Topic: 1977 CB550F IDK (first build)

[minimo]

You were right, strynboen. It helped to raise the cylinder block up about half way to get the tensioner out (same way with the chain guide), like so:

I imagine it will be the same way going back in; screws loosely tightened.
The tensioner and guide appear to be ok and not bent like I thought. Slightly relieved. See if I can get these back in again the correct way.

[goldarrow]

The short piece looks kinda off, camera angle may be?

[minimo]

Thanks for catching that bend, goldarrow, my 550 guardian angel
There is a bend at the "UP" end of the guide. Closer look reveals some cracking. What can be done? Is it ok to install it this way? Maybe I'll look on eBay for a better replacement. Sigh, always gotta be something...

[goldarrow]

This is what I meant by yours look kinda off

[minimo]

You were right, goldarrow.

Old guide on top, new on bottom:

Not sure how, eh hem, the previous owner bent up the guide like that.

[goldarrow]

Let's hear the motor running again

[Zaipai]

Seems to be coming along nicely.

.: Scott :.

[minimo]

Thanks, Zaipai/Scott. You caught me amid my redemption phase.

Back from a zigzag about he neighborhood. Christened the Koso gauge - first 7km (4.35 miles). I'm gonna switch the mode to MPH; certain there's a way.
I travelled for about 30 minutes and the battery died. The Koso is cool in that the backlight begins to flicker to let you know that the power is low. Anyway, something is still not right about the regulator/rectifier and the reason why, probably, is because I got lazy and plugged the RR brown to the old regulator black instead of running it to key switch 12V, as calj737 suggested.
I'll get the battery charged again and run that line to see if there's any difference.

[firebane]

Nice little gauge but why is the tach so bouncy and all over the place?

[minimo]

Carbs not synched?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

The engine didn't sound like you were revving it up to 10K. 

I have one of those gauges for my 650/550 build.  I'll have to see how you get this sorted out.

[minimo]

Thanks, CB750! I'd appreciate it.

[calj737]

Nice little gauge but why is the tach so bouncy and all over the place?

Confirm that you wrapped the Koso wire around the coil wire several times tightly. This greatly effects the reading of the gauge.

[minimo]

I don't confirm any wrapping of wires. Do you mean to coil the Koso line coming offa the points around the cloth-covered wires?

[calj737]

Doesn't the Koso have a tach feed wire that connects to the coils? If so, I that the manual on that said to wrap the tach wire around the coil wires with several loops. Is yours connected directly to the points? If so, that's odd. Typically electronic tachs are fed by the signal at the coil, not the points.

[minimo]

Hmm, I had it connected to the points  2-3.

I will change that.

[minimo]

I think my battery (Adventure Power - Phantom APP14A2-BS12 / Shorai equivalent to LFX14A2-BS12) has finally given up the ghost. I plug it into the charging station and it has repeatedly given me bad errors after a few minutes of attempting a charge... I've contacted the company (UPG and Shorai) so we'll see if they can do anything. Otherwise, I'll have to get another one of these batteries$$$. I wonder if the issue with my battery not charging while riding has been the battery all along (or even a faulty regulator/rectifier)...

Back to the Koso gauge. Per the instructions, you guys are right, it says to:

Wrap the RPM wire at least 5 times around the spark plug wire; either onto the spark plug wire, on the spark plug cap, or on the coil positive pole wire. For some models with the coil negative wire please tape the RPM wire on the negative wire to get the RPM signal...

When it says to wrap it around "the coil positive pole wire", am I to simply wrap the Koso blue/yellow line around any one of the spark plug wires? Is there a preference of wire? All the wires?

