My '83 CB650 restoration project.

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boltbusterdw
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:39 pm

My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby boltbusterdw » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:47 pm

I Finally bought a Nighthawk! I always wanted one, so when a friend mentioned he had one that sat in his garage for the past 6 years that he needed to get rid of I couldn't resist. I was going to just clean the carbs and put a new battery in. The bike has 13,000 miles on it.
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After tearing into the bike, it was really dirty and rust had started on the frame and bolts. The aluminum needs to be polished out too. I decided to tear it down to the frame and start from there. I plan on powdercoating the frame, getting the engine cleaned up and remounted, then clean and reseal the shocks next(after installing tapered head bearings). I did manage to remove the engine from the frame without taking the cam cover or the oil pan off. It was no fun though :yikes: My Clymer manual said to remove it from the left side but no way that was going to happen...it came out the right side. Now...to make a tool to get the swing arm off.
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I finally found a more constructive use for my golfballs too!
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boltbusterdw
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:39 pm

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby boltbusterdw » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:49 pm

Frame back from powdercoat...

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[img width=450 height=600]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d175/boltbusterdw/powdercoat1.jpg[/img]
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New tapered stem bearings...

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Engine back in. It was just as hard getting it in as it was getting it out! Also putting the guts back in and figuring out the wiring harness...

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boltbusterdw
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:39 pm

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby boltbusterdw » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:50 pm

On the engine I removed all the clearcoat that was peeling off of the valve cover and side plates and then polished them out. If they only sold elbow grease at the hardware store :-) Guess I'll have to keep it waxed, but I don't plan this bike seeing any rain in it's future. The right side has been buffed out in this pic, the left side was really oxidized where the clearcoat had worn off. The difference was night and day, although the pic doesn't do it justice...
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All the chrome on the bike looked like this...
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I soda blasted all the chrome with my $20 Harbor Freight gravity fed sandblaster loaded with Arm and Hammer baking soda from Wally world. I was amazed how well it worked. Same part here...
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boltbusterdw
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:39 pm

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby boltbusterdw » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:52 pm

Waiting on some parts so I did a little cleaning on the controls. The Dot 5 brake fluid is amazing for bringing back the black in faded plastic. My ugly handlebar controls were grey. I disassembled them, soda blasted then wiped them down with the fluid after soda blasting them.
before...
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after cleaning
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As it sits now...awaiting fork parts.

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boltbusterdw
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:39 pm

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby boltbusterdw » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:54 pm

Some weekend progress. Rebuilt the forks with new seals, wipers, and progressive springs. The new springs were about 2" longer than the originals. I cut the old spacers down to 1" to get the proper preload. Here they are for comparison, original spring on bottom.

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I came across the last part that needed clear coat stripping(fork brace) and polishing. This stripper from Autozone is awesome, spray on and brush the clear away as these pics show.

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I opened up the speedometer to give it a good cleaning. Found an old spider nest in there along with other crud.

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Once the forks were mounted I got the fuse box wired in and the electrical controls mounted to the handlebars. Lots of wires crammed in behind that fuse box. :(

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I'm sending the skins out for paint this week so I attempted to fix my right side panel mounting tab that was broke off instead of paying upwards of $100 on Ebay. I made a new stem from aluminum to epoxy into the plate. Someone screwed the plate into the lip of the tank with a sheet metal screw:-( That is why there is a hole in the second picture.

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Paint color will be black with Honda wings on the tank and Nighthawk on the side covers. I'm going to cut the "650" off the original decals. My paint guy recommended that he add red pearl to the paint that brings out a red color in the bright sunlight.
Last edited by boltbusterdw on Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Volker_P
Posts: 5508
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:53 am
Location: southern Germany

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby Volker_P » Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:11 am

Welcome here! :D

Great job! Never saw someone making nice metal intake covers. I'm just scrunching up newspapers.
Very interesting soda blasting result for the handlebar controls. Never thought of this so far.

Really great workshop!
Cosky's great (free) online manual: http://cosky0.tripod.com

forum links to common technical issues

If you really like this site and you would not like to see it vanish soon, have a look there: Urgent: Future of HondaCB650.com Forum

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Ouch
Posts: 167
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 8:28 am

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby Ouch » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:13 am

GREAT WORK :shock: !!!! and wow...your a little zealous! :lol: when did you get the bike so we can know your time frame on getting all this done?

cb650
Posts: 2959
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:20 am
Location: Denver CO USA
Contact:

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby cb650 » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:33 pm

Looking good!! I'm parting out a 84 if you need any parts
Did you clean the tank out?!?!?!?!

boltbusterdw
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:39 pm

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby boltbusterdw » Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:46 pm

I got the bike around late Sept of last year. I paid $500 for it from a guy I know who had it sitting in his garage for over 6 years without starting it. I started tearing into it in October. I didn't really plan on a frame up restore until I started tearing into the bike to clean the carbs and fix the clutch master cylinder that the bike needed. I originally posted this thread over on the Nighthawks forum but since only forum members could view it I started this thread so some of my friends could watch the build without becoming a member. I'll probably have around $1300 into it when finished but that includes new progressive suspension along with new tires.

boltbusterdw
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:39 pm

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby boltbusterdw » Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:30 pm

Finally got the skins back from paint. Decided to go with a metallic black.

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The original flat black parts of the front fender and right side plate are now gloss black to have a slight contrast to the metallic black. Also a gloss black stripe on the tank along the crease lines. Very subtle but in bright sunlight you can make it out. All the paint was actually the same color, with and without the pearl color additives. The metallic is more subtle than the pics show, not really sure why. In the shade it all looks gloss black.

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I also ordered progressive 412 shocks for the rear, and getting new tires put on tomorrow. The bike has been on standby as everything needed to go forward with project was $$$. Hopefully I can get it off the stand in a few days. I'm also waiting for both clutch and brake master cylinders to come back from powdercoat.
I removed the old tires and am in the process of giving them a good cleaning before the new rubber gets mounted. Here is a before cleaning pic...

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Hondaman900
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2014 4:07 am

Re: My '83 CB650 restoration project.

Postby Hondaman900 » Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:37 pm

Great post and awesome build. Inspiring as I start to work on the '83 cb650 I picked up recently. Do you have any updates on progress? Any finished photos?


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