Suppose i did tighten the cable, Didnt think being over tight would be a problem, I will check that, Thank you very much tahoe. If i could hazard a guess the clutch disks have never been replaced and the bikes got around 21K on it. So it should probably be done anyway. Thanks again!

 

They might be fine, but of course it wouldn't hurt to put in a new clutch kit too I'd get the cable adjusted correctly first and see if the clutch starts working right, and then go from there. The engine side of the cable is better for making large adjustments while the handlebar end is for fine tuning. Make sure the arm on top of the cover where the cable attaches to is releasing all the way (not being pulled on by the cable) when you release the lever otherwise it can cause the clutch to slip since it can't fully engage with tension on the cable.

 

So i got on the bike for the first time today, Trying to work out the clutch and figure everything out. all around dispite everything i had a blast even though i kept it in first gear (mostly) and had to rev match to change into any gear.

So the list of what i noticed while riding, put my first mile on the bike for the record!

1. Noticeably difficult to turn, not sure if its the tires still that sticky or the air pressure being low. Most of these corners where i was riding (around my apartment complex) are Blind, so i didn't do and major leaning.
2. Clutch while at what i imagine is at 60-70% power on full release, i got up to around 25-30MPH at 7K-RPM, Wont fully engage, cant shift up or down without a rev match, Still lurks on start in first, and still jumps when shifted from N to First. (maybe clutch disks and plates are fine but springs are shot?)
3. After about a mile of touch and go riding, nothing over 30MPH, while trying to adjust the clutch i noticed the Temp was just about at the brink of the red line. At this point i looked at the Coolant, there's plenty in it, Just enough to keep it from overflowing. Realized the Radiator fan was not on, Might be a major issue for overheating if i don't get that one fixed id imagine. Could be a fuse or the Fan is done?(looking into that tonight)
4. My bike has no issues starting cold(or warm) at all, maybe two strokes and its fired up, this is with out using the choke, i don't think I've ever had to employ the choke to start the bike even once... Normal or just lucky?
5. I've seen on some of the hurricanes there is a flipper switch for the fan, should the 90' model have that, or was it part of the redesign?

Now apart from all that, once i get the levers in (did all of the above without a front brake lever >_>) figure out what the overheating issue is, It should be patched enough to be used as a commuter. But the clutch seems to be the biggest issue currently. Also before i forget, my rear tire might be a bit wobbly so that needs to be taken care of.

 

Sounds like the clutch is not in adjustment. Rev matching meansthe clutch isn't doing its job. Maybe worth pulling it apart and inspecting/measuring the plates.

1. Having flat or low tire pressure will make corning difficult. If the tires are old, hard, rotted, cracked, corded... replace them!
2. See above. Jumping out of gear under load can mean worn dogs, which isn't good. Hopefully its just a clutch issue and not a core.
3. The fan should kick in above 2/3 or so... could be a fuse, bum fan, switch, or sensor. Check your fuse first, then you can test the fan to see if it works. On the fan, there is a black wire and a black/blue wire. Ground the black one, it should come on.
4. During the summers here, I don't usually need choke, unless is a cold morning. Just be glad it starts!
5. If you have seen a bike with a fan switch, its been added on. The temp sensors seem to go on many older bikes, and the easiest fix is a toggle switch. Some people even install them on their bikes with working cooling systems so they can switch the fan on manually if they know its going to get hot (e.g. approaching a traffic jam, etc) to give the cooling system a 'head start'.

I really can't stress enough that you shouldn't be riding without a front brake lever. 90% of your braking power is there and without it, you are really risking your ***, not to mention other road users/peds. Take your time and get it working 100%. Getting it 'patched' enough to be a commuter is not the answer. These old bikes are great workhorses and take a beating, but they need to be properly maintained and SAFE. Those critical parts tend to fail mid corner or when you are flying at those 'impound speeds'. Everyone here is really good and willing to give you our advice. And my advice is don't ride the damn thing until it is 100%, I'd hate to see you get hurt or worse because the summer is rolling around and you want to get it back on the road.

