A "Welcome" to India
In general the CB650 is a quite robust bike with a reliable, simple and not too old technics. You are right about charging problems, sometimes it is the rotor but first one should have a look on the wiring. It has a quite fine engine, however the chassis is really old-fashioned which could be a dangerous combination on bad roads (as you write "HARSH riding conditions"
). If you intend to ride in an area with bad roads, try to get a powerful dirtbike.
kishanbalaji wrote: 1) Is there a points Replacement kit available for this bike, if so how does it affect performance, how much does it cost and where can i get one. How are the Curves on the CDi black box. Is there A permanent fix to electric charging problems.
Electronic ignition, no points. CB550 may have still points.
2) I blip the throttle quite often, what kinda engine life does the cb 650 return on a single piston size with a say HARSH riding conditions AT the worst.
The CB650 engine can stand high rpm quite well as long as you go easy on the trottle until it is warmed up and you change oil regularly and do not run without air filter, set your valves correctly and these things. So maintenance and warm up are decisive for the life expectation. There are no basic engine problems associated with high rpm besides the charging rotor failure becomes more probable. There is no permanent fix to that, you just have to be lucky, however the rotor is interchangeable with e.g. Bol D'or and some other models.
3) how hard is it to set up and synchronise carbs.. Carb balancers are very rare to find here.. what kinda jetting does it run on as far as rating is concerned.
Carb balancing can be done with a single manometer, a T-tube connector and two clamps on the hoses. Not that convenient, but works not worse that with a special tool.
4) WHat is the mileage.. In km/ ltr.. a gallon of fuel costs around 4 $ ( MILEAGE NOT BEING A PRIME CONCERN.. but curious
)
25km/ltr are a value which is hard to beat but does not change much when you turn the throttle a bit more. Of course there are no limits to reduce your mileage with the respective riding style.
5) does the bike come ONLY with electric start or does it have a kicker
No original kickstart for CB650, CB550 has.
I ve heard the bike has problems with the cam chain as well...it doesnt have a Rectifier or battery As of now.Mint condition bikes here are a MYTH.
Cam chain rattle is normal to some extent for all CB fours. It needs of course a rectifier or battery for the starter. Only some dirtbikes (e.g XR600R) don't have a battery.
How often do spark plugs foul , what can be done to improve life on it.
If they foul at all, you have the wrong heat value number or/and your carbs settings are really bad.
what kinda air filters come wit the bike?? will Uni pod filters flow enough for em? road here are REALLY dusty.
Original is paper filters. You will have to blow it out quite often with pressurized air. Remembering my chassis statements above, consider to get a dirtbike instead.
WHICH Model is typically the CB650 that i should try and STAY away from... there is a Cb 550 and cbx 550 for sale too..
but the 650 is tempting.
CBX550 is hard to get parts for even in Germany. Many technical gimmicks noone really needs but cause work and parts problems. If you do not really want a CBX, leave it alone. CB550 is older, probably with points. Might get ahead better with dusty roads. I would check whether 550 or 650 parts situation is better before making a choice.
whats the Actual reserve tank capacity... my Rd used to stall sometime though there was a BIT of fuel.. and i ve heard those Bits in big bikes can be QUITE a Bit..
Tank is 18ltr for the European Z-model and 13.5ltr for some US models and the Custom. Reserve capacity depends on the length of the small tube in the tank and can be modified easily. The manual says original it is 2.5ltr.
BTW, did I mention that you want a powerful dirtbike instead?
I agree that this might be not an option in case you are a usual sized Indian.
One more thing: Be aware that the CB650 is quite heavy compared to a RD350. It won't be faster or more agile than a RD350 on bad roads. Urgently do a test ride to make sure you will not be disappointed. If fuel consumtion is not an issue, I would recommed to keep the RD.
I hope my answers could help you a bit.
