Topic: Eastern Block Coppertop Cafe build :)

[cafevee]

Hi everyone,

Well, I decided to start a thread here about my very first bike build. I've build lots of bicycles and worked a bit on cars but never did any work on motorcycles.
Few days ago I brought home a 1976 CB550 (K, I think). According to the PO bike ran couple of years ago when he bought it from a previous PO who wanted to make a racer out of it. So PO's PO (hahaha) wanted to make this bike into a racer so he started unhooking all the electrical on the bike. I was a little worried about cables and wires until a good friend of mine stopped by and said... Its not bad, we can fix it.
I got the bike for $600 and I also received a box of spare parts. In the box are parts like... 2 airboxes, gas tank, some wiring harnesses, 4 - 2 exhaust, 8 carbs, 3 various sizes headlights and bunch of other small bits and pieces.
I realized that the gas tank and the seat on the bike are from a cb500 but they seem to fit so its ok. Also, out of the airboxes neither one is a 550, I think one is a 500 and no clue where the other one came from.

Here is a pic of the bike...

[LesterPiglet]

That looks pretty clean.
Looks like a carb cleaning is in order if it's been left without the airbox.

[cafevee]

That looks pretty clean.
Looks like a carb cleaning is in order if it's been left without the airbox.

Thats whats next on the list

Here is a side pic of the bike...
As you can see I already removed the back fender and light as this looks way better
I started cleaning the bike a bit and soaking some screws in deep creep for easier removal later.
At this point I was still trying to get my vision for the bike... day dreaming and imagination (and a side order of guiness)

[jontc]

Looks like a good bike to start with.

[cafevee]

Looks like a good bike to start with.

Thanks man,

Just a side note, if you move the kickstart engine does turn over. So that makes me believe that its not seized and I should be ok with out tearing the actual engine apart. At least for this summer. I plan on completely rebuilding t bike over the next winter.

This is my work area... No garage so I do what I can and then cover everything up. Kinda ghetto, well not ghetto, more like Eastern Block since im from the Balkan

[cafevee]

Box of spare parts...

I'm still not too sure if this thing is a K or a F since I have the F exhaust on the bike and K in the box. I looked at serial numbers but kinda made no sense a bit, Can someone help me out on that? Should I even care what it is?

By the way.... Im going to sell all that I dont need to turn that money into parts that I do need so let me know if you are interested in anything.

[cafevee]

few days ago i decided to take out the carbs and that went really nice and smooth.
They should be easier to clean this way. Im thinking about rebuilding them but its hard to find the rebuild kit here in Calgary.
I've been burned by internet purchases in the past so im still a little hesitant to order online.
Any suggestions for parts in Calgary (oh and a few places that do sell parts are twice the price of what US pays... lame i say) would be greately appreciated.
When I pulled out the carbs I wrapped the intakes with ceranwrap and taped it shut no bugs are going in there to lay eggs.
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Maybe you noticed that all this has happened in a few days but I slapped it all on in an hour..., I usually dont have time to post day to day so when I do get on the comp i will post like this, I hope it does not piss anyone off and if it does... im a noob
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So couple of days ago I got the bright idea to pull the engine out. Not sure exactly why but I just wanted to see how to do it.
Also, after looking at all the other projects on the forum Ive noticed that it might be a good idea to open that up and at least clean out the insides and slap on some new gaskets (hopeing that everything inside is ok and I dont have to get parts)
...
I followed the book and took off everything i didnt need... and Ran into a snag with the upper hanger bolt, sucker spins freely but does not want to slide out. I propped the engine with a jack and a piece of wood but it still does not want to budge.
Is it ok to bang that bolt out with a hammer? Seems like there is this big fat washer on the left side and it moves with the bolt, bolt does not slide through it and I have no clue WTF to do at this point...

[lucky]

I would not call that bike a "rat" bike.
Too nice.

It has not been ruined yet, with 4 cans of flat black spray paint.

[Mugen_Stumpo]

i like the exhaust

good luck with the project

[cafevee]

I would not call that bike a "rat" bike.
Too nice.

It has not been ruined yet, with 4 cans of flat black spray paint.

lol you are right, couple of years ago i would have gone all flat black...
Thinking about a name change Eastern Block Coppertop...
Why coppertop you wonder? Well, When i figured the engine would not leave the frame i started messing around with the fuel tank and this came out... still not finished fully, need couple more coats of clear

[754]

 I know a guy in Cowtown that can synch yhour carbs, will get his number. He works in camp a lot and is busy when he gets home, but i can talk him into it.
 He lives in NW I think.. what 1/4 are you in ?

