Tremelune
Been Around the Block
I purchased a 1968 Honda CL350 (Japan-spec?) primarily to take it apart and put it back together for fun and education. It was running too well to let it sit, though, so I ended up riding it a bit this summer as-is. It was always a little bit squirrelly, but it was gorgeous. Very good brakes, to my shock. As the weather cooled down a bit, it started to feel dangerous, and I was eager to get busy on it, so I took it off the road and into my bedroom in Brooklyn. These are the sacrifices we make in NYC.
The goal for this machine is to come out with a safe, reliable scalpel for NYC traffic, with a secondary goal of light highway use to get out of the city. Comfort is a priority. No clip-ons, no crazy rear sets, no hard seat. A passenger will be common. I hope to lighten the bike up as much as possible without sacrificing usability (I'm keeping the starter, airbox, and fenders for instance).
Originality is of little concern. I plan to upgrade every component I can along the way. All lights will be LED, coils will be upgraded, the ignition will be electronic, and the wiring will be done from scratch. I will be using modern switches and a few relays in key spots. I hope to get a good set of shocks on there, as well as a modern front end.
The motor will remain pretty much stock. I may not even take it apart, depending on how far I get when spring nears. There's no way for me to tune a carb around here, much less try to get more power out of the thing. I just want it to start, run, and idle--hot or cold. It's pretty close as-is, but it could probably use a bit of cleaning.
Cosmetics have not been fully fleshed out, but the plan is to make the bike as black as possible except maybe a few highlights. This bike needs to be parkable on the streets of NYC without attracting attention. I don't want it shiny, but I'm taking it down to the frame, so I'm going to clean everything up while it's off the bike…then I'll let it get dirty again.
The goal for this machine is to come out with a safe, reliable scalpel for NYC traffic, with a secondary goal of light highway use to get out of the city. Comfort is a priority. No clip-ons, no crazy rear sets, no hard seat. A passenger will be common. I hope to lighten the bike up as much as possible without sacrificing usability (I'm keeping the starter, airbox, and fenders for instance).
Originality is of little concern. I plan to upgrade every component I can along the way. All lights will be LED, coils will be upgraded, the ignition will be electronic, and the wiring will be done from scratch. I will be using modern switches and a few relays in key spots. I hope to get a good set of shocks on there, as well as a modern front end.
The motor will remain pretty much stock. I may not even take it apart, depending on how far I get when spring nears. There's no way for me to tune a carb around here, much less try to get more power out of the thing. I just want it to start, run, and idle--hot or cold. It's pretty close as-is, but it could probably use a bit of cleaning.
Cosmetics have not been fully fleshed out, but the plan is to make the bike as black as possible except maybe a few highlights. This bike needs to be parkable on the streets of NYC without attracting attention. I don't want it shiny, but I'm taking it down to the frame, so I'm going to clean everything up while it's off the bike…then I'll let it get dirty again.
