Honda, as with most manufacturers, offered customers a wide range of sizes and configurations. Often, these different configurations were available in the same size as on-road or off-road with high side pipes and knobby tires, as with this 1968 Honda CL77 305 Scrambler. The seller has this project bike listed here on eBay in Lutz, Florida, there is no reserve, and the current bid price is $1,875.
Or, if you grew up a Little Rascals-like country bumpkin as I did, you made your own off-road bike out of the street that you had by putting knobby tires on it and a bigger sprocket. Owning a motorcycle like this CL77 305 Scrambler would have been a dream. This is the last of Honda’s 305-series bikes. 1965 through 1968 Honda CL77 305 Scramblers were great all-around bikes and they still are today.
Yamaha had success with their 305 Big Bear scrambler and Honda wasn’t exactly a bit player in that arena. Although, for serious off-road scrambler riding or competitions, two-stroke bikes ruled the racetrack. The CL77 305 Scrambler had a little beefier frame and front downtube, which meant that the electric starter would go away for this model. Hagerty is at $2,600 for this bike in #4 fair condition, which is maybe better shape than this bike is in. Their #3 good condition value is $4,800 and #2 excellent bikes are valued at $7,600.
The seller knocks out a grand slam with dozens of great, big, high-resolution photos so they get a huge gold star for that. You can see that there is a lot of work to do on this one if you’re planning on restoring it back to like-new condition. I would get everything working perfectly and just use it as it looks now. The front tire isn’t holding air and there’s a lot of corrosion on some of the parts. It’s mostly not rusty-rust but pitted areas that would need to be re-chromed if a person wanted it to look like showroom new again. The seller says that this bike was recently found sitting for an undetermined period of time and it isn’t currently running.
The beautiful engine and those criss-cross exhaust pipes could easily be in a museum just by themselves. It’s Honda’s 28-horsepower 305-cc parallel twin and I have to believe that it would be fairly easy to get this one running again unless there was a catastrophic event that caused it to be parked years ago. Have any of you owned a similar scrambler-type bike of this size?
My first bike was a 66 cl77 Honda. Rode that bike all over the Place the summer of 71. Was a really good bike, plenty of power for a newbie. Sometimes was a little temperamental starting but after I learned its quarks never left me stranded. 305 would scream and yes did take it off road a few times. Nothing serious but could ride a trail, engine had plenty of torque for off road. This could be a nice bike for someone.
I’m with you, Scotty: Sort it and ride it as is. Wish it were closer to California
One of the best features of this particular bike is that it appears to be almost completely un-modded – as far as I can tell. That in itself is unusual.
In junior high Biff drove one of these. The only kid who has to shave in 7th grade or had a 5 o’clock shadow at 8am. He drove it safely and was a great kid with a great bike.
Had one Just like that one in 1970. I enjoyed it but someone liked it better than I apparently. This one looks quite fresh and would be a thrill to ride I am sure. To me nothing beats technology than the lack of it like a Wooden Rollercoaster.
Does it concern anyone that the headlight and the fender don’t line up just right?
Nice bike! The CL-77 is right in there beside the Super Hawk as far as my line of favorite bikes is concerned. I’m a little surprised to see the 1968 year. I always thought that the 350 debuted in ‘68 with the last of the 305s running out in ‘67. This would look good at my place…
Look good in any collection Geo 👍
Hey Geo, got to remember that lots of these were given the year of title as the year of production. Many production characteristics can identify the true year it was built. I have a true 1965 built 305 that is titled as a 67 cause that’s the year it was sold at an Western Auto store in Wisconsin. I bought it from the original owner.
You’re right. International was good at assigning a year according to the date the title was issued. It can always apply to motorcycles as well…
Who could have possibly posted this? Why, Scotty G, of course . With temps a hoverin’ around freezing, a little behind on the seasons, but hey, you don’t buy a snowblower in December, THIS is the time to buy a bike. To be clear, the tank badges aren’t original, as they said “300”, although, I can’t find out why, anyone? As I mentioned, in the late 60s, the guy across the alley had a yellow one, and yes, it did have the “Snuff-or-nots”, which were an aftermarket item, I don’t think Honda approved, but those collectors on the end are extremely rare, as most adorned the ditch after a few miles, or the 1st couple bumps for those brave souls that DID take these off road. Plenty of loud Scramblers then, it was almost a given. I don’t think the loud did anything for performance, just sounded faster. At the time, I had my Honda 50, and he had a Honda 65 he traded, just like Scottys one he sold recently, so the 305 Scrambler was a BIG bike,,,to us. It was a poor bike, sorry, called a “Gentlemans Scrambler”, but I doubt many “gentlemen” actually rode this. Sold new for $720 bucks, even the paper person could have one. They were heavy, clumsy, and the Big Bear Scotty mentions, would eat it for lunch, until the motor stuck, and the Honda would go lumbering by,,,for years after, they were solid machines, I doubt you could blow one up. Great find, remember, like all these seemingly wonderful finds, it’s a dated 1968 motorcycle, of 1950s origin, and we’ve come a long ways in bikes.
