Topic: Bonneville Turbo CB500/550

[Greggo]

Man, those ARD's are sexy looking, but the 2K is adjustable for the turbo. 

[Terry in Australia]

Oh, OK guys, I'm with you now. Hey Ken Cheers, the owner of the K1 I'm working on, bought a new Dyna 2000, coils and wires from a bike shop in the US for $380 bucks, plus shipping? I'd buy one myself, if I had a bike to put it in? Cheers, Terry.

Sounds like it's time to find another 750 project Terry

Terry - dont you have a project bike in Cali?

Ha ha, yeah mate, poor bloody Fred has been very good about it, I bought his K1 with title for only 200 bucks around July last year, plus I bought a heap of extra parts including some hard to find K0 stuff from EBay that I had delivered to his place. Trouble is, I can get the bike collected and moved to LA for shipping to Oz for pretty cheap, but the transport company won't take the boxes? No biggie though, it's not on the top of my priority list. Cheers, Terry.

[Retro Rocket]

Sh1t Terry, i have a front end at Freds as well....

[Terry in Australia]

Man, those ARD's are sexy looking, but the 2K is adjustable for the turbo. 

They do look pretty cool mate, but the sexiest of them all is the RC/Mallory Distributor I bought from Bill (Bellcow) recently, and I think it'll be pretty easy to convert to electronic. Cheers, Terry.

[Greggo]

Different strokes for different folks Terry.  I like those chrome ARD's on a polished motor...looks really clean to me.  What does converting one to electronic entail?

[jaguar]

terry I just started looking into converting my mallory distributor on a RC drive to electronics.  Looks like they sell some kits.  I also need a coil.  I figure that gives the cool vintage mag looks but the upgrade that a dyna S would.  but maybe im wrong?

[Lostboy Steve]

Different strokes for different folks Terry.  I like those chrome ARD's on a polished motor...looks really clean to me.  What does converting one to electronic entail?

Theres gotta be a way to rip the guts out of a Civic Dizzy and stuff it all into one of those mags.

[Terry in Australia]

Different strokes for different folks Terry.  I like those chrome ARD's on a polished motor...looks really clean to me.  What does converting one to electronic entail?

Yeah, I've got a couple of Ard's here mate, and they do look cool, but I like my RC distributor more. ARD made an electronic version with the MK2, but if you see one make sure you get the ignitor box and special coil, or it'll be a nice looking paperweight. My ARD's are Mk3's, which look like MK2's that have been reworked with a lightweight magneto and points

terry I just started looking into converting my mallory distributor on a RC drive to electronics.  Looks like they sell some kits.  I also need a coil.  I figure that gives the cool vintage mag looks but the upgrade that a dyna S would.  but maybe im wrong?

G'Day William, that's good to know mate, who sells the kits? I love the dizzy, but I don't want to go backwards and start using points again, although I suppose they'd work well with an ignition amplifier, like I had on my old Ford V8 back in the 80's, that thing would throw a spark like an Arc welder! Cheers, Terry.

[jaguar]

My RC set up uses a Mallory distributor and Mallory sells points conversions.  Im trying to work out the difference between the unilite and the e spark, but am reading that they are the same....just different prices

[Terry in Australia]

My RC set up uses a Mallory distributor and Mallory sells points conversions.  Im trying to work out the difference between the unilite and the e spark, but am reading that they are the same....just different prices

Yeah, mine's a Mallory too mate, so I can just go to the Mallory website and order an electronic conversion? Cool!

[jaguar]

My RC set up uses a Mallory distributor and Mallory sells points conversions.  Im trying to work out the difference between the unilite and the e spark, but am reading that they are the same....just different prices

Thats how i understand it.  Not 100% sure what the correct part number is yet though.


Yeah, mine's a Mallory too mate, so I can just go to the Mallory website and order an electronic conversion? Cool!

[FunJimmy]

Gregg

A bit of a late bloomer that I am, I just stumbled upon this build.
That’s an awesome score. Can’t wait to hear how she goes.

Later
FJ

[Greggo]

Gregg

A bit of a late bloomer that I am, I just stumbled upon this build.
That’s an awesome score. Can’t wait to hear how she goes.

Later
FJ

Thanks Jimmy, It's going to be a fun one!

