Restoring a Honda CA160 Motorcycle

Welcome to CR4, tallmage! Check out this thread:

Honda CA160 Motorcycle – Restoration Part 1

Or, just go here to get the full series.

I had a number of these bikes, an S90 (in the picture called a Benly 90), which I also had one of. The Benly 90 the low power, not the SOHC 90 engine and the soft cantilever front suspension like the step through 50-55. I had the second Honda cycle (a stepthrough 55cc) in Windsor Ontario, in 1964. I had a red 1965 Benly 150, just like the 1966 161cc, but with a 154cc engine. I had lots of adventures with the 150; bent an exhaust valve outside of Ft Lauderdale Boxing Day of 1966, took the head into a dealer in FtL; put it on (roadside!) the same day the bike stopped with a tiny pack of hand tools. 2 week vacation trip; before interstate 75 was complete. Followed an 18 wheeler at crazy speeds in the heavy (100 foot vis?) night fog on US25 in the mountains overnight! Traded it (even) for a 1959 Porsche 1600Super in 1967.

I still have an early DOHC CB450, which I 'restored' a few years ago. Insurance price here is crazy. We only get 6 months of non-winter, and the price for insurance for the Honda is over 5 times as much as for my 1972 911S Porsche.

There are very nice examples on display at the winery in Pawpaw Michigan.

See page 18 in my 2008 08 08 Porsche club Newsletter for pics from Pawpaw: http://redriverpca.org/newsletters/2008/PCAemail%20read%20080808.pdf Anyone else have a car like my white one on the cover?

David

thanks for the reply,but did you ever find oil(full) in one of the side covers. It,s strange to see a pic of lakenenland in the UP , I thats a rather obscure place. It is very differen . We usually stop and run thru it on our snomobile trips a couple times a winter. I live outside Grand rapids, No not Minn.. Ill Have to see the winery some day.

Saw your note on restoring the CA160. I also have a CA160 which has been in storage for over 25 years. I would be interested in comparing notes with you on what you're doing. Right now I am trying to find a replacement petcock. The original one disintegrated.

Good luck.

is there oil, under one of the engin side covers? I cant figure out if this is normal and do not have a repair book., I think this compartment should be dry

I did up several CB/CD 175s and similar. The parts u need are all still available from Honda motorcycle dealer spares shops though they need to order them from Japan. The carbies come as a complete unit otherwise the vietnamese make copies. the prices are fixed to when the bikwes were new so they are peanuts + Postage!

One end of a Honda crankshaft has the clutch, which is in an oil bath. The other end is the alternator, which should be dry. There is an oil seal between the alternator and the rest of the crank. I had Hondas from a 1964 55step to an S90, a non-S 90, a CT70, CA 150 (154cc), CB160, and 1967 and 1973 cb450. They all followed this layout.

David

I race Honda 160s so I'm quite familiar with the insides... :-)

See www.groupwracing.com

I don't have any stock parts, but I do make some replacement parts/upgrades.

CA160 is the same as the CB/CL 160 engine wise, with the exception that the cylinder head is a single carb version vs. twin carb.

Yes - there should be oil there. The alternator runs wet. There's no sealing between chambers in the crankcase. There's part of the parts diagram in pdf form on the groupwracing site - that might help you.

Michael

thank you Micheal, I think your answer is the correct one, Ill change the oil ,clean out the carb/tank etc,and that will probably prove you right,Funny thing the response prev to you was just the opposite opinion, it has always run fine with the oil in there but it is strange they would run it in oil considering the HP loss with all that motion in there. So now I'm ready to get a new Battery and license it. I'm sure we will have fun on it. Ive had it for 30 years and only ran it a few times. It is all original with no missing parts. thanks again

No problem. The oil level is well below the alternator rotor (and below the crankshaft wheels as well) so what ends up in there is splash only, doesn't really contribute any drag. That's typical of pretty much all hondas of the era, and in fact most motorcycles in general, even today. Although oil is hot, it's not as hot as an alternator running dry under a hot sidecover. The oil helps keep it cool(ish).

I've built dozens of 160 and 175 racers from the ground up - you can be confident that there's supposed to be oil in there.

The hardest part of keeping an older bike going is keeping the carb clean. The passages are tiny as are the idle jets, and usually they sit with fuel in them gumming up the works. A good soak in berryman's carb dip, followed by a good soaking in a large ultrasonic cleaner followed by carb cleaner/compressed air through all passages will usually do the trick even on trouble carbs. Sometimes the pilot jets won't come clean for anything though, and you end up having to buy a new one.

Double check your valve clearances (spec is .002" intake and exhaust - on the racers we use more like .003" intake, .004" exhaust). Make sure the points are clean, and

Good luck!

Michael

It has been a lot of years since my 150- 160cc days. I do recall that some of the early Hondas had dry alternators; my apologies to all about this one. I can remember some details clearly from the 60s, but apparently not all. I should have dug out my repair manuals before writing, but I am typing at work, and my books are at home...