1971 cl100

[benroloff]

Installed some led blinkers last weekend. Most did it because the blinkers I chose also have tail and drake lights, so I can eliminate the big stock one. However they are dimmer than I’d hoped for so I will probably end up doing an led strip too when I make a plate mount. I don’t entirely love the look either, but it’s much slimmer and that’s kind of the look I want. Not going for full custom, just cleaner. I’m experimenting with a trimmed rear fender too. Not too sure how I feel about it yet, but I think I’ll end up with some variation of it. I think a seat would really make a difference but haven’t gotten that far yet. I also have most of the parts for a front disk swap, but I have had little to no time this summer between work and working weekends, and I’m not sure I’ll even be home next summer, so unfortunately this bike may sit in storage for a couple years
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[benroloff]

Well, instead of letting this thing rot away in storage I decided to sack up and do something about it. I dragged it out this weekend and hauled it 5 hours back up to college with me on a hitch mounted rack behind my car. Best decision I could have made. I met up with a friend tonight on his crf300L and rode some old dirt roads for a while. Probably put more miles on the bike in the last two days than I have the last two years. She’s slower than snot, has unbelievably bad suspension, and only some of the electrical works these days, but if you don’t have a smile on your face while riding it something’s wrong with you! This bikes due for a fun summer!
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[Maritime]

Well, instead of letting this thing rot away in storage I decided to sack up and do something about it. I dragged it out this weekend and hauled it 5 hours back up to college with me on a hitch mounted rack behind my car. Best decision I could have made. I met up with a friend tonight on his crf300L and rode some old dirt roads for a while. Probably put more miles on the bike in the last two days than I have the last two years. She’s slower than snot, has unbelievably bad suspension, and only some of the electrical works these days, but if you don’t have a smile on your face while riding it something’s wrong with you! This bikes due for a fun summer!
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Huzzah!

 

[Luugo86]

Great to see it back in action!

 

[irk miller]

50 miles an hour @ 8000 rpms is a screaming good time.

 

[benroloff]

Well, i wish I could say things have been good for this bike, but I’d be lying. I rode it for a month or so there and it was running great until a couple weeks ago when I took it to a friends cabin and it starting acting up. I blew a tire that weekend too so it sat for a while. I got the new tire on and tried to get the rough running ironed out and it just kept getting worse. Today I checked the dipstick and thought I maybe saw some sparkles, so I drained the oil and that led me down the rabbit hole chasing the metal flakes until I found that the compression ring had once again broken. This time it scored the cylinder and left a mess. I knew I should have replaced that piston when I rebuilt a couple years ago, but the machinist said it’d be fine and I listened, and I think that’s what caused the failure again. I’m planning on going to a 125 cylinder and piston this time around for easier and cheaper parts availability, but this means bigger wrist pin. I need to split cases anyways because I know that I dropped a piece or two of that ring into the case, so I plan to just drop in a 125 crank if I can find one. If I had the tools or knew someone that could do it, my preference would be to rebuild the old crank with a new 125 con rod, but I’m not sure I have the resources or funds for that. If anyone has a 125 crank on the shelf, or knows anyone in the northern Minnesota or southern Wisconsin area with one or means to replace a con rod, please let me know!


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[Tanshanomi]

Could you score an XL/XR 185 or 200 engine?

 

[benroloff]

Could you score an XL/XR 185 or 200 engine?

That would be the ideal situation yes, but they seem sparse in my area. It’ll probably be a while before I get around to rebuilding anyways so I’ll definitely keep an eye out. I don’t want to abandon the original engine but I also don’t want to continue to rebuild 100/125 engines. If I can score a 185/200 I’ll do it, but some day I’d like to rebuild the 100 into a hot little engine when I have the funds. I’ve always thought it would be a fun engineering and machining project. In no way would it be worth the money lol, but fun nonetheless. Definitely a someday project though


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[benroloff]

I have also considered a Honda clone engine. Just hard to justify something like that coming from China knowing that it could either be great, or junk


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[ex119x]

That would be the ideal situation yes, but they seem sparse in my area. It’ll probably be a while before I get around to rebuilding anyways so I’ll definitely keep an eye out. I don’t want to abandon the original engine but I also don’t want to continue to rebuild 100/125 engines. If I can score a 185/200 I’ll do it, but some day I’d like to rebuild the 100 into a hot little engine when I have the funds. I’ve always thought it would be a fun engineering and machining project. In no way would it be worth the money lol, but fun nonetheless. Definitely a someday project though


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I have a spare ATC 200 motor. It is a shaft drive, but that appears to just be bolted onto the engine cases. I don't know what the output looks like when that is pulled off. I am in western WI just north of I 94, near Menomonie. You can have the motor if it will help you out. I don't know what shape it is in, but I have no plans for it and no need.