 

Your absolutely correct, I shouldn't be taking it out on at all what so ever without the bike being in 100% safe condition, And as far as things go i have no desire to make my first riding season a crappy one BUT things happen that being said. The bike will be safe before it hits the road, Probably before i even take it around my apartment again(parking lot). Brake and new clutch lever are coming in on Wensday and getting installed probably the same day so that's at least a great start if i do say so myself.

Anyway the tires aren't corded and i didn't notice any cracks, how old they are is unknown to me, i haven't looked at them THAT much. I know while i had it in the shop they wanted to change the back tire, however the front seemed to pass their inspection.....granted they claimed they couldn't get it running and an amateur with no mechanic experience did >_> Again, Neither here nor there, the rear tire is first on the list for major replacements, front will be changed if its necessary.

^TLDR: Excuses, excuses, excuses, And thank you for the concern i take it to heart completely, I know how nasty any kind of accident can be, Thank you.

On to the bullets !
1.) suppose i kinda mentioned all that above, i do have a digital tire gauge for my GF's car, ill take a look at them tomorrow.
2.) The bike hasn't jumped out of gear, I may have worded what happens a bit poorly, so ill reiterate. Ill start the bike in either of my choosing, Neutral or First. If i start the bike in Neutral, ill pull the clutch, and shift down from neutral to first gear, the change is NOT smooth or even delicate(for lack of a better word), the change is agressive it makes decent mechanical sound and jumps forward VERY SLIGHTLY. Now if i start in first gear, on each power stroke the bike will lurk forward as if the clutch isnt engaged enough. But i can start the bike like that; With the clutch held in, i can keep the bike from moving by countering the weight.... but if i just held on it would and will move forward, very slowly but it will. If i pop the clutch out, it dies, If i ride it like any normal person would it takes off, and delivers power as you'd expect. I didnt get the bike up fast enough to have it show any signs of cog damage, nor did i dare to without the front break.
3.)ill check that tomorrow, I might just have to run by radio shack and pick a flipper switch up, Id almost rather have the thing on all the time but thats just me. the needle was damn near in the red so its got to be what you've mentioned.
4.)Yay i have a lucky bike that starts !
5.) pretty sure the only one that i've seen with a switch was on youtube, the uploader for the life of me escapes my mind.

Thanks again! Update ya'll tomorrow

 

So took a look around the bike today trying to figure out this clutch issue, But i noticed upon starting the bike today it smelled of gas way to strongly, Lo-and-Behold there was a small drip coming from my bike, as well as a few other goodies. So yay new problems.

1. fuel leak, pretty sure it was a crack in the left tube connecting to the In-flow T-Joint that connects to the other pair of carbs and the Fuel pumps Out tube. So thats on the parts list.
2. during said run time i noticed a few things, There are two holes on the engine, one on the left and one on the right, Just next to the Engine mounting bolts on the head. What are these for, Left one was leaking oil?
3. So i've adjusted the Clutch cable every way i know how...
   • Ive Moved the adjuster nut on the cable ontop of the clutch case, forward and back multiple times, I've noticed good progress when the nut is closer to the cable guard. However It never seems to work, the clutch Isnt fully (dis)-Engaged [Not sure what one it would be] When i pull it, shifting from N to 1st still results in a small lerk, but doesn't die. Starting in 1st still lerks on power stroke but still starts, and i cant shift from 1st or 2nd to N while there is any engine activity. I read in one of the first page threads today about 3/8's inch slack/Take up, could someone elaborate on this for me?
   
   
4. Looking at the fan, the fan spins decent by hand, no resistance, no weird grinding or issues. However I took one of the radiator hoses off in-order to get to the Spark plugs, and nothing came out, seemed pretty dry in there, despite having put a decent amount in the tank near the rear brake, that's the coolant reserve if i recall. So because it was so dry I decided to add some to the pressure cap. Didnt get the bike running enough to see if this will help or not. but the question i have is.
   • The small thermometer on the radiator, is that what causes the fan to start, I wonder if because the radiator didn't have enough(if any) flowing through it the thermometer didn't register for the fan to start?
5. Checked my spark plugs while i was working on that side of the bike, They are all a decent black, none of which are white. So thats a decent sign right? Except for the 1st cylinder. That one was the only one that was decently wet, the others were dark, and had a little bit on them but this one was pretty soaked, This is also the same one that the exhaust isnt fully seated on. Also, The damn things were finger tight!!! How the heck did it run if they were only finger tight >_> I did tighten them down though, pretty sure i gave em 10inch pounds maybe a foot pound not sure. However they aren't over tight.

