winter [hopefully] is almost over . . .

[free2ride]

so . . . it's almost time to get on the road.

'80 CBK, slow warm up to riding temp. what's a minimum "recommended" outdoor temp before I haul 'er out on the road [I mean, without having it idle for half an hour before I can have a smooth ride].

suggestions? thanks.

[dave Esch]

I am unsure of a minimum riding temperature. A co-worker's father owned a bike shop back in the day and currently owns 62 bikes. He really knows his stuff. During a conversation with him I mentioned that two of my plugs seem to foul out when it is cold out. He said that because of my 4-to-1 exhaust (which is very short, no muffler) the cold air rushes up into the motor after the engine is shut off, and may be causing slight warpage to the exhaust valves. This is not the first time I have heard this. Anyway, his advice was keep it over 45 degrees when running bike. Granted, I don't ride when it is that cold, but I was guilty of starting the bike in the cold to keep everything moving and charged. I have since bought a battery minder and don't start the bike unless it is 50 or above. Hope this helps. If you really wanna know for sure, I suggest searching out Re-Run in this forum and asking him. He is much more knowledgeable than myself and most likely can tell u exactly what you want to know.

[Re-run]

Well I have the sohc style bike so it is a bit different but air cooled motors are cold blooded to some degree.
that said, tuning makes a big difference. In cold weather, a common trick is to change to a hotter plug. For instance, my 78 uses ngk D8EA plugs. Once things drop and do not really come above 40 or so, I switch to a D7EA. This is a hotter plug that works better in colder temps, just remember to switch back when temps come back up to 60 or so.

I have ridden my bike below 32 degrees. I pull the choke, slight twist on gas and release and then normal starting procedure. Bike might crank for a couple seconds and off it goes. Idle for a bit to warm up some and all is good.

So just try putting a the next step hotter plug in and see how that goes.

just fyi, people ride in snow and such on bikes like these.

Dave, how short is your exhaust? I have heard of this but it was on exhaust that barely came to the bottom of the engine.

[dave Esch]

I appreciate the reply. I have ridden other bikes in cold temps, and other than what I was told about the exhaust, I have found this bike to be difficult to ride in the cold for several reasons. First, the clutch and brake cables are original. Despite spraying lube into the cable they are hard to pull even in warm weather when I CAN feel my fingers. This is something I plan to remedy this season. Second, my Dunlop Qualifiers were old and rock hard. I replaced them with Bridgestone Spitfires last week though. The exhaust comes down to right about the center stand. I will attach a pic of the bike, but can't wait to post how it looks now. The P.O. spray painted everything while it was on the bike. Over all the emblems, pinstriping, wheels &tires, brake hub, engine n valve covers. So the bike looks rough in this pic. Just showing u the exhaust. It's still apart but all the parts have been redone and they look great!

--- On Fri, 3/26/10, Re-run [via Honda CB750'S] <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Re-run [via Honda CB750'S] <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: winter [hopefully] is almost over . . .
To: "dave Esch" <[hidden email]>
Date: Friday, March 26, 2010, 10:34 AM

Well I have the sohc style bike so it is a bit different but air cooled motors are cold blooded to some degree.
that said, tuning makes a big difference. In cold weather, a common trick is to change to a hotter plug. For instance, my 78 uses ngk D8EA plugs. Once things drop and do not really come above 40 or so, I switch to a D7EA. This is a hotter plug that works better in colder temps, just remember to switch back when temps come back up to 60 or so.

I have ridden my bike below 32 degrees. I pull the choke, slight twist on gas and release and then normal starting procedure. Bike might crank for a couple seconds and off it goes. Idle for a bit to warm up some and all is good.

So just try putting a the next step hotter plug in and see how that goes.

just fyi, people ride in snow and such on bikes like these.

Dave, how short is your exhaust? I have heard of this but it was on exhaust that barely came to the bottom of the engine.

---

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[Re-run]

Gotta love the previous owner also known as the PO!
The cables need replacing, no doubt. One point though. New honda cables should NOT be lubed. They have a teflon liner and some lubes can destroy them. If you get something like motion pro, then you need to lube them.
I have old spitfires now needing replacement but when they were newer, they worked very well. I would certainly use them again.

Well that exhaust does not seem too short. I would bet the PO did something else.

[free2ride]

Thanks for the thoughts.

Had a couple of weeks of decent weather so pulled 'er out for a day but then it got  to the 0C mark [32 for you non-metricans] . . . got up to -1C/30F today; supposed to go up to 8C/46F by Monday so I'll get back out.

Chompin' at the bit -- it sat in the shop for most of last year waiting for parts [sigh]. Have developed a couple of minor [hopefully] oil leaks: one from a bolt on the pan and the other . . . not sure. I'll have a better look when its a bit warmer out.

[dave Esch]

I had a wicked leak from the tachometer cable. Pulled it out and found PO had used 2 o-rings. Local Honda dealer actually had the grommet in stock for about 5 bucks.