Whats going on guys, rarely post here so i figured why not, heres my progress! I got myself a 1978 cb550 about 2/3 months ago. It was a real POS, seized, missing parts, etc... However the frame was straight and the title was clean so i figured why not, especially for my first bike. Always better to learn how to fix something before you go about breaking it. Sadly i dont have any photos of when i FIRST got the bike but suffice to say it was bad...
First day i got it home, poured some ATF and blaster in the cylinders and let it sit over night, next morning threw a breaker bar on the crank bolt and pop, cylinders are free... now to tear down. Bought a gasket set on ebay, valve lapping tool and compound, some new rings, and a flexhone to clean the cylinders. Made a valve compressor with an old clamp and a piece of stainless 1 inch tube.
Cylinders had some rust pits on em but they cleaned up with some honing, Photos of cylinders are before cleaning...
Worst were the outside cylinders, 1 and 4, so i figure the bike sat out in the elements and therefore they got most of the weather while 2 and 3 were covered by the tank.
Head all cleaned up
Valves cleaned up real nicely too
Threw it all back together, cleaned the carbs of all there old nasty varnish and rode it around the yard for a couple miles like this...
During all of this i had been doing some fabrication work on a cx500 at school, im learning welding so it was a good excuse to perfect my skills before i worked on my own.
Made a hoop and some bracing, also made the exhaust, straights to cherry bombs...
Finished that all up, now its time to bring my bike under the knife... all loaded up ready to go
Started by first making a hoop, and a seat to match... Didnt want a traditional hoop like all cafes have so i made my own kind, i really like how it turned out.
Made a pan for the battery and some electronics...
Add some sheet metal and the seats done
After a while of cutting off old tabs, i knew that the old 4-4 trumpets had to go, but after looking at the prices of exhausts online, i said screw it, ill make my own...
After surgery was done, time to bring it home and do some final touches, add a couple things, and get some good photos...
2 Sound bites, Apologize for first video, it wont let me rotate it...
http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d191/Dufy/?action=view¤t=2012-08-19_18-29-51_667.mp4http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d191/Dufy/?action=view¤t=2012-08-17_19-53-50_453.mp4And thats pretty much it... Got a new headlight coming this week, along with a e-flasher and working horn, then it should be on the road shortly after! Thanks!
