Heebie Jeebies for Girls on CBs, part 5!

 So I'm still not skating, not doing much of anything, and the snow is three feet deep in the yard. I've got the heebie jeebies, no doubt about it. Since we're working our way through the displacements, it only makes sense to take a quick detour back to the CB77, a 305cc bike that was the big brother to the CB160 -- stressed member, sloper, killer look, and unlike the 305cc Dream, had a tube frame. Those Dreams were always a bit wobbly to me and the brakes soft, (although I've had a few people tell me they're not that bad), and I've been after a CB77 for ages but haven't had any luck yet (but a few near misses). Besides the killer frame and chrome and rubber gas tank, the CB77 speedo/tach is a thing of beauty. They're combined into one instrument and are sunken into the headlight bucket. On the early CB77s, the tach needle went clockwise and the speedo needle went counterclockwise. I got one for my CB350F/400F bike, then quickly realized I would need a counterclockwise drive for the speedo. Found one on Ebay for not too much...

The CB350 was introduced in 1968 as a replacement for the CB77. No longer a stressed member, the engine sat completely within the frame. The early bikes had a great tank with rubber knee patches. Like the CB77, they also came in a scrambler edition. They were produced until 1974, and remain the most popular motorcycle ever built (which is why it's kinda crazy to see folks pony up big bucks for them these days). I like 'em, they're torquey and take off pretty quick, and are lighter than the fours, although not as smooth and not as much in the top end. In 1974 Honda introduced the CB360 to replace the CB350. It added some extra ccs (the 350s were actually 325cc, and the 360 was 356cc) and a sixth gear, but it was hampered by a winding cam chain that frequently failed (and was part of a Honda recall -- some bikes got new cam chain guides, some didn't bother bringing their bikes in for it). Similar to the CB350, fun and torquey, and the extra gear worked out great. Honda also added an extra gear to the CB400F in 1975 -- and it's become an uber collectable bike. Super fun, I've had a couple of them, and they haul ass (and will do the ton).

Bikes above: CB77, CB350, CL350 (from "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo"), and our pal Cindy (from fashion serial killer) on her CB360. Below -- the aforementioned CB77 speedo/tach on the 350F/400F project.