CL350 or CB550?

mtbike

mtbike

New Member
I've ben wanting to start a cafe. And now that I've found this awesome website I want to more now than ever. I've been shopping for a bike on and off and found a 1972 CL350 with under 9k in nice garage kept condition that's been out of commission for approx. 10 yrs. Needs the norm. (battery, tires, carbs. gone through, tank cleaned etc. Just found a 1974 CB 550 four in my area on the net that says runs but needs wiring redone. I don't know anything more on the 550 at this time. Wondering if both bikes were in equal condition which would be the bike of choice and why? Any info. would be helpful since this is new territory for me. Thanks
 
Check them both out and see which one feels best to you or looks like it's in better condition. The 350 will be a little easier to work on but don't let that detour you. Those 550's are really nice. Are the prices similar?
 
djelliot is right about the 350 being easier to modify. Two cylinders means buying/doing two of everything, versus four with the 550. That being said, you'll probably grow out of the 350 a lot faster than the 550. And fours just have such a nice exhaust note. ;D Go with your gut feeling though.
 
Prices are in the same area. The 350 they were asking $700 for orig. and I offered $350 trying to get the deal and they're considering it fairly well but I found out they're having trouble finding the title and the brother that owns it is in no hurry or has little desire to look for it or put in for a lost title otherwise I would probably already own it. The 350 is pretty close to perfect other than the maintenance. The exhaust pipes look new but have a golf ball size hole where the upper pipe meets the muffler. Probably not the end of the world since I'd probably be cutting them off there anyway and running them open or putting on slip ons. The 550 I haven't seen and the asking price is $500. I'm wondering about the hassle of wiring though. I would like to think I could find a good factory harness and just swap them out instead of building one or hacking and splicing. I like the looks of the spoke wheels that both have but the 550 ponies, and front disc brake may be a little nicer, even though in my book the drum just looks cool .
 
OOOh Man, a decent 550 for $500 sounds like a deal. Don't be afraid of the wiring. It's confusing at first but once you start familiarizing yourself with what colored wire does what, it starts to make sense. I'm sure you'll be able to find a color coded diagram. It may not be as bad as they think too.
 
Thanks for the link! I emailed the 550 and will let you know what I find once he gets back to me. Wonder if my wife would let me buy two...............
 
Won't be able to see the 550 in person till weekend or later because he's out of town. Here's the email he sent me and I have since verified that he has all the parts he removed but sounds like could be real project.

Paint is good, and the bike has a custom paint job that really keeps the shape of the bike. Emblums shaved off tank and fenders with a black and blood red classic look. Yhe paint on the tank has a small ping on the left side that chipped a pebble size of paint fleck off of. The bike ran well for me for 3 years after I bought it from another individual. When I got the bike it was a turd brown with big clunky emblums, seat and windjammer. That is not my style, so I removed the ferring, seat (not rebuilt yet), and had it shaved and repainted. In the summer of 2008 I attempted to charge the battery on the motorcycle (Note to self, remove battery from bike when charging it) only to look up to see white smoke coming out from under the seat. BUMMER! I ordered a new harness off of E-bay and it was more fried than mine was. I kept the bike around, cause I love it for the miles and times that it has given me. Needs; New tires, chain, sprockets, seat, and whatever you deem necessary to make it your own. I have removed; blinkers, guages, tail light, fenders, front brake for customization (back brake good) and is in the middle of being my bike I once loved and then some. She always ran well when she was running as far as the engine, but needs wiring and TLC.
 
Buying a non-runing bike is a bit of a gamble - you might get lucky and only have to spend a few $$ on it, or you might have to spend....a lot :eek:

If it's your first project, my advice would be to get the best condition running example within your budget and modify it to your liking from there. At least that way you have a running bike from the start ;)
 
Both prices are too high for those bikes.

$350 for a non-running 350 with no title? If it's that nice you could get your money back in parts but that's a hassle. Offer them an extra $100 if they find the title but I wouldnt buy it otherwise. It will probably cost at least $150 to get the carbs right IF you can find the rubber diaphrams for them. Your profile doesnt say where you are but it takes 3 years to replace the title in some states.

$500 for a hacked non-running 550? It's going to cost $75 minimum to get working front brakes for it again unless he has them. That's just too much but if he has the title offer $400 and that would be a decent deal. Unless he knows the wiring got burnt it's probably the solenoid. I tried jump starting a 550 once (before I knew better) and the exact same thing happened.... white smoke from the solenoid.

Both prices are too high. I bet the right bike will come along in a week or two and you'll know it when you see it.
 
Uhg! I didn't realize the 550 was hacked. The 350 is sounding a lot better for a first project, providing they find the title.
 
Well after about three weeks of working on a deal for the 350 the brother (owner) is moving it to storage for now. So it looks like my search continues.
 
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