What is the best CB to buy?

7337 Views 54 Replies 17 Participants Last post by Geeto67, Aug 31, 2015

ARTdoc

Discussion Starter · Aug 24, 2015 (Edited)

Help me decide on CB

Hello All,
I am interested in having a CB commissioned to be built. I can't decide what size as I'm getting so many different opinions. I have never owned a CB- most of my experience is with Yamaha dirt bikes. Coming from that I like a lighter bike and want a tracker/brat style. Guys tell me get a 550F, others say go smaller with a 350. I feel as though a 350 doesn't have enough power, especially if I was ever to take my wife out on the bike. Any advice out there on what CB between a 400-550 I should look into acquiring and why?
Appreciate it!

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Geeto67

· #2 · Aug 24, 2015

ARTdoc said:
Hello All,

This is a lousy introduction

I am interested in having a CB commissioned to be built.

Seriously? What The Fuck? You have yachts and exotic besoke sports cars commissioned to be built. When you hire shops to modify an existing motorcycle it is called "modifying an existing motorcycle" since they aren't starting from scratch. When you have a 1970's honda modified by a shop it's called "lighting your money on fire"

Pray tell, whom are you "commissioning" to do this work?

I can't decide what size as I'm getting so many different opinions. I have never owned a CB- most of my experience is with Yamaha dirt bikes.

Whom are you getting these opinions from? your other buddies who read the same pipeburn articles you do?

Coming from that I like a lighter bike and want a tracker/brat style.

You have no idea what you want. Case in point you used the word tracker and brat in the same sentence and you used the word brat at all. Let's start with the obvious questions:
- What do you want the bike to do?
- What riding experience do you want it to deliver?
- Multiple Choice: which 1970's racing motorcycle rider do you want the bike to most make you feel like?
a) Mike Hailwood at the Isle Of Mann
b) Jay Springsteen at the Indy Mile
c) Burt Munro at Bonneville
d) Russ Collins at Englishtown

Guys tell me get a 550F, others say go smaller with a 350.

again who are these "guys"? how do oyu know you can trust them. seems shifty.

I feel as though a 350 doesn't have enough power,

Have you ridden one? Motorcycles are all power to weight ratio. if you are 400 lbs and your wife just ate an entire easter ham, chances are the cb350 isn't going to light the world on fire.

especially if I was ever to take my wife out on the bike.

Buy XR1200 sportster. Seriously. Buy one, spend $5K on the VH kit parts to make it less ugly. or a new triumph scrambler and never look back. Whatever thing this wild hair you have yields your wife will probably not want anything to do with. but more importantly don't shuttle people you love around on old junk, buy something new with good brakes and tires and isn't going to be an albatross. I gaurantee whatever shenanigans this old piece of shit you are going to commission is going to cause your wife probably isn't up for it.

Any advice out there on what CB between a 400-550 I should look into acquiring and why?

The one that is not a honda. No seriously. Go to garage company in California. Ask Yosh to build you a Shell or champion tribute xs650 tracker. Stroke a fat check. enjoy a single seat street legal flat tracker. make wife take a cab or hitch. sell for 1/3rd of what you paid for it to be built.

you just aren't asking the right questions dude. but don't worry I still have all the right answers

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ARTdoc

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 24, 2015

Sorry my questions offended you so thoroughly. You didn't have to reply. I am fully aware I am a newb, that is why I was hoping to ask individuals who would be helpful- which you were not.

Geeto67

· #4 · Aug 24, 2015 (Edited)

ARTdoc said:
Sorry my questions offended you so thoroughly. You didn't have to reply. I am fully aware I am a newb, that is why I was hoping to ask individuals who would be helpful- which you were not.

Your questions didn't offend, I am having a little fun at your expense in an entertaining way. You have no idea how hilarious your first post was. Don't be so serious.

if you don't think I was helpful at all, you really shouldn't be playing with motorcycles. I hear knitting is a great hobby. Croche? Puppetry is kinda fun too, or so I am told.

Again, you aren't asking the right questions. start over, and this time pretend you are actually meeting people and introduce yourself. First name, location, riding experience at a minimum.

if you still don't get it, try answering some of my questions. they really are helpful.

TCed

· #5 · Aug 24, 2015 (Edited)

I'll take Jay Springstein at the Indy Mile. For the OP that's a Harley tracker.

Reactions: 1

Farmer_John

· #6 · Aug 24, 2015

Arty, everyone kinda gets shoved through the gauntlet and not always by Geeto.

But he's right with all of his post break downs. You've stumbled onto a forum full of guys that aren't into it as a pastime or art project. Most have, do or will put a bike on a track somewhere at some point. And calling it caferacer is misleading. But nobody would search for a site called vintage performance bike. Just not cool enough.

Here's my opinion, based on shit I've gone through and am still going through.

If you don't have the time or skill set to do the work yourself, don't "build it". Buy it. You'll get instant gratification that way and without the wait and maintenance involved with "building" an old broken down wreck. NO old bike is going to work as well as a modern bike that you put the key in, hit the button...and immediately stall out in front of all your friends and all their friends.

