Its Alive Again!

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:34 pm

I bought this F bike for $400 last November. It was supposed to have been running when it was left out in the rain for a couple years.

It was complete when I got it but the mirrors were aftermarket and a lot of the hardware was rusted or tarnished. The body work was in surprisingly good condition, but the turn signals were so brittle I broke two off loading it into the truck and another when I bumped into it in the garage. The fork tubes are pitted between the tripple trees, but in good condition where they enter the lower fork legs. The engine doesn't appear to leak oil, but the paint is in bad shape.

I've been messing with it on and off for the last year, but seemed to run into one minor problem after another. The battery was dead so I bought a new one and then it had a starter clutch problem. I fixed that, but broke the spark advancer in the process. I replaced that and it wouldn't spark. It has a set of accel coils and wires on it and the wires were loose and crossed. Ater I got the spark going I tore into the carbs and it had a dynajet kit installed in it so I replaced them with a set I took off my other bike and installed an original air box and filter and it still wouldn't start. I had a look at it this weekend and found the gas was below the level of the petcock in the on position (duh) so I put it on reserve and it started after about 60 seconds of cranking.

So far I've rebuilt the front calipers and have a kit to do the master cyclinder. I still need to rebuild the rear caliper and master cyclinder and front forks, but I've got all the parts to do that. I've still got a whole lot of cosmetic work to do on it and I can't decide if I want to keep it or sell cheap to somebody who wants one to restore.

I think it will need stripped down to the frame and a lot of the hardware powder coated. That's probably good because the engine needs a good scrubbing and new paint job and all the aluminum needs polished. It needs new wheel bearings, sprockets and chain and rear shocks.

My problem is time, I started a new job this year and have to work 40 hours a week for the first time in ten years. I've got four other bikes to ride and maintain and one of them, the CBX is already costing me plenty. I just spent $1500 for a take-off stock exhaust for it.

Anyway I feel really good that it actually runs at this point and I guess I'll do the things I can when I have the time. My plan is to get it back on the road and makes sure everything works well before I strip it to the frame. That way when I put it back I know it should work.

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 6:08 pm

Looks like a sweet project and very similar to what my blue bike looked like when I got it. Its now in boxes and the frame has been powder coated. Next step is to build my motor, I found a bent valve, so I totally disassembled my motor. Probably just build it stock, or at the most an 1123 kit. Not to hijack, just saying I am into the same thing right now.

Your shocks are also installed backwards. Laughing

Keep us updated!

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 6:14 pm

I haven't messed with them, but I hadn't noticed either! They seem "okay" when you push on the rear end, but they are really rusty and faded.

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:41 pm

I'd say that was pretty sweet for $400, good for you.

Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 12:15 pm

Good deal there Dennis. Alot of clean up work for sure. 40 hrs a week eh? I thought we were semi retired?

Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:50 pm

I was John, then our department chairman retired and no one else would take the job. I'm hoping to pass it off to someone else in three years. At least its only 10 months a year.

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 12:34 am

I replaced the accel coils with a set of stock ones I bought from Papaluke and she's running on four cylinders now.

I'm making progress, but it looks like I'll have to get some new fork tubes from Frank. I was trying to keep this cheap, but I really don't want pitted forks on the bike.

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 1:33 am

I put a pair of Frank's fork tubes in my 1st CB1100F because the old ones were rotted clean through and fork oil was leaking out the side of the tube and there was water in with the fork oil that was left when I took them apart.