c1972 Honda CB350 Motorcycle

Description

Soichiro Honda’s eponymous company was founded in 1948 and over the next decade established itself as one of the finest exponents of motorcycle manufacturing in Japan. Honda’s CB family of motorcycles can trace their origins back to 1960, the original 250cc CB72 proving a revelation by offering the sort of free-revving power previously reserved for much bigger, heavier motorcycles. The Honda CB350 marketed by the Japanese giant between 1968 and 1973 was initially powered by an overhead-cam four-stroke engine developing 36bhp at 10,500rpm and driving through a five-speed gearbox. Fed by twin Keihin carburettors, the parallel twin motor proved remarkably free of vibration and utterly reliable, while the semi double loop frame was exceptionally rigid. Two models were available initially, the road going Super Sport (with jazzy two-tone paintwork and chrome megaphone exhausts) or the Scrambler CL350, complete with high mounted exhaust. Following the release of the world’s first genuine superbike at the 1968 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda followed up with several downsized models of the CB750, including a new CB350F in 1972, with an in-line four derived from the CB500. The parallel twin model (now designated the CB350K4) remained in production alongside the CB350F in what would be its penultimate year, with only minor detail changes – a black headlamp shell replaced the painted item of previous years, a larger “350” badge and expanded colour range.