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1972 Honda CL175 Help

HattMamilton

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2023
Total Posts
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Location
Alvin, TX
Hello everyone, my name is Matt, I am new to the forum from the Houston area.
Last year I found myself with a 1972 Honda CL175 scrambler that did not run but it’s in great shape and has only 1600 miles on the odo. After getting a little into the bike, I found that the engine is not original to the bike and actually came from a 1972 CB175. Trying to get the bike running, I noticed that the engine freespins when you try and kick it over in neutral with the clutch pulled and had no compression noises. That being said, when I put the bike in first and kick it over with the clutch in, the bike wants to lurch forward like the clutch is not disengaging the engine correctly but can definitively hear compression noises. I pulled the right side engine cover and the clutch basket appears to be missing 1 friction disc and 1 clutch plate. Looking at the manual for the CL175, it appears that there are supposed to be 6 clutch plates and 5 friction discs but the CB175 engine calls for 5 and 4. I have very little information on the bike before it came into my hands but I’m wondering what else is different between the two and whether it would be worth my time to keep the CB175 engine that’s currently on the bike or try and find a CL175 engine to replace it with.

I’d appreciate any information you guys can give me as I’m sure y’all have more experience with this than I do. Pics related, one is the clutch basket when I first pulled it apart, second is the complete picture.

Thanks!
 
Remember the age of these bikes. Primary kickstart did not become available on any of Honda's bikes until later, and even then it was typically only on the SL and XL models because of their off-road intended use. So the kickstart not working with the clutch pulled in is completely normal, as well as moving the bike forward when it's in gear because the kickstart mechanism is drive through the transmission.
 
ancientdad said:
Remember the age of these bikes. Primary kickstart did not become available on any of Honda's bikes until later, and even then it was typically only on the SL and XL models because of their off-road intended use. So the kickstart not working with the clutch pulled in is completely normal, as well as moving the bike forward when it's in gear because the kickstart mechanism is drive through the transmission.
Click to expand...
Interesting, the electric starter did the same thing when I tried to engage it as well. If the clutch is indeed disengaging properly, what should I start with to get her running? I haven’t done a compression test yet but I guess that’s probably it huh?
 
HattMamilton said:
Interesting, the electric starter did the same thing when I tried to engage it as well. If the clutch is indeed disengaging properly, what should I start with to get her running? I haven’t done a compression test yet but I guess that’s probably it huh?
Click to expand...
Since you mentioned the electric start result, that changes things. To recap: when in neutral, using the kickstart with the clutch lever pulled will not turn the engine over, the clutch will slip. When the engine is in gear, it will move the bike forward according to the ratio of the gear you're in. However, the electric start should work at all times, in gear or not, without causing movement of the bike. You'll need to identify the correct clutch plate quantities for the engine number that is in your bike since it's a CB. I just checked the parts fiches for CB175K3 through K6 and only the early K3 was different, K4 through K6 was the same. 5 firction, 4 steel but also 1 special steel plate that goes in the back of the group.

www.cmsnl.com

Honda CB175K6 SUPER SPORT 1972 USA CLUTCH - buy CLUTCH spares online

✓access the CLUTCH schematic✓find Honda CLUTCH spares easily✓CLUTCH parts quickly delivered
www.cmsnl.com www.cmsnl.com
 
4FBFC566-1223-4AB9-B57D-258637A4193E.jpeg
This is the manual I am referencing from the CMC website. When I pulled the clutch apart, I noticed that the backing plate (circled in ree) was installed the opposite way that is shown in the diagram and I was under the impression that while it accounted for enough space for the clutch to travel, this was the reason for the improper disengagement of the engine, but now with this information, I’m not so sure.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
HattMamilton said:
This is the manual I am referencing from the CMC website. When I pulled the clutch apart, I noticed that the backing plate (circled in ree) was installed the opposite way that is shown in the diagram and I was under the impression that while it accounted for enough space for the clutch to travel, this was the reason for the improper disengagement of the engine, but now with this information, I’m not so sure.
Click to expand...
That is the extra steel plate I was referring to in my previous post, with respect to which CB engine you have that has not yet been determined. I mentioned it was the same from K4 through K6 but in order to know which engine you're dealing with, we need to know the engine number from that CB engine in your CL. And you can look it up here in one of the many things I put together to help people that often goes overlooked in my Welcome Package.

