By the mid-1970s, Honda’s motorcycle division faced reduced investment and relied on revisions of existing models. This article examines developments around the CB350/360 series and the continuation of the street scrambler concept between 1974 and 1976.
Honda under pressure
By the mid-1970s, the street scrambler trend was beginning to run out of steam, but Steve Cooper looks at a model which kept the faith until the end.
As mentioned previously, Honda’s move into automobiles had serious implications for its two-wheeled division. With only so much capital to go around, something had to give and it was motorcycle side of things that inevitably suffered.
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Stifled of significant investment, robbed of its brightest minds and starved of finance, things weren’t exactly rosy. The best the designers could do would be to rehash and revise existing designs with the minimum outlay. Some of the end results paid off – the CB400/4 was a prime example. However, much of what Honda’s motorcycle division rolled out was little more than warmed up leftovers with new panels and paint jobs and it showed. Ultimately the potentially costly gamble paid off and the firm would go on to excel at making cars, thereby massively expanding its turnover and value on the stock market. It could have gone disastrously wrong but, once reinvigorated, Honda aced everyone with the all-new CB750/900F and the CBX1000.
Development of the CB350/360
Meanwhile, back when its bikes were still in the doldrums, the 350K4 received a front disc brake to become the CB350G5; other than a change of paint the bike looked just like the CB350K4. Knowing this was never going to be enough, the old K series 250/350 twins got a revamp to become the G5 models. Upping the bore from 64mm to 67mm raised the capacity from 325cc to 357cc to deliver the CB360G5.
With the motor still based on the old 350, there were some changes but nothing too dramatic (or expensive!), although it did get a sixth gear, new oil pump and cam chain tensioner. New panels and styling, along with a big comfy seat and soft suspension, pretty much completed the makeover, leaving most potential customers a little underwhelmed.
Street scrambler iteration
Over in the USA Honda rolled out the inevitable street scrambler from 1974 to 1976. Most of what was there was taken from the CB250/360G5 models with the exception of the tank, seat guard and braced handlebars and, as always, the street scrambler ran a high-level exhaust system along the left side. One definite carry over from the K series was the old TLS front brake as Honda recognised that a disc on a bike which might just be ridden on the rough wasn’t a good idea!
The 360 motor wasn’t a significant improvement over the 350 – it still vibrated as much and subtle retuning for torque rather than speed hadn’t improved performance, either. Carburation was jerky, there was a recall on the cam chain tensioner and then higher mileage examples started having cylinder head wear under the camshafts. The six-speed box might just have been okay on the CB360G5, but on the CL iteration it was simply one gear too many.
End of the line
With the last examples of the 360s rolling out in early 1976, Honda walked quietly away from the street scrambler concept, making it the last manufacturer to offer the genre (unless someone knows different?) From here, the model would become the CJ360 bedecked with Euro styling and 2-into-1 exhaust – at low level. Was it significantly better? Probably not, although with better suspension the CJs did handle quite well apparently. Yet it wasn’t enough and Honda was already working on a totally new design. Known first as the Dream (CB250/400T) then the Super Dream (CB250/400N), it re-established Honda’s reputation, but they weren’t going to be making any street scrambler versions!
Original article appeared in Old Bike Mart. To subscribe, click here: https://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/old-bike-mart
