Great deal in Milwaukee

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/mcy/4135082630.html

Somebody needs to jump on this!
If I hadn't just got the SECA...I'd be all over this.

 

Nice find. Kinda jealous of whoever buys it. Even upgrading lines and repairing that carb/oil issue shouldn't be too expensive.

 

If it makes good compression numbers it is a STEAL at that price especially with that low of mileage.

Need to be careful of clean, low mileage bikes going for uber-cheap like that though; that's how folks end up buying a bike with a holed piston or two. If you run an XJ too lean it doesn't take long to blow it up; and if the other three cylinders are still strong it will run on three well enough to fool an inexperienced buyer.

 

Translation: Compression tests R good.

 

Main point: don't be lulled by "shiny" "low miles" and/or "it runs" into NOT doing one.

 

I might roll the dice and forgo the Compression Test.
If you got burned and it pumped low numbers ...

Seat and Sissy ~ $150
Tank ~ $100
Carbs ~ $250

 

Good point.

I'm always thinking "cool, another XJ on the road." But you're absolutely right.

 

"some oil sprayed into the air cleaner box"

I'm not fully understanding that bit followed by mechanics saying it's a carb issue.

The title and all those clean shiny bits are worth something.

 

That's totally understandable.

Carbs have stuck float or floats, sump then "overfills" because of gas being dumped by the carbs.

Because of the "overfill" it pumps oil up the breather into the airbox. It's a saga we've heard literally hundreds of times here in CV-carb land. (Especially with the Hitachis.)

The mechanic probably opened the oil filler cap and smelled gas.

HERE'S THE BONUS: the seller may have inadvertently found a mechanic that knows what he's doing. Staggering thought.

 

Ah, that makes sense. I haven't had that happen.

On the Concours the fuel will get into the cylinder and if you don't notice or aren't paying attention you get a bent rod. Haven't has that happen either but it's a common topic at the concours forum.

I just bought a couple of Honda CB400Ts. They have overflow tubes on the carbs. What a novel idea.

 

Neither have I but my Nort has peed some gas in its day.

Overflow tubes are fine but if a carb is flat puking gas some will go into the throats too and if the intakes are downhill, into the motor.

If those Hondas have CV carbs, have fun. Although float issues aren't unique to CV carbs, I've had an AMAL flood a corner of a restaurant parking lot with gas before. Luckily the Norton's intake manifolds are virtually level.

 

A friend with a Norton had it happen. He pulled the plugs and kicked it over. He claims it geisered gas out the plug holes. He usually doesn't exaggerate.

The Honda should be fun. It's only got 2 carbs so carb work will be half as much fun as on the Seca. In any case, I wouldn't rely on the overflow tubes as being a 100% cure.

 

Grab it quick !

 

Gas in the cylinders, in an extreme case, sure.

Gas in the sump of a Norton though, can't happen. Why? AIN'T NO SUMP. It's what's known as a "dry sump" motor, there is no oil sump, no oil pan. The oil is in a tank, connected to the motor by hoses. Kinda like WWII airplane engines, which is where the technology came from. OK, WWI airplane engines, sorry.

The only time I had a seriously stuck float with mine, the time I described, I had left it on the sidestand and it was the "downside" carb that flooded and didn't stop.

Twins are fun. Helluva lot less headaches than fours. (Half, go figure.) Hondas of the same era as our bikes are generally OVER-engineered to the point of being almost whimsical in some things. The mousetrap front brake caliper holder flappy doodle cantilever lever thingie on the early 750s is a good example. Yamaha did the same thing with a half dozen pieces while Honda used at least 37.

Here's the cool thing about old Hondas: Honda has a "vintage bike support program" in that you can get almost any part for any Honda ever made IF YOU DON'T MIND PAYING FOR IT. Some Honda dealers are "more participatory" than others.