Inherited a spree w 1400 miles been idle for 20 + years

[Laplayanj]

Bike hasn't been run in 20 years it was garage kept in great condition even the tires look good , It's my first and only spree , looking for advice to return this gem to the road , thanks in advance

[jerz40]

Been there and done that many times

Put some fresh gas and oil in the tanks, along with a new battery and spark plug. Check the air filter to see if it has become brittle. If your gas lines and petcock look crusty, replace those too. I would also inspect and clean the carb. After all this your spree should be running top notch if everything checks back good and you have replaced the things that needed to be replaced!

Also just a little f.y.i, I recently got running a few sprees that were sitting in a barn for 10 years. I noticed when they sit for this period of time, the clutch is either sticking or jumping at first when you give it the gas to go. It doesn't hurt anything and you don't need to do anything about it. I just let it go on one of the same exact sprees you just got and by riding it pretty much every day for a short trip it has went away. Nothing to worry about, just thought I would throw that out there though.

Good Luck man and nice spree you got there!

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings,

Jerz gave good advice but beware:

I don't know about Michigan and Jersey, but an Aero in a Texas shed that has sat for that long needs a jackhammer taken to the inside of the fuel tank. Mine (1987 Aero) contained a half-inch cake of Epoxy - Rock Solid. The carb bowl was pretty much the same. (Remember "The BEAST!!" ? ~~Ca. 2008.)

Inspect carefully what's in there before adding fresh fuel. I recommend you dismount the tank and pour out the contents - if they CAN be poured - into the Unfriendly Neighbor's garden in the dead of night. Take the petcock off and have a look at the screen filter element. Consider just buying new fuel and vacuum line (5mm and 4mm, respectively) NOW, and avoid the heartbreak of gunk in your float valve.

I doubt the bystarter will be free, but you can try fresh gasoline once all that is done. Prime the carb by suction on the vac line and see if she fires. If not, read how to clean a carburetor. It can be done on a first try if you know where and how to de-gunk. Your disassembled carb may need to soak for several days. If the bystarter doesn't come out easily, DON'T pull or you'll break the weak plastic connection to the brass piston. Take a chance and soak the whole thing and that little piston may get loose enough to come out undamaged.

[noiseguy]

I've got a whole article on this topic: http://hondaspree.net/wiki/index.php5?t ... n_the_Road

[eclark5483]

Drain the oil, drain the gas, replace the rubber (Tires, belt, shock, vacuum lines, fuel lines), clean the carb, bbq the muffler, replace the air filter with proper new and oiled filter. Clean plastics, check for cracks, reclear paint if needed.

This bike might have been idle for 20 years, but it's actual age is over 30 years. The plastics are more brittle, the paint has polymers that have naturally broken down. It might look good now and doesn't seem like it needs repainted, but just be aware the chemical life in the paint used by Honda says otherwise. If you want it road ready, it doesn't take much, if you want it show room and preserved for the vintage ride it is, do it right the first time.

[eclark5483]

Another good practice, would be to download (or if you have the book), and look in the service manual under the lubrication section for where on the bike you should grease. I even went so far as tear apart the front end so the barrings on the forks got a good grease job as well. And it doesn't get mentioned much, but drain the oil in the tranny and replace as well. You wanna replace everything 20/30 years or older that are not steel or copper. So that makes up all fossil fuel based oils and lubricants.