A Question about the HONDA CB-350

 Hello, I looking into purchasing another Honda CB350 motorcycle bike.
I use to own a CB350 a long  time ago and right after I purchase the
bike it started to develop electrical system problems with the battery
and/or the voltage regulator.  Is there a real simple way to fully
inspect the bike electrical system?  spoke with person wishing to sell
the bike and of course she has agreed to allow me to fully inspect the
bike prior to purchasing it . I intend to create a flight check off
list of all of the pertinent items that I must inspect and how to
inspect on this bike before I purchase it. You know what they say, An
ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure.  I am familiarity in
using a digital multi-meter, a Fluke 83.  However  I want to make sure
that I am thoroughly and completely inspect this motorcycle before I
purchase it. Any helpful comments would be greatly appreciated.

My Email Address:  hud_home@yahoo.com
 www.davidevans.google.pages.com/dle

 
1. Get real.

The CB350 is so old it can no longer be regarded as a consumer
appliance.

If you wind up buying it, you can say, "Look at me! I'm a 40 year-old
Pile of Honda!"

You can expect it to be unreliable, a Sunday-go-to-the-hangout ride,
and you're going to have to work on it and you'll have problems
getting parts, and you can probably expect to have to truck it home
occasionally.

Why bug the owner with a nit-picky inspection? If the price fits your
finances, buy it.

Or don't buy it.

 . wrote:

As much nostalgia as I have for those old 350's (when they were new, all
I could afford was a second-hand S90), I'd agree with the above.  It
might be an enjoyable labour of love but not likely a daily driver.
Just my two cents, there might be a rare exception that was hardly
ridden but babied and well stored.

If it hasn't been started lately, I would try to turn the engine by hand
first and listen carefully and if that is hard to do at least put it in
a high gear and roll it a few feet.

 

What year are we dealing with here?

You will not be able to do a decent electrical system test unless the
bike has a charged battery, and if it hasn't been regularly ridden it likely
will not have a charged battery, or even a battery that is chargable at all.

The best would be to bring a fully charged motorcycle battery with you,
then -jump the bike- with the old battery, since it may take many minutes
of cranking on it to get it to fire and you do not want to wear down the
old battery.  Once it fires, put in your charged battery, then run it.

With the bike turned off, you should see 12 volts or a little above at
the battery terminals.

With the bike on and headlights on but not running, you should see
close to 12, maybe 11.5 at the battery terminals.

With the bike on and running with headlights on you should see 13.8
or 14 v at the battery terminals.

This is just a basic charging system test.  If the bike does not pass then
I would not rule it out - since often, such problems are easily fixed -
but I would definitely seek a price drop.

Of course, check all switches for correct functioning and all lights for
correct functioning.  If the owner claims it just has a burnt out lightbulb
in a socket, remove the bulb and make sure there's power with a
12v test light when the light is supposed to be on.

Ted

 
As others have said: it's an old, old bike and unless it's been
beautifully kept and/or restored, you shouldn't expect the world.

Most important check - is it charging? That's been covered.

For the rest, just check that every electrical item works (lights,
horn, indicators, brake lights, and that's about it). If any item
isn't working, but the bike is charging OK, it's only likely to be a
broken bulb or wire.

For the rest, engine components for the 350 twin are readily
available, still, as are all service items like brakes, chains,
sprockets, etc. There are plenty of aftermarket parts about. Hard-to-
find stuff will include things like side panels, fuel tank, tinware...
but it all turns up on Ebay sooner or later.

Walk away if the engine's rattling, smoking or leaking oil. If it
doesn't run at all... your call.