Honda305.com Forum

So I bought this bike sight unseen for $2500. Real big mistake! I asked all the qualifying questions, Does it run, Gas tank rusted, any cracks on the frame? He said it did run but the carburettor needed cleaning and needs a new battery. Gas tank was coated no rust and no cracks. It did run but, rust all in the gas tank, and a big crack where the tail light is. He even said that it was in one of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer shows. So, I pulled the trigger way to fast and overpaid for this what I would call a $800 dollar bike. Well, lesson learned I need to move forward.

This is what he sent to me.

DSCN5716[1] by richmondzb, on Flickr
This is me looking it over

04-28-2011 039 by richmondzb, on Flickr

Rusty speedometer win only 4229 miles.

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Rusty old engine, though it does have great compression and seems to be in good shape.

04-28-2011 038 by richmondzb, on Flickr

Tearing it down...
What am I doing, am I over my head???? It is easy to take apart but can I put Humpty Dumpty back together again? I know through this process of my very first restoration, I am going to need all of your expertise. If I ask a stupid question, and I will ask a stupid question, please have enough grace to walk me through the steps.

So I broke it down into several piles.
What I am going to paint or powder coat
What am I going to send to the platers.
What I can polish myself
What I need to replace because I don't think I can get it repaired.
The Engine

04-28-2011 082 by richmondzb, on Flickr


04-28-2011 081 by richmondzb, on Flickr


04-28-2011 083 by richmondzb, on Flickr
I want to do this. I am making it my mission.
So now that I have it broken down...
What is a good degreaser?

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Hi Rich. Welcome! Put your town/location. There is/are probably members near you available to assist.

You definitely have a project in front of you. I like "Super Clean" degreaser and Gumout carb cleaner. Use rubber gloves for both. SC is extremely caustic and will chew your skin up. I also like a bench grinder with wire wheel for rusty stuff. Get brushes, fine steel wool. etc.

It's probably late, but I hope you took lots of pictures before tear-down. You'll need either them or a photographic memory.

I would suggest first deciding what kind of restoration you want to do. There's a very big range from pristine "correct" Concourse show-bike all the way down to "just enough to get it running and safe". Mine is somewhere in the middle ... make it look decent, safe, and completely functional (spray paint).

I would also set aside some funds for replacement parts and repairs (see above decision). You can start buying them now since you probably have an idea what can be restored/salvaged, and what is trash. Some items can be had reasonably, others are like hens teeth. eBay is your friend. Do a search and you'll get many of not all of your questions answered. And read the yellow stuff to the left. Also get both Bill Silver books for sale here.

After that, take your time and work carefully and methodically ... frame, electrics, carbs, fuel system, suspension, etc, etc.

Post progress pics and keep asking questions. Nothing is too dumb to ask. We were all noobies once.

I like to use brake cleaner to get areas like shown. Also......a cheap ultra sonic works great for parts. No need to get fancy either. Simple Green works great in an ultrasonic. Works wonders on things like carbs.