Okay, so I finally got my hands on a 1986 Honda Nighthawk 650. It’s a classic bike, and I’ve always wanted to work on one. This one was in pretty rough shape, but that’s half the fun, right?
Getting Started
First thing I did was just give it a good look over. I mean, really get in there and see what I was dealing with. The bike had been sitting for who-knows-how-long, so the tires were flat, the battery was dead, and there was a nice layer of dust and grime covering everything.
- Drained the Old Fluids: Old gas, old oil… all of it had to go. I made sure to dispose it the correct way.
- Cleaned the Carbs: This took some time. I completely disassembled them, soaked all the parts, and made sure every little jet and passage was clear. I hate cleaning carbs,but there is no way around this.
- New Battery: Obviously, the old one was toast. Picked up a new one and hooked it up.
Getting it Running
After getting the basics sorted, it was time for the moment of truth. I put some fresh gas in the tank, turned the key, and hit the starter. It cranked and cranked but wouldn’t fire up. Okay, don’t panic.
I went back to basics:
- Checked for Spark: Pulled a plug, grounded it, and cranked the engine. Yep, had a nice strong spark.
- Checked Fuel Delivery: Made sure gas was actually getting to the carbs. Yep, fuel was flowing.
Still no start. I was scratching my head at this point. I played with the choke, and try different positions, then I decided to spray some starter fluid directly into the carb intakes, and boom! She sputtered to life for a few seconds. That told me it was definitely a fuel issue.
Turns out, I had missed something in the carbs. I took them apart again and found a tiny little passage that I had overlooked. Cleaned that out, put everything back together, and tried again.
This time, she fired right up! It was running rough, but it was running! I let it warm up, adjusted the idle, and then took it for a short spin around the block. It was a little hesitant at first, but after a few minutes, it started to smooth out.
Next Steps
It’s still not perfect,I need to do some * the main thing is that it is running, and this is the biggest step.I am so happy * will continue to do the rest part.