Topic: "barn find"

[Rgconner]

It was pretty sticky the first few uses, then started to smooth out.

Stalled it 4 or 5 times because it would go from full slip to full grab in 1/4 of inch of travel.

Power was pretty good for a engine not run since 2004 and just a clean out of the carb and a new spark plug.

Brakes are crap, they are really dried out. The back one scare the #$%* out of me first time I used it, locked up the back tire and it was skidding until I applied a little power to break it free.

I think it had stuck and would not retract.

All at 10 to 15 mph of course. I knew it was going to be a rough first ride.

Tooled up and down the street a few times, getting a feel for it and waking the bike up from it's 8 year nap.

Roads were empty, so I took it out on a local thoroughfare and got it up to about 40-45 in a short burst. Engine seemed to like it, but I did not want to push it.

Now, if I could only figure out where they hid the oil filter on the damn thing...
 

[grcamna2]

Is it a 4 stroke ??

[Rgconner]

Is it a 4 stroke ??

2 stroke.

The oil filter comment was a joke.


It does need the gear oil changed. Probably do that today.

[grcamna2]

  !

[grcamna2]

Is the weather very cold for riding your scooter where you are? how does it run for you Rgconner ?

[Rgconner]

It is cold enough.... we are barely hitting the 60's, freezing overnight.

But it is the fog that sucks. Pulls the heat right out of you.

The bike is not registered and not insured, so I take it up and down the street and that is about it.

The P200 is an interesting beast. It combines the worst elements of the Vespa 2009GTS and the CB550 into one bike, with a few special elements...

Have to shift, has a choke, must kickstart, smelly (2-stroke), bad brakes (drum front and back), no storage space, dodgy handling from small wheels, sensitive to wind from legshield and fairing, marginal charging system...


Yep, I am in love.

[grcamna2]

Do you think that the mileage is original to most of the bike...in reference to the engine,brakes,clutch,suspension,etc.? Maybe it had lot's of highway mileage .

[Rgconner]

Do you think that the mileage is original to most of the bike...in reference to the engine,brakes,clutch,suspension,etc.? Maybe it had lot's of highway mileage .

Probably.

The shocks are totally toast, broken front spring I found last week.

The layer of grime on parts of the engine is phenomenal. It is more like a 1/4 layer of felt embalmed in oil.

He had the head bearings replaced as some point, so they are sorta ok. They appear to need some attention as well.

Engine mounts are all shot, as well as the shock mounts. No surprise there, sitting for 8 years is going to do that.

I have not pulled the head yet, I may do that today. I suspect I will find worn rings, pitted head and maybe a scored cylinder. Presuming it is all original. He could not remember exactly what they did to the engine besides the bearings.

All in all, I think it would take $500 to $700 to make it safe, $1000 to $1200 to make it to "restored", and $2000 to make it performance. Performance == better shocks, disc front, 18HP instead of 10.

Not including minor body work and a paint job.

[grcamna2]

Rg,
     I'm catching your plan ...and I like it .

[Rgconner]

Rg,
     I'm catching your plan ...and I like it .

I am going in stages. $400 worth of stuff to replace all the mounts and shocks and the damaged exhaust.

Exhaust is a tuned one, but still looks OEM. Good for the next stage...

When I replace the cylinder I will put in a 210cc, 7 ports, with the 60mm crank. That gives it a lot more HP and torque without kill the gas mileage or risking the engine. Will need jetting, but since it is a 28mm stock carb, won't need a 30 or 35mm.

Should be about 18hp or so, with 100+ mpg and good reliability with the iron sleeve vrs the Aluminum one.

Aluminum one gets up to 20HP, but you are much more liable to soft seize on long rides.

About $500 with all the bearings and gaskets replaced. 

Ps. 20hp sounds dinky, but the bike weighs 220lbs, and it is direct drive, no belts or chains.

Power to weight is in the class of the CB550, although it will not "do the ton".

They are damn scary bikes if they have the light 3 lb  flywheel and other mods to drop weight. Stock 8lbs lets it cruise all day long, but slower off the line.

[grcamna2]

Is the original crank the 60mm ? are you going for the lighter flywheel or do you plan on hauling a passenger or some luggage once in a while? if it was mine.. ..I think I would do everything that you are speaking about and keep the O.E. flywheel..or maybe a 6lb.?; I would want it to be at least 90% as reliable as original considering all the mods,etc. w/ the full restoration. That's a "go anywhere" machine all over the world..I would guess.Will you be able to run the regular grade fuel anymore ?

