First bike - Honda CB/CL350 or...?

[Propi]

Hello everyone, greetings from Poland!
Recently, after viewing "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" four times I've developed a serious affection for motorcycles - or one motorcycle, to be exact.

The heroine of the movie rode this piece of art:





More pictures - http://www.flickr.com/photos/coop666/se ... 391956435/

http://www.thevintag...tage.com/?p=856

http://theselvedgeya...-dragon-tattoo/

After conducting some research, I found out that the bike in question is a Honda CB350/CL350, heavily customised. Creators of the movie chose this particular model because it's something a twenty-year-old can afford. If she could - maybe I could too?

Since I never rode a real motorcycle, this would be my first machine. I've got a few questions which I hope you can answer.
1. The CB350 and CL350 are a rather hard find in my country. Are there any similar looking models, maybe from other manufacturers? I'm looking for something that looks as if an SS-man could've driven it during the WWII If I'm correct, the type of motorcycle I'm after is called a scrambler or a cafe racer. Is there anything, besides the Honda, that I should be looking at? My budget is modest - around 1000-2000$, so no Triumph Bonnevilles please
2. Is it a difficult motorcycle to ride in terms of handling etc? I'm not looking for high speeds or long travels, sometimes I'd just like to get out of town for a few hours and drive around.
3. How expensive is this machine to maintain? The Hondas I've seen were made mostly in the 60's-80's and I've read that parts for japanese bikes are rather expensive.

Thanks in advance for all your answers!

[Johnj]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Piotr I'm pretty sure that you have a couple of machines available. There should be 350cc/400cc bike from all manufacturers to chose from, unlike here in the United States. Good luck.

[momule]

My first bike was a Honda CB360T and it was perfect for a number of years until I could afford and became experienced enough to move up to a larger bike. You might look into that bike if you can find one. Also don't forget the Taiwanese and Chinese bikes. They are less expensive than Japanese bikes and yes, they will require some minor mechanical skills over time but the skill and tool level required is basically simple. Look at Aprilia for example. You may also find a 250CC Honda Rebel used...these are wonderfully reliable small bikes that will keep up easily with city traffic and short trips on the highway at 55 -60 miles per hour.

[sunshine229]

Hello and welcome!

Great photos of the bike and I can see why you have fallen in love with it.

When you're starting out as a rider it's great to begin on something small so you are in the right ballpark. You'll have to keep your eye on the classifieds in your area to see what comes up.

Good luck!

[Hondagirl]

That is a nice bike. Welcome

[VermilionX]

i like cafe racers.

kewl bike!

[Katharine]

Lovely! One of my favorites (I loved the one in the film too-- I pegged it as a vintage Honda CB right away).

If I ever get a bike, I'd be looking into a vintage Honda myself (though I'd probably be looking at a dual-sport--XL250 or XL350-- with the CB350 being my second choice).

Have you looked around at Craigslist in your area yet? That'll give you an idea of how the prices tend to look (in metro Detroit these seem to go for around $2k, give or take depending on condition, how badly the person needs/wants to sell, etc.). It'll also give you an idea of if parts may be available. I thought I'd read somewhere that vintage Hondas are common enough that parts aren't too expensive, but don't quote me on that because it's been a while since I've read it and I'm certainly nowhere near an expert.

You might do a google image search to see what other models you might like-- perhaps try some of the other Japanese makers; you might google "vintage Yamaha motorcycle" etc. Many bikes from that era look similar-- I had a look myself real quick, searching for vintage Yamahas and Suzukis, and yes, many of the pics looked very much like the Hondas.

Good luck! Make sure to post pics if you find something.