Author Topic: CB500 Project: The War Eagle - Velocity Stack Filters pg3 (Read 16146 times)

03rangerxlt · « **on:** May 31, 2012, 09:01:14 AM »

Back in October of 2010, I started looking around for a bike to build up. I had only ridden a motorcycle once in my life ever; in a parking lot at college. It was pretty unsuccessful, as I ended up on the ground with the motorcycle on top of me. BUt I decided I wanted a motorcycle, and I couldn't afford the Harley I wanted (I didn't want just any Harley, I wanted a vintage bob/chop Harley with character). I didn't really want a modern sport bike either. So I ended up leaning towards the cafe racer style bike.

Anyways, I started poking around the local Craigs List ads, and found a bike I fell in love with two hours away. I went and picked it up in November of 2010, paying WAY too much money for it. This purchase was huge for me because I had to sell a prized possession to get it; a original 1980's HK-91 complete with all accessories. It killed me! BUt for some reason, I fell in love with the bike and had to have it. Maybe it was the headlight.

brooze72 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:06:49 AM »

Welcome to the forum. Pretty good start there with the bike, it looks in basically decent shape. I like the exhaust system too. Why are you calling it project war eagle? Something to do with future plans, I assume.

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #2 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:10:01 AM »

So being I lived on the third floor of an apartment, the bike ended up at a good friend's house a couple miles away. Every other Wednesday, we would eat massive ammounts of unhealthy food, drink beer, and attempt to work on the bike.

Parts that just came off the bike..

Spare motor...

Relatively clean motor that photographs little better than it actually looks...

Its all coming apart...

It took about two weeks to get it apart, mostly because of my jacked up work schedule. It was actually pretty easy to take it apart because it was mostly held together with zip-ties instead of bolts!

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:12:48 AM »

Quote from: Brooze72 on May 31, 2012, 09:06:49 AM

Welcome to the forum. Pretty good start there with the bike, it looks in basically decent shape. I like the exhaust system too. Why are you calling it project war eagle? Something to do with future plans, I assume.

Thanks Brooze72. The bike was actually an ok project for me to start with considering I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I've learned a lot working on it. The name has to do with the recently designed (in my head) paint scheme. Hopefully it'll be running soon and off to paint!

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:18:48 AM »

So I wanted to relocate the battery box and electronic bits, and de-tab the bike. Over a couple week period, I awkwardly cut on the bike in preperation for a Benjie's fram hoop/battery box. I really had no clue what I was doing, using a grinding wheel as a cut-off disk. It worked in the long run and the job was accomplished.

The progress at this point was by mid January 2011..

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:25:17 AM »

By the end of January, I was able to get the frame over to another friend's house were we welded up the frame hoop/batter box.

By this time, progress began to really slow. Towards the end of February, I looked at the forks.

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:36:20 AM »

So stuff really started slowing down after the forks. I worked at cleaning up the frame a little, but otherwise, made very little progress. April 1, 2011, I went on a first date with some check, and then April 2nd, we went on a second date. I was destraceted on the seocnd date though because my Benjie's tank and seat had arrived...

And then fast forward to October 2011...
By now, I was engaged to the woman I went on those dates with April 1 and 2. We had done some traveling (visited my parents in Ireland before they moved back stateside), and then closed on a house in September. In October, I borrowed a larger pick-up than the one I own, and moved the bike project over to my new garage. My buddy was very supportive, and loaned me his work bench and teh guy who loaned me his truck also loaned me his motorcycel lift. (He was also my superior at work and the guy who introduced me to the woman I am engaged to at this point.)

HAving my own garage for the first time over in my life is ridiculously awesome. I am a organizational freak, and my buddy whose garage this was in previously was not. Now I am able to keep things all neat and organized!

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:43:05 AM »

Fast forward now to April 2012. I had only really been able to tinker occassionally on the bike because I was waiting to get the frame stripped and powder coated. But, I was royally butt raped by the IRS, and my fiancee helped me out. It didn't feel right for me to then spend a bunch of money on the bike project, so I decided to paint it myself with paint I had laying around.

motor before:

and after engine crinkle paint is applied:

And then in a fit of successful stupidity, I decided to wrestly the motor into the frame, by myself!

