Well I finally joined the BB club! Installed my Bill Blue 331 kit and was only able to put about 50 miles on it but I like it so far! I do a fair amount of backcountry riding so I felt it was a conservative move to not push it to the outer limits with a 351, though Bill assured me that the ultimate reliability of the 331 and 351 is the same. As others have commented, the JE piston is a work of art as is Bill's machine work.

The bike feels completely different, though familiar. Definitely has more get up and go, even trying to follow Bill's recommendation to go easy the first 100 miles. It is going to be a blast off road, but my on-road impression was that even riding it easy, the motor just feels bigger (duh?) and has more "jam" everywhere across the tach. I don't feel like I was riding any faster but you seem to end up in 6th gear sooner and more often, perhaps this is different because the stocker doesn't pull 6th very well...?

Jetting seems to be working - I changed the main jet from a 128 to a 132 (biggest one in the kit), already had a 38 pilot and currently have the pilot screw at a little less than 2-1/2 turns. Since I had done the MCM, I set the cam timing back to stock and enabled the KACR. It seems to start real easy, so i am pleased that I did not lose that undoing the MCM and KACR disable. I had one intake valve in the lower half of the tolerance so I changed that shim so it is in the upper half of the range.

Bill was a prince, he was finishing up my kit when he realized he did not have a 331 ring set, so he had JE "overnight" the rings to me. The rings delivered a day before the BB kit and I only needed to check and make a minor adjustment to the top ring end gap. Bill would have checked/set the end gaps if he had them when he shipped the kit.

So far so good - I recommend it!
TC

 

Good to hear more validation of what I have read since coming to this forum. I have been waiting to wear out my stock bore before buying a BB351 but since coming to the decision to not buy a new nc700x/cb500x so my home can get more attention I may go through with the BB upgrade instead of a new bike. I like the idea of returning the cam timing and KACR to stock configuration, good to see it works well. I think I will want to find a smaller rear sprocket for my SF wheel to drop my highway rpm on my commute. I love the HOV lanes around this place.

 

Nice to hear of another success. I've just finished about 250 miles on my 351 kit after the break in and dynotune. Yesterday had some strong winds here, 20-25mph winds blowing north with 40 mph gusts at times. Going to work was fine, riding home was absolutely terrible. 351 pulled no problem, only had to worry about getting those broadside gusts.

 

Awesome! I will be joining the club shortly. Still waiting for parts. Still a$$ cold out so looking at nothing but a connecting rod isn't so bad.

 

Snappster,
A friend bought the CB500X, it is definitely a bigger bike so depending on what terrain you like to ride the most, your SF will be easier to handle off road. Also, curious about you mentioned liking the idea of returning the cam timing and KACR back to stock?

LemonRX,
I had been complaining about our weather, just wet and cold... sounds like you've got serious wind that would probably make me stay home! Shameful. Can't wait for better weather so I can put more miles on the BB!

s10gto,
Wassup? Did you send you cylinder in for Bill to sleeve or you waiting on something else?

 

The two bikes I mentioned were a possible 2nd bikes. The SF is definitely gonna stay. With it's low HP/fun-factor I am rethinking how much power is needed. My '95 Magna is a pain to keep running. If I can't get it running after a full carb teardown(done) and ignition replacement(in process), which ain't cheap, I will want a shiny new bike that just works. Next question is do I trust Honda tech(dct trans=can't fix) or stay low tech (dr650=can fix) for my new commuter. Anyhow, I want to have a nice home more than a nice bike. The more affordable (compared to a new bike)BB351 should give the SF a better pull in the HOV lanes where 75mph is the norm and my little bike has been slowed to 68mph WOT due to wind. Gear commander shows 60mph at 5Krpm with a 34T rear sprocket. The 351 should allow that. Maybe I should do some number crunching to see using advertised BB351 torque curves.

 

Timc63

I went with Kustom Kraft. He starts with a new oem 300 cylinder. He said he needed to order the cylinder from kawasaki then bore and replate.

Should be any day now.

 

Snappster, you are not at full potential with your stockbore. If cruising at 75+ is what you want, that's a full exhaust system and carb redo away.

If the leo vince requires the removal of the stock seal at the header bell ( I can't remember.), it'll surely mate up to a powerbomb or megabomb.. Otherwise, you'll need a full FMF/Barker/FSW system and a DJ144/K158 main jet..

You'll get top speeds with stock sprockets of over 100mph - probly outta add a 15 toother for extended 75+ mph - but she'll pull hard to 10.5 k with the above setup..

Also, a full exhaust system will help a future 351 upgrade as well..

I bet there's peeps on here that'd like to buy your existing exhaust system..

 

I once went 94mph with my bike full stock.....granted I was full tuck as best as I could be behind a Dodge Ram, and catching up quickly. Currently with my 351, I've had it up to 84-85 at 8k, and it doesn't seem to want to go much more than that, but it could just be because of the winds here lately.

timc63, I try my best to not ride in cold or wet weather, although I have unfortunately been stuck in both at times. It's not nearly as bad as riding in a strong wind, especially when it constantly changes direction due to the surroundings.

 

LemonRX, not sure if you posted it anywhere else, but if you're running the stock carb on the 351, what jetting did you end up with after the big bore dyno session?

Klxster, do you know if the 144 main transfers over to the 351? Just received my jets from DJ as per your recommendation. Now ordering the big bore. I'm just wondering what setup to use.