Sad about the weather
It’s been getting nicer in terms of weather the past couple weeks. It wasn’t long ago we were buried in feet of snow. I had intended on working on my motorcycle early while it was still cold. Now the weather is nice, and I’m stuck with my bike in pieces! She ran rough last season and and knew the next step was to clean and inspect the carbs. I have a 1984 Honda Nighthawk 650 I bought from a friend in northern MN. I’m not a very mechanical person, but figured this would be a good way to start learning about small engines.Since I write computer software, I tend to think very logically, which is similar to what is required to troubleshoot machines as well. Last season, I replaced the battery (got stuck in Big Lake, walked most of the way home), replaced spark plugs, air filter (it was completely clogged, dirt was getting into the carbs and engine) and replaced the fork seals. Not a bad season.
Getting the carbs off was a pain. Cold weather causes the rubber to compress and stick to the metal, I had to use a hair dryer (at the suggestion of our local Honda shop manager, thanks Brian!) to get the rubber to supple up enough.
Disassembly wasn’t very difficult thanks to my Clymer manual. The gaskets are completely worn, and Honda wanted $35 per carb (4 of them) for a kit that included that gasket. I found an after-market gasket set for $12.50+S/H (yes!). If all goes well, I should be able to get her together and take a spin this weekend, and hopefully she’ll be a much smoother ride!
March 28th, 2007 at 11:06 am
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