Author Topic: UK 500 four cafe racer build (Read 41250 times)

Ewan 500K1 · « **on:** January 14, 2012, 12:35:18 PM »

Time to get the 500 four back on the road after a break of three years, this time this time to finish the cafe racer job that was started about 17 years ago

Done : Full Engine rebuild about 3000 miles ago.

To do:
K&N Air Filters (done)
Straight through pipes (done)
Rejet with 110 mains/ clean / syncronise carbs (done)
Rebuild both wheels with new rims & spokes(done)
Dual Disc front brake conversion (done)
Drill front sprocket cover
Remodel Front Mudguard (done)
Drill brake discs (done)
Detag & shorten Frame (done)
Replace stock speedo/ rev counter (done)
Ace Bars (done)
Custom Tarozzi Rear Sets on rear foot peg hangers (done)
Relocate Battery (done)
Rewire from front to back and everywhere in between (done)
New Headlight (done)
New idicators (done)
New speedo (done)
New rear lights set up
New longer rear shocks (done)
New front mudguard (done)
Polish alloy (done)
Braided Stainless Fuel & Brake Hoses (done)
Stainless Bolts througout (done)
Refurbish Front Forks (done)
New Rear Shock Swing Arm Bushes (done)
New Plugs
Powder Coat the frame (done)
Investigate effect of longer rear shocks on bike geometry and make front end adjustments if necessary (nearly done)
Fit Steering Damper (done)
Fit grease nipples to front break caliper arm pivot points (done)
Chrome a few bits (done)
Tune up carbs
Get MOT, tax and insurance

seventythreecb · « **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2012, 10:02:05 AM »

Good luck with the build. I'll be watch keep those pictures coming

the technological J · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2012, 12:53:12 PM »

you should move this to the project thread... you should have a move option down there\/

looks like a good build tho im subscribed

jamanred · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2012, 09:03:14 AM »

You've got me subscribed. How are you tackling your wire loom? Replacing one for one in wires as needed, or abandoning and building from ground up? Just curious.

WhyNot2 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2012, 09:05:41 AM »

me too........looking goooooooddd

luap · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2012, 09:10:09 AM »

gonna be nice bike, should do a little how to" also on the wheel building
paul

Coyote13 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2012, 09:16:12 AM »

Agreed ^^^ I dig that truing stand, haha!

lone*X · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2012, 01:54:14 PM »

How do you "drill the clutch cover" since it is a wet clutch?

Other than that sounds like a great project.
Never saw anyone use the forks for a truing jig like in your pictures. That's cool.

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 18, 2012, 11:29:24 AM »

Quote from: jamanred on January 17, 2012, 09:03:14 AM

You've got me subscribed. How are you tackling your wire loom? Replacing one for one in wires as needed, or abandoning and building from ground up? Just curious.

plan to rebild the entire loom from scratch and dumping the old one , its shot to pieces

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 18, 2012, 11:36:12 AM »

Quote from: luap on January 17, 2012, 09:10:09 AM

gonna be nice bike, should do a little how to" also on the wheel building
paul

front wheel all finished after waiting for a spoke wrench to arrive in the post. Seems to have gone okay , trued to 0.2mm in horizotal and vertical without tooo much hassle.

If I can do it, anyone can. I'd encourage anyone to have a stab. Daftest thing I did though was get chrome rims and standard steel spokes. If doing it again I'd go for stainless spokes and rims.

Next up is rebuilding the back wheel, if I can get a break from getting the wood supply in for next winter

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2012, 05:53:35 AM »

crap & bollocks , when I look at the rebuilt front wheel, the hub is too far off centre, despite the rim being trued to 0.2mm... need to unbuild and start again. Additional buggeration is that I have now mashed one of the the nipples. Can anyone tell me this, are all 40 spokes identical ?

Steve_K · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2012, 06:28:04 AM »

On 750, Honda laced them to the center of the hub. Hondaman says that the wheel can be centered in the forks for better handling. My 550 has the rim off center, too.
Steve

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 22, 2012, 06:35:07 AM »

gets worse ... just clocked that there are two type of spokes A & B, but when delivery came from Dave Silver they were all in one packet. Any idea what the difference is between As Bs and which go on inside and which go on outside ... I thought it had all gone a bit easy !!!!!

