The Thin Man
New Member
This thread will document my restoration of a 1968 CL175.
As explained in my New Member entries, I purchased a barn-adjacent bike in Oregon and another in Washington earlier this year, and they both are now at my home in Tucson. Neither bike is complete, but between the two of them (and supplemented with the inevitable parts purchases) with a lot of elbow grease I will be able to create a respectable runner. The spares will be sold off in parts or in whole. Below are photos of the two bikes: the WA one first, then the OR one. You will note that the WA bike is in terrible condition-- lots of rust-- but it is mostly complete. Importantly, I have a title for this frame. The OR bike is in better shape, but is less complete and I do not have a title for it. Thus, I am disassembling the WA bike, will de-rust the frame (probably by electrolysis) and use it as the basis for the restoration. I've never undertaken a project of this magnitude, but I'm not overly intimidated: I'm retired, know which end of a wrench to use, and know how to research technical information on the internet.
A little about myself: I started riding motorcycles in 1971, introduced by a friend with a Hodaka Ace 100 modified to be a motocrosser. My first bike, shared with my brother, was a 1965 Honda C200 (90cc), followed by a 1974 XL125, then a 1975 CB400F... and on from there. I've mostly had street bikes, with a handful of trail bikes, and road raced a Moto Guzzi Le Mans in the 1980s and a Honda Hawk GT in the early 2000s. Currently I have a 2006 BMW R1200R (daily rider) and a 1970 BSA 650 Firebird Scrambler (another restoration project, but less intense).
Although the CL175 predates my motorcycle life by a few years, I really like the aesthetic of the sloper engine and the scrambler style. I hope to get to the roller stage by the end of the summer, and will tackle engine internals over the winter. I will post additional photos and descriptions of my progress as I move forward. I will probably ask questions, too!
As explained in my New Member entries, I purchased a barn-adjacent bike in Oregon and another in Washington earlier this year, and they both are now at my home in Tucson. Neither bike is complete, but between the two of them (and supplemented with the inevitable parts purchases) with a lot of elbow grease I will be able to create a respectable runner. The spares will be sold off in parts or in whole. Below are photos of the two bikes: the WA one first, then the OR one. You will note that the WA bike is in terrible condition-- lots of rust-- but it is mostly complete. Importantly, I have a title for this frame. The OR bike is in better shape, but is less complete and I do not have a title for it. Thus, I am disassembling the WA bike, will de-rust the frame (probably by electrolysis) and use it as the basis for the restoration. I've never undertaken a project of this magnitude, but I'm not overly intimidated: I'm retired, know which end of a wrench to use, and know how to research technical information on the internet.
A little about myself: I started riding motorcycles in 1971, introduced by a friend with a Hodaka Ace 100 modified to be a motocrosser. My first bike, shared with my brother, was a 1965 Honda C200 (90cc), followed by a 1974 XL125, then a 1975 CB400F... and on from there. I've mostly had street bikes, with a handful of trail bikes, and road raced a Moto Guzzi Le Mans in the 1980s and a Honda Hawk GT in the early 2000s. Currently I have a 2006 BMW R1200R (daily rider) and a 1970 BSA 650 Firebird Scrambler (another restoration project, but less intense).
Although the CL175 predates my motorcycle life by a few years, I really like the aesthetic of the sloper engine and the scrambler style. I hope to get to the roller stage by the end of the summer, and will tackle engine internals over the winter. I will post additional photos and descriptions of my progress as I move forward. I will probably ask questions, too!
