Author Topic: '77 550F basket case to...Supersport Tourer (Read 16837 times)

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #25 on:** April 14, 2013, 09:05:19 PM »

This is one of my inspiration bikes.

DustyRags · « **Reply #26 on:** April 15, 2013, 08:18:14 PM »

Red and gold is very Iron Man. I kinda dig it. But it is pretty nerdy to say that

Bandit18 · « **Reply #27 on:** April 15, 2013, 09:00:42 PM »

If you even get close to that bike you will have a sweet ride.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #28 on:** April 16, 2013, 07:45:54 AM »

@Dusty, that's funny, I hadn't even made the Iron Man connection. That shade of red isn't what I was hoping, although the gold base coat has something to do with that. I want a darker wine color, like a nice Bordeaux.

@bmoffitt, no doubt, although for me the inspiration is more the gold frame than the whole look. I considered a cafe rear, but now I am thinking more about a full seat. It definitely won't look stock though, the fender will be much higher and the tail light and turn signals much smaller. I'll have side covers too, I really don't want to completely redo the electrics to hide them.

I have barely scratched the surface of what needs to be done and the next few weeks are really busy, so I won't get back to it for a while. The next step will be to get to a rolling chassis stage. It's so much easier to visualize an end product when you actually have something shaped like a bike in front of you, at least it is for me.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #29 on:** May 05, 2013, 06:41:10 PM »

So, trolling Craigslist for CB550's, I click on a '78 that a guy is asking $1,300 for, and what do I find, buried in the text, he also has a '75 parts bike (frozen engine) WITH TITLE, woo hoo.

I send an e-mail to confirm the title and find out what he was asking for it, $250 he says.

I went out to look at it yesterday, although there was no question I was going to buy it, and $200 later it's mine.

It's 80% complete or so, but between this one and the one I got in January, the only thing I still need is a tank.

Hopefully I can start to finally make some progress on it.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #30 on:** May 09, 2013, 01:00:16 PM »

Got my carb kits today. I see a carb disassembly and cleaning session on my to-do list for the weekend.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #31 on:** May 10, 2013, 07:02:42 AM »

Going to change my plan I think, at least for teh short-term. I still have a vision in my head that I would like to get to, but right now what I want is a running, rideable bike as quickly as I can have one.

The titled roller I bought last weekend really woke me up. Saturday is going to be a Goldwing day I think. I need to do a compression test with the tester I bought, swap the exhaust manifolds out, install the Gerex electronic ignition I have, and install the new rear tire.

But Sunday, that will be an SOHC4 day. Clean the carbs and install new gaskets. Give the good engine a nice cleaning and possibly painting. Sandblast and paint the rusty 4-1 header that came with the F bike. Take a good look at the wiring harness in the box of F bike parts and see if it can replace the missing parts from the '75 K bike that is now the base for the project.

I am also negotiating for a replacement tank, plus side covers and a front brake caliper from a local guy who has a side business selling motorcycle parts.

I told him about the site and recommended that he come here and post his parts in the For Sale forum (after I buy what I need of course).

Now if I actually do 1/2 the things I listed here it will have been a very productive weekend.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #32 on:** June 02, 2013, 08:35:18 PM »

I haven't updated in a while because the weather and other commitments have conspired against me. However I had a good weekend of working on the 550 and the GoldWing./

I cleaned up the seat that came with the '74; it's in perfect condition other than missing the seat strap.

I spent quite a lot of time cleaning the engine I plan to use. I pulled the left side cover and polished it up, not to a mirror finish though. I also test fit the headers and muffler on the '74 engine since its still in the frame I will be using.

The muffler turned out to be from a mid-80's CB1100F. Still, as you can see it fits almost perfectly.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #33 on:** June 08, 2013, 10:31:58 PM »

Got the engine painted up today. I can't decide if I want to paint or polish the alternator and clutch covers. I probably will since I did the left side cover and if I don't polish the others I will have to waste the polish job and paint the left cover to match the rest.

Didn't do the valve cover, I'm going to remove that and do it tomorrow.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #34 on:** June 08, 2013, 11:04:27 PM »

Looks nice!
With the frame and roller you just need another motor and few other parts to have two bikes after a lot of sweat equity.
What did you do to clean up the exhaust? BBQ paint does do the job for old rusty headers...

