1974 CB360G cafe racer build

[dlogreen]

Sup guys! I joined a few months back when I scooped up a barely running 360 that smoked and sputtered the entire way home lol

I ran out of gas, had to limp it on one cylinder and took me about 3 hours to ride it back home from 20 miles away.

Turns out the carb boots were ripped and it couldn't hold idle.... And then the head was leaking, and the valve cover had bolts sitting about half an inch out..... Guy had used a crap load of rtv and put it IN THE HOLES.

Needless to say I knew I would need to rebuild the top end at a minimum, and while I had the engine out I might as well get to customizing and fabbing since there was hackjob welding and tinkering done before.

List of tasks (* = completed):

1. Sort out dead cylinder* - grounding points cover
2. New plugs*
3. Rebuild and sync carbs*
4. Rejet carbs for pods
5. Clean out and derust tank*
6. Address electrics and no running lights*
7. New rubber and tubes*
8. Set timing and points gap*
9. Rebuild top end (almost done)
10. Clean Oil filter and screen *
11. Scrape off rtv from everywhere..... Wtf !*
12. Scuff and brush covers and starter*
13. New cafe seat hump and seat (started glassing today)
14. Cut off tabs and weld in hoop*
15. New harness from scratch and replace outdated electronics (almost done)
16. Under seat tray and paint frame
17. Clip ons, brakes, controls, etc (70% done)
18. Single digital analog gauge
19. New shorter cables*
20. Custom 2 into 1 exhaust
21. Mount and fab rearset linkages and actuators

I'll be uploading photos over the next few days of all the stuff I've done so far. But here's a look at my glass work today. I bent and welded 1/4"and 1/8" rod to make a seat pan and hump fairing to match the frame angle and tail kick up. My sodium ion battery and solenoid will sit under the hump.

I did Wally world 3M glass and woven with a t shirt skin and polyester outer film that should give me a smooth coat. I elected not to l wax the masking tape and use it as structural aid. The wire hump frame will likely still come out in the rear section to prevent shorts, but I'll leave the 1/4" rod and 1/8" wood dowel I used to create a seat channel. I'll hit the underside with a thin glass coat to encapsulate everything and then Bondo/sand the exterior to prep for paint.

The tank needs new paint,
so when I decide on that, I'll repaint the hump to match. Oh almost forgot, going direct braided steel brake so modified the stock brake housing ass lever to use a modern brake switch.

 

[boddy]

Lots of work ahead, but looks like you started with a complete bike.

Are you making a negative right now for the seat or is this the base you are going to build upon?

Keep the pictures coming

 

[dlogreen]

Lots of work ahead, but looks like you started with a complete bike.

Are you making a negative right now for the seat or is this the base you are going to build upon?

Keep the pictures coming

Yah it was complete but poorly maintained and cared for. The oem heaters were welded with holes to the tips and the Right cylinder had a 3mm gouge in the top.... Perpetual leakage. Improper points, burnt out reg and rectifier and blown signal relay. Bad headlight and disconnected taillight wiring, and low compression... So blown head gasket. It was complete looking but for $800 in Florida worth doing the custom job

And for the seat I think I'm just gonna build onto it . The wire inside is great structurally and very heavy, but I might cut away the stuff in the hump because it doesn't need structural support and it's an added short risk. I'm gonna check today to see how much of the masking tape comes out and then maybe single layer glass the metal frame into it if necessary.

 

[dlogreen]

Little update on the 360 Cafe build.

Try as I might, glassing and Bondo couldn't get all the imperfections out of the seat hump.... Sandable filler primer helped to get a mostly even surface with multiple coats. I decided to go with VHT wrinkle paint to hide stuff and add a slight contrast to the hump and frame.

I'll be painting it today. That stuff is weather and chemical resistant, and really only needs to look half decent to be a win.

Rearsets - Motoworks universal rear sets are great and technically mount up directly to the rear peg location with a few spacers to create room for the linkages. I might repurpose the exhaust hanger bracket to rotate and move the peg position forward and down to be less "superman" while riding lol. I got my linkage stuff (6mm all-thread, aluminum tubing, Heim joints and right angle fittings) for like $20.... Anybody charging $50-100 for this stuff is a joke.

Front End - New simple gauge uses stock speedo and basic wires for power and lights so that'll be ready. ChatGPT is doing the heavy lifting for integrating my electrical w stock switches and points/coils/charging system with updated reg and flasher. I'm building a mount to put it in the recess above the stem nut behind the headlight.

Chopped the fender since it was already a little meh...

Headlight brackets have light mounting holes so going bright but small yellow bullets to put there. The rear will have larger ones with running, brake, and turn functions.

