Motorcycle Repair: 1974 - 360 honda, internal passageways, honda cl360

Question
1974 honda cl 360. i cleaned the jets in the carbs and the bike ran unbelievably great for a minute or so, then it started to run ruff and started backfireing .i dont understand how it could run that good one minute and poor the next.

Answer
Tony, you probably ran out of fuel.... and/or fouled a spark plug. Either the gas cap vent hole is blocked, the petcock passageways are restricted, the float valves have dirt/corrosion backed up behind them or you had old fuel/deposits come down the lines from old gas.

You have to clean the fuel system from top (gas cap) to bottom (float bowls), including petcock screen and internal passageways. http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cl360-scrambler-360-k1-us_model552/partslist/F++03.ht...

Use fresh gasoline once the fuel system is cleaned. The carbs should be disassembled for cleaning properly, removing the float valve seats and all emulsion tubes. Replace O-rings and gaskets all along the way.

http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cl360-scrambler-360-k1-us_model552/partslist/E++15.ht...  #2, #29, #14, #15 all need attention. #15 often gets left behind in the carb body, when you remove the primary main jet.

Be sure your ignition timing is correct first and use fresh plugs.

Bill Silver