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Shocks please

5K views 32 replies 4 participants last post by  Rad350Hog 
#1 ·
I know I've asked this a million times but where can i get parts to get my honda 350 race ready. I want tires and shocks, maybe pipes. I just need to get the bitch to handle better and i think i could scrape some knees. Can i rebuild the fork and put stiffer springs in it? Or do i need to buy an all new one?
 
#3 ·
what forks are you using. if youre using shitty stock forks/front end, upgrade to cb750ss forks. they have 1" longer sliders. so they are stiffer. they are also 35mm. look for a 78 or 79 set. they have the best offset. i dont know what springs fit in the stock forks. the newer 750's have alot of different springs you can run. also, get a cb5450 or 305 drum. or a suzuki t500 drum. i like the honda drum. it more or less bolts up. you'll need to have spacers machined to get it to fit between any later trees you use. but its no big deal to have a machiniest do it. and i think the honda drum has less structural issues. or, you can go buffalo. suzuki waterbuffalo brakes are money but they arent easy to find cheap with the perches etc.. the nice thing is you can run them with just a stock brake lining. some people use the sl swingarm. its 1" longer. its supposed to make it more stable. i like the twitchyness of my bike though. (really not) alot of people are using the avon race tires. if youre running a stock bike, the sprint compounds are probably ok. i really like the dunlops. i think alot of people are going the dunlop way. and im running an avon sprint on the rear. 110/90 on the rear and 90/90 dunlop front i think. the race compound dulops arent available here. i buy mine from canada. the tt100 race compounds are really popular now. and they look period. they are about 150 each though. but they are sticky. like racing on velcro. works are the money shock. progressives are just as nice and work equally as well. they dont hand build them though.


see you out at the track

jc
 
#5 ·
a 350 or different disk. that 350 disk is suck ass. get an entire 550 or 750 front end. you'll also need to do a little stem work to get it to go. there are drop in bearing though. the stem is a little long, so you can use a spacer at the bottom clamp, or have the stem pressed and the 350 stem installed. easy as pie.

jc
 
#6 ·
I just put 20 weight oil in my fork and it stiffened up a lot. I havnt had a chance to take it out for a hard ride but I will as soon as I buy some back shocks. I saw a website selling stiffer springs for the cb350-750 forks, are they legit or crap? I really want to avoid getting a new fork cause then I need a new brake and new wheel too. I dont have a lot of coin.
 
#8 ·
discovolante has the hardware for rearsets. they go into the rear passenger peg holes. you can probably find stiffer springs at the progressive site. im pretty sure they sell em. look for a front end on ebay. sometimes they go really cheap. you may not get all of the parts at once, but collecting them can be cool.

jc
 
#12 ·
i know. that was a little jab at another person here on the list, sort of. what really sucked about that whole trees thing was i paid 100 for them, and sold them for like 30. that sucked.

i should have listened to arron.

j
 
#13 ·
First of all, thanks for all your help so far!
discovolante.com doesnt work.
And can someone tell me which shocks i should get? i ride my bike for pleasure but want to race a bit next season. Nothing too stiff or too expensive, I just need guidance, I know nothing
 
#15 ·
try whatever you want. you might like it. i prefer the bigger tubes and longer sliders. and the general geometry seems better. it'll probably suck ass for the street though. i dont really know how much i use them, but i like them better. the stock tubes make the front end seem too light and twitchy. the bigger front makes it seem more stable but slower steering at parking lot speeds. not a good thing in a parking lot, but at 60mph, it feels just right. but thats just my opinion. and probably the opinion of alot of other people racing, since i dont see many fast guys using stock fronts. (well, except for zach, but hes got another testicle or something)

shocks, get yourself some redwings or mulhollands (sp). cheap, work ok, and pretty easy to find. i see a set of marzochi remote resovior on ebay on occasion. for the cb350. they wont be race legal but they are cool looking. you have the same questions and problems everyone has. i bought some shit assed shocks. i still have them. they suck ass but are way better than the 550 shocks i was using. remember, suspension is your link to the pavement. if it sucks, youre going to crash. (trust me) if there is anything you dont want to be cheap on its suspension, brakes, and tires. going fast isnt worth a shit if you cant turn, stop, or get over the bumps. just ask aaron, his bike was down on power all season, but he can out handle most bikes in his class. one of my purchases in the spring hopefully will be better shocks. alum works. just because im a dumbass.

hows that??
 
#16 ·
Yeah, helps a lot, thanks. I think I have a third testicle in growth. I rode with a guy with a 2002 kawasaki zxr1100 and he couldnt keep up in the turns. Hopefully with tires, new rear shocks and a modified front and I'll be dragging the knees. Ill send pictures soon
 
#17 ·
you have to remember, you dont have much to lose if you crash it!!! he has a little more invested at this point. but in the corners, you should be a little quicker. i bet you were sucking exhaust everyplace else though huh??

keep us up on the progress, some pics would be nice too.

jc
 
#18 ·
He was a pussy, he only passed me a few times in the straights(and at like mach 7) but then I would pass him in the corners, turns out hes just a huge wuss. Hes got a lot of horse power but no skills.
I got a chance to ride with some real racer heads sunday. All new bikes, Ducati's CBR's R-this R-that, they were all wearing leathers and this guy passed me doing a wheelie at like 65, let it down and then drug his knee through the corner. I twisted the throttle and caught up with them after a bit. rode with them the rest of the day. had to fill up twice. I had a total blast.

After looking up fiberglass seats ($200!!??) I've decided im going to fab my own. I put a clubman bar on today, its sweet but what a pain in the ass! I had to re-route every cable, I kinked the throttle cable. my upper brake hose is too long (super extreme bend) I need about a 4 inch one. Have to fab a new bracket for my light and turn signals. there was a bunch of rust under the chrome turnsignal gadjets (sucks) and I cut the boots off. Got new grips and I think I might take the front fender off. Is it good to drop the fork in the clamps? make it lower? If so, how much is good?

slowly but surely...
 
#19 ·
http://home.modemss.brisnet.org.au/~jmiller/leinfam/seat.html

little bit on making your own seat

TDA and thetankshop.com both have semi reasonably priced glass seats
100-150

airtech seats are 115 for the cb350

also theres a ebay guy who sells em for 80

mikes xs has cheap tomaselli(sp?) style cafe light brackets super cheap same with pro-flo like 10 bux

OT: you should hook up with

http://metroracing.com/cgi-local/web_store/web_store.cgi

they are out of bristol up off 1 towards langhourne i bet you could find some older bike nuts,and theres some sick twistie roads back through the area like up to newhope
 
#24 ·
Hey I figured out they were too long after I posted. I cant find any mulhollands anywhere else. Do they still exist? One of my alternative is the redwings. If I went with them, should I upgrade to the heavy duty spring or stick with the stock one. (I weigh 175) I was told that if you put too stiff of a spring, the dampening will pretty much be useless and Ill be stuck here where Im starting (a pogo stick on wheels). And then the local shop here is recommending the works shocks but I gotta rob a bank to get those... HELP!
 
#26 ·
Yeah I'm in PA, 30 minutes outside philly.
Heres the story. Im selling my car this weekend. Once its sold Ill have money to buy poly bushings and some shocks and springs for the rear...

Progressives - $223(gas shock, preload adjustment)
Redwing - $100(dual rate springs, preload adjustment)
Works - $330(dual rate springs)
ProLift - $124(dual rate springs, preload adjustment)
NJB - $185(dual rate springs)

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