1970 Honda Other

SL175-1001096

Clear

Here's a classic! The motorcycle has been in our family since just after it was new, but now it's time to move on to someone else. It was an active transportation mode for my in-laws back in the early 70s, but it sat from 1978 until 2005, when I acquired it. I tinkered with it for a while and rode it for a couple thousand miles, and enjoyed it very much. As of today, the bike runs and rides as good as it ever did, and has somewhere between 6000 and 7000 original miles. Just to summarize, the SL175 is a street-legal two-cylinder 4-stroke bike for on and off-road. It is similar to the CL175 scrambler and CB175 of the same era, but the SL was made in fewer numbers and only for a few years. The SL differs from the others in that it was the most off-road oriented of the line, with features like a high-outlet spark arrestor muffler, no turn signals, and perhaps lower gearing, depending on who ask. You can read more than you probably ever cared to know about this specific bike here: http://jaredyates.com/pages/sl175/sl175.shtml This link details the work that I've done on this motorcycle since 2005, excepting a few very recent things. This season, I've replaced the 2006 battery with a sealed AGM option ($70), and while I was there I added a modern ATC fuse holder to replace the old glass fuse. I also replaced the brass carb floats with modern polymer versions, since the brass ones were having trouble with leaking. In general, I've worked hard to make the bike as reliable as it can be, after growing weary of pushing and/or towing it home in past years. This auction includes the bike, the Honda owner's manual, and a Haynes service manual for the CB175, which is similar. The cosmetics on the bike are mostly original, excepting a repaired/repainted front fender. For its age, the cosmetics are pretty good, but they are far from perfect. For many detailed pictures, see the link above. Since 2005 I rebuilt the engine with new pistons, rings, seals, etc. When I rebuilt the engine I also replaced all of the kickstarter parts with NOS replacements, which was a very expensive endeavor- about $300 in parts alone. Don't let anyone tell you that's an easy fix! I added turn signals, but I used old ones so that they would look like they were supposed to be there. The bike didn't have turn signals from the factory, but the wiring harness already had leads for them. I used the left handlebar switch off of another Honda from the same era. I also added an OEM skid plate, though I don't know if this bike came from the factory with one. I installed UNI pod filters, in part because the OEM air cleaner parts are so hard to find. The bike includes an under-seat tool kit that I assembled based on the contents of the original, but it is not the original set. As for the bad, the motorcycle could probably use some new ignition cables before too long, as the insulation is starting to break down on the originals. There is a small oil leak somewhere, but it's been too small for me to be sure about the origin. It is an old motorcycle, and it requires more attention than modern bikes. Buyers should probably read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance before buying a bike like this one. If it is going to sit for a while, it is worth draining the carb bowls to keep the fuel from going bad. If you'd like to have this kind of bike, this one is a good one to have. It's a very small bike, and while it's street legal, it seems to top out at around 60 mph on the road. This makes it a little too slow for riding on the roads around where I live. The bike is very light weight, easy to ride, and great in cases where you don't need to go much faster than 50 mph. And since it's almost 45 years old and they made so few of them, when you take the bike into town you'll have plenty of opportunity to talk to strangers who will tell you that they used to have one just like it. Most of them will be mistaken, probably thinking of some Yamaha 2-stroke that they had, but that's ok, just smile and nod, and let them reminisce about the good times. One day we'll all be doing the same thing! The bike is located in Hickory, NC, which is about an hour north of Charlotte. It has a clear NC title in my name issued in 2005. It does not currently have a license plate, because in my state, keeping a plate requires annual renewals and current liability insurance, and I'm not riding it enough to justify those costs. Please ask any questions that you may have before the auction ends. I'd prefer that the buyer know exactly what he or she is buying, so that we can both be satisfied with the transaction.