I probably rode around on the back roads for about 6 miles tonight in the dark. The 6V headlight works as good as it ever did, which is about half as bright as a modern bike headlight. When the battery started charging up a little more the horn actually worked! It has a classic sounding honk but the volume is about half as I would like. My CA160 horn is MUCH louder. Maybe in time the little Benly horn will come to life. After all, the bike hasn't run in a long, long time!
The seat is nice and comfortable. The handlebars are a little out of true adjustment but it just adds to the character of the bike. The engine sounds very quiet and it just glides down the street with just a little throttle. It has very good power actually but of course I'm taking it easy while breaking it in. The clutch needs some adjustment to fully engage consistently and the transmission is very cranky. They were famous for having unfriendly transmissions so I expect the worst. The trans just demands more time for shifts and needs a little encouragement with a nice easy click of the toe. If it doesn't want to shift to the next gear just slide the clutch lever and it will do it the second time. Just don't be in a hurry with this one. That's how all the old Honda transmissions feel though. Did I mention that it was really quiet? It's more quiet than my 160 even and it doesn't even have the restrictor plugs in the mufflers or even any packing to insulate the mufflers where they join with the front pipes. When throttle is applied you can hear the carburettor just sucking at the air with a PHHHhFFT PHFFFFFT sound which is fun to listen to. You can say the mufflers make a puttputt putt sound down the street and the engine internals make clicking noises just like they should be making.
Runs great - Mission Accomplished.
|