The engine was worse than I thought

There were a few big red flags when I first saw this motorcycle, and when I went to check it out, the seller only added to the list.

The red flags

Posting under parts is sometimes done in error. But mostly it's because the motorcycle is damaged — either a parts bike, or in serious need of repair.

The price was low, low, low for this kind of motorcycle.

Why I went anyway

I wanted a dual sport for my custom driveway idea, and there were two choices: this bike, or a 2003 Super Sherpa in running condition, but hours away.

This bike was 10 minutes away and a quarter of the cost. Not only that — it's a gold Honda CL175. Tough to top on the cool factor.

What the seller added

The seller told me the engine was totally frozen, as I'd read. He also told me he'd soaked the cylinder with some aggressive penetrating oil, put his weight on it, and broken something — now the kickstarter turns freely without turning the engine.

He also told me the bike had been left outside for a winter with no spark plug in it.

With no plug, the cylinder is open to the weather. Rain and damp air get straight in on top of the piston, and rust follows.

I figured I'd go for it anyway. I offered less than he'd listed it for — $650 — and he agreed. He gave me the registration, and home with the bike I went.

A cylinder full of rust

I got the bike apart pretty quickly, but during the disassembly I found a ridiculous amount of rust coming out of one of the pipes and one exhaust port.

Once the engine was on my bench and the head was off, I was met with a cylinder full of rust, a pitted head, and the piston completely frozen in place.

The broken part turned out to be a snapped cam chain. But before I could even think about the bottom end, I needed the piston free.

This engine's cases split into top and bottom halves, so the crank traps the top case half — and getting the cylinder off only gets more and more difficult.

I soaked it in penetrating oil and hammered on the piston for a while, before deciding I wanted a new head anyway, so I'd source parts. Turns out these parts are pretty pricey, and difficult to find in good condition.

Engine two: dropped in shipping

Time was short — this motorcycle isn't at my home, it's at my family's home. So I thought I'd bite the bullet and buy a complete engine that already had compression: $1,300, after tax and shipping. Maybe I'd get lucky, drop it in, and it'd run.

I had some issues getting the engine from FedEx, for some reason. After a week of calling, I was finally able to track it down. I opted to pick it up rather than wait for redelivery, and went into their facility.

When the engine was finally brought around, I saw why it had taken them so long. Someone had dropped it during shipping and damaged the engine and the pallet it was on.

I refused delivery and messaged the seller. I was refunded the $1,300 — but I'd now gone through two engines and was no closer to having it running.

Two engines in, and no closer to having it running.

Engine three: going west

I did, however, find a complete engine in California, in great shape and from a running motorcycle. It was listed at $200 — a fraction of the cost of even a new head and piston.

Looks like I'm going west to source a new engine.