Is a 1973 Honda CL350 a good started motorcycle?

I'm a beginning learner and found that a Honda Scrambler or Honda Rebel were good starter bikes. I plan to buy one off of craigslist but I just don't know what kinda questions I should be asking the seller. Especially for older bikes like a 1973 Honda Scrambler.

Any opinion or advice would really be appreciated since I have no friends or family that know anything about motorcycles.

I remember when about half the motorcycles you saw on a given day were Honda 350s. It was one of the most popular models ever made! The scrambler was more about style than actual dirt-riding ability. It was a competent little bike in its day, but I'd be very wary of a motorcycle that old, I think it could be just one problem after another. Also by modern standards the Honda 350 twin vibrated horribly.

350cc is not a bad size to start out. A more modern Kawasaki Ninja 300 or Honda CBR 300 would probably have more power, be smoother, a LOT more reliable, plus you could get parts for it.

There are many webpages with tips for what to look at on a used motorcycle. Google 'buying a used motorcycle' and you'll see them.

The Honda CL 350 is light weight compared to modern day bikes.
Very good choice for a learner bike.
It has good power, but the age makes the parts extremely difficult to locate.
No shops will work on it because of that reason.
So it is not recommend as a starter bike.

40 year old suspension, frame and brake technology - weren't great then, are going to be considerably worse now.

First check the paperwork and the numbers match.

Then see it started from cold - make that a condition before seeing the bike and check the exhaust is not warm beforehand.

Then carefully examine the saddle base and the underside of the fuel tank, right along the seams.

Have rebuilt mine from ground up, have 3 extra engines (and frames). Get a shop manual and always have a way to trailer it home if/when it dies.

Even if I'm a few hours from home, I make sure I have my phone and cash to catch a cab/bus/pay for gas to get home somehow to get my truck to pick it up.

They are great little bikes, but need constant attention. Carb diaphragms need to be immaculate (no pinholes/leaks), if you have aftermarket pipes or air filters, you will need to jet the carbs appropriately, exhaust valve guides have been an issue for me, luckily I have 4 extra heads to go through before I have to start paying for machine work. I recommend pulling the engine and replacing the cam chain and tensioner with a flat plate chain and Teflon tensioner. Also, that would be a good time to split the cases, regasket and put new oil seals in.

Also, make sure fork seals and oil are good, swingarm bushings don't have too much play, the front fender/fork brace is bolted with all 4 bolts (or experience a death wobble when braking at high speed), inspect all wiring as even if stored indoors, the sheathing is just old enough to start failing on its own, check tank for rust, bad seal job, check crankcase breather for excessive white smoke…

Check timing advance for worn springs (will cause bad/high idle)…

Or, just get a rebel/ninja/cbr 250/300 and just ride.

So- So to learn to ride, very good basic 'learn to rebuild' design with lots sold at the time. No new problems to be found when fixing- like the early 750/4 s all the problems to be encountered have been and somewhere is the fix- see the Honda antique sites for further details. A 2000 year or so Rebel would be a 'better learn to ride' for someone who doesn't want to 'learn to fix'