Service

SERVICE

Pointers on points

I own a 1978 Honda Gold Wing that has 60,000 miles on it, of which I am responsible for the last 40,000. The bike is a super ride, but for the past two years, the points have only lasted 500 to 1000 miles before the engine develops a miss and begins to sputter at lower rpm. But under hard acceleration, it runs fine. The only cure is to replace the points. But then, after 3 to 6 weeks, the same problem reoccurs. Are there any special points I could use, or should I invest in a transistorized ignition?

Rudy Bahn Benson, Arizona

A Iransisiorizt'd igil /11011 i'ould sure/v cure tile problem. hut a! considcrab/c' expense. The ciic'apect and #11051 practical so/u/joe, i'ould be to track down i/ic' problem. start/Fig hr rep/ac ing i/ic' breaker-point condc'nsc'r (i[[rou hareiz `I already done so). IJthat doesii I rc'#;iedi' 1/ic prob/ei;i. check i/ic' ballast resisioi~ which is located on the hot iire thai leads into i/Ic' coils. T/zc' purpose oft/ic' resistor is to step down tile voltage i/ia! passes through the breaker points from about /3 volts (the batten' voltage,,) to about 8 volis. If i/u' resistor has Jailc'd. the excessive voltagc' IIl cause 1/ic' points to dci c'rioraic' at an accelerated rate.

To check the resistor, remove it from the circuit and measure its resistance with an ohmmeter. The resistance should be 3 ohms, plus or minus 10 percent. If the reading is any different, replace the resistor.

A Spanish love of mine

You are mv last possible hope in finding some parts to get my old Spanish motorcycles back in ridable condition. I have a 1972 Bultaco 250 Sherpa T. a 1969 Bultaco Astro Pursang TT, a pair of 1 972 OSSA Mick Andrews Replicas and a 1 977 OSSA Phantom Mk IV. I also have a 1976 Hodaka Wombat 125 that is parked. All of these bikes need a variety of parts. Please, please, point me in the right direction so I can restore by beloved “relics.”

AEI William Horton San Francisco, California

Hogan s (ic/c Shop (I 782 Main St. Agawain. /A 0100/: 413/7869/ 0) has bought out evisting in vc'ntoriesfroni both Bziliaco and OSS~1 and has a inuIii-niillion-do/Iar supp/i' of spare parts. Hoga ii s even stocks sonic Ilodaka parts, as %iell.

In search of more ponies

Mv 1986 Honda VF500F isa real jewel. It has a Vance & Hines exhaust and jetting to match. I'm thinking about installing some aftermarket cams and would like to know if they will make as noticeable a difference as the exhaust and jetting. If so, where can I get some cams? I'm hungry for more power but can't afford an FZR600.

Robert Fortin De Kalb, Illinois

You can buy earns for your VF500 F from Megacycle (90 Mitchell Blvd.,

San Rafael. CA 94903; 4/5/4723195), hut you'll also need slotted earn sprockets, a degree wheel and some specific knowledge about proper camdegreeing procedi ires.

Using the right aftermarket camshafts can give your VF500F a noticeable increase in horsepower, huí it stilt will not be able to run with an FZR600. which is a 600 that performs like a 750. And even if you could somehow squeak enough power out of your 500ce engine to make it comparable to the FZR in sheer power, it would be virtually unridable on the street. 13