I've been checking out the site for a while and I'm very interested in building a cafe racer. I've had sport bikes for quite a while and I'd like a bike that I had a hand in building to ride. I'm looking at picking up a cl/cb 450. The guy says he put a cb engine into a cl frame. Whats the difference? Is the CL a suitable cafe racer? The bike is in great shape and he says it runs like a top and comes with a free motor too! Sounds like a great deal to me. Any feedback would be great!
The CB/CL differences are cosmetic, same basic motorcycle. Frame, fork, engine, carbs, wheels, controls are the same. Major differences are pipes, seat, tank, bars and possibly gearing. CB was the 'street' version, the CL is the high-piped 'scrambler'.
I have one (or two, or...) great bike, reliable, fairly easy to work with, powerful enough for long hauls on back roads and short hauls on big ones. All the 'oomf' is at the top, loves to be at 7000+ rpm at all times.
scrambler pipes are cool and draw a lot of attention. if you can get a bike with a pair in good shape i say get it. those pipes are hard to come by and sometime bring in a mint on ebay.
i have been trying to find out if the gearing is in fact different. does anyone have something such as performance spreadsheet for the cl/cb from honda and not from a fan who lumped the pair together.
i ask because for the 350 models i have read more than one account that the cams and gearing in the cl's have been adjusted to provide more low end. which makes sense, the whole notion of scrambler pipes being to keep from tearing them off on a log while trail riding.
Holy crap this bike is in good shape! Its been garaged for 18 years and been in this guys family for more. Guys got the original shop manual, tool kit, extra points, extra motor, new battery etc... It started right up cold and sounds SWEET! Says he starts it up once a week to keep everything lubed and running and there were only a couple years where it sat without being ran occasionaly. I gave him a deposit and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow!!! I cant wait! Where to begin...
900 bucks. I assume thats a pretty good deal? I'm pretty happy with it. I've owned various other bikes, but nothing like this one. My favorites were my first, a 93 yamaha fzr that I bought from a good friend it wasnt in half as good condition as this thing is and I got it for a grand and I was pretty happy about that. Its now in the hands of its fourth owner and in much better shape now, (we keep swapping it between friends, the dirty whore) and no one has sold it for over 1k! My other bike is an 03 RC-51. It was alot more than 900 bucks, but its been my dream bike since, well the first time I saw one... I cant wait to start on the cb though, its so sweet!
Sounds like you were in the right place at the right time. Congrats! I think the price was right, and judging by your enthusiasm, it wouldn't matter anyway. You did the right thing. Enjoy, and welcome!
Great score! Welcome to the DOHC club. Post some pics if you can.
Plenty of info available online for these...
Are the pipes high and on one side or high on both sides? If on both you have an uber-rare 'D' kitted 450. DO NOT ALTER IT. They are worth $$$ stock.
Even if not a 'D' kit, IF you have scored a pristine example you may want to consider keeping it stock or close to it, they are getting harder to find it such good shape. Just something to consider.
Snorkle,
There are no internal cam or gearing differences, just sprockets and the cosmetic 'scrambler' stuff mentioned. Here's a magazine test from back in the day:
The bike is actually a cl with a cb motor. The exhaust is low, which is fine cuz I dont really like the way the high pipes look. I'd love to post up a pic but I havent figured out how to do that yet. I just ordered a kevlar clutch kit, new steel plates and springs as well as clubman bars. The clutch is slipping like Bushs poll #s so it needs to be done asap. Any tips for the clutch replacement. I cant imagine its too difficult...
rosko,
i just bought an sl350 and i'm looking forward to seeing the difference in performance once i get the wiring hashed out. though, this one was raced in the 70's and i can tell it's been rebuilt i don't know if any modifications were made.
put a picture on photobucket then post it here.or let others here help you post it .I can never get it to work myself and I have my own web site up ,i take care of and built.
Do what you want with the bike just keep the parts you dont use..its your bike .I hate when people worry about value.Have fun screw value.
When you all done and want to seel it give the new owner alll those parts you didnt want he will get his value worth.
You will get your fun and enjoyments worth.
Lilbull... I agree to a point, but man I hate seeing really lovely (not to mention rare) bikes turned into shitheaps so that some guy could learn he's not actually all that mechanically inclined. I say if it's a D kit 450, you're a bastard if you strip it.
I'd say that if you have for example a black bomber in good shape you are as much a steward as an owner and if you tear that apart just to make a cafe you are a dick. you could just as well find yourself any other 450 and put a bomber tank on it and sell that one off to someone who will restore it. on the other hand if if it's a B.B. that's in rough shape requiring thousands to bring it in line you have an entirely different story.
Lets see if this works, there should be a picture of her below. As far as what someone should be or shouldnt be doing to their bike... I think that as long as your enjoying your bike, whether it be by riding, customizing or restoring as long as you like it then its serving its purpose. I hate to see a good bike destroyed "horribly modified", but if they're getting enjoyement from it then so be it...
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