LOT
23 1973 CB350F Engine No: CB530F 1066590 Chassis No: CB530F 1036531 Max Power: 34hp Top Speed: 160kph $2,500 – $3,500
THE RIGHT PATH The four-cylinder CB series represents one of the great technical leaps since motorcycling began – a potent overhead cam engine, disc brakes, a tight five-speed gearbox, electric start and guts to boot. Winning the French 24-hour Bo d’Or race in 1969 and the 1970 United States Daytona, the CB750 was then compacted into the CB350F.
The power below 6500rpm was highly manageable and came on in a pleasant rush above 6500rpm that carried the rider all the way to the bike’s respectable 8500rpm red-line. The handling was known to be good and predictable for the time. Overall the bike is comfortable and well laid out, the engine indestructible, easy to work on, and very reliable.
Although aimed at the sporting segment of the market, the four-stroke CB350F did not have the acceleration of the competition’s two-strokes. But what the CB350F engine lacked in power it made up for in refinement: the small-displacement four-stroke was smoother, quieter and much more economical than the two-strokes.
The CB350F is a personal experience, a modern tinkerer’s machine, a good first bike, a great way to get to work and back, or to enjoy some nostalgia for those of us who remember them when they were new.