Honda-SOHC

When I was getting ready for my K1's MOT I found that years of standing had seized the clutch plates together, and it wouldn't disengage.

When I stripped the clutch, I pulled the plates apart, and each steel plate had a 'photo' of the friction plate it had been in close company with for god knows how long. I cleaned up the steel plates, and oiled everything before reassembly, as per the manual. Maybe I over oiled, I don't know.

The clutch has worked fine since, but on a ride out today, I gave it full beans to pass a car, going uphill, and the clutch suddenly slipped. backing off a touch got the drive back, but I got it to do it again later, same thing, WOT and a high gear.
It seems to me that if this happens solo, then 2 up with camping gear is going to be a problem.

Do you think my plates are shot, or could cleaning the plates or adjusting the springs get me my drive back 100%?

There should be 2 mangled feeler gauges rather than one, though I really can't see anyone doing their tappet clearances at the roadside.

I was going to say something about the axle spanner having only one hole, then I realised that I stupidly bought a K2 set (from D Silver) for my K1. D'oh! I need that spanner (and the file, but only if the concours police pull me over). IMHO the most useful tool is the plug spanner, because most don't fit down the hole on pot numbers 2 and 3.

I'll go with connections in the headlamp, check the connections from both the feed wire and the return. If one is completely disconnected its time to get the wiring diagram out to see where it goes. They may just want the bullet pushing into the connector properly to make a firm fit, or clean up any bullet that looks a bit crusty.

When I changed the handlebars I had a nightmare with the connectors in the headlamp, if the front isn't connected right the rear won't flash. Does the orange repeater light flash?

Wolfheze's problem sounds similar - if there is a high resistance somewhere (say a loose or corroded connector) at first it is trying to overcome that, the relay only flashes and squawks the buzzer when the current has 'overcome' the resistance and the circuit gets its mojo back. I had a similar problem that turned out to be dirty handlebar switch contacts, solved by taking it apart and cleaning with brake cleaner.

I didn't mean to start a tyre debate on the side, FWIW I always found SM's a bit too 'square' at the back, OK bolt upright but not confidence inspiring when cranked over. I had a couple of bikes with Avon GP's though, which I did like, a nice rounded profile like the modern Avons I have today. That said, my first CB750 had worn TT100's which had gone a bit more square that triangular at the back and felt awful when you leaned over. I've had a few tyres like that in my time, you learn to put up with it until you can afford a new one.

I have a proper Dunlop Racing 'triangular' in my garage from when I was classic racing, I must take a photo to show you the alarming profile, none of your namby pamby 'just leaning it a little' with those - the options were 'bolt upright' or 'grinding the exhaust pipes'. 

Anyway here's another £10k CB750 to pick at, notice it says '1970' and not 'K0' - it has K0 panels and badges, but K1 caliper and airbox - my bet is that it has a K1 VIN number too. And 2 grab rails. Lovely colour, but then I would say that.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C646135

I don't know what others think about crash bars, as well as less ground clearance, I remember my mate crashing a Triumph T140V (I had one myself that I jumped off a few times, the footrest always took the hit rather than the engine) fitted with crashbars - while they saved the bodywork and engine, they bent the frame and wrote it off!

Not a fan of allen screws where there should be JIS (Firrips) crosshead screws, having replaced them all on mine, I see what you mean about the painted gaskets too. The sweatband over the master cylinder, though a common mod to catch leaks, looks modern, it covers up whether it is real or one of the modern replica master cylinders with grooves.

Not bad though, but personally I want modern Avon tyres, not yer period Avon SM 'Square Mileage' which were horrible even in the day (been there, fallen off in the wet, so I know what I'm talking about).

That was in October. The box was there on my form too, but for some reason that only applies if you live in Northern Ireland, I don't know why. The booklet ' How to import a vehicle into the UK' says the same thing.

I did wonder if they would send the form back, but although they did, because they didn't see the NOVA number I provided, insurance wasn't mentioned.

That said, as it's a 1971 bike I get free road tax, if you are paying to tax it maybe you need to provide insurance details for that.

My oil seals had made it obvious they were shot by filling the lower part of the gaiters with oily gunge. I got a litre of 10-30 from Halfords, in the bike section. I got new seals from David Silver, with the forks off the bike and the spring caps and oil seal circlips removed (I bought a pair of circlip pliers with a 90 degree bend, again Halfords) the old seals came straight out with a sharp pull, driven by the 'top hat' bush below the seal. I was worried at first that there was no sign of the plain washer between the seal and the circlip shown in my parts book, but the Honda manual explains that this was deleted when they changed the seal.

Using my race bike set up experience, I may play around with different oil weights, or even fit Progressive springs, but I wanted to go 'Honda stock' so I have a baseline setting to compare with. My Sportster was way too soft as supplied new, so I went heavier oil and Progressive springs to good effect as well as much better ground clearance.

Just a quick update, I managed to acquire an old cast iron machine stand from one of my clients, in exchange for doing a job for them. Ive fitted my vice and polishing / grinding wheels to it, it's just the job for the limited space left in the garage after a car and 2 bikes.

At weekend I took the forks off, a lot of nasty goop came out from under under the fork gaiters, which were soft and distorted by the oil, so I got new Honda seals and gaiters from David Silver. Absolutely no trouble changing the seals with the forks off the bike, once I'd bought a suitable pair of circlip pliers from Halfrauds. I used the old seals to push the new ones down below the circlip groove.

 I removed and refitted the fork caps outside, as I was worried about one either going through the concrete garage roof, or bouncing around until it found the 911, but no problems at all - distressed forum posts made me expect it to be a much worse job fighting against the spring pressure. I also used 210ml of 10/30 grade oil as recommended in my Honda manual, downloaded from Ash's link on here. I want to try the original setup first, before I play with different springs or grades of fluid.

Anyhow, I polished both fork legs no problem. Ive had to leave them shiny, attempts to replicate the 'brushed' finish using wet and dry just didn't look good, the hard part is getting an even finish that looks like it was done with a machine, I tried but ended up repolishing the fork lowers. A bit torn between whether to try  laquering or not, a mate with a classic bike shop says I'll only end up taking the forks off to repolish once the laquer gets fogged, chipped or crazed. The bike isn't going to ever see road salt anyway, I hope.

The forks aren't back on yet, but look infinitely better than the dull vapour blasted finish they had before. Using the rotary polishing wheel and a bar of polish I bought years ago, the job was far easier than I expected.

Cosmetically, the shiny lowers, new gaiters and swapping the large (K2 and later) reflectors for the new correct small K0/K1 ones should make a huge difference, I'll take a picture when it's done.