Motorcycle Repair: 1960 or 1961 Honda 50, mx bikes, compression stroke

Question
Hi Bill,
My 14 yr old son acquired a Honda 50 bike last spring for a $1 from a teacher at school.  We have been working on it.  In the beginning a guy on the internet told us it was a 2 stroke and we should use gas/oil mix which we did and it ran...badly but it has been in a shed for a long time..?  We have now come to know it is s 4 stroke and should use straight gas.  What should we be doing for any damage we caused?  Also we have not been able to get the oil cap off but when we do what kind of oil should we be using and is it easy to change the oil?
We changed the battery and got the horn to work (once in a while), but not the blinkers We think if we had a wire chart we might try to get them to work. Is one available?

I think thats it.  Thanks for letting us bother you.  You get great reviews on this web page.

Answer
Aloha, Nancy....  Yes, Honda quit making 2 stroke (2 cycle engines) in 1954! Didn't go back to them until 1973 for the MX bikes and only make some scooters in that type.

So, yes, gasoline only, just like your car. Mixing oil in the fuel just fouls the plug repeatedly. Once you get it all flushed out through the tank and carb, it will start running well again, if the compression is okay. Valves should be checked for clearance of .002" COLD and on the compression stroke (both valves are closed).

There were two versions of the step thrus... C100 with manual start and C102 with electric starter. They have different electrical systems because of the electric starter parts. C100 is magneto, which doesn't need a battery to run and the C102 will need battery to run.

Gently wrap a rag around the end of the dipstick and use some pliers to loosen it from the engine. Checking oil requires bike on center stand, oil stick dipped into the hole NOT screwed in. Takes less than a quart. Use motorcycle oil if possible.

The front "blinkers" on US models are dummies... no wires!
If you have a domestic version with blinkers front and back, then they should work. There will be a t/s switch on the right side of the handlebar, in that case.

Email me through my website: www.vintagehonda.com and I can send out a wiring diagram. Funny, I emailed 3 of them last week and all requests were for the C102 electric starter models, which are somewhat rare.

Hope you are learning new things and having fun with the vintage Honda, of which they have now made over 50 million models!

Bill Silver
www.vintagehonda.com