'79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Hey, what projects are you planning or preparing for? CBX, other motos, workshop, WHATEVAH!
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desertrefugee
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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by desertrefugee »

Well then, I managed to secure some shop time today after satisfying a fairly long "honey-do" list. Intrepid CBX thread watchers (all three of you) might recall that I'd concluded I was going to forgo installing the Mike Nixon prepared carburetor rack. That is no longer the case. Although I found after pulling the velocity stacks that the choke linkage had disengaged half the rack (causing the hard/impossible starting), I still decided to replace the rack I built.

So, I got after it this afternoon. I only had time to get everything prepped, i.e. engine tilted. But hey, it's a start. We are in the depths of the coldest snap in Phoenix in three years and I got the shop up to a balmy 60F. Currently, the heat pump is not working and I haven't investigated it yet. My trusty Mr. Buddy did an admirable job (under the front of the lift).

Hopefully, I'll get the rack pulled next weekend and, with luck, get everything buttoned up. We will see...
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'86 VMax, ‘83 ZN1300-6, ‘78 GL1000, '75 750K

"The older I get, the more I understand. Don't let the fear of what could happen make nothing happen." - Anonymous

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desertrefugee
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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by desertrefugee »

This is what a custom CBX looks like after it's had the living daylights flogged out of it.

Just back from a 110 mile loop south out of the Metro area. Maricopa/Florence/Sacaton. Mostly open road, but a fair bit of urban stoplight dancing. Happy camper here. A properly sorted rack now has all remaining trace of clutch noise gone (after having install the new rubbers). This baby just hums now. Still sounds busy, but not like a blender with gravel in it any more. Sheesh, my original set and "rebuild' must have been crummier than I thought.

Genuine kudos to Mike Nixon. I think that guy knows what he's doing... :teasing-poke:
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'86 VMax, ‘83 ZN1300-6, ‘78 GL1000, '75 750K

"The older I get, the more I understand. Don't let the fear of what could happen make nothing happen." - Anonymous

steve murdoch icoa #5322
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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by steve murdoch icoa #5322 »

Maintenance time/costs mean nothing when you have had a good romp on your bike.
Glad to hear things are all sorted.
Fingers crossed ONLY 3 more months till riding season up here.

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Gearheadgregg
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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by Gearheadgregg »

Awesome ! Great new garage too , Bet that CBX runs like a champ ! cant wait to get mine out ..

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desertrefugee
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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by desertrefugee »

We've had a delightful May in Southern Arizona. Far, far cooler than usual and allowed an extended riding season. (For those of us who hate riding in triple digits). I put about 1200 miles on the machine - mostly trouble free. But, it's time to put the Z away for the Summer. Gonna stabilize the fuel and run and drain the bowls.

I did run into a couple of issues:

One is a nagging fueling issue. Removing the inline filter and re-routing the line down to the carb inlet helped, but still it seems to die occasionally - typically at a light just after a fairly spirited romp. Irritating. Other than that, it runs flawlessly from idle to ... 10K or so.

Two is I've lost three footpeg rubbers. No small thanks to Nils for keeping me "whole", but pay attention to the adhesive used to attach the darned things. It matters.
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'86 VMax, ‘83 ZN1300-6, ‘78 GL1000, '75 750K

"The older I get, the more I understand. Don't let the fear of what could happen make nothing happen." - Anonymous

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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by Rick Pope »

Your fuel issue sounds a bit like vapor lock. Might the fuel in the bowls be boiling when you come to a stop, after a hard run? Just thinking........
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Either garage is too small or we have too many bikes. Or Momma's car needs to go outside.

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desertrefugee
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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by desertrefugee »

I've been away from the site for a while and (am embarrassed to say) have been preoccupied with other two-wheeled contrivances. The shop currently hosts eight (8) with the most "modern" being my '97 Valk.

Anyway, even though the stuff has failed me before, I am about to divorce myself from using Stabil. Two separate machines this year (actually LAST year now) ended up with plugged slow/pilot jets even though "treated" with Stabil 360. I've heard good things about StarTron, so will be giving it a shot going forward.

So, yeah, the carbs were out on my one-owner custom '79 - had 5 of 6 slow jets plugged - and they're back in place. I happened to pull a couple of plug caps off and found blue/green copper. I'll tend to that before putting the tank back on, then flush the tank and be back in business for the rest of the prime Arizona riding season...from about now until mid-June'ish.

Happy New Year Everyone!
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'86 VMax, ‘83 ZN1300-6, ‘78 GL1000, '75 750K

"The older I get, the more I understand. Don't let the fear of what could happen make nothing happen." - Anonymous

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Syscrush
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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by Syscrush »

Maybe don't bother with fuel stabilizer.

Sorry you're having trouble, but I'm always glad to see that magnificent tank.
Phil in Toronto
A cool guy deserves a cool bike, a dork needs a cool bike...
Pics of Perry, my '79.

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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by daves79x »

I quit using fuel stabilizer 20 years ago when both my CBXs required carb cleaning and tank clean-out after the stabilizer turned half the gas into 'snot'. Keep your tanks full (hopefully with non-ethanol gas) in the off season and drain your carbs and you'll never have problems.

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Re: '79 Custom - staying custom...for now (10 year sleeper)

Post by EMS »

I own 16 bikes and I use a fuel treatment for storage on all of them. I do drain the tank on all carbureted bikes, because I can do this through the petcock, however, I have several fuel injected bikes, where the tank is not that easy to drain. I have been using Startron Marine with success for several years now. I do not drain the carbs, but run the bikes for a while to make sure all treated fuel gets into them. Stabil has improved in recent years, mainly to the increased use of ethanol. It used to be that the untreated fuel just "gummed up" , but now moisture because of the alcohol content is an additional problem, so they changed some formulas. Startron is an "enzyme" treatment which is supposed to address the specific issues of ethanol during storage. I use it in my seasonal equipment, like snowthrowers and lawn mowers also. Never a problem.

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