Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => SOHC Singles & Twins => Topic started by: Johnwebley on December 10, 2024, 04:03:02 PM
-
as the title says,
something between the 200,and the 500,
seen these,
your comments please,what to look for,what to avoid!!!
https://dkmotorcycles.co.uk/motorcycle/honda-cb360/
https://dkmotorcycles.co.uk/motorcycle/honda-cb350k4/
https://dkmotorcycles.co.uk/motorcycle/honda-cb350/
-
Hi John, the 360 is the newest, not common in UK front end same as 400 and similar cam chain tensioner with same priblems
The 350 was the big brother of the learner 250 beloved, thrashed and broken by many UK yoofs of the day.
Personaly i would go for the best cosmetic one as we all know paint is expensive, Ash would be the one to comment on the 350's
-
That K1 is lovely.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Personally I like the K4. Looks like if mechanically sound could make a good runner without spending a fortune. Full resto a different kettle of fish! Good luck with whatever you decide on.
-
That K1 is lovely.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's a K0 not a K1
-
That K1 is lovely.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's a K0 not a K1
That K0 is lovely.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
My room mate at uni had a CB360 (G5).
It was horrible and a money pit.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I am tempted to say the 360 as the chrome looks nice and low miles but it's 1st year and they had cam chain tensioner problems. To be honest all three models ( the K4 the least though) eat cams and rockers particularly USA ones where the oil wasn't changed at the correct intervals.
All of these have acres of chrome and very expensive to re-chrome (rims £200 each, Mudguards £150 + each) so the chrome condition can be a deciding factor.
I used to get excellent repro silencers via Jo of Brituro, a member on here but they stopped trading and the new company won't do the special ones I had made.
Not a lot of help I suppose. You really need to see them in the flesh to decide I reckon. I couldn't make out the mileage on the 350K0
-
My friend is selling a restored UK model in Gentle Maroon Metallic CB250K4 (UK models more sought after than USA imports). Everything has been re-chromed.
He never totally strips the engines though ... just the top end (it shows 10k) and he didn't change the camchain ... so could still be a project but more engine than cosmetics and the bottom ends on that bike are pretty robust anyway.. From memory the cam etc and bores were good... one rocker had slight pitting but I gave him a really nice one.
He got the paintwork done locally but the guy wouldn't do the pinstripes and black section, so muggins here did them.. what a pain in the ar$e that was.
-
Plus one on the KO. Just so pretty!
-
If it was me making the decision I think I'd go for the 250K4 being sold by the friend of Ash. There's enough work still to do to make it your own and hopefully you'll be riding it in the spring with a fully checked out bottom end.
Speaking from very recent experience with Ratty my 400/4, the cost of chrome has gone through the roof. Front and rear guards, handlebars, headlight rim, brake pedal, kickstart lever and knuckle, points cover, rear light and chain guard cost exactly £1,000. I can see you spending probably £1,700 just on the chrome of those bikes if you do the wheel rims and indicator bodies as well (I was quoted £300 per rim and £45 per indicator). Obviously we don't do this hobby to make money but then again the idea will be to avoid spending three times what the bike is actually worth.
I remember the G5’s when they were a current model, they were ugly then and haven't improved with age since. Honda were too busy gaining a foothold in the car market at the time of the G5 and it showed, they got lazy with the bikes.
-
All the 250/350/350 models suffered from lack of servicing at proper times so low mileage, decent running is probably best
-
Ok guys, I assume the blue/white is the KO,
I assume it's between that and the dark 350,
Sent from my SM-A546E using Tapatalk
-
Yes the blue one is the K0 It's 1st year 1968. It came in Candy Ruby Red, Candy Blue Green and Forest Green (solid colour). The K1 was very similar but had a pinstripe on the tank and a pleated seat plus other mechanical improvements like the deletion of the hydraulic cam chain tensioner. Do you know the mileage ? I couldn't see it in the ad looking on my phone. UPDATE ! Just noticed it's 3656. It must be late '68 or has been updated, as it doesn't have the troublesome hydraulic cam chain tensioner fitted.
This is my mates '73 CB250K4. Note the UK mudguards denoting it's a proper UK bike.
-
Well John made a really derisory offer on my mates restored K4, which I kind of find insulting.
