rebel_reunion.htm

A Rebel Reunion... submitted by Marty Knoll

Being a motor head isn't easy. I love things that propel themselves. I always

have. Cars, boats, planes and bikes. Back when I first got my job, I went out and bought

myself a brand new motorcycle. I feel in love with a Honda Rebel 250. A lot of my friends

ribbed me about getting a beginner's bike. Some even called it a girl's bike, but I didn't

care. I loved the looks of the little bike and it was great on gas. Sure, I've had other

motorcycles and still have some of them, but this was brand new, didn't cost a fortune to

buy and even less to ride.

There was a time when I was out with some friends riding around

on a hot summer day. I was on my BMW with it's full fairing and the heat was unbearable.

Since we were near my house anyway, I got the guys to stop so I could switch bikes. I took

out that little Honda Rebel. I was comfortable and much happier, riding just for fun.

A marriage and a move to "The Country" left me with a 65 mile commute.

Somehow the little Honda just didn't seem to be up to the task. I've always loved old

Buicks, so I sold the BMW and bought one. I gave the Buicks my full attention, having lots

of motor head fun on four wheels. In meantime, the little Rebel sat in the back of the

garage, under a cover and waiting.

I unearthed the old Honda Rebel last night. After digging through the junk

that was stacked on, under, in front of and on the side of the old bike, I pulled the

cover.

A cursory inspection told the tale of six years of inactivity. There was a layer of dirt

about a half inch thick on the bike, but I wheeled it out anyway. The spokes were covered

with cobwebs with dead leaves and grass clipping that had blown in the garage over the

years. Closer inspection revealed two new nicks on the front fender and one the tank,

probably from shifting debris that had been piled on in the name of storage space. Some

minor pitting had begun on the chrome, and the chrome battery cover had some surface

rust. Thinking I was looking at a major project, I began to inspect the mechanicals. The

oil was still clean, thanks to the fact that I had changed it for storage. The fuel

smelled a bit stale, but no major varnishing in the tank. Maybe this wasn't going to be so

bad after all. The front tire was almost completely flat, but neither tire showed any

signs of checking or dry rot, maybe because of the gallons of Armor All that I had used on

them in the past. Ok, so there it was in the nutshell.

I stuck a charger on the battery, but the look of sulfated plates was

obvious, even through the translucent case. Needless to say, it didn't hold a charge. Oh

well, I thought, it is the original battery and I can't really complain about losing it to

my own neglect. I pulled the air box open. I expected to find spiders, insects and sundry

debris from the bike sitting, unloved for the past six years. To my surprise, it was

remarkably clean, the air filter still saturated with clean oil. This discovery had me

thinking that I had prepared the bike for storage better than I remembered. The big

question on my mind was, did I drain the gas out of the carb, or am I going to have to

remove varnish from it with a chisel? I hooked up jumper cables from the '61 Invicta,

since it was closest, and thumbed the starter. It cranked free and easy! All right, no

major engine troubles. Was the clutch free? Dropping the bike into first, I pulled the

clutch and pushed the bike forward. No inordinate resistance, the clutch still worked!

Spraying in a bit of starting fluid, I again thumbed the starter. The little engine

fired, ran for about ten seconds, then quit as it used the last of it's ether. The fuel

petcock was still on the off position, so now came the moment of truth. Spraying more

starting fluid in the carb I pushed the starter once more. Again the little bike came to

life. I quickly turned on the fuel supply and hoped for the best. The engine skipped a

beat, coughed and slowly wound down to a standstill. I had forgotten the cold blooded

nature of Honda's little twin. One more spray of ether, and then setting the choke about

half way on, once more the starter cranked over the dust covered engine.

The great heaping gobs of fuel conditioners I had put in the tank did their job.

The engine loped into a slightly rough idle, then as the ether burned away, settled in to

a smooth but muffled idle. Not believing my good fortune, I decide to press my luck. I

buttoned up the air box while the bike warmed. Putting some air in the tires, a sign of

age became apparent. The valve stem caps had cracked. A minor tribulation to be sure. At

least the tires still held. I pulled the jumper cables off and the engine kept running.

After closing the battery cover back up, I snicked it into first gear and headed down the

driveway. Releasing the clutch at the bottom of the driveway, I took off around the block,

dead leaves still hanging off the once shiny spokes. Going through the gears, there seemed

to be no troubles. The brakes made a funny sound at first, as the bit of surface rust that

was on the rotor wore way, then back to business as usual. Two quick spins around the

block with a license plate that had expired in '95 let me know that this little machine

was still quite ridable. Bringing the bike back up the drive, then popping down the side

stand, I was rather pleased.

It was truly a pity that some of the bike's former beauty had diminished because I didn't exercise the same fanatical care to the finish that I had to the mechanicals, but my first new bike was back among the living. I topped up the tank with a bit of fresh gas. Forgetting how small that tank really is, I naturally over filled it spilling fuel onto the dust covered paint. It needed a bath anyway, so out came the bucket and hose. It did wash nicely, but I can tell I'll need to spend some time with the chrome polish on it.

This weekend I think I'll run out and get a battery.

Marty Knoll

Service, Repair and Maintenance Manual

85 thru 97 Honda Rebel 250 Clymer Maintenance and Repair Manual

Order Online ------- 450 manual here...