So far here is the running total for this project…

I do not own a helmet. I was living in Cincinnati Ohio when I received the bike, and Ohio is a helmet optional state. So the police did NOT care if I would putt up and down the neighborhood , while daydreaming about fixing it up, without a brain bucket.

Well the police in Papillion Nebraska DO care and DO frequently drive around my neighborhood since the county courthouse is just up the road. So now I need to get myself a helmet, but before I do I figured I would ask for recommendations on which brands/models NOT to get. So if you have any non-recommendations, drop a comment. Oh yeah, I am looking for a full face model.

As I said earlier I will be replacing the front brake shoe’s, tires and clutch plates. I already own the clutch plates, so I need to procure the shoe’s and tires, along with a new battery, oil, filter and helmet before I will get the bike plated.

After having some discussions online about tires and talking with a few local dealers, I have decided to go with the Avon Roadrunner AM20 and AM21. No particular reason for choosing the Avon’s over the other brands recommended. They’re just a matched set, decently priced and I have not heard anyone talk bad about them… yet.

The dealer did not have the shoe’s or the tires in stock. They said it would take about a business week to get everything in. I decided to wait to place the order for two reasons:

1. I did not get approval from Amy to make the purchase today.
2. I promised Amy I would finish up several “house” tasks on my honey-do list before I would shift focus to the bike.

So once I get the tasks done and gain approval, I will be placing an order.

Looks like I am not the only one trying to get an old cb360 running again. Hugh, was kind enough to wish me luck and parts, if i need them. He has already started work on his cb360, and you can follow his progress on his blog.

After reading Hugh’s blog, it looks like he is much more knowledgable than I about this sort of thing… so I just hope that I can be of some assistance to Hugh, instead of being a leech.

Thanks again Hugh!

Here are a few pictures of my project bike… I will post more as I get started with the front brake.

UPDATE: Pictures are being moved to the gallery.

Well the Honda Motorcycle Technical Help Board is looking to be very helpful. I have received a few replies to my plead for help with the front brake, and hope to try replacing it sometime next week. I will be sure to document what I go through. I just hope the Clymer is right and that I can get it done.

Thanks again to John, TerryW and Mike for the advice and help!

Found another resource that I hope will prove useful…

• Honda Motorcycle Technical Help Board

I hope that someone has tips on how to get the front brake apart.

Google’d around for information on bike maintenance, repair, etc… and found the following gems:

• Dan’s Motorcycle Repair Course
• Motorcycle Repair and Restoration

These look like they will come in handy, so I have added them to the url’s on the right. If you have any other URL recommendations, please, pass them on.

I am getting ready to restore/rebuild/fix my 1974 Honda CB360. This is going to be a long and educational project for me.

I consider myself fairly mechanically inclined, but I only have a high level understanding of how motorcycles work, and have no hands-on experience with the inner workings of motorcycles. Therefore, this will be a FIRST for me, and I hope to search/beg/borrow/plead for help whenever I need it ;). And if I am lucky, hopefully I will get the help and learn a lot in the process.

The project bike does run, but it needs work before I would feel comfortable using it as my daily commuter vehicle, hence this project. I will post pictures of the bike, this weekend, before I start any work. I’ve purchased the Clymer manual for this bike and I think I am ready to begin.

Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I plan on starting the project by tackling all safety issues first, then moving onto getting things running well, and finally the aesthetics.

The bike was purchased from my brother-in-law, Donnie, and given to me as a gift from my father-in-law. Taking Donnie’s recommendations into consideration, I think these are my primary safety issues and what I will tackle first:

• Brakes – New on the rear, but the front have never been replaced. After taking the bike for a short ride, the front brakes are useless. Donnie says he could never get the front brakes apart to replace them.
• Clutch – Donnie purchased new clutch gears but never got around to replacing. I do not know what a “bad” clutch would feel like as I have only ridden new bikes, but if he says it needs to be replaced and I trust him.
• Tires – Well they are worn, different makes/models, and the rear has a plug. I don’t know if it makes any difference, but I would think you would want them to be of the same make/model, and I personally do not want to rely on a plugged tire.

If anyone out there has other things that should be added to my safety list, or knows how to get the front brakes apart, please let me know.