So other than that i did manage to check a few things, Like my tire pressure........... so yeah, realllllly low. actually scary how low they are. Front was sitting at 19PSI, vs the manual's 36(if i recall correctly), and the rear was sitting at 21PSI, vs the manuals 42(again IIRC). So that's ridiculously low, and matter a fact incredibly scary considering I was moving that thing around at 20-30 MPH the other day.

So anyway, Im gonna hop on service honda, order a new stud for one of the exhaust joints as well as a few nut caps (at a ridiculous 6bucks each -_-), few new screws for the air box, carb hoses, and some other misc stuff that will make service on the bike easier or just make it plain old safer.

Update you all when i get the new stuff in!

 

Hey bro

Here's a link for a vid on adding a fan switch. Something to try if your fan doesn't come on like it should. The vids a bit dark but might give you an idea.


Rog

 

Look for the DOT number stamped on the sidewall of the tire. It should be a 4 digit number corresponding to the manufacture date of the tire by week & year. For example a DOT number of 1205 would be made in the 12th week of '05.

The clutch issue might be due to sticking clutch plates or something wrong with the springs or clutch basket. It would probably be a good idea to pull the clutch basket out and inspect/measure the discs & plates and make sure you don't have an issue there. The 3/8 inch slack refers to the clutch starting to engage when the lever is released approx. 3/8" from fully pulled in.

The coolant must be filled from the radiator cap on top to refill the system. It will pull from the reservoir, but without an already full system it doesn't really work to refill it that way. Also if the rad. cap is not sealing it cannot pull coolant from the reservoir either. When the bike is able to be ran for a bit fill it at the cap and run the engine for a bit with the cap off to bleed the air from the system. If you want to test the fan operation take the wire from the temp-switch on the lower left of the radiator and ground that wire to the frame with the key on. That sensor/switch on the radiator is basically an open/close switch that closes at a certain temp and grounds the wire through the radiator. Grounding the wire to the frame directly will allow you to test the fan circuit without having to run the bike up to operating temp.

The plugs should ideally be a dark tan color similar to a cooked pancake, but definitely better for the engine to be on the rich side (dark) than running lean. Also since it hasn't been ridden much the color of the plug may not be a direct indicator of its running condition.

Hope this helps some..

 

So, I got my Brake and Clutch levers in, and installed them straight away, Yay one more step finished!

par for that though, i didn't get as much done as one would have hoped. I didn't start the Radiator fan, Although i will sometime this week. So here's to hoping i don't need to buy a New-Pre-Owned one off of ebay.

However i did pull the clutch case off, Pretty sure oil isn't supposed to look that dark lol >_>, Anyway just so happens that the Mechanic tool set (192pc) from Craftsmen doesn't include a few things i'd like to have, Such as a 18MM spark-plug socket, and a 20MM socket(preferably Deep) for the clutch basket. Long story short i got the oil drained, and that's about it. So ill get the right tools shortly, Order a new gasket for the clutch case as mine fell into pieces. Anyway, About that, When i re-install the gasket should i be putting a small amount of RTV on it Or whats the deal here, this is the first Major gasket change i've had to do yet.

Oh yeah, before i forget while it might seem a bit far fetched, I looked all over my tires, each side and couldn't for the life of me find a 4 digit number that made sense, the only one i found was 5420, My god do i hope that the tire isnt 13 years old O_o

Anyway, Any advice on the Gasket would be awesome and very much appreciated.

 

Get the honda spark plug tool from a Honda powersports dealer. $10 and it will save you a ton of headache.

As for the sockets, yea having a bigger set is great for these jobs, axles, etc... If you are pulling that clutch basket off, I would pick up a new nut. A couple bucks but the existing one is staked, and you can never be too sure you can restake it well enough. I put my old one back on, but it still bugs me.
As for the gasket, you don't need rtv.