"Guts" - I made an electrical tray for under the seat and tapped the frame with m6 bolts to make it removable. Under tail is also ready for paint, and going with a removable panel to shield the electronics that'll be accessible with the seat off and attached with u-nuts threaded for m6. Used those cool push buttons for seat latches and they are awesome. Super snug locking.

Also planning to paint the swing arm today if I have time.

Top end rebuild is done. And it's back together. Just need to do valve gaps, and reinstall the points and advance unit.

Largest thing is still the exhaust.... Since I'm cutting the headers, I need to put the engine back in the frame and mock it all up.... So I'm really rushing to get the frame and stuff at least painted (can reapply if I hafta later) and engine back in there so it's a rolling almost runner. Then I can finalize the wiring and ground points and exhaust cut and weld points with the merge under the engine leading to the tip/can I showed before.

I'll post some pics in an edit later since I'm out and about.

 

[dlogreen]

Rear drum cable mod hey guys! I’ve posted a lot on my other threads that needed repairs and help and stuff like that so I’m finally back on this one to share some more of the modifications and builds stuff. I uploaded a video of the rear cable modification I did for the drum break.

 

[EzPete]

Nice solution there without a ton of fabrication work needed on the rear brake - does it have something to keep the hub bracket from getting yanked downward?
Good call on the wrinkle paint, its amazing how freaking difficult it is to get a surface on those rear humps - those instagram bodywork guys always make it look so easy... lol.

Is there enough room to spin the battery 90 degrees? Routing the battery cables with the solenoid behind is going to be a lot of work to make it look clean.

 

[dlogreen]

Nice solution there without a ton of fabrication work needed on the rear brake - does it have something to keep the hub bracket from getting yanked downward?
Good call on the wrinkle paint, its amazing how freaking difficult it is to get a surface on those rear humps - those instagram bodywork guys always make it look so easy... lol.

Is there enough room to spin the battery 90 degrees? Routing the battery cables with the solenoid behind is going to be a lot of work to make it look clean.

Edit: changed the video link so you can see a walk thru of the brake.

I'll get a shot of it tomorrow... I just added a clutch lever switch and cleaned up some wiring after swapping a new points plate in and fixing a wire that got pinched and prevented the starter solenoid from connecting to ground.

The bracket actually has ears that sit above and below the hub arm so it's got a little wiggle like I want it to but it can't rotate in either direction unless those ears break off. It's 1/8-3/16" steel so not happening... But I am gonna reinforce the ears with a weld bead before I clean up and paint everything.

I'd been putting this part off for a while and was riding with the lever zip tied in place since I wasn't using the rear brake. Now with this all together I'm figuring out the rear brake switch so it doesn't look goofy... Might use a normally closed reed switch that'll activate anytime I move the magnet away.... Same concept as magnetic rotor bolt and sensor or those window alarms.... Easy enough to wire up and not rely on a mechanical spring and pull that'll just be ugly anyhow. with leds the current and voltage won't be much so I'm sure I can find one on Amazon that'll do.

The mock up for the bike cable was the hardest part because too sharp an angle and it would bind. Now it flows well but I think I might adjust the lever starting angle another 10 degrees or so to where I can activate it without being at the bottom of the foot travel.

No clue how those guys online got such a smooth finish but I'm good with the wrinkle and it's rugged. I dropped the seat and just the slightest scratch/ding.

Thanks for the encouraging words.... We got some sun tomorrow so I think another test run and hopefully no hiccups. Gonna check the right exhaust tappet screw bc it backed itself out twice. If I need a dab of blue loctite I'll do it. The stuff I have can hold stuff in place even without threads so it'll be fine in that part of the engine and I'll have peace of mind.

January 18 was pickup date I think, so we're not even 3 months from that to almost full teardown, frame chop, fiberglass seat hump and custom vinyl seat, custom harness with new starter logic and all led lighting, new speedo, cable brake mod/shifter/rearsets, pods and jetting, and brand new tires and tubes, plus stainless hardware and all the fab work here and there.

It's revving and hauling ass well right now, and now I have two brakes

 

[stl360+450]

Cool stuff, dlo! I'm glad it's running well with all of the modifications. And I agree: two brakes are better than one.

I was wondering about the brake cable routing on the rear. Why not under the swingarm? Wouldn't that be more direct? Perhaps there could be a stay/loop for the cable on the rear brake arm to help line up the cable.

 

[EzPete]

Those tappet screws are so cheap and commonly available that I’d probably just replace it rather than deal with the loctite eventually failing and/or damage to the threads on the follower as well.

Same exact part number was used on early civics and accords so almost all Honda auto dealers sell them for like $4 and no shipping or waiting.