Okay, so I’ve been messing around with motorcycles for a while now, and I recently got my hands on a 1973 Honda 500 Four. It was in pretty rough shape, but I saw the potential, you know? So, I decided to dive in and see what I could do with it.
First thing I did was give it a good look over. I mean, really looked at everything. Checked the frame for cracks, looked at the engine for any obvious leaks or damage, and just generally tried to get a sense of what I was dealing with. It was clear this bike had been sitting for a while.
Next up, I started taking things apart. The carbs were a mess – gummed up, full of old gunk. So, I carefully removed them, disassembled them, and soaked all the parts in carb cleaner. Took a while, but it was satisfying seeing all that old varnish and grime dissolve away.
- Removed the carburetors.
- Disassembled the carburetors.
- Soaked all parts in carburetor cleaner.
- Reassembled carburetors with new gaskets and jets.
While the carbs were soaking, I moved on to the fuel tank. Drained out all the old, nasty gas (which smelled awful, by the way). Then I flushed the tank out a few times with fresh gas to get rid of any sediment or rust that might have been lurking in there.
I checked the spark plugs too, and they were pretty fouled. Replaced them with brand new ones – gotta have a good spark, right?
After that, I wanted to see if the engine would even turn over, so, change the oil firstly. Then I put a little bit of oil down each cylinder through the spark plug holes, just to help lubricate things. I hooked up a battery and hit the starter button. It took a few tries, but eventually, it coughed and sputtered to life! That was a good feeling.
Getting it Running Smooth
It wasn’t running smoothly, of course, but it was running! So, I reinstalled the cleaned carbs, adjusted the idle mixture screws, and started messing with the timing. Took a bit of fiddling, but eventually, I got it to idle pretty steadily.
Then it was time for a test ride! It was still a bit rough around the edges, but it was running, and I was riding it! That’s a win in my book. It is an old bike, so still a lot of work to be done, but It is all my labor and love, and It is all worth it.
