Charles' Benlys, CA95 x2, early and late

[ballbearian]

I think I got a case here for a new case.

This is the crank bearing locating pin support.

There is a big end rod knock on the same side.

Then there is the countershaft bearing journal that I can stick an .008- .012" feeler blade into and when you put the case halves together, you can wiggle the shaft bearing. I don't think there is any amount of any kind of goop that could suffice to hold it. The PO did try :lol:.

Hopefully the new 1.00mm over pistons will handle the couple dings in the cylinders. I haven't pulled the valves yet, but the cam and rockers look decent.

Used crank and cases are on the way and the tranny gears, etc., along with a set I bought way back when, should round out a decent motor. I hope .

I guess this is what happens when you buy a parts bike and then the title appears.

 

[ancientdad]

That engine clearly suffered at the hands of an amateur. Looks like they did the crankshaft like some do the transmission shafts, not aligning the locating pin before tightening the crankcase bolts. Ugh.

 

[ballbearian]

That engine clearly suffered at the hands of an amateur. Looks like they did the crankshaft like some do the transmission shafts, not aligning the locating pin before tightening the crankcase bolts. Ugh.

Probably amateur maintenance caused a failure then an amateur repair caused further damage. The dents in the cylinder looked like a rod/piston crash (not like wear) and this too, a broken oil partition near the back of the trans area.

 

[ballbearian]

The bike is a 62-63 and this case is stamped 39.5.8, so May 8, 1964 (Showa dynasty dating began 1925). It must have been a, not so good deal, on a used junk motor. Notice all the sealer on the countershaft bearing journal too.

 

[ancientdad]

Yeah I noticed that date stamp. Glad we now know how to interpret it, and after seeing it on parts for years and years it's like the light bulb turning on now that someone here explained the origin.

 

[ballbearian]

I may end up doing that Bill. I don't need to rush, so I'll keep looking.

I wonder what an 80 aspect ratio would look like on such a vintage bike and if it would ride ok.

Oh heck, I may just get a 3rd set of these but the handling is so so. I'm not whitewall crazy, only in my socks.

VRM011 Vintage White Wall Tire Set (Frt/Rear) for Vintage Japanese Motorcycles | eBay

 

[ballbearian]

Busy with Benly's. Messin' with all three of em right now. The new clutch is good on mine after another 50 miles, but I keep blowing speedo LED BA9s bulbs, maybe need a better ground there. Got the new cases and crank for the blue one soaking and getting cleaned up. Charles white one is finally getting it's new rear Veerubber tire and a wheel true and bearing repack as well as a clean up on the chain guard and drive line. It's a dirty dingy white bike that needs some spot paint touch up, but I keep telling him he has a real cherry there and ought to just apply elbow grease to show off it's survivor status.
I'm enjoying the fact that the white one is a "late" version (65) and the other two are "early" types (62-63). Some small differences, mirror mounts in the levers, a front badge on the headlamp nacelle, rear shock mounts having turn signal mounts, carb differences, high beam indicator and muffler/header changes.

Gotta love that Honda engineering with the stub axle drive hub allowing wheel removal without disturbing the chain or full chainguards.

I know this thread is supposed to be only about 2 of them (blue and white), but they seem to be like rabbits here.

 

[ballbearian]

This battery acid damage has to go.

Center stand and swingarm were downsteam too, so...

 

[ancientdad]

It's such a simple thing to keep the vent hose connected and properly routed. It's a shame that so many owners of these bikes didn't realize just how important it was and often didn't even know to connect them at all. Makes for some hideous damage and difficult cleanup, and permanent damage to anything chromed.

 

[ballbearian]

It's such a simple thing to keep the vent hose connected and properly routed. It's a shame that so many owners of these bikes didn't realize just how important it was and often didn't even know to connect them at all. Makes for some hideous damage and difficult cleanup, and permanent damage to anything chromed.

Acid damage may have been the reason that it got the Florida Cycle Supply aftermarket mufflers. The bike only has 7K miles on it and there are signs that it was once cared for. I saw a few tiny touch up paint spots on a few chips, which makes it seem so, but then something caused the bike to be forgotten and stored where it was dripped on and subject to rusting.

At this point I'm just trying to finish off the rear and drive areas. It's not really a restoration but an intervention and repair of damaged original finish bit by bit.

 

[ancientdad]

It's a shame when so much of a bike survives so many years only to have some very hard to touch up areas keeping it from looking its best despite decades of inactivity. That white would be nearly impossible to repaint with a close-enough match to keep it from being noticeable.

 

[KenCM450]

It's a shame when so much of a bike survives so many years only to have some very hard to touch up areas keeping it from looking its best despite decades of inactivity. That white would be nearly impossible to repaint with a close-enough match to keep it from being noticeable.

Any good automotive shop should be able to match color, gloss, even fade and patina; but they won't mix paint for your use any more (due to regulations on VOC emissions, unless you have a pro paint booth). If you go this route, call around and find a shop that will accept a fully prepped Honda frame. Pretty much nothing happens for less than $500 in auto paint any more.


Back in the day, putting front tires on back and vice-versa was common, the standard practice was to simply swap the direction of rotation, because of the push/pull and belt overlap nature of the beasts, as already mentioned. The most stress on front tires is braking, and the most on rear is acceleration (you can't get much braking out of them before they skid).

I wouldn't hesitate to do a reverse tire mount on a Benly, I would hesitate to do it on a superbike, but it's your call.

 

[ballbearian]

Any good automotive shop should be able to match color, gloss, even fade and patina; but they won't mix paint for your use any more (due to regulations on VOC emissions, unless you have a pro paint booth). If you go this route, call around and find a shop that will accept a fully prepped Honda frame. Pretty much nothing happens for less than $500 in auto paint any more.


