Topic: 1972 CB500 Cafe/Brat Build

[MWood]

Hey guys so I picked up a 1972 CB500 last fall for $400 in non running condition. The guy said he hooked a charger up to it backwards and fried the electrical. He replaced the starter solinoid and the rectifier but to no avail. I noticed right off the bat that the starter solinoid was hooked up backwards so after righting the wrong she fired up, smoked a little but cleared right up. It ran alright last fall but slowly felt like it was getting sluggish. I'm guessing it was the carbs?? So this winter I started the build off by disassembling the bike. So far I've rebuilt the carbs and cleaned most of the parts up. I'm up in the air about making it a cafe racer or going brat. I'm on a fairly tight budget but am willing to spend a lil more to make this thing look sick. Here are some of the things that I plan on doing:

Flat bratstyle seat with a kick in the rear

Hiding the electronics

Relocating key and start switch under the seat

Installing pod filters

Small rear fender with round tail light

Possibly no front fender and installing fork gators

New sleek headlight and brackets

Cafe or Brat style handle bars with minimal clutter

Dime City style speedo with indicator lights

And then painting everything (Color is yet to be determined)

I have tons of questions and I'm sure I will get tons of help and input from you guys!!  I will get pictures up ASAP!!


First question is what size battery can I go with? I want it to be as small as possible but still have enough juice to do the job. The bike has a kick start which I love using. I plan on using the kick start most of the time but we all know when she's having trouble starting it's nice to be able to just hit the switch!!

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Hey guys so I picked up a 1972 CB500 last fall for $400 in non running condition. The guy said he hooked a charger up to it backwards and fried the electrical. He replaced the starter solinoid and the rectifier but to no avail. I noticed right off the bat that the starter solinoid was hooked up backwards so after righting the wrong she fired up, smoked a little but cleared right up. It ran alright last fall but slowly felt like it was getting sluggish. I'm