I know the market is depressed on bikes but hey ho.
Anyway, best of luck with whatever you get but this is my last reply on this thread and quite frankly the way I am at the moment I don't think I will be posting on any thread on this forum in the short term.
-
I don't know how much the owner of the 250K4 was asking for the bike, what John offered or what the theoritcal value of the bike was/is, feeling insulted by proxy is not something I have ever experienced.
I do know Ash & John are both enthusiasts of old Hondas being regular contributors, it would be a shame for either party to take their bat & ball home over this.
-
Let me put this out,
I am looking for a mid size twin,
Something that needs tidying up,
Ideally below £2k
I was told of a restored 250,so I enquired, was given a contact number and name,
Spoke with the gentleman concerned, I told him his bike was to good, and I guessed the value at approx £3.5k,
I explained my budget was under that, but was ringing because I had been given his number,
I felt we parted on friendly terms,
Sent from my SM-A546E using Tapatalk
-
There are a lot of CB250N Superdreams out there John that would easily fit that bill if you find them attractive.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267094339862
-
There are a lot of CB250N Superdreams out there John that would easily fit that bill if you find them attractive.
I was preferring a 350,bigger bang for the size, I also like the early drum brake
But that said, nothing is off the table
Sent from my SM-A546E using Tapatalk
-
The 400NA Superdreams do not command big money either.
Not sure if its a fault on my 400NA or the nature of the engine, they have a certain thrum sound. probably the balancer shaft effect. Quite a few about, I know a 16k miler 400 was bought for around £1800 from a dealer near Chester last month.
Some owners have put spoked wheels or the nicer looking reverse Comstars on them.
.
https://wesellclassicbikes.co.uk/products/honda-cb400n-super-dream-1980
-
The 400 has far better torque than the 250, and very worthwhile in my view.
I also liked the original Comstars as they were much close in appearance to the race wheels of Honda factory bikes from that era.
https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-motorcycle-touring/endurance-racing-honda-zmgz19ndzhur/ for good picture of them in period use.
-
I think the CL 350 is quite a good looking bike and not very common, good if you could find one at the right price, but that may be difficult. Just thought I would mention them as I think they are cool. Exhausts systems are very expensive though.
-
Thanks Ted
Do the super dreams have points ignition?
Sent from my SM-A546E using Tapatalk
-
I think the CL 350 is quite a good looking bike and not very common, good if you could find one at the right price, but that may be difficult. Just thought I would mention them as I think they are cool. Exhausts systems are very expensive though.
Yes, agreed
Sent from my SM-A546E using Tapatalk
-
No points they have an early type of electronic ignition that uses a sensor of some sort on the alternator rotor/stator that sends a signal to the CDi- box.
-
250 generators never had a problem, 400 did have some failures resulting in holed pistons
-
IIRC the 250 has 4 wires for the CDi unit & the 400 has 6.
There is a firm that repairs them if the unit goes fauty, aftermarket replacements I think are around £180.
I'm thinking Ash is the man who might know what the problem with them was.
-
It was the generators went on the 400 rather than cdi or rather pulse generator coils, they strobe up perfect in the workshop but did something odd in use to the timing
-
My Superdream has done 50k miles so it should have failed by now, was it the early 400N models or did it persist through the variants ? I've read stuff on the SD websites about both the generator & the CDi units, I've no idea of how many actually failed as a % of bikes produced back in the day.
-
I had one N model come in with a holed piston, everything checked out fine but Honda technical told me it was a known fault change the generator and Honda had halved the price of the spares, never had the way more common 250 come in like that so can only guess it was 400 only and whilst known of not super common
-
On CB250K, I have ridden both the 250 and the 350 (325) and would say the extra power of the 350, although not a great deal, makes it much more fun and is better suited to the chassis they share. The 250 feels heavy, the 350 does not.
Also, they are very easy to maintain and as long as not ridden too hard and the oil changed frequently, are very reliable.
The CV carbs are a pain, they often stick, but I changed mine for slide carbs which makes the bike so much better.
They are small and uncomfortable over long distances. Having said that I toured most of France on mine, would have preferred a bigger bike but couldn't afford one.
I have lots of spare parts and wish I had collected more of these bikes when they could be picked up for under a hundred quid.