honda305.com Forum

Bear with me guys, I'm getting there, you might find this part useful. I'll try to keep it short (ha) and let the pix help tell the story. Surely I'm not the first person to come up with these ideas, but here are my versions:

Boots, etc: Made some boots for instrument and high beam lights. Great deal on shrink tube assortment at Harbor Freight. I found a socket the right size, marked depth, shrank a piece of ¾” tube over it, snipped off most of small end, shrank a short piece of ½” (or 3/8”, can’t remember now) over the stub, snipped off most of small end of that, ran wire to socket through that, and shrank a short hunk of 1/8” over that (with bic lighter, not torch) to finish up. I had to cut out tee in wires to instrument bulbs to get it to work, so I twisted wires together, soldered, and covered with shrink. Also soldered a jumper onto shortest wire to give me a little extra room when putting it together.

Sorry to lay all this on at once, just tryin' to get caught up. Thanks again for your support. -- Lee

Nice job on the boots, they look good!

I had to chuckle about putting the wheels on, I did about the same thing. I had to do some paint touch up on my chain guard so I don't have it on yet. Maybe I'm not done taking the back tire off :)

Gunner

Sun finally came out around 5 p.m., warmed up to 64 degrees. I just meant to poke around a little and figure out next moves, ended up installing the throttle cable. Used the thumb-in-one-carb-middle-finger-in-the-other technique (resisting making a tasteless comment here) to get slides to open at exactly same time. So one more job out of the way.

I'm getting there. My box of baggies of bolts is getting lighter. Wiring, exhaust, air cleaners, footpegs, more miscellaneous to go. I need to sand and epoxy around filler hole in gas tank before I put it on. Also need to build a ramp so I can get bike off the porch. Oh, and the seat. I may end up taking my first ride with a couch cushion bungeed on, bet I won't be the first.

Thanks for your support. --Lee--

Your bike looks great and I'm dying to see the next installment. SWEEEEEEEET!
C.N.

I’m getting closer all the time, still not quite there. (I started this log entry offline awhile back, got a holdup at this point, maybe I can catch up while perfecting the zen-like patience this project is trying to teach me.)

Wiring, lights, horn: Wiring is done, lights all work after a little tweaking. Taillight wouldn’t work consistently at first, would come on then go off or not turn on at all. I tracked problem to the combo switch; sometimes it was getting power to proper terminals, sometimes not. Concluded that contacts inside switch were dirty after sitting for so many years, exercised the switch by turning it off and on and on to parking position and back a bunch of times and taillight started working consistently. Working fine now, every time, I’m still exercising switch a few times when I think to. Only problem was when I hit the horn button, it gave a weak squawk and everything quit working. Blown fuse. I’ve got a new supply of 15 amp fuses, but putting off trying to fix it for now. It worked, but not real well, with battery charger before I installed it, I guess I need to go over it with multitester, see if it’s shorted out or what. I may need a new horn before inspection time.

Mufflers: They went back on easier than they came off, since I’d figured out exhaust pipes need to be loose at head. Still a little challenging, the angle going on to bracket has to be just right, everything under a little tension. A matter of twisting and turning, thinking it’s impossible, and suddenly it slips into place too fast to know just what you did to get it there.

I painted the exhaust pipes with high-heat (1500 degree) flat silver paint, baked in oven for most of one morning, 30 minutes at 250, cooled, 30 minutes at 400, cooled, 30 minutes at 600, cooled. Stunk up the house a little. I think they look pretty ok.

Cables: I got all the cables installed, including cruddy rear brake cable I’m going to replace as soon as retrobikes has theirs available. Tech tip: Stick your rear brake cable in place when you install the toolbox, before or during installation of rear fender, to avoid difficulty and possible scratched paint.

I scored a new original clutch cable (with grease fitting) from a really interesting guy I tracked down in Pflugerville (near Austin) who has quite a collection of beautifully restored CBs and CLs and other period Hondas. He’s working on a Sport-65 right now, and I just happened to have most of the parts from two S65 engines that someone (can’t remember who or why) stored in my barn and never came back for back in antiquity. Useless to me. So, a trade. Got the clutch cable, a pair of spark plug wire stays that go on carb bolts, some fuel line clamps, a vintage mirror with HM logo (not for CB77, I’ve bent around on it some, still can’t see anything but my left elbow in it, but it’ll get me past inspection.) I’d like to post a few pix of his collection, but need permission first. And time to do it. He’s a forum member but doesn’t really keep up with it.

Some agonizing over throttle cable routing. It may be of more general interest so I posted that story separately: http://www.honda305.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3977

Timing, etc.: I used Ed’s method to set the timing and synchronize the carbs, no real problems. Directions don’t specify that light should come on when mark on rotor lines up with pointer when rotating engine in normal (clockwise) direction, but I guess that’s obvious. Similar to a VW bug, which I’ve done quite a few times, but with two sets of points. Cranked it over and got good spark at both plugs, hallelujah.

Gas tank: Following suggestions here I mixed up a batch of epoxy and sealed edge of paint/primer around filler hole. I tried painting it on with a tiny brush, but the epoxy was too thick, it went on really globby. I worked it over like caulk with a wet (with rubbing alcohol) finger and it came out ok. I’m not going to post a pic, still too ugly.

I went by the Honda shop twice and ordered, then picked up a new gas cap, part #17620-402-010. It fits, but looks somewhat different from stock cap. Vent arrangement seems like it’ll make gas spills less likely. It does a good job of covering up my ugly epoxy job, anyway.

Looked over the new bikes while I was there. Ugh. Pseudo-hogs. Pseudo-choppers. Pointy-nose pseudo road racers. Too-tall pseudo-MX’ers. Ugh. Nothing interesting there for me.

