Motorcycle Repair: points gap, ebay auctions, honda cl360

Question
Hello,

I own a 1975 Honda CL360 Scrambler and I believe the points are out of adjustment (the fella I bought the bike from said he just put new points in). I was curious if you knew the point gap for this model? I have put about 60 miles or so on it since it has been running a bit poorly. Would I be in danger of breaking anything else in that amount of time or is there something I should check after I set the points correctly? I would also appreciate any other info. or little things you know about this bike (maybe where to find parts).
This is my first bike and I love to ride already so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time,
Jesse

Answer
Jesse, usually when new points are installed the rubbing blocks wear down a little which closes the point gap and causes the timing to retard.
I would remove the point plate, altogether and then check the mechanical spark advance behind the plate. Twist point cam back and forth to see that the mechanism is functioning properly. Once you are satisfied with that, then reinstall the point plate, set the gap to .012-.014" at the maximum width, then move the point plate to set the left side points to just open at the LF mark on the flywheel. Then check the right side points and adjust them accordingly to get the F mark to line up when they just break apart. Take your time and do it accurately. You should feel the difference right away.

Check EBAY auctions for parts. Honda may still have some items... contact www.westernhillshonda.com for assistance.
You may want to join the VJMC club at www.vjmc.org, too.

Get a shop manual from Ebay vendors, www.helminc.com or www.motorcyclememories.com. Get good tools to work with, as well. Nice sharp screwdrivers, an impact driver, good metric sockets and wrenches are all necessary to do a good job of maintenance so you can ride it safely and with confidence.

Bill Silver