Is this the post..?
It can be done! Not only have I done it, but a few weeks ago Steve Tenenbaum and I did his. You don't even have to take the engine out of the bike. Here's how:
1. Remove oil pan, clutch cover, & clutch. The clutch "requires" a special socket from Honda, but I made it out of a 1" diameter steel plumbing pipe and a dremel. Follow the manual's instructions, but don't disassemble the clutch, just take it out.
2. Loosen the two bolts holding the primary shaft in and slide it out. The starter clutch is bolted to the primary drive chain gear, so the chain will keep it from falling out.
3. There are three bolts that hold the starter clutch to the primary gear - you need a Torx 30 head to get them out. You can see them through the hole the primary shaft slid out of. It's tricky, because you have to go through the holes in the starter gear to get to the bolts, and you have to loosen all three before taking it out because the bolt head won't fit through the holes in the starter gear.
Once unbolted it should drop out, and you can see what's wrong with it. On mine and Steve's both, the three holes in the edge of the clutch-outer were warped, and the springs behind the roller push-pins were mangled. Here's a link to the parts, and this site uses the same diagrams the dealers do:
http://houseofmotorcycles.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/oem_schematic_vie w.asp?schem_dept_id=213328§ion_dept_id=1§ion_dept_name=OEM+% 28Stock+Parts% 29&dept_type_id=2&model_dept_year=1981&model_dept_mfr=Honda&model_dept _id=206277&model_dept_name=CB650
It took us about 2.5 hours to change out Steve's and neither of us have had any problems since the operation. The parts can be expensive, but if you look on eBay you can sometimes get lucky. Email me if you have any questions, and if you live near St. Louis, MO I'd be glad to help out. Good luck!
