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Giving an old 85 shadow a new life

14K views 108 replies 13 participants last post by  scorch 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi everyone, just picked up a used 1987 honda shadow, not a new one :).



The previous owner lost the key, so i cant even turn it on. He said that he was riding and it died on him, and he had just installed a new batt. So it might be a charging issue. But either way, he lost the key when i bought it from him. So..

I started stripping everything off and was hoping to bypass the key ignition to test to see if there is any life to the bike.
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#3 ·
Hope you get it running well. If you can get the helmet lock out I have heard there is the key code on it, but I'm not sure.
It looks like the front forks are extended that is why the brake lines are different up front.
The master cylinder sight glass (plastic) can be replaced .
Pictures of the normal fork lengths=

 
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#4 ·
Thanks! I removed the ignition and im going to take it to a keysmith today if it's open and see if he can make me a copy.

I really want this thing to run. I didn't realize the forks were extended i guess they were going for a chopper look?
 
#6 ·
hooked the bike up to my truck and touched the starter relay and it cranked, its a good sign but wont start. I think i still need to by pass the ignition and i dont know how to do that. i tried watching some videos on how to do it, one guy opened up the headlight removed the ignition key and put 2 paper clips in there female end and that worked, but for me nothing. Any ideas?
 
#7 ·
The large red wire is power into the ignition switch, and the red/black is power out to the fuses etc. So if you put a paper clip into those 2 wires shown it will power up the normal ignition circuits and fuses. If there is no power to the red wire the main fuse may be blown. That is back next to the battery in a small black plastic box unless it has been changed.
 

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#9 ·
Could you check on the sterring head VIN plate what year and model it shows? I thought it was a 1985 700 but you show in the video it as a 1987 700. If it is Canadian it may be a 750 .
 
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#11 ·
The factory fuse is a odd thin metal strip and I just replaced it with an in line fuse holder with a blade fuse.
Did you find out the year and model?
I think it is a 1985 with that extra fuse box in the headlight. The manual shows that for the after 1984 model.
 

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#15 ·
If the master cylinder is still good you can get just the sight glass.
If the handle bars are original they are 7/8" diameter not the 1 inch diameter you looked at.

 
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#16 ·
Dont bother trying to get a new sight glass to the master cylinders I did research when I was trying to get new ones for mine and came up with none to be able to replace them with. Plus their a pain in a butt to try and replace. Just buy two sets one for brakes and one for the clutch on amazon their 45 for both in all black with the sight glass facing the rider instead of toward the front makes more sense this way not sure why they thought the other was better.
 
#17 ·
funny you should mention the sight glass facing the front anigrelli. I recently got into a argument about how the fjr1300 sight glass was facing the front, and it was first time i had a bike that had the sight glass facing the front and not the rider. To me it makes more sense to have it face the rider so you can glance at it when you are riding. But now at least i have had 2 bikes with the sight glass facing the opposite way :)
 
#23 ·
Yea same here first bike with it facing the front instead of the rider. Forgot to give you a link for the ones I got. They are very well made good product but when you replace the clutch one you'll need to figure a way to adapt the choke. I used jb weld epoxy stick and cut the mount for the choke off the old one and attached it to the new one its not pretty but it works and keeps the stock cable and function. Not sure if I'll keep it this way, I might figure out or engineer or even maybe 3d print a different mount or choke assembly.

 
#18 ·
Who would want to look at their master cylinder sight gauge when riding? That's something you would check when doing a pre-ride walk around which would be much easier to see when facing the front. Also easier to top off that way. Who would sit on the seat to fill the master cylinder?
 
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#25 ·
This may seem silly, but how many times do you look under the hood of your car at the master cylinder ?
If you suspect a fluid leak then you check often and fix it. More important on a bike of course, but how many times do you need to check it? Any sight glass is a good sight glass.
Just sayin'.
 
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#29 · (Edited)
I replaced the sight glasses in the clutch and brake master cylinders with some glass discs I found on the internet. I still have about 16 left. If I had your address I could mail you a couple. They are 15.6 mm dia. and 3.1 mm thick. My email address is weigel8284@gmail.com. I installed using JB weld.
I just finished using a dime to fix it. But if it leaks ill ahve to hit you up. Thanks for the offer. It's tough to use all 16 sight glasses.
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#38 · (Edited)
So I have an 83 but pretty sure the 85 is the same way the fuel pump will only get power when the engine is running or cranking like when trying to start it. The pump gets power from the cdi box for the front cylinder via a blue wire, this wire gets power also from the front cylinder ignition coils. If your not getting any change in voltage on the blue wire on the wire harness for the fuel cut off relay, when your cranking the engine or when its it's running, then either your front cylinder ignition coil is bad or the front cylinder cdi box is bad. Had an issue recently where the cdi box being bad made the fuel pump not get the power. If your not getting spark and the fuel pump isn't getting power then the ignition coil for the front cylinder is bad. But the pump will only flow when the carb valve is pulled down by the floats aka low fuel in the bowls. Disconnect the fuel pump and run postive and negative to the leads there should be a solid black and then if I remember correctly the second wire is black and blue. Postive is the black and blue and the ground is the solid black. Stupid that the fuel pump ground is black and all the rest of the ground wires on the bike are green. Dont run it dry for too long if you dont have it connected to fuel lines. Unfortunately you cant get a new pump from honda but can get a second hand or aftermarket from amazon for 70 otherwise you can get a pump from a newer model year as long as it's a two wire and want to make new fuel lines and hack some wires.

If I'm seeing the picture correct that is the overflow hose for the carbs in the event they do overflow the fuel will run out both carbs into that line and instead of all over the engine the hose runs underneath the battery and ends under the frame next to the output/drive shaft. That hose ends right by the other overflow hoses like the coolant overflow and the blow by oil overflow hoses.

For peace of mind definitely clean the carbs real good and replace the jets can get new ones from honda via bikebandit or another parts dealer.

Ensure your getting spark to all 4 of the plugs. See if the fuel pump is working and the carbs are getting fuel. And make sure if you havent done it already drain and change the oil.

Jealous of how clean your carbs are vs how bad mine were when I first got my 83.
 
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