well as a bunch of pedestal lights that might work for someone's project:
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/CTGY/LPL
Now I'd already purchased BMW bar end turn signals for my bike:
but the LED guy got me thinking about taillights. Some thought and research later, with the "Bat Jacket" already in my lair.. er... CLOSET, I stumbled upon this little gem:
I'm going to replace the CB350 and sidecar tail lights with identical 6" oval "dual function" 56 LED lights (with reflector):
The high LED count should create a nice even light distribution so the bat stands out. The nice thing about these lights is that you can also get them as a white lens with red LEDs so they light up red:
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/PROD/OVLUP/UP38916
Ideally I'd like to get both lights on the same plane horizontally, but that may require relocating the sidecar light. You can get some idea of the height differential here:
On the planning side, there's more to tell but I'll cut this obscenely long post off here. I suppose that makes this a cliffhanger so as William Dozier would say:
Christopher
ad my fate was sealed...
Now pulling the motor is only a single page in the shop manual, and it really only took me part of Saturday to do. However the operation requires first removing the: fuel tank, mufflers, clutch cable, gear change pedal and step bar, crankcase rear cover, drive chain, rear brake pedal, throttle control cables, air cleaner cases, electrical and contact breaker connections, contact breaker cable connection, high tension terminal assemblies, starter, tachometer cable, and of course the engine hangers.
Phew!
Well once all of that stuff is off the bike, it looks pretty darn bare. After a long shower with special orange grease removing soap I thought about what I should do while I'm at it.
The frame was really exposed and mine had seen better days. Since I'd like to avoid pulling the engine again for as long as possible, I figured at a minimum it was also time to tackle the rust and proceed to strip the bike down with the following in mind:
And, with the exception of leaving the front disc brake and associated hardware attached, that's pretty much what I did:
The other thing I wrestled with Saturday night was what I'll actually do with the engine. Part of me, the part that never wants to pull the engine again, says:
That part, was the part that kept me up late Saturday surfing around CB350 tuner sites. VERY tentatively that part is kicking around the following engine mods:
CB750 Tsubaki Cam Chain
KA Performance Chain Tension er
Bore Tech Hone and Carbide Bore
Todd Henning 362cc Pistons
Megacycle Cam
Titanium Valve Springs
Mikuni 34mm carbs a velocity stack
CL350 exhaust (I just LOVE the look)
The other part of me, the part that still has a year left on his PhD, and therefore is worried about running up the kind of debt those mods would require, just wants to throw in a good used engine.
Now I'm sure you must be wondering how the "Bat Dog" theme factors into this. Well last month I ditched my old CHP style jacket in favor of something armored. I love the jacket Hugh Laurie's character wears on Fox's "House MD", and even found a replica (on the right):
The replica is unfortunately not armoured, but pretty sweet looking if you're looking for style, it's available here:
http://loganscloset.com/catalog1.html
I ended up finding something even cooler on eBay so I jumped all over it and the Bat theme was born (no that isn't me in the pics):
Earlier I'd been researching some LED turn signal options for my OTHER Big Arse Project, the 1986 Volkswagen Syncro GL Westfalia that tows my bike trailer. The VW has 3" tube bumpers on it, and I was trying to source 3" round LED lights as auxiliary lighting on the end caps:
As it turns out, the guy selling the LEDs told me he had used the 3" double sided LEDs on his motorcycle as turn signals. They're actually auxiliary lights for a big rig, but why not.:
The lights are "dual function" which essentially means they will light up at two different intensities. So if it's night and your lights are on they light up on "low", but if you signal they go to "high" (independent of whether your lights are on). They're also reflective which is a nice feature to have. The 3" versions are available here:
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/PROD/LPL/UP39561
He also happens to sell one sided motorcycle lights:
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/CTGY/LHL
As well as a bunch of pedestal lights that might work for someone's project:
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/CTGY/LPL
Now I'd already purchased BMW bar end turn signals for my bike:
but the LED guy got me thinking about taillights. Some thought and research later, with the "Bat Jacket" already in my lair.. er... CLOSET, I stumbled upon this little gem:
I'm going to replace the CB350 and sidecar tail lights with identical 6" oval "dual function" 56 LED lights (with reflector):
The high LED count should create a nice even light distribution so the bat stands out. The nice thing about these lights is that you can also get them as a white lens with red LEDs so they light up red:
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/PROD/OVLUP/UP38916
Ideally I'd like to get both lights on the same plane horizontally, but that may require relocating the sidecar light. You can get some idea of the height differential here:
On the planning side, there's more to tell but I'll cut this obscenely long post off here. I suppose that makes this a cliffhanger so as William Dozier would say:
Christopher
