CB650C

[M0WBY]

Hi

Well as promised/threatened her is 'Layla'. http://www.flickr.com/photos/discoclover/sets/72157631696801215/. Hope that is comes out!

I think I have a lot of work ahead of me. Almost all of the chrome work will need replacing or redoing. I have to take the center stand off and get it shot blasted and painted. All the engine casings etc will need re-polishing.

The battery won't take a charge. The 'rides lovely' was a bit of a stretch of the imagination as it is only running on three cylinders with the fourth not at all. I took the plug out and it was bone dry so obviously 'the only thing that needs doing is balance the carbs' really means a complete overhaul!

Apart from that it it a solid little bike and after a few months and a lot of cash it will be a half decent bike!

I have a big parts list and all of the stuff seems to be in the USA so costs double because of the postage!

I have one part that I need to fix the grab rail on with. I wonder if anybody could help? It is described as a Bolt, Bumper setting and is Honda P/N 91085-426-000. I have found it listed on a couple of sites but it almost always not in stock and listed as 'discontinued stock'. It goes between the rear mudguard and the frame and is one of the fixing points for the grab rail. Mine has the stub of an old bolt broken off in it. I could drill it out but for the cost of a replacement it hardly seems worthwhile unless no one has one!

Cheers

John

[Bryanj]

Try the following in order for the bolt

Dave Silver
CMSNL
Western hills honda

They all frequently have stock of old discontinued parts

[M0WBY]

Try the following in order for the bolt

Dave Silver
CMSNL
Western hills honda

They all frequently have stock of old discontinued parts

First two were no go but the last one apparently has one! Well they have not refunded my money as yet!

Cheers for that

John

[M0WBY]

Hi

Well the assessment stage is here for Laney. Just going round it and making a list of what needs doing.

It looks like I am going to have to buy a secondhand set of clocks and make a good pair out of the two. Basically the rev counter is off of another bike (possible Honda) and has been bodged on heath robinson style! it is just slightly smaller diameter and has no screws in the back to hold it in place. A screw through the top of the chrome cover has been used to prevent it vibrating (that is the theory but actually an epic fail) and the chrome cover at the back has been chopped apart to accommodate it because the mechanism is slightly bigger and longer. Don't know what it is off of but according to the ones on Ebay it should have a red line beginning at 9500 rpm but the one on it start at 8000 rpm. It looks similar to a honda clock but is not the right one!

Also the guy who got it's MOT put gaiters on to hide the fact that it has pitting on the fork sanctions and one of the fork seals has gone! So they will need to be re-chromed and new fork seals putting in.

I will put a new set of plugs and HT caps on today ready for tomorrow when the new battery arrives! Then I can look at the carbs and try and get it running right.

Cheers

John

[M0WBY]

Hi

Well the battery arrived today. I also fitted the plugs and HT caps. I had forgotten the trauma that changing the plugs in one of these bikes are!

Anyway I tried firing it up and had no joy! I had to resort to a squirt of easy start to get it to fire in the end. The engine runs cool requiring choke for about ten minutes and it pops and bangs a good one! But when it is warmed up it runs great. It was running on all four cylinders today which is a bonus. I aim to take it for a run tomorrow and see how it preforms. One thing I noticed the crash bar on the left hand has some damage where it has been dropped at low speed. I think it has been bend back as I can't get it to change up the gears as my foot catches it and I have little feet as well!

Another thing I wanted to ask. If a bike has indicators fitted do they have to work for an MOT? Because neither of the front indicators work because one of them the bulb has corroded really badly and the other was not even connected up! It was MOTed 2 weeks ago as well. 

Ho hum...

Fun fun fun!

Cheers

John
M0WBY

[Bryanj]

ALL fitted lights must work to get an MOT so sounds a bit dodgy to me

[M0WBY]

Hi

Not as dodgy as the carbs! PSML! I got around the block and had to limp back as bowls 1 and 2 were flooding and dumping petrol all over a hot engine!

The PO said he rode it to the MOT station (allegedly) and it was described as 'rides lovely, gears change smoothly with no problems, for an old bike i was suprised how well it goes'. I don't even think it saw the inside of an MOT station! He certainly never rode it anywhere! Lying git! No wonder he bent over backwards to deliver it.

I am guessing that I have a lot of work ahead of me to get it running properly! Good job I never trust anybody and was willing to take on a project.

Gahhhh!

John
M0WBY

[hairygit]

If I were you I would contact VOSA, as somebody is issuing fake or dodgy M.O.T.s, I know it can be a lot of hassle, but anyone selling a bike in that state with a 2 week old M.O.T. needs investigating

[M0WBY]

Hi

Well using a few tricks of the trade I managed to get the sticky floats sorted and I took it for another run. It stayed dry. It really does not like quick handfulls of throttle but if you gently turn the throttle and are patient it is much better and actually does rev through the range but it is not right. It is running very rich on all four cylinders. I will have to borrow or buy a vacuum gauge set and try to get then balanced properly.

Anybody got a set I could borrow in the Birmingham area?

