Retromod 1973 CB 350

TexZ · 01-28-2014, 02:26 PM

To start this off, I've been meaning to start a thread for this but wanted to wait until I had some meaningful progress. I just read Photographer's thread about his 72/72 CB350 build and realized we are doing almost the exact same build!

Anyways, I picked up my 1973 CB 350 from a client rep I worked with who was looking to part with the bike because he didn't ride it much anymore. He was the 3rd owner and the odometer read 6,922 miles. The bike was in great shape with some surface rust on the chrome, among other imperfections. I know some of you will hate me for starting a build with a bike this nice, but it had a number of flaws that I knew would keep most purists from wanting it (bent headlight brackets, dented and rough tank, rusty and bent front fender, bad tank, etc). With a new battery the motor turned over fine, but a tank full of rust and old gas plus clogged fuel lines and carb bowls kept it from starting up.

The build that inspired me to want to do a Honda CB was this CB 550 built by Devin Henriques of Cognito Moto, http://cognitomoto.com/. When I first came across Devin's work, he was only machining front GSX-R/CB conversion front hubs, top triple trees, and stem nuts. He has continued to create parts and has grown his online store to carry lots of other great aftermarket CB parts. I highly recommend you Honda guys check out his stuff, really impressive; his customer service is top notch too.

The bike the way I picked it up

Polished up the original chrome with 0000 steel wool

Before:

After:

Gas tank was full of some funk and cap was bad

Before:

After:

New Triple Tree from Cognito Moto:

TexZ · 02:40 PM

I found a great deal on a set of 06-07 GSX-R forks complete with calipers, levers, clip-ons, fender, and trees:

Excited about these brakes!

I also started tear down when I removed the tank to get cleaned, lined, and a new cap installed:

Leftovers:

green600 · 01-28-2014, 02:39 PM

nice!

Deadfred · 01-28-2014, 04:21 PM

Make sure you keep all the spare parts. They fetch a pretty penny.

I ordered the hub that Devin makes. I looked at the triple too, but thats something I'll do later.

Are you going to remove the electric start? im thinking about it...

Will69camaro · 01-28-2014, 04:23 PM

yea Kevin, I cant wait to see/help with this build. Really wish I could have picked up that 74 CB550!!!

TexZ · 01-30-2014, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photographer

Make sure you keep all the spare parts. They fetch a pretty penny.

I ordered the hub that Devin makes. I looked at the triple too, but thats something I'll do later.

Are you going to remove the electric start? im thinking about it...

I'll probably keep it, for those days I feel lazy! But we'll see...once I get the front end mocked up I need to finalize my controls setup. May do away with the tach.

Deadfred · 02-01-2014, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexZ

I'll probably keep it, for those days I feel lazy! But we'll see...once I get the front end mocked up I need to finalize my controls setup. May do away with the tach.

Are you planning on repainting the bike? I was considering keeping my 72 stock. And just restoring it, if that's the case, maybe we could swap some parts. Let me know! I sent you a PM with my info

Bigshankhank · 02-01-2014, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photographer

Are you planning on repainting the bike? I was considering keeping my 72 stock. And just restoring it, if that's the case, maybe we could swap some parts. Let me know! I sent you a PM with my info

Jeezus please don't paint that tank, unless the pictures are lying you have a gem of an original paint job there. Sell it if nothing else, and buy a more "modest" condition one and paint that.

Deadfred · 02-02-2014, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigshankhank

Jeezus please don't paint that tank, unless the pictures are lying you have a gem of an original paint job there. Sell it if nothing else, and buy a more "modest" condition one and paint that.

I wanted to swap tanks and side covers if he was gonna repaint. hehe

Will69camaro · 02-02-2014, 01:15 AM

Not to speak for him but pretty sure he's leaving the stock tank and side covers. The bike he got was in VERY good condition, especially for the price!

Bigshankhank · 02-02-2014, 05:20 AM

Ok, not to be too much of a purist, I would rather work with rougher parts making them like new, than take like-new vintage parts and screw with them.

