Sort-of new member restores an '80 CBX
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- ICOA Technical Director
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- Location: Knox, PA
- Location: Knox, PA
Nils:
Call me when you get back to the swingarm. You took the material from the correct side. I'll go through the collar shimming process again with you. You have the hard part done. When you get the swingarm centered correctly, the rear wheel will be perfect. You may need different spacers for the Comstar wheels - the sprocket hub is different than the 1100F and the swingarm may be wider there as well. I've only ever used the 1100F wheels, but it won't be hard to do the conversion.
Dave
Call me when you get back to the swingarm. You took the material from the correct side. I'll go through the collar shimming process again with you. You have the hard part done. When you get the swingarm centered correctly, the rear wheel will be perfect. You may need different spacers for the Comstar wheels - the sprocket hub is different than the 1100F and the swingarm may be wider there as well. I've only ever used the 1100F wheels, but it won't be hard to do the conversion.
Dave
- NobleHops
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- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Awesome Dave, thanks!daves79x wrote:Nils:
Call me when you get back to the swingarm. You took the material from the correct side. I'll go through the collar shimming process again with you. You have the hard part done. When you get the swingarm centered correctly, the rear wheel will be perfect. You may need different spacers for the Comstar wheels - the sprocket hub is different than the 1100F and the swingarm may be wider there as well. I've only ever used the 1100F wheels, but it won't be hard to do the conversion.
Dave
N.
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA
'82 CBX, among others.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
'82 CBX, among others.
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- NobleHops
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- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Progress
Hi guys,
Pooped, wrenching tonight instead of watching you-know-what.
Short update: It is coming together!

The good news is that I did not split any of the clutch bosses by putting the shouldered bolts in the wrong bosses. The bad news is that I snapped two of the non-shouldered bolts being ham-handed, so my clutch STILL is not back together, but it will be midweek.
Got a ton done, Progressive shocks all put together with the heavy duty springs, installed, rear wheel spacer at the sprocket side had to get shortened 6mm and now it all fits about perfectly in the 1100F swingarm, although I may end up shimming the front sprocket to align it.
Got the rear rack/box/tailight/turnsignals all reassembled.
Installed a tasty Tim's fork brace.
Got the front turn signals and horn assembled and mounted, torqued the fork and steering head, installed the bars and controls, clutch perch, headlight shell and main wiring harness, etc.
It's looking good!
And I'm pooped. Lots more photos here:
http://noblehops.smugmug.com/Motorcycle ... 0487_9HDtG
Who won?
N.
Pooped, wrenching tonight instead of watching you-know-what.
Short update: It is coming together!

The good news is that I did not split any of the clutch bosses by putting the shouldered bolts in the wrong bosses. The bad news is that I snapped two of the non-shouldered bolts being ham-handed, so my clutch STILL is not back together, but it will be midweek.
Got a ton done, Progressive shocks all put together with the heavy duty springs, installed, rear wheel spacer at the sprocket side had to get shortened 6mm and now it all fits about perfectly in the 1100F swingarm, although I may end up shimming the front sprocket to align it.
Got the rear rack/box/tailight/turnsignals all reassembled.
Installed a tasty Tim's fork brace.
Got the front turn signals and horn assembled and mounted, torqued the fork and steering head, installed the bars and controls, clutch perch, headlight shell and main wiring harness, etc.
It's looking good!
And I'm pooped. Lots more photos here:
http://noblehops.smugmug.com/Motorcycle ... 0487_9HDtG
Who won?
N.
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA
'82 CBX, among others.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
'82 CBX, among others.
- NobleHops
- ICOA Member
- Posts: 3933
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Much progress!
OK, short version of my recent progress, a few pics, and then sleep.
I finished lapping the alternator plates, put in the recommended shim, new gaskets, brushes, bearings, seals, buttoned it all up. Done.
Got new clutch bolts, ran a tap down the bosses and chased out some locktite or something that was making them bind near the end, replaced the clutch plates and reassembled the clutch with my Tom Whalley-modded clutch basket. Done.
Bought a Dyna ignition and coils to replace my badly cracked originals, and thrashed through the installation of the rotor parts. More on that later. Not yet done, but mostly.
Installed the new coils and rack, much of the wiring.
Installed the insulators and then the Mike Nixon-rebuilt rack of carbs. Mike advised heating the insulators up with a heat gun, so I did, and 30 seconds later they were installed. I was ready for a fight, not to be.
Humped the engine onto the lift, then cam-strapped it to the frame, removed my dolly, and then conscripted my 15 year-old neighbor to help. Put a scissor jack underneath, and installed the engine, twice for good measure, the second time with the airbox installed
.
Here's where I'm at tonight, and it's a happy place in the span of this project