Cheers

John

M0WBY

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Balancing the carbs will not stop her running rich.I would check the float heights, air screws,thoroughly cleaning out the bodies air ways and air filter first, then check the balance.
Also while I think about it what setting is the needles at?IE standard exhaust ,filter etc.
Hope this helps you a bit
Regards
Bitsa

[M0WBY]

Hi

Yes I had come to that conclusion as well.

Cheers

John

[M0WBY]

Hi


Well after setting the valve timing and playing with the carbs I realised that there was very little fuel getting through to number 3 cylinder. So the carbs had to come off. What I found in there was not pleasant! Two of the float bowls had been off recently and had been stuck back on with silicon sealant. From that I new that there was going to be trouble ahead and I was not proven wrong! 

When I took them off I found out why the last guy passed on the bike! They were absolutely fubar! I mean really unserviceable! He has obviously had a half hearted attempt at cleaning the 9 year old crud that had accumulated in them.

It seems that the PO replaced two of the carbs with serviceable items but did not replace the other two. The needles were seriously scored on the two bad ones. One of the needle jet holders was chewed up where the PO had unsuccessfully tried and failed to get it out. The plastic floats on one of them were broken. Goodness knows how he expected it to work! Thankfully the inlet jet on the broken float was blocked or it would have flooded petrol out the bottom.

Ahh well such are the joys of restoration projects.

So it would seem that I am on the market for a decent set of CV carbs! Anybody know of a set anywhere? Must be serviceable or able to make a good set out of the two. I have two serviceable left hand ones. I think they are VB44 A type. I am wondering if a later set off a Cb650 nighthawk would be OK as there are a few more of them around on ebay!

Cheers

John

M0WBY

[M0WBY]

Hi

Time for an update! It now has shiny replacement mirrors. Yes but that is not all! She is in a sorry state at the moment with bits taken off left right and centre! But I am getting there slowly!

I have managed to secure a set of carbs from France (well two sets actually that I can make one good set out of I hope!). Bitsa should be posting them to me any day now. Why are the main jets bigger in the US spec VB44 carbs than the european VB54 carbs? I would have thought bigger jets means more fuel unless the needle is bigger as well??? So the old girl is laid up waiting for the carbs to arrive. Whilst I am waiting I have been a busy little boy. I have removed the old case protection bars that are damaged and I am waiting till I can afford to get a new set. I also have been busy with the polishing kit getting the crud off the engine casings and getting them presentable!

I have secured a set of head light brackets also from Bitsa. I have bought a pair of pattern part replacement indicators from M&P motorcycles in Swansea and I have bought new rubber cushions for the head light brackets and also the bracket that goes behind the Honda cover on the front from from Dave Silver. I have a replacement second hand Honda badge to go on once the bracket arrives!  So I have started disassembling the forks ready to put all the new bits on when they arrive.

My replacement front fender arrived last week so the old one has been taken off and is in my parts bin! I was going to have it rechromed but it is past it and the new one is in such good condition that I am putting it straight on!

I have a set of replacement clocks also from Bitsa (Is there anything he does not have or can get his hands on?). They are ex-Dave Silver pattern parts but should do me ok! Saved me £34 in shipping from the US! So the old CB750 tacho that has seen better days got chucked out! The US speedo that only reads up to 80mph has been demoted to my collection of spare parts.

The rusty old twin snail horns that barely worked have been taken off and chucked away! Just trying to decide do I put another set of snails on or do I just get a standard chrome motorcycle horn?

I have yet to order a new seat cover! I can get a set of new Honda Tank badges from Western Hills Honda but I am going to wait untill the winter really set in before I send the tank and side panels off to be resprayed.

My grab rail from Mid west cycles has yet to show up... but I am sure it will come soon. Western Hills informed me that the spacers I ordered from them they don't have so I have to drill out the old bolt end from my old one! Not looking forward to that as I have all kinds of scenarios involving broken stud extractors dancing across my mind!

I found out that the rear shocks can be refurbished with new springs if you are brave enough to try and take them apart. The only thing wrong with mine is the springs are rusty. I have never tried taking them apart and I may chicken out and take the easy option and just buy replacement ones. Can't decide which option to take!

All that leaves is what to do about the exhausts! Tricky question this one. Mine are Honda 4 into 2 as fitted to the CB650Z model. Now a lot of the pictures of 1981 CB650 Customs have these exhausts but also a fair few have the 4 into 4 exhausts which I prefer. I was told by someone that the 4 into 4 exhausts was the original exhausts that were fitted to the CB650 custom. But how come so many have the 4 into 2 like mine? Was it a popular upgrade? Do they perform better? There is a pair of 4 into 4 exhausts but the price of them and the cost to get them shipped to me is making me think twice about them. If I did get them It would be many months into the future! I may just get mine rechromed!

Such is the life of a restoration man! I hope I enjoy riding the old girl when she is finished.

Cheers

John

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Mowby,
Thanks for that and in your box's there is a surprise for you if you do not need it eBay it.Best of luck with your restoration and when done post lots of pics.
Cheers
Bitsa

[M0WBY]

Hi

Ohhh wonder what it is!

This is Layla so far before rain stopped play yesterday!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/discoclover/sets/72157631696846357/

Cheers

John