{"id":1128,"date":"2011-03-30T22:09:15","date_gmt":"2011-03-31T02:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.168.50.23\/wordpress\/blog\/?p=1128"},"modified":"2018-04-07T17:24:28","modified_gmt":"2018-04-07T21:24:28","slug":"summer-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forths.com\/index.php\/2011\/03\/30\/summer-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Resurrecting A Dead Motorcycle"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve been wanting to find an old, non-running<\/em> motorcycle to repair or restore as a Summer project. \u00a0After a few months of searching, I found a bike to rescue. \u00a0On March 30, \u00a0I picked up an old 1972 Honda CB175<\/strong>. \u00a0For my current skills and experience, I think it has the right mix of issues and challenges. \u00a0The CB175 was made for 5 model years, 1969 through 1973. \u00a0That’s old enough to be classic<\/em> to me.<\/p>\n

Pro:<\/strong> This bike has just 2,074<\/strong> miles on it. \u00a0The fuel tank is completely dent-free and has no rust inside. \u00a0Overall, the painted surfaces are in good condition, so I’ll likely keep the original paint – a big plus. \u00a0Emblems and logos are all there. \u00a0The original seat is in excellent <\/em>condition. \u00a0And yes, I have a clear title for it.<\/p>\n

Con: <\/strong> For reasons I’ll likely never know, many years ago, the bike was vandalized. \u00a0Most wiring was simply cut away. \u00a0Was this an action by an angry parent intended to punish a teen rider? \u00a0Perhaps a vengeful ex? \u00a0Hard to say, really, and it doesn’t matter. \u00a0The bike has been immobile for an estimated 30 years, according to the previous owner who stored it in a breezeway between his house and garage.<\/p>\n

I’ve not even started the disassembly, but already I’ve ordered a new wiring harness, front fender, carburetor rebuild kits, an ignition coil with spark plug wires, new rubber fuel tank mounts, a front brake switch and related wiring, a new ignition switch with keys, a pair of side view mirrors, front and rear turn signals, and a seat latch. \u00a0I’ll probably need to replace the cables, too, but I haven’t looked at them yet.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, the tires hold air but, as expected, are dry and cracking. \u00a0The front forks are leaking oil, so those will need to be rebuilt. \u00a0I’ll defer the purchase of new tires and fork seals until the engine is running.<\/p>\n

There are lots of unknowns, too, but that’s part of the fun. \u00a0It’s like a big puzzle, and there will certainly be ample opportunity to do some detective work and analysis to put it back together and get it to run smoothly. \u00a0That’s the goal, anyway. \u00a0The reward will be a fun little classic bike to ride. \u00a0Stay tunes for project updates.<\/p>\n