Author Topic: cb550 veloce racer (Read 27165 times)

Tews19 · « **Reply #25 on:** January 12, 2013, 04:11:42 PM »

I have never been a chopper fan but your work makes me want to "get" one. "Get" as I have no tools or skills as you do.. Great work

motorlou · « **Reply #26 on:** January 12, 2013, 05:53:03 PM »

guys, i have to forewarn everybody on here that the risks involved in this type of activity can be hazardous to your health. i constantly lose sleep thinking about projects and the different aspects of the job. i can't say no to abandoned motorcycles, i can't say no when someone needs alittle push/help with their project. i constantly look for bikes to chop and participate in online forum discussions....................i think this is an addiction but i would more likely classify it as a disease! seriously though, from day one that i got my first bike and started chopping it was my destiny to cut them all!! i have been fortunate enough to make this hobby into a full time gig. i discovered a secret talent i never knew i had and encourage everyone to try their hand at it.

starsnbars89 · « **Reply #27 on:** January 12, 2013, 06:05:28 PM »

It's like you're in my thoughts man! Except you're actually GOOD at it!

brandEn · « **Reply #28 on:** January 12, 2013, 06:23:14 PM »

Great fab skills! subscribed

DustyRags · « **Reply #29 on:** January 13, 2013, 10:34:39 AM »

Seriously, man. I've been itching to get into more chopping since I picked up my first bike, but had no idea it could go places like yours. That's amazing!

motorlou · « **Reply #30 on:** January 13, 2013, 05:04:29 PM »

hey guys just wanted to post some pics up of an idea i am working on for the suspension. i know what the suspension will look like ect but i am trying to come up with a simpler way to fab the lower tree without having to machine one. i have made trees out of pieces welded together before but not one which utilizes part of the stock tree. it's kinda controversial to me so i will have to fab it and test it first before i can say i did good!! i'll post some more pics tomorrow after i play with this further..............

ps. anybody know about the modification in the last pic? it was on the cb500 project i am working on. seems someone took a starter soleniod and replaced it with a newer one as well as what appears to be a newer voltage regulator? don't really care about the soleniod cause i like kickstart only. figured someone on here prolly done the regulator mod before?

rb550four · « **Reply #31 on:** January 13, 2013, 05:47:18 PM »

How did that last tree work, I always thought foolin with the trees are taboo. Could it be stronger and easier to grind the weld off the bottom of the stem and press it into your new design? I might be a bit of a puss about the reworking of a major piece of metal that holds the front of my machine to the rest of it, especially at road speed but I am curious to know what your plan is.

theofam · « **Reply #32 on:** January 13, 2013, 07:23:08 PM »

I LOVE it when guys like you join this forum! You've some crazy-good fab skills that make me do something I shouldn't - envy!

I'm subscribed and can't wait to see what you dream up, since I've been kicking around cafe vs. hardtail on a CB550.

motorlou · « **Reply #33 on:** January 13, 2013, 08:33:46 PM »

Quote from: rb550four on January 13, 2013, 05:47:18 PM

How did that last tree work, I always thought foolin with the trees are taboo. Could it be stronger and easier to grind the weld off the bottom of the stem and press it into your new design? I might be a bit of a puss about the reworking of a major piece of metal that holds the front of my machine to the rest of it, especially at road speed but I am curious to know what your plan is.

i will weld it up tomorrow and make my choice then about the design. to be honest with you i don't have one particular set way to do it but my main goal is always to come up with a piece that is at least as strong or stronger than the stock piece. i have nightmares about structural failures but in reality, the pieces that i have made in the past have held up great and lasted the time test. the main thing is keeping it real! ha ha ha

Geeto67 · « **Reply #34 on:** January 14, 2013, 08:54:50 AM »

Quote from: rb550four on January 13, 2013, 05:47:18 PM

How did that last tree work, I always thought foolin with the trees are taboo.