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:52:24 AM »

So this is when things start to go wrongish. First, I go to assemble the rear end, and find the swing arm is rusted solid. I had to outsource this issue to a shop with a press. I used new bushings in the swingarm to fix that up. Then I went to install tapered bearings in the neck, and didn't use the proper spacer. In removing the bearing, I destroyed it, and had to order a new one, which was out of stock. And then on April 23, 2012, I had my first motorcycle accident just a couple days before my wedding! Luckily, I wasn't actually riding my bike, but it was pretty disappointing to me and bruised my ego...

But after a good friend came over, we got it back on the stand and I was able to start making it look like a motorcycle!

Sometime during the year, I had a local shop rebuild my carbs...

And a couple days after my wedding, I snapped up some stands that were on sale.

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:56:59 AM »

Then I got to the stage of mostly finish work. Like, trying to figure out the rear-sets.

And I was able to order the exhaust that I wanted for the bike!

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #10 on:** May 31, 2012, 10:06:50 AM »

So more problems cropped up. First, I decided to fab up a bracket of sorts to keep the speedometer cable out of the front wheel. I decided on a bolt to secure it to on the front fork. Turned out that bolt drained all of the fork oil out. Oops! When I put the bolt back in, it broke off, deep, without any effort!

I purchased about $50 worth of tools to get it out, and ended up only using one of the drillbits from the $25 set, but it came out.

I then ran into some issues with the front brake. I cleaned up the caliper, installed new braided stainless lines, and then rebuilt the master cylinder. When I went to bleed it, nothing came out of the bleed nipple. But lots of fluid came out of the master cylinder and ate the really nice paint off of that. I rebuilt the master cylinder, and it actually was able to bleed the air out. But now, it wont squeeze! So I have to mess with that.

Also, with the exhaust on, the rear brake rear-set hits the exhaust before the brake engages. So thats going to take some tweaking.

Other than that, I need to finish up the wiring and figure out the jets in the carbs. The tank needs coated, and and all of the fluids need topped off.

After that, going to have a safety check done on the bike. Keep in mind, I have never worked on a motorcycle before this project, and I have had absolutely no clue what I was doing during any of it. Hopefully soon, it will be running!

Here is what she looks like today:

brooze72 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2012, 12:11:40 PM »

Looking great, I love the seat & tank, nice work! Can't wait to see your tank graphics too. Hey what ever happened to that original exhaust? Might be interested to give you a few bucks for it if it's not rotted out.

toytuff · « **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2012, 01:41:12 PM »

Great thread!

Love the drama.

tt

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #13 on:** June 01, 2012, 10:38:45 AM »

Really, this build has been drama free until recently. Its been smooth sailing for the most part. Turns out my front brake seems to work fine. Thank God! I stripped the rest of the paint off the master cylinder, and it looks fine. I need to figure out the rear brakes though.

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #14 on:** June 06, 2012, 09:06:39 AM »

a little progress last night...
I managed to get the handlebars all set up.

Next to tackle is the wiring.

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #15 on:** June 13, 2012, 06:21:27 PM »

I drained and then pumped the foul smelling (but clean looking) oil out of my forks, flushed them with solvent, blew then out with compressed air, and then refilled them with 10w fork oil. Man, 5.4oz is not that much at all.

I also made a big mess on my garage floor with foul smelling fork oil and solvent. Luckily, I had it cleaned up before the wife got home, and the solvent smell is mostly masking the foul fork oil smell.

I also learned what the wiring harness on one of these is supposed to look like. It turns out that the previous owner cut apart the wiring loom and started subtracting stuff from the wiring harness. Stuff that I'm not prepared to do without as a novice rider. Stuff like the oil preasure light, and the neutral light!!! I found a complete second hand harness for $30, and it should be here tomorrow.

Another issue I'm having is with the iginition system on this thing. Someone really cranked down hard on the screws holding in the old breaker bits in, and the heads are starting to strip. So for now, I am leaving them alone until I can borrow a friend's impact driver.

Damn, I am getting so close!!!!

jiggliemon · « **Reply #16 on:** June 13, 2012, 09:30:52 PM »

Chris makes a nice pipe eh? This thing is comin together quick.

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #17 on:** June 15, 2012, 10:07:04 AM »

yeah, the pipe is just what I wanted, and I oculdn't be happier with the quality.

