Charlotte, my side hustle: CB350G

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Been trying to stay a little obscure with the new bikes I'm shopping for. I'd love to add a 350/4 to the collection. Gotta finish the other two first.....

I know the feeling. I just stumbled across a 72/73 Wankel powered Arctic Cat sled. I'm forcing myself to ignore it because I have other crap that needs to be done first.

[McQueen216]

Whoa, whoa, whoa… that implies “finishing” one…

[Thumper]

Nice looking CB350 McQueen. That is indeed one bulletproof engine.

Three Hondas in my past, that I remember.

1974-ish CB400F supersport, in red
It had the narrow coffin tank with matching long narrow seat with a stylish chrome bezel, a rather heavy, but cool four into one original exhaust. Very low miles and never wrecked. I think the redline was like 11000. Maybe 10500. Six gears, close ratio. It might have made only 16 hp but what range and endless gear choices...and sounded FABULOUS!

1980-2 XR500R. It had an automatic decompression valve that the kick start transiently engaged for easy starts. 5 speed dirt bike. I managed to plate it even though no turn signal or horn. I am not sure if it even had a battery. I had money on the companion XL500 but the dealership sold it on me just before I picked it up. Gee.

Lastly, a 1972-4ish CB450 with DOHC in green with nice chrome trim on the tank. This bike ran great. I bought it from an Air Force guy in Albuquerque complete with base parking sticker.

I think I sold it to buy a GS850 shaftie. That thing had a bad stator. It kept draining the battery. That was an Achilles heal of the early GS series. It was a 3wire AC stator. Sold it and bought a fantastic GS 1100 TSCC 16V in Candy apple red with close color-matched narrow cafe fairing with tallish narrow dark smoked windscreen (Cheetah, as I recall)... Muth styled tank. That was a real flagship!

Oh, what were we talking about? Oh, Hondas, yeah!

Sorry, I got side-tracked

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by cheesy

I know the feeling. I just stumbled across a 72/73 Wankel powered Arctic Cat sled.

DON'T DO IT CHEESY!!! FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!!!!!

[2LZ]

I rode a 1971 CB350 as my main means of transport, all through high school. Fog, rain, blistering CA sun, it just kept going regardless of how my youthful foolishness abused it.
Oh, it leaked, stumbled on occasion, would "run on one" for no particular reason when it felt like it, and of course, the electric start never worked.....but I never had to push that bike.

[McQueen216]

And driving it produces an entirely different kind of smile…

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

DON'T DO IT CHEESY!!! FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!!!!!

Dorito

[cheesy]

No worries now, 2LZ. I inquired and the seller had neither a title nor the will to sell the sled based on his asking price.

[TominMO]

Originally Posted by cheesy

No worries now, 2LZ. I inquired and the seller had neither a title nor the will to sell the sled based on his asking price.

[McQueen216]

So, bike has been back for a couple of weeks, holidays have been here, and I’ve been getting my ass handed to me by the respiratory thing going around - not COVID, but not nice.

Got the call from New Church Moto that it’s time for my original seat to be rebuilt, so I pulled that off and prepared it to be boxed and shipped. Weeks earlier, I had ordered a replacement seat from Texavina, as it seemed like they might be the only ones around making seats actually fitted for specific models. Low and behold, I moved over the hardware from my original seat to this Texavina one, and it mounted right into place. It was a Festivus miracle! It should hold me over while New Church Moto does her magic and makes me something amazing.

I still need a solution for my tank. Raretromoto sent me info with sizing for one of theirs that might be close to what I am looking for - need to break out a tape measure and see.