Honda Other description
This was truly a "barn find" that had been put away in the early eighties with bent suspension and forgotten. I grew up with these bikes. My first "real bike" was a 1971 SL70 (this bikes baby brother) and I worked at the local Honda shop in high school assembling the new bikes. You might call me a Honda freak. I love the design and the attention to detail Honda put on the finish and when I restore one of these I am pretty obsessed with getting it right. This is my third '71 SL series restoration.
Here is how I restored this one. The bike was running when I got it but not great. It had boatloads of compression and the transmission felt right on so I tore the whole thing completely down except for the main case and jugs and spent the next two years fixing and polishing/refinishing. I had parts professionally media blasted. The frame was powder coated with a perfect match to Honda's "silver cloud" and the black bits (battery case gage mount, headlight shrouds, upper triple and risers so on) received a perfect match of the correct Honda black satin. (Honda called it "flat" but you wouldn't today. The tank, headlight bucket, and side panels you see have the original paint and they are in great shape for their age. There are a few scratches and tiny nicks (see photos) but they really just give the bike a little character. The side panels have no cracks/repairs. For me original paint always trumps the repaint and especially when it looks this good. Future collectors will thank you! In '71 the fenders were also red. I considered painting them or buying NOS or used ones in good shape but in the end I went with the brushed aluminum which is what Honda did the following year in '72. Aluminum is more prone to chipping and if your fenders are aluminum show them off I have decided. I am glad I went with this because people always mention the "cool fenders." By the way you can't go anyplace without getting a crowd with this bike.
The Blinkers
The SL350's in the US did not come with blinkers true, but they were an option AND the Japanese domestic model DID come with blinkers (the blue bike below) and it is that bike I tried to match in that regard. Everything is all Honda and age appropriate. The main wiring for the blinkers was already there just not plugged in. I took the blinkers and controls from a '71 CL350 and did some slight mods. When I got this bike it was complete except for the horn switch. If you are familiar with these bikes you know that switch was prone to failure and is usually missing. The added turn indicator control has the horn built in. If you are a purest- the blinkers can come off in 15 min and your horn switch has the wiring ready to go. For me I like the added safety of the blinkers especially if you are going to ride it and I like a horn to work.
Speaking of riding it. I did do a couple of stealthy mods that you wouldn't know by looking. Certain things I like updated a little. Headlights! I like them. I like good ones when I am on a bike at night. You would have to turn them on to know but I took the stock sealed bulb and converted it to halogen so now you can actually see in the dark. I also installed a regulator/rectifier from Charlie's Place to keep everything in check. The stock rectifiers on these things suck. The regulator is still attached to the bike but not connected… again for a purest.
The seat. A mouse used to live in it back in the barn days and he got in there right through the top. I purchased the best reproduction I could find and hated it. They just don't look right. I found a guy that could actually repair the hole and paid him 4X what I paid for a repro to repair and recondition the original cover. I replaced the seat foam with dual high density foam so instead of sinking to the pan you feel like you are on a Corbin. The seat looks amazing and having the original cover was worth the expense. The pan was beautifully reconditioned. You can see if you look close where the hole was but the guy actually matched the texture and seam amazingly well.
The bike starts on the first kick every time if you do it right (by the manual) and even when it is cold outside. Carbs are dialed, valves adjusted. It runs like a champ and pulls better than my friend's 350 Hondas. It sounds amazing. The clutch feels good. Everything works as it should and as the old Honda brochure suggests, it is the torque master. I am always surprised at just how enjoyable this 1971 bike is to ride.
It has several new parts.
- new fork seals and boots (the forks were completely rebuilt and have the correct brushed and sealed laquer finish they did when they left the shop in '71.
- gas cap NOS
- air filter NOS
- new sealed chain (original Honda sprockets are in great shape)
- new trials type (like original) tires have maybe 200 miles on them
- new neutral switch
- new points
- new steering bearing
- new oil and grease throughout
- new petcock
- new carb kits
- new points
- new plugs
- new side cover gaskets (no oil leaks)
- Charlie's rectifier/regulator combo
- Battery 1 year old (has plug-in attached for tender which I keep it on)
- i am forgetting stuff
Besides the horn switch and the unpainted fenders the bike is complete and has all of the unobtanium parts.
