There are certain vehicles that are just the right size, not too small, not too big. Ones that aren’t too slow, and aren’t too fast. They aren’t too… well, you get the point. This 1972 Honda CB350 is one of those vehicles, it hits the sweet spot for a lot of us and this one can be found here on eBay in Miami, Florida. The current bid price is $2,950 and there is no reserve.
This era of Honda CB brings back a lot of memories for me. As kids, we would go to a Honda dealer in our hometown and ogle the new bikes, the ones that we could never seem to be able to afford. The candy colors on the CB350, CB550, and especially the CB750 were amazing to a couple of little punks who were riding a 1969 Yamaha Twin Jet YL-1 that my dad bought for us to learn how to ride a motorcycle. That was almost five decades ago now and I have yet to personally own a CB-series Honda motorcycle, although my dad bought a red CB360T back in the early-80s and that was a great bike.
This CB350 looks absolutely perfect in the overall photos, doesn’t it? The seller says that it’s all original and it is absolutely gorgeous. Thankfully, they’re an honest seller and they include a few photos of some scratches on the gas tank, maybe including some minor dings. I’m not sure what I would do there, keep it 100% original or fix the gas tank and have it painted by one of the great paint shops that advertise in Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club magazine or other sources. Probably the latter.
The CB350 was made for the 1968 through 1973 model years and Honda sold around 300,000 of them. I wish it would have been 300,001. Maybe our dad was trying to give us a hard lesson in that we couldn’t have everything we wanted in life, we had to work for what we got rather than just being given everything. I wish that sentiment was still alive and well today, but from what I’ve seen over the last couple of decades, it’s almost the exact opposite.
This is such a nice, honest-looking bike, the 325.6 cc twin-cylinder had around 34 horsepower and the seller says that this bike has a mere 5,670 miles on it. It doesn’t smoke, it starts and runs like a charm and it goes through the gears as it should. I would absolutely love to have an orange Honda CB anything someday, have any of you owned one?
Maybe somebody can correct me but I don’t recall the 350s having disc brakes.
You’re right until the last year of production. 1973 was the year of the 350G.
No, Honda didn’t start disc brakes until the 80s but they offered a front disk for older bikes in 84.
Scotty knows, like the Pinto wagon, for a while, before I got my DRZ, I thought of a vintage Honda like this. I decided to go with a “modern” bike, but make no mistake, these were great bikes. While the 750 stole all the thunder, Honda knew there was a large group of people they didn’t appeal to, the CB 350 (and CL) fit that need. It was a good city bike, little short on ponies for a road bike, but I’m sure many took 350’s across the country without a hitch. This a nice one, be advised, while parts are around, they are incredibly expensive. Internet about the only place, and they can charge what they want( here it is, you want to ride your classic Honda or don’t you?) A shame it’s come to that, but that’s the way it is today. Not particularly rare, they made so many, just about every barn has one laying in the dirt, but nice ones are hard to find, because, most were driven until they puked and hence, lay in the dirt. And Torque^ is right, apparently. I thought 350’s had a disc brake, but research shows, the didn’t appear until the 1974 CB 360. Sharp observation.
Howard, you knew this one would get me going, I’ve had at least 50 motorcycles, My love is old Hondas. Most being garage sale cast-aways, bought by high school kids in the 60s and left with dried up fuel and dead in mom and dads garage till they retired and sold the family home. I’ve bought at least 10 350s, CBs and my favorite CLs, the scrambler version, the scrambler had the same engine, but a different camshaft that gave them more low end torque and thus pull at 40-60 mph. Fun, fun, fun 2 lane fun! …………I had 9 motorcycles in my drive out lower level of my house till a couple years ago I decided at 67 it was time to downsize. I’m down to 2 bikes and I still ride. My favorite is a Honda FT500 Ascot, a light and powerful thumper, the other an original Honda 1965 CL77 scrambler I’m refreshing with new tires, brakes and dependability. Good times………..
A very worthy successor to the venerable Honda 305 (of which a “Scrambler” resided in my garage at one time)! the CB350 was overshadowed by the futuristic 750 but was a remarkable bike itself. Every HS guy I knew wanted a 750 but the ones fortunate enough to have a new bike bought a 350, some of whom took cross-country rides.
As Howard said, good eye Torque! Though the disc brake conversion to the 350 came later as 750’s starting showing up as choppers or parted out after being crashed, aftermarket companies started to cash in on the popularity of disc brake conversions later on as well.