The gallery is updated as well, with other photos of recent progress:
http://noblehops.smugmug.com/Motorcycle ... 8308_9o4se
Off to bed, being a school night and all,
N.
I finished lapping the alternator plates, put in the recommended shim, new gaskets, brushes, bearings, seals, buttoned it all up. Done.
Got new clutch bolts, ran a tap down the bosses and chased out some locktite or something that was making them bind near the end, replaced the clutch plates and reassembled the clutch with my Tom Whalley-modded clutch basket. Done.
Bought a Dyna ignition and coils to replace my badly cracked originals, and thrashed through the installation of the rotor parts. More on that later. Not yet done, but mostly.
Installed the new coils and rack, much of the wiring.
Installed the insulators and then the Mike Nixon-rebuilt rack of carbs. Mike advised heating the insulators up with a heat gun, so I did, and 30 seconds later they were installed. I was ready for a fight, not to be.
Humped the engine onto the lift, then cam-strapped it to the frame, removed my dolly, and then conscripted my 15 year-old neighbor to help. Put a scissor jack underneath, and installed the engine, twice for good measure, the second time with the airbox installed

Here's where I'm at tonight, and it's a happy place in the span of this project


The gallery is updated as well, with other photos of recent progress:
http://noblehops.smugmug.com/Motorcycle ... 8308_9o4se
Off to bed, being a school night and all,
N.
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA
'82 CBX, among others.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
'82 CBX, among others.
- NobleHops
- ICOA Member
- Posts: 3933
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
So close, and now the fun begins
OK, so here we are:

It's almost all back together, with the exception of one front caliper, the mirrors, and the gauges, which are due back any day.
So I couldn't resist attempting to spark it up tonight. I got some fresh gas, put a half gallon in the tank, turned it to reserve and watched the fuel flow through the new filter. So far so good. Installed a fresh and freshly charged battery, reading 12.5V, all good. Turn the key, switch the kill switch off, intending to pump some oil into the now-dry engine for a few cranks before attempting to start it. I get running lights, headlight if I switch it on, so far so good. Verify neutral, good. At first I get nothing on the starter button, not even a click, so I work the kill switch several times, work the starter button several times, then I get clicks, and then I get it to crank. Weird, but OK. I crank it for 15 seconds, let it rest. Crank it for 15 more seconds, let it rest. I check the oil to see if it's pumped up so I can top it off, seems no different.
I turn the kill switch to run, full choke, crank it. It cranks for a good 20 seconds, but at about half-speed from what I'd normally expect. No puff at all from the engine, no smell of gas either.
I shut it off, feel the starter, it's warm but not hot. Turn it back on, and now it won't crank at all. Check the battery, 12.5, connections good, lights and all are nominal.
Questions/hypotheses:
Should I have put some Mystery oil down the cylinders before attempting to start it?
Is the starter the likely culprit? How would I bench test it?
Would the absence of the gauge cluster make it not want to start for some reason?

It's almost all back together, with the exception of one front caliper, the mirrors, and the gauges, which are due back any day.
So I couldn't resist attempting to spark it up tonight. I got some fresh gas, put a half gallon in the tank, turned it to reserve and watched the fuel flow through the new filter. So far so good. Installed a fresh and freshly charged battery, reading 12.5V, all good. Turn the key, switch the kill switch off, intending to pump some oil into the now-dry engine for a few cranks before attempting to start it. I get running lights, headlight if I switch it on, so far so good. Verify neutral, good. At first I get nothing on the starter button, not even a click, so I work the kill switch several times, work the starter button several times, then I get clicks, and then I get it to crank. Weird, but OK. I crank it for 15 seconds, let it rest. Crank it for 15 more seconds, let it rest. I check the oil to see if it's pumped up so I can top it off, seems no different.
I turn the kill switch to run, full choke, crank it. It cranks for a good 20 seconds, but at about half-speed from what I'd normally expect. No puff at all from the engine, no smell of gas either.
I shut it off, feel the starter, it's warm but not hot. Turn it back on, and now it won't crank at all. Check the battery, 12.5, connections good, lights and all are nominal.
Questions/hypotheses:
Should I have put some Mystery oil down the cylinders before attempting to start it?
Is the starter the likely culprit? How would I bench test it?
Would the absence of the gauge cluster make it not want to start for some reason?
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA
'82 CBX, among others.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
'82 CBX, among others.
- NobleHops
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- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
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The best photo.
Your parts in the dishwasher and the better half washing dishes in the sink. How do you do that??!!

Your parts in the dishwasher and the better half washing dishes in the sink. How do you do that??!!

"It's a friggen motorcycle, it's not supposed to be comfortable, quiet or safe. The wind noise is supposed to hurt your ears, the seat should be hard and riding it should make you shit your pants every now and then. "
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Nils,
Very nice. Hats off to your skills and drive.
BTW, has anyone told you about the requirement that once you finish a CBX, you must attend as many rallies as possible, and let everyone take a ride?
Very nice. Hats off to your skills and drive.
BTW, has anyone told you about the requirement that once you finish a CBX, you must attend as many rallies as possible, and let everyone take a ride?

Rick Pope
Either garage is too small or we have too many bikes. Or Momma's car needs to go outside.
Either garage is too small or we have too many bikes. Or Momma's car needs to go outside.