thoughts? older CB advice
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From: N. Indiana
thoughts? older CB advice
Looking for some advice from older CB guru's.
Currently, I am looking at 2 motorcycles. One is a '74 cb360 with a great chassis, several new parts including a new ignition but has bad motor for 200 bucks.
The other is a '80 cb750 with a new tune up, new tires, new seat and has a great chassis as well, for 1000 bucks.
Both interest me, but here are some thoughts that cross my mind.
The 360 is a project bike. Something I am not afraid to tackle, and something I know I could fix on my own. My questions, where can I get a rebuild kit for the motor? Any places I could just ship the motor off to be rebuilt? Where do I find aftermarket parts for these bikes?
The 750 is something I could hop on and ride today, if I wanted to. I have wanted to cosmetically do a 750 into a cafe bike, put some pipes on it...etc. but also a little unsure on where to get items for this bike.
Anyone wanna share some forums, shops, advice?
Thanks!
Currently, I am looking at 2 motorcycles. One is a '74 cb360 with a great chassis, several new parts including a new ignition but has bad motor for 200 bucks.
The other is a '80 cb750 with a new tune up, new tires, new seat and has a great chassis as well, for 1000 bucks.
Both interest me, but here are some thoughts that cross my mind.
The 360 is a project bike. Something I am not afraid to tackle, and something I know I could fix on my own. My questions, where can I get a rebuild kit for the motor? Any places I could just ship the motor off to be rebuilt? Where do I find aftermarket parts for these bikes?
The 750 is something I could hop on and ride today, if I wanted to. I have wanted to cosmetically do a 750 into a cafe bike, put some pipes on it...etc. but also a little unsure on where to get items for this bike.
Anyone wanna share some forums, shops, advice?
Thanks!
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Ithaca, NY, USA
Re: thoughts? older CB advice (junkyard racer)
First thing's first, what kind of bike do you want? The Cb360 is lighter, better on gas, easier to work on, a better commuter bike, and can handle some off-road exploration (see below).
The Cb750 is a much better long distance cruiser. The 1980 has the DOHC engine I believe. It's a 4cyl so there's 4 carbs, and more valve clearances to check. It's heavier, and not as 'flingable' as the 360. $1k for a 1980 Cb750 that's on the road is an OK deal, if that's the sort of bike you want.
Cb360 motors are abundant at most motorcycle junkyards, but motorcycle junkyards are sometimes hard to come by, and prices vary. The one I go to charges $100 for a complete engine. It'd be a piece of cake to get a 'runner' engine in the chassis, no more than an hour including attaching motor mounts, electrical connections, and the chain.
If you're planning on just zipping around town and can get a hold of a good engine, I'd go for the Cb360 (if it has a title). If you're planning on doing some touring on the bike (more than 200 miles a day), or riding it on the interstate for any appreciable amount of time, then the Cb750 might be right for you.
From the stickied 'first bike' thread:
CB350/CB360 is definitely a good choice. The bikes are easy to work on, good on gas. Parts availability isn't that big of a deal, Ebay has most of the stuff you might need.
$1000 is a very reasonable budget for the bike including any fixing up it will need. I'd avoid other people's projects or 'cafe' bikes. Often times they have hacked to **** wiring harnesses and messed up carb settings (different jets, mangled airboxes, etc). Try to find a stock bike, and if you feel the need, modify it yourself.
One thing to note on the CB350-CB360 is that the alternator isn't really intended to be able to keep the battery charged if you ride with the headlight on all the time (as is the law nowadays). In the 70s, they didn't need to have the headlight on all the time, so they didn't anticipate so much battery discharge when riding. As a result, the electric start can be finicky (enough charge to turn over engine, but not enough for a good spark). This is a very minor issue that can be solved by putting the battery on a trickle charger every now and then.
The big advantage of the UJMs (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) is that they can do just about everything: canyon carving, communting, touring, light offroad use.
Here's my brother's CB360 on some short back-road exploration rides I took not too long ago:
Good luck
The Cb750 is a much better long distance cruiser. The 1980 has the DOHC engine I believe. It's a 4cyl so there's 4 carbs, and more valve clearances to check. It's heavier, and not as 'flingable' as the 360. $1k for a 1980 Cb750 that's on the road is an OK deal, if that's the sort of bike you want.
Cb360 motors are abundant at most motorcycle junkyards, but motorcycle junkyards are sometimes hard to come by, and prices vary. The one I go to charges $100 for a complete engine. It'd be a piece of cake to get a 'runner' engine in the chassis, no more than an hour including attaching motor mounts, electrical connections, and the chain.
If you're planning on just zipping around town and can get a hold of a good engine, I'd go for the Cb360 (if it has a title). If you're planning on doing some touring on the bike (more than 200 miles a day), or riding it on the interstate for any appreciable amount of time, then the Cb750 might be right for you.
From the stickied 'first bike' thread:
Originally Posted by CivicWagonRUS
CB350/CB360 is definitely a good choice. The bikes are easy to work on, good on gas. Parts availability isn't that big of a deal, Ebay has most of the stuff you might need.
$1000 is a very reasonable budget for the bike including any fixing up it will need. I'd avoid other people's projects or 'cafe' bikes. Often times they have hacked to **** wiring harnesses and messed up carb settings (different jets, mangled airboxes, etc). Try to find a stock bike, and if you feel the need, modify it yourself.
One thing to note on the CB350-CB360 is that the alternator isn't really intended to be able to keep the battery charged if you ride with the headlight on all the time (as is the law nowadays). In the 70s, they didn't need to have the headlight on all the time, so they didn't anticipate so much battery discharge when riding. As a result, the electric start can be finicky (enough charge to turn over engine, but not enough for a good spark). This is a very minor issue that can be solved by putting the battery on a trickle charger every now and then.
The big advantage of the UJMs (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) is that they can do just about everything: canyon carving, communting, touring, light offroad use.
Here's my brother's CB360 on some short back-road exploration rides I took not too long ago:
Good luck
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,206
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From: Ithaca, NY, USA
Re: (junkyard racer)
Originally Posted by junkyard racer
Thanks. exactly what I wanted to know.
Where (online) can I find parts for these bikes. Not finding to much...
Where (online) can I find parts for these bikes. Not finding to much...
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,206
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From: Ithaca, NY, USA
Re: (junkyard racer)
Originally Posted by junkyard racer
looked through both places. Any recommendations to have the motor rebuilt? Any places for aftermarket parts? (suspension, carbs, piston/head kits?)
Sometimes it's best to stick with the OEM stuff.
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From: Off THE 60, Between THE 605 and THE 57
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php
has a lot of good info on it. as far as parts, there's an FAQ with a list of vendors.
has a lot of good info on it. as far as parts, there's an FAQ with a list of vendors.
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