Project Xl350 Honda, Part Ii

Project XL350 Honda, Part II

An End To The Tired Body And The Heavy Honda Front End

IN THE LAST issue of CW we carried the first installment of our 350 Honda project. We dealt mainly with the basics needed to assemble a standard Honda XL350 in a C&J custom frame. At that time we made the would-be do-it-yourselfer aware that, regardless of what the sales propaganda indicated, he would be on his own a good part of the time. None of the modifications, however, were difficult or impossible, and for the most part could be carried out by the backyard mechanic without any special tools or talent.

We have finally completed the bike the way it was intended to be, and, after spending some time on it in the dirt, we have reassured ourselves that we made a wise choice of frames. The following are the most noticeable improvements in the handling and steering of the XL.

WEIGHT, GEOMETRY AND HANDLING

What would you say to riding an XL350 that lofts the front wheel with a tweak of the throttle? One that sails over jumps with the front wheel higher than the rear? Impossible? Not with the 350 engine in the C&J frame. We have noticed nothing but improvements in the handling and steering, not to mention the ease on the rider's body. It no longer takes muscles to wrestle this Single over the roughest terrain.

Of course the light weight plays an important part, but let's look at the package as a whole and talk about each change and why it was instituted. The fork angle can be adjusted to any one of three angles: 29, 30 and 31 degrees. The standard cones account for the 30-degree setting and the offset ones can be adjusted to either 29 or 31 degrees. To an expert rider these small changes can be felt, but for the average rider this really isn't too noticeable until extremes in conditions are reached.

This change in fork angle also changes the trail and wheelbase. It really isn't necessary to spend the extra money for the adjustable steering head, we feel that the standard > set-up with 30 degrees is satisfactory. If you opt for the adjustable head, remember that the steeper angle will allow the bike to steer quicker, perhaps even too quickly.

On the scales the XL tips 249 lb. dry. Weight distribution is 114 lb. on the front wheel and 135 on the rear, or a bias of 46/54 percent. How does this compare to the standard XL350? Well, the Stocker's weight bias is two percent more to the rear at a 44/56 split. But let's not forget another important factor, the unmodified 350's total weight of 302 lb. dry. Our project bike offers a substantial weight savings of 53 lb.

The weight savings also brings with it other distinct advantages. One is the improved power-to-weight ratio. This is most noticeable after the first ride on the XL. Throttle résponse is instantaneous. No longer is it necessary to ^it a block before things get wound up. Add to this the torqi^^his medium-sized engine puts out and the XL becomes an enjoyable and easy bike to ride.

Something that really helps in the enjoyment department is the pair of long-travel Curnutt shocks we used to replace the original damper units. The assembly instructions tell how to fit them. Pay particular attention to this procedure. Once installed, there is no way to check the shock action while the bike is parked in the garage. Get on and ride it.

We were pleased with the action. There was no tendency to pitch or bottom out. Keeping the power to the ground was a simple matter, as the rear wheel followed all the ground irre^fcrities without a tendency to swap ends with the front whe^L

The floating brake modification has improved braking on the rear wheel.

PROBLEM AREAS

After all is said and done, the C&J-framed Honda is quite a bike, but like anything mechanical there are always little things that have to be changed or modified for the sake of reliability.

We had the misfortune to learn about one of the Honda's biggest problems firsthand. The crankcases break. That's right, break. After several miles of riding, we noticed an excess of grime collecting at the right rear of the engine. Cleaning this mysterious collection off revealed a crack in the upper case just below the engine mount. Every nut and bolt was tight, so we were sure that the crack wasn't caused by vibration.

A call to Honda revealed that our misfortune wasn't an everyday occurrence, but had been known to happen. ''Oh no, that hasn't been a problem. But, by the way, it is covered under warranty." The break itself is caused by the kickstarter mechanism returning too quickly, due to the engine kicking back while you're trying to start it. This forces the cases apart until they finally crack.

To alleviate this unhealthy and expensive situation, a modified ignition advance is now fitted to the XL. This retards the spark more at cranking speeds. Once started, the mechanism has as much advance as before. The part number for the new advance mechanism is 30220-356-004. Bill Bell is also aware of the problem and has devised a method to fix but not cure it. By using an aluminum plate at the weak point, the cases are reinforced and will withstand the abuse. A case that has been broken can be repaired in this manner by a competent welder.

After adding everything up, you can see that the XL project is no inexpensive proposition. But the cost is not out of line with the gains in handling. The C&J steers better, slides better and rides better than a stock XL. And it will wheelie with abandon!