Good Evening,
I would just like to share my experiences with my bike and maybe it will help a newbie like me.
I purchased the bike in 2012 without any experience with
any bikes whatsover. It has been a labor of love and learning (!) experience to say the least, and I will say that this forum is irreplaceable with regards to experience and hard knocks know-how.
When I bought the bike it needed just about everything in the general tune up guide as well as dress up items. I am sure that I have overspent on shipping charges by buying in waves; this is a problem when you don't know what you are doing and you impulse buys at the register. Over the past 2 years I think I have unscrewed every bolt (not including the bottom end of the motor) and looked at it (and asked myself "is this good or not?") In the end, I have buiit what I think is a cool bike, but is certainly not a top to bottom custom.
Here's the short list of the bike setup:
- 4-1 pipe from Carpy
- 657B carbs with UNI pods (40 slows and 130 mains) broken down off the rack completely and cleaned thoroughly - the best investment I've made. Right of passage: rebuilding myself. Use the forums.
- PowerArc Electronic Igntion - the second best investment I've made.
- Top end overhaul: new rings, hone, CycleX Racing gasket set. No leaks, thank God
- Nissin front brake master cylinder
- Renthal bars
- New Electronics - all in one controls - signals, lights, etc.
- Rear shocks
- Sprockets and Chain
- All cables and brake lines
- Some other dress up items...
With regards to the top end:
1. The engine removal was interesting.
2. The engine install was worse.
3. I would definitely get the frame splicing kit and install it (in hind site). It is a right of passage thing I guess but if you are new like me, save yourself the blood, sweat, and frustration of trying to get the motor in there. If you know what your doing, let er' rip, but it is a challenge reinstalling the motor.
4. Do label everything and take pictures once you have the valve covers off.
5. Take your time cleaning
everything. It is really easy to want to charge ahead and say "it's clean" from carbon build up and what not. It's can always be cleaner and don't rush.
Putting it back together:
6. Make sure you have all your duckies in a row and everything that can be done, has been done (lapping valves, cleaning the seats of the pucks, checking the cam chain tensioner components for wear and tear, etc)
7. Make sure you have the sealants (Hondabond) and Locktite ready.
8. Pay pay pay for quality gasket sets and misc components.
9. Please use a torque wrench. 'Good and tight' is a very slippery slope. You can and probably will break a bolt or set you back in a way that you don't want.
10. Mind the surfaces: clean, level, and most of all, focus on what you're doing.
In the end:
11. The rebuild process was quite fun.
12. It is rewarding knowing that you were doing someone that a pro was doing almost 40 years ago.
Some points of emphasis.
- Make sure that your electronics are up to spec. This is not the sexy part of building a bike and I can tell you, it will make you blind staring at the wiring diagram. Solder when you can, and make sure that you have power to the parts you need before final install!
- The plugs will drive you nuts. Use the forum guidelines and start from there.
In all, I am happy to report that after a brief warmup to operating temp, that there are not any leaks on the garage floor. I am looking forward to breaking her in and doing the routine oil changes, valve adjustments, and carb syncing.
Remember, when you don't know what to do, people on this forum have done it, all of it. Use the search function until you "reach the end" of the internet. You will find what you need.
For all of you that tighten and retighten the same nuts over and over because you forgot that there is something else that needs to be on there, take a deep breath and love what yer doin. It will all be cool in the end.
Thank you to the members of this forum. This forum really is irreplaceable.
Photos and Video coming.
Thanks,
Chris
