Tremelune
Been Around the Block
I'll be tearing my '68 CL350 down to the frame, and when I put it back together I'd like to have something better than what I started with. This bike will spend most of its time squeezing through tight urban traffic and bumbling around the potholed roads of NYC. It should also be able to spend an hour or two on the highway in (relative) comfort. It won't see a track and rides through the twisties will probably be on the shy side of aggressive. I'm weighing a few options with regard to the front end, swingarm, and wheels, with my priorities being: reliability/low-maintenance, performance, style. Lightness is always a consideration.
Here are my thoughts as I pull them together...Opinions sought.
Wheels
I'd prefer a set of alloys over spoked wheels, as they require less maintenance, need no tubes, and they are stronger and lighter(?). I would also prefer a pair of 17" wheels for better tire selection and quicker turn-in (for slicing through taxis at red lights). It might be wiser to stick with larger wheels to combat potholes, though…Not sure how big a difference that makes.
Both the front and rear wheels need to match to some degree (I won't have a front alloy and a rear spoke), so this choice might be made for me depending on what is possible for both the front and rear of the bike, suspension-wise. Do spoked wheels (aluminum) tend to be heavier than alloys, or does it vary widely?
Front-End
I would not hate a very modern, high-quality front end. I would just throw a CBR RR front on there, but I'm guessing I would be better served by a lighter piece of kit instead. Suggestions? SV650 or CBR F2? Is there a good front-end that will support a spoked wheel and a disc brake? I don't want to go to clip-ons. I've considered motocross and enduro fronts, but the forks are long and geared for dirt.
Swapping stems is no problem, but I don't want to fab anything or move too far from the stock geometry. I'm not looking to pave new roads in this area--a lot of swaps have been done and I'd like to know what some favorites are over the long term. This bike is for riding, not showing.
Another consideration I have is to simply rebuild the forks I have or replace the internals. It's hard to go wrong with this route, but it probably wouldn't be much easier than moving 40 years forward in technology for forks, wheels, brakes, bearings...
Swingarm
I've considered swapping an aluminum dirt bike swing arm in, but it seems outlandish and I really don't want to mess with the ridability of the bike. The primary goal with work in the rear is to add lightness/stiffness and to (maybe) allow for an alloy wheel to match the alloy front. What are my options here?
Here are my thoughts as I pull them together...Opinions sought.
Wheels
I'd prefer a set of alloys over spoked wheels, as they require less maintenance, need no tubes, and they are stronger and lighter(?). I would also prefer a pair of 17" wheels for better tire selection and quicker turn-in (for slicing through taxis at red lights). It might be wiser to stick with larger wheels to combat potholes, though…Not sure how big a difference that makes.
Both the front and rear wheels need to match to some degree (I won't have a front alloy and a rear spoke), so this choice might be made for me depending on what is possible for both the front and rear of the bike, suspension-wise. Do spoked wheels (aluminum) tend to be heavier than alloys, or does it vary widely?
Front-End
I would not hate a very modern, high-quality front end. I would just throw a CBR RR front on there, but I'm guessing I would be better served by a lighter piece of kit instead. Suggestions? SV650 or CBR F2? Is there a good front-end that will support a spoked wheel and a disc brake? I don't want to go to clip-ons. I've considered motocross and enduro fronts, but the forks are long and geared for dirt.
Swapping stems is no problem, but I don't want to fab anything or move too far from the stock geometry. I'm not looking to pave new roads in this area--a lot of swaps have been done and I'd like to know what some favorites are over the long term. This bike is for riding, not showing.
Another consideration I have is to simply rebuild the forks I have or replace the internals. It's hard to go wrong with this route, but it probably wouldn't be much easier than moving 40 years forward in technology for forks, wheels, brakes, bearings...
Swingarm
I've considered swapping an aluminum dirt bike swing arm in, but it seems outlandish and I really don't want to mess with the ridability of the bike. The primary goal with work in the rear is to add lightness/stiffness and to (maybe) allow for an alloy wheel to match the alloy front. What are my options here?
