I have begun project BadAssMotorScooterFromHELL™ otherwise known as the restoration of a 1984 Honda Magna V30. I traded the bike for a higher end weight bench to a buddy of mine who was just sitting on the Magna. He picked it up cheap as well, but also got his hands on a Harley 1200 Sportster and decided that it needed his attentions more.
I got the bike home and started reading up on the task ahead of me. Lots of good info out there on the V30s and i'm already signed up on a forum specifically for these types of bikes. Of course this lead to lots of information and horror stories of the possible bad things I have to look forward to. Lots of good info and support as well, so I'm not terribly concerned about finding an answer. Mostly I'm just worried about the cost outlay to get it running again. From the initial story, this bike sat for at least 3 years in my buddies garage with nothing done to it at all. He says that he knew the tank was rusty and that it had been sitting even longer somewhere else. For a basically free bike (I got the weight bench from another friend for free), I am still sure I can get it running for well under the $1000 it would cost to get something similar/comparable already running.
Now... onto the show!
I started with a quick once over of the externals. Chrome is pitted with rust in a couple of places, but nothing I can't buff and shine out. Front brakes were weak pulling it down off the truck, but they mostly held. I'm sure a big part of that is the brake fluid being old from sitting, plus any rust in the brake pads. Throttle rolls on and snaps off pretty cleanly and clutch lever seems to operate smoothly although I can't tell if it is disengaging the clutch just yet. I need to do some roll tests here soon on that as well as to make sure the engine hasn't seized up. It rolls in neutral pretty smooth, but the wheel bearings will get replaced soon and for sure before I ride it regularly.
Next step was to pull the gas tank and reserve and start checking internal fluids. The main tank came off easy except for the gas lines themselves. They are in good shape, but I might replace them just to cover that base. As expected, the main tank does have rust in it, but what I can see isn't all that bad. I have a gallon of Evapo-Rust at the ready to take care of what I can't see. The reserve tank will be a pain in the ass to get out, but I'm hoping to have that done tonight or this weekend. I opened the radiator (yes it is a water cooled engine) and the coolant looked nice and bright green. I may not have to flush that system as expected. This is a good thing. I also checked the oil through the dipstick and it looked nice and amber fresh like the oil got changed before it was stored. Again, a good thing as that much less I may have to clean up. Air filter is pretty clean and is a K&N style, so that is a plus. I also pulled the rear two spark plugs which, while obviously used, did not look dirty or show any oil or discoloration. The front two plugs are a pain in the ass to get to, but i'm hoping they are in the same shape.
At this point I am looking at cleaning and relining the gas tanks, replace all four spark plugs on principle, clean and reoil the chain, replace the front fork dust covers and possibly replace the fork oil, repack and possibly replace the front and rear wheel bearings also on principle. Then flush out the brake and clutch lines to get fresh fluid in there.
Overall a lot less than I had originally been worried about. I still have the full electrical system to run through once I pick up a bettery, but the mechanical stuff so far is looking promising.
Pictures below
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