In other news, last night, while getting together with some family, I had what you would consider something like an intervention. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I made the slight mistake of telling my brother about the recent mishap I had with my transmission seizing up (due to my rebuild negligence overlooking the installation of the bearing set rings) and adding the bit about it being "an almost near death experience"... Whoops, my mistake. So, last night, while praising me for the "accomplishments" to rebuild and ultimately taking the bike out for some spins, I had to absorb some serious opposition to continue my rebuild efforts for fear of me hurting myself and potentially others. The point they tried to make clear to me is my inexperience with motorcycles - both riding and rebuilding them - is what has them worried and afraid, suggesting that it's unreasonable to think that I'd "just pick it up" and ride safely regardless of how confident I may be about my riding ability and rebuild prowess. They made some valid points and I sat there and took it all in. They're right, for the most part. I admit that I'm not confident in either riding nor rebuilding but that was the sort of challenge I accepted from the get go. It's been my goal all along to take on the unknown/the unexplored and experience and learn from it what I could - immerse myself in it. My family is beyond convinced that I have reached my goal. I dunno. Ultimately, what sounded to me like the best option (and to them) is to keep this 550 rebuild as my tinkering toy while I look into purchasing a "beginner" bike that I can practice and become more familiar with riding and getting a better feel for motorcycles - a bike with a better guarantee. I realize that I've taken a very backwards approach to this whole motorcycle thing that I've gotten myself into but if I were to rewind to three years ago, when I knew almost close to zero about bikes, I had certainly come a very long way, I think.
I want to thank you all of you for your kind support and friendships so far. I think about what the Honda slogan was back when these bikes were still fresh from the factory - "You Meet the Nicest People On A Honda". I think it holds true even to this day. Friends, the rebuild trudges on.

[seanbarney41]

yep...that is exactly what I tell anyone that wants to get into old bikes.  I know 'cuz I burned up about 3 of my nine on my first bike, a cb350k...

[goldarrow]

I'll try my best to finish my 550 so you could borrow it to carve the corners around Griffith park by spring time

[minimo]

Thanks, goldarrow

[calj737]

Mini- Wrap the Koso gauge wire around the plug wire, as you mentioned.

Regarding the "intervention":

Take the MSF course. Take it again. Take it 3 times. It never hurts. When you get your bike running, use it in large parking lots to practice what you learned. Ride with other, responsible, mature, experienced riders who are willing to "lead" a new rider.

Regardless of your experience riding, riding safely is more about personality and attitude than it is about years or reliability of a machine. Wear proper quality gear always. A 550 is a beginner sized bike as long as you are 2x the size of a Hobbit. Modern 500s have equal or more HP, and even modern "small bikes" have more than enough HP to kill you. So I see no deterent to it all. Okay, maybe you don't want to trash your investment if you drop it, but then you know how to fix it, right?

I've ridden on the streets since 1978. I have never been down, never dropped a bike, never had an accident, and never a ticket. Am I lucky? Nope, just really well-prepared and endowed with good judgement. My first street bike was a CB360 (hand-me-down from an older brother who couldn't ride after all). I quickly moved to a 550, then onto larger bikes.

If the 550 fits your physique, ride it. But cut your teeth in larger open areas (after work in parking lots). Early evening hours, early morning hours when riding by yourself. Stay away from congestion and "drinking hours" when riding. And ride very defensively.

Now, get your bike built and on the road damn it or I'm coming out there to tear out that transmission I just sent 

[minimo]

An online intervention backlash! Thank you. I like your ideas and tips, calj. Especially the part about coming out to tear out the transmission you just sent... I'd try to sway you into getting my electronics sorted first before we rip out those gears

[calj737]

Ah, the "old bait and switch trick" on me! You clever Boy 

[minimo]

Modern 500s have equal or more HP, and even modern "small bikes" have more than enough HP to kill you. So I see no deterent to it all. Okay, maybe you don't want to trash your investment if you drop it, but then you know how to fix it, right?

The new bikes these days hardly appeal to me. One sorta caught my eye only because it is so different - the Honda Grom. But damn, that's one ugly bike, kinda in a cool way though. All the others, even the neo-retro cafes, to me, don't have that same appeal and energy that these old bikes have. I have more appreciation for the grit and grime of things, I suppose - a funky, more minimal yet functional design aesthetic. These newer street bikes, the ones that are even referred to as "naked" still have a bunch of molded crap on them that I would probably want to strip off anyway. Before I started on this 550 rebuild, Ryca Motors had just unveiled their Suzuki S40 cafe kits, and maybe that'd have been a better way to go about the "experience" aspect of my journey but perhaps that's more an option for the less adventurous? I like my old CB, and despite its age and semi-nonridability, I'm going to keep with it until I'm at least semi-satisfied with it.

[calj737]

To me, a small bike is a small bike. 1 cylinder, 2 or 4 they can all kill you or get you killed. Riding posture is far more important in my opinion for new riders. Semi-upright with ankles slightly back, head and neck up and eyes parallel. Then ride within your comfort, within your limits and with mature riders to help guide you. You'll be just fine.

I agree about the newer bikes. Drop one, and its $500-$2,000 of bodywork to replace. A CB, some used levers and a scarred side cover, who cares? Easy enough to find a member to donate a replacement, right!