Slipstream Creations brings a 1975 Honda CL360 back to life…
As many of you know, the CL series were Honda’s factory scramblers, basically street bikes outfitted with high-mounted or upswept exhausts, cross-braced handlebars, larger front wheels (sometimes), and other minor differences that made the bikes more suitable for light off-roading.
The CL360 was the scrambler version of the CB360, which had received several upgrades over the outgoing CB350. These included a sixth gear, twin carbs, and significantly more displacement.
“The 360 was no minor upgrade from the 350. It had a new chassis and some new running gear. The old 350 in actuality was only 325cc, with a 67mm bore, 50.6mm stroke; Honda enlarged the bore by 2mm and got the engine up to 356cc.” –Rider Magazine
This 1975 CL360 comes from our old friend James Fawcett of Slipstream Creations, but the provenance goes back more than 40 years. In fact, the owner, Chris, received the bike for his 14th birthday!
“As the 1980s wore on many Honda CL360 scramblers began collecting dust and rust, and this 1975 example was no exception. Chris, the owner of this bike, received it on his 14th birthday back in 1985, and over the following four decades it slowly slipped into neglect. It was stored outside, shuffled between locations, and largely forgotten. Our goal was simple: bring this old Honda back to life, give it the custom treatment, and make it better than new, so Chris could relive a few of those teenage memories every time he threw a leg over it.” -James Fawcett, Slipstream Creations
According to James, the CL360 frame was made from steel tubing instead of the stamped steel found on the earlier CL/CB350, which makes the bike a better donor for such a build.
“Most of our subframe work involved stripping away unnecessary factory tabs for the side covers and air box, then adding new mounting points for the rear fender and turn signals. We capped it off with a custom rear seat hoop bent from 1-inch chromoly steel.”
James kept the subframe long enough for two-up riding, adding a custom steel seat pan and hand-shaped saddle upholstered in black marine vinyl. The diamond pattern echoes the angled lines of the tank’s wing graphics. James often talks about “all of the little, big details,” and this is exactly what he means.
The front end was similarly revamped. The rusty upper tubes of the original fork were replaced, while the lowers were powder-coated and everything rebuilt with fresh seals. James also swapped out the factory drum brake for a CB360 disc setup with a remanufactured caliper, stainless braided line, and a drilled rotor.
James rebuilt the hubs, powder-coated them satin black, fitted new bearings, and laced them to new aluminum rims.
“We opted to leave these rims polished rather than blacking them out, which helped balance the dark engine and exhaust while tying into the silver fenders and tank graphics. Shinko 705 dual-sport tires, a 70/30 on-road/off-road tire that looks aggressive but rides smooth, round out the wheel package.”
James was able to salvage the original fuel tank, and he relocated the mounts to make the tank’s lower edge align seamlessly with the subframe — an issue with the stock bike, which has a slightly awkward visual line between the tank and frame. Again, “the little, big details” elevate such a build.
The front fender is a stock unit trimmed down to a minimalist profile, and the rear fender is a fully custom piece that stretches all the way down to the swingarm, keeping debris off the air filters and engine.
The aftermarket headlight is mounted in a custom-fabricated bracket, and the bike is running an LED taillight and license plate bracket with bullet-style indicators. There’s a lithium battery hidden in a custom underseat electronics tray coupled with a modern regulator/rectifier, Charlie’s Place electronic ignition, and new wiring throughout the bike.
Unfortunately, after all the years outside, the original engine was kaput.
“So we sourced a recently rebuilt replacement, verified the work, and handled some additional refurbishing before reassembly. It was finished in 2K black epoxy with textured black powder coated covers and stainless hardware throughout. We also swapped the stock Keihin carbs for Mikuni VM30s, which proved snappier response as well as easier tuning and maintenance.” -James
James modified the stock headers to fit a set of shorty mufflers and finished them in satin-black Cerakote, and the original heat shield was repaired, fitted to new mounts, and powder-coated in a chromium finish.
The cockpit consists of low-rise chrome bars, a mini speedometer and tachometer in a custom bracket, reproduction switches, and new grips.
As for the paint, the customer chose the metallic blue base with silver Honda wing logo out of several concepts, and the satin-silver fenders round out the livery.
“We’re proud of how this one turned out. It’s equal parts ’70s charm and modern performance, built to give its owner plenty of new memories to go along with the old ones.”
We love when a crusty old mount is resurrected from the dead, especially when it’s had the same owner for as long as this one has. Hats off to James for bringing this old scrambler back to life, and we’re sure Chris must’ve felt 14 years old again seeing his old bike completely renewed.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Slipstream Creations if you have a two-wheeled heirloom in need of a new life.
