Blast from the past.

**Magua** · 13th January 2009, 10:27

I aquired my first project bike last night, a 1974 cb200. It came with a wealth of spare parts, a road test magazine from 1974 and an ever helpful Haynes repair manual. It's had a top end rebuild, overbore, pistons, camchain and tensioner, fired it up last night despite the dead solenoid and it chirped nicely on one cylinder (need to get in there and do some cleaning).

Now that it's mine I'll probably stick to sanding, painting and polishing for the time being whilst I work on my main bike (possible camchain and tensioner) as it will need re-vinning.

While most people seem to aquire newer bikes, I've gone back in time a further six years.

**Sully60** · 13th January 2009, 10:38

Score!

Are the clutch and alternator screwed?

I've only seen one that didn't have both these problems.

**Indiana_Jones** · 13th January 2009, 17:30

Damn dirty Honda's

You'll have to show me next time I pop over

-Indy

**Magua** · 14th January 2009, 17:16

Steel wool and polish are great.
(That isn't actually a before and after shot, but it was in a similar state).

**xwhatsit** · 14th January 2009, 17:42

Nice! Get it sorted and it'll probably be a good deal faster than your 400!

**Magua** · 14th January 2009, 17:43

Originally Posted by xwhatsit

Nice! Get it sorted and it'll probably be a good deal faster than your 400!

Haha, sure. 17 hp at 9,000rpm :O

**Magua** · 10th June 2009, 15:06

Originally Posted by Magua

fired it up last night despite the dead solenoid and it chirped nicely on one cylinder (need to get in there and do some cleaning).

Some cleaning was an understatement, the carbs were filthy. I've given them a rudimentary clean, but not too thorough. Will do a more concise job when I get some new floats etc. The carbs are a breeze to remove, and they seperate by removing nothing but a split pin and a washer, brilliant.

Now to tackle the wiring.

**Taz** · 10th June 2009, 15:50

These truly are a beautiful sounding motorcycle..... Go good too.

**Indiana_Jones** · 17th June 2009, 12:20

When we gonna have a push with the old girl mate?

I wanna hear her go!

-Indy

**Magua** · 20th June 2009, 15:56

Well Indy and I got it running with no airfilters or exhaust, pop pop pop pop pop. It ran on both cylinders this time too, perhaps thanks to the carb clean.

Replaced the starter solenoid beforehand. There's one wire that's confusing me, it runs from the postive terminal of the battery to the coil (I think it's the coil, I'll check later). There's no battery in it atm, we were getting it going with the kick starter.

The cycleworks exhaust for it doesn't fit, the header pipes are too close together to fit into the exhaust ports. Could I get it uh, get it beaten into shape, or does anyone want to buy a cycleworks exhaust from me?

**Indiana_Jones** · 20th June 2009, 17:32

she be a beast of pure Honda Powah! lol

-Indy

**elevenhundred** · 20th June 2009, 20:42

So Honda City were putting stickers on front mudguards even back then.
It used to annoy me, I'd pull up to have a look around the shop and when I come out there'd be a sticker on my bike, must've peeled off about half a dozen in total

**Ixion** · 20th June 2009, 20:59

Originally Posted by Magua

..
The cycleworks exhaust for it doesn't fit, the header pipes are too close together to fit into the exhaust ports. Could I get it uh, get it beaten into shape, or does anyone want to buy a cycleworks exhaust from me?

How far out are they?

Beating (or heating and yanking) doesn't work so well on siamesed pipe, because it upsets the angle that the header goes inot the port at.

But we could cut the left hand pipe where it joins up , put the pipes on , and weld it back in the right place. Got to be careful though, I've done this and then discovered that I couldn't get the pipes off again, because of the angle of the ports

**speedpro** · 21st June 2009, 13:46

Originally Posted by Magua

The cycleworks exhaust for it doesn't fit, the header pipes are too close together to fit into the exhaust ports. Could I get it uh, get it beaten into shape, or does anyone want to buy a cycleworks exhaust from me?

I had a pipe made for a 200 when I was in Perth. It looked just like that one and it was a bitch to get on and off. You might just need a little more wriggling, straining, and looking at it from a different angle.