Vintage Touring Misadventure and Wreck on a 1972 CB350k3 in NE Oklahoma

Hello everybody. I'm a long time lurker on ADVrider and thought I'd share my most recent trip and misadventure to Tahlequah, OK on my 72 Honda CB350. After several weeks of frustration after rebuilding and cleaning my carbs I got the bike running well. It turned out that one of the floats was punctured and resealed with fluid inside (ahh...the joys of owning old bikes)!

I got it running well and I hoped to go on a 3 or 4 day camping trip in Northeast Oklahoma and NW Arkansas. I specifically wanted to visit Tahlequah, Eureka Springs and Little Rock.

I believe any bike is an "Adventure Bike" so I use my 350 on the highway, dirt, gravel, etc. I can't say I have any complaints with the bike's performance other than with its narrow tires I get blown around a lot on the interstate by our famous Oklahoma wind.

Some trail riding on my Grandpa's ranch


Beautiful red clay



The first leg of the trip was about 170 miles. I wanted to take state highways to go slower and see more so I took Highway 62 (23rd Street) east out of Oklahoma City. The clutch ( cable recently replaced) kept going out of adjustment, then finally in Prague stopped working altogether. I pulled into sonic for a route 44 and checked it out. Every bolt holding on the clutch cover had vibrated out! I didn't tighten them enough when i replaced the clutch cable! Luckily there was an Ace literally next door and I got some screws that would do temporarily.

Taken in Prague, OK showing my ADV mount and gear, Touratech panniers, Corbin seat, etc





After that debacle it was smooth sailing to Tahlequah. Not yet mentioned is the fact it was 105 + degrees and felt like riding with a hair dryer in front of me. I had left Oklahoma City at 2 or 3 in the afternoon and by the time I got to the river it was almost dark. However it hadn't cooled down at all! It was seriously miserably hot. I'm not much of an outdoorsman but a clue it wasn't good camping weather was the fact that I was the only person at the campground.




I tried to set up my tent for the first time and realized it was a piece of sh*t. Or I was incompetent. Either way I ended up breaking the tent, giving up and laying in it like a large sleeping bag completely drenched in sweat as it was now after 10 and I was laying, sweating trying to force myself to go to sleep. After another hour of laying there I made peace with my pu**itude and loaded the bike in the dark minus the tent which was thrown in a nearby trash can. I craved two things: 1. something cold to drink 2. AC. I stopped by sonic looking like I had taken a dip in the sake I was so soaked in sweat.



Sonic blast, roughing it! Next time you're at sonic, read the frozen treat menu and tell me they don't all sound like dirty porn moves (ex: Cream Slush Treat).


I checked into an Indian owned roach motel for $30 bucks and sat under the AC. To be fair it was way more comfortable than the hovel I live in with a twin bed.



Beautiful sight



Having spent too much money, and not having enough to afford anymore motels I decided to head home the next day. While adjusting my chain in Checotah, a friendly guy who worked at a bike shop there warned me to take it easy on the old bike. I ignored his advice and hopped on I-40 westbound and cruised comfortably at 70 mph when disaster struck.

I was scooting along thinking about my next trip, probably to Santa Fe when BAM!!!!! the bike and I leap forward violently. I figure the chain has siezed or the wheel bearings or the transmission until I look behind and see the enormous grill of a Semi truck. :eek1 The bike had shut down at this point, no lights, no engine and the semi driver has slammed his brakes and I coast onto the right hand shoulder.

Aftermath







I got off the bike, threw my helmet down and smoked like 5 cigarettes. :huh I had a mixture of emotions: anger, fear but mostly happy to be alive!
I was really bored and looking for adventure on the trip and I got it! The truck driver came over and gruffly said "There goes my drivin' career." and made up some bullsh*t story about being cut off when he tried to pass me. He just wasn't paying attention. Anyway there was a long wait on the highway patrol to get an accident report and I spent it a little dazed with whiplash and a sore shoulder and wrist starting to set in (believe me it was much worse later).


Waiting on the cops under an overpass with beautiful Oklahoma skies.






I had to wait several hours for my my Grandpa to come pick me up in his ATV trailer as the tower wouldn't bill me and they needed the money to tow me to OKC up front. I simply didn't have 400 bucks in my account, let alone to spare.

So all an all an interesting trip! The trucking company's insurance still hasn't settled on the bike, which is frustrating because I'd like to fix it. Since originality is busted I might Cafe it: straight CL pipes, pod filters, CB500 front end? The bad news is the frame is bent, so it might be simply a parts donor or hauled off by the insurance company.


So I'm on the lookout for a bigger bike for touring. Don't know what I'll get yet, definitely another old bike, maybe British or European. Maybe another XT500? A /2 BMW would be perfect for my kind of touring, although I've lusted after Norton Commandos and Moto Guzzi singles for years. I'm also thinking about going the other way and getting a little Honda C-70 Passport until my wrist heals. Anybody know of anything for sale in my neck of the woods?

Thanks for reading.

They're going to have some expenses. I fractured my wrist and messed up my neck. But I could have been pancaked. I'm just glad I had on my ADV gear ($5 from flea market 1970's Fulmer Helmet). I need a new bike soon I'm going nuts. Thank god for ADVrider though, since I can't ride my bike I can at least live vicariously through y'all!

Very glad to see you're OK! But now you need a lawyer on your side, or the insurance company is gonna screw you to I-40! I love the old Honda twins too! Oh yeah...welcome to ADVrider!

