TreeFarm
Internet fabricator.
My friend gave me this 74 Honda Cl360 Scrambler the other day. I have always wanted to build a brat/cafe/tracker style bike. I’m also a huge fanboy of old Hondas. My first bike was a 1970 mini trail 50, then moved up to a 1970 CT70.
This bike is in great condition. I’m sure it was a nice survivor before my friend got it. All the hardware is original, it had the key for ignition and steering lock. Even the release tab for the fuel cap is there, they always break. The only missing parts are the seat, all the lights, side panels, and the tach. All parts I won’t be using anyway. It fired right up once I figured out the wiring, and I rode it around the yard. It came with some new tires on it. Well new in 2014 but never ridden on.
When he first offered it to me I was going to drag it home and go all out on it but it never happened and I spent the money building my front 60 instead. I’m glad this happened because now I want to do a cheap bare bones build which to me would be more fun. Now that I actually have it I planned to toss it in the shed and wait for winter. Then I started looking at prices of parts. I realized I can build this whole bike cheap and fast. I could be riding this summer.
I got it home and it immediately came apart. I set my budget at $1200 and started ordering parts.
Registration $101
Tuffside seat $260
Antigravity 4cell $110
Modern reg/rec $65
Brake lights $150
Headlight $140
Air filters $10
Frame hoop $33
CB gas tank $150
Spray paint $20
Triple clamp $140
All balls taper bearing stem conversion $40
Puts me up to $1219. A little over but not bad.
I started cutting the tabs off the frame and cleaning it up. That shortly escalated to stripping it down to bare frame. The engine is getting scotch brite to clean off the surface crud. What little chrome that will stay for the rust cleaned off and buffed up. Everything else is getting semi gloss black rattle can. This is where the good from far and far from good comes in. It’s all rattle canned. Granted I did some prep work to make sure it will stick and look good, it won’t compare to a powder coated frame or parts. I really wanted to leave the patina on the frame. The rust chips and whatnot. I just felt it would be too much contrast to the fresh paint on the spots I worked on.
This bike is in great condition. I’m sure it was a nice survivor before my friend got it. All the hardware is original, it had the key for ignition and steering lock. Even the release tab for the fuel cap is there, they always break. The only missing parts are the seat, all the lights, side panels, and the tach. All parts I won’t be using anyway. It fired right up once I figured out the wiring, and I rode it around the yard. It came with some new tires on it. Well new in 2014 but never ridden on.
When he first offered it to me I was going to drag it home and go all out on it but it never happened and I spent the money building my front 60 instead. I’m glad this happened because now I want to do a cheap bare bones build which to me would be more fun. Now that I actually have it I planned to toss it in the shed and wait for winter. Then I started looking at prices of parts. I realized I can build this whole bike cheap and fast. I could be riding this summer.
I got it home and it immediately came apart. I set my budget at $1200 and started ordering parts.
Registration $101
Tuffside seat $260
Antigravity 4cell $110
Modern reg/rec $65
Brake lights $150
Headlight $140
Air filters $10
Frame hoop $33
CB gas tank $150
Spray paint $20
Triple clamp $140
All balls taper bearing stem conversion $40
Puts me up to $1219. A little over but not bad.
I started cutting the tabs off the frame and cleaning it up. That shortly escalated to stripping it down to bare frame. The engine is getting scotch brite to clean off the surface crud. What little chrome that will stay for the rust cleaned off and buffed up. Everything else is getting semi gloss black rattle can. This is where the good from far and far from good comes in. It’s all rattle canned. Granted I did some prep work to make sure it will stick and look good, it won’t compare to a powder coated frame or parts. I really wanted to leave the patina on the frame. The rust chips and whatnot. I just felt it would be too much contrast to the fresh paint on the spots I worked on.
