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Author Topic: Help & Advice Please For 77 CB550F - Rebuilding  (Read 9360 times)

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Offline Browneye

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Garage Co
« Reply #25 on: September 15, 2012, 02:57:51 PM »
I heard about Garage Company and rode out there today. I'm about 45 miles from LAX. And it was over a hundred today so kinda sweat my ass off. They do have a lot of old stuff. I met Yoshi, the owner, asked him what he had to convert a CB550F, tank and seat, and he said, "Nothing that bolts on. You have have to heavily mod." Yeah, I knew that, but no good suggestions? Nope!

They had the 'bornini' or whatever shouldered aluminum rims, lots of them, $200. $120 for akronts. Ouch. Probably will just powder coat what's on the bike, new spokes. Should I get imports or Buchannan SS?

So, suggestions for a tank?  I could build a seat, or buy one, they're not too spendy.

Gonna tear the thing down soon so I can paint the frame and go thru the motor. But I really want to settle on build parts so I know what I can grind off and what I need to leave.

Garage Company, Los Angeles CA





 
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Offline JoshuaJames

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Re: Help & Advice Please For Tired CB550F
« Reply #26 on: September 15, 2012, 03:41:46 PM »
Congrats!!! great to see another 550 come to life.

i may have to wire mine up to a lightning strike to bring her to life :o
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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: Help & Advice Please For Tired CB550F
« Reply #27 on: September 15, 2012, 11:28:15 PM »
Yoshi's shop is pretty amazing.  His collection is ridiculous.  I think you are better off, however, buying your rims at Buchanan's.
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1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
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"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

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2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
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Offline Browneye

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Bike is stripped, motor out
« Reply #28 on: September 29, 2012, 01:50:04 PM »
Today I degreased the frame. Geez, I was covered with black spots from a big scrub brush spraying me with greasy goo. Used engine degreaser, scrubbed it down.

Last weekend got the bike stripped down, everything off, motor out. Took me a few tries, had to come back here for pointers. Just removing the breather cover is what it took, then it lifted out. Heavy som#$%*.

I guess I'm going to tear the motor down and go thru it, pull parts together for the build, then do a pre-finish trial fit of everything, then tear down and start with final finishing, painting, etc. Get the frame blasted, polish pieces, etc. Reassemble.




Yes, that's still residual engine grease, not paint. The thing was a greasy mess.

« Last Edit: October 10, 2012, 07:50:12 PM by Browneye »
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Offline Browneye

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Top end tore down; local bike show
« Reply #29 on: October 10, 2012, 07:48:36 PM »
I did some more degreasing of the motor and pulled the top end off. With 38K mile on the odo I was absolutely shocked at what the inside of this motor looks like. Especially having not run for almost 30 years. The barrels are like glass and the rings are still well within spec. Everything is within spec, it's beautiful.

I got one of those gallon cans of parts cleaner and soaked each piston for about 8 hours, then scraped the rest of the carbon out of the ring grooves and ran a wire brush on a grinder to clean the tops. There was quite a lot of carbon in the combustion chambers so it was really nice to have it apart now before the motor would eat itself.

Wire brushed the head domes and solvent tested the valves - not the slightest seepage, they are air tight. Whoohoo!!

Getting ready to degrease here. What a mess. Plugged all the ports, taped up, hose 'er down.









Couple of weeks ago rode out for 'Cafe Desmo' annual event at the big Ducati/MotoGuzzi/Triumph dealer up in Glendale - Pro Italia - they had their open house and bike show. This '78 CB550F showed up, got a LOT of people's choice votes. I don't know if it won anything or not, didn't stick around. Pretty cool bike though and gave me lots of food for thought. Check out the custom front end on this thing, and all the polished copper plating.





« Last Edit: October 10, 2012, 08:10:48 PM by Browneye »
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Offline Browneye

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My Build Dream
« Reply #30 on: October 12, 2012, 02:09:15 PM »
I really like what Witchey has come with on this one. Keeping stock pegs and super bars so I don't break the back, this one really appeals to my senses. Will probably pickup his seat and build around it. Stock tank, stripped frame, move the electrics and battery for an open trellis look.

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Offline Stev-o

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Re: Help & Advice Please For 77 CB550F - Rebuilding
« Reply #31 on: October 13, 2012, 04:57:50 AM »
Yeah, that bike looks great. Looks like a bigger tire/wheel than stock, one thing I have been thinking of doing to my 550 cafe to beef up the look.
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'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........

Offline TwoTired

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Re: Help & Advice Please For 77 CB550F - Rebuilding
« Reply #32 on: October 13, 2012, 11:11:04 AM »
Quote from: Stev-o on October 13, 2012, 04:57:50 AM
Yeah, that bike looks great. Looks like a bigger tire/wheel than stock, one thing I have been thinking of doing to my 550 cafe to beef up the look.
Hmmm, you actually want a slower bike?

Most seem to like shaving the weight off the bike.
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Lloyd... (SOHC4 #11 Original Mail List)
72 500, 74 550, 75 550K, 75 550F, 76 550F, 77 550F X2, 78 550K, 77 750F X2, 78 750F, 79CX500, 85 700SC, GL1100

Those that learn from history are doomed to repeat it by those that don't learn from history.

Offline Stev-o

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Re: Help & Advice Please For 77 CB550F - Rebuilding
« Reply #33 on: October 13, 2012, 11:30:43 AM »
TT - you should know this, cafe bikes need to look good first, form over function (I realize you don't get it). It would be so boring if we all had stock bikes with inch size tires! My cafe bike may only see 250 miles for the year, that fat tire will last a long time (the "cafe" is close by).

Plus, I have my 836 for high speed runs. 
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'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........
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