 

[benroloff]

I have a spare ATC 200 motor. It is a shaft drive, but that appears to just be bolted onto the engine cases. I don't know what the output looks like when that is pulled off. I am in western WI just north of I 94, near Menomonie. You can have the motor if it will help you out. I don't know what shape it is in, but I have no plans for it and no need.

That’s a very tempting offer, I definitely give it a tentative maybe. From my understanding, the atc motors require full transmission swaps to be converted to manual clutch, and I’m not sure at all how that works with shaft drive. That said, I have also read that the 100/125/185/200 cases are all basically identical. They all use the same head stud spacing and case sizes, the differences lie in the transmission architecture and in what is above the cases, so if more research yields that I could potentially cobble together a 100/125/200 franken-motor, I will absolutely take you up on your offer, but more research is required. I don’t particularly want to take it off your hands just to have it sit in my garage too lol. Although I do have an old Honda 200 atv that is probably in need of some engine parts too… too many projects


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[ex119x]

That’s a very tempting offer, I definitely give it a tentative maybe. From my understanding, the atc motors require full transmission swaps to be converted to manual clutch, and I’m not sure at all how that works with shaft drive. That said, I have also read that the 100/125/185/200 cases are all basically identical. They all use the same head stud spacing and case sizes, the differences lie in the transmission architecture and in what is above the cases, so if more research yields that I could potentially cobble together a 100/125/200 franken-motor, I will absolutely take you up on your offer, but more research is required. I don’t particularly want to take it off your hands just to have it sit in my garage too lol. Although I do have an old Honda 200 atv that is probably in need of some engine parts too… too many projects


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It is just sitting on a shelf in the garage, so no rush. I don't have any plans on coming to the Madison area, but things crop up, like visiting some friends there or something, so who knows. Just keep it in mind and it is yours if you want it unless I decide to use it for something more than a paper weight.

 

[benroloff]

I appreciate it. I live pretty much full time in the Duluth area now so if you’re ever up here. I usually go back to Madison every couple months or so too and you’re probably only a half hour or so out of the way, so I’ll be sure to let you know!


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[ex119x]

Probably only about 15 minutes. I am 8 miles north of 94 at exit 41. Do you ever get down to the Cities?

 

[ex119x]

Here is a picture of the 200 engine.
I also included some pics of the FZ600 and the parts that will go with it. I put it on here so these guys can get after you to get on the new project. Done yet? HAHAHA I think there are enough parts to put it together, except I haven't found a wiring harness, yet.
We can shop in my junk for more stuff when you come to pick it all up.

 

[benroloff]

That thing is more beautiful than I even expected! I’ll do my best to get it back on the road!


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[ex119x]

It isn'i really as nice as you think. It is missing some parts, like the airbox and maybe some electrical pieces, but the engine is all there and complete as is the chassis. I have had it for at least 20 years and don't know that I have even tried to start it. I may have pulled the topend off to unstick the rings, but for sure didn't replace them. It will either be a good project or a useful pile of parts.

 

[benroloff]

Well missing electrical isn’t a big deal to me. A lot of the original electrical will get replaced anyhow I think. And as long as it has compression I think I’ll be ok. It’s very difficult to find top end parts though so that could be interesting if it needs work lol. I did see that moto-lab sells a 650 kit for it though…
Either way, I’m very excited for it. Dual round headlight bikes are one of the coolest things ever made if you ask me


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[benroloff]

I am still picking away at a parts list for this bike. I do think I could do the 200 swap, but would likely require splitting cases on that engine, so at that point I might just do a case split on the 100 engine and swap a 125 crank in if I can find one and then still retain the original engine. Not fully decided yet but hoping to tackle this one this winter so I can have a rideable bike by next summer. Also considering swapping on the front end from my FZ if I end up doing a fork swap on that bike. That’s more long term though. But I found that I could probably bolt on a cb750 front wheel to that fork set with some small mods, which are cheap and readily available, and come with disks, so I could get the disk front end that I want too. Nobody warned me how much of a rabbit hole this vintage bike thing was when I got into it…


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[benroloff]

Hoping to pick on this bike a bit this winter. I sourced a 125 crank from a 74 xl(same as a cb or cl crank as far as I can tell) so I now have a start on the 125 swap.
My question is to the guys on here that used to play with these old 125 platforms. My understanding is that in 76 when Honda went from one piece to two piece heads, they also went from a flat top to domed pistons. There’s not a lot of info out there about the compatibility, other than it boosts compression ratio (logically). Has anyone had any success swapping a newer domed piston into one of these one piece head engines? My concern is with piston to valve clearances, among other things


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