The Triumph is great. Not personally a fan of ANY Hardley David's Son, but millions out there are.

Trackers are cool, but a two up tracker would be a laugh. It's a racer, not a tourer.

"Brats" here are reserved for either grilling or steaming in beer here. They're just stupid and unless from the originators in Japan, not really brats.

If you're going to ride 2up, keep the seating as stock as possible, your pillion will enjoy the experience more, or at all.

Good luck, but please rethink what and why you want to be another guy with a fucked up, unusable old broken down back of a bike.

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Farmer_John

· #7 · Aug 24, 2015

TCed said:
I'll take Jay Springstein at the Indy Mile. For the OP that's a Harley tracker.

I'm sure you know this TC, but Jay was a local boy. Used to see him burning up and down old 23 in the early 80s when I lived in Hartland.

TrialsRider

· #8 · Aug 24, 2015

ARTdoc said:
Hello All,
I am interested in having a CB commissioned to be built. I can't decide what size as I'm getting so many different opinions. I have never owned a CB- most of my experience is with Yamaha dirt bikes. Coming from that I like a lighter bike and want a tracker/brat style. Guys tell me get a 550F, others say go smaller with a 350. I feel as though a 350 doesn't have enough power, especially if I was ever to take my wife out on the bike. Any advice out there on what CB between a 400-550 I should look into acquiring and why?
Appreciate it!

Depends

If I was going to have a CB commissioned to be built, and expected to ride my wife on the back, it would be based on a 2014 or 2015 CB1100.

Reactions: 2

Farmer_John

· #9 · Aug 25, 2015

TrialsRider said:
Depends If I was going to have a CB commissioned to be built, and expected to ride my wife on the back, it would be based on a 2014 or 2015 CB1100.

And since Honda overpriced them, as usual, non currents are available deeply discounted.

hillsy

· #10 · Aug 25, 2015

In my opinion you don't want anything smaller than a 750 if you plan on taking a passenger.

Unless you like humming that circus music whilst you're struggling to get off the mark.

TCed

· #11 · Aug 25, 2015

Farmer_John said:
I'm sure you know this TC, but Jay was a local boy. Used to see him burning up and down old 23 in the early 80s when I lived in Hartland.

I got to see him and Bart Markel race on the ice oval hockey rink inside Cobo Hall. Flint put out a shit load of motorcycle racers.
Ed

Reactions: 1

o1marc

· #12 · Aug 25, 2015

Commission: word used when the builder wants to charge you twice what it's worth.

Reactions: 1

knappyfeet

· #13 · Aug 25, 2015

Galaxy makes awsome CBs.......and so does Cobra.

Reactions: 3

thechief86

· #14 · Aug 25, 2015

I have a galaxy in my truck, and I can reach out several miles with that bad boy...

TrialsRider

· #15 · Aug 25, 2015

hillsy said:
In my opinion you don't want anything smaller than a 750 if you plan on taking a passenger.

Unless you like humming that circus music whilst you're struggling to get off the mark.

… unless your wife weighs in at ~68 pounds and you can wear her like a back pack.

jaguar

· #16 · Aug 25, 2015 (Edited)

I really hate some of the people that try and join the hobby.

If you really do have stacks of cash to ride the dick, then why do it on a shitty CB350?

Lets assume that the shop wants $15k to build the next POS BikeFX feature.
The difference between starting with a $1000 CB350 and a Triumph at $2500 is meaningless.

Lets face it, the dress up game costs the same on everything.

bmartin

· #17 · Aug 25, 2015

Based on your question, instead of having a bike built by 'who ever', I would spend the money on the new cb1100. It will have everything your looking for and more in style, handling and power. It will also be vastly more comfortable for hauling the old lady around from time to time. If you want to play with an early 70's honda but don't have or want the necessary mechanical skills to maintain it - buying a newer bike makes good sense. At the end of the day - you will spend less money and have something that will be ready to go when you are. If your still stuck in the 70 ~ 80's kick, you could look at a kz900/1000.

Reactions: 2

s10hornet

· #18 · Aug 25, 2015

If you're determined to have a 70/80"s model bike just wait a few weeks and come down to the
Barber Vintage Festival the second weekend in October. There will be plenty of bikes there
to choose from. Projects to complete restorations. They'll be happy to take your money.

Reactions: 1

jaguar

· #19 · Aug 25, 2015

Buying this.

To build this...

Is stupid.

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2

Tanshanomi

· #20 · Aug 25, 2015

ARTdoc said:
I am interested in having a CB commissioned to be built. I can't decide what size as I'm getting so many different opinions.

Wait, you have no idea what size bike you want, but you're sure it needs to be a Honda CB something-or-other? That makes no sense. You are attributing entirely too much significance to those two letters. Honda used that designation for a whole bunch of very different bikes over many years. The very fact that you think "a CB" is a meaningful term tells us you have no idea what you want. Even if what you meant to say is that you want "a '70s SOHC Honda Four," you still don't know what you want. The experience of riding a '78 CB750F is going to feel much more similar to a '78 Suzuki GS750 than it would have in common with a '74 CB350F.

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