I learned to ride on a ’66 Honda CB77 ‘Super Hawk’. Later in life, I restored a Super Hawk (like the one Elvis rode in ‘Roustabout’) which I enjoyed for years.
I remember there was a ‘Scrambler’ version (CL77?) and a 305 Honda ‘Dream Machine’ with a pressed-frame chassis instead of a tubular one.
I also have 3 CL77s (305 cc scrambler). One is a restoration project and 2 are parts donors.
Hey Jimbo! Any parts you will part with?
Had an identical bike in 1976 . On my first day of “Jr. College”, I took off with textbooks strapped to the luggage rack. Was doing 60 on a back road when a concrete truck pulled in front of me doing 10. Swerved around, not realizing I lost $100 of new textbooks. Fortunately there was no oncoming traffic. Parked the bike at school and got my first parking ticket. Realized I was lucky to be alive and never again rode a motorcycle on the highway. To me, these were extremely fast bikes, I can’t imagine something even faster, but that’s just frame of reference I guess.
I had one , very good transportation , used to commute to Newark n j , looked down at the ground at 90 mph , it’s good to keep upright on a y bike for sure ,
The first real motorcycle I rode was a friends Honda CB 160. What a missile!! Now 10 second bikes are pretty ordinary. Perhaps I’m beginning to warm up to progress, just got my first newfangled flip phone!
Hey guys, this isn’t about this particular bike, but I’d like to pick your collective brains.
I’m almost 60 and always, wanted a motorcycle. Last year, my brother started to teach on his HUGE Kawasaki. Very heavy and very powerful.
It terrified me because it was so big and heavy.
My question is, what would make a good first (learner) bike? New or old doesn’t matter.
Thanks so much,
Tim
Anything small & well maintained.
My son just got his motorcycle endorsement & he bought a used (has to be used, they don’t make them anymore) Buell Blast. It is a small bike, not real fast but fast enough for a beginner, cheap & still fun to ride.
I recommend something like that for starting out.
You could never go wrong with a BMW airhead from 1970-1995. The R75/5 is perfect for what you want but are getting a little pricey. So step down to an R60/5 or any of the slash 6 bikes are still great and affordable
Hey Tim,
I’m a long time rider (62YO). Depending on your requirements; on road, off road, enduro, price, etc. I’d recommend a single or two cylinder air cooled Japanese bike. Something big enough that you won’t outgrow it in a weekend. In my experience Honda’s are almost indestructible and they can be found at reasonable prices. The featured bike would be a great starting point. Take a motorcycle safety course, develop a feel for a smaller bike, practice on back roads, and wear a helmet. If motorcycling is in your blood, you’ll take to it like a fish to water! I’ve ridden since 1975 and still get excited every time I’m out on a ride.
Comet is right…take a motorcycle safety course. It will save your life one day, either by teaching you how to avoid an accident, or by teaching you how to get through an accident.
I was riding one of my bikes (now former bike) a little over a year ago & was cut off doing 40 mph by a young chick who was too busy texting to notice the stop sign she was running. I was able to stand up & walk away from that with minimal injuries because of the training I received. That course saved my life.
Take a course, please!
In motorcycle safety school they give you 100-250cc bikes to train on. Weight is an issue for new riders. I don’t know what state you live in but the MSF course (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) is prevalent in most. It will save your life and give you the training and confidence to really enjoy a great sport. Plus you’ll have a gas and meet Motorcycle motorheads, awesome folks indeed. It’s worth the time and effort, most are free or next to nothing. I had ridden a motorcycle for almost 20 years when I took the course in Illinois in 1983. Loved it and learned tons of downright good and practical stuff. Don’t buy a bike till after the course, they’re not long and will teach you much more than riding skills, helping you make a choice with confidence. You don’t need to have a bike to take the course, just contact your state DMV…………Have fun and be safe TJ………..
BTW, most important thing I forgot to mention, getting a motorcycle license is part of the course.
I went through that course in IL twice. No nice way to say it, but the first time through the instructors were ill-prepared and poorly trained.
The course is a good one, but only if you get some good instructors.
Tim, there are a myriad of bikes for sale new and used. An MSF Class would be your best start as the class curriculum addresses that question in the very first meet-the rider coaches are all enthusiasts and will encourage your questions for the benefit of the rest of the class!
