This pile of parts was the product of a 1972 Honda CL125 being disassembled by its owner and brought to our shop roughly 30 years later to put it all back together again.
The weekend after it was brought in, John, as he often does, began sorting and mocking up all of the pieces to better assess what was (and wasn’t) there to complete the bike.
A few key parts were missing, including the seat, side covers, and perhaps most importantly, the full exhaust system. The upswept pipe was the trademark look of the “CL” lineup and an imperative component to achieve the desired aesthetics.
We began our work by disassembling the motor and had planned to thoroughly clean each component and reassemble with new gaskets. Unfortunately, 30 years of sitting untouched had detrimental effects on the crankshaft and piston. We determined the extent of their rust and overall condition was beyond the point that it made sense to attempt to salvage and instead began to utilize our web of resources to try to source them new along with the other missing parts.
This task proved more challenging than anticipated, especially given that these were Honda parts versus some of the more uncommon brands we sometimes work on. This was due to a combination of it’s age and some of the parts being less commonly replaced items. After our initial search secured a new crankshaft but otherwise left us empty-handed, we sought out the NOS (new old stock) market, and were able to find a piston in the original packaging from College Bike Shop in Lansing, MI.
We completely disassembled the frame, including the steering head bearings, bushings, and wiring. We then sent the frame along with a few other items to the powder coater. Among those items was a custom luggage rack that the customer had installed himself years ago and made clear was important to retain as a part of the project.
With the other parts out to get powder coated, we began hand polishing bolts, engine cases, handlebars, and anything that had rust on it. We sandblasted and hand-buffed anything we could save.
After identifying what we could not save, we began ordering the remaining needed parts. The chain, sprockets, kick start lever, shocks, grips, turn signals, mirrors, taillights, and headlight were all replaced.
Eventually, all of the parts we had powder coated, painted, or chromed made their way back to the shop and were ready for reassembly. We hand laced-and-trued both rims and installed new tires and tubes on them. We installed new steering head bearings, went through the wiring harness, and replaced all rubber bushings. The project was progressing nicely and we only had a few items left to complete our work.
The owner assisted in our parts search and was able to secure a used seat, reproduction side panels, and a used exhaust that had a lot of potential. The only elements still missing were the iconic tank emblems. The originals were rough at best, but, at the customers request, we tried to retain as much of the original bike as possible.
Griffin sandblasted them with walnut chips and thoroughly cleaned them. He then gave them a glossy black coating before beginning the more tedious work of hand painting the letters white. Once the edges were sanded back to a bare metal finish, they were given a clear coat that should keep them looking nice for many years to come.
For the first time in 30 odd years, it started on the second kick, no small thanks to the new carburetor and points.
We were honored to be the shop chosen for this sentimental piece and and look forward to updates on it’s future journeys!
