[Minnesota Driver]

I've owned many bikes in my 30 some years, but this is my first complete restoration. Its a 1966 CB160 with 7400 miles.

A guy I work with had it sitting in his barn for the last 27 years. I was telling him how I was looking for a project and he said he had just the bike for me! He was only the second owner, and had the bike since '69. The original owner painted it, had ape hanger bars on it and had mutilated the oringinal seat for a "custom" look, hence the non-original parts.

Apparently the starter went out (what exactly happened i don't know, as the chain and sprocket are both m.i.a.) followed by the kicker shaft stripping out. He lost interest and bought a bigger bike, and the lil Honda found a new home in the barn with his sheep.

When I came to the rescue the bike was under a pile of boxes and tools and various farm implement parts, and of course, 27 years worth of barn dust! You can see where I had to scratch through the dirt to see the odometer. It was 99% complete, and he claimed it ran great when he parked it, so two $100 bills later we were throwing it in the back of my pick-up.

 

[Minnesota Driver]

Re: Project CB160

My first step was to get it running (after losing the fenders, bars, seat, pipes, sidecovers, etc.) and make sure it was worthy of pumping countless dollars and hours into. Gas tank was like new inside, so I just had to clean the carbs, new fuel line, plugs, clean points, etc.-- all the usual stuff. For the time being I cut a keyway into the kickstart shaft and lever which turned out to be a quick, simple fix. 6 kicks later she was purring like a kitten!

Next I wanted to take it up the road and run through the gears before complete disassembly. The clutch was frozen so I had to clean up and lube the plates.

She runs and drives great! Hell, the old tires even hold air! Time for the project to begin.

 

[Minnesota Driver]

Re: Project CB160

Can you get steel wool by the bushel??

Front rim is pretty good, but the rear is pitted bad in some spots and has a nice ding in it. New rims might be a good project for this winter.

 

[tbpmusic]

Re: Project CB160

Very cool, does it even have a title?? Or does that matter much in your state?

Brings up a lot of questions for me, as this is one of those models which the literature is very confusing about.

Hopefully Steve can weigh in on this.........

What are your engine/frame numbers, first of all?

The fiches (as well as memory) indicate there was a 1965 CB160, a Sloper.
But the literature suggests that CB160 started with 1968, serial number CB160-100xxxx
Looks exactly like the '65 to me, a Sloper.


The Honda Manual I have for CB125/160 is wonderful (one of the better 60's manuals), but is not dated, and makes no mention of serial numbers.
According to the literature, the 160 had a little brother Twin, the 125, available as a single-carb Sloper in '67-'69, and as the upright engine type (like a baby 175 K3) '68-'70.
I've seen them in photos only.

Also, there was always a LOT of variation in models exported to different countries.

 

[Minnesota Driver]

Re: Project CB160

It came with a title, and interesting you should ask...

The DMV didn't care for this very much. They need the engine # on all bike titles in MN and this is what I found...

I told the nice lady that the number plate was blank. She told me I needed one in order to get a title so i'd better check again, so I went home and took a picture for her. Hmmm... She said we could just enter the frame number and hope for the best, but it was my ass on the line and it may throw up some red flags. I told her that I was indeed a scofflaw and things like this didn't bother me in the least so we filled it out and she sent it in. My new title came in a week!



Upon further research I discovered that it was common on these bikes for the top motor mount bolts to rattle out, thus putting strain on the lower mounts and causing them to crack. The dealer would replace the case and was supposed to stamp the new one with the original engine #. Not the case with mine.

This is what I was told anyhow.

I'll post the vin when I get home.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Re: Project CB160

Very cool project! Welcome aboard!

You might start having a look at some of the bolts on her, and see if there is any paint from the factory indicating that they were tightened and checked for tightness, then a brush stroke applied to them? I know they did this with some bolts on various models, but I'm no pro with these things. I just thought it might give you more clues as to whether your cases had been replaced or not..

GB :mrgreen:

 

[tbpmusic]

Re: Project CB160

Yoiks, I forgot you live in one of the states that Title on the engine number !!!
More and more interesting - though I don't remember anything about broken engine mount points, I'm sure it happened. Doesn't the top crankcase only contact the frame at the rear????

 

[66Sprint]

Re: Project CB160

Bill....My two cents..... Yes, the top cases only mount at the upper rear... But when the engine's top mount gets loose two things happen... the engine no longer is a "stressed member", so the frame flexes, AND without the added stability, the countershaft sprocket pull on the chain "rocks the engine, wallowing the mount holes (at best) or cracking the mounts... I (the Honda shop I worked at) replaced several cases back in the day.....
BTW, 68 was the first year for the 175's (and overlapped the 160's), the CB and CL 160 were available in late 65 as a 66 model year bike.... :lol:

 

[tbpmusic]

Re: Project CB160

Bill....My two cents..... Yes, the top cases only mount at the upper rear... But when the engine's top mount gets loose two things happen... the engine no longer is a "stressed member", so the frame flexes, AND without the added stability, the countershaft sprocket pull on the chain "rocks the engine, wallowing the mount holes (at best) or cracking the mounts... I (the Honda shop I worked at) replaced several cases back in the day.....
BTW, 68 was the first year for the 175's (and overlapped the 160's), the CB and CL 160 were available in late 65 as a 66 model year bike.... :lol:

Ok, what about the serial number inconsistencies in the literature - suggesting the 68 began with 100xxx.
That obviously must be incorrect??
It will be interesting to see what this one's frame number might be........