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2012, 09:09:43 AM »

Third time lucky it was

, front wheel rebuild went hunky dory this time and all trued to 0.2mm.

So , here's how I did it .

I used following guides for the wheel building;

[url=http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-wheels/spoke-wheels/]http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-wheels/spoke-wheels/[/url]

http://www.classicbikes.org.uk/ ..... wheel building page

also inspired by these threads in first place:

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=32345.10

http://www.therevcounter.com/uk-motorbike-forum/68285-my-cb550-cafe-racer-build-3.html

1. Got loads of help from this forum and the UK one
2. Cut the old spokes and rim off the hub
3. Polished outsides of hub and painted centres with etch primer and black epoxy paint (Pic 1, below)
4. Worked out the difference between the two spoke types (Pic 3, below)
5. Put the "B" spokes on the outside of the hub, ie poked them through the holes from the inside of the hub to the outside (see pic 3&4, below. Note that Pic 4 is to show arrangement of the "B" spokes only, I put all spokes on the hub before lacing any of them)
6. Put the "A" spokes on the inside of the hub, ie poked them through the holes from the outside of the hub to the inside (pics 3&5, below Note that Pic 5 is to show arrangement of the "A" & "B" spokes only, I put all spokes on the hub before lacing any of them)
7. When all the spokes were on the hub,(see Pic 6, below) I sat the hub on a table and sat the rim over it and loosely arranged the spokes. Then, laced the A spokes on the speedo side hub to the rim and put the spoke nipples on a couple of turns. Then did the B spokes for the speedo side of the hub, Turn the wheel over, do the "A" spokes for the brake disc side, then the "B" spokes for the brake disc side , again putting the nipples on a couple of turns.. So, all spokes now laced up (see Pic 7, below)
8. Made a truing jig out of an old pair of forks bolted to a work bench. Put the wheel the jig (see Pic 8
9. Went round all nipples taking one off at a time, put a bit of oil on the female nipple thread and a bit of copper grease on the rim nipple seat. Then put the nipple back on and tightened it 10 turns with a cross head screwdriver. Worked round the wheel until all spokes / nipples oiled, greased and tightened 10 turns.
10. Used a dial gauge and spoke wrench (see Pic 9 & 10) to get the wheel true to 0.2mm vertical, then 0.2mm horizontal, then checked vertical again. .....Always starting at biggest high and low points and tightening spokes a turn or so at these points and tightening adjacent spokes half a turn. This was fairly easy, taking about an hour or so to get trued up. (note that its impossible to get the rim true to this degree at the point where the rim weld is)
11. Job Done ... rear wheel next, with added complication of need to offset the hub a bit. But first ... a dram or two

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 03, 2012, 08:58:46 AM »

Rear wheel build completed today, all went fine after having had the front wheel job to hone the skills. Only buggeration was that I'd polished up a brake plate that I had lying around ... one that doesnt fit. See first photo, anyone know what model its from ... 750/4 ??

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 03, 2012, 09:01:50 AM »

and the rear wheel build photos....

1. Wheel in original state
2. Polished hub, new spokes (had these kicking around for the past 14 years, waiting to get done ) and new DID chrome rim
3. "A" type spokes laced up
4. The truing jig .... swinging arm clamped in a vice with dial guage stuck onto swinging arm
5. The finished wheel, trued to 0.15mm horizontal & vertical

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 03, 2012, 11:15:32 AM »

Quote from: Ewan on March 03, 2012, 08:58:46 AM

Rear wheel build completed today, all went fine after having had the front wheel job to hone the skills. Only buggeration was that I'd polished up a brake plate that I had lying around ... one that doesnt fit. See first photo, anyone know what model its from ... 750/4 ??

certainly looks like cb750k

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 03, 2012, 02:15:30 PM »

is the 750k brake plate same as 550K3....