Depending on the date of the posting, I hope this bike isn’t floating in the Gulf. Lutz is near Tampa, got whalloped by Ian one way, and Nichole blew it back. It’s a mess. Best of luck to those folks.
I always thought they ALL said 300 on them. 305 was a moniker that was simply attached at some time because it just sounded better…
I bought one of these brand new off the showroom floor at a buddy’s dealership in 1967 shortly before going in the service; electric blue with black frame and chrome fenders. It was called a ‘67 1/2 model. Another color choice was a burnt orange. Sold it a few years later with about 900 miles on it for too little to buy a car. That was a mistake but ‘63 Impala Sport Coupes were better in the winter.
The 305 had a very distinct sound–like no other. You could ID that sound from afar. The upswept dual exhaust pipes that I remember on mine each had a “Butterfly washer valve” in the tips that could be turned for ?? effect.. I do not remember fooling around with them at all. I enjoyed the bike as a teenager, yet–as with most all motorcycles that I had owned- I still bear the scars of close encounters with unforgiving stupid riding decisions that I made. When riding bikes, you must acknowledge that you are in a different time zone than other traffic, and make radical decisions to survive.
Mine was great fun, not fast but great for cruising the “dark desert hi ways” of New Mexico. It had cast muffler tips that unscrewed and fell off no matter what you tried and riding 2 up resulted in singed a calf for the passenger so no rides for my gal.
And Scotty, “Owning a motorcycle like this CL77 305 Scrambler would have been a dream”? Well, no, the 305 Dream was a, well, comfy clunker with big fenders and trailing link front suspension. LOL! I rode one for work and it was no dream job.
David, when you were driving those “dark desert hi ways” of New Mexico did you ever get caught in a sandstorm/duststorm? That seems like it could have been difficult. I love NM by the way.
In 1967 when I graduated HS. I road my 160 SL from Bakersfield, CA to Esterville. IA. In just over 4 1/2 days…
A lot of irony here. Our paper boy bought one new for $720.00. Think he had just turned 16. Same color same appearance as this one. That thing was a beast for the times and have often wondered how my friend survived the ownership experience. I recall a broken wrist and a head injury. Of course we had no helmet laws then. A different world and time for sure.
As a teenager, I remember these bikes. Had a sound like no other, especially with the muffler off and snuff-er-nots installed. I currently have a 65 305 Dream that brings me back to that time.
I work a small accounting job while I was in college at University of Arkansas and bought a 67 305 scrambler new with $30 a month payments.
I am far from a talented Rider but I absolutely loved this bike. Arkansas required crash bars and although they looked clumsy, they saved my butt when I went down on ice a couple times.
I loved to jump the bike, so few hills on campus escaped my notice, hence I was on the campus cops radar and had to play it close to the vest.
When my parents found out about it I had to sell it. Got 600 bucks cash and a Ruger single six from a fraternity brother. Not bad!
One of the best-sounding motorcycles ever made and if you didn’t see but heard it, you knew it was a Scrambler. I’d buy this if it was located in my area.
Any idea on shipping it to Washington State? ( Port Orchard) I could easily fall for this as it was the bike that I have always wanted!
Auction update: this bike sold for $2,700.01!
I owned a 300 Honda Dream, great bike low miles started every time. And at the same time a 305 Scrambler. Although they were badged different they both had the same engine, just different exhaust pipes. Seen the title to the CL77 just the other day. One was a 1965 the other 1967. I needed a piston for the Dream so I sacrificed my dirt bike, yep dirt bike to fix the Dream. As I started legal driving. Same engine, and a 16 year old rebuilding the upper end with NO new parts. Reused even the head gaskets. And getting the timing correct on the overhead cam with chain drive was done with no manuals. Looking back that was quite the feet.
I built my first monoshock bicycle in 69′ 70′ with the rear shock from my 305
and a 21 inch Schwinn that was my dirt bicycle. Motorcycle bars and 5 speed derailer rear rim nobbie tires and front 10 speed drive sprockets. Cut and made the rear swing arm with the rear hard tail frame, at the seat pipe upper and lower. Attached shock under front upper pipe to rear swing arm and the steering pipe in front with all mechanical bolted joints. Cut the lower rear pipes at the kick stand cross pipe and drilled hole for long swing arm bolt.
The bike was awesome and had 10 speeds and had shock for hitting the jumps. 14 year old kid did this before Yamaha did it or maybe had the same idea at the same time. I did not have it long as a neibor wanted it and traded me a new Shwinn Orange Crate for it. Pop said it was alright, so I cut up the Crate and did the same thing with another 21 inch Schwinn with the other shock on back and had a springer in front. Only had to add another second spring, double one inside the other like valve springs, as the original could not handle the abuse jumping. And had a new bike in parts in the garage and Pop could only shake his head.
Evil Knievel was kind of big when I was a kid. Every time I see a CL77 takes me back in time. I always wonder what happened to the first bike and neighbor.