QuestionHi Bill,
A few months ago I purchased a '75 Honda CB750F with 45K miles. The bike had been stored indoors and had not been driven in about 10 yrs. Since then I have replaced the coils, rebuilt the carburetors and fixed a few wiring problems. To my suprise today the bike started and ran very well, with no smoke or excessive noise. My question to you is what kind of preventative maintenance should be done to the engine now to make sure it continues to run well after sitting for that long? I have no idea how well it was kept by the previous owner. I just dont want it to sieze up down the road because of something I should have done and did not. This bike is older than most of the employees at the local cycle shops so they are not much help. Any advice you could give me would be appreciated. Thank you for your time.
-Shawn
AnswerShawn, other than keeping clean oil in it, adjusting the valves and camchain and timing adustment/carb synch, there isn't a lot else to do for the motor. Often, they start to smoke on long downgrades or after a few moments of idling due to bad valve stem seals.
A great investment for these bikes is a Dyna ignition, which will eliminate the need to set the timing every so often as is required with the OEM points/condensers. Just be sure that the spark advancer is free, in either case.
The only wear and tear items inside are the primary chain, cam chain and respective tensioners. The clutch may need some attention at some point, but these things will run a long time when kept in proper tune and when the oil is kept clean.
Check the www.sohc4.net site for more guidance and/or get a shop manual from www.helminc.com or Ebay sources...
Other things that do need attention on a 45k mile machine are the swing arm bushings, steering head bearings, wheel bearings and the hydraulic brake system. Fork oil should be changed and keep the chain well lubed.
Enjoy the ride! Bill Silver
