FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: What's the deal with the page? It looks like it was made with a typewriter and it's never updated...
A: Give me a freakin' break! Just for that I made these questions purple. I created this page back in 2002 when I had just started college. When I want resources, read: strictly info, I could really care less about fancy design. Plus, being self-employed and working another regular job, finding time to do updates is difficult. I'M WORKING ON IT ALREADY!!!
Q: Is the CB650 a good bike? My friends selling one and I don't know if I should buy it.
A: The CB650 is a great bike in my opinion (of course it is, afterall I own it, right?). But remember, it's old. This fact seems to blindside so many people out there, including myself at times. I bought mine impusively, and didn't realize what I was getting myself into. Be prepared to invest $$$ and time, because eventually you will come across problems. These things are over 20 years old. If mechanics is your part time hobby, go for it.
Q: I've emailed you, and you never got back...
A: You'll have to cut me some slack on this one. Don't let the visitor counter fool you, it doesn't work right. I get a bunch of mail every day, and I don't always have time. That doesn't mean don't send me mail, I DO read all of it, and I try to respond to as much as I can, but helping everybody isn't always possible. Questions like, "I think my carbs might be messed up or something, can you tell me what's wrong?" will tend to fall at the end of the queue - It takes a long time to write responses, and trying to troubleshoot a vague question without the bike in front of me is generally a waste of both of our time.
Q: How do you fix [insert random part here]?
A: See above. If you've gone through the normal means of repair, I'll certainly give you as much help as I can, but please - if your bike doesn't idle, misfires, stumbles, etc. - 99.9% of the time you have a carb problem. If you keep old gas in the bike, never drain the bowls when you store it, or just bought your bike from a guy who's kept it in a barn for the last 20 years, you're going to need to be proactive and clean things up. Rip the carbs off, take everything apart, soak, spray, and blast every hole with compressed air, repeat, repeat (third time's the charm, right?), reset the idle air screws if you've futzed with them, install an inline fuel filter if you're tank is filled with rust, and THEN try to start/drive/sell it to some poor sucker. If you're not confident, get a manual, or pay somebody else.
Q: Where can I get after market parts; pistons, cams, rods, carbs, rims, lights, blah......
A: See entry Aftermarket Parts
Q: Why do I need to constantly fiddle with the choke to keep the bike running when I first start it?
A: I don't know, but I have to do it also and so does everybody else I've talked to.
Q: Where can I get the factory service manual, and how much is it?
A: You can get it three ways. First is Ebay.com, they seem to be there every couple weeks or so, but usually fetch from $30 to $50+, used condition. Your other option is a Honda dealer, of course. This is how I got mine, but it wasn't easy. I ordered it in early May, and got it in mid September, so about 5 months. The guys at the dealer called Honda sometime inbetween this, and they were told that the manual was out of print, but due to "popular demand", yes, that's right, it was being reprinted. Popular demand? CB650? Ok, whatever. The copy I received was a copy and bound with that plastic ring thing. It cost $33, but the pictures and detail are worth it. The third way is through a company called Helm, Inc. although I have not confirmed this though.
Q: What is so great about owning a Honda CB650?
A: The answer, as all retro bike owners should know, is here
Q: Why don't you have more on this page?
A: Because I haven't really been asked any questions of any frequency. Sign the guestbook, and make this page resourceful!
Q: Why, Dave? Why?
A: Many shall ask, why Dave, why an aging 1981 CB650C? What do you see that I don't? Well, the answer is: I probably see less than you! OK, not really, I love my bike. I bought my 650 in a moment of anger. A few summers ago, I had my heart set on purchasing a small fishing boat to go messing around with. I couldn't find anything reasonably cheap, plus I realized my 1985 Dodge Aries Station Wagon really didn't have the towing capacity necessary, so while driving down the road I decided I will buy a motorcycle instead. And I did. And this is the first one I saw that looked decent and was in my price range. ($650) - Which, by the way, somebody always told me, "Old bikes almost always go for a buck a cc."