For this How-To we’re going to replace the clutch friction discs in a 1969 Honda CL450, but this procedure would work for CB450s too, and is similar on the 350s. We undertook this project because the motorcycle had been stored so long that the petcock leaked gasoline into the sump, and after ...

Engine: 736cc SOHC, 4-stroke air-cooled inline 4-cylinder, 61mm x 63mm bore and stroke, 9:1 compression ratio, 60hp @ 8,500rpm Top speed: 125mph Carburetion: Four Keihin 28mm Transmission: 5-speed constant mesh, chain drive Electrics: Battery/dual point and coil, 12v AC ...

When my friends were aging out of riding bicycles and into driving their father’s cars, I just had to have a motorcycle. Puberty had set in, and I knew that a rumbling, vibrating bike was the way to impress a girl. Plus to go for a ride, they had to hug you; a surefire way to break the ...

Rider: Fred Hawley, Middletown, New Jersey Age: 69 Occupation: Electrical engineer Rides: 1966 Honda CL77, 1978 Honda CB550, 1975 Honda CB750, 1975 Yamaha XS650, 1981 Yamaha 750 Virago and 2006 Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster I have always had a passion for motorcycles ever since I was a ...

Participation trophies presented by Editor Fellenstein and my nephew, Fisher.This is the final entry in a six-part series detailing Shane Powers' restoration of a Honda CB350, also known as the Sea Beast. Start at the beginning with Part 1.The motto of the great State of Kansas, where I have ...

As I write, Fast & Safe Roadracing School is 16 days away and approaching like a rock flung towards my face shield from the wheels of an 18-wheeler on I-70. There’s no way I’ll dodge it, so I’m glad I’ve prepared. While it hasn’t always gone smoothly, things have progressed to a ...

Timing the Charlie's Place electronic ignition.Since I started the project of reviving an extremely tired Honda CB350, many literary and pop culture references have been used to describe the process. Is this a Cronenberg creation? Negative. I’ve always preferred the Vincent Price film from ...

Deconstruction of the Sea Beast complete.Since the proclamation of my intentions to become an AHRMA racer, time seems to have slipped into overdrive. My to-do list gets longer, but more specific, all the time, and I frequently find myself taking meals (read: snacks) in the garage. Nitrile ...

The CB350 at Barber, being pushed out of the swap meet, aka back when I still had the arrogance of the uninitiated. All photos courtesy Shane Powers.In the first installment of the tale of Sea Beast, a name that actually refers to three motorcycles melding into one, I listed my assets. Among ...

Shane and the Sea Beast, Barber 2016. Photos by Shane Powers.Two years ago, I did something objectively ignorant. At the 2016 Barber Vintage Festival, I purchased a 1970 CB350 for $93. The wretched condition of this bike cannot be overstated; every single piece was rusted, the engine seized. It ...