I sometimes find filler caps which are reluctant to close, requiring lots of force or a key that doesn't want to snap back to the locked position when pushed downward. The issue is likely not the lock, but rather the aged rubber tank seal.
This seal is not available from Honda as a separate part number so, short of fabricating a new seal, we need to rejuvenate the existing seal. Rubber parts can be softened by soaking in wintergreen oil, but here's a quicker fix: I just warm the seal with a heat gun for about a minute, then immediately close/open it a few times to reseat the rubber. Note the towel covering the tank opening — remember there's gas fumes trying to escape and a heat gun would be an excellent ignition source! This works great and seems to be a lasting fix, as long as the cap is used regularly. One more reason to get out there and exercise our old bikes.
If you'd rather go new, cap assemblies are still available from Honda for the Gen-2 onward: $200-263 (the Gen-2 California-spec cap is NLA).
This seal is not available from Honda as a separate part number so, short of fabricating a new seal, we need to rejuvenate the existing seal. Rubber parts can be softened by soaking in wintergreen oil, but here's a quicker fix: I just warm the seal with a heat gun for about a minute, then immediately close/open it a few times to reseat the rubber. Note the towel covering the tank opening — remember there's gas fumes trying to escape and a heat gun would be an excellent ignition source! This works great and seems to be a lasting fix, as long as the cap is used regularly. One more reason to get out there and exercise our old bikes.
If you'd rather go new, cap assemblies are still available from Honda for the Gen-2 onward: $200-263 (the Gen-2 California-spec cap is NLA).
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