The Honda CB 350 Four was a crazy little motorcycle that nobody asked for

1972..i bought my first motorcycle...the 350 - 4...it was the sweetest sounding thing in the world to me..it was like a fine swiss watch..i loved her..and still think of her today...i am 68 years old...this video brings back the memories..thank you.

Bought one in 1972...still have it. The bike attracts a lot of attention every time I take it out.

In 1981 I was in high school and had saved up money from a summer job. I grew up around motorcycles and had an Honda XL 125. My dad liked Hondas because they were 4-strokes, so more reliable than 2 strokes which were still common. We went to look at a CB350 I even rode it around the block. It was burning oil so we passed and stopped by the Honda shop, they confirmed it was small, but still had 4 of everything so $$$ to rebuilt. Later my Dad found a 1977 CB550K in much better shape. For $700 I rode through high school and college. So long ago that it's like another lifetime! Glad I found this video.

My 550 - 4 was the most reliable all around mc ever. Through the years it was an every day rider and on the weekends the best recreational vehicle. I sold it to get money for my marriage. In retrospect that was a big mistake. The Honda was ever faithful and never wasted my money.

In 1990, I was 18 years old. I just wanted a street bike. I’ve had an xl70 and a kaw klt110 for camping and such but I found a 1974 cb350 four with a wind shield and a helmet case. I rode that bike all year long. Sold it an bought a 1985 interceptor 500 and ran off to Florida. I’m 50 now and the 350four was the best cruising around town bike I’ve ever rode. IMO

This great video by a real enthusiast caught my eye because I owned a new Honda 350 four, and I wanted to see if it mentioned the main thing I remember abut mine. Quite the opposite, the video emphasized how smooth it is. Mine had terrible putting-right hand-to-sleep vibration that ruined it for me. But I did like it in an uneducated sort of way because of its beautiful complex engine. You mention old Harleys. I am 97, and bought my first motorcycle, an ex-army Harley 45 in 1948 in SoCal for $125. I rode it a lot, including commuting to USC evening school from Lomita, once following the white line home in the fog and winding up in San Pedro. After two years I sold it for $125. An unusual bike I had was a Suzuki GT550 3-cylinder two stroke, which I rode in 1979 from the dealer 10,000 miles around the perimeter of the U.S. in three weeks on vacation from my job in Saudi Arabia. Over all the years so many bikes and touring memories including Alaska and the USA Four Corners. My last ride was my 94th birthday ride by which time I had down-sized to a Ducati Scrambler, a very nice bike.

I've got well over a quarter million miles on scoots, ridden everything from seatless trials bikes to loaded highway cruisers, and my 350-4 was by far my favorite motorcycle. From the interstate to playing in the dirt, it was a jewel. It was such a quiet, smooth little scoot that I once fell asleep on it at 80 mph on I-80 when crossing Nebraska. There was nothing like it. BTW, I once beat a Kaw Ninja through the Garden of the Gods with my 350-4. It's all a matter of knowing your bike, and after 50,000 miles on my Four I knew my bike.

I remember reading a road test on the 350 four when it first came out. The reviewers called it the answer to the question nobody asked: how few cc's can Honda divide by four?

I had a 350 four,400 four, 550 four and a GL1000 Gold Wing. All fantastic bikes.

You bring up a great point. Mr. Honda was actively involved in every aspect of his company, and was a passionate motorcyclist. This is exactly why Honda Motors is so successful to this day!

I had a 75 CB350 4 that I intentionally bought to race in the AMA sportsman modified class, which I did for 8 years. The 350 4 was very easy to hop-up, extracting nearly twice the HP and dropping 38lbs of weight even with a full fairing. I had 4 into 1 tuned custom exhaust that were available and popular, and eventually we even made a full chrome moly alloy lighter weight tube frame in my father's car custom shop. That helped drop another 18lbs. It literally became e a full on near factory road racer and the one to beat at tracks like Sears Point, Monterey's Laguna Seca, and other west coast tracks in that class.

I had one of these little beauties in the late 70s. I bought it to run back and forth to work and it was an extremely reliable and comfortable. My buddy had the 750 'big brother' version that was also a great machine. I really wish I still had it.

I restored a 1974 CB350F about 5 years ago. I was in my teens when they were first introduced and I was always curious about them. After the restoration was complete, I spent that summer and fall riding it now and then. You are exactly right about the bike being electric smooth and 100% reliable. My bone of contention was with the lack of power and the narrow shifting profile. Leaving my driveway, I would be in 5th gear before I even got to the end of the block. The bike was well suited to country road riding, but running it up to 60 MPH or higher, it felt like I was flogging it to run at those speeds. My curiosity had been satisfied and I sold the bike to another enthusiast. I do take exception to the comments and impression that you give stating that Honda gave up on this bike after just a few years. That is NOT accurate. What Honda did do was to take the platform and re-image it into the 1975-1978 CB400F. They abandoned the UJM styling and built what could arguably be called the first Japanese production Cafe racer. The core 350F engine had been punched up to just over 400cc, the transmission revamped to add a 6th gear. The overall look was drastically changed, incorporating Euro-style low handle bars, a boxier looking gas tank, and a low profile seat. The most impressive change to the design was a sexy looking 4-into-1 factory header system. The normally straight head pipes now snaked their way down from the head with a number of stylized bends and joined up to a single muffler on the right side of the bike. I managed to snag one of these as my next restoration project and am anxious to compare it to the experience I had with the 350F. The 400F is also worth seeking out if you're a fan of these small Fours! [My 350F restoration video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4c2eWrPo10&t=1s ]

I had a Honda CB400F back in 1978, the engine was bullet proof , as an 18yr old i thrashed it relentlessly , a absolute gem of Japanese 70's engineering , an underrated bike .

CB400 Four, is to this day, still the most beautiful work of art on two wheels.

for us in NZ, the 1974 XL250 motosport was the game changer. A bike you could ride on the street, and take off road, it was regularly seen on the Motocross track. Just a legend of a bike.

I recall parking my 79 Harley Sportster next to a friends Honda 350 4 cyl. Couldn't even tell the Honda was running at idle. Mine was thumping and vibrating while the Honda just sat there. The Tach was the only way you could tell the 350 was running. This was 40 years ago and still remember the experience.

And then Honda made the 400 four (a very decent handling bike).

The CB 350 (twin) still has a sweet spot in my memory for this is the very motorcycle I obtained my Motorcycle license on. Back in these days, you could get your A license at 16 years old. Compared to what you have to do to get your license today, my drive test was a joke. The examiner was the same for cars and motorcycles. I was the sole candidate in a very cold January winter month. The only thing the examiner wanted to do, is to get inside one of the cars. My test drive lasted less than 2'. I went up the street, made a U turn, came back and stopped in front of him while he stayed on the side walk. That was that. In those days, the Japanese had started to bring the 2 stroke powered bikes, excepted for Honda. So I moved on to Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Today, I am riding on a Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans from 2004. But I would not mind owning a CB 350 (twin) again.

This was my first bike. Bought it from my brother. He bought a 750. I still love the old Honda's. I have restored many of them of all sizes. Tough bikes.