Author Topic: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)  (Read 12855 times)

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Offline -CB-Jamie-

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1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« on: October 07, 2012, 01:07:49 pm »
Well I'll start by saying thanks for all the inspiration and knowledge that is provided on this forum which I think a lot of people will agree is brilliant!!

So I finished my cb400f restoration a few months ago and was having withdrawal symptoms so I decided to embark on another project. I picked up 2 cb550's and I've decided that I am going to attempt a Cafe Racer out of one of the bikes. One of the bikes is pretty much complete and the other is missing a lot of stuff but they came with tanks for both, 3 seats, a near perfect motad exhaust, mudgaurds and lots of other bits and pieces.

So anyway I'll start with a few pics of everything before I even had them unloaded and will update soon

Jamie






« Last Edit: October 13, 2012, 02:57:19 am by -CB-Jamie- »
72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline Stev-o

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!!
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2012, 01:19:40 pm »
Nice score!  Is the red one a runner?
'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!!
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2012, 04:08:36 am »
Yup the red one is a runner, the first thing I did when I picked these up was to get the red one running. I stripped and cleaned the carbs, i also refurbished the wiring harness by re-taping it and cleaning all the connections and greasing them up, a bit of gas and it fired right up on the first turn nearly. I then vacuum synced the carbs.

This bike is actually running very sweet, there's no knocks, whines or anything and it's running very smooth. i did a compression test as well and was pleased enough with the results. So i proceeded to start work on it. I'm using the black tank as it's spotlessly clean inside.

I actually picked these bikes up a few months ago now and had them stored for a while, its only in the last 2-3 weeks that I've started working on it.

I have to say it was Funjimmy's project interceptor that really got me thinking about doing a cafe, I had planned to try and do the R6 front end swap but I decided to just stick with cheaper option of keeping the original front end.

So the first thing I've done anyway is to pick up a set of adjustable clip ons off fleabay...



72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!!
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2012, 04:19:48 am »
So I picked up a set of rearsets off a Honda CB-1 400 and they worked out very well for me. I cut off the rear foot rest brackets and had a bit of plate welded on to the frame by a friend of mine to mount the rearsets on, all there's left to do is sort out the rear brake linkage and get a longer shift linkage made up. When these are all cleaned up and painted later they will be perfect.

Jamie





72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline Mugen_Stumpo

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2012, 06:25:42 am »
congrats this rear set looks really good...

i need to find a set for myself :P

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2012, 10:17:04 am »
Nice job on the rearset mounts.
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)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"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)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline BruceDeuce

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2012, 04:57:28 pm »
What year is this 550?
78 Honda 550 Four (K)
79 XS650 Special
72 Suzuki TS400J Apache
72 Kawasaki G3SS 90
73 Aermacchi X90
86 Honda 450 Rebel restored
03 HD Deuce Screaming Eagle
Yamoto 50cc Quad
06 Loncin 110 Quad
85 LT250EF Quadrunner

Offline Dimitri13

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2012, 04:59:55 pm »
Looks like a 77-78.

Offline BruceDeuce

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2012, 05:04:00 pm »
Thanks Dimitri. I have a 78 and that what I thought this was.
78 Honda 550 Four (K)
79 XS650 Special
72 Suzuki TS400J Apache
72 Kawasaki G3SS 90
73 Aermacchi X90
86 Honda 450 Rebel restored
03 HD Deuce Screaming Eagle
Yamoto 50cc Quad
06 Loncin 110 Quad
85 LT250EF Quadrunner

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2012, 05:46:37 am »
Thanks lads, I'm very happy with how the rearsets turned out and yes ye are right it's an early 77 F.
Now on to cutting the handlebar mounts off the top triple tree!!
72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline Bankerdanny

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2012, 02:20:02 pm »
The twin disk converted front end with drilled disks is a really nice bonus for a cafe conversion.
"The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you never know if they're true" - Abraham Lincoln

Current: '76 CB750F. Previous:  '75 CB550F, 2007 Yamaha Vino 125 Scooter, '75 Harley FXE Superglide, '77 GL1000, '77 CB550k, '68 Suzuki K10 80, '68 Yamaha YR2, '69 BMW R69S, '71 Honda SL175, '02 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, '89 Yamaha FJ1200

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2014, 04:11:29 pm »
OK so its been quite a while since I've posted in this thread but I'd left this project go for a while and I started working on it again just before Xmas, I'm getting close to the complete and on the road stage now so I'll just start posting pics over a few posts to show what I've been up to, anyway here goes.

So there's cutting off the handlebar mounts off of the top yoke, making a box to take the electrics and cutting the rear of the frame and mounting brackets off.
















72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2014, 04:13:43 pm »
Change of plan for the electrics after cutting the frame and decided to go with a tray like this instead.

72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #13 on: June 13, 2014, 01:16:02 am »
On to making a base for my seat out of fibreglass. Took two attempts  :P
Some trimming still required at this stage.

Jamie











72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #14 on: June 13, 2014, 07:36:57 am »
Well done!
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)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"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)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #15 on: June 14, 2014, 01:42:30 am »
Teardown and getting ready to weld the frame.
















72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2014, 12:48:00 pm »
Frame blasted and primed, seat trimmed a bit, taillight bracket made, inner mud gaurd to protect the filters etc.









72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2014, 12:50:33 pm »
Painting!!!!











72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline Trad

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2014, 01:15:15 pm »
Nice work so far!
74 CB550 Build: NOS-GUTTED-OEMplus-HOLDTRUE
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,130575.0.html

Offline strynboen

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #19 on: June 19, 2014, 02:00:48 pm »
some nice garden work... ;)
i kan not speak english/but trying!!
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=60973.0
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=144758.0
i hate all this v-w.... vords

Offline rb550four

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #20 on: June 19, 2014, 06:34:39 pm »
I love the pic of the parts hanging on the clothes line.
 Everyone else has hung their sheets and bras out to dry and this guy is painting motorcycle parts on his.
That's great!

A few Honda 500's, a few Honda 550's, a few Honda 650's, '72 cb 450, a couple 500/550/650 hybrids, and 2001 750. 
  550 Snowbike -Somebody had to do it.
  http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,101678.0.html             
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,137317.msg1550907.html#msg1550907

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2014, 12:18:21 am »
I love the pic of the parts hanging on the clothes line.
 Everyone else has hung their sheets and bras out to dry and this guy is painting motorcycle parts on his.
That's great!

Yeah, but hide the painted grass from the wife!!
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)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"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)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #22 on: June 25, 2014, 05:52:36 am »
Starting to get it back together, lacing and truing the wheels.













72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline -CB-Jamie-

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #23 on: June 26, 2014, 03:07:38 am »
Carbs before and after glass beading. Engine strip and painting with Simoniz engine enamel.















72 CB350/4
76 CB400/4 CB400f "Project Resurrection"
77 CB550/4 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe
77 cb200
09 cbf600

Offline bwaller

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Re: 1977 CB550 Yet Another Cafe!! (Lots of pics)
« Reply #24 on: June 26, 2014, 10:18:56 am »
You don't waste any time getting things done! Keep it up. If you're using stock length shocks just check clearance with that piece of tubing between shock mounts and the tire before you ride.