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #18 on:** June 27, 2012, 06:39:56 PM »

I had to buy a replacement wiring harness because the previous owner of my bike peeled apart the harnes that was with it and deleted some wires. In fact, the whole harnes was pretty much blown apart and loose. Today, I opened up the transmission cover to install a new chain, and to look at the wiring harnes that comes off the motor. BAD NEWS!!!

So the previous owner was a f---ing hack!!! I compared the motor in the bike with the spare motor under my work bench, and discovered my good motor didn't have an oil preasure sensor. It had been replaced by a short bolt. Luckily, it was the correct thread so it didn't screw up the oil pump. I found out though that the wires had been pulled out of the sub harnes coming off the motor for the oil preasure light and the neutral light. I dug through my pile of crap wires and actually found the wires and put them back in the harness and cleaned it up, installed the new chain, and put the cover back on.

I have also started hooking up the things that go on the ends of the main harness, like the the rear brake switch, the ignition bits, etc. I really hope to have this thing on the road by mid August to ride in a benifit ride for a co-worker's son. All I have left is to finish the wiring, coat the tank, and get it cranked!!!

SohRon · « **Reply #19 on:** June 27, 2012, 11:08:50 PM »

This is looking good. The best thing about this build is your attitude; how you're thinking of fixes for your problems rather than letting them get the best of you. Good job!

BTW, it's a lot easier to install the frame to the engine than vice-versa. Support the engine on its side, then lower the frame over it like this:

That frame is a lot easier to handle alone than the engine is, i guarantee

Take the engine out by using the same method.

Looking forward to more.

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #20 on:** June 28, 2012, 12:27:31 AM »

Sohron, that's how I did the frame, but my dumb a-- did it up on the work bench by myself. That meant waiting for help to get the bike off the work bench! When the motor came out, we did it the hard way. It wasn't until I went to bed that night that I had that "ah-ha!"moment and realized we could have just laid the frame over and lifted it off the motor!

As for the attitude I've had when working on the bike, it hasn't been all that good. Being this is my first motorcycle ever, the learning curve has been pretty steep. I've hit a bunch of snags along the way that have had me displaying the bad attitude. I've thrown up my hands A LOT, and said, "I've finally gotten to that point where I am in over my head and can't go any further on my own. I have then cleaned up my tools and then gone inside moping about how now the project was going to take more time and money that I couldn't afford and it would never get done. I'm not proud of this attitude. I think it comes from having always had everything happen in a manner that provides instant gratification. And this bike project doesn't deliver instant gratification. This is something that requires thought, work, and patience to get that feeling of gratification from it.

But, I eventually kick my ass in gear and get dirty working on the bike, and get something accomplished. And it feels good to step back and see that I just accomplished something with my two hands, and not by using a credit card at a shop!

I've had to outsource two things though during the course of the project; the carbs cleaning/rebuild, and the pressing of the guts out of the swing arm. I don't feel bad about that because q didn't have the equipment I needed; a media blaster for the carbs and a hydraulic press for the swing arm.

Let's see how much further I can get without paying for help... : )

toytuff · « **Reply #21 on:** July 08, 2012, 09:05:43 AM »

I picked up a CB 500 myself with a spare motor. Great thread for inspiration but I doubt I will ever do anything with it.

Will see.

tt

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #22 on:** July 08, 2012, 09:51:17 AM »

It does look like a good starting point for a project!

toytuff · « **Reply #23 on:** July 08, 2012, 10:01:36 AM »

Quote from: 03rangerxlt on July 08, 2012, 09:51:17 AM

It does look like a good starting point for a project!

I love your desire!

Nope. Part out next year.

tt

03rangerxlt · « **Reply #24 on:** July 09, 2012, 11:27:50 AM »

Arghhh!!! I'm so close!!!

So I've put power to the bike, and the headlight works, the oil preasure light works, the neutral light works, and the starter works! I washed the inside of the tank in preperation for coating it with the Caswell gas tank liner. I also finished up the rear brake linkage. I put 115 jets in it, and then I got stuck.

The damn float bowl gaskets are a pain in the ass to get on, so the carbs are sitting on the bench.

News:

Author Topic: CB500 Project: The War Eagle - Velocity Stack Filters pg3 (Read 16146 times)