Honda-SOHC

In the land down under when summer days reach 40 degrees in the shade and if you have to stop you look for shade, thats just so your petrol doesnt boil in the tank! Air cooled runs hot, very hot "I have some pretty good burns on my inside leg to prove it!" You wouldnt want to stop every 1/4 mile for a set of lights, as the clutch does start to feel a bit slippy and grippy and the motors top end seem to ping a bit too much for any sane motorcyclists liking.

 I have travelled some long country miles in this kind of heat with little or no problems at a constant speed and with not too many quick stop starts. Avoiding the city riding in this heat is probablly shrewd, yet in saying that sometimes you dont have a choice.

 My Honda has yet to melt from this kind of riding. After 4 hours riding in these conditions, then stopping and turning her of she didnt want to start again, atleast not straight away. I presume due to oil level as the red light was on? and of course I needed to go again a.s.a.p, I gave about enough time to have two cold beers and fill the oil up 100ml and of we went again this time two up?

 I have tryed my best to see how hot, too hot is and honestlly I dont think under normal conditions you will. As long as air is flowing through and around the motor of any heat? its when this air stops that the heat transfers very quicklly to the lower motor which retains it and need I go farther.

 It would be a very nasty experiment to sacrifice a motor for the satisfaction of knowing exactlly how hot is too hot. Maybe Honda did these tests? that would make good reading. 

Hi Im new here.
I wish I had found this site sooner!

After a quick read of some peoples woes, I am shure I must have come across most in the last couple of years of fixing and maintaining my 550 and 500.

It has been a real trial an error for me costing time of the road and money to try and replace hard to find bits an peices.

 Im proud to say my daily ride is so sweet and reliable now that I have almost forgotten these personal trials that have got me here?

But not quite....As I delve into another custom resto?
that will be another story Im shure.

My supper sweet is a joy to ride it can keep up with most modern machines my mates ride and has done more miles since registration than any of my freinds bikes.

there should be a picture attached from a year ago, she has rearsets on now dunstal brand from the day, i had to mount them with my own custom brackets. will send an updated picture next time.

I will put a build profile togather on her to share all the modifications that have made her so very reliable.

cheers Doug
 

I know I should never talk about how reliable my bikes are? As ol Murphy has it by Law the bloody thing would not start tonight and seemed to have a drained battery? yet when I tested it 11.59 v? charging it now. seemed to click a bit much from solanoid, the more i tryed, might replace a few parts, or the battery as this is the second little hickup with starting in the last 6 weeks. Its a two year old yuasa yumicron 12a-a. is there a better battery to run? have i had a good run with it? for a good price is there a better option? Any ideas would be apriaciated..... cheers