The next question would be “what do you want for a bike and how much do you want to pay to get it”? Older used bikes are very basic but you need to know the mechanical strengths and weaknesses. Motorcycle manufacturers are trying to reach new riders now, in contrast to a few years ago when everyone was going bigger, heavier, more expensive and more electronically gadget driven.
FYI, if you’re in to retro, Royal Enfield has a few models to look at that are truly retro ranging from the older 350 Bullet which you probably want to stay away from unless you’re mechanically inclined to the new 500’s and 650’s with fuel injection, digital electronics and improved brakes.
Triumph makes a few really great bikes that are now considered “midsized” at 850 to 1200 cc’s (!!!).
Whatever you decide on, Tim, welcome to the Art Of Motorcycling!! The rest of us are looking to see you on the road (or in the dirt!) sometime!!
Nevada1/2rack
Don’t let that stop you, Tim. Go to a class in a different locale (or at least one without that particular “instructor”). We’ve all had “teachers” as opposed to coaches that were inexperienced, lazy, lacked confidence or maybe just having a crappy day. Over the years we had some students in our classes that underwent the same challenge as you faced. The ones that came back again generally did better the second time around and often scored higher than the rest..
FWIW instructors without a real coaching confidence don’t seem to stick around the program very long.
Go for it, Tim!!!
I highly recommend that you enlist in a Rider Safety course. They provide 250cc bikes to practice on. Don’t buy anything larger than 500cc. They’re plenty fadt enough.
This is awesome information everyone and I really appreciate it.
I signed up for a 1st timers motorcycle class last year prior to my brother trying to teach me. I learned in my first lesson that in Illinois, if you take a safety course your license is a guarantee. Everyone else in the class had ridden before, some for decades, and they just wanted to renew their license.
By the third lesson the instructor pulled me aside to tell me I was holding the whole class back and a lot of the “students” were ticked off at me. I took the hint and left.
Tim
Tim:
There are worse things than being told that you don’t have the skills to do something. Listen to “Mister Tanner” by Harry Chapin sometime.
But…there are two paths. You can accept it, or you can work on your weak points and overcome them. That’s what coaches are for.
Now, as Yogi might say, half of riding is physical. The other 90% is mental.
A friend of mine was learning how to ride because the guys at work were shaming him. That’s the absolute worst reason to get involved with anything. Fortunately for him, a work-related injury ended his motorcycle career.
If you’re OK with balancing a bike, and have developed the necessary mindset to stay alive out there (pretend that you’re invisible and they’re all trying to get you) then by all means buy a bike and practice, practice, practice.
Everyone learns at different speeds. Having good defensive driving skills goes a long way towards enjoyable motorcycling.
Hey TJ, I suggest something like this, and work your way up,,
https://nationalmcmuseum.org/2016/04/30/roadog-lives-at-the-national-motorcycle-museum/
Seriously, tho, I’d probably stick with a newer bike. Parts for these are expensive, if available at all. I have a friend that bought a newer Yamaha TW200. While it doesn’t have enough grapes for the road, it is a great all around bike. Being “self taught”, I don’t put much credibility in classes. Up to you, but experience is your best teacher. You already know the rules of the road. I have a Suzuki DRZ 400 dual sport, and is remarkably easy to drive. Just remember, drive a bike like everybody is drunk and out to get you. I have a close call almost every time I go out. People just don’t see you, and you have to be aware of that.
Howard, I respectfully disagree with you regarding your view of the classes.
Had I gone with your philosophy & not taken a class, I would either not be here or I would have the brain power of nail fungus.
Because I took that class, when that airhead cheerleader “fluff” ran that stop sign, I knew to lay the bike down. I knew that if I didn’t, I would fly over the car & probably crack my melon.
I laid the bike down, got some road rash & had to go to the chiropractor for a couple months. No broken bones. Somehow I didn’t even get nary a scratch on the dome. My glasses even stayed on my face, not sure how lol.
Had I not taken that class, I would have not had that knowledge.
I would be sitting here, drooling on myself, talking like Opie, Peter’s coworker from Family Guy. Or I would be feeding worms.
Let’s keep this, and all new motorcyclists, alive!