[Greggo]

Different strokes for different folks Terry.  I like those chrome ARD's on a polished motor...looks really clean to me.  What does converting one to electronic entail?

Yeah, I've got a couple of Ard's here mate, and they do look cool, but I like my RC distributor more. ARD made an electronic version with the MK2, but if you see one make sure you get the ignitor box and special coil, or it'll be a nice looking paperweight. My ARD's are Mk3's, which look like MK2's that have been reworked with a lightweight magneto and points

Wanna let one go?  I've already got the correct mounting plate, but I'm not sure if there's really a difference between the two.  Mine may work on 750's, but it badly needs a new bearing either way...I think I remember seeing a thread about that somewhere.

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Greg, nah, mine are for Kawasaki Z1's. I've been meaning to machine the Kawasaki mounts off and weld on Honda mounts, but I've never gotten around to it. Cheers, Terry.

[Greggo]

G'Day Greg, nah, mine are for Kawasaki Z1's. I've been meaning to machine the Kawasaki mounts off and weld on Honda mounts, but I've never gotten around to it. Cheers, Terry.

No sweat Terry...the search continues!

[Greggo]

Got some ignition pieces in the post last week, and I pulled this bike out of the shed, and rolled it into the shop today.  Had a baby Black Widow on it, about 2mm big...thought to myself, You're gonna grow up, and I'm not gonna want to deal with you then...so I sent him packing on to some ancient VW. 

Once I rolled the bike into the shop, we all gathered around and started trying to figure out the oil/gas/?alcohol?  Seriously no telling what the original builder had in mind...besides Bonneville.  I'll have to find a clever way to mount the coils if I want to keep the tank.  I'm starting to see why they were working toward a magneto set up as there's no room for coils in the stock spot..  If I could find one, I'd buy it, but while that search continues (any help fellas?) I'll use the Dyna 2000.  Still need the rotor, and the sender.  Dynoman quoted me ~150 for both, so I'll still have only spent >300 for the full Dyna set up.





We're pretty sure this black tank in the back is for oil water/alcohol, but not 100% on that.


The hose to NoWhere from the intake box is to a non existent boost gauge, you can see it between the fork and the frame down tubes.



Both fork seals are toast, but I didn't use the pair I bought for the 750, so I'll use those.

[Lostboy Steve]

There was a guy I saw that ran the coils hidden inside a little diamond plate box he made that sat right under the carbs on top of the crankcase, then the 4 wires ran through the cylinder fins (I don't know how much of a good idea that was) and onto the plugs. Looked clean but it was a 750 and again not sure how long those wires will last.

[Greggo]

Twisted, I think if I can fabricate a mount that lets me drop the coils about an inch from their stock mounting point I can make it work.  The bottom of the Benelli tank flares out from the frame tunnel...not flat like a Honda tank.

I've heard that good plug wires won't melt even if held against a hot exhaust pipe, but I wouldn't put 'em through that kinda heat.  I don't think I'd run 'em thru the cylinder cooling fins, but for all I know it'd be fine.

[Terry in Australia]

I wouldn't either, that's about the dummest thing I've heard of this week! 

[geminimotors]

For years the Honda chopper builders have located their coils with the electrical box on top of the transmission, or on the down tube just behind the neck. Good wires and a good ground, and you can make it work.

[Music City Metalcraft]

Have you thought about the black tank being for a water/alcohol injection? Is pretty common on simple turbo set ups to prevent detonation on high boost.

[Greggo]

Have you thought about the black tank being for a water/alcohol injection? Is pretty common on simple turbo set ups to prevent detonation on high boost.

That was definitely brought up as a possibility while we examined her in the shop this week...I've been looking for some installation info for the ATP kits (this is not a full ATP kit, but it'd be a starting point.)

[Lostboy Steve]

This is taking to long Greggo.... lol c'mon man don't you have 12 hours a day 7 days a week to get this thing torn apart, painted, coated, built, fabbed, assembled, tuned, dyno'd, and ridden? lol j/k but can't wait to see some pics of REAL progress.

[Terry in Australia]

+1 mate, I can't get over how much patience Greg has, I woulda had that engine running the same day I picked it up! (sure, I would probably have blown it up in the first 5 minutes, but still I would have seen that sucker run!) Cheers, Terry.