Motorcycle Repair: 305 battery voltage, restoration guides, bill silver

Question
Bill- I just bought a 1965 305 dream and it has a 12v battery in it. Don't these originally have 6v systems?I have not tried to start it, but the previous owner said he rode it that way! What kind of damage can I expect other than maybe some blown bulbs? By the way,I'm pretty sure its a 12v because it has 6 filler holes in the top of the battery.Thank's for your time.

Answer
Danny, all the wet-sump Dreams, built from 1960 onwards were 12 volt, as were the Super Hawks and Scramblers. Late Dreams, around 1966, were redesigned to use the CB77 battery instead of the earlier thin, tall battery.
First generation Dreams with dry sump engine designs were 6 volt, but that was in the 1957-59 period.
If the charging system is normal, then you have no dangers of damage. Running the bike with no battery or a flat battery will cause the charging system to be fully applied to the entire wiring system and that is when the lightbulbs are in jeopardy.
I have full restoration guides on CDROM for Dreams, with all the information you need to restore, maintain and repair your bike, plus a lot of extras. see my website for details.

Bill Silver
www.vintagehonda.com