That’s cool, and having the luxury of having a motorcycle at 10 years old, certainly helped me. My ex-gf, who had never had a motorcycle, took the course, and while it did help her get the endorsement, she said the course was pretty lackluster. It’s more for people that the instructor says. “class, this is a motorcycle”,,There was no “road time” and being a truck driver herself, she knew what to look for, so the course was a waste of time( and money) for her.I think people think, “taking this course will surely make me a better rider”, and for some, it does, but ultimate defensive driving is what biking is all about and it’s hard to teach that in a class. I don’t mean to downplay what happened to you, it can happen fast, but I’ve had so many occasions where someone didn’t see me, and ran a stop sign, or changed lanes, it’s part of riding as motorcycle, kind of a game of sorts, try and beat the 4 wheeler’s intentions. The difference is, like driving a semi, that I have millions of miles without an accident, I was anticipating those moves, and in 50 years, never “laid one down”, aside from a little “trail rash” :)
Howard, you have a distinct advantage with regards to your motorcycle education in that you had a job that complimented your survivability skills. As a truck driver you learned what later became known as the Smith System, and the mental focus is something too many people lose track of after they get their license to DRIVE a car.
As a case in point, during the initial classroom session of mental awareness id ask the question “Who here can tell us the details of their drive to work on the day before yesterday?” Very few could, and we explored that aspect of what drivers see vs riders: it takes approximately 233 sub tasks to drive a car to the next destination (open the car door, sit down behind the wheel, adjust your seatbelt, etc.) whereas it takes approximately 1141 sub tasks to ride a motorcycle on the same route! (Approximations are to the best of my classroom lesson memories, which aren’t as sharp as they were 10 years ago)
Your ex-gf had a distinct advantage as well too, Howard-you. When you’d talk about the latest delivery you’d driven and the crazy things you’d seen along the way, she’d file that away in her subconscious, making her a better driver as well.
If you ever decide to take a ride west on Highway 50 through Nevada towards Lake Tahoe, Howard, let me know and I’ll meet you for lunch somewhere!
Nevadahalfrack@icloud.com
Enjoy the ride every time you ride.
Nevada1/2rack
In a situation like your exgirlfriend, or even you for that matter, it might be a bit different. You are over the road truck drivers.
I used to drive a 26 foot straight truck locally, and that is different than driving a car, but what over the road truck drivers do is a whole different game!
The rider course I took was a bit more advanced than what she described, but it was still fairly elementary. But I still got something out of it, and it saved my life.
Maybe if people weren’t so distracted while driving, and had such road rage issues (I’m guilty of that), the roads would be way safer.
This would be a fun toy to have. If I got it, I would have to get motorcycle endorsement back on my licence. I gave it up two years ago due to arthritis in both hips. Oh well, whaddya gonna do?
Patrick, depending on where you live you can ride a 3wheeler without a bike license! The best of both worlds and positive outlet for your mental health besides..
Arthritis is a mean disease! The factory seat on my Sportster made my hips hurt after 30 minutes or so. A Sundowner seat fixed that. His answer may lie in that direction. Everyone I know who’s bought a trike has done so because of the balance issues that come with age. Those too often result in the rider standing the bike up while leaned over in a corner, with fatal results.
I had one just like this back in the 70’s except it was copper, not orange. Took a trip from AL to hike the Smokies in NC. Then a friend wrecked it. Super fun bike and whoever gets this one will be tickled every day he rides!
Back in the day, the parking lots at the local steel mills were filled with these. I recall seeing the millworkers wearing their hard hats for helmets! Leonatti Honda sold most of the Steel Valley’s bikes and Norm’s Cycle Salvage cleaned up most of them when their riders retired and the mills closed. Bikes sold for a buck-a-cc and sometimes as thanks for cleaning out the garage. I learned to ride on a CB450
I saw the pics of this bike and immediately recognized it as just like the one my father had in the mid-70s. Brought back great memories of me as a youngster (couldn’t have been older than 7 or 8) straddling the tank as my dad (who was a millwright at J&L Steel) took me for long rides. Do that today and the cops would probably pull you over and keep you there till CYS shows up. By the way, I think my favorite t-shirt at the time had snoopy riding a dirt bike on the front and Leonatti Brothers across the back.
Did you inherit “The Gene” from your father? Neither of my sons did. My father didn’t have it, and when I started riding at 28 it led to an argument that resulted in us not speaking for 10 years. By then prostate cancer had had its way with him and he passed away a year later.
During the argument, I asked him if he saw me as a child or as an adult. He said that he saw me as his son.
