Honda CB350R

LINE

Honda CB350R
LINE

ARTHUR SMAAMO from Norway

HONDA CB350R

CB 350 R racer which I am using for parade.
ARTHUR SMAAMO

RSC parts on this machine. The gearbox (close ratio) are from RSC department. Notice the big fueltank (the Isle of Man type).

My replica CB 350 R is built with help from old pictures and the stories around them. The CB 250/350 is used in classic racing around the world. It is easy to tune and proven to be very reliable and fast (even in standard trim). Some tuners in UK have made some very good modifications concerning the engine and frame. Not many people are aware of that Honda once made a "Sport Kit" for this model in the late 60s. This kit consisted of 91 items to convert the roadster in to a racer. The very first CB 350 racer from Honda was on display at the Tokyo Show autumn 1968. Not many people knew much about it then. On the fueltank it had a mark which said: "Tuned by Honda Racing Service Club". Honda claimed a power output of over 50 bhp. I think this racer was later raced by the well known Bill Smith in UK. The racing kit changed with some items through the following years. The front brake was in the beginning the standard roadster drum, later it changed to 4 ls drumbrake and finally a single disk brake. The gearbox was 5 speed close ratio type, but a new 6 speed close ratio gearbox came in 1972. In the late 60s Honda sent a batch of RSC350 models to Britain for assessment. With the demise of the AJS 7R and Manx Norton there was little choice for the private owner apart from the Aermacchi, and the RSC350 proved fast enough. Yamahas two-strokes were beginning to make inroads into the 350 class, and as they became freely available the marked for the RSC350 faded. The factory recalled the 18 bikes they had entrusted to dealers (UK) and shipped them back to Japan. History tells that two RSC350s remained in UK.

View from rear, Smiths type tachometer 5-15000 rpm.

Picture was taken at Vaaler Raceway summer 1998 in the parade class. Not very fast but still a lot of FUN!
ARTHUR SMAAMO

Norsk Classic TT 2003

My new 2 CB350 races. Had to build another for my oldest son PJ. He is now 20 years old and he is joining me in races when he have time for it.

Rare pictures from Tokyo Motor Show in the early 70s.

These pictures were given to me by Henry (Terry) Brigham who took them visiting the Auto Show in the early 70s. By that time he was an american Honda dealer. Most of the pictures covers the RSC 350 and the other two covers the RSC 90. The pictures speaks for themself, but notice the lack of the Hondalogo on the fueltank - only RSC and "Tuned by he..............." - Honda had quit racing in 1967.
ARTHUR SMAAMO

Yoshimura CB 350 twin

In the early 70s Yoshimura also made a racingkit for the 250/350 twins. This kit was almost simular to the RSC kit, but Yoshimura could offer more options in their racingkit. Yoshimura offered two different camshafts, one for pure race and one for street use. You could also chose from two different valve-systems. The "hot" version had an inlet valve with 6.5mm stem, 2.0mm oversize, lightened and polished. The exhaust valve was simular but with 1.5mm oversize. The more "normal" valve set up had standard (7.0mm) stem and it was only the intake valve which was oversize (1.5mm), the exhaust valve remained the same size as standard. But of course these ones were also lightned and polished. Yoshimura used needle bearings in their cam bearing set, and they also used all metal cam chain guide and roller set. In the US marked they could even supply a two into one racing exhaust for dirt track use instead of the conventional racing meggas. Two different crankshafts were made, the most expensive one was chrommed. Complete new CR350 engines "ready to race" were offered from Yoshimura. Where is this Yoshimura stuff now? Obviosly they had some more to offer than the Racing Service Center, - no doubt these racers were close competitors to the Honda racers!
ARTHUR SMAAMO

Index Page

Classic Racers