Honda CL360 Scrambler: Build Sheet
- Custom designed graphics and paint
- Custom subframe
- Custom fabricated battery battery box
- Custom seat pan and seat upholstery
- Full LED lighting
- Custom fabricated headlight mount
- Cerakoted custom exhaust headers
- Custom front and rear fenders
- Dual sport tires
- All of the little, big details
Follow the Builder
- Website: slipstreamcreations.com
- Facebook: @slipstreamcreations
- Instagram: @slipstreamcreations
More Slipstream Creations
Resurrected: Honda CL360 Scrambler - Slipstream Creations brings a 1975 Honda CL360 back to life… As many of you know, the CL series were Honda’s factory scramblers, basically street bikes outfitted with high-mounted or upswept exhausts, cross-braced handlebars, larger front […]
Un-LTD-ed: Kawasaki KZ750 Street Scrambler - Slipstream Creations’ first Kawasaki build… When Honda released the CB750 in 1969, Kawasaki head engineer Ben Inamura didn’t focus on rivaling Honda’s 750cc four, but beating it. Three years later, the 900cc Kawasaki Z1 appeared…and […]
Father-Daughter Duo: Suzuki VanVan 200 Scramblers - From Slipstream Creations: “All the Little, Big Details…Twice” The Suzuki VanVan 200 has to be one of the funkiest production bikes on the market, a fat-tired air-cooled dual-sport that seems like a runaway from […]
Backroads Scrambler: Honda CB360 - 1975 CB360 from Slipstream Creations… Introduced in 1974 to succeed the highly successful CB350 twin (actually 325cc), the Honda CB360 boasted a number of upgrades over its predecessor: more displacement (356cc), along with a […]
Retro Roadster: Honda CB360 Custom - Slipstream Creations turns out a CB360 retro roadster… While the Honda Fours of the 1970s enjoyed the lion’s share of media attention, the CB/CL350 twins sold like hotcakes, topping 250,000 sales between 1968 and 1973. […]
Slipstream Creations: 1974 Honda CL200 Scrambler - As most of you are well aware, the CL series was Honda’s line of CB-based “street scramblers,” which often featured larger diameter front wheels, higher fenders, high-mount exhausts, and dual-purpose tires. While the larger displacement […]
Slipstream Creation: Honda CL350 Scrambler - “All of the little, BIG details…” The Honda CL350 was the scrambler version of the beloved CB350 twin, featuring several off-road-inspired elements such as high pipes and larger 19-inch front wheel. While it was more […]
Slipstream Creation: 1974 Honda CL360 Scrambler - Slipstream Creations builds a leaner, more refined CL… From 1974-76, the Honda CL360 was available as the street scrambler version of the CB360. While these lightweight twins shared the same 34-hp / 356cc engine and […]
City Scrambler: Honda CB125 by Slipstream Creations - Slipstream Creations builds a sweet CB for a SoCal native… Available from 1973-1985 in the US, the Honda CB125 featured a 122-124cc single-cylinder SOHC engine that put out 12 horsepower at 9000 rpm. Weighing in […]
All The Little, Big Details: Honda CL350 Scrambler - Slipstream Creations builds a more versatile, capable Honda Scrambler… Introduced in 1969, the Honda CL350 was the factory scrambler version of the CB350 twin, one of Honda’s most successful machines. The 324cc, 33-horsepower parallel-twin engine […]
Honda 125 Scrambler by Slipstream Creations - Anyone who works on bikes for any length of time quickly accumulates a surplus of parts in their garage, shed, or shop. James Fawcett of Slipstream Creations is no exception. When his 13 year-old son, […]
Honda CB360T Scrambler by Slipstream Creations - The Honda CB360, built from 1974-1976, succeeded the well-known CB350 twin, offering a 34-hp parallel twin, 6-speed transmission, and one of the handsomest tanks Honda ever produced. James Fawcett of Slipstream Creations is no stranger […]
Honda CB200T Café-Brat by Slipstream Creations - ”A solid, reliable bike, good for transportation of the impecunious.” This is how the Honda CB200T has been described. The bike was the largest of the Honda CB Twin series that included the CB125, […]
Honda CB360 Tracker by Slipstream Creations - The Honda CB360, built from 1974-1976, was the successor of the venerated CB350. The parallel twin machine offered 34 horsepower at a dry weight of just over 350 pounds, and served as an alternative to […]
