Wednesday, September 04, 2013
Holiday Hondas
Seen while out walking on Labor Day:
Honda CL350 "Scrambler". I've been seeing this thing puttering around the Ripple a lot, lately, so I do believe it's somebody's daily driver. If so, mondo cool points. Apparently the protagonist in the U.S. version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo rode a trick customized CL350, so expect unmolestered originals like this one to become more scarce and valuable in the future.
O.G. Honda V45 Magna. The straight grooves in the front discs distinguish an '82 750, the first year of production, from later tariff-era 700s. I had one of these things very briefly. The frame on mine was tweaked badly enough that the tracks of the front and rear tire could be distinguished after you drove through a puddle, since there was almost an inch of offset between their centerlines. This made for... interesting handling characteristics. Also, all the baffles had come out of the exhaust on one side, possibly in a cloud of rust, so it was kinda loud.
I was lucky to have an '86 750 VFR before the same stupid tariffs multiplied the 700s. Still miss that ride.
ReplyDeleteHave been meaning to ask you: when you rode did you ever get down here to Alabama to run the "mini dragon"?
ReplyDeleteThat would be the 19 miles of state highway 25 that runs South out of Leeds.
Other than the rip in the seat that is sure a clean little 350. I rode one back when they could be had for cheap. I imagine an original one would bring collector prices now.
ReplyDeleteI had the loan of a V65 Magna for a summer. It was one of my favorite summers. 1100cc's, 500lb curb weight, cruise control... Absolute joy to ride. Only dropped it once and the owner didn't even get mad, he just laughed at me.
ReplyDeleteAlways wanted to get one, but health issues won't allow now. :-(
Sklutch
Yep, the CL350 was a nice bike back in the day. Handle city and pasture pretty well. Gullys were a bit much for it, but that is why they make dirt bikes.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to have on now that I don't need to find the top end of every thing I ride.
I had a CL350 (a '71, I think) in a horrible yellowish/green metallic color. Somebody had put ape-hangers and a sissy bar on it, and I picked it up for $300. The points were always needing adjustment on it, and I kept a gap-measurement shim and a piece of fine-grain emery cloth on the bike so I could adjust 'em as necessary.
ReplyDeleteIt ran great for 20,000 miles or so, and then I blew up the engine when the oil seal on the shaft failed and dumped the oil while I was riding. First thing I knew was when the cam bearing froze, and locked up the engine. Wasn't worth repairing, so I scrapped it.
I don't actually miss the durned thing. It was replaced with a CX500, and having a water-cooled, shaft-drive bike for the first time got me used to the idea of motorcycles as reasonably reliable transportation, rather than just a fun machine.
I used to ride a 1972 CB450 that looked a lot like that one.
ReplyDeleteThird gear in it was borked, so I had to tach out second gear and skip to fourth.
Loved that old bike.
My dad bought a CL360 new in 1975, and dropped it shortly thereafter, bending the handlebars. I immediately appropriated the tweaked bar (with the ultra-cool MX stylee crossbar) for my Western Auto Flyer bicycle. I'm not sure how my six year old self managed, but I got that sucker on there, ditched the fenders, and had myself the sorriest excuse for a BMX bike the planet has ever seen. Fortunately, i didn't know any better.
ReplyDeleteThe CL was called a "scrambler", so our little band of misfits thought they'd be good for haulin' arse amongst the rocks & trees.
ReplyDeleteAt 350#, that machine wasn't exactly nimble, & the suspension sucked.
But it's got "high" pipes!
Yay, Tam!
ReplyDeleteHonda's "scramblers" were some of the nicest looking, visually balanced bikes of their era.
ReplyDeleteI think the last of them was the 360 Scrambler, with the downswept pipes and upswept mufflers. Black pipes, at that. 72 or 73, if I recall correctly? Was one of the first "dirt" bikes with a disc brake.
They seemed huge to me, back then. After three Gold Wings and nearly 40 years later, I now have a different perspective.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
Almost the first bike I bought. In blue, probably a '68, since it was used in '69. Owner couldn't find the title, and my parents were not happy. Used the money to buy a very much breathed-on big block for my '57 Chevy rag-top. In hindsight, I'd have been better off with the bike.
ReplyDeleteEventually got a 750 Norton as a first bike.
WV: ighTwin 9. Must have been a model I missed.
Wow. My second bike was an '82 V45 Magna. Same COLOR, even. Yes, I rode a purple Honda.
ReplyDeleteMemreeeezz...
Wound up selling it to buy my S&W 360PD. From one type of flame out of a cylinder to another...
Why am I picturing Billy Jack ridin' inta town to take off his boots an' kick bootie?
ReplyDeleteI still have my '73 CL 450. Most unique engine valve train design I had seen at that point in time and it was cheap. Paid 300, rode it home.
ReplyDeleteI used to love holding the clutch in and cranking the rpm's to around 6k and dumping it. Tons of fun, tread life was limited and expensive.
I keep meaning to do a total rebuild but other projects like the two RD 350's keep getting ahead of it in the long line of "I'm gonna's" around here.
Gmac
Had a CL350 back in the day. I recall it being heavy, clumsy and slow.
ReplyDeleteEven nostalgia can't help some things.
Love the old Honda Scramblers. The Magna not so much although didn't Prince put around on one of those in Purple Rain?
ReplyDeleteThat first one is seriously cool!
ReplyDeleteMy second bike was a CL360. The first was a Suziki T-125 also called a Scrambler. Loved em both, but that was a long time ago and I was a lot younger (and lighter) then...
ReplyDeleteYou know what'll make feel young again and old as fluck at the same time?
ReplyDeleteSeeing posts like this featuring what was the coolest in hi-tech scoots that I slobbered over at 14-15 being slobbered over now as survivors and vintage tin. :/
Weird. But cool.
-chaz-
I've been visiting various motorcycle museums in Germany and have been blogging about them. Bikers & fans might care to come take a look at the photos. The blog is in English, so you can read it too :-)
ReplyDeleteOle Phat Stu
(currently on a Triumph Street Triple)
Love those old Scramblers!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the middle of redoing a '72 CB350 (not the CL350 I covet, but still pretty slick) I picked up that had been neglected for a number of years.
I'm new to motorcycles and figured I could cut my teeth on a renewal (rather than restoration) project, learning my way around the bike.
http://www.moral-flexibility.net/archives/2013/06/25/the-bike-where-we-are-now/
It's been an education.. although I seem to spending as much money on shipping as on parts.
I had a CL350. The thing about it that sticks out in my mind the most was its absolutely horrid drum brakes on the front axle.
ReplyDelete