Taking Our 1972 CL350 & CL450 1,000 Miles Off-Road: The Vintage 1,000 Mountain Route 2021

The Vintage 1,000 is a 1981 and older vintage motorcycle ride that is put on yearly by Speed Deluxe. One could say it's an all survival challenge for your motorcycle to test not only the mechanical reliability of your motorcycle but also yourself. This year we decided to take part in what they call the mountain route, which leaves out of Chattanooga and circles its way through 1,000 miles of the Tennesse, North Carolina, and Georgia mountains. We will admit living in Houston, we do not have much experience with winding mountain roads and off-road riding but CMC staff members Ben and Caleb took on the challenge to take their daily drivers, a CL350 and CL450. Our primary focus was mechanical reliability, which we know well, so we started preparations with a thorough inspection and full tune-up which included a cam chain and valve adjustment on both motorcycles, as well as getting our timing spot on. We wanted our motorcycles starting first kick every time when we would inevitably drop them. Since they both were already reliable daily drivers, we were already in a good spot but still need to make sure they were going to handle the dirt properly. Both motorcycles were fitted with new front and rear sprockets aiming for high torque as well as LED headlights in case we found ourselves riding the trails late into the evening. Lastly, both motorcycles were sent off with a slew of spare parts for on-the-ride repairs as well as fuel cans, luggage setups, high fenders, knobby tires, and PLENTY of spare oil. Be sure to watch until the end to see how we did, what broke, and what we would do differently next time!

Find out more about the Vintage 1,000:

https://speeddeluxe.com/vintage1000/

Upgraded parts:

LED H4 Headlight: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-he...
Honda Front Sprockets: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-cb...
CL350 / CL360 Rear Sprockets: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-35...
CB450 / CL450 Rear Sprockets: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-45...
CB450 / CL450 Stator Shifter Shield: https://www.common-motor.com/cb450-cl...

Spare Parts Taken:

Spark Plugs: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-sp...
Gemini Ignition Condensers: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-mo...
CL350 / CL360 Ignition Points: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-cb...
CB450 / CL450 Ignition Points: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-cb...
Honda Ignition Coils: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-ig...
Posi-Locks: https://www.common-motor.com/posi-loc...
CB350 / CL350 Jetting Kit: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-35...
CB450 / CL450 Jetting Kit: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-45...
Honda Front Drum Brake Cable: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-cb...
Honda Clutch Cable: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-cb...
CB350 / CL350 Throttle Cable: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-cb...
CB450 / CL450 / CB500t Throttle Cable: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-45...
Heavy Duty Inner Tubes: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-in...
Spare Drum Brake Lever: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-dr...
Spare Clutch Lever: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-cb...
Spare CB350 / CL350 Shift Lever: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-35...
Spare CB450 / CL450 Shift Lever: https://www.common-motor.com/honda-36...