Commonly requested entries from the Honda Identification Guide (US models only)

If anyone needs to identify any US Honda model built between 1959 and 1988, I have the Honda ID Guide and will be happy to look it up for you. All the usual model pages are below like the 125, 150, 160, 175, 200, 250/305, 350, 360, DOHC 450 and 500T, as well as the SOHC 400/450. Let me know if...
www.vintagehondatwins.com www.vintagehondatwins.com

This is what CMC sometimes loses track of. Yes, they have the manuals when they actually choose to pay attention to them and not tell you to deviate to whatever they think is better than the Honda engineers thought when they designed these bikes before any CMC employee was alive, but for whatever reason they pick and choose from the FSM what they think is right.

This was a change made on a few of the twins, a concave steel plate at the rear of the group that is intended to only go in one way. It's #5 in the parts fiche below

 
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Wow I feel like an idiot. I was super wrong. My vin is mismatched but not in the way I thought it was.
Frame CL175E 6017810
Engine CL17E 6017896
 
ancientdad said:
That is the extra steel plate I was referring to in my previous post, with respect to which CB engine you have that has not yet been determined. I mentioned it was the same from K4 through K6 but in order to know which engine you're dealing with, we need to know the engine number from that CB engine in your CL. And you can look it up here in one of the many things I put together to help people that often goes overlooked in my Welcome Package.

Commonly requested entries from the Honda Identification Guide (US models only)

If anyone needs to identify any US Honda model built between 1959 and 1988, I have the Honda ID Guide and will be happy to look it up for you. All the usual model pages are below like the 125, 150, 160, 175, 200, 250/305, 350, 360, DOHC 450 and 500T, as well as the SOHC 400/450. Let me know if...
www.vintagehondatwins.com www.vintagehondatwins.com

This is what CMC sometimes loses track of. Yes, they have the manuals when they actually choose to pay attention to them and not tell you to deviate to whatever they think is better than the Honda engineers thought when they designed these bikes before any CMC employee was alive, but for whatever reason they pick and choose from the FSM what they think is right.

This was a change made on a few of the twins, a concave steel plate at the rear of the group that is intended to only go in one way. It's #5 in the parts fiche below

Click to expand...
That would be exactly the plate that I’m looking at in the rear of my clutch…guess I need to go ahead and do the compression test.
 
ancientdad said:
Since you mentioned the electric start result, that changes things. To recap: when in neutral, using the kickstart with the clutch lever pulled will not turn the engine over, the clutch will slip. When the engine is in gear, it will move the bike forward according to the ratio of the gear you're in. However, the electric start should work at all times, in gear or not, without causing movement of the bike. You'll need to identify the correct clutch plate quantities for the engine number that is in your bike since it's a CB. I just checked the parts fiches for CB175K3 through K6 and only the early K3 was different, K4 through K6 was the same. 5 firction, 4 steel but also 1 special steel plate that goes in the back of the group.

www.cmsnl.com

Honda CB175K6 SUPER SPORT 1972 USA CLUTCH - buy CLUTCH spares online

✓access the CLUTCH schematic✓find Honda CLUTCH spares easily✓CLUTCH parts quickly delivered
www.cmsnl.com www.cmsnl.com
Click to expand...
You night find some info here ...https://4-stroke.net/
 
moaman said:
You night find some info here ...https://4-stroke.net/
Click to expand...
Or here, from the Honda Motorcycle Identification Guide 1959-1988, which is what I own and these pages came from

Commonly requested entries from the Honda Identification Guide (US models only)

If anyone needs to identify any US Honda model built between 1959 and 1988, I have the Honda ID Guide and will be happy to look it up for you. All the usual model pages are below like the 125, 150, 160, 175, 200, 250/305, 350, 360, DOHC 450 and 500T, as well as the SOHC 400/450. Let me know if...
www.vintagehondatwins.com www.vintagehondatwins.com
 
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