Guest busteryhyman Posted August 28, 2004 Report Share Posted August 28, 2004 I got a motorcycle two weeks ago that didnt run and the owner knew nothing about why. The battery was charged and i had power, but it wouldnt start. i checked the fuel lines and it's receiving fuel and the plugs and wires seem "ok" in appearance. I've never really worked on a bike before but was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what i should check/test. It starts to turn over but has a puttering, struggling sound to it it's a 71 Honda 350 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
street pilot Posted August 29, 2004 Report Share Posted August 29, 2004 Usually, with older engines that have sat forever, the carb is gummed up, but to verify that, use an eye dropper to drip some gas into the cylinder. If it starts, its a fuel problem. You can pull the plug and hold it by the wire and ground it to the cylinder while you crank it. It should spark, if not you may have electrial issues. Another reason for no spark can be a bad ground. A sure fire way to test it is to have your friend/enemy hold the plug while you crank the motor. You will know real fast if its got spark or not. Sometimes the spark may look strong but when you put the plug into the cylinder it wont fire because it is too weak. 99% of the time though, if it sparks outside it will spark inside. You may want to pull the air filters off and check them out eventually, since they could be heavily soiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest xxxyyyzzz Posted August 29, 2004 Report Share Posted August 29, 2004 Get a Clymer manual for the bike. Your bike is quite possibly the easiest bike in the world to work on (I know, I have one). The points are easily accessible, as are, well, actually everything on that bike is easy to get to. The manual will have troubleshooting guides, pictures, etc. If you have a simple tool set you can pretty much dismantle and rebuild everything on that bike aside from the forks... Here are a couple sites to look at in case you haven't already: www.honda350k.com www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com I think a CB350 is the perfect starter bike, as anyone can ride one, work on one, and yes, even race one. I may just keep mine after getting a nicer streetbike and make a racer out of it for Mid-Ohio, etc. Good luck with the project... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest busteryhyman Posted August 29, 2004 Report Share Posted August 29, 2004 hey thanks. i'm hoping if the weather gets nicer i can take some of it apart. I foudn out today that some fuck who worked on it before caught the spark plug wires on fire, so yeah i'm gonna replace those yeah it's my first bike, i still cant really touch the ground, but much better than anything else i've been on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest xxxyyyzzz Posted August 29, 2004 Report Share Posted August 29, 2004 You might look into getting the seat cut down (once you get it running). Your confidence would double being able to touch the ground comfortably. Not a problem for me at over 6', but I can imagine... Again, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest busteryhyman Posted August 29, 2004 Report Share Posted August 29, 2004 thanks. yeah i'm 5'4" if that and i really dont need to topple the bike over at a stop..that would a: hurt b: be embarressing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awfulcanawful Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 The bike is alive! carbs were gummed up and the fuel petcock was thrashed. Its a cherry now.... well not a cherry but it runs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest busteryhyman Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 and thanks again smile.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest busteryhyman Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 so ohw do i get the seat cut down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest xxxyyyzzz Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Find a place that does upholstery work or do it yourself if the seat is already tore up a bit. All they do is remove half the height of the seat foam and reattach the seatcover, trimming it to fit. You might also call some of the local bike shops, one of them might be willing to do it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest busteryhyman Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 cool, i'll try that, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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