Touch-up: Clumsy mechanic + brittle paint = touch up needed. One day I kept a roll of masking tape handy and stuck little pieces of tape next to booboos as I piddled with other stuff on bike. I’d talked my pharmacist out of four medicine dropper bottles. Next day I mixed 24 drops of paint, three drops of catalyst, six drops of reducer in a bottle cap and went after dings with a tiny brush. Looks ok. Painter Mike says some compounding may help. Keep repeating, it’s a rider.

Here's some more:

Getting it off the porch: Kind of like the guy who built a boat in his basement here. We just pushed it up a 2x6 to get it up there, but I think something more sophisticated is called for here. In the old days I thought nothing of riding bike up a 2x6 into the back of my ‘52 Chevy pickup. Depending on how far into the bed the board stuck, it might pick it up and fling it out the back. Harder part was backing it back down the board, but if it fell off, at least bike was out of truck, and it was accustomed to hitting the ground. I thought about just riding it down the steps, but that might be a little too exciting for my first ride in 30 years. So I took a window header I’d salvaged from somewhere (two 2x12s sandwiched with ½” plywood spacers, a little over four feet long) and built a ramp at the “shallow” end of porch. Main complication there is that coming off porch at 90 degrees puts me into some landscaping pretty quick, so ramp had to slant off to the right a bit. Haven’t had to cut a compound miter with a cheap skill saw in awhile, still not very good at it. Oh, well, it’s not a piano. I spent most of two afternoons messing with that darned ramp, but it’s done, sturdy, removable, ready to go. I’ve been walking up and down that ramp like Evel Knevel for the past week or so.

Later update: Last Saturday I rinsed the tank out a couple of times, mounted it on bike, hooked up lines to carbs, turned on the petcock. There was a slight leak from banjo joint to left carb. Stuck a tiny wrench up in there and tightened it a touch. Banjo bolt just turned in carb threads, stripped. Damn!

I figured out that by leaving the outside washer off the joint I could catch enough threads to hold it. It only leaks a little. I know I’ll need a new carb body soon, but for now, I really wanted to start that engine. So I did. After coughing and popping, etc. and messing with the choke, it did start, ran on one cylinder, ran on two cylinders, eventually settled down to idle around 2000 rpm with choke off. Adjustments brought idle down to smooth at around 900 rpm. So far so good, but leaking too much gas to ride safely. I’ve seen a motorcycle burn and it’s not pretty.

Another problem: The starter switch was hanging up. Starter running all the time. I got into the switch, problem was either wire from contact shorting to switch case or u-shaped bakelite contact holder slipping out of place and grounding to brass piece that holds it all together. I addressed first possibility with some strategically placed liquid electric tape. Made sure contact holder was where it needed to be and put it back together. I’ve started bike a number of times since, it seems to be working, but I’m being very careful about angle I push the starter button at. Working good so far.

One more problem: kick starter had about 30 degrees play at top of arc. Wanted to fall forward, creating an interesting ticking noise with engine running. After consulting with my guru I removed right footpeg, muffler, and side cover, turned kick starter shaft coming out of transmission all the way clockwise, then reassembled while holding some clockwise tension against spring on shaft coming out of case. Works. Muffler and exhaust pipe went on easier the second time, practice makes perfect.

It runs! I’ve kept on starting it every once in awhile since then, it seems to start easier each time. Keeping a fire extinguisher handy. Running for 15 minutes or so at various rpm (under 4000, mostly under 2000) to get it hot, then letting it cool down. Idling good, good throttle response accelerating, comes back down to idle right away, smooth. I’M HAPPY.

Seat: I’ve assembled all the materials I hope…electric knife, high density foam, quilt batting, contact cement, tubing to split to go around bottom edge, etc. I really think between the two seats I’ve got we’ll be able to come up with enough original rubber pads etc. to make it work. My wife has agreed to help with this; upholstery is something she claims some expertise at, it’s just a matter of being patient until the zodiac revolves around to us both wanting to mess with it at the same time. She’s not really that into the bike, but says she’s thrilled that I’ve found something to be so interested in. After a couple of years of retirement I really was in the doldrums until I started this project. She’s being very supportive, not complaining about feeling neglected (an understandable feeling all things considered), and I’m so grateful. Thanks, Sweetie.

Later seat update: Last Sunday my Sweetie butchered the second seat so I could clean up and paint the pan. I mostly stayed out of the way. I got the pan wire brushed, de-rusted, a couple of coats of black paint on it. As I write she’s on back porch gluing together salvaged rubber parts. I’m still staying out of the way. Next step will be to stretch the new Canadian seat cover onto it.

Latest overall update: Still waiting for new carb body from Kerrville. Should be here tomorrow. I’ll put parts from my rebuilt but defective old carb in there and hopefully that’ll fix it.

So, with any luck, I’ll be hitting that ramp and riding off the porch and into the neighborhood sometime this weekend. Can’t go far, not strictly legal yet. I guess I’ll put the rusty ’75 plate on it just to have something back there. I’ll be replacing my funky rotor and points covers with the new shiny ones and putting the flipper on at some point soon, too. Not a Superhawk without a flipper. Wahoo! -- Lee --

Good luck! Don't stop until you get to the bottom :)

I used to drive my bike (Yamaha 650) up a ramp on to the bed of the truck all the time. The last time I did it, I just had a new clutch put in. I told the mechanic I was drag racing it, so he set it up so it up to grab a little harder. The new feel of the clutch was just enough to mess me up and I stopped half way up. Not a good thing :) I lost my nerve and I have pushed it up ever since. I think you can make your ramp no problem.

Gunner