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #35 on:** June 08, 2013, 11:39:59 PM »

Danny, you now better than to paint gorgeous aluminum...

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #36 on:** June 09, 2013, 09:14:22 AM »

RAF, that's exactly what I used on the headers. I sand blasted them then painted with BBQ paint.

Sean, I know. Since I have 2 engines I am going to polish up the rest of the cases for the '77. If I decide I don't like them I can always pull the cases from the stuck '75 engine and paint them.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #37 on:** June 09, 2013, 10:16:12 PM »

Polished the breather cover and end caps for my valve cover. had intended to paint it, but the day got away from me. So cosmetically I still need to paint the valve cover and polish the alternator and clutch covers then the engine will be ready for a frame. So I guess I need to get a frame ready.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #38 on:** July 07, 2013, 09:56:47 PM »

Real progress today. Stripped down the '75 that is providing the frame and title. Pulled the engine, cleaned the accumulated grease off the frame, sandblasted and wire brushed the rust, primed and painted.

Used a chassis/grill paint I picked up a couple weeks ago, but I don't recall exactly where. I think it was Harbor Freight though. Sprayed on really nice and has a great smooth satin finish.

Next week the fork goes back on. The '77 F engine goes in, the shocks from the F bike go on, and the wiring harness goes in.

I'm trying to decide what to do with the wheels. The set from the '77 are in pretty good shape. The '75 rims are rusty, but the spokes are in good shape. I was considering black wheels anyway. So I am think that the '75 wheels are the ones I will use.

Picture 1 is my starting point, Pic 2 the engine is out, pic 3 is the frame stripped cleaned and waiting for spot blasting and wire brushing, Pic 4 is the swing arm, the worst of the frame.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #39 on:** July 07, 2013, 09:58:50 PM »

More from today.

Another pre-blast, now the painted frame, the painted neck, the paint I used.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #40 on:** July 07, 2013, 10:00:08 PM »

Finally, a shot of the cleaned up rear sprocket.

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #41 on:** July 08, 2013, 03:24:10 AM »

Danny, that rim is pretty rusty...I'm gonna take a guess that it is worse on the inside where the tube is gonna rub. I got a decent 550 back wheel, if you want it, hit me up.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #42 on:** July 08, 2013, 06:24:56 AM »

Thanks Sean, I have another wheel. I think the wheel looks worse than it is. The rust is heavy, but shallow, no big pits. Once I take the tire off I'll know for sure.

Tews19 · « **Reply #43 on:** July 08, 2013, 07:39:38 AM »

Keep it up! Hopefully you are able to ride it to Rockerbox. If you need the throttle cables let me know. I will mail them to you. Just pay the shipping.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #44 on:** July 08, 2013, 08:36:01 AM »

Thanks Nick. Or I could just road trip up on the Goldwing to get it.

Tews19 · « **Reply #45 on:** July 08, 2013, 08:41:38 AM »

Very true! I have one really nice chrome ear you can have.. The other is fine just bent....

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #46 on:** July 08, 2013, 08:44:29 AM »

I have two sets of those.

I do need to track down a 74-76 tach/speedo bracket though. My '77 F came with the brackets, but I like the look of the horizontal wrning lights on the '75 bike. I have the lights, but not the instrument bracket.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #47 on:** July 21, 2013, 09:14:53 PM »

Big progress today.

painted and installed the triples and the warning light dash
Painted the top and bottom of the rear shocks that some PO had painted yellow and installed them
Cleaned and Armor All'd the two parts of the airbox and lower rear fender
Installed the engine

Finally starting to look like a motorcycle. I still have a ways to go yet before I can find out if my motor is good though.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #48 on:** July 21, 2013, 09:18:08 PM »

More pictures from today.

reddyvv · « **Reply #49 on:** July 21, 2013, 10:24:16 PM »

Nice!! I am doing almost the same amount of work and the same progress as your rebuild but haven't updated my project in a while. Incentive to update my project thread!

I like the shine on your left side case. I did 240, 400, 800 & 1000 grit. Your's looks a little shinier to me. How exactly did you clean it up?

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Author Topic: '77 550F basket case to...Supersport Tourer (Read 16837 times)