Honda’s 350-series bikes are legendary for their reliability and their unsurpassed popularity. One of the variants created to quench the dirt-bike/scrambler craze of the 70’s was the SL350. 1969 was the introductory model year but the bike itself had very few differences from the CB350 and CL350 aside from off-road friendly tires, exhaust, and cross-braced handlebars.
While the later model years were more refined, the 1969 SL350 brought bomb-proof reliability to the off-road world. However, there was no way to deny its colossal weight (over 360 lbs) and the “upgraded” CV Keihin Carbs had a tendency to have their slides close abruptly with any bump or hiccup due to weak return springs…leading to some not-so-smooth riding moments.
The original SL350 was a quickly put-together sales experiment to see if people who wanted a more off-road, but easily streetable version of the CB350, would purchase it from dealers and in the 4 years of production, they sold more than 90,000 in the US. Did the experiment work? When compared to its stablemates the CL and CB, the sales numbers don’t come close, but the bike is more specialized, so it should be considered a success.
This particular model seems to look very presentable in the pictures, though far from a showpiece. It’s missing the side covers, which IMO make these bikes a lot more visually appealing, so you might have to head over to eBay or find reproductions elsewhere. But with a completely reconditioned engine and transmission, repainted frame, original tank, new seat and only 5,527 miles on the odometer…all for under $2500–the extra money for side covers might be money well-spent to bring this bike to its original stance.
If you’re ready to conduct your own experiment, you can find this bike in Rye Brook, NY here on Craigslist for $2,450.