I WON - I WON

[gr8paradox]

I was wathcing this CB900 on e-bay but kind of forgot about it. I'm not really active in looking for a bike,just always looking to see what's out there. Anyway I got a message to remind me not to miss out. The auction was below 500 and I was sure it would take off in the last few moments. I felt if it sold for under 500 I would kick myself so I bid 525. Sure I would be out bid.But at least happy I tried. LOL. I WON for $ 521.00.
So I am now the owner of this 81 CB900. I don't think I am going to cut this one up. I may do rear sets and a cafe type treatment to it. But I like it as it is. This is going to be my old school sport bike.

[rugburn]

sell it for six hundred and go get new under ware and
a twelve pack with your profits.

-burn

[gr8paradox]

It's all a mystery to me.
Picked up the bike yesterday. Things just don't add up. The guy said he had been riding the bike up to a few months ago at that time he took off the carbs to rebuild. The brakes were a bit tight,battery dead,and didn't look like it had been running only a few months ago. The "gas" in the tank had a smell like paint thinner. When I drained the few cups out it sure smells and looks like thinner to me. The carbs he gave me look very clean.When I open them there is no varnish or gunk. They were dry inside and had more of a faint gas smell than the paint thinner smell from the tank.They have a vacuum valve on the gas input. I wonder if he couldnt get it started and thought the carbs needed a rebuild ?? You know what really kicks me is the odometer says 4700 some odd miles. He couldn't say if it was correct or not. But when I pulled the stator cover and stator so I could turn it over with a wrench,The brushes looked almost new and the stator+rotor looked almost new too.The regulator is weathered and I just can't see someone having done stator,rotor,and brushes then leave the old regulator.Even if it still worked.The pipes look stock too. Could a 28 year old bike really have this few miles on it ?

[rugburn]

my 74 cb360 had 5000 miles on it when i picked it up, so yes.
look like a good score, clean it up and sell it. if its got low miles
you can get more for it. you have two great bikes already so
what would you do with it other then spend money on it, like
i should talk.

-burn

[Curb Mutt]

Number one - (and you should know this by now) - motorcycles and liers are not an uncommon pair... especially on Ebay...

Number two - It is also not uncommon for someone to buy into a bike too large and too fast for them as their first bike... get totally scared of the bike, and rarely ride it -if never again.... ALSO... some motorcycles get bought under the 'intention' of getting the spouse/girlfriend into riding and rarely do, and they end up as low-mileage barn finds...

Hell, like Burn said about his 360... I once picked up a 75' KZ400 with 3600 miles on it... the thing ran, but poorly... turns out, it never got it's initial, break-in period valve lash re-adjustment... Ran like a top after i did that.

I'd say you still came out with a pretty good deal... considering the larger half of the charging system has been replaced... the early DOHC 9's and 750's are typically found with a charging system issue...

[time warp]

First off, great score. I ordinarily don't like the F models or the "newer" CB's because of the way the sheet metal flows, but now, 'cus I'm thinking about Cafe's all the time, I kind of dig it.

How about something like this? Basically stock, some paint, some performance upgrades, it even looks like the new tail section was fabricated from part of the old section.



pic swiped from http://www.hoc.org.uk

[gr8paradox]

So an update is in order. I have since gotten a reply back from the past owner. He has no idea what might have been in the tank. Funny since he said he was riding a few months before. I also asked why he felt the carbs needed rebuild and he said they had two bad jets. For the life of me I see nothing plugging up any of the jets. He also stated the bike had fallen over in a wind storm,that's how the turn signals got broken. Yet the other day I was in a hell of a wind going over the grapevine hill on the chopper. I had to stop and the bike didn't blow over. The CB900 was on a center stand when I picked it up. OH well. I got 4 carb kits out of the deal and have since found some "stock" red turn signals. Will keep you up dated.

Right now I'm on my way home from the Slab City Riot . 300 miles to go. Got to get on the road soon. I am just on the northern California side of Grapevine. And what a hell of a ride over the grapevine.The wind was something.At times I was leaning into the wind just to go straight.

[gr8paradox]

Two months and not much update. Got to working on "The Silver Rebel" today. Pulled the battery and found two dry cells beside just being dead. Filled and charging.. I may get away with using this battery, at least for the starting and testing.Also pulled the rear caliper. Brakes were frozen. Looks like I just got to pop the pistons and clean. Stuck from sitting. Once the battery is charged up I guess I will try to put carbs back and start.

[gr8paradox]

Working Photos. Flushed out rear brakes. While I was cleaning I opened the tool box. Given everything else about this bike I don't know why I should be surprised to find the factory tool kit. It looks like new !!!!

[forty4ma9]

Sounds like things are going pretty smooth. Looking to be a hell of a deal.