It is only taboo to keep those with subpar skills from monkeying with it. For some reason the internet makes every guy who has a high school education and has seen a wrench think he can cut, chop, and weld anything where as in the old pre-internet days that person would have to ask a professional who would steer him away from foolish notions that might cause failure. Basically if you don't understand why a certain casting rib is where it is or don't know what good weld penetration looks like then you shouldn't be fooling with it. Those who know how to do this stuff or at least have the requisite experence, aren't usually asking a lot of questions - they just do and make it look easier than it is. Even when they are in unknown territory they take a more measured approach than to just glue it together with the stick welder and slap it on the bike and wait for it to fail.

personally, I think the biggest problem you are going to have lou is getting good welding penetration on that lower clamp piece - its pretty thick and not always the best casting. I think you are probably better off making the lower support one piece and overlapping it than trying to butt weld against that cut off portion of lower clamp. but hey, you look like you know what you are doing.

motorlou · « **Reply #35 on:** January 14, 2013, 10:12:54 AM »

yeah, i am still chewing on this idea. it's kinda hard to explain what i will be trying to do with this but basically i was going to box in a piece of tube using the stub of the lower triple tree as the "ceiling" of the box. will post pics later today...............................very "taboo" subject, i agree.

Bradf7 · « **Reply #36 on:** January 14, 2013, 10:20:41 AM »

I really enjoy threads where fabricators go outside the box... excellent work.

Geeto67 · « **Reply #37 on:** January 14, 2013, 01:03:10 PM »

Quote from: motorlou on January 14, 2013, 10:12:54 AM

yeah, i am still chewing on this idea. it's kinda hard to explain what i will be trying to do with this but basically i was going to box in a piece of tube using the stub of the lower triple tree as the "ceiling" of the box. will post pics later today

no I can see it - kinda how I pictured it when I made my overlapping comment, basically you are sending the weight and stress through the piece and the weld just holds it in place instead of having the weld itself support it all. look forward to those pics.

Syscrush · « **Reply #38 on:** January 14, 2013, 04:32:33 PM »

Cool and exciting build.

Whatever you do with that triple, post some pics and info in this thread.

motorlou · « **Reply #39 on:** January 14, 2013, 06:45:27 PM »

alright guys, i thought about that triple tree last night and decided to go another route with it. i got a few hours in this afternoon and got right to it. here is what i came up with. i still used a part of the original triple tree but just the casing which houses the stem. i will be heat pressing some threaded plugs into the pieces of tube then welding the ends to it.......check it out.

ivanhoew · « **Reply #40 on:** January 14, 2013, 10:52:14 PM »

fascinating to watch ,thank you .

motorlou · « **Reply #41 on:** January 22, 2013, 05:25:02 PM »

just wanted to post a little update on the project. been working on the pipes, i will be running 2 on each side............

Tews19 · « **Reply #42 on:** January 22, 2013, 05:50:04 PM »

Very impressive skills!

iron_worker · « **Reply #43 on:** January 22, 2013, 06:31:04 PM »

And unique ideas. I like it.

IW

motorlou · « **Reply #44 on:** January 22, 2013, 06:34:42 PM »

thanks buddy. i can't wait to ride this bike, it's going to be a blast!!

DustyRags · « **Reply #45 on:** January 23, 2013, 09:19:53 AM »

Man, those pipes look great!

motorlou · « **Reply #46 on:** January 30, 2013, 09:07:24 PM »

hey folks, i been having to work on the cb550 project 1 hour at a time literally! i almost finished the main frame of the girder front end i will post pics tomorrow evening for sure. i have been refinishing another bike i sold to a customer about four years ago. in the mean time here is a little bike porn to keep you busy till then. thanks guys!

ps. here is my blog incase anyone doesn't want me posting non honda related projects here

http://louisbuiltchoppers.blogspot.com/

motorlou · « **Reply #47 on:** January 31, 2013, 05:14:22 PM »

well guys, finally back to this project. hopefully i can get a couple full days in here now to be able to finish up the forks. here is the front end i am working on for it. i will be buying some springs over the weekend and then I'll be pretty close to wrapping that up. check it out...........

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #48 on:** January 31, 2013, 06:45:01 PM »

Crazy amazing. I think you should keep the knobby.

motorlou · « **Reply #49 on:** January 31, 2013, 06:51:54 PM »

yeah i was considering going with knobbies but maybe some that are not so "knobby"? if not i will be running my usual speedmaster in the front and an mkll in the rear. we'll see

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Author Topic: cb550 veloce racer (Read 27165 times)