off brand purchase

[old smokey]

We just bought a '78 Honda Hawk Hondamatic yesterday which we promptly dropped off at a shop to have the tires replaced. It will become my wife's next ride. She'll maybe continue with it, or move onto the Ninja 250 we already bought.
Ok, my question is - the Honda already has some blueing on both header pipes. It seems to run pretty good, how can I tell if it's still running too lean or just blue from a prior condition?

[reed]

Old smokey
Get the motorcycle warmed up and go for a run and when you come back kill the engine, remove the plugs and check the color of the plugs!and that's the way to see if its running lean or rich etc.
If color is on the white side its lean or on the black side its rich!
Thanks.
Steve.

[old smokey]

Thanks for that suggestion Steve.
We stopped by the local repair shop this evening. He has tires arriving tomorrow so with crappy weather forecast for the weekend maybe we can have it back by mid-week.
I've borrowed a spot laser thermometer from a co-worker, but I wouldn't know what a normal reading would be for the headers.
I borrowed it for the GTR and found one side was 40 degrees hotter than the other. Of course after I shut it down found out it's leaking from the carb so I've got some obvious things to fix there first.
And then this evening my wife and I were going to ride to the repair shop to see the Hawk being repaired. The 2002 250 Ninja flashed a neutral and oil light but died as soon as I touched the starter. So now checking that it has a dead battery after being purchased 2 months ago.
I'm kinda glad everyday has rain forecast.

[reed]

Old smokey
If you do the carbs your self give me a i have all the settings!
Thanks.
Steve.

[old smokey]

I'll keep that in mind Steve. It might be that my solder repair of the float to the arm already broke loose and only one float isn't enough to close the needle valve. If other things stop breaking maybe my GTR will get some attention.

[reed]

Old smokey
I have some floats for a GTR if you need one!
Thanks.
Steve.

[old smokey]

Reed,
Got the float replaced Saturday with the one you shipped me.
It doesn't leak gas anymore, but it still doesn't like a hard acceleration. Going through about 5000 rpm it does a couple backfires. I'm not sure, but I almost think it's thru the carb. Are there some passages in the carb for higher rpm's that could be causing that?
If it is backfiring in the exhaust would that maybe mean it's missing some spark letting unburned gas get into the exhaust?
Vintage motorcycle weekend at Road America is only 2 weeks away and I'd like to meet Scrambler while wearing a BS t-shirt on my GTR.

[reed]

Old smokey
I would gladly check over your carbs if you send them to me!
Thanks.
Steve.

[reed]

Old smokey
I have a idea,do you what me to send you a set of carbs! so you can put them on and try them out.
If this works out then i can work on your carbs when you get back from the vintage motorcycle weekend.
We will swap back etc let me know.
Thanks.
Steve. 

[old smokey]

Hi Steve,
That is a great offer that I will probably make a firm decision on by the weekend.
I'm hoping I might get time to do something tomorrow night, but as soon as I make plans.....
Tomorrow our car gets a hitch installed. If the one man repair shop hasn't done anything on the Honda Hawk yet we're going to trailer it home and I'll start pulling wires apart.
It's been a week with a known "no spark" scenario and yesterday he said he hadn't looked at it yet.

[old smokey]

Steve,
My wife said it would have been cheaper and faster if we had bought you an airline ticket to Wisconsin.

[scrambler]

Hey Smokey,

You needed some parts from me if I remember correct but I don't remember what?

I plan on bringing a GTO and a GTR. The GTO is already sold but if you bring a trailer you could own a project GTR....

[old smokey]

Hi Scrambler,
I was hoping to get a GTR oil tank from you.
You're still planning to attend Vintage weekend?
I plan to see at last Saturday of Superbike weekend (day after tomorrow).
Also some part of Vintage weekend and meet up with you.

[scrambler]

I will be there with an oil tank. Look for the guy wearing a bridgestone shirt or a scrambler cycle shirt.

[coxy]

did you test the condenser no spark this has been my curse on nearly every bike i have had with points once there was a ducati gt 750 for sale for $4000 i rang the bloke he said there was no spark i put my foot in it said to him prob just the condenser next week the bike was advertised for $10000   

[old smokey]

We finally got the Hawk home last night. Still doesn't run. The battery took several hours to reach full charge so it might be a suspect. No chance to work on it yet. This weekend is Superbikes @ Road America. Will take a digital camera with extra batteries.
The Hawk could even be a safety switch like the side stand or something. I rode it from the house where we bought it to the shop (maybe 40 miles). Then 4 weeks later it wouldn't spark when it was tried next.
My wife has done a great job of cleaning it. But the new tires make it sit higher than the test ride so she is tippy toes on it.
I imagine a new condensor would be a cheap part to try.