Hi everyone! I've been lurking for a while, trying to learn as much as I possibly can about these Hondas. Today I finally picked mine up, a 1981 cb650. I got it for 500$ from a good friend of mine.
The friend whom I bought it from bought it in 2008 as a project. He was only 18 at the time but he worked with a 'mentor' who was a motorcycle mechanic. He brought it from the dead, got new grips, replaced seals and gaskets, new tires, changed the lines, got a new tank, and a lot more. He ultimately got it running pretty well. A few months down the road he left the choke on while doing a bit of riding and the bike died on him. He later got it running a couple of times but it got worse and worse, stalled a bit, and eventually just stopped starting up. The engine still turns but does not start up.
I am a college student and I have about 60 days to get her running again. I have a ton of time on my hands and am willing to spend 4-6 hours a day on this. I plan on utilizing this forum quite a bit as I do not have much mechanical experience, just time and dedication.
My first goal is to take apart, clean, and rebuild the carbs. I have two sets of carbs - he replaced the 1981 CV carbs with the 1980 mechanical ones. For the sake of ease and simplicity it seems like a good idea to use the CV carbs. I have them out, and I am reading through my clymer manual in order to figure out where to start with the rebuild. After I finish this I will sell the unused carbs, so if you are interested, keep an eye out for that. I am also considering selling it once I get it running in order to attain something more beginner friendly, specifically a gl500. This is premature as I haven't ridden the cb650 yet, ill make that decision down the road.
I have a question - on my journey home I was an idiot and I did a terrible job with the ratchet straps, which led to a gas tank dent. I don't mind it at this point (it's pretty small), and I would like to wait until the bike is running to address it. Does this seem like a good idea? Is there any issue with a dented tank once it is running?
If you have any ideas, thoughts or suggestions I would like to hear it. Thanks SOHC4, you guys are a great help.
Edit: I should add that ultimately I plan on making the bike look stock, except with a gunmetal grey color. My style is kind of clean and minimalist. Right now I am focused on learning as much as I can about the bike and making her reliable. I want to be confident i won't end up at the side of the road, but if I do I want to be confident that I will be able to figure out the issue. After that I will deal with the looks.
