This past Sunday I took my bike for a ride on the freeway; something I’ve never done before. I wanted to take a test run up to my work to be sure the bike could handle the sixty mile round trip without giving me problems. (Not to mention the fact that it was a beautiful day and perfect for riding). With the way gas prices continue to rise, I’m going to have to either ride MARTA (Atlanta’s rail and bus system) or ride my motorcycle. Anyway, when I was about half way to work I had to stop to get some change. You see, I’m so used to going through the Easy Pass lanes at the toll booth when I drive my car that I forgot to bring my 50 cents. Long story short….On the way back to the freeway my back tire popped and I was left standing on the side of the road.

Because of this misfortune I have decided to take time to clean up the bike a little. It’s going to be a while before I can replace the tire and tube so I might as well do something useful to my machine while I wait.

Since I had to take the back wheel off anyway I figured I’d start with that. I grabbed some Mothers Metal Polish and went to work on the brake panel. This is what I accomplished with a dremmel, a little elbow grease, and Mothers………..

Not quite a mirror-like finish but it looks a heckuva lot better than it did! I also cleaned the rim with Nevr-Dull. They both look fantastic and I really can’t wait to clean the rest of the bike.

Update: 6/27/08

Well, I received the new tire, tube, chain and pods from Old Bike Barn. I had the tire installed at a local shop for $16. It would have been $26 but they took off $10 due to the fact that they didn’t have the right equipment to do the balancing. Once I get a little time within the next week or so, I’ll tell you how everything is coming along. I can tell you now that the pods look great and the Standard Chain I ordered is the correct size. Now I can plug that oil leak with some JB Weld and not worry about oil flying all over the place and leaking every time I stop the bike. The pods are a little tricky. The one that fits on the left side actually interferes with the choke lever. I’m going to use part of a boot off the old airbox to fix this issue. I’ll tell  you all about it when I start working on it.

Wow, it has been a long time since I last updated the site. I’ve been trying to find time to work on the bike this year but a lot has been going on in my life that has kept me away. Yesterday I forced myself to try and locate the source of an oil leak that has been bothering me ever since I got the bike.

Oil has been steadily leaking from under the shifter cover and lately it seems to be getting worse. I pulled off the left side cover, losened the back wheel (so I could losen the chain) and removed the sprocket from the counter shaft. Behind the sprocket I found what appeares to be a groove in the main shaft bearing and oil seal created by the chain as it spins around. The oil was slowly but surely coming out of this groove.

Now I’m left wondering if I have the right size chain on the bike. Maybe I don’t have the right sprocket? Am I missing a part? I’m not sure but at least I know where the oil is coming from.

I’ll update this post once I do some digging. 

 P.S. Thanks to all of you who have been loyal visitors to this site. Because of your positive feedback I am more stoked than ever to keep somemonkey.com up and running!

Hello everyone.

I’ve been getting quite a few positive comments regarding this site and the things I’ve written. I’ve also been asked, on more than one occasion, if I’m going to update the site with more posts any time soon. Well, my wife and I are in the process of moving to a new part of Atlanta and I haven’t had much time to do anything other than ride my bike and dream about all the cool stuff I’ll be doing in my new garage! In about a month or so I plan on putting that garage to good use by pulling the bike apart for a much needed overhaul. This includes pulling the motor from the bike and splitting the case among other things. Once I start that project I’ll update this site with fresh material. Until then, ride safe and keep the shiny side up!

Since I haven’t had a chance to ride the bike, I thought I’d go ahead and get it ready for when the weather improves. One thing I noticed before putting the bike up was the rear brake pedal and how I’ve had to push it all the way down in order to get any action from the brakes themselves. Because of this, it was obvious to me the brakes pads were worn and needed to be replaced.

Before I started this project there were a couple things I should have had at the ready. Because I didn’t have these things I ended up having to go after them in mid project. Hopefully I’ll save you from having to do the same.

