Some motorcycles are just machines.
Others carry a family’s history in every dent and scratch. My 1971 Honda CL175 Scrambler is the second kind, and after years of sitting in bins and boxes, it’s finally getting the restoration it deserves.
This post kicks off a full series documenting the rebuild, bolt by bolt, along with the story of how this particular bike found its way through my family and back into my garage.
From My KZ1000 to the Next Project
If you’ve followed along for a while, you may know my 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000. Back around 2014 I rebuilt it as a resto mod. It originally came with fairings, saddlebags, a windshield, and even a stereo, but the bike had been laid down at some point and the bodywork was pretty marked up. Rather than patch it, I stripped it down and took it in a different direction.
That bike taught me a lot, and it felt fitting to introduce the next project while sitting on it. The next project is a little smaller, a lot older in spirit, and far more personal.
Meet the 1971 Honda CL175 Scrambler
The Honda CL175 was Honda’s street scrambler of the late 60s and early 70s: a 174cc four stroke parallel twin with high pipes and an upright riding position. It isn’t the most sought after vintage Honda on the market. Collectors tend to chase the bigger bikes. But value isn’t always measured in auction prices.
What makes this CL175 special is simple. It’s the exact same motorcycle my family has owned and ridden since it was brand new.
Where the Story Starts: My Aunt
In 1971, my mother’s sister and her husband bought this bike new. I have a photo of my aunt sitting on it with her young daughter on her lap, while her husband sits on what looks like an SL175 or maybe an SL250 beside her. They rode it for several years, and that’s where it crossed paths with my side of the family.
My Brothers Made a Deal
I grew up with three older brothers, an older sister, two younger sisters, and a younger brother. My older brothers fell hard for that CL175. So they went to my parents with a proposal: let us buy the motorcycle from our aunt, and in return we’ll do two things.
First, we’ll cut our hair. If you remember the early 70s, long hair was the style, and plenty of parents weren’t fans.
Second, we’ll save money for our missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
My parents decided that was a pretty good deal. The bike came home, and my brothers rode the wheels off it.
Then It Was My Turn
Eventually the bike started collecting dust, and that’s where I came in. I have a photo of myself on it, probably 11 or 12 years old, parked on the front porch of the house where I grew up. It even had a sissy bar on the back, a very 70s touch. I’m pretty sure that sissy bar is long gone.
I rode it for a while, then life happened. I got distracted with other things, and the bike went back to gathering dust in the garage.
35 to 40 Years in a Pasture
At some point, and honestly it may have been me, someone hauled the CL175 out to my parents’ farm about 10 miles from home. It was parked in the pasture and left there. For something like 35 to 40 years, it sat outside in the rain, snow, and sun.
You would expect a pile of rust. Surprisingly, it held up better than it had any right to. The bike was rough, no question, but the tank and fenders never saw road salt, just weather. The bones were still there.
The Engine Already Has a Head Start
About ten years ago I started this project for the first time. I disassembled the bike and pulled the engine. A friend who owned a motorcycle shop agreed to rebuild the top end. He bored the cylinders, and we were lucky enough to find first oversize piston rings. He installed the new pistons and rings and put the head back on.
The engine never ran after that because it wasn’t back in the frame, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t fire up once everything is reassembled.
7,216 Original Miles
One of my favorite parts of this bike is the original speedometer. It reads 7,216 miles. Between my aunt, my brothers, and me, that’s how far this motorcycle traveled. By motorcycle standards that’s still pretty low.
There’s a ding in the housing I’ll try to work out, and it may not come out perfect, but that speedometer is staying. Those are family miles, and I want to keep them.
Why Now?
This project stalled for five years or more. Parts sat in bins, and I kept telling myself I’d get back to it. Then one of my daughters came to me and said, “Come on, Dad, let’s put this bike together.”
I think she liked the idea of doing some social media together, having a motorcycle to ride, and spending time with her dad. I liked all of that too. So here we are. The parts are out of the bins and spread across two banquet tables in the garage, and we’re making progress. Whether we finish before the snow flies is another question, but we’re going to give it a real try.
What to Expect From This Series
I plan to document the entire restoration in detail. I haven’t mapped out every episode yet, but I expect somewhere between 25 and 35 videos by the time we’re done: teardown, frame, steering, suspension, wheels and brakes, engine, fuel and exhaust, electrical, and final assembly. And once she’s running, there will be riding videos too.
I’ve already filmed two episodes, one on the steering stem and another on the stem lock, ignition, and key. Each video walks through the problem we ran into and how we fixed it.
Wrenching with Steve
There’s one more twist. I call it Wrenching with Steve (not to be confused with retching with Steve). As we take parts apart and put them back together, I’ll be inviting family and friends into the garage to work alongside me and talk about whatever comes up. Motorcycles are a great excuse for good conversation.
Follow Along
If you’re into vintage Honda motorcycles, barn find restorations, or just watching old machines come back to life, I’d love to have you along for the ride. Subscribe to the YouTube channel at @SteveMillerBlog, leave a comment on the videos, and share the series with a friend who loves old bikes.
This CL175 has been part of my family for more than 50 years. It’s time to get it back on the road.