[Rgconner]

57mm.

It really does not give more compression like a 4 stroke. What it does is extend the exhaust/intake cycle so you scavenge better.

Compression goes to ~10.6, up from stock 9.8.

No fuel change. Would it matter much do you think? Considering your mixing oil in there, the octane rating would be screwy anyway.

[grcamna2]

Oh..you could extend the stroke and get better port charging ..that seems like an excellent upgrade ! while still being able to use low grade fuel ?? I'm thinking that if you took it to another country for "sightseeing" or just basic transportation anywhere that the octane rating would be down a little...would it still do okay ?
That is going to be an excellent machine when you're finished "nurturing" it .

[Rgconner]

Pulled the head to look at the piston and wall.

Discovered the spark plug was only 1/3 in because of crossed threads.

Got the chaser out, came from the inside to get a good alignment...

Compression is MUCH better now.

[grcamna2]

Rg,
 Now that the plug is sparking cleaner...why not take a plate off your other bike and take it for a clean out ride .

[Rgconner]

Got the tags updated today.

Just as well. As I was talking to the reseller about parts, we noticed my main jet was a 109, should be a 118 or 120. Same with all the other jets.

Seems someone rebuilt the carb with a Deltoro 20/20 kit, not a 24/24 kit.

This was a mid-year change under pressure from the EPA, but means it has been running WAY too lean. Good thing it was a Shriner bike.

Head comes off again for a better look, make sure the exhaust port is not burned.

[grcamna2]

Rg,
      I purchased a little Shriner bike back in 1990 in North Platte,Ne. ... a little 71' CB100, & from what I remember the head pipe was fairly blue from lots of parades. Bought it from a small Honda dealer for 200 dollars and rode it all the way back to Cape Cod with-in the 10 day time period that was on the temp. paper plate..took Rte.30 to Rte 6..all the way;that thing did get excellent mileage.I think those Shriner's go real easy on their bikes..usually.

[Rgconner]

I may decide to paint it... how do you think it would look in, say, Candy Jade Green to match the CB550?

 

[grcamna2]

If you're going to keep it...otherwise I'd go w/ the original.

[Rgconner]

If you're going to keep it...otherwise I'd go w/ the original.

For now, it is going to stay "Survivor Silver". I am going to clean up the rust spots and just shoot them with clear coat to keep it from coming back. Minor stuff, just don't want it to get worse.

[grcamna2]

When you keep it and care for a special bike for a good many years, the Original color is the bikes true character..I think.

[Rgconner]

Guy down in Fresno will take my case, crank, block, piston and head then port match them all the way through. Intake/exhaust ports are part of the case, so that they all will be ported and matched.

Piston gets a total makeover, opening up the two "spare" charging ports which are actually for the P150 (smaller engine, same engine case) and using them to capture more of the initial charge as well as more of the scavenge charge from the tuned pipe and newly re-ported crank.

Expected results are 15hp, or 50% over stock, and a 75% increase in torque.

Add in a little more and I can get a nicer carb, essential a reworked stock one, that adds a velocity stack and better air delivery.

That might have to wait...
   

[grcamna2]

OK...you want to make a "Sleeper" out of it  ;"looks stock enough"...hey?

[Rgconner]

OK...you want to make a "Sleeper" out of it  ;"looks stock enough"...hey?

Yeah, the only indication there is something else there will be the front shock.

Fully adjustable and definitely not stock.

[Rgconner]

So here is the PO did stupid stuff list:

Jets are for a 20, not a 24.
Exhaust header not screwed in at all.
Head bolts were finger tight, except one.
Cross threaded spark plug.

Damage from above super rich setting is minimal, thankfully. Probably because the oil from the gearbox/wet sump is leaking into the crankcase and keeping everything super wet with oil. In a short 1 mile test run I lost half of the 250ml of gear oil.

Piston is one over size, and there is no "lip" in the wall where the piston hits maximum height. That means it has been ridden less that 5 to 10K miles since the rebuild. Otherwise, I would likely have much more damage to the head/transfer case from running too lean and too much/wrong oil, and the transmission/clutch from lack of oil.

Hot glued main junction box around wire boots. Well, it might be something like marine Goop,but it is hard to tell.
Stripped cowling bolt replaced with a sheetmetal screw.
Hotwired Killswitch.