Motorcycle Repair: Kick Start will not move., honda motor co ltd, honda motor co

Question
I was given an old Honda bike that has been setting under a shed for who know how long. The metal tag on the front reads, "MFD in Japan by Honda Motor, Co., LTD: 9/73".  I presume this means it is a 1973 model. I don't know what cc's it is, but it is an average dirt bike.  I have been trying to get fire to the plug. It was hard to kick, so I put some kerosene in where the oil goes. That seemed to help some, so I pretty much filled it with kerosene. However now I cannot push the kick start down, even with the spark plug removed. As you can probably see, I don't really know what I'm doing. What can I do to get the motor to turn over so I can get fire to the plug.  Thanks, Bill

Answer
Bill, near here it said MFD in Japan by Honda Motor co. LTD 9/73 would be serial numbers, which would indicate what model you have there.
"Dirt bikes" from Honda came in 2 stroke and 4 stroke designs. 2 stroke generally require that you mix gas and oil together in the fuel tank, where 4 stroke engines (they have valves and camshaft) use only oil in the crankcase and only gasoline in the fuel tank.

Maybe you can devote some time to learning more about your project here: http://www.dansmc.com/indexindex.htm

Perhaps you can identify the bike from the photos on this website: http://100megsfree4.com/honda/

If you put kerosene in a 4 stroke engine, there is no lubrication for the engine bearings and transmission/clutch parts. If you filled it up to the top, the engine is trying to hydraulically move fluids inside the crankcases, which is not what they were designed to do. Good way to blow out the oil seals and or bend a connecting rod.

If you put it in the transmission filler hole on a 2 stroke, it is isolated from the actual engine components: crankshaft, piston, connecting rod and rings, so wouldn't make any difference in the effort to turn the engine over.

I think you are facing several challenges here: Guessing that this is a small 4 stroke engine, probably the piston seized in the cylinder after sitting for many years and the resistance you are feeling to the engine turning over is rust holding the piston back from moving up and down the cylinder bore.

Some of Honda's "dirt bikes" have self-powered magneto ignition systems, which need some maintenance in the form of cleaning the points before they will manufacture a spark.

Other models have battery operated ignition systems, which also have points that must be cleaned and adjusted, PLUS they have to have a fully charged battery to make a spark.

On top of all of this, I would venture that the whole fuel system needs cleaning, so that when you do get compression and spark, the carburetor will be able to provide a proper fuel/air mixture.

So, in closing, remove the kerosene and replace with engine oil (4 stroke engine). Had you put the kerosene down the spark plug hole, it may have loosened up the corrosion inside instead. That will make it easier to turn over, but if the cylinder is rusty, the rings won't hold compression and it will never start anyway, without some serious repairs.

Bill Silver