One thing you’ll want to have before starting this is a box of cotter pins. There are a few cotter pins that you’ll find while doing this project and every one of them will need to be replaced. Other things you may want to have are a couple shop rags (that’s a given, I know) and possibly a dust mask. The mask will come in handy for when you pull the old brake shoes out. Some old brakes are made of asbestos and you do not want to breathe that stuff in. No matter what they’re made of you’ll most certainly come in contact with a lot of dust. Also, I did all this with the bike on the center stand and with the pipes still on the bike.  The book suggests taking the mufflers off but I didn’t bother. Anyway, on to the project:

First I removed the Panel Stopper Arm by taking out the cotter pin and unscrewing the nut that holds it to the brake panel. Next I removed the Rear Brake Rod. At first I tried using a wrench to do this but quickly found it easier and less time consuming to use a long socket.

Once the brake rod was off I loosened the two Adjusting Bolts on either side of the wheel. Next I loosened the Axle Nut and slid the two metal Chain Adjusters down. Finally I loosened the two Lock Bolts and removed the Chain Adjusting Stoppers.

After all that was done I then pushed the wheel forward and lifted the chain off the drive sprocket. All that was left was removing the wheel from the bike frame. To do this I just pulled it back and rolled it out from the right side of the fender.

Now that I had the wheel off, I positioned the wheel on the ground with the sprocket side down. I pulled the brake panel up off the wheel which I found rather easy to do. You might encounter a little resistance when bringing it up over the axle. If you do, just turn the axle while pulling on the brake panel. (You’ll have to stand the wheel up to do this).

After the brake panel was removed from the wheel it was just a matter of pulling the old brake shoes off. Of course this part is easier said than done. First I removed the cotter pins holding the pin washer to the panel. Then I tried to remove the springs but I had no luck doing that; I ended up having to pry the pads off the brake panel with plyers. If you follow this method, be careful not to damage the hub!

Once the pads were off I cleaned the dust out of the hub and then replaced the old pads with new ones. 

That was it. I put everything back together in reverse order and took her for a test ride. Everything worked like a charm and I felt good about having fresh brakes on the bike. Just like replacing the front brakes, remember you have to put some miles on the bike before the pads will adjust themselves for optimum stopping power. Be careful! 

One thing I found to be especially challenging was aligning the wheel after it was back on the frame. It’s more difficult than it looks trying to use the adjusting bolts because as you try to get the wheel straight, you also have to make sure the chain tension is just right. I’m still not 100% convinced I have it right but I’m going to keep a close eye on it.

One last thing: I know this is obvious but I can’t stress it enough: Brakes make you stop! If you don’t feel comfortable replacing them yourself, have a trained mechanic do it.

Here’s to good riding.

While I waited for the paint to dry on the pipes the other day I decided to make use of my time by replacing the front brake pads. I’ve grown pretty familiar with the brake caliper since I’ve already had it off the bike about three different times now; Once to inspect it, once to rebuild it, and once to remove the front fender and forks.

 First I removed the two bolts that hold the caliper in place being careful not to let caliper ‘B’ fall once they were removed.

Next I removed the cotter pin that holds the pad in caliper ‘B’ and took out the pad. I cleaned out the old grease from between the back of the pad and the caliper face, replenishing it with a fresh coat of brake caliper lube that I picked up from Auto Zone. When you do this, be careful not to get the grease on the brake pad face.

 I replaced the cotter pin holding the pad to the caliper and then removed the pad from caliper ‘A’. There is nothing holding the pad into caliper ‘A’ but there is a little knob that fits inside the groove located at the top of the brake pad. This is something to keep in mind when replacing the pad. Also, there should be a nylon washer that sits between the brake pad and the piston. I believe this is to reduce friction thus reducing noise and heat. I applied fresh lube to the back of the brake pad and made sure there was a little on the caliper piston face. Once the pads were on I put them back together and tightened the bolts.