[kap384@telus.net]

Nice to see another Calgary build on here

[cafevee]

I know a guy in Cowtown that can synch yhour carbs, will get his number. He works in camp a lot and is busy when he gets home, but i can talk him into it.
 He lives in NW I think.. what 1/4 are you in ?

Im in the NW as well, West Hillhurst
Thank you

[cafevee]

Nice to see another Calgary build on here

More riders in Calgary the better We should all get together for a Bragg Creek ride or something like that.

[cafevee]

Ok, so my bike is almost back together. Bit of a clean up and a standard tune up. (plugs, points, oil, filter, new battery...(still trying to figure out the Air intake and filter situation) Check most of the other stuff on it and seems to be ok and maybe even ready to start up.

One thing is holding me back, I seem to be missing a portion of my wiring loom. It attaches to a fuse box. Here is the pic of the of the fuse box, Can someone PLEASE take a pic of their harness so I see what is attached to this connector. There is a place in Calgary that has 100 harnesses from various motorcycles all on a pile so unless I know exactly what im looking for I will never find it.

Please help.

Thank you

V

[cafevee]

OMG OMG coppertop is alive 

[cafevee]

Hi Everyone,

I managed to get my bike running over the summer. Everytime i did something else happened to it and it got delayed more and more.
Finally I had some time in August to finish it off and I got it on the road for some test runs.
Went to the registry only to find out that it needs a Out Of Province inspection since it came from Manitoba. I had no idea.
Took it for a inspection and the guy failed me right in the parking lot for some minor things. He was nice enough not to charge me so I went home and started looking for parts.
In the mean time I took the bike out with a "In Transit" plate ( for 3 weeks I kept going back week after week while waiting for parts) for a test run and it ran very good. I managed to get just over 100mph and the bike felt strong and wanted more at the same time a 18Wheeler rolled in the oposite direction and shook me a little. My first shake on a bike at 100mph felt insane haha so I didnt push it past it.
Bike felt awesome and I was very happy that I managed to put it together.

After going through the check list for OPI i took the bike back to the shop for an inspection...
I get a phone call and the bike failed.
Reasons: -Rear reflector should be red (this bike didnt have them originally...
                -Steering too tight ( I rebuilt the steering so I might have tightened it a little too much, felt fine to me but then again this is my first bike so what do i know)
                -Rear tire cracking ( I ordered a new one from another shop and picked it up couple of days ago)
                -Licence plate mount is missing (becuse I had to glue down a "in Transit" sticker)
                -Front Brake needs to be bled
                -One of the tappets that cover the valves is leaking a litte oil

I can fix most of this stuff and I will... but...

When I took the bike to the shop it ran great. I picked it up that afternoon and it was misfiring and running all weird. I almost got clipped when i pulled out in traffic only to find out that the bike had no pick up at all. Ran like absolute Sh!#.
I usually had hard time starting it but now its even worse. As soon as I made it home I called the shop and asked what they did to my bike when they took it for a ride. Buddy said nothing. It ran bad when he got it. BS. He tells me that there might be a ground wire issue and that I should ride it with the lights on... made no difference. What the F@#$% could it be?
I havent had time to go back and ask him in person. It snowed here in calgary. I just spent an hour or so trying to start my bike and once i did it number 3 cylinder felt warm not hot like the others. Also there was some smoke coming from the pipes (darker smoke, I tought I even saw some blue but then again im outside freezing my ass off so I could be seeing things hahaha)

Has anything like this happened to any of you guys? Do shops wreck stuff on peoples bikes? I heard that sometimes they mess with the fuel mixture screws and then you let them fix it bla bla bla... could it be a fuel mixture screw?
I have no idea, thats why I ask you.

This is my first bike and I really want to see it finished and registered even if there is 3 feet of snow outside.

Please help.

Thank you

Vee

[Killer Canary]

Check that they didn't move the plug wires around on you. It's happened to me.

[cafevee]

Check that they didn't move the plug wires around on you. It's happened to me.

I did check that and it's all the way it should be. Its driving me a little nuts trying to figure this thing out.
Thank you for the suggestion.

[Killer Canary]

Do the mechanics you took it to have experience with old bikes? Can you tell us a little more about their rep and so on?

[754]

 Are you sure carbs are still clean, and no water in gas?. Drop a bowl or two, see what they look like.

[cafevee]

Are you sure carbs are still clean, and no water in gas?. Drop a bowl or two, see what they look like.

2 days before I took it to the shop I had to replace all the bowl seals since one of mine was leaking. (that was a pain in the ass since i had those O ring type gaskets versus the little house shaped one) Everything looked good and after i put it together it ran well.

Im thinking about tearing into the harness today to see if it really is a ground wire loose somewhere. Really dont want to since there is still snow on the ground and i dont have a garage...