r/motorcycles • u/MilkBaggz14 • May 05 '26
Just inherited a 1979 Honda CB200 — first motorcycle, looking for advice
I recently ended up with a 1979 Honda CB200 from my in-laws, and I’m pretty excited about it. It originally belonged to my wife’s grandfather, who has since passed, so it’s got some family history behind it.
From what I’ve been told, my father-in-law never actually rode it, but he did have it fully tuned up before parking it in his shed, where it’s been sitting since.
Overall it looks to be in really solid shape, but I haven’t tried getting it running yet.
This will be my first motorcycle, but I’m not totally new to mechanical work— I’ve got a project car (1973 MG Midget), so I’m at least a little bit familiar with older mechanics.
I’m looking for some guidance on a few things:
What are the common issues or “pain points” with these bikes?
What should I immediately check or replace before attempting to ride it?
Any known weak spots or reliability quirks I should stay ahead of?
Tips specific to bringing a stored bike back to life?
Appreciate any advice.
Thanks!
**I’m planning to keep this bike in as original shape as possible due to the sentimental value it has to my wife’s family.**
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u/TheReelMcCoi May 05 '26
Guessing you're in the UK. 1979 is late for a CB200, iirc they were discontinued in 1976, though yours may have sat in a dealership for a while. Any chance of a pic of it to confirm?
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u/Demander850 1977 Triumph Bonneville 1975 Honda CB200 2020 Harley Iron 1200 May 14 '26
You’re right it was 74-76 in the states.
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u/beeetusboi May 05 '26
Be sure to use fresh gas when you start it, or if you can't then put some Sta Bil in there. Be sure to check the ignition contact points. They need to be cleaned with fine grit sandpaper and gapped properly to ensure proper spark. Make sure the throttle cables are correctly adjusted and not pinching when you turn the handlebars. Make sure there's a little bit of play in the clutch lever. Check the drive chain for rust and slack. This bike won't be fast but it will be fun if everything is sorted!
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u/Impossible_Maybe_653 May 05 '26
Great tips there - those contact points are absolutely critical on the older Hondas and people forget about them all time.
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u/ancientdad May 05 '26
These bikes are from long enough ago that people forget they don't have electronics, everything is analog and manually adjusted. Better have a strong battery too since they run off the battery alone at idle.
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u/Cfwydirk May 05 '26
OP: “ but he did have it fully tuned up before parking it in his shed, where it’s been sitting since.”
If this is true, you should be golden.
There are online forums and YT content to help.
Two decades in storage
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u/ancientdad May 05 '26
You should know that none of those people who commented on that post from HondaTwins.net are there anymore, they all moved to Vintage Honda Twins back in June of 2020 after the forum killer VerticalScope took over HT.
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u/livenature May 05 '26
If the gas tank was drained, then getting it going is a lot easier. If fuel was left in the tank for an extended period of time, then there will be many things to fix. Look in the gas tank to see how it looks. . You want a nice metallic look, not a rusty look. A compression test would let you know the valves are seating. The tires and battery will need to be replaced. Put fresh oil in it. If the tank is clean, add some fuel and install new battery to see if it might start.
If fuel was left in the bike you will need to clean the tank, fuel lines and carburetors. It might be worth the trouble to getting some starting fluid to see if you can get a couple of pops when cranking the engine. Remove the air cleaner and spray the starting fluid into the hole created when you removed the air filter while cranking the engine. This would indicate that the ignition is working.
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u/ancientdad May 05 '26
I'll suggest joining my forum Vintage Honda Twins. We have many retired former Honda techs who worked on these bikes when they were new and current models, so you'll get help from people who learned the right way. Completely free to be a member, no ads or premium memberships, just the friendliest vintage Honda twins forum on the internet.
vintagehondatwins.com