[Hockster]

Hey everyone!

I'm considering buying my winter project, a 1980 CB 650 with i believe the 1979 shape it sat for 10 years and not in the best shape.
This would be my first real project bike i do have a 2006 zx6r which i have done quite a bit of work on but i am for from a confident mechanic! but i do want to learn.
I feel like this could be a good opportunity for me to learn a lot and i am in no rush to get it done i just want to do it bit by bit and i don't really have any goals other that i want a running fairly nice looking racer for the summer.

so let me know what you guys think? for some context the bike doesn't run and he hasn't started it in a long time so there maybe a challenge just getting it started but that's what i am here for!

Thanks in advance guys!!!

 

[TrialsRider]

Clean the bottom half of all the carburetors, change all the fluids and filters, service the front forks, put a new cheap lead acid battery into it and service the chassis, it will probably run if it was just stored badly. Then you can figure out how to make it better

 

[TrialsRider]

Carburetors will look something like this:

 

[Hockster]

here are some pictures of what i am looking at buying you guys seen any obvious reason not to buy?

 

[Hockster]

Clean the bottom half of all the carburetors, change all the fluids and filters, service the front forks, put a new cheap lead acid battery into it and service the chassis, it will probably run if it was just stored badly. Then you can figure out how to make it better

great sounds like you just gave me my first steps thanks for the info!!!

 

[TrialsRider]

I think that could be made to run, but it's not worth a lot of cash because fixing it will be a labour of love, the bike is long and heavy to push around the garage. You have nicer carbs then the ones I pictured. Your brake master cylinders might need some parts, flush the hydraulics for sure.

 

[Hockster]

I think that could be made to run, but it's not worth a lot of cash because fixing it will be a labour of love, the bike is long and heavy to push around the garage. You have nicer carbs then the ones I pictured. Your brake master cylinders might need some parts, flush the hydraulics for sure.

Sorry I don’t understand what you mean by it’s long and heavy to push around the garage? And it’s more of just a fun thing and educational thing for me to do over winter I’m not looking to make money or anything just want to learn something have some fun and something to ride next year!

 

[woodsman]

If it has 60,000km and sat for 10 yeaars, you may want to do a budget list first. Fork rebuild, complete brake system overhaul, tires, battery, carb kits, chain, sprockets, shocks, some bearing and bushings, cables will all have to be dealt with.

 

[Hockster]

If it has 60,000km and sat for 10 yeaars, you may want to do a budget list first. Fork rebuild, complete brake system overhaul, tires, battery, carb kits, chain, sprockets, shocks, some bearing and bushings, cables will all have to be dealt with.

Picked it up today it does need a lot of work but that’s what I bought it for and I managed to get it running today so that’s a good sign! Step by step I will get there the history is a little confusing but air filter tyres and fork seals all look brand new the rest of it is a pile of shit 🙈

 

[TrialsRider]

Long wheelbase with freight train like steering, a large turning radius compared to a sportbike, heavy because everything is steel and hard to push because, I had to push one around in my garage for a year and hated doing it, didn't seem to roll very easy.

Drain the fork oil into clear glass container and inspect that to know if the forks are good.

 

[woodsman]

I may have just soured with age but, when buying antique bikes that have sat for a long time, I assume nothing has been done unless I see a receipt for the work.

10 years is an old tire.

 

[Hockster]

I may have just soured with age but, when buying antique bikes that have sat for a long time, I assume nothing has been done unless I see a receipt for the work.

10 years is an old tire.

Of course everything will need replacing I agree I’m just going to have to do everything one step at a time because I’m not a mechanic and I will be learning as I go so I will get there eventually 🙈

 

[Hockster]

Long wheelbase with freight train like steering, a large turning radius compared to a sportbike, heavy because everything is steel and hard to push because, I had to push one around in my garage for a year and hated doing it, didn't seem to roll very easy.

Drain the fork oil into clear glass container and inspect that to know if the forks are good.

I was pushing it around today and it felt heavy but it has a much better turning circle than my zx6r 🙈 today I was looking at the forks and trying to figure out how to put clip ons on it? Because there is a little fuse box on the handle bars but I guess I just remove it all?

 

[TrialsRider]

Flat bars fit without modification, inexpensive and work pretty good, unless you are fitting a full race fairing then you would need clip-on bars or ace bars. Yours are likely rubber mounted bars right now.

 

[Hockster]

Flat bars fit without modification, inexpensive and work pretty good, unless you are fitting a full race fairing then you would need clip-on bars or ace bars. Yours are likely rubber mounted bars right now.

Ah okay I was thinking I needed clip ons for that tight to tank handle bad look but maybe I can get a good enough bent straight bar?

 

[TrialsRider]

The lower you set the bars, the lower you will need to set the saddle and the more rearward you will need to set the footpegs and controls. Clip-on bars mount below the top triple clamp or they aren't really clip-ons, that puts controls where they are going to hit the fuel tank in most cases. It's just not worth it considering the bike probably controls a lot more easy if you just go with flat bars which give you a little better leverage and a lot less crouch. Flat bars are a cheap and easy conversion that works well for solo riding on that model.

 

[TrialsRider]

It's a CB650Z

Note: your carburetors came fitted with velocity stacks inside the air plenum, you would be wise to retain those and not just stick pods onto the carburetor mouth, it will never work great without the velocity stacks fitted.

 

[Hockster]

It's a CB650Z

Note: your carburetors came fitted with velocity stacks inside the air plenum, you would be wise to retain those and not just stick pods onto the carburetor mouth, it will never work great without the velocity stacks fitted.

i wish i had read this earlier i literally just took out my air box! i think it looks better without the box but if what you say is true maybe im better off with it! i have seen other cb650 with the pod filters i wonder how they find it

 

[TrialsRider]

i wish i had read this earlier i literally just took out my air box! i think it looks better without the box but if what you say is true maybe im better off with it! i have seen other cb650 with the pod filters i wonder how they find it

Less fuel efficiency, less performance in at least parts of the power band aka flat spots, more prone to stalling, and a whole lot louder due to the induction sound not being contained. Look at what you took off and see if it had intake stacks, that's the part you need to retain.

Looks better to somebody that doesn't actually ride their motorcycles possibly, but not to veteran riders.

 

[Hockster]

Less fuel efficiency, less performance in at least parts of the power band aka flat spots, more prone to stalling, and a whole lot louder due to the induction sound not being contained. Look at what you took off and see if it had intake stacks, that's the part you need to retain.

Looks better to somebody that doesn't actually ride their motorcycles possibly, but not to veteran riders.

hmm sounds like a no go then i will take a look and figure out what i am going to do! im just putting together a parts order and i have read that its easier to do a straight bar conversion than clip ons do you have one to recommend?