TexZ · 02-02-2014, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photographer

I wanted to swap tanks and side covers if he was gonna repaint. hehe

Ill think about the tank (just got it cleaned and a new cap for it) but was planning on keeping it original.

We can work out a deal on the side covers because I dont plan on using them. Same goes for anything else that I take off.

TexZ · 04-14-2014, 08:30 AM

So I made a bit of progress this weekend, still very slow. This is how the bike arrived at the new house:

Almost stripped down:

And finally we have a bare frame:

I plan on grinding off the tabs and mounts I don't need this week and trying to sort out the plan for seat frame, shocks/mounts, and rearsets.

ScooterTrash · 04-14-2014, 09:19 AM

Very nice bike, your starting with a good one! Holler if we can help in any way.

bumblebee · 04-14-2014, 09:57 AM

Looking forward to the front end swap. I have an '82 XS650 and a 2005 GSXR 1000 front that I want to put together. I might need to pick your brain...

TexZ · 04-14-2014, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumblebee

Looking forward to the front end swap. I have an '82 XS650 and a 2005 GSXR 1000 front that I want to put together. I might need to pick your brain...

Me too! Hoping to mock up the forks this week.

I got my stem bearings from All Racing (http://www.allballsracing.com/index.php/forkconversion), it looks like they have direct swap bearings for your frame/fork combo:

ID OD Width Bearing #
Suzuki GSX-R1000 2005 30 48 12 99-3515-5 - Top Bearing
30 48 12 99-3515-5 - Bottom Bearing

TexZ · 01-11-2019, 03:35 PM

Bike is for sale, $1500. All of the Cognito Moto conversion and GSXR parts will be included.

Kevin

bumblebee · 01-14-2019, 07:22 AM

Did the front swap happen?

bumblebee · 01-14-2019, 08:58 AM

Ooops

01-28-2014, 02:26 PM	#1
TexZ Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 51 Experience: 5 years Bike(s): 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 1973 CB 350	Retromod 1973 CB 350 To start this off, I've been meaning to start a thread for this but wanted to wait until I had some meaningful progress. I just read Photographer's thread about his 72/72 CB350 build and realized we are doing almost the exact same build! Anyways, I picked up my 1973 CB 350 from a client rep I worked with who was looking to part with the bike because he didn't ride it much anymore. He was the 3rd owner and the odometer read 6,922 miles. The bike was in great shape with some surface rust on the chrome, among other imperfections. I know some of you will hate me for starting a build with a bike this nice, but it had a number of flaws that I knew would keep most purists from wanting it (bent headlight brackets, dented and rough tank, rusty and bent front fender, bad tank, etc). With a new battery the motor turned over fine, but a tank full of rust and old gas plus clogged fuel lines and carb bowls kept it from starting up. The build that inspired me to want to do a Honda CB was this CB 550 built by Devin Henriques of Cognito Moto, http://cognitomoto.com/. When I first came across Devin's work, he was only machining front GSX-R/CB conversion front hubs, top triple trees, and stem nuts. He has continued to create parts and has grown his online store to carry lots of other great aftermarket CB parts. I highly recommend you Honda guys check out his stuff, really impressive; his customer service is top notch too. The bike the way I picked it up Polished up the original chrome with 0000 steel wool Before: After: Gas tank was full of some funk and cap was bad Before: After: New Triple Tree from Cognito Moto:

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01-28-2014, 02:36 PM	#2
TexZ Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 51 Experience: 5 years Bike(s): 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 1973 CB 350	I found a great deal on a set of 06-07 GSX-R forks complete with calipers, levers, clip-ons, fender, and trees: Excited about these brakes! I also started tear down when I removed the tank to get cleaned, lined, and a new cap installed: Leftovers:
	Last edited by TexZ; 01-28-2014 at 02:40 PM.