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 03, 2012, 06:36:03 PM »

Quote from: Ewan on March 03, 2012, 02:15:30 PM

is the 750k brake plate same as 550K3....

no, experts may correct but I think all 500/550s have the same brake plate

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 04, 2012, 03:30:04 PM »

Quote from: seanbarney41 on March 03, 2012, 06:36:03 PM

Quote from: Ewan on March 03, 2012, 02:15:30 PM
is the 750k brake plate same as 550K3....
no, experts may correct but I think all 500/550s have the same brake plate

sorted !, the mystery back plate actually is part no. 43100-393-781

.. and fits the following models;

CB550F A (77) MOTORCYCLE, JPN, VIN# CB550F-2100001 TO CB550F-2114871

CB550K A (77) MOTORCYCLE, JPN, VIN# CB550K-2000007 TO CB550K-2015308

CB550K A (78) MOTORCYCLE, JPN, VIN# CB550K-2100001 TO CB550K-2122082

CB750A A (77) MOTORCYCLE, JPN, VIN# CB750A-7100001 TO CB750A-7110560

CB750K A (77) MOTORCYCLE, JPN, VIN# CB750-2700009 TO CB750-2729534

CB750K A (78) MOTORCYCLE, JPN, VIN# CB750-2800001

as gleaned from this useful site:

http://www.motogrid.com

Greggo · « **Reply #20 on:** March 04, 2012, 03:39:05 PM »

You must also use the corresponding spacer that goes with that brake plate to get your chain alignmemt in order. I've got that set up on my 500/4.

To clarify: If you're using the later model hub, you must use the later model spacer and brake plate, and vise versa.

Ewan 500K1 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 05, 2012, 12:29:32 AM »

Quote from: Greggo on March 04, 2012, 03:39:05 PM

You must also use the corresponding spacer that goes with that brake plate to get your chain alignmemt in order. I've got that set up on my 500/4.

To clarify: If you're using the later model hub, you must use the later model spacer and brake plate, and vise versa.

As far as I can see from http://www.motogrid.com/pages/oemparts?aribrand=HOM#/s/HOM//42311-323-040/1 the spacer is common to both early and later hub types. Part number 42311-323-040 fits all these models:
CB500 -1000001,
CB500K1 -2000001 ,
CB500K2 -2100001,
CB550 -1000001,
CB550K (76) -1230001,
CB550K -2000007 TO 2015308,
CB550K A (78) -2100001 TO 2122082,
CB550K1 -1200001

although, yes the brake plates differ with the later ones being of slightly larger diameter.

Lostboy Steve · « **Reply #22 on:** March 05, 2012, 07:33:00 AM »

Wheels look awesome. Congrats on doing it all yourself. I paid a guy to lace mine. I like the hubs I also did the two tone black / polished. Those pipes must be loud as hell, are they staying? Also, is it ok to run open pipes on these engines? I wouldn't mind having some pipes like that.

the technological J · « **Reply #23 on:** March 05, 2012, 07:39:13 AM »

Quote from: twistedengineering on March 05, 2012, 07:33:00 AM

Wheels look awesome. Congrats on doing it all yourself. I paid a guy to lace mine. I like the hubs I also did the two tone black / polished. Those pipes must be loud as hell, are they staying? Also, is it ok to run open pipes on these engines? I wouldn't mind having some pipes like that.

its ok if you can jet them correctly and dont value your hearing

Lostboy Steve · « **Reply #24 on:** March 05, 2012, 07:51:26 AM »

Quote from: the technological J on March 05, 2012, 07:39:13 AM

Quote from: twistedengineering on March 05, 2012, 07:33:00 AM
Wheels look awesome. Congrats on doing it all yourself. I paid a guy to lace mine. I like the hubs I also did the two tone black / polished. Those pipes must be loud as hell, are they staying? Also, is it ok to run open pipes on these engines? I wouldn't mind having some pipes like that.
its ok if you can jet them correctly and dont value your hearing

lol I ride a Buell on the interstate everyday, and play the drums, my hearing has never been better!

I usually wear ear plugs when I ride anyway.

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Author Topic: UK 500 four cafe racer build (Read 41250 times)