CB350F

[Otis]

Has anyone on here ever done any serious mileage on a 50 year old 350 or is it really only useful for local pootles about?

[Athame57]

What is a Pootle ? 

[Oddjob]

A pootle is a sort of leisurely ride, no real haste, you’re just riding around looking at the scenery. I do very few pootles. If the scenery ain’t blurred then I’m stopped.

[Mikep328]

I have no experience with the 350F but based on my 400F it would be totally about comfort for an extended ride; I would have absolutely NO concern about the motorcycle assuming it was in good operating condition.  Heck, I rode across the USA when I was 18 on a Kawasaki 125cc two stroke.  Of course, being 18 is different than being uh, well..NOT 18. 

My 400F is my primary rider nowadays for the riding we prefer - mostly back roads, day trips.  However, the seat is not very comfortable for long periods in the saddle whereas my '21 Moto Guzzi V7 Special is very comfortable seat-wise.  If I was to take a long trip - many hours per day on the bike -  the MG would be my choice BECAUSE of the seat.  But most of the time I hop on the 400F.   

Again, I think the comfort would be the issue for long rides. 

[Orcade-Ian]

Graham,
I have done a few 200+milers on my 350/4 and it's a real delight when compared with the 400/4.  Mine is USA spec, so the bars are better for my 77 year old bones and the footrests are in a better, more forward position.  I also am happier with the 5 speed box.  The only reason I haven't done many back to back longer rides is that the mate I often go with doesn't want to do the overnight thing.  The 350 seems to attract more interest than the 400 wherever I park, being rarer and a 'four piper'

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Ian

[Mikep328]

"The 350 seems to attract more interest than the 400 wherever I park, being rarer and a 'four piper'"

I'm sure that's true; I have never seen a 350F other than in photographs! 

[Orcade-Ian]

Mike,
There are quite a few 350/4 owners on here - I'm surprised that you have not come across one on your travels.  There were 4 in Southport, where we lived before coming to Orkney and I had 2 of them for a while.
They are quite a bit different from the 400, although they share quite a few parts.  Never officially imported to UK and originally more expensive and slower than the 350 twins.
My problem now, having a few bikes to choose from, I seem to favour my recently acquired ADV 350 Maxi Scoot, which will never rise to the dizzy heights of our beloved fours - proper motorcycles but hell, the ADV such a damn practical thing.

Ian

[Otis]

Graham,
I have done a few 200+milers on my 350/4 and it's a real delight when compared with the 400/4.  Mine is USA spec, so the bars are better for my 77 year old bones and the footrests are in a better, more forward position.  I also am happier with the 5 speed box.  The only reason I haven't done many back to back longer rides is that the mate I often go with doesn't want to do the overnight thing.  The 350 seems to attract more interest than the 400 wherever I park, being rarer and a 'four piper'

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Ian

OMG your 350 is beautiful in the red.

Funnily enough I "pootled" about today going from village to village and covered 100 miles in about 4 hours. I completely agree that the 350F gets more attention. Everywhere I stopped there were dozens of bikers and cyclists and guess where the attraction was? The more I ride it the more I love it and I am almost struggling to find a reason the get the Ducati out. In actual fact I am seriously thinking of moving the Ducati on and finding a nice 750/900 FB from the early '80's.

[Otis]

I have no experience with the 350F but based on my 400F it would be totally about comfort for an extended ride; I would have absolutely NO concern about the motorcycle assuming it was in good operating condition.  Heck, I rode across the USA when I was 18 on a Kawasaki 125cc two stroke.  Of course, being 18 is different than being uh, well..NOT 18. 

My 400F is my primary rider nowadays for the riding we prefer - mostly back roads, day trips.  However, the seat is not very comfortable for long periods in the saddle whereas my '21 Moto Guzzi V7 Special is very comfortable seat-wise.  If I was to take a long trip - many hours per day on the bike -  the MG would be my choice BECAUSE of the seat.  But most of the time I hop on the 400F.   

Again, I think the comfort would be the issue for long rides.

That's a nice recollection to have. Similar to you, I have no experience with the 400F but knoww it is an excellent bike. For me, aesthetics are everything with toys and the 4 pipes just take the edge. I have seen the new Kawasaki Z900 and with 4:1 it doesn't get a second glance but with the four pipes (very expensive option) I can't stop looking at it.

[Mikep328]

I agree.  I bought a Z900RS when they came out a few years back and thought many times about putting 4 (EXPENSIVE!) pipes on it.  I never did and sold the bike two years ago.  Funny - back in the day it was common to remove factory "four pipes" on the 4cyl bikes and replaced them with a 4-1 exhaust system.  Now we want to do the opposite!!! 

FWIW, the Z900RS was an excellent bike but I never really bonded with it for some reason. 

[Bryanj]

Main reason for 4 into 1 was cost, less than half the price

[flatfour]

A few years ago my 350 (no longer have it, I'm afraid) was taken on a week long trip to Wales and then Cornwall (from Norwich) in the company of a 1970 Honda CB750 and a Yamaha Virago 750 (my brother has always chosen odd, at least to me, bikes) and performed beautifully, giving no problems at all.

When we suddenly decided to leave Cornwall one afternoon due to storms approaching, it covered the 350 or so miles home, much of it at night, without difficulty. It was laden with a week of luggage for almost all of the trip, too! I am 6' tall and, at that time, weighed in at around 95kg, so no lightweight.

My concerns with the bike only ever amounted to stopping it, as brakes were probably the worst of all of the Fours that I have ever owned (nine of them) and no matter what, I could not improve them with any of the tried and trusted methods.

I eventually sold the bike only to get another 500/4, my all time favourite, as the seller (the late John Wyatt, who I knew over many years) wanted the 350 to do the deal.

[MCTID]

Soichiro Honda himself declared the Honda CB350F Four to be “The finest, smoothest Honda ever built.”

And he should know. LOL.