Since the pads are new, you’ll probably have to adjust the caliper bold adjuster. You do this by loosening the 10mm bold and turning the screw either clockwise or counterclockwise. (You’ll have to experiment with different settings to get it right). You can see if the pads are rubbing on the disk by setting the bike on it’s center stand and turning the front wheel. If it doesn’t move freely, it is in need of adjustment.

That’s it. The brakes are good as new. Keep in mind that your new brakes are going to sqeek at times unitl they wear in. Also, you will notice that they may not stop you as quickly as your old brakes did. This requires a wear in period of up to 250 miles before they start feeling normal again.

Wow, it’s been great being able to ride these last couple months. For months I was working on getting the bike in shape and now it’s paid off. Of course now that it’s getting cold outside I don’t have much time to ride. That’s ok though because I’ve found that working on the bike is just as rewarding as riding it.

I’ve spent the last couple days getting the exhaust pipes cleaned up in preparation for heat wrapping them. I bought 50 feet of 2′ Thermo-Tec heat wrap along with some high heat coating online for about $60 including shipping. My plan was to strip the pipes, paint them with high heat ceramic paint, wrap them with the heat wrap, then paint the wrap with Thermo-Tec high heat coating. Of course since I’m using a friends garage and because the weather is turning, my plans were cut to stripping the pipes and painting them with Duplicolor high heat engine enamel. The heat wrap will have to wait until the weather improves.

 Anyway, I pulled the pipes off the bike and this is what they looked like:

Man these things looked terrible. Once I had the pipes off the bike I used a drill with a metal wire wheel to strip the rust and old paint off. What I thought would be an easy job actually took a bit longer than I anticipated. In the end this is what I ended up with:

As you can see, I didn’t quite get all of the old black paint off. I figured if I was covering the pipes with heat wrap anyway, I’d just get off what I could and save some time. After all, the only reason for painting them in the first place was so more rust wouldn’t grow. If there was a spot of paint without rust, I just scored it and moved on.

Once I got the pipes stripped, I laid them out and painted them with two coats of ceramic paint. I let them sit over night and put them back on the next the next day. When I put them back on the bike I was surprised with how good they looked. (Compared to what they used to look like anyway)

According to the directions on the paint can you can heat the pipes to 400 degrees to fully cure it. That was nice because it meant I had an excuse to ride for a little while. (As if I needed one to begin with!) 

Next week I hope to get around to wrapping them with heat wrap. Once I do, I’ll update the site so you can see how I did it.

I finally got the bike running this past weekend. After I replaced the points and condensers with all new parts, the bike is running like a charm. Though the bike still isn’t 100%, at least it’s running and on the road. I still have to sync the carbs, replace the leaky petcock, replace the in-line fuel filters and fix the leaking oil pan. Not to mention the fact that the engine and chrome need to be clean. In the end, those things are small compared to getting the engine running.

It’s been a long process but I’ve learned a lot during this time. If I had to bring another bike back to life, this is how I’d do it: First buy a new battery. You aren’t going to get anywhere with a weak or dead battery. Next I’d drain the fuel and replace it with fresh gas and a little SeaFoam. Then I’d check the condition of the spark by placing the plug on the engine block and hitting the starter. I have the feeling I could have saved myself a lot of time had I replaced the points and condensers early on since a weak spark was a large part of my problem. Finally I’d clean the carbs and make sure float settings were correct. Of course there are hundreds of other things that can keep a bike from running but these are the main things I’d start with.

Now that I’ve got her running, I’m going to detail what adjustments I make and how I make them. Also, I’m going to share some information on how to make the bike look nice and clean. Of course all this will come after I get some riding time under my belt. I have to ride as much as possible before it gets to cold!

Ok so last week I had a spark plug come apart while screwing it back in the head. I thought it was turning a little more than it usually did but I wasn’t sure what was happening until I heard a cracking sound and looked at the socket. The plug was still in the socket but the threads were securely screwed into the head. This scared the hell out of me because I didn’t know quite what to do. After trying to pick at it with a screwdriver (which in hindsight was just counter productive), I decided to make an extractor by combining other tools.

