I recently scored this '05 Honda Sabre from a dude in Prattville, Alabama who had lost the key and title. The vehicle history is clear and I have a bonded title. The bike has been sitting dormant and exposed to elements against a shed for at least 5 years. I changed the oil, filled the gas tank, put in a new battery, and removed some weird jump wire attempt that had conjoined the three ignition wires with some other add on wire strung under the gas tank. I also got a new ignition switch and am able to get it to fire up with some starter fluid but then it dies. Lookin' for some tips on next steps. The throttle plastic grip seems split some and a bit stuck. Thanks for any advice!
I did get him going finally! Added a second clilp. But after a few minutes it will idle out. Any tips or tricks on cleaning/maintaining fuel lines short of taking the carburetor all the way down much appreciated. Am pretty new to motorcycles but plan to master this one in time. Thanks to TJ Brutal's great videos I really started fishing for the older Hondas! This is my first catch.
@Dow Hey man thanks so much for saying the clips over I really appreciate that it helps a lot.
On first view these bikes do not want to run without that filter in place OI suggest you put the filter back in place. The next thing is your idol is extremely low That is going to make it very hard to start the bike anyways so i would bump the idle up bit.
I understand you may be recalcitrant to pull the carburetor off the bike however given the knowledge that this does not seem like a bike that was well cared for that would actually be my next suggestion. Pull the carburetor At the very least clean everything You may discover there's some blockages in the Jets there's gunk in the bowl You may find debris or belly button lint stuck in your fuel line ( Not even kidding I had an issue with the bike this weekend and it turned out to be lint in the fuel line)
As long as this isn't your primary means of transportation I would just start with removing the carbs and doing an exploratory disassembly and cleaning. Some of the rubber components may not fit back together which will be expected.
Here's a few tips to make your process a little more pain free 1 Definitely make sure you're using clean and fresh gas Two fuel lines that are old absolutely can deteriorate from the inside If you can afford it and you have the resources I'd recommend at least replacing the fuel lines. Three these bikes do have a fuel pump This is a good time to bypass the fuel pump and justice work with gravity feeding the carburetors while you're tuning. Not all bikes like this though. You may find that it doesn't want to run the same that's OK bring the fuel pump back into the equation. But if the bike starts to run better when you remove the fuel pump this indicates the pump is either dying or not working at all.
I would recommend buying a small journal or even getting a notepad of some kind to journal the changes that you make to the bike since this is your first time this will be very helpful so you can remember what you did even if you walk away from the bike. Trying to keep diagnostic information in your brain is not a good idea. Also if you change one thing stop there and see how the bike runs If you change five things and the bike runs great you don't know what actually worked.
For the throttle sleeve we do sell an aluminum version on TJBrutalcustoms.com Which I can guarantee will outlast the bike LOL!
God luck and good speed
@TJ Thanks, broseph! That's great advice from the honda zen master yoda himself. Haha. Seriously, I found your channel and was like this is totally my style. And love your sense of humor. Great stuff, really. For months, I was looking around for old Harleys and was just kinda peeved about them though stylistically and all just seemed overpriced and owners for the most part did know enough about their vehicles to comment. I actually like the Honda look better. I have this early impression of them as having a better, rugged outline, whereas even with the softails, fatboys, and dynas, I am thinking that there's something weaker in those designs.
I will put the filter back in and never even thought about that. I do plan to take down the carburetor from the inside out at some point but just hesitant to get into deep weeds and lost in a labyrinth of connections and wires too soon. I think I am pretty close to getting it to at least a stable working point so that I have confidence in peeling back layers as I learn more. I highly value your time and the meticulous points you have provided and will study your response as I go. And I did notice the aluminum version of the throttle sleeve that says "Plastic Sucks" on your shop site but it said it was out of stock, at least last time I checked! I will end up getting that from you for sure, though, when I get to fully fixing that part.
Anyhow, thanks for the sincerity, and I will keep following your awesome work! Happy Trails!
Best,
Dow
Dow New Member
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