It took me years to understand what he meant…
I still cry when “In The Living Years” plays in the radio…
Lol my Dad used to do the same thing with me on his Harley, but he took it a small step further…he took me bar hopping while we rode his bike like that.
I remember sitting at the bar next to him, getting tore up on 7-up as a 4 year old, while he drank whatever, then stumbling out, he would kick start his old Panhead, set me on the tank, and off to the next bar. More shots, bar dice, and beer for hom, 7-up for me. Then off to the next!
CPS would have a field day with him lol.
He was supposed to watch me while Mom was at work! Smh
Dave-
If you mean gene to ride I’d have to say maybe but it never had a chance to express itself. He put his bike in the back of the garage around the same time that I started to hit the antagonistic adolescent phase. A few years later when I became old enough to ride and started to build cash in my pocket, I so wanted to dig it out, get it running (I did inherit the all things mechanical disorder) and hop on it. I don’t think I’d raise it to the argument level, but it was 100% clear that he would not be allowing me to do so. Off to college in the late 80s and the bike stayed in the back of the garage. First real job in the early 90s and when the paychecks started coming in I started to lean towards a new bike and, at that time the cool bikes were race-inspired full-faring cycles and it was way too soon for early 70s to be retro cool so I lost interest.
That first real job I mentioned was at a large university hospital that was probably the region’s leading trauma center. Saw enough (for myself) to accept the “donor cycle” idea and chose four wheels instead of two. Eventually became numb to the carnage around me and started to get the itch again a few years later. At that point, with a wife and a child on the way, I squashed the itch (ntil maybe now). My father’s bike is long gone, and he as well (but not quite as long).
My condolences for your loss. My father and I also had a rocky relationship but I consider myself lucky that we were able to reconcile a good bit before his passing (which coincidentally was also due to prostate cancer). The way you laid out adult/child/son is spot on but more eloquent than I could have put it. In that regard, I’m presently working hard to avoid any unnecessary head butting with my own (21yo) son.
Thanks much for invoking the memories, even more so that today is Father’s Day.
My then-girlfriend of the 1990s picked up one of this very model and year in green for about $700, intending to get her motorcycle license and commute to work on it, with plans to upgrade to a CB650/750 eventually. Sadly, she never got enough practice to get her MC license (she kept failing the safety training classes for being too slow/cautious), and eventually sold it……
I always said if you loked the looks of the classic British bikes but wanted reliability, this was the way to go, as retro as they may look/be now.
I bought this identical bike brand new from Emory’s Honda in San Jose. I paid $598. It was $602 at the other Honda dealer in San Jose so for $4, I went to Emory’s. That was about 16 gallons of gas worth of price difference in the day!
There are a lot of nice choices out there. If you want new a Honda CB 500 is a nice bike. I have an 08 Triumph Bonneville that does everything I want a bike to do and its not a heavyweight. Reminds me of the bikes we had in the early 70’s. I keep a VN 750 Kawasaki vulcan in the garage to teach friends on.Low center of gravity, not heavy and very smooth and controllable powerband. Thats as big as I would go but you won’t get tired of it when you have experience.Like Comet said, take a rider course to start.
my old man would load his CB350 up with booze and smokes in Va and ride them up too his relatives in PA. Apparently they were they were taxed very differently in Va as opposed to Pa. He’d roll out with gallons of booze and cartons of smokes all trash bagged and bunged to the back half of seat – styling a orange metal flake helmet and a bubble shield. Having ridden one a many years late (which I found buzzy and a bit winded at 60) the idea of sitting on that thing for 3 straight hours gave me a little more respect for how tough my Dad was.
1972 CB 450 twin, it was two years old and bought it from a friend of my father’s whose wife said it was too dangerous for him. He said a fair deal would be $1 for each cc. Worked for me $450 and I was gone. Loved it , what a great overall bike. Change the oil and put gas and rubber on it. 👍
I have a 73 350 g. Only year 350 with a disc brake. The disc is not very powerful. Bought it with 3500 miles on it. Updated with electronic ignition, better lights, new top end. Rare purple color. Take it out for fun around the neighborhood. In great shape. Commenter was correct about parts being hard to source. 4 into 1 in San Franscico is one good place for most parts.
Those Honda 350s were an excellent all-around bike. They could keep up on the freeway as well as putt around on any backstreet. And they were nearly bullet-proof! This one’s paint is a little faded and scratched, but if it’s all original it is still worth the price as of now.
Auction update: this Honda sold for $3,350.