New project bike...first Honda...1980 CB900 Custom

[Lug Nut]

Screwing around Sunday morning on Facebook and came across this 1980 CD900 custom. About 2 hours away north of me in Michigan. 20,000 mi two owner but the person that had it bought it from his neighbor who was the original owner. His set since 2015 in a pole barn under a tarp. Completely all original except for the exhaust. Very nice condition for being 43 years old. Will clean it up real good in the next few days and then start doing mechanical stuff to it. best part it was $200 lol. The stock had 95 horsepower which should be a lot of fun for a V4

[rrps18admnrsc]

Cool bikes, but it's not a V-4. It's an in-line 4 "Wall-O-Motor" with dual overhead cams.
I had one with the dual range transmission, basically gives you 10 speeds if you feel like staying busy shifting it.
Great bikes with plenty of snot & for an 80s era bike, handles pretty well too. Long wheelbase makes for a nice stable, smooth ride on the freeway.
Good luck!

[Father Pobasturd]

Gonna be more than $200 just to rebuild carbs. The kits alone, which it's sure to need after sitting so long, if you can even get them. I wish you all the luck.

[Duke]

That was a great deal Scott. COOL!
Hey, when is your dealership going to open? I what to be first inline when you open for business.

[Engineman]

Had a 1982 Honda CB750, same color as this one and boy it was a fun time back then. I bought the bike in 1984 when I was just 18 and rode it for 2 years before joining the Navy for 20 years. Sold the bike in 1993 to a Navy Midshipmen for $500 with 7200 miles on. It was still like new when I sold it and I wished I had never sold it but being away at sea for 14 years and 6 years of shore duty was hard enough on me and the family. But now I have a roadstar I bought back in 2009, 3 years after retiring from the Navy. The wife said I could buy a motorcycle since I bought her and the kids anything they wanted and I went without to make sure they were happy.

[Lug Nut]

Gonna be more than $200 just to rebuild carbs. The kits alone, which it's sure to need after sitting so long, if you can even get them. I wish you all the luck.

carb boots look good and with stored with Carb bowls drained and tank empty. Hopefully I'll get lucky. Complete rebuild kits are about $175 from what I've seen.

I'll start cleaning on it this week and then start all the fluid filters spark plugs brakes etc

[rrps18admnrsc]

'Rebuilding' those carbs is a piece of cake.
Here's my 10 step process:

1. Pull the entire rail without separating any of the linkages between the carbs. The only linkage you'll disconnect is the main throttle control to the rail. You'll also be pulling some bodywork, that's just part of the deal.
2. Turn the entire assembly upside down & ONLY pull the bowls off.
3. Pull the jets & drop them in a cup with fresh carb cleaner. Soak for at least 48 hours.
4. Get a tall narrow bucket just big enough to hold the entire carb assembly (minus bowls & jets) including linkage. Put the carb rail in the bucket & cover with fresh carb cleaner. You'll need a couple gallons.
5. Soak the entire assembly at least 48 hours.

6. After soaking & draining everything dry, use a PLASTIC hair brush bristle and poke it through every nook, cranny & jet path in the carbs.
7. Do the same for the jets. DO NOT use anything made of metal to do this, you WILL wreck the carbs with wire no matter how soft you think it is.

8. After cleaning everything, dry by blowing it all out with compressed air.
* Obviously, wear eye protection doing this or you will get what you deserve. LOL

9. Reassemble everything starting with all the jets., then new gaskets, new floats & put the bowls back on.
10. Put the whole rail in together as one big clumsy assembly and reconnect the main throttle control linkage.

11. (who's counting anyway?) Check ALL YOUR INTAKE BOOTS FOR CRACKS or you'll waste a ton of time chasing A/F ratio ghosts.
12. Fire that sucker up.

I've never had to sync Honda carbs in rails like this & I've done a bunch of them.

Good luck!

[MidnightRide]

I had one of those, can't remember which year, but it was a lot of fun on the road. I bought it with a group of bikes that I'd picked up from an auction.

Carbs might surprise you. Often all I had to do was soak, clean, and replace the parts, and all was good.

That bike was a beast in its day!

[rrps18admnrsc]

^^^^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^^^

[Lug Nut]

I had one of those, can't remember which year, but it was a lot of fun on the road. I bought it with a group of bikes that I'd picked up from an auction.

Carbs might surprise you. Often all I had to do was soak, clean, and replace the parts, and all was good.

