Motorcycle Repair: 95 Honda cb250, honda nighthawk, honda shop

Question
I have a 95 Honda Nighthawk cb250 that had been in storage an extended period of time.  Prior to storage I had changed the oil, filled the tank, drained the carb, etc..  When I took it out of storage and started it, it fired right up and seemed to be running ok for about 10 minutes...with the exception of a pretty loud tapping that I thought sounded like it was coming from the top end.  Then the motor abrubtly stopped and wouldn't turn over with the starter or by hand, like it seized or is obstructed or something.  I'm thinking it might be caused by a lack of lubrication since it sat so long.  I hate to give all my money to the honda shop, are there any first steps I can take myself to figure out exactly what the problem is?  Does it sound like a rebuild is necessary?

Respecfully, Eric Nilson
enilson1@msn.com

Answer
Hi Eric,

Will engine will rotate with spark plugs removed?

Remove spark plugs and examine them for evidence of  seizure; metal transfer, damage, unusual discoloration, etc... Verify all parts of each plug is still with the plug.

Peek into plug holes. Look for obvious damages.

Drain the engine oil and look for evidence of metal particles etc...

If possible, perform cylinder compression and leak-down tests. I agree with your suspicions. May require disassembly to investigate further.

Keep me advised of your findings and progress. Reply to my email address:

mshively1@woh.rr.com

We'll go from there. I've worked alot of overtime recently delaying question response time. Usually much faster.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively