Revivng slumbering motorcycle

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abdywgn

dismantler
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Is getting one of these running again the same checklist as a dormant car? It's a 4-cycle so there is no oil in the carb/lines/tank to mess with. One known problem is the seam of the gas tank is leaking...and it's a fiberglass(?) tank. Supposedly there are some sealers available to remedy that. Has anybody used them and had any long term satisfaction with them? First thing is just to hear it run, then road worthiness...oh yea and a license.Oops!
 
I've used the gas tank sealer's, I'd rather not use them, they work good for awhile but seem to eventually come loose, I've had to dig several out of tank's that have failed after several years. Your right about it being the same as getting a car running again, same process, expect stuck needle valves in carbs and such. If your lucky maybe it had fuel stabilizer in it.
 
I have rescued many old motorcycles from long storage. The most common ailment is the fuel system. What are you working on?
 
Common problem,

Pilot air jets plugged up from old fuel, will run on the choke, but that's it. What bike with a fiberglass tank, old Duck?
 
Is getting one of these running again the same checklist as a dormant car? It's a 4-cycle so there is no oil in the carb/lines/tank to mess with. One known problem is the seam of the gas tank is leaking...and it's a fiberglass(?) tank. Supposedly there are some sealers available to remedy that. Has anybody used them and had any long term satisfaction with them? First thing is just to hear it run, then road worthiness...oh yea and a license.Oops!
What is it? I didn't get any pictures. Did you put pictures on?
 
There is a sealer for Fiberglass tanks. Gas will permeate Fiberglass. Hugh's Bultaco in NY deals with it all the time and can direct you.
 
If it has more than one karbanator you can pretty much count on needing to sync the karbanators if you remove them from the bike (should be done anyway). Years ago one could purchase "balance sticks" that had Mercury in them. If they are still available....despite how much less $$ they are than a set of Balance Sticks with gauges are....avoid them at all costs. Have seen more than one motorcycle had its motor scattered by the mercury.
 
no fuel stabilizer, been empty for...15+ years.I think it ran before it was put in the basement.At least once since I've lived here which is 20+ years.
no pictures yet because it's not in my garage. Will post when it arrives. and for same reason not saying,don't want to jinx the deal.
yes,I'd be interested in learning more about the sealer. it's either that or a $400 look a like metal tank that they say "should" be pressure tested before installing.
fortunately,from what I remember,single carb feeding two cylinders.
didn't they have something that fit over the top of the carb and that was part of the synchronizing?
tjpatte,sounds like the problems with some mowers I pick up from the curb. what was a duck?
 
If your fiberglass tank is leaking, REPLACE IT. It's not worth a burnt down bike.

In this order:
remove carbs as a whole, disassemble individual carbs while leaving the bodies together as a bank (if so configured), clean paying attention to idle circuits. This means removing all jets AND adjustment needles and spraying until carb cleaner flows freely. Replace any cracked vacuum caps with OE stuff, not parts-store garbage. Be careful that carb cleaner doesn't come out some other passage and spray you in the eye or the crotch. Remember, there's NO need to break the carbs apart from one another. You're just cleaning passages. Dumping carb cleaner in the carbs on the bike will NOT cut it.

Don't bother synching the carbs unless you disturb the adjusters between them, and you need to run the valves before synching anyway.

Drain the oil, leave the filter, and replace with motorcycle oil. It needs to have friction modifiers for the clutches.

Add fuel to system, and supply vacuum to fuel valve/petcock as required to start fuel flow. If it leaks, STOP NOW and fix the leak.

If points, inspect for corrosion and verify gap but don't adjust.

Add hot battery, and NEW spark plugs. No jumper cables. Hook it up right.

Fire it up, run it long enough to get it hot via idling, and then change oil AND filter.

Now, and this is important:
GET NEW TIRES before you ride it. They're going to be rock-hard and GREASY. This thing will be a death trap until you do this, so don't ruin your new-ish bike and possibly you in some crappy dammit accident.

Have fun!
 
1973 Kawi H2 750 triple ?
1981 Maico 490 ?
1982 KTM 495. ?
1984 Kawi GPZ 750 Turbo ???

Your killing me Smallz !!
 
no fuel stabilizer, been empty for...15+ years.I think it ran before it was put in the basement.At least once since I've lived here which is 20+ years.
no pictures yet because it's not in my garage. Will post when it arrives. and for same reason not saying,don't want to jinx the deal.
yes,I'd be interested in learning more about the sealer. it's either that or a $400 look a like metal tank that they say "should" be pressure tested before installing.
fortunately,from what I remember,single carb feeding two cylinders.
didn't they have something that fit over the top of the carb and that was part of the synchronizing?
tjpatte,sounds like the problems with some mowers I pick up from the curb. what was a duck?