- complete tool kit
- the tool kit lid (65.00 reproduction form Marbles Motors fits nice and snug)
- the owners manual (beautiful)
- beautiful side covers with original paint and no cracks or repairs
- battery box lid
- original rims and spokes are clean and shiny minor scratches/pitting
- I can't swear on it but these look to be original grips - (All of the original rubber and vinyl sat in Meguiars Vinyl & Rubber Conditioner for about a year and looks amazing)
- the little braided covered points wire is there and looks brand new
- try finding the rear rack that was made specifically for the SL350. I have had Ebay set on alert for over two years and not a single one has shown up. I won't disclose what I paid for this one but if you don't want it we can negotiate. I didn't like racks back in the day but now that I am an ADV rider I don't know what I would do without one. These are even harder to find than the toolbox lid and the horn switch.
The mufflers.
If you follow these bikes you know how rare the mufflers are. They crush on impact so they are the first thing to go if the bike falls over. These mufflers are in amazing shape aside for one that had a hole repaired on lower inside (see photo). The headers were refinished in ceramic and the mufflers in high heat. Both show the proper Honda type finish.
Issues that might be of concern to a serious collector.
- a neighbor friend was nice enough to straighten a bent kick stand but the angle isn't perfect because when it is up, it doesn't perfectly line up with the rubber guard on the muffler. Hoestly I have never seen a perfect one. I am always afraid it will scratch the muffler but so far it hasn't. I was going to buy one on ebay but I have not because I was afraid I would hurt the neighbors feelings. :)
- the chrome on the steering nut has some corrosion which reminds me of my first SL which had the same issue. They cost about 20.00 on ebay if you want it to look brand new. When I was a kid my brand new XR75 also came with that same corrosion on the chrome so maybe I am sentimental.
- I didn't re-chrome anything. Again I like original if it looks good and chroming is about as bad as it gets for the environment. The back of the rear turn signal bracket has some pitting where the chrome was thin and the handlebars (also original) have some pitted spots (see photo). In other words they look good but not perfect.
- the tank looks really clean but the last owner coated it. It does look like they did a good job though.
- no original horn
- no painted fenders
- has blinkers
All of these issues are very minor and if you wanted the "brand new" old bike (what some call zombie) it wouldn't take much. If you do please don't strip this tank.
Mileage
The mileage currently shows 4980 which seems about right to me. I had to cut off what I believe to be the original Bridgestone tires. They were hard as rocks and had shrunk with age but still had decent tread. The cases had never been cracked and it seems like a very low mileage bike. That said the speedometer doesn't have the usual safety warnings I was accustomed to and I suspected it might have been replaced but I have since seen a couple of SL's from this same era with the same (without warning) units. I know Honda sometimes just shipped what was available and dealers swapped but… I can't say with 100% accuracy what the mileage is simply because I am not the first owner. So I won't swear on the mileage but to me it seems consistent with the initial look of the bike when I got it.
Extras
I have small bag of old parts and the passenger pegs that came with the bike. I have the original tire locks also which I took off for a smoother ride. I also have extra carb parts… mostly kit stuff. I will throw in the mirror I use when I ride to the coffee shop. Looks cool but it is not correct. I never got the correct one because they look gangly to me.
Title
Have clean title in my name.
The photos
Some photos were taken in the Alvord desert in Oregon. It was hard to keep the dust off it but was fun. The photo below is a Honda ad from back in the day. I wasn't making a conscious effort to copy the Honda ad from the 70's but it is pretty funny. I got the bike up to just shy of 90 MPH out there. I am not sure why I am not getting the zoom feature with my uploaded photos I will try to upload some larger ones somehow.
This description may grow in size as I remember what I did/bought. If someone wants the bike without signals I can remove them. Same goes for the rack.
Conditions
Serious inquiries only please. Feel free to ask if you are. The payment in full must be cleared before I will release the bike. Buyer is responsible for ALL transportation costs. I will work with any shipper you choose and will help load the bike at my residence. I have worked with DAS in the past and they do a great job. They secure the bikes to a pallet, cover them and supposedly keep the bikes in a temp controlled environment at all times. I usually get to keep the cover too!
Warranty
This vehicle (42 years old) is being offered as-is with no warranty expressed or implied.
Payment Methods:
Cash (in person), certified check, bank transfer.
Fees and Taxes:
Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered.
Disclaimer
It is the customer's sole responsibility to verify the existence and condition of any equipment listed. I do my best best to thoroughly describe the vehicle and its features, please contact me if you have any questions about the bike.
![SL350_AD]()
![SL350_left]()
![SL_right_tank]()
This side of the tank has the worst of the scratches. Click for more detail.
Year:
Mileage:4980
Color:
For Sale By:Private Seller
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