Aspencade with seized motor

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Jcol

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Inverary, Ontario
I got my 82 last spring and it worked out so well for me that I have the bug to get a second Wing as a project bike. There is an 85 Aspencade in my area that has a seized motor. The owner says that it has been parked in his garage for the last 10 years and the motor was running when he parked it but now he says it is seized. I might consider it if I can get it cheap enough because cosmetically it looks very good. But of course the motor is a big question mark. If it really was put away running would the motor really seize up and if it did if there a chance that it could be freed up without a major tear down? I'm good with a wrench however a motor rebuild would be beyond my skill level. I could however do a motor swap if I needed to. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
First yes the motor can seize during long storage. Often several valves are open at shut down allowing condensation in over time forming rust in one or more cylinders. Sometimes a long soak with ATF or penetrating oil will free them if the rust isn't too bad.
 
yes slabs right ....most of the oldwing that have sat for yrs are frooze ...but they can be loosen ...ive done several motors that were frooze and so far they turned out to be good runners .....im missing with one now that had to have the heads taken off it was so stuck ....this way i was able to clean everything up the best i could to get it it to start moving ...now the motor is free ..all timed ...with good compression ...spark good and ready to try to run it soon we been taking a break latly on it ...but it seems to me ..from what you said the 85 is worth gambling on if the money is right ....go for it this forum will help get it going regardless how it shape is ...there are used motors out there also ...if the bike looks good and is all there ...that makes it more attractive
 
If the price is right (cheap to me would be $300-$500 max) and the rest looks good, I would go for it. Even if the motor is shot, running engines can be found for less than a few hundred. Pull the plugs and look in with a flashlight to see if the valve stems look rusty.

Just a fair warning...my PO said mine was running before he parked it for 12 years too. He just forgot to mention the part about losing all of the oil and blowing the engine just before it stopped! :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:

If the price is right, I personally would jump on it (having done 2 engine swaps already).
 
If I had the chance I would go all out for it. There is plenty of help in this forum,if you get stuck
 
$300-500 seems aweful low for a 1200 non runner 'round these parts.

Back in the day I rode 2 strokes. When those seized it meant either a new cylinder or bore and oversize piston because they were run without oil or not enough or severely overheated. The piston would score the cylinder bad.
That's what I think when I hear "seized".
These GW engines don't do that. They get stuck in the cylinder.
Like has been said almost always they will unstick and run for many 10's of thousands of miles with just that.

My experience is also you'll be able to unstick it.
The carbs are a different story.
The low speed and idle jets are very small and plug up easily if gas is left to sit in them.
Not a big deal really, open them and clean with a few new seals most likely.

if you do get this bike I advise pulling the carbs first thing and have a look at the intake stems.
If there is rust built up it can cause the valve to hang open which can bump the piston when turned and bend it.
Ask me how I know this.
 
Jcol":2hobuzxn said:
I got my 82 last spring and it worked out so well for me that I have the bug to get a second Wing as a project bike. There is an 85 Aspencade in my area that has a seized motor. The owner says that it has been parked in his garage for the last 10 years and the motor was running when he parked it but now he says it is seized. I might consider it if I can get it cheap enough because cosmetically it looks very good. But of course the motor is a big question mark. If it really was put away running would the motor really seize up and if it did if there a chance that it could be freed up without a major tear down? I'm good with a wrench however a motor rebuild would be beyond my skill level. I could however do a motor swap if I needed to. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

I know just what you’re saying. I’ve only had my wing for a couple weeks and I already want to get another, perhaps a standard, to work on and bring back to life.

I know it’s a lot of work, but it looks like so much fun to take somebody’s castoff, polish it up, rebuild it and put it back on the road.

I’ve also thought about maybe getting something smaller, like a 750, just to putt around town on.

Another Wing would be really fun, though. Like Dan said, they bring pretty good money around here. Hard to find any kind of a clunker for under $500.

Mark
 
theres no doubt that going the long route with an unknown motor is the best way to bring one of these motors back ...if the pistons are stuck the hesds are almost always in need of a complete clean up and loosening proccess ...best done while off the motor ....the one im working on was totly stuck in the valve trane also ....so it was never going to run like it was and heads would of had to come off ....
 
Thanks for the advice, I think I will offer $400. He is currently asking $1100, we'll see. Here is a picture.
 

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yes it in the 800dollar range for sure in not paying to much .....maybe a tad more ...one of the best checking zoznes on the 1200 is when the bike on the centerstand and then check the rear wheel for side to side play not front to back ...as the wheel in the rear is a weak spot on 1200s ....the 1200 rear wheel is not as good as the 1100 or 1000 wheel set up...if the bad play in it its not a no deal thing but its nice if its in good shape....

i think 1100 dollars is too much for an unknown bike that has to be worked on ....but this bike comes close to being whorth that and it looks like a good gamble to me that a set of heads gaskits and a thorough clean up and unfreezing process to the motor and carbs and you have i nice runner for the next 100,000 miles or more

to me these bike are only going to get harder to fine and fix ....if i had the money id buy it or try and offer 800 and go from there ....theres a 83 1100 at my house right now thats in great shape and a nonrunner that was bough around the 800$ range ...a bike like it or the 1200 in the thread here is worth that ...once i get the 83 running it will be the best looking bike on the property
 
Yep, I also would offer $800 for that bike! It appears everything is there and from here in New Jersey it seems to look to be in very good shape! (Course thats as a crow flies! Might look different up close :smilie_happy: )
 
Looks like a nice bike and I would pay up to $800 for it as well. What I like about it is that the paint looks all original with no pinstripes and previous owners names on the trunk.
Ask him about the parts that are missing on the fairing. It looks like the lowers are not there at least on the side that we can see in the picture.
 
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