Get a lawyer now. Don't talk to insurance company. They are NOT your friend. You're going to speen a LOT on medical in the coming years. Trust me, I know. With a good lawyer you would have a check with in a week for the bike. It is hard to put a price on a bike like yours. It's a classic. Check ebay, cycle trader for restored bikes like yours as to proof of value. Save those you find by cut and paste. This dealer in Dallas wants $3,195.
http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/1974-Honda-Cb350f-Four-97146427

Get a good lawyer now.

Thanks for the welcome guys! I got an attorney and its basically a waiting game at this point, both to get surgery on the wrist and heal, and on the settlement to get another bike. In the meantime I have a decent lead on a little (clutchless) Honda Passport to scoot around on with the cast. oser

Maybe once I get it it'll cool down and I can take it (avoiding I-40) camping in cooler weather.

Again if any of you guys know where I can lay my hands on a bigger classic bike...

(pardon the emoticons, with so many available it seems almost mandatory to use a few)

Man oh man. That's TWO trip stories here this morning ending early by being hit from behind and it's not 4 am yet. I'm almost afraid to continue reading.

Glad you're alive. Companies like this, apart from any injury issues should just buy you the machine of your choice. The fuel in the tank of the truck would be worth more than your poor Honda. Why do they dick around with people?

love your story,,thats the spirit.

Hang in there , can't wait to see what your next bike is.

http://forums.sohc4.net

Wow, glad to hear your doing better than what could have happened. Getting rear ended by some big truck is pretty scary. I got rear ended in my utility work truck by a soccer mom in a Suburban and it did thousands of dollars damage. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I was riding. Good luck and maybe look for a CB750?

1) You're adventure tourer in the true sense of the word. Thanks for the trip report.

2) So glad to hear that you stayed upright in what could've turned out much worse.

Hang in there and hope to hear stories of your ride to Santa Fe - there's wonderful riding in NM!

Good to hear tou weren't hurt worse. The bike is probably a writeoff in my experience; my CT90 took similar damage and was not wort repairing despite only having 900 original km on it.
You might want to try looking for a CB400A; similar to what you had but clutchless. I had one for several years and it was a real pleasure to ride.

Thanks for the kind words. What we consider "adventure" friends and family call "stupidity". Sometimes its hard to tell the difference. I can honestly say the most fun and exhilaration I've had with my clothes on was on a motorcycle. On my OKC to LA trip on my W650 (great machine, miss it) I raced a freight train on I-40 in the middle of the Arizona desert where their track is parallel. Going 100 mph for hours in the desert. People who don't ride or appreciate the thrill and see only the danger can never really understand. Life has to be lived with certain risks in order to feel alive.

At the end of the trip one of the best moments in my life was heading north on 101 entering Camarillo, CA at dusk and the mountains and valley were painted beautiful colors. Any Cali people know the name of that valley I'm talking about? I lived there for a year and I never thought about it. Unfortunately that trip's photos were lost; I took photos with my Samsung phone that disintegrated. I only have one that my friend took as I was leaving.






I'm going to go camping in NM, I want to visit Santa Fe and also visit Chaco Canyon, I went as a kid. I'm also going to finish my tour of NE OK and NW Arkansas. Fishkens can you recommend any 40-50 mph routes for this? Or would I have to use interstates to get around NM?

Rear-ended by a truck on the interstate?!? Glad you're OK!

Interstates in NM? There are only two (25 and 40) and they're best avoided. The two-lanes throughout NM are wonderful to ride. My only caution is to be careful nights and weekends because when I lived there (10 and 20 years ago) they had one of highest frequency of drunk drivers in the country (I believe that Montana was worse).

The Enchanted Circle is popular and beautiful but not exceptional because there are many other two lanes that are fascinating.

Enchanted Circle
From Taos Plaza, Hwy. 64 north to Hwy. 522 north to Questa; Hwy. 38 east to Red River, then 64 south to Eagle Nest; Hwy 64 west to Angel Fire; continuing on Hwy. 64 west to return to Taos

If you travel from Santa Fe to Abq take Hwy 14, not I-25. Or go through Galisteo.

You could spend a few weeks riding the roads around the Valles Caldera (a huge - 12 miles across - volcanic crater) in the Jemez mountains. Fricken A! I want to go back there right noe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valles_Caldera

Yes, you could easily spend all your time in NM off the super slab.

Yep, I was tooling around town on my SL350 and lost clutch. It too was missing the screws. Glad you found the hardware store.

The semi up the rear is the #1 fear of most vintage riders. How come they always complain about THEIR problems when they just about killed you and you are sitting there in shock. I don't know what you want to hear in that situation, but it likely ain't their "poor me" attitudes. Frankly, I hope this does get him off the road.

Well, if you're coming down to Santa Fe, I've got a '78 Honda 750Four that is sitting largely neglected. Runs well enough, just needs a tune-up and oil change. (I do all the grocery hauling and commuting on the Tiger.) Been thinkin' 'bout selling it...

Glad you're okay! Sounds like you have the right sense of what adventure can be. See ya on the road!

A 70cc bike almost has enough power to get out of it's own way. Stay off interstates for sure on any bike that can't go faster than most of the traffic. There are good secondary roads heading west. You might use google map to check them out too. You can take highway 152 from OKC all the way to Dumas TX. It seems to end there but then other highways similar like 87 appear to start where it left off. My smallest bike is a KLR 650 and I thought that was the smallest you could really travel on until I read nathanthepostman trip on CT110 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=460631