That bike was a beast in its day!

95 HP stock..this has exhaust and rejet....inline 4 seems interesting

[MidnightRide]

Yeah I've had a few I-4's, including my Suzuki RF-900R, which was a blast to ride. Extremely smooth. The Suzi was rated at 125-135 HP stock, at about 550 lbs in all. Never rode without a smile on that thing!

[Lug Nut]

I have a 1st gen vmax 4cyl, 1979 xs1100 4 cylinder, and now this Honda....had a 98 Royal Star and a 2002 RSV with the V4's. I like both the V twins and the 4 cylinder bikes...very different....

[brianmac]

the CB900 would be a lateral or backwards step, as most of the early I4s were top heavy with valve trains. IMHO, at my age, bikes with >1 carb are off my list.

[Chromepony]

That's a nice scooter you got there, Bubba.

[Lug Nut]

rrps18admnrsc

Thanks for the detailed info! I'm gonna focus on cleaning first then I'll throw fresh gas and a jumper pack and see if it will fire...

[D-Fresh]

+1 on what Duke said, looks like a used MC shop! LOL Have fun with the project bike.

[Lug Nut]

Gave a thorough wash....see ins spot I have to scrape and paint black on frame...boots looks good....will focus on polishing cases and chrome but not bad at all for 42 years old. Paint will get polished out but very nice for all original....

[MidnightRide]

Bike looks magnificent, Scott. Nice find--

[Kmartcivic]

Looks great!! They don't chrome anything anymore like they used to thats for sure!

[Lug Nut]

Well installed my new NOS front brake lever as the other one was cracked. Remove the alternator cover to put a 17 mm wrench on the crank bolt turns freely. Went ahead and did full cam chain tensioner adjustment while I was turning on the crank. Intake boots look great. Removed the little plate above the starter as it was rusty and went ahead and repainted. This is going to be a fun little project. At least now I know the motor freely turns over so I can go ahead and do fluids filters plugs etc

[Lug Nut]

Decided to go ahead and get it real ready for use. New tires new wheel bearings new brake pads new spark plugs every fluid and filter change cam change tensioner adjustment new spark plugs. Tank was very clean, put some fresh gas through it swished it around came out clear in a glass. Clean pet cock put a new viton o-ring in it. got battery coming Tuesday, ditch the old junkie exhaust with chrome flaking order new Delkevic 4 and 1 stainless exhaust. I'll take it for a ride and see how the front forks are. May do fresh fork oil.

bike is unmolested all wiring fuses etc completely bone stock. Still has the original tool kit which looks like it's never been used. So nice to take a 43 year-old bikes apart and find that it hasn't been messed with or cut up

[MidnightRide]

Ha! You'll have to enroll it in that vintage bike auction that they have in Vegas each year.

[Lug Nut]

Ha! You'll have to enroll it in that vintage bike auction that they have in Vegas each year.

Wanna keep it for a while....new tires wheel bearing differential taken apart and moly grease on splines, brake pads, fresh fluids/filters, gonna ride this puppy!

[MidnightRide]

Drop the gearing down and you'll have a race horse...

[Lug Nut]

More garage time. Unfortunately front calipers won't release so totally disassembled and soaking everything. Just like the rear, the fronts has crystallized brake fluid that caused the seals to stick. Pistons and seals are all fine and pliable just had to knock off the crystals. Touched up all the rusty areas with POR 15. Ordered the actual motion pro tool for removing the bearing retainer and a new bearing retainer after mucking up mine with a drift and hammer. Got new front pads to match the new rear pads. Unboxed my Delkevic exhaust but unfortunately then midpipe was smashed a bit and won't cleanly fit into the muffler. Waiting to hear back but will likely just take to exhaust shop to expand and "round" the opening a bit. Rest of exhaust is on. Good new is front master cylinder and lines etc seem perfect. New tires with Ride On balancer/sealer installed, wheel weights removed, new wheel bearings. Waiting to get muffler on and then start up for the first time.

[brianmac]

Lot of work.

[Lug Nut]

Fired up almost immediately ..runs perfect....very happy. Small leak under carbs or between carbs. Might get lucky and gaskets/orings need to get moist and swell to stop leaking. Hope to have it all back together tomorrow. Exhaust sounds fantastic.

[MidnightRide]

Always nice to hear a project bike fire for the first time, and then actually RUN!! Congrats, Scott.