[ZouLou]

I have been looking into buying a vintage motorcycle. I have discussed the options with you guys before, but now i am wondering about physical size of the different motorcycles. I am only 5'8'' 180 lbs. so i am not a big guy by anyones standards. How much smaller/lighter will a cb350 be than todays traditional sport bike? how would a xs650 match up? thanks in advance for any possible help.

-Kyle

 

[jbranson]

Actually a CB350 or XS650 (about the same size and weight) would probably be larger and heavier than any modern 600cc sport bike. However, at 5'8" 180 lbs you should have no problem at all with just about any vintage bike. In fact you are almost the ideal size. Drop 30 lbs and you'd be perfect for racing one

Figure about 425 lbs for a stock CB350 or XS650. Modern 600cc sport bike about 400 lbs wet. You are tall enough for most any bike except some of the big modern dual sport bikes which are stupid large.
JohnnyB

 

[texmawby]

wet weight of a 1970 cb350 honda is 374lbs.

(for your edification)

tex

http://groups.google.com/group/PhillyVinMoto

 

[jbranson]

You are not including the luggage rack, the milk crate, the windjammer fairing or the crash bars.
JohnnyB

 

[texmawby]

very good point......

actual weight of a cb350 is 874lbs.

the vetter's w/8-track players are quite bulky!

texy

http://groups.google.com/group/PhillyVinMoto

 

[ZouLou]

Thanks guy for the help but i dunno if i am going to be able to handle a 800+ lbs. motorcyle. haha. But Johnny thanks for the perfect size compliment i have never been perfect size for much (basketball football etc.) haha.

-Kyle

 

[dreamqueen]

quote:
I have been looking into buying a vintage motorcycle. I have discussed the options with you guys before, but now i am wondering about physical size of the different motorcycles. I am only 5'8'' 180 lbs. so i am not a big guy by anyones standards. How much smaller/lighter will a cb350 be than todays traditional sport bike? how would a xs650 match up? thanks in advance for any possible help.

-Kyle

If you;re talking about racing; the CL350 racer (all stock except for the exhaust) I borrowed from Jack Cole weighed in at 311 lb with maybe a 1/2 gal. of gas in it. It is 100 lb lighter than my vintage sport bike (Honda VF500) but handles "heavier" being a lot older technology. Modern 600cc sport bikes weigh less than my VF. You just have to get used to the old stuff. In my opinion; physical size does not matter unless you are over or underweight(I am 5'3" and less than 110 lb); upper body strength and endurance does. You have to consider whether or not the bike you choose can haul around 180 lb. That is a bigger cosideration than height. A CB350 should be no problem.

Dreamqueen
USCRA #305

 

[catboy]

quote:
Thanks guy for the help but i dunno if i am going to be able to handle a 800+ lbs. motorcyle. haha. But Johnny thanks for the perfect size compliment i have never been perfect size for much (basketball football etc.) haha.

-Kyle

...and less 40 pounds, you'd be an ideal bicycle road racer.

"Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you get a lot of scum on top." -Edward Abbey

 

[ZouLou]

well i do like the looks of the cb350 but the xs650 is so tempting. 300 more cc's and parts are really easy to come by.

-Kyle

 

[JackC]

I am 5'8, and back in the days I was 180 lbs I had a couple XS650's. No problem with the weight, size of them at all. They could cart me and my wife around all day too. Wouldn't mind having one again.

For what it is worth, I, at 215 lbs, have a blast running around on my honda CB360. No problem doing 75.

I must admit I thought this was a Porn/spam thread until I saw it had 8 replies......

 

[jbranson]

Kyle,
Go for the 650 man.... a 76 XS650 was my first bike, sharp looking, decently fast, stopped pretty good, did most things quite nicely.
JohnnyB

 

[ROSKO]

jack, beth... 311 lbs?!! put that thing on a diet!

(please note that Johnny B's example of 'perfect' describes one FCB racer from Manhattan to a T.)

BORN TO LURK, FORCED TO WORK.
www.NYCvinMoto.com
www.VinMoto.org

 

[ZouLou]

haha nice Jack sorry next time I will think about my title a little more but thanks for all the help i have decided on the xs anyone have imput on what years were better?

-Kyle

 

[jbranson]

Kyle,
Do some research, someone once mentioned to me that the 76 had different gear ratios, a closer ratio gearbox or something. Also a disk brake bike, not sure when they switched over from drum. I forget what year, but I think like 1978 or 79 they changed the look to the goofier 80's look, with buckhorn bars, goofy seat etc.
JohnnyB



Edited by - jbranson on Oct 24 2007 10:28:25 AM

 

[dreamqueen]

quote:
jack, beth... 311 lbs?!! put that thing on a diet!

(please note that Johnny B's example of 'perfect' describes one FCB racer from Manhattan to a T.)

BORN TO LURK, FORCED TO WORK.
www.NYCvinMoto.com
www.VinMoto.org

Well; it's Jack's bike! Tell him how to shave off weight. The Yetman CB will weigh quite a bit less! I keep talking about it, I know. It will be on the road by April '08.


Dreamqueen
USCRA #305

 

[texmawby]

beth & jack,

clancypants weighed his new greenmachine cb350 on the scales at loudon in june....i think he said it weighed in at 270lbs.

ask rosko what his weighs, cause i think it is close to that as well.

i'm putting my two cb350's on winter diets. see you all on the scales in may!

tex

http://groups.google.com/group/PhillyVinMoto

 

[pampadori]

i rode a 79 xs650 last week and besides the thing vibrating more then a washing machine, i really enjoyed it. It felt bigger then a cb350 in terms of weight but the thing has a lot more balls. much more low end grunt (300cc's more will do that i guess). but the vibration seriously killed me. wtf is up with that? do all // twins do that shit?

'72 cb750
'76 cb550
'76 cb750