1971 Honda Other

Clear

This was truly a "barn find" that had been put away in the mid 80's (had 1984 license plate) and forgotten. I grew up with these 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 preserved this one. It had boatloads of compression and the transmission felt right on so I tore the whole thing completely down except for splitting the case and spent the next two years fixing and 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 received a perfect match of the correct Honda black satin. The tank, headlight bucket, and side panels you see have the original paint and they are in amazing shape. There are a few small scratches and tiny nicks on the tank (see photos) but they really just give the bike a little character IMHO. 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 for not repainting. 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 paint chipping and if your fenders are aluminum show them off I 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 BlinkersThe 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 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 new 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 if I'm going to ride it. Headlights! I like good ones when I'm caught after dark. The original headlights on these are scary dim by todays standards. You would have to turn these 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 nicely charged. The stock rectifiers on these things suck. The old regulator is still attached to the bike and the upgrade trick is hidden from the eye. 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 usually starts on the first kick if I do it right (by the manual) and even when it is cold. It runs like a champ and pulls better than my friend's 350 Hondas. It truly sounds amazing. The clutch feels good. Everything works as it should. 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 lacquer finish they did when they left the shop in '71.- gas cap NOS- air filter NOS- new sealed chain (Honda sprockets - great shape)- new trials type (like original Bridgestones) tires have maybe 200 miles on them- new neutral switch- new points- new steering bearings- new petcock- new carb kit- new side cover gaskets (no oil leaks)- Charlie's rectifier/regulator combo- i am forgetting stuff- new battery (tender connective) Besides the horn switch and the unpainted fenders the bike is complete and has all of the unobtanium parts.- complete tool kit- tool kit lid - the owners manual (beautiful)- perfect side covers- 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 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 three 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.- the chrome on the steering nut has some corrosion which reminds me of my first SL which had the same issue from it's voyage at sea. 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 (inside) 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 (off in 15min if wanted)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. Start with a beat one which is hopefully what people do when they "restore" them. Mileage The mileage shows 4994 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 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. ExtrasI 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. The "glamor" photos were taken in the Alvord desert in Oregon. It was hard to keep the dust off it but was fun to do! I got the bike up to just shy of 90 MPH out there. 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 A $400 non-refundable deposit will be required within 48 hours of the end of auction to hold the bike. The payment in full within one week 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 bike cover too! WarrantyThis 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. DisclaimerIt is the customer's sole responsibility to verify the 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 and I'll be happy to answer them.