Honda-SOHC
General => New Member Introductions => Topic started by: Clunker on June 05, 2017, 07:02:47 PM
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Hi all, new here. I only found out about this site through SOHC/4 Owners Club Forums the other day so I'd better come see. I'm a "Born Again Biker" that started riding again the end of last year after a long lay off. I bought a 1980 US import CB650C a couple of months ago as a poor runner (Ad said it needed tick over sorting) but after messing with it I discovered that it was a little bit more drastic than that. A PO must have been built like a gorilla because when he tried to either remove or replace one of the brass bits in the No.4 carb he managed to snap the casting inside the float bowl. I am slowly cleaning, polishing and repairing the bike to its former glory as much as my non existent budget allows.[attachimg=1]
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Welcome to the Forum Clunker. There are quite a few forum members over your part of the country. Have fun.
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welcome to a great place
this forum has humour,help and advise from people that really know about these bikes
BTW,several of us are coming to a Tramway museum not far from you on July 2nd
pop in and say hi
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How'dy, plenty of spares available for your bike. Enjoy it and welcome
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Welcome to the forum. That 650 is a bit of a rarity, nice to see it.
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Hi guys and thanks for the welcome ;D. I do know the Tram museum that you speak of John, I presume that your run will be taking in Matlock Bath as well? Unfortunately I don't think my CB will be ready by then......but I do have a couple of 750 Zephyr's as a back up plan :-[. Mike, with reference to the rarity of my CB, is that because of the spoked wheels (the front one, so I'm told is off of a CB500/550) and the 4 into 2 exhaust ? I do have the rest of the parts for the bike, it's been stripped even more than in the picture now. I have bought some cheap comstar wheels as a temp measure until I can get the original wheels built, the correct front wheel has no chrome left and the rear looks better in the picture than it is irl.
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Welcome
Just a rarity in general I think.
Didn't they have comstars from new?
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Not on the custom version.
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The spoke wheels are original to this bike, as are the 4 into 2 exhausts and as far as I know, it was a US model only.
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Welcome Clunker - enjoy the forum
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Hi Phil and thanks. I forgot to mention that the front wheel in the picture will be looking for a new home when I fit the Comstars. The wheel in the picture is not the original for this bike, the PO put this one on, he said he thought it was from a CB500/550 but wasn't 100%. All I can say is that it fits these forks but the speedo drive is on the right. It will have the spindle, speedo drive and tyre but not the disc or disc bolts as I need those for the mags. The chrome is pretty decent but does have a couple of rust spots. Free for collection only from Derby, I'm not dragging it to the Post Office. ;D
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I think you will find that the disc on comstars is different and has a different number of bolts to those on a wire wheel
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That bike looks really clean in the pics and a good start for setting up and ride as is, the rear wheel looks like it has a big ridge for the spokes.
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Probably a 16 inch rim
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Hi Bryan, the disc from the original wheel has five bolts but they are short bolts about 1.25 inch long, the Comstars have five bolts but they go all of the way through the hub. The wheel in the picture has four bolts that go all of the way through the hub so I guess I'm going to have to find one more bolt. The original disc fits the Comstar so I'm assuming it will fit in the caliper as I have seen pictures of bikes with Comstars and single disc front ends. Good point mate, so the disc can go with the wheel.
Hi Mag1, appearances can be deceptive, here is a close up of the engine, before and after, I tried the homemade soda blasting gun from the interweb but the paint just laughed at it. I spent two days in my workshop (back yard) sat on an upturned bucket with a selection of craft knife blades and a wire brush flicking the paint off. The second picture is as far as I got until the rain came.
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Ohh I see, but it's not to bad. I used wire brush attachments to drill, as ones for grinders is to harsh for engines. You will get there, don't worry about the hard to remove paint just the loose stuff as engine paint is thick and can even this out when painting.
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The frame paint was also in a bad way but I don't have any after pics yet. I have rubbed the frame down and repainted it as much as possible without pulling the engine or harness, the idea is ( ;D ;D ;D LOL!) to ride her ASAP while summer ?? is still here. I'm not planning on painting the engine until the bike gets a total refurb, that will probably be in a couple of years after I've had some time to really get to know her.
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That sounds like a good plan.
I recommend a stainless steel scourer to shift the engine paint and thr back end of a steel rule for the thick stuff
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The frame is mostly touched up and most of the shiney bits have had the toothbrush and Autosol treatment. The Comstar rear fits like a glove (well, like a wheel really) and the replacement shocks look the part but I'm waiting on some s/steel washers to beef them out a bit as they are about 5mm thinner on the top mounting. The side panel badges were knocked up on my laptop and printer with white decal paper until I can get replacements. Did I already mention that I've got a budget of sweet FA?
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The seat is a replacement as the original had what looked like fag burns and I had to saw a couple of indicator brackets of the grab rail as it was from a different model. The swing arm was blasted in my shed and repainted using Humbrol paint and a small brush. The chain guard is also a replacement, the original was black and to be honest, looked crap, needed blinging up a bit :D