Polpetta's CB350

[2-Skinny]

Lookin' good!  My first bike that was in similar condition and I learned to work on bikes was a Yamaha XS650.  Fun bike, still regret selling it.

As far as a new tank, I would recommend finding a Benelli tank on ebay.  They have the side "cut outs"/knee dents and look great, plus Italian style!



As far as carburetors, if the gaskets/rubber seem to be in pretty good shape, I would recommend pulling the bowls apart and boiling in a mix of water and Yamaha Carburetor Cleaner Dip.  Use a hot plate in the back yard because it stinks to high hell, but it will remove varnish, goop, and dirt plus won't deteriorate rubbers and gaskets in good nick.

Good luck man, keep posting.  Old bikes are FUN!

[SacDuc]

Thanks for the suggestions on the carbs.   

As for the tank, I'm going to keep it a cb350 tank. I ant to keep this bike instantly recognizable as a cb350. That benelli is a pretty though, and there seem to be a lot of them around.

sac

[Cloner]

Be careful with the carbs.  There are a few parts that ought not see carb dip for an extended period of time.  In particular, the vacuum chamber covers (I'd say "diaphragm covers, but there are no diaphragms) have plastic tops that don't like harsh chemicals.  The boiling method mentioned below should be OK, though.

The needles and seats are brass, so no troubles there as long as they'll hold back fuel.  Likewise the jets.  These are CV carbs, but they don't use diaphragms.  Rather, they have closely machined clearances with a designed leakage rate to lift the needles/slides, so you don't have to worry about leaky diaphragms.

Carb kits are still available from Honda and are reasonalby priced. Float bowl gaskets are rubber and are almost certainly ruined by now.  There are a couple of fiber gaskets that will be in poor shape when you pull them apart on gallery screws.  There is a rubber o-ring around the mixture screw that should also be replaced.  The vacuum chamber gasket is also fiber and should be replaced after 40 years in service.  All of those things are included in Honda's kit.

Pay careful attention to carbon build-up around the butterfly plates (the ones that move with the throttle cable, not the choke butterflies).  There are bleed holes on the bottoms of the throttle bores that can plug with crap that will cause poor off-idle throttle response if you don't clean them out.

If you don't have a manometer to balance the carbs, you can get close with them off the bike by setting the throttle butterflies to similar openings within their bores via a small "gauge" like a small wire or piece of thin card stock.  Once set, if you need to idle the bike up or down just change both by the same number of turns on the idle screws and you should maintain "balance" near enough.  A manometer works best, though.

Have you considered an electronic ignition for your CB?  In the long term, it's a real reliability enhancer.

[WTSDS]

The centrifugal oil filter may need a good cleanout, easy job.

I have a 1972 CB350, great little sickle, but with stock forks and rear shocks the handling at speed is atrocious.

[speedknot]

Ive been working on a my second CB400F for some time now.  This was a true barn find in Westchester, NY.  
Below, I had posted some pics of bikes that inspired me to build cafe bikes or the like.  The red Honda was the one that got me really motivated to do this and is what I modeled(copied) my last CB project from.   I'm looking for the USB drive with the pics of my last CB project so when I find it I'll post.




These are just some pics of my current project.  I got the seat from Roccitycafe.  Its just a mock up now.  I'll cut it back a bit.





Here is a list of people I've dealt with and had very positive reviews for.  I have a ton of resources and connections for parts and such.  Just PM me and I'll get the list off to you.  BTW, the Dimecity guys are great.

http://z1parts.net/
http://www.caferace.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=C&Category_Code=RRBT
http://www.sudco.com/Jvintage.html
http://www.speedmotoco.com/default.asp
http://www.roccitycafe.com/store.php
http://www.ttr400.com/index.html
http://www.cb750cafe.com/

[DucatiTorrey]

amazing

[SacDuc]

I LOVE this bike! Good job! I particularly like the front end? where are the forks from? I had been going back and forth as to whether I as going to put a front fender on her. This settles it. No fender.


And thanks for the links to the great sites! That's a huge help!   

sac

[Staggerlee]

Those look to be standard 400/4 forks spiffed up a bit with an aftermarket fork brace.

[RAT900]

Sac, you know I will salute any fool who elects to take this awful path less traveled

Keep the pictures coming!!

After I wrap up the damn G15CSR I think I am buying a Sachs Madass

and tuning it to crack 100 mph if possible

this may help exorcise the demons that I hatched while bringing the Matchless dead back to life

Those Cafe CB's look absolutely stellar!!!! esp the red one

[SacDuc]

Thanks Rat.

Right now I just want to get her rolling. Call it "Phase 1." But over the months I'll start collecting bits here and there and start working out the design details. Then, one day, one rainy winter day, the insanity will hit me and I'm gonna park that little make the beast with two backser right in my living room and rip her to pieces. Hopefully I won't regret it too much. And hopefully if I collect the bits for her here and there over many months I can convince myself that I really didn't spend a stupid amount of money on her.

Since DuckStew will likely see this bike in person one day I'm going to take my time on the design work though. Simply out of fear of being rebuked too harshly by the master.    I know he'll go easy on the noob.

sac

[2-Skinny]

More inspiration:











These are DIY race-replicas using CBR250RR motors... 14.5K RPM....

[TAftonomos]

you guys are farking killing me.  The benilli tank just arrived today, I guess the RD350 is going to be built alongside the 2vsbk....

[thought]

damn... looking at these threads really makes me wish i had some kind of space to try to mess around and make one of these...

sigh... apt living and bikes just sucks sometimes

[DucatiTorrey]

damn... looking at these threads really makes me wish i had some kind of space to try to mess around and make one of these...

sigh... apt living and bikes just sucks sometimes

its not apartment lving its you, unless there is a wife in the apt, whats stopping you?

me its the money, everyone and their grandmother is wanting 3k for an old cb 350 or kx 400 in Colorado, they ALL know what you want to do to it.

shame.

[thought]

its not apartment lving its you, unless there is a wife in the apt, whats stopping you?

no garage to store a disassembled bike/parts... and not being able to take a bike up 21 flights of stairs?  or a management dpt that would allow me to use the elevator even if the bike fit in there?