So I just bought a 93 Cbr 600 F2 with 64,800 miles on it. Quite a lot, I know, but it actually runs pretty well. I'm just going to cut to the issues I'm having and I would love if I could get some input/suggestions.

-Upon starting it up, i get a very strong "clicking" noise that is louder from the right side of the bike near the front of the motor. Is the the CCT? Or is the bike in need of a valve adjustment?
-My choke is really finicky and doesn't catch when I push the lever down all the way. I have to move the lever down all the way and slowly move it up until it catches. How could I adjust it?
-When the bike is running and I switch the headlight to "High beam" the light shuts off and wont turn back on until I turn the bike completely off and back on again, returning the switch to the "low beam" position.
-A recent issue I just encountered this morning was a hellish cold start attempt. It was a nice chilly 30 degrees here in cali and I tried starting the bike for about 5 minutes. Eventually as I should of expected, the battery started to give out. I tried bump starting it but that wouldn't even work. Possibly just flooded the motor and gummed up the spark plugs? What do I need to do to get it running again?
-Finally, what are some things I should look out for in the near future for the bike? Any possible issues that could arise because of the bikes age and wisdom that it has collected throughout its 64k? haha

Its my first street bike and I'm a novice when it comes to mechanic work. 19 and a college student and though I love doing my own work, I just need some guidance. Thanks guys

 

Need a little more info on the clicking. What RPM is it happening? Is it constant? How loud is it? Does the sound vary with throttling?

The cable could be stretched on the choke...examine it. may need new one.


Honestly man a lot of what you are mentioning could be multiple reasons/fixes and it would prolly be best to toss a few bucks to someone who knows and have them give it a once or twice over. 64k isnt an extremely high number on these motors but the age of the bike concerns me and who knows how much of that stuff could possibly still be original that may have needed servicing.

Could be a wiring issue with the Lamp.

Cold start issue...Inspect the fuel delivery system. A tune up may be in order, swap out your plugs, etc etc. At least check them out. These things are good practice when getting a bike, especially one with the amount of age yours has.

Things I would look out for right now, are go get a service and owners manual for your bike. Both must haves especially if you like doing your own work. Follow procedure for system checks at the interval you are at. Your bike is 20 years old. Do you know anything about the previous ownership? Anything rubber needs checked. Hoses, Tires etc. Chain, sprockets need checked. Basically all your run of the mill stuff. My only concern for you is really is your up in the mileage and age where bigger issues can arise more frequently (not that they cant whenever). What I like to do is get a checklist going. (Use manual as reference) And start going down the list knocking off things one by one. **Tearing your bike down and really getting to know what it is is the first step in understanding and troubleshooting. Google is your friend. So is this forum

** Please do not just go ripping into it though if you do not know what you are doing. Use the service manual for any major part removal.

 

PossibleF4I answered some things already, I'll just back him up, and add a little bit.

Firstly, what he said about a service manual is probably the most important thing, that, and proceeding with caution with tearing things down.
There are many "levels" of mechanics out there - you are inexperienced, so you should work carefully, follow the manual(s), organize parts and take pictures as you get things apart, which can help you get it back together correctly, but don't be afraid to tackle things, just do your research on each aspect, and proceed when you're confident you've got your head wrapped around what it is you're about to do.

I said there are many types of mechanics, and you may be one of those ones that hasn't actually done much yet, but just "gets it", and gains experience quickly... we don't know if that's you, and you might not know yet either!
A lot of learning comes from making mistakes - that's just the way it is, but if you work carefully, and study out whatever process you're on, then those mistakes don't have to result in damage to anything, just the frustration of maybe needing to take something back off again, because something was forgotten.

For all my bikes, I pick up a service manual for the bike, from the manufacturer, as well as a Haynes and Clymer manual - I'll admit that I rarely open the Clymer, and should probably just stick with factory and Haynes, but every once in a while a Clymer manual comes in handy.
I recommend you get a Honda manual, but you will probably benefit the most from the Haynes manual for these bikes... you should get both.

This most definitely sounds like a CCT issue, but like he already asked, how does it behave at different RPMs? If you throttle it up while you're sitting there, does the sound go away for a moment, and then return as the revs drop back down? Does it sort of sound like some nails being shaken in a metal coffee can?
Could you need a valve adjustment? Absolutely. At your mileage, the valves should have been checked, and adjusted if necessary, 5 times already, and for all you know, this hasn't been done at all. This is a bit of an advanced job, but if you can follow instructions, are good with tools, and understand the concepts of an overhead cam internal combustion engine, it might not be beyond your reach.

