![]() It was love at first sight.” After outgrowing the Honda 50, Kelly had a C元50, a bike that introduced some unique experiences. I ran out, and there was my father with my birthday present, a Honda 50. “When I was 6 years old, I woke up on my birthday and heard a motorcycle start in the driveway. One of the people with fond memories of the Honda 350 is Kelly Ford, who was lucky enough to be born into a motorcycling family. Between the introduction of the 350s in 1968 and the last year of production in 1973, Honda’s mid-sized twin introduced many folks to the wonderful world of motorcycles, creating a host of memories in the process. The 350 Hondas were built until 1974, when Honda announced the CB360 and C元60 models. The handling of Japanese-built motorcycles, including this Honda, was not the best in this era, and testers noted that the 350 “steered somewhat ponderously.” Yet contemporary riders gladly took reliability, easy starting and oil-tight cases over great handling, and the 350 sold like hotcakes. A “small” bike with a 5-speed gearbox was also newsworthy in the late Sixties, a time when many two-wheelers were still limited to a 4-speed transmission, and testers noted the smooth clutch and easy-to-shift transmission. The road version, the CB350, would rev to 10,500rpm. The scrambler-styled C元50 pulled from 3,000rpm and would rev to 9,500rpm, thanks to progressively wound valve springs and a carefully engineered induction tract. Testers were impressed by the little bike’s performance. Many contemporary bikes of equivalent displacement were equipped with only the most basic equipment, but the Honda had turn signals, a push-button starter backed up with a kickstarter, and a reasonably effective double-leading-shoe drum front brake. ![]() Contemporary reports noted the easy-to-adjust valves, the quick-disconnects dotting the electrical system, and the reliable carburetors. The Honda 350, on the other hand, was designed for easy maintenance, enhancing the probability that owners would actually make the effort to keep their bike in top running condition. The single overhead camshaft itself weighed 3 pounds, Cycle deeming it “a paragon of strength.”īack in 1968, most motorcycles needed frequent attention to run well. In 1968, Cycle magazine took its test 350 to a shop in Pennsylvania for a teardown, and the editors were duly impressed by the engine’s four huge crankshaft main bearings, bearing supports and its massive flywheels, details that minimized vibration. The key to the 350’s reliability and longevity was over-engineering. Decades later, an amazing number have survived, even after being put away wet – or being left out on the street and not put away at all. Estimates vary, but it’s believed that around 650,000 Honda 350s were sold worldwide during the six years that all variants of the model were in production. In February 1968, Honda released two versions of its new overhead cam 350cc twin – the scrambler-styled CL and the CB road bike – and they immediately started selling in large numbers. Frame/wheelbase: Single downtube cradle/52in (1,321mm) Suspension: Telescopic fork front, dual shocks w/adjustable preload rear Brakes: 6.3in (160mm) TLS drum front, 5.3in (135mm) SLS drum rear Tires: 3 x 19in front, 3.5 x 18in rear Weight (dry):345.4lb (157kg) Seat height: 31.3in (795mm) Fuel capacity/MPG: 2.4gal (9ltr)/50mpg (est.) Price then (1968)/now: $700/$700-$2,500
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