And the '68 175 was a sloper, which has been determined here before. More closely related to the 160 and 250/305 than the later 175's.

I'll have to confess to never working on 160's all that much, mainly I did the "bigger" ones.

 

[66Sprint]

Re: Project CB160

The number thing really isn't so unusual for that time period.... The 450 K0's from 65 to 68 are all reported as starting 100xxxx even though we KNOW of lots of changes that in later years would have called for a "K" (first serial digit) change......Just the way it was done then.......

 

[Minnesota Driver]

Re: Project CB160

My frame # is 1040375

 

[Minnesota Driver]

Re: Project CB160

I figured I should make my seat before I tear the bike apart. I will be relocating the battery and rectifier under the bumstop. I used a piece of 3/8" plywood for the pan so I can staple the upholstery to the underside. I cut it to follow the lines of the frame exactly, and it slides right up under the rear tank mount. The plywood ends at about the shock mounts so the glass pod will slip over the battery and be removable for easy access.

I made my "bubble" out of spray foam. A layer of duct tape over the frame so it doesn't stick, and cover everything else as the foam and glass are very messy. Little layers at a time or it will fall flat like a pancake (don't ask me how I know!)

I used a serrated knife and a rasp to shape the foam. The spray foam is nice because if ya screw up you can just add a little more. My goal was to match the shape and curvature of the rear of the gas tank, and be just big enough to house the battery and maybe even a tool pouch.

When I had the shape I wanted I covered the foam with duct tape so the glass wouldn't stick to the foam. (Since my design was going to wrap around the bottom in the rear slightly, the form wasn't going to lift off of the foam, so i'd have to bust it out with a paddle bit on my drill.) I left an inch or two of at the front of the pod for added strength, although now I don't think it was necessary.

Time for glass! I used an entire quart size kit that included the mat. It made about 3 complete layers and a shell that's about 1/8" thick. I used my angle grinder to clean it up and smooth out the high spots, then a layer of bondo to smooth it out. Rasp, sand, eyeball, more bondo, rasp, sand, eyeball, etc, etc,... I somehow lost my pics of the bondo stage. When I got it as good as I felt I could it was off to my paint guy for a final glazing and paint.

 

[Minnesota Driver]

Re: Project CB160

The color is Dodge pv6 Sunburst Orange Pearl. Only $80/pint! :shock: My wife's uncle is a body man who does excellent work and charges me sparingly. The whole job cost me $170.

My first attempt at fiberglass work was a success! :mrgreen:

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Re: Project CB160

Nice work! But you totally stole my color!!! Actually I was looking at the GM version of that paint color..

GB :mrgreen:

 

[leethal]

Re: Project CB160

If thats your first attempt at throwin glass, I cant wait to what you come up with in the future :shock:

Excellent work.

 

[Minnesota Driver]

Re: Project CB160

If thats your first attempt at throwin glass, I cant wait to what you come up with in the future :shock:

Excellent work.

Thanks! Nothing to it, really. It's all in getting that foam mold just right.

 

[66Sprint]

Re: Project CB160

OK....First, Nice glass work!...BUT... WHY are you relocating the battery and electronics HIGHER and Further away from the CG of the bike?... This can contribute to a LESS stable and poorer "tracking" effect.......The mathmaticly ideal place would be centered right near/preferably below the swing arm pivot (where the centerstand used to mount) or as low and "tight" to the engine cases as possible, or even where the starter motor was if you want to increase forward weight bias..................... This "High and behind" mounting seems to be a common modification at present, I was just wondering what the reasoning behind it is..... Steve

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Re: Project CB160

Sorry to interupt but I'm all over the net daily, and have been forever. I've seen a butt-load of bikes built using that method of relocating the battery. I think it's a convenience thing Steve.. An easy place to put the battery that's otherwise an un-used space.

GB :mrgreen:

 

[leethal]

Re: Project CB160

Well if ya beer gut and jerky tits are over the tank I guess the rear placements are canceled out :lol: Yes, I got beer gut AND jerky tits :lol:

 

[Minnesota Driver]

Re: Project CB160

OK....First, Nice glass work!...BUT... WHY are you relocating the battery and electronics HIGHER and Further away from the CG of the bike?... This can contribute to a LESS stable and poorer "tracking" effect.......The mathmaticly ideal place would be centered right near/preferably below the swing arm pivot (where the centerstand used to mount) or as low and "tight" to the engine cases as possible, or even where the starter motor was if you want to increase forward weight bias..................... This "High and behind" mounting seems to be a common modification at present, I was just wondering what the reasoning behind it is..... Steve

Notice I also removed the front fender (and all fork stability), I removed all but a mere 1" of ass padding, and I moved the handlebars down to where I can nearly touch my toes with my face.


So, as with everything else I own, it's just for looks.
:lol: