Pete and Laz

Pete and Laz
Yeah, Pete it's rough...but it's a runner.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

My first ride, again...


Over at another blog called "Thistledown" was a post labeled "Fixer-upper". You can visit that blog from the right over there, where there is a list of blogs...by clickin' on it of course...
It's a pic of the same model and color that my first bike was. I've  posted this pic before, and probably said I'd be posting some more of it. Yeah, as soon as I find them and scan them in...

It's a 1969 CL 175 K3, brand new with the temp reg taped to the rear fender. It's late 1968. The 1969 models are out. It was an interesting time to buy a Honda. They still had 160's and 175's with the slanted motors . They also still had CB 305 Superhawks,CL 305 Scramblers and 4 speed 450's in the shops for sale. And of course the mind blower was the CB 750 Four. If my memory serves, my 175 was $640.00 out the door, and I talked the sales man into a red metal flake "Skid Lid" and a very cheap pair of imitation leather gloves. I remember some friends saying you gotta talk them into giving you a helmet and anything else you can get them to throw in to seal the deal...gift of gab I guess. The 350's were about $735.00, and the 750 went for about 1295.00, don't quote me, but I believe that is about right. I was angling for a 750, had the old man convinced I could handle the payments...but my mother put an end to that fantasy. The prices on 750's started going up about 200 dollars a year after that and were always just out of my reach. I did finally pick up a 1972 CB 750 years later, which I still own.

I sold my 175 to my brother, who "big- bored" it into a 200 and ran open megaphones with a smidgeon of baffling . This is the same brother that now owns the Sportster with the Nitrous set up... He sold it on to a friend and away it went.

A while back I was given a similar bike, an SL 175. Also picked up a stack of 175 motors at a meet for 15 dollars each, 4 or 5 of them. Had some idea about racing the bike...who knows?

They were fun bikes, 20 horsepower at 10,000 RPM.....YeeeHawww!



10 comments:

  1. Lovin it larry, fantastic, and don't you look quietly chuffed, they were a pretty bike too.

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    1. I think I was suppressing a big screaming Hoooray!

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  2. Here in the UK we didn't get the CL and SL models, just the CB and the more basic CD versions. In 1975 I bought my first bike, a CD 175, and in the manual there were pictures of the CL and SLs. I always liked them, and earlier this year I bought a CL 350 imported from the US. It took me 37 years, but at last I own a CL! Isn't it weird how things stick in your head?

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    1. Yeah, all us middle aged guys are helping the world economies by reliving are youthful days...

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    2. That should have read a "our youthful days..." (I'm not that senile yet...)

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    3. That should have read a "our youthful days..." (I'm not that senile yet...)

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  3. I remember seeing pics of those and liking the looks of them. My first bike was a Honda CB250K4.

    Norman's right about things sticking in your head like that....I remember seeing a BSA B44 Victor Special when I was a kid back in the 70s and thought that was the one I wanted to have above all others. Finally got a couple years back in pieces and am now still getting more pieces.

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  4. Or maybe I am getting there...how did that happen up there?

    Yeah Bodger,I traded rides one day back then with a guy who had a 1969 Victor 441. He liked my bike and I liked his, it was interesting to compare and contrast the two. I eventually got my Victor, now I have to see if I can solve the parts-puzzle as well...like yourself.

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  5. Always liked the look of the CL's, but as Norman says we never got them new over here. But over the years they seem to be trickling in to the UK. I posted a pic of the CL350 my mate bought on my blog, which to my surprise is the same year and colour as Normans.... even better it is soon to be part of the Kawa collection, more on that later.... Back to the 175, my wife did have a nice CB175 (73) at the same time I had my CD175 (76), good wee bikes but lacked the look of the CL

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  6. I'm kinda surprised one of the major motorcycle manufacturers hasn't brought back a line of simple small twins in the 'retro' mode. Must still be enough originals kicking around to satisfy the market. That, or everyone is still in 'cruiser' and 'sport-bike' mode...

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