Back in the day, putting front tires on back and vice-versa was common, the standard practice was to simply swap the direction of rotation, because of the push/pull and belt overlap nature of the beasts, as already mentioned. The most stress on front tires is braking, and the most on rear is acceleration (you can't get much braking out of them before they skid).

I wouldn't hesitate to do a reverse tire mount on a Benly, I would hesitate to do it on a superbike, but it's your call.

Yeah Ken, the paint shop route is beyond my and Charles pay grade. I'm looking at it from a sweat equity standpoint and this is actually getting a good bit of prep done and will look OK. Since I got some karate kid action out of Charles (wax on, wax off...) the original white is coming up much closer to the whiteness of the "repair" areas with just a cleaner-polish product. A facebook Benly group member said that Duplicolor Ford oxford white came really close to the 60's Honda white, so I got a can for the final fork/fender assault. Since that will then be a total of 4 different whites on the bike, I figure sufficient confusion will ensue and no one will take issue (it works in politics, why not?).

Pics will follow for group critique but it's headed to the car wash for an engine blast and further intervention on the motor. This was supposed to be a quick tire change and wheel true and as usual, things escalated from there.


Still cogitating over tire choices. I have heard of old school swapping from a buddy who runs cheap trailer tires on his Road King and many years of MC tire busting and a lot of miles under his belt but just seeing that backwards arrow on my bike might bother me silly.

I may go for a set of Shinko SR714 Front or Rear 80/80-16 if I can convince myself that an 80 aspect won't be too weird for a Benly.

The link has both widths in it but my rims are closer to 1.85 than 2.15 so the 80 width is closer to the original 3.00-16, both are 80 aspect ratio. Slim pickins on choices.

Amazon.com: Shinko SR714 Front - Rear Scooter Tire - 90/80-16/Blackwall : Automotive

 

[ballbearian]

I'm posting this here for other Benly bangers out there. Hopefully this thread will pick up again before too long.

 

[jensen]

Nice thread ! Baby dreams where not imported in the Netherlands as far as I know, however, there are a few over here, mostly imported from the US.

 

[bilbikek411]

Yeah Ken, the paint shop route is beyond my and Charles pay grade. I'm looking at it from a sweat equity standpoint and this is actually getting a good bit of prep done and will look OK. Since I got some karate kid action out of Charles (wax on, wax off...) the original white is coming up much closer to the whiteness of the "repair" areas with just a cleaner-polish product. A facebook Benly group member said that Duplicolor Ford oxford white came really close to the 60's Honda white, so I got a can for the final fork/fender assault. Since that will then be a total of 4 different whites on the bike, I figure sufficient confusion will ensue and no one will take issue (it works in politics, why not?).

Pics will follow for group critique but it's headed to the car wash for an engine blast and further intervention on the motor. This was supposed to be a quick tire change and wheel true and as usual, things escalated from there.


Still cogitating over tire choices. I have heard of old school swapping from a buddy who runs cheap trailer tires on his Road King and many years of MC tire busting and a lot of miles under his belt but just seeing that backwards arrow on my bike might bother me silly.

I may go for a set of Shinko SR714 Front or Rear 80/80-16 if I can convince myself that an 80 aspect won't be too weird for a Benly.

The link has both widths in it but my rims are closer to 1.85 than 2.15 so the 80 width is closer to the original 3.00-16, both are 80 aspect ratio. Slim pickins on choices.

Amazon.com: Shinko SR714 Front - Rear Scooter Tire - 90/80-16/Blackwall : Automotive

I like to try to determine the proper width for my inch-size tires,then if I do plan to swap to metric sizes,I can see if I can find the sizes which seem the same(or close)width including aspect ratio in my determination.
A low(er) profile aspect ratio won't bother me too much,as long as the width is close to stock for those rims,imo.

 

[ballbearian]

Nice thread ! Baby dreams where not imported in the Netherlands as far as I know, however, there are a few over here, mostly imported from the US.

Thanks Jensen.
I'm surprised as it seems the C92 (125cc) and the C95 (150cc) were introduced to Europe earlier than the US, also earlier to Australia.
I have a copy of an ad in Sports Illustrated US magazine from September 12,1960 for $460 P.O.E. (point of entry), but with an American Honda Motor Co. address in California. I don't think many were sold here until at least 1961, mostly 1962 and it grew from there. You find many many more 64-65's here nowadays. The CA160 was sold in fewer numbers in 1966, probably due to the other models like the CB160 and the Dreams and Super Hawks, and the Bombers, of course!

 

[ballbearian]

I like to try to determine the proper width for my inch-size tires,then if I do plan to swap to metric sizes,I can see if I can find the sizes which seem the same(or close)width including aspect ratio in my determination.
A low(er) profile aspect ratio won't bother me too much,as long as the width is close to stock for those rims,imo.

Jim says the unmarked aspect of the inch size tires is 90, so going down to 80 is not too bad of a change. I did buy two 90/80-16 Shinko SR714 for the brown bike but have not used them yet. They will be wider but I think they will fit and am looking forward to trying them.
90/90-16 were unavailable from any source.
The original OHTSU ribbed front tire is still on it (probably 60years old with no cracks at all) and is marked 3.00-16 but measures the same width as the 3.25 -16 Duro that I replaced on the back.
I also do have an extra set of VeeRubber whitewalls (ribbed front and traditional block rear) that are the correct inch size tires, 3.00-16 (available on ebay from a seller who gets limited quantities), if all else fails. I may use those on Benly project bike #3. I put these on Charles white 65 and they look and ride great but I wanted something different if possible.