Honda-SOHC

In the 5 weeks since I got my CB350F it's come along quite a bit.

When I bought it it had this godawful fairing on and was running very roughly.



Since then I've put in a fair amount of work.

The fairing has gone but the headlamp unit was the wrong one for the bike so I've temporarily fitted a complete chrome unit.

I've refitted proper indicators. The stalks are Honda but not quite the correct ones.

I cleaned out the tank and fuel tap, stripped, rebuilt and reset the carbs, fitted new points, condensers and plugs and gave the engine a full service. It now runs very nicely.

I removed and greased both stands then pulled out the rear wheel and mudguard.

The mudguard has been de-rusted, treated and undersealed with stone chip. I changed the chain and sprockets, the wheel bearings, the brake shoes and the tyre, tube and rim tape.

I managed to get a universal carrier to fit and a friend gave me the top box so, after a good clean, it now looks like this. Not massively different but definitely on the right track.



So far so good. Then I took it for a run across to Carlisle from Chester le Street and on the way back a coil failed and I lost cylinders 1 and 4. To be fair I suspect it's my own fault as a couple of days ago, while I was doing some wiring work, I accidentally left the ignition switched on for an hour or so while I had a lunch break. I suspect I must have seriously overheated the 42 year old coil.

More annoyingly, at some point in the ride I lost the L/H side panel logo. the one that says "350 4". I know DS has then but they're not exactly the same as the original.

So on Monday I'll order a pair of coils and a new logo and get down to a little more work. I guess these things are sent to try us.

That's interesting.

My info comes direct from Boyer Bransden and they definitely said full advance at 3500.

Has anyone fitted one of their CB400F units (KIT00089) to a CB350F by any chance?

It completely replaces the points, condensers, the backplate AND the mechanical advance unit.

It has a built in electronic advance curve which has the same full advance figure as the CB350F but reaches full advance at 3500 rpm rather than the 350's 2500 rpm.

I don't think that would matter a damn in practice but I'd like to know if the Boyer Bransden unit will physically fit into the 350F

Has anyone found a compact disc lock which works with the disc on a CB350F/CB400F?

My Oxford Titan won't get around the hub area.

Maybe it's a time or temperature thing.

I've left chromed parts in DeOx for days with no problems.

Definitely.

The problem is that it is difficult to keep track of ethanol free fuel as the available data constantly needs updating as more companies fall in to line with the EEC directive to move to E5 then E10.

There is a huge piece of research on biofuel here.

http://www.realclassic.co.uk/techfiles/bioethanol_fuel_study.pdf

I've just done my tank with De-Ox from Bilt-Hamber.

It will remove rust but it is not strongly acidic. It is safe with all metals and other materials such as rubber seals or on paintwork.

It dissolves rust by chelating the iron rather than by acidic attack. I mixed it with 15 litres of water and completely filled the tank to the brim (CB350F).

When I emptied it out a couple of days later the inside of the tank was cleaned down to bare metal in all the nooks and crannies and even the steel components of the filler cap were as new.

It's not cheap but you can re-use the solution until it becomes exhausted (it goes black instead of yellow).

I realised that but the rubber mounts have seen better days and were allowing the indicators to droop so I decided to try it without them.

I'll keep an eye on the bulbs.

On a related topic is there any way to disable the indicator beeper or is it an integral part of the flasher unit?