I took a #4 screw extractor and set it down snugly inside the stuck threads. Because the extractor was so short I then had to place a socket extender upside down so the socket connector end fit over the extractor head. Finally I attached a pair of vise grips and started turning counter clockwise. This worked beautifully as the threads screwed right out.

Behold! Mike’s double deluxe spark plug thread remover.

Though I dreaded taking the carbs off a second time, it wasn’t as painful as the first time around. At least this time I knew what I was doing. Once I got the carbs off and drained of fuel, I placed them on a table and removed the float bowls. I grabbed a set of calipers that I picked up from Home Depot and measured the distance from the float bowl flange to the top of the float. It measured just under 17mm when it should have measured 22mm! Obviously this float needed adjustment so I removed it and bent the little piece of metal that touches the float valve. Once I replaced the float I took another measurement with the calipers and it was just at 22mm; Right where it should be.

I did this with the other three carbs and it turned out that only one was set correctly. Now that I have the carbs back on the bike it runs a lot better but something is still up with the 2 and 3 cylinders. I’m going to run some tests today to see if it’s the coils or possibly the timing. Either way, I know it’s not the carbs!

I can’t do it. This sucks and I can’t do anything about it.

Yesterday I spend a couple hours trying to get the bike running and I just wasn’t successful. I think it’s either the timing or maybe even the carbs but whatever it is, it’s keeping the bike from running the way it should. I managed to get all cylinders firing but the bike couldn’t keep itself running without me twisting the throttle. I made several minute changes to the point settings and nothing seemed to work.

I tried to set the timing but the problem with setting time on an old bike like this is that the engine is worn out. Because of this, you can’t set timing to spec. I tried and the bike barely started. I also advanced the timing and that didn’t work either. I set the timing back to where it was before I started messing with it and changed the point gap settings to every configuration I could think of and still nothing worked.

At this point I’m going to go against everything I initially believed in when I started this project and find an ‘expert’ to take a look at the bike. I’ve hit a wall and feel like if I want to ride this season, I have no other choice. It’s just so frustrating because I’ve been successful with all the changes I’ve made up to this point but now no matter what I do I just can’t find solution to my problem.

No worries though. I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I’ll just have someone come look at the bike while it’s in my friends garage and see if they can show me what I’m doing wrong. If I can’t get someone to come to me, I’ll just agree to bring the bike to them. there are only two problems with this second scenario.

1. Whoever I take it to will probably want a ridiculous amount of money to get the bike running.

2. Who knows how long their going to hold onto the bike before they get around to fixing it.

I’ve heard some horror stories about folks having to wait months before they get their bikes back. 

I think my chances of finding someone who will agree to come out and take a look at it are pretty good. I spoke with a guy yesterday who suggested I speak with another guy who hangs out at The Vortex bar just around the corner. Evidently he’s a mechanic and has extensive experience with Honda CB bikes. I’ll talk to him next week and hopefully be able to up date this site with some good news.

Update: 10/11/07

So the Vortex guy came out this past Sunday to take a look at the bike. After listening to the bike run for a few minutes and asking a couple quesitons he determined it was the carburators that were causing the problem. I cost me $40 for this analysis but I believe it was well worth it. After all, the guy came from his house to look at the bike on a Sunday morning. I don’t know many mechanics that would do that for only $40. Surprisingly he also said the timing was fine and that I should take apart the carbs to do an overhaul on them. I suspected the carbs and my friend Dan even suggested it not only once but twice. However, I didn’t want to believe it because I had already taken them apart and cleaned them once. Now I have to take the carbs off the bike and inspect them again. The suggestion was to buy a rebuild kit and replace the jets along with all the seals. I think I’m going to just take them apart first and make sure they’re clean. Also, I’m going to double check the carbs themselves and make sure they’re the right ones for my bike.