Like PossibleF4I said, the cable may be stretched, or, you could simply need an adjustment at the carb-end of things.
The ferrule at the end of the cable is clamped down at the front of the carbs, and if the cable is useable, you might have a little slack there you could take out - honestly, it's just under 1/4 inch that you can play with there, but you'll never know until you pull the tank and airbox off, and check out the other end of the cable, which might not be clamped down at all.

There are two separate filaments in these bulbs, you may just need a new bulb, which is only $6, but... you could have a wiring issue, like he said, or you could have an issue with the high beam switch, which might be as simple as some electrical contacts that are corroded, and not making good connection. Examine the bulb closely, and see if one of the filaments are broken, and then go from there.

For me, and many others, new plugs go in the bike right off the bat, or I at least pull them and look at them, to see if they are alright - when you've got things to the point where you can pull the plugs, that's a time when you could reconnect to the lead, and test for spark when trying to turn the motor over - you should have a nice blue spark... ***there are important precautions to consider when doing this - if it comes to the point you want/need to check for spark, do your research, and ask questions about it first!!***

Another possible issue with your not being able to get the bike started, would be fueling issues.
Firstly, if the fuel isn't fresh, and you've got absolutely no idea how long that gas in those bowls has been there, then emptying the tank, and draining the float bowls would be a wise thing to do
But even with fresh fuel, with a bike having that many miles on it, where you likely don't know how many times it sat for long periods without use, or when, if ever, the carbs were last cleaned, a thorough carb cleaning should probably be done.

Bottom line: if this was my bike, the first thing that would happen, would be to drain all fuel, yank the carbs for a thorough cleaning and inspection of the current jet sizes and settings, install new plugs and put in new fuel.

We've already talked about the CCT - failure of the OEM hydraulic CCT is a common issue, but with that said, I have two F2s, with 32,000 miles and about 27,000 miles, and I still have the original CCTs in both, and they are fine now, but I have replacements ready to deploy.

Another common issue is the R/R (regulator/rectifier) - the original OEM style, which has no cooling fins, is known for overheating and failing - there is a newer Honda part number for the factory replacement, but I honestly don't know if that unit is improved to the point of having cooling fins or not... most guys get an aftermarket part, or do a swap from a different bike altogether.
One of my bikes came with an aftermarket unit, but my first one, with 27,000 miles, still has the original R/R, and it's fine so far.

There are routines in the manuals, for checking the R/R, stator, battery, etc., with a multi-meter, and one tell-tale sign of an R/R issue are signs of overheating - you can sometimes see evidence of this by looking to see if the plug for the R/R looks scorched.

Welcome to the forum, good luck with the work, and let's see some pictures of this thing, for crying out loud!!

 

I'll second what JNS says about the Clymer. I have one and it's too general in nature. The factory service manual would be a great xmas gift.

Best advice ever:

 

I don't know how to insert quotes throughout a post so i'm going to copy and paste for now. Hope thats alright with everybody! Thanks so much for all the help too. This is why I love CBR enthusiasts like the people on this forum. All so involved and willing to help

So I grabbed an service manual offline (The Honda Motor Co one) and that is a huge help.
I have not had the opportunity yet to pull the spark plugs and check them out, for several reasons, the lack of tools at the moment being the first.
I also plan to have a shop do run through of the entire bike soon just so that I don't miss anything that could be an issue because of my lack of experience.

When I rev it up the sound does go away, and its more consistent than what nails in a can would sound like, it sounds more like metal playing cards in bicycle spokes.

I examined it further and I don't think the bulb is out. Its probably the contacts inside of the clam shell where the switch is for the High/Low beam.

Previous to the cold start, I was riding the bike regularly for about a week. I ran all the previous gas through the bike, but checked to make sure it was still decent gas beforehand. Then refilled the bike with fresh gas. The throttle response seemed to be good in both low end and high end RPMs but I'm planning on going through the carbs regardless.



Is this what you were referring to? If so, it looks aftermarket because of those fins.

Finally my most recent hair pulling problem is this: After pulling the battery, charging it and reinstalling it, the damn key wont turn because the ignition is stuck. This problem came out of nowhere. I sprayed some WD-40 in hopes that if I let it sit, it would loosen up and turn, but after trying it this morning, I got no such results. My key is just a little tiny bit bent, but it was working fine before.
Ill give some info of how the bike has been stored the past couple weeks. Unfortunately because I live on a college campus, I have to keep the bike parked outside. I have already ordered a cover, but its not here yet. The bike has now been sitting outside exposed to the elements (which have been 29-50 degrees) every night and day. How could this of effected the ignition? And how can I free it up? I really wanna get my bike started again and I keep hitting snags

 

I apologize if I screwed up the photo posting, but i'm still figuring out exactly how to do it. Well if this works here a few pics!