1965 Honda CL

CL77 1007614

Clear

howardj27 Store Up for adoption is this VERY ORIGINAL and LOW MILEAGE 1965 Honda CL77 305 Scrambler - a very nice example from the first production year for Honda's legendary 305 Scrambler, kept in storage for many, many years by previous owner, only 1,855 original miles on the odometer! (Note: the mileage will go up a bit over the next few days - I am still riding this gem, to help ease the pain of the seller's remorse I know I will have when it leaves!)... Frame number CL77 1007614, engine number CL77E-1007578. Engine fires right up after a kick or two, runs great, revs like crazy, pulls smoothly right up through the rev range, everything works, clutch, gearbox, brakes, speedometer/odometer, lights... There is some faint smoke on start-up, I think due to the fact that the rings need to bed in - before I got the bike a couple of years ago it had not run in 30 years or so, and I have only put about 50 miles on it - needs a couple hundred miles I would think, should clear up, or you could always do the "right thing", pop the top end and treat it to some new rings... Carbs have been rebuilt & synched, oil has been changed, spark plugs replaced, new battery installed - that is all I did to bring it back to life... Hey, it's a HONDA! The chainguard & rider's footpeg rubbers are missing, and the handlebar grips were replaced at some point, but other than that this bike is COMPLETE & VERY original! Previous owner repainted the tank way back when - I guess he had planned to "restore" it - but the silver paint on the fenders & side covers is original and is scratched, faded & worn as you would expect. The tank is in excellent condition - no rust inside, one very small ding on the right side just above and in front of the knee pad, that's it, no other dents or dings... Paint should be re-done when/if you decide to do a cosmetic restoration, as it has some flaws and gas stains, but the rubber kneepads are original (left kneepad is cracked or split), the plastic badges are gorgeous, and the filler cap is in great shape. Front fender has some dings on the front edge and a couple of shallow dents, otherwise intact & solid, no cracks or rust, original fender brackets in great shape with very nice chrome. The side covers are straight & intact, original paint is faded & worn. The rear fender has had a couple of extra holes drilled behind the seat, otherwise in very good shape, NO dents, dings or cracks. The seat and seat cover are original - foam is a bit dried out, cover has a 2" split at the left rear, base is straight & intact. Handlebars, levers & switches are all original. This bike has the correct 19" DID chrome steel shouldered rims front & rear (used ONLY on the 250 & 305 Scrambler), with the correct smaller front brake used only on the 1965 first-year CL77 models. The front rim is in near-perfect condition, straight & true with excellent chrome. The rear rim is also straight, however the chrome is a bit faded, there are some small spots of pitting here & there and some scratches. Both tires are Japanese-made Bridgestone universal type, plenty of good tread but also plenty of age cracking in the sidewalls - these may well be the original tires installed at the factory! The characteristic feature of all the CL models of course is the high-level exhaust system, and this one is in truly EXCELLENT condition - VERY nice chrome, NO cracks, dings or rust on the pipes, heat shields have some very light pitting and just one shallow ding on the top front heat shield (easy to straighten), removable muffler with rubber seals is in near-PERFECT condition, chrome shines like new! This is also unique to the early Scramblers - later models had the muffler welded on... If you want to relive your hooligan youth - or just annoy the neighbors - pop off the can and blast down the street - what a sweeeet song it sings!!! This bike has the original bash plate, steering damper, side stand AND center stand, all in great shape. As with any vintage machine that has made this many trips around the sun, there are numerous signs of age and minor flaws that will need attention - there is some pitting in the chrome, specifically on the rear shocks, steering stem nut, fork nuts, etc. The black paint on the fork ears & headlight shell has some scratches, but the underlying sheet metal is in great shape, no dents or dings. Likewise the paint on the engine covers has come off in some areas, but there is no structural damage anywhere - NO bent or broken fins, NO cracks, NO weld repairs. There is a tear in the left rubber fork gaiter, the wiring from the left handlebar switch has been wrapped with electrical tape, the right rubber air filter to carb manifold has also been wrapped with tape, and the right rearview mirror does not line up right and may be bent, although both mirrors are original OEM Honda. Not trying to go overboard on the details here, just want to make sure there are no surprises... On the upside, there is a LOT to LIKE about this great first-year CL77 - it would make a very easy and low-cost restoration, or ride it as-is for as long as you like!!! This is a VERY VERY NICE stock & original 1965 CL77 305 Scrambler - Sold with clear title and current California non-op registration!!! Watch my upcoming listings for a 1964 CB77 305 Superhawk in equally nice shape! RESERVE LESS THAN $2K!!! Payment by Paypal or email me for local pick-up payment options. LOCAL PICK-UP IN SAN JOSE CA PREFERRED! However I will work with winning bidder to arrange shipping by trucking company or private party of your choice... International shipping can also be arranged - email me to discuss options! On May-01-10 at 21:55:21 PDT, seller added the following information: UPDATE: I took the CL out for a 50-mile drive this morning (May 1), the little screamer ran GREAT, never missed a beat! With it's 4-speed gearbox & stock Scrambler gearing, you sure run out of gears fast, 60mph in 4th feels like about 18,000RPM (just kidding!)... The cool thing is it is such a free-revving engine, it still has plenty more to give at 60+... If I was going to keep it, I think I would install a smaller CB77 rear sprocket to up the overall gearing - would make the Scrambler much more streetable... When I got back, no more smoke... Odometer now reads 1907, and counting!On May-10-10 at 07:16:58 PDT, seller added the following information: Update #2: Took the CL out Sunday morning for a short final ride, odometer now reads 1927 and will stay there ... On the upside, there was NO smoke on start up, does seem that the rings are bedding in, the bike ran perfectly and did not miss a beat. I did notice for the first time that the bolt that mounts the exhaust pipes to the rear frame boss (just ahead of the shock absorber) has broken off - not an issue unless you want to run with the straight pipes only, since the muffler also acts as a "stabilizer" for the pipes... Also there is a minor oil leak underneath the engine somewhere - I can't tell for sure, but it looks like it is probably from the crankcase sump plate, because the two nuts that can be accessed without removing the bash plate were not as tight as they should be... Could use a cleaning of course, and a set of fresh gaskets...