04-14-2014, 09:19 AM	#14
ScooterTrash ConroePowderCoating.com Join Date: May 2005 Location: Cut n Shoot Feedback Rating: (3) Posts: 17,237 Bike(s): lots of em	Very nice bike, your starting with a good one! Holler if we can help in any way.
	__________________ [COLOR="Lime"][B]Highway HorrorS c.c.[/B][/COLOR] [QUOTE=Mr.D;2764337] I respect scootertrash because well... He's like the Jesus of building and fixing . [/QUOTE]

04-14-2014, 09:57 AM	#15
bumblebee Yeah I'm flippin' YOU off Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pearland Feedback Rating: (3) Posts: 13,883 Bike(s): '74 Suzuki GT380 '82 XS650 StreetTracker '17 Triumph Thruxton R '83 Yamaha Seca 900	Looking forward to the front end swap. I have an '82 XS650 and a 2005 GSXR 1000 front that I want to put together. I might need to pick your brain...
	__________________ Asphalt is for racing... dirt is for growing potatoes. - J. Diester When seconds count... the police are only minutes away. Grow up and be a productive member of society already. Bevo- "I lack skillz"

01-28-2014, 02:39 PM	#3
green600 BYE Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: 77045 Feedback Rating: (3) Posts: 20,876 Experience: 1-3 months Trackdays: 1	nice!

01-28-2014, 04:21 PM	#4
Deadfred Drop Dead or Die Trying Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Houston Feedback Rating: (2) Posts: 1,499 Experience: 9 years Trackdays: 10+ Bike(s): Ducati EVO	Make sure you keep all the spare parts. They fetch a pretty penny. I ordered the hub that Devin makes. I looked at the triple too, but thats something I'll do later. Are you going to remove the electric start? im thinking about it...

01-28-2014, 04:23 PM	#5
Will69camaro Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: E. Do Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 100 Experience: 1-3 months Bike(s): 2012 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200	yea Kevin, I cant wait to see/help with this build. Really wish I could have picked up that 74 CB550!!!

02-02-2014, 01:15 AM	#10
Will69camaro Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: E. Do Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 100 Experience: 1-3 months Bike(s): 2012 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200	Not to speak for him but pretty sure he's leaving the stock tank and side covers. The bike he got was in VERY good condition, especially for the price!

02-02-2014, 05:20 AM	#11
Bigshankhank Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cypress Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 1,231 Experience: 10+ years Bike(s): 1972 Aermacchi Sprint SX350 1972 Honda CL175 K5 1978 Kawasaki KE100 1978 Kawasaki KE250 1970 Suzuki TC90	Ok, not to be too much of a purist, I would rather work with rougher parts making them like new, than take like-new vintage parts and screw with them.

04-14-2014, 08:30 AM	#13
TexZ Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 51 Experience: 5 years Bike(s): 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 1973 CB 350	So I made a bit of progress this weekend, still very slow. This is how the bike arrived at the new house: Almost stripped down: And finally we have a bare frame: I plan on grinding off the tabs and mounts I don't need this week and trying to sort out the plan for seat frame, shocks/mounts, and rearsets.

01-11-2019, 03:35 PM	#17
TexZ Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 51 Experience: 5 years Bike(s): 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 1973 CB 350	Bike is for sale, $1500. All of the Cognito Moto conversion and GSXR parts will be included. Kevin

01-14-2019, 07:22 AM	#18
bumblebee Yeah I'm flippin' YOU off Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pearland Feedback Rating: (3) Posts: 13,883 Bike(s): '74 Suzuki GT380 '82 XS650 StreetTracker '17 Triumph Thruxton R '83 Yamaha Seca 900	Did the front swap happen?
	__________________ Asphalt is for racing... dirt is for growing potatoes. - J. Diester When seconds count... the police are only minutes away. Grow up and be a productive member of society already. Bevo- "I lack skillz"

01-14-2019, 08:58 AM	#19
bumblebee Yeah I'm flippin' YOU off Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pearland Feedback Rating: (3) Posts: 13,883 Bike(s): '74 Suzuki GT380 '82 XS650 StreetTracker '17 Triumph Thruxton R '83 Yamaha Seca 900	Ooops
	__________________ Asphalt is for racing... dirt is for growing potatoes. - J. Diester When seconds count... the police are only minutes away. Grow up and be a productive member of society already. Bevo- "I lack skillz"