Motorcycle Repair: Honda wont crank, honda vt700, manual honda

Question
I am looking at buying a 1984 Honda VT700 Shadow.
Overall, the bike looks to be in fairly good condition.  No signs of wreckage or abuse.  It has suffered from neglect.  The owner says she stopped riding it in August 2004, and it was running fine at that time.  Currently it will turn over but does not fire.  I would be more comfortable buying it if I could at least hear it fire.  Any suggestions on what to look for or try?  

Also, she told me a mechanic told her it needs a stator, and that it is located on outside of engine, under a plate.  I called a Honda dealer for a price, and the parts guy told me that for this model there was a wiring problem, and sometimes it may only require a wiring connection replacement, not the stator.  Do you have any knowledge on this?  

The last problem I know of is she says that the clutch is getting air in the line and she had to bleed it regularly.  She said she had the seals replaced in the slave cylinder and the brake cylinder, but it didn't eliminate the air problem.  Any recommendations?  

Answer
Hi Jasen,

Won't Start:
This is the most common service department complaint every spring. Fuel left in the carburetors has varnished (gummed) and is obstructing jets and passageways. A thorough carb cleaning is required to restore proper performance.

Stator:
A simple altenator output test would dertermine  the condition of the charging system. This test is performed by connecting a volt meter to the battery. With engine running at idle, and above 3k rpm, output voltage at battery should be within service limits (of service manual).

Honda's electrical multi-connector from the stator, to the wiring harness was prone to corrosion and electrical resistance (heat). Sometimes, replacing the connector was necessary. You'll have to separate the connector and visually inspect it for corrosion, dirt, road grime, etc... Use dielectric grease on electrical connectors to help prevent corrosion and water shorting from rain & washing.

Clutch:
The new seals could have been damaged upon installation, master/slave cylinders could be defective via scratched or pitted inner surfaces, hydraulic brake hoses could be leaky, brake line fittings could be loose, other.

These repairs could be simple if you have the service manual, basic tools, and AllExperts handy.

Expect a shop to charge about $300 labor to clean the carbs, and another $200 to $300 labor to diagnose and fix the other problems.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively