'65 Superhawk (CB77)

fervus · Post by **fervus** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:13 am

Hello again.

Like I mentioned in the introductions thread, I'm thinking about buying this '65 CB77 (305cc)

It's been parked in my basement for about 8 years, I still haven't recieved word back as to whether or not PO drained the carbs...

He says it needs a new clutch, battery and some wiring work, but that the engine worked fine when he parked it. He also said he'd take $500 for it, and I was wondering if there's anything else simple and obvious to you that I need to check about the bike before I agree to buy it? I don't know anything about motorcycles yet, but I am a very fast learner.

Thanks very much - I've attached some images to illustrate the condition, mileage, etc..

Charles McNally
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fervus/

prima5star · Post by **prima5star** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:52 am

Welcome!

Where in Northern California are you? There are probably some members near by to look at it with you if you are interested -hey, I'm in Northern California!

Quick points on the bike: Broken speedometer, wrong shocks, missing chain guard, looks like it would clean up pretty good though!

The absolute minimum to make it road worthy if everything is just needing cleaning or adjustment is $2-300 which would include a battery, tires & tubes, fuel lines, oil change, spark plugs and at least one of the cables. Oh, and $50 and a few hours to get it registered.

Also, nice photos on your website! I expect if you get it you will have some great shots of it to share as you fix it up.

jesmed · Post by **jesmed** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 1:42 pm

If it hasn't run in 8 years, the engine may be stuck. Try to turn it over using the kick start. If stuck, pour some oil into the cylinders through the spark plug holes, let it soak (days or weeks), remove the round dynamo cover on the lower right side of the engine, and use a large wrench on the dynamo bolt to try to break the engine loose, turning clockwise. Then use a compression tester to check compression in the cylinders. If compression is good on both sides, (160+ psi after several kicks, holding the throttle wide open) you might be able to avoid having to open up the engine. If not, the engine will need to be rebuilt, with new piston rings at a minimum. Good luck!
Jesse

fervus · Post by **fervus** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:50 pm

I live in Humboldt County, actually, just a couple hours south of the Oregon border.

So I got a little bit more info about the bike, apparently he ran it out of gas before he stored it, does that mean the carbs and engine and stuff will probably not be all varnished and clogged?

Apparently the kick starter goes through the clutch, and the clutch needs replacing, so do I have any other way to test to see if the engine is stuck or not before I commit?

Thanks again for all your help folks.
-C

jesmed · Post by **jesmed** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 5:02 pm

Even if there was no gas left in the system, you probably will want to rebuild the carbs, clean them out, check the floats for pinholes, replace the rubber parts, etc. You can get inexpensive Keyster rebuild kits on eBay, and just use the gaskets, etc from the kits. Don't use the jets from the kits because they aren't well calibrated. And you'll probably need to clean and rebuild the gas petcock. Rebuild kits for those also available on eBay.

As for the engine condition, just take of the round dynamo cover on the lower right side of the engine. You'll see the dynamo rotor with a bolt in the center. Put a box wrench on the bolt and try to rotate clockwise. If it won't move, then the engine is stuck, and you'll need to proceed with the "unsticking" efforts.

fervus · Post by **fervus** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 12:01 am

Ok, I'll check out those rebuild kits, thanks.

I removed the dynamo cover and put a wrench on the bolt - the engine is definitely not stuck. It kind of feels like I'm turning something over in there when I rotate it far enough clockwise, and it keeps rotating freely.

Is there anything else important that I can check before I buy this bike and start buying pieces for it?

-C

jesmed · Post by **jesmed** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 12:24 am

Nice that the engine is not stuck. You may get lucky and not have to rebuild the engine. A compression test will give you that answer. There's really nothing else that could be wrong with it that you can't fix with the right parts, time, and patience. Expect to spend around $500 in parts to get it in basic running condition, and take the plunge! You'll probably get hooked, like everyine else here! Worst case, if you lose interest or whatever, you can resell it on eBay and should be able to get your money back out if it.