Original Blue Paint on CL72

cknight · Post by **cknight** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:07 am

"Original" can be a subjective term. The Honda shop I hung out at in the early 60's in Hialeah, FL. would ask customers that were purchasing a bike "What color seat would you like?". Therefore, the brand new CA/CB/CL could be delivered to the customer with a black, blue, or red seat right from the dealership, regardless of the paint color. So that would be the "original" seat color to the buyer. This is not necessarily the color of the seat that came in the crate with the bike from Japan. Would most dealerships offer that choice? I don't know. My second CB77 (1965) came from the dealer with a CYB seat ($35.00 extra). Does that make the CYB seat original? Seems there can be more than one "correct" answer to some of these questions. Regards, Chase

OldScrambler · Post by **OldScrambler** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:59 am

cknight.............I think you are talking about the color of the vinyl seat cover. But your point is well taken.

DJM · Post by **DJM** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 12:18 pm

Perhaps I was a bit hasty in saying that the seat base colour on the CL72 can't been seen when riding the bike.
Of course, unlike the CB models, parts of the CL seat support bracket CAN be seen when the seat is in place (although not by the rider!)
This being the case I can understand restorers wanting to match the seat base to the frame colour and it seems as if at least some bikes originally came that way. Certainly not all of them though so which way you paint is a matter of personal choice, which is how it should be.
Paint it the way you like it, just be sure to ride it when its done!

sixtiescycle · Post by **sixtiescycle** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 1:45 pm

LOUD MOUSE wrote:The questions which answer all my doubts as to original or repaint is to look at the fasteners which hold the chrome/stainless trim.
Look at the number of broken/missing tabs is another.
As for the fabric if I see stitching I pretty much figure HONDA didn't make the cover...................lm

It's been a while since that seat came and went and honestly I didn't pay close attention to the tabs. What I do recall is the usual broken down foam blocking, an original hardened from age and U/Vrays seat cover and the usual corroded brass nuts on the trim. I remember looking under the the fabric to see if the blue color was under there in couple spots. The patina of the paint looked right and there was no other color under the blue. Personally I have never seen a blue framed CL but do have a complete blue set of early original blue front forks with headlight bucket and one blue clutch cover guard which leads me to believe they are few and far between. The fact their are red and black pans for certain and having this blue pan convinces me their were blue seat pans from the factory which is good enough for me plus Tim's blue reinforces my belief.

DJM asks: "Does it really matter what colour the UNDERSIDE of the seat was?" The answer is yes if you are restoring a show bike. A 100% perfect bike could lose points against another 100% perfect bike on this point if a judge determines the seat pan color is incorrect. I can remember yeas ago the judges were looking at two perfect cars, the final determination was made by the cleanliness of the undersides of them, one was driven 50 miles to the meet the other trailored.

I have my doubts this will be settled here which is fine, I can only tell you what I've seen over the years and offer my opinion............................................