First Start of the 1971 Honda CB350 Café Racer

The big moment has arrived — the 1971 Honda CB350 Scrambler café racer finally starts! After working through the refurbishment, modifications and rebuild, this episode is all about getting the engine running again for the first time.

Before hitting the starter, I work through the final preparation, including the fuel lines, side stand and electrical checks. Then it's time for the electric start and kick start, followed by the moment every motorcycle builder waits for — hearing the Honda twin fire up and run again.

There are still a few jobs to sort out, including fitting the centre stand and dealing with a paint defect, but getting the engine running is a huge milestone in the transformation of this unfinished project.

In This Episode

• Preparing the Honda CB350 for its first start

• Checking the side stand

• Setting up the fuel lines

• Final fuel and electrical checks

• Starting the rebuilt Honda CB350 engine

• Using the electric starter

• Starting the engine with the kick starter

• Checking the engine once it's running

• Fitting the centre stand

• Finding and dealing with a paint defect

After all the work that has gone into this partly built 1971 Honda CB350, hearing the engine run again is a pretty satisfying moment. The bike has gone from an unfinished project to a motorcycle that's finally showing signs of life.

The first start isn't the end of the build, but it is a major turning point. With the engine running and the motorcycle coming together, I'm now getting very close to the final stages of this café racer project.

If you enjoy classic Honda restorations, vintage motorcycle builds or that all-important first-start moment after a rebuild, this episode is one of the highlights of the Honda CB350 Scrambler café racer series.

Follow the final stages of the build as this 1971 Honda CB350 gets closer to becoming the finished custom café racer.