Yep, like mowers except the passages are smaller and the jets hang way down in the float bowl.

By Duck I was referring to Ducati, like maybe a 900SS from the 70’s, they had fiberglass tanks. Or maybe a Paso, they used a single Weber to feed the twin. If it is a Ducati with a Weber, pull the Weber and throw it at someone you don’t like!

Is it a CV (Constant Velocity) carb, if so check the diaphragm on top for dry rot cracks. It won’t impact idle, but depending on how bad will raise hell when you try to apply throttle.

Excited to see some pic’s as I love old bikes.
 
Jos51700,THANK-YOU for the detailed list. didn't think about the possibility of tank leaking right over a hot engine.Kinda like squirting lighter fluid on hot charcoals!
mbaird,think British. the 750 H2 would have been my first bike for $200 but God in His infinite wisdom delayed the timing for purchase until it was sold to someone else. I got my truck running a week after it sold.Probably would have been first and last bike...
tjpatte,thanks for explaining the "duck" reference.should have figured that out myself. light is on at about 15 watts today instead of 60 or so...
 
[QUOTE="jos51700, post: 1972598376, member: 10255"

Now, and this is important:
GET NEW TIRES before you ride it. They're going to be rock-hard and GREASY. This thing will be a death trap until you do this, so don't ruin your new-ish bike and possibly you in some crappy dammit accident.

Have fun![/QUOTE]
This! Especially this...
 
Jos51700,THANK-YOU for the detailed list. didn't think about the possibility of tank leaking right over a hot engine.Kinda like squirting lighter fluid on hot charcoals!

Actually you can spill gasoline all over a hot engine, headers, etc. and flare-ups are rare. The issue is that you can have sparks where you can't see them. Points, spark plug wires and caps (which are removable on most motorcycles), etc can spark internally and you never know it. The plug caps can come loose from the wire but be held on by the rubber boot and spark's gonna spark. You can unscrew the cap from the wire to see how it works. Cars rarely have this handy, um, 'feature'.

And the other issue with bikes is the gravity-feed system. That leak ain't going to stop unless you kick the bike on it's side, at which point it will...leak from somewhere else, and probably multiple somewhere else's. With a car, you can kill the fuel pump and at least limit the fuel supply for a while, whilst you run around in a panic looking for some smallpox-riddled Indian blanket or something to throw on the fire.

I burned a friend's GT380 to the ground twenty years ago while 'doing a favor' cleaning his carbs. I can still remember seeing that fire start under the points cover and climb up the dripping fuel to the carbs, and that was a slow leak.

We can supply more specific info to the model you have, once you give up the David Crapperfield routine and tell us what it is, and invite us over for beer.
 
Hmmm ... British ?
Norton
Triumph
Grieves
Royal Enfield
Matchless...

Left foot shifter ?

This will be a fun project.

I think my next resto will be a vintage dirtbike.
 
gonna be a long ride for A beer...okay,I'll spill the beans; Norton 750 Commando.
got the point on the tires.brakes were also a go thru.
does the chain need cleaning/lubricated?
Thanks again for all the tips, even the painful ones from your own experiences. Bob
 
Hey, I like you even more! Here is mine, owned it since 1975. Almost ready to ride.
Ditto on the gas tank, run it from the lawnmower tank till you find out what it needs. The India tanks on ebay are getting better, stock steel tanks very hard to find. Good Luck!
IMG_7309.JPG
 
Hey, I like you even more! Here is mine, owned it since 1975. Almost ready to ride.
Ditto on the gas tank, run it from the lawnmower tank till you find out what it needs. The India tanks on ebay are getting better, stock steel tanks very hard to find. Good Luck!
Aw shucks! now I'm embarrassed.did not think of lawn mower tank, was gonna use a boat tank remotely mounted.
VERY nice looking bike!
what brand lift are you using? Thanks again! Bob
 
I am using a Harbor Freight model. It's got some little things I don't like but it was cheap with one of their coupons and it makes it soooooo nice to work on the bike. Not sure how far you are into Norton motorcycle, but check out Colorado Norton Works, way out of my price range but sure are pretty!
 
Here it is at home with the rest of the projects. This is going to similar to the first car I had and worked on, just will do more reading this time to try and figure it out.

S1051161.JPG


S1051163.JPG
 
took plugs out and jumped up and down to spin it over...got spark. sounds like drain oil and replace, maybe give two squirts of gas and see if she makes some noise.
 
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