1971 Honda Other

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1971 Honda SL175K1 "Motosport" 175 in OEM Candy Sapphire Blue & White livery. Bike is in very nice original condition and shows just 1685 original miles. It has suffered conditionally from it's 40+ years in the Pacific Northwest in that it has a small amount of surface rust on some of the chrome and showing through the very thin silver paint on the frame. This bike is a very nice, low-mileage original rider so if you have to have a perfect showbike you'll want to look at the $4000+ bikes available elsewhere. I bought this bike last spring, (2012) and am at least the third owner. I bought the bike to ride on the Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts "Tiddler Tour" held on Vashon Island each Father's Day, (a ride for small-bore machines under 350cc's.) I had always ridden 350's in the past, 'wanted to try something smaller and had wanted an SL175 for many years so when it came up for sale locally I bought it and went about setting it right. After assessing the condition of the engine and finding it to be well within spec's, (165 lbs. compression on both cylinders at approximately 6% leakdown) I gave the bike a full service, (camchain tensioner, valves and ignition timing adjusted; carburetors kitted and balanced; new sparkplugs; new air filter elements; fresh oil) replaced the front fork seals and fluid and installed a new battery and drive chain. I had to go up one size on the main jets to compensate for the new aftermarket air filter elements, (the original elements disintegrated upon removal and OEM replacements are no longer available) and this solved the high-speed lean condition it was exhibiting initially. The top-end has been re-gasketed at some point in the past, prior to my ownership and while the head and base gaskets are dry there is some oil seepage during operation from the gaskets behind the cam boxes. It's not severe so I did not address it, (these can be replaced without removal of the cylinder head or cam.) All cables were lubed and adjusted. The brake shoes and wheel bearing were inspected and found to be fine. The steering head bearings and swingarm bushings were good as would be expected on a low-mileage machine. The bike is still on it's original tires which are completely serviceable, showing good tread and no weather-checking. Besides the humidity-related corrosion I mentioned earlier the bike showed some degradation of the finish on the exhaust system so I removed, repainted and reinstalled the it and the skid plate. There were two small holes on the back of the muffler which I repaired with JB Weld prior to painting. The original fuel tank had some dents and I wasn't thrilled about it's interior so I sourced a nicer, cleaner used one and installed it. This "new" tank has some paint chips and a small dent in the top, right, rear corner from what I believe to be contact with the seat pan, as the original tank had a similar dent. The left sidecover has been repaired and repainted prior to my ownership. It's a good repair job and the paint color is very close but not perfect. I repaired some cracks I found in the right sidecover; it retains it's OEM finish. The front fender has some paint damage near the front and along the edges which I have tried to show in the pictures. The rear fender is very nice. The bike has a "new" OEM seat; I found and installed a latch mechanism which was missing when I purchased the bike. The mirrors are a period, non-OEM matched pair. There is a scratch in the silver painted finish on the engine clutch cover. The bike starts easily, (it is kick only) and, once fully warmed, idles smoothly and pulls strongly in all 5 gears. It will cruise at 50, showing about 6500 RPM on the tach. The brakes and suspension function as well as can be expected from 40-year-old technology. All electrical systems, (charging output, headlight hi/lo beam, tail/brakelight from lever and pedal, instrument lighting, neutral indicator light, hi-beam indicator light, horn) function fully and properly. All the controls, (throttle, brakes from lever and pedal, headlight on/off-hi/lo beam switch, kill button, horn button) function fully and properly. The bike rides like a bicycle; very light and nimble and stable at speed. It was designed to be a dual-purpose machine and can be taken off-road 'though I used in on the street exclusively. The SL175 is a fairly rare machine, produced and sold in the U.S. market for only two years and embodies some unique features that set it apart from it's CB/CL siblings. It has a double-downtube frame and unique "TT" style exhaust headpipes that tuck beneath the engine between the frame tubes before joining the single muffler which follows up the rear frame member to a high single outlet. The electric starter port is blocked off on the back of the left engine sidecover and it was sold without turn signals. While I'd hate to see this particular bike ruined I think a pre-wadded SL175 would make the best start for a cafe' bike. While the bike is offered as-is with no warranty expressed or implied I do stand behind the machines I own, ride and sell and will happily assist the buyer with any information or recommendations I can provide regarding their operation and/or service. I have done my best to describe the service and refurbishment processes the bike has undergone while in my possession and it's current condition. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to email and/or request my phone number. I will be happy to assist with transportation information, the cost of which will be entirely that of the purchaser. Thank you for looking/ bidding!