Hi Everyone!
I'm new here. I purchased a 1981 CB650c that has been modified into a cafe racer on CL. (Don't worry, I will post some pictures soon!) Long story short, the bike belonged to the PO parents who put 7k on it. His dad got into Harley's and his mother had hip surgery and could no longer ride it.
The PO became obsessed with some caferacer TV show and asked his parents for the bike. He took the bike to a motorcycle shop specializing in custom builds (mostly Harley's). They did a very nice job on it as far as aesthetics go (Don Zetti seat & Tank). As far as engine, there wasn't too much done. So the PO takes the bike home and NEVER rides it. Not once! I saw the add come up on CL and I called immediately. I honestly thought it was fake. I drove to his house and he turned out being a really nice guy and he sold it to me at a really low price! It made my day! There are nice people!
The bike looks B.A. However, there hasn't been too much done to the engine. I don' really know much about combustion engines, just the basics (whatever that means). I do work at a bike store, as in pedal bikes. Here's what I know has been done: Two 2 into 1air filters (they're oval and chrome, I think they're K&N), a short rubber tube (3 in) that sticks out of top of the engine the with a little K&N style cone filter at the end (crankcase breather?), a new petcock? (I think that's what the gas on/off switch is called?), a new inline fuel filter that's clear with a filter element inside, maybe new plug wires (they're yellow, so I'm guessing they're not stock), and I think there's a different exhaust on it (it's a black 4 into 1 with a muffler, but nothing crazy). As I mentioned, I'm very nieve when it comes to this stuff. But I can describe things fairly well.
I called the shop that built it and they didn't have much to say. I first asked them if they rebuilt the engine. They said they cleaned the carbs. They never did anything else to the engine. They weren't really helpful at all actually. I might have been speaking to the wrong guy. Overall, the bike ran good. It was quick and pulled hard (kind of still does). It starts up very quickly with the choke engaged for a few seconds when its cold and warms up quickly.
I've noticed the bike does some weird things. First, the throttle speed does not slow quickly. What I mean is, in-between shifts, the throttle stays at a constant RPM when the clutch is engaged and I release the throttle. The grip portion doesn't seem to stick. I've adjusted the it so there is a decent amount of play (2-3mm). The RPMS do eventually return to idle when in neutral and when the clutch is engaged, but after about 5 seconds. Recently it has become worse. It now stays at about 2500ish (I dont have a tach) for extended periods of time, but not all the time.
Second, I've noticed some power loss. It does accelerate well, but something is off. Sometimes when getting it up to speed (70mph) it feels bogged down. It surges slightly when cruising around at higher RPMs. And overall, I'M missing that AWESOME POWERBAND snappiness! I felt it a few times the first handful of times I rode it but it wasn't always there. I've owned it for about 3 weeks.
I got stuck in the rain the other day. Some biblical s***. They're was hail, sideways rain, and flash flooding. The best part being that it came out of nowhere. Your typical New England storm. The bike had no front or rear fenders......I know, bad (I have since procured and installed one). I sought refuge quickly and left once it past. I rode through some pretty big puddles on the way home (which was about 20 min). The bike started acting a little funky, mainly bogging down and staling once or twice at stops. Ten miles away the roads were dry so I drove around for a bit to dry things out. It seemed to help.
I took the bike out later that night and notice arcing coming from the plug cap next to my left leg. It figure that might have something to do with it. I bought four new ones today, but it's still doing it. Tonight I looked down and it arcing again, same one. The RPMS still stay at a constant and it still seems to have trouble pulling. Although it does seem to pull a bit better, but that might be in my head.
The only other issue is a right front fork seal leak. It doesn't hold air and leaks nasty grey oil. I plan on taking it to a shop and having that fixed. The PO said he would take care of it. I don't know about the rest. I would have them look at the other things too but I don't want to spend a small fortune.
By the looks of it you'd think I'm going to school to be a writer. Sorry for the novel. I've been ghosting around here for a bit but I figured I would introduce myself. This seems like one of the best sources of information for these bikes. Nice to meet you all and thank you in advance. Have a great night.
-Chris
