[TommyW]

I am the proud owner of a 1979 cx500 custom. After following some guides on here- new oil, battery, plugs, radiator fluid, 7volt supply, clearing out the animal nest in the airbox, new filter and a new ignition switch ( previous owner passed ) she fired right up! dumps gas out the overflow and chokes under load unfortunately. Working on rebuilding the carb but idle jet mixture screw needles were previously broken off close to the tips. Might replace them to be safe. Next step is new front fork oil and possibly springs. Building for my 5'4'' partner in crime so we've also added ~1 inch shorter rear shocks, shaved the seat quite a bit and lowered the front triple tree ~1 inch to match the geometery. Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[nolimitz]

Welcome aboard'

See my sig line for carb books. best money you will spend IMHO. cant comment on forks as I have never done it. Get it running properly first.

 

[nolimitz]

Bob will be along in due time w/ more...

 

[ZXtasy]

Welcome. I just cringe when I see the condition of neglect people let some fine machines get too. Thanks for being a rescue-er.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

Welcome to the forum. Please add your location and your bike's model and model year to your profile so that you don't have to remember to tell us every time and we don't have to keep asking when you forget (see Forum Settings link in my signature).

And welcome to the world of antique vehicle ownership (they own us, not the other way around). Your bike is about 4 decades old and may or may not have had all of the maintenance necessary to keep it safe & reliable so it is highly recommended to download the Factory Shop Manual for your model (available through the CX Wiki - link in my signature) and go through all of the service procedures, regardless of whether your bike has reached the specified mileage.
I also recommend looking on all rubber parts with suspicion because rubber does not age gracefully. Check the date codes on your tires and replace them if they are over 5 years old no matter how good they look & feel (old rubber simply cannot flow around the irregularities in the asphalt well enough to grip, especially if it is cool or wet). If your bike still has the original rubber brake line(s) (should be replaced every 2 or 3 fluid changes = 5 or 6 years) I recommend shopping for modern stainless braided ones (they last practically forever and double the life of the fluid). And don't forget things like the rad hoses and the boot between the engine and swingarm (they can crack on the bottom where you don't see it).

 

[bahn88]

For fork springs...unless you are doing all the internals and fitting racetech valves etc.... go progressive type springs...good ride for most conditions...lots of brands eg wilbers, ikon, or just "progressive" brand that was S&W.....
And o course a fork flush and oil change...

And welcome!😀

 

[MOTORCYCLEiD]

Welcome to the forum!
Good luck with your project!

 

[2ndCXowner]

Welcome to the forum and good luck getting your bike up and running and on the road!!

 

[TommyW]

Thanks everyone!

 

[bahn88]

Enjoy your cx/garage time/mechanical surgery... you're outta winter now... 😀