Honda-SOHC

Nairb, what about complete left field choice ?

I like that but I already have a 500 single....
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I know its not quite the same as the 500R which is a good looking bike.  I use mine for shopping.  I do wish it was electric start tho.  But I dont have to worry about the salt roads in winter..... look no chrome.

Do we ever have enough bikes??.

Thanks for the input.  Its the first time I have been really unsure about the purchase of a bike.  I have owned quite a few bikes over the 45+ years.  I even owned a honda cb250 G5 for a while.  In the end I rarely used it.  In todays traffic it was just unsafe.  Too slow out on the open road.  Cars etc did use to be slower 45/50 years ago and matched smaller bikes of that time.

I find the cb360 is just ok.  It does 50/55 mph fine and will do more if really needed.  Not much more tho.  I dont expect to be able to hold 70mph with it.  Motorways are definitely out.

It seems the smart money is on a cb350 TWIN rather than the 350F.  But I already have 3 parallel twins - xs650, cl450 & a cb360.

I like the style of the 350F.  That inline 4 with those 4-into-4 exhausts are an icon of the times.  But it still needs to be practical - unlike the cb250g5.  I dont know if a 350cc engine can pull an aging 96kg 6 foot 2 person about.....  with safety. 
Thanks
Nairb

A recover is better IMO, at least the base fits correctly unlike some copies.

I decided to go this route.  The seat foam is ok.  I purchased a seat cover from Bob-the-seat.  I found that the chrome effect trim is part of the seat cover and cannot be separated from the original seat cover.

There seems to be a number of alternative chrome trims to be used on motorcycle seats. Bob-the-seat does some as well.

Dose anybody recommend a substitute for the original. 

I am having the original seat pan sand blasted and re-painted.  All thats needed is a suitable trim.

Ta
Nairb

Well I took the plunge and purchased a set of these K3 exhausts.  I asked DS to check the threads on the exhaust studs to make sure they were free of chrome.  Well all the stud threads are free, so either DS fixed them or they were OK anyway.  Best to ask.  Good service anyway.

Now to see how well they fit..........
Nairb

Having finally brought my 550K3 back to life and done some 1000+ miles with its 4 into 1 motad exhaust I would like to return it to the 4 into 4 original setup.

I believe the dss k3 exhaust is the same as the cmsl ones.
So I have to ask...... for the asking price of nearly a grand.... are they a good set to replace the original honda ones.

I have had the bike from new and always liked the 4-into-4 setup.  They finally rotted away and I replaced them with the motad many years ago.

Thanks
Nairb

The seat on my cb360 is past its best but the base is still good.
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I was thinking of getting the reproduction seat from Mr Silver OR having the existing one recovered.

Has anybody tried the repo seat from DS.  I guess having the orig seat recovered is about the same cost?.

Thanks
Nairb

A final comment.... the k3 has now done some 750 miles since being brought back to life.  In the last 15 or so years I have mainly rode a bunch of Suzuki triples, a couple of parallel twins - xs650 & cl450 with a cb360 thrown in for a change.

It has to be said that the k3 is turning out to be very civilized.  No great cloud of blue 2-stroke smoke.  It dosent send the cattle running for cover in the fields.  Dosent clatter and bletch great clouds of smoke in the small country villages.  I had forgotten what a different riding experience a 4 cylinder 4-stroke can be.

Having said all this I still keep trying for a 6th gear and concerned that its revving to high.  No doubt I will get used to its style.  Maybe its time to take a triple out for a day to get the perspective back.

Nairb   

That compression is fine and definately not your problem, is your memory off a bit as they do need to be reved through the gears even up to top of red bad

Well I thought I might add a bit more now its done 450 miles since its rebuild. I think the above statement "memory off a bit"  is very true.   I have several other bikes. A 500 single, 2x550, a 450 and a xs650.  The 550k3 is the only inline 4 I have.  But I have done some 42k with it in the past (25+ years) so I did know it quite well...... "did" is the word.

So I thought to start with there MUST be some clutch slip or other problem still with the bike.  The engine seemed to be revving far to high.  And little acceleration.
But I kept the revs down to start with to try and "run in" the top end.  And went about the country lanes.  As the miles went by the engine power came up a bit.
The gearing is 17/37 and the engine will pull about 5200k at 60mph.  Assuming the gauges are still semi accurate??.

With 450 miles done the engine is running ok. So it seems that I really had forgotten how much these bikes needed to be revved to get up to speed.  I still try to change up to a sixth gear.  I might try an 18 front sprocket and some stage.
Thanks
Nairb