Topic: New to SOHC forums, will you help me resurrect a CB650?

[CBR_Rod]

Thought I'd try to introduce myself in the proper forum

Everyone can call me Rod.  I'm from Chanute, KS., own a auto body repair shop.

Why am I here?  I'm not looking for sympathy, just wanted to throw that out there since I am going to tell the story of how I acquired my 1979 CB650.  I'm looking for all the help I can get with getting this bike back on the road and in top condition.

I inherited this CB650 from my mom back on August 5th 2000.  That’s the day my mom was riding her bike and had a slow speed accident on a gravel road.  She wasn't wearing her helmet that day and hit her head just so  which caused her death a few hours later that day.  My mom had rode bikes since I was 4 (I'm 39 now), I've been riding since I was 5.  I have several bikes, street and dirt, but lately I've been wanting to get my mom's old bike back on the road.  It had a Vetter fairing which was lightly cracked and a full set of bags on the rear.  Also had a set of engine guards.  Between all that, the bike came through the accident pretty well.  I'm not much of a fairing/hard saddle bag guy yet so I removed all those components.  The tank and side covers are excellent (I'd painted them for my mom several years ago).  The exhaust and front and rear fenders are all shinned up now, didn't have any rust.  Has the Comstar (think that is the name) wheels, they are good but could use a good cleaning to get them back to a nice deep black.

The last time this bike ran good was a couple days after the accident when my brother-in-law loaded it on a trailer and brought it home.  I started it 3 or 4 months later but the bike didn't want to get off idle, it'd just die.  It'd start and idle but that was it.  Since the later part of 2000 it has sat out in my barn un touched until about a month ago when I began to work on it.  I changed the oil, hooked a good battery to it and it would crank up and fire up with a shot of ether but that was it.  I pulled the carbs and found the meaning of gummed up carburetors.

I'm going to stop there and post my first few questions about these carbs and repairs parts that are available for them in the SOHC forum.  I hope you all will stop by that thread and assist me in my quest to get this sentimental old bike back on the road.

Rod

[keiths]

Hi Rod,
Welcome to the forum. If this group can't help you, no one can. I'd guess you still have a carb problem. Clean them again, add new plugs, adjust you floats, tappets and points, and try it again. Once its running you can adjust the tensioner and balance the carbs. It also helps to get a manual if you don't have one yet.
Good luck,
Keith

[CBR_Rod]

Hi Keith,

I just bought an older Clymer manual.  I've put a post in the SOHC forum desribing what all I have done to this point.
 
As for points, I was thinking this is an electronic ignition bike, no?  With an overhead cam would the be tappets, ot am I simply overlooking something and not understanding what you are talking about?

Thanks

[keiths]

I'm not familiar with the 650 (someone will tell me if I'm wrong) but I think these bikes share the same ignition and tappet design. A PO may have changed to an electronic ignition. Remove the cover and see if you have two points or an electronic unit. If you have 8 tappet covers, you should have tappets to adjust.

[kslrr]

Welcome from SoCal.  I just took apart my carbs after sitting for 15 years.  What a mess!!!  I feel for you .

[nickjtc]

Hi Rod, and welcome. Glad to hear that you've got the cousin to my Sophie (see my avatar), but very sorry to read about how she became yours.

If the bike was running well before the accident and then just parked with no 'pre-park' care and feeding (as in draining the carb float bowls and stabilising) then theoretically with a carb clean, fresh gas and a fully charged (new?) battery, you should be good to go. As Keith said a good tune up would not be a bad idea (oil/filter/air filter/adj valves/balance carbs). Do check the air filter housing to see if any wildlife decided to make a home there.

The CB650 has electronic ignition so there are no points to faff around with.

Post pics if you can, and keep us informed with progress.

Nick

[CBR_Rod]

I'm going to check the static timing and I'll read up about adjusting the valves. 

Harry from Sirius is going to fix me up with new float needles and new Air Cut-off valves.  The accelerator pump weems to be good to go and the carbs are thouroghly cleaned and blown out now.  Did a complete disassembly, with the exception of altering the carb sync adjustments.  Figured it was best to leave that alone and hopefully they'll be close enough to get it going.

I'll take pics of the whole process.  I'm going to repaint the bike, that is if she'll runs.

[Soos]

Nice to hear of another '79 cb650 owner out there.

And i agree with a good carb cleaning, new oil/filter, and charged battery you should be good to go.

I got mine to run after having the motor sit for 13+ years without anything more than parts transfer from one bike to another, carb cleaning, and charging an old batery.
Might be worth getting a cable luber. Check on the tach and speedo cables for lube in those as well. I personally use graphite to lube those(not sure if thats a good thing, but it works so far for me).

Don't forget, the CB650 is the redheaded stepchild... and the '79 is the bastard red headed stepchild....
the '79 has many parts that are unique to that bike/year.
Even the '80 year model used a different seat pan, tank, airbox is located on the wrong side(compared to the '79), and i'm sure there is even more things different as well.
The electronics are fairly swapable though between all the SOHC 650's though.

good luck getting her running!


When she gets going, don't forget to have the carbs synch'd!!!
It made a world of difference on my bike when it came to idiling.
You should be able to have a shop do it for 20-30, or just buy a manometer and do it yourself.
A fair manometer(that uses mercury) shouldn't be over 70.
I paid $50 for mine, and have used it more than I ever imagined.
$10 a pop for friends/relatives bike carb synch, has paid for the manometer and then some...

l8r

[nickjtc]

Don't forget, the CB650 is the redheaded stepchild... and the '79 is the bastard red headed stepchild....

Be still my beating heart! Sophie is sitting in the garage sobbing........

[Soos]

Oh, as well, the speedometer is different, it goes to 120+, not 80 like the '80 and later CB650's.
As well as the tach. mine shows 11,500, the '80 and later ones top out at 10,500.

They may be swapable and work fine... but IMO the '79 gauges look better anyway.

Don't forget, the CB650 is the redheaded stepchild... and the '79 is the bastard red headed stepchild....

Be still my beating heart! Sophie is sitting in the garage sobbing........

Awww.... I'm sorry Sophie....
Mabey a oil change and a good cleaning will make her feel better....
Then ride her like the red headed bastard step-child she is!
Just don't forget the protection, don't need any "accidents"... (get your head out of the gutter! helmut/gloves/jacket....  )

l8r

[CBR_Rod]

Well, I placed my order with Hary of Sirius in Canada for the 4 float needles and 4 air cut-off valves.  I took the bike to the shop today and did a by the book tune-up as according to the clymer manual.  I adjusted the cam chain tensioner, set the valve clearance, set the static timing and installed new NGK plugs.  Hopefully sometime next week I'll have those last few pieces to put the carbs back together.  Harry is also sending a new fuel filter.

The original gauges quite working on this bike a long time ago (original odometer reads 36K+).  I'd bought a set of guages from an older machine (speedo goes to 140), and the tach reads the same as the original, but they are a bit different looking, sort of faded.  Still have the originals and noticed the needles on botht he speedo and tach are turn up against the glass and wondering if this was what the original problem was.

Sophie looks like a nice bike.  Don't have a name for this bike cept for maybe soemthing I shouldn't say on here:).  If she runs she is going to need the front forks rebuilt and a new front master cylinder.  I think it may need new stem bearings as well.  I remember it was a pretty worn out feeling bike in the front end. 

I also kinda like the orange on some of the newer shadows and VTX, I'm leaning towards refinishing this bike in that color if it runs.

[Soos]

Well, I placed my order with Hary of Sirius in Canada for the 4 float needles and 4 air cut-off valves.  I took the bike to the shop today and did a by the book tune-up as according to the clymer manual.  I adjusted the cam chain tensioner, set the valve clearance, set the static timing and installed new NGK plugs.  Hopefully sometime next week I'll have those last few pieces to put the carbs back together.  Harry is also sending a new fuel filter.

The original gauges quite working on this bike a long time ago (original odometer reads 36K+).  I'd bought a set of guages from an older machine (speedo goes to 140), and the tach reads the same as the original, but they are a bit different looking, sort of faded.  Still have the originals and noticed the needles on botht he speedo and tach are turn up against the glass and wondering if this was what the original problem was.

Sophie looks like a nice bike.  Don't have a name for this bike cept for maybe soemthing I shouldn't say on here:).  If she runs she is going to need the front forks rebuilt and a new front master cylinder.  I think it may need new stem bearings as well.  I remember it was a pretty worn out feeling bike in the front end. 

I also kinda like the orange on some of the newer shadows and VTX, I'm leaning towards refinishing this bike in that color if it runs.

What size bike was the tach from?
I've been running with a  70's(74?76?) set of cb750 guages.
The speedo is good to go, but theres NO way the tach is right.
Been looking for good set of '79 guages for a while now.


If the needles are touching the glass, they may be repeirable.(or am i crazy?)
Mabey if you were to open the case, and with a little heat to the needle, just enough to get it to be able bend with a little pressure from fingers,and probably even get something to protect the guage face from the heat.

I once tried to "straighten" my orig. speedo needle, but I did not remove the innards and it was 2-3 inches from a 500W work light for too long.
The needle did droop down, but in the process I melted the face behind it as well.
So what do i know?


l8r

[CBR_Rod]

It was so long ago when I bought the speedo and tach set.  I'll take a photo of them when I get back to the shop Monday, maybe the face will give a clue to the era or model?  The original gauges are nice, and for the life of me I cannot remember which was messing up, I'd guess the speedo though.  I am going to see what I can do to correct the needle issue.  I probably would not have noticed the needles bent up if I had seen an auction on Ebay and the seller mentioned the needles being bent upwards.

I hope to get the OEM ones working, they are so much better looking, no fading.

[cb650]

never noticed befor but yes the 79 tack is higher than 80 up.  Always knew the speedo was.  Never have had a 79 to ride just parts.




                      Terry

[Chucksklrst]

Hi Keith,

I just bought an older Clymer manual.  I've put a post in the SOHC forum desribing what all I have done to this point.
 
As for points, I was thinking this is an electronic ignition bike, no?  With an overhead cam would the be tappets, ot am I simply overlooking something and not understanding what you are talking about?

Thanks

The 1979 CB650 US model has NO points it is electronic ignition. Sorry to read about your Mom. Good luck with the restoration project. I'm sure she would be proud.