Newbie

[revlover]

If memory serves me correctly, the switch positions are something like this:

1. Off
2. Prime (power to starter only)
3. Engine on
4. Engine on with lights
5. Tail light only (key can be removed for parking on street)

I don't own a Dream to verify this, so please feel free to correct me if I've got it wrong.

[SAM33]

Thanks much!
Makes total sense, my electric start's not working, so I really didn't give it a thought.

[revlover]

Ok. I guess I had it wrong. According to "Mr. Honda" Bill Silver in this article, the first position is prime and the second position is off. In addition some models had six positions with another one for the lights on without the headlight for twilight riding.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Motorcycle-R ... nition.htm

[964roadster]

A lurker here as well, but this forum has been a tremendous help to me. So I thought I would try to start paying it back. There a several sites where you can download copies of the owners manual and the maintenance manual. I believe Scrambler cycle has the maintenance manual and I found this with a quick search: http://www.classiccycles.org/1852/1873.html
And if you plan to get into the engine Bill Silvers information is worth the money - also has a lot of good general information.
Hopefully attached is a page of the owners manual with the switch positions explained.

[964roadster]

I was messing with the attachment for a while and didn't realize others had replied.

[revlover]

No harm here. I had it wrong at first anyway. Thanks for the attached image, it makes better sense when you have a picture to reference.

[SAM33]

...as it was really the first day I could ride her a bit.
Just pretty much around my neighborhood, 25-35 mph streets, mostly flat and level.

Still getting a feel for the shifting, this is the first time I've actually used a clutch bike, my old little Hondas were semi-automatics, and as I say I've been riding Vespa's for the last 4 years, so you know how simple that is. That's going pretty well if I do say, rev a bit too much here, lag too much there, but I've never killed it shifting. I find it tricky to find neutral, and the light seems a bit glitchy, but I'm told that's not unusual and you just have to get a feel for this particular bike, they all can be different. especially vintage ones.

Actually ran great most of the day, having the time of my life riding a Honda for the first time since around 1974, and so I got cocky and took it a bit farther, to a buddy's house who is more knowledgeable and helped me work on the brakes a bit, tightening them - the rear brake light is spotty, seems due to a partially broken bracket near the switch in the battery box. Got that working reasonably well, but on the way back it died on me.

I noticed it was idling too high at lights. Then as I was downshifting from 3rd to 2nd, when I put in the clutch it quit. It's been starting on the first kick warm, 3 kicks with the choke in cold. Fortunately I was now near home, coasted into a corner gas station, wrassled it into neutral, and got her going again with a kick or two. A few blocks later, the same thing. THIS time it wouldn't start. had to fool with the choke, and after say 3 minutes it sputtered back. Now almost home, it died once more on a shift, finally got it going once more, then home.

Let it cool down. After dinner messed with it. At first nothing, then fooling with choke positions again I finally got it running. It eventually evened out pretty good, took it out once more around the hood and this time no problems.

SOOOOO - if anybody's still reading this long ramble, what say you? Guy I got it from had gone over the engine well, and indeed it has been running smoothly, no smoke, etc.
It was hot today, I wonder if temp could be some kind of factor? Hey, it's 50, and like most things 50+ I know I'll have to expect some crankiness and intermittent performance, but I'd love to feel her dependable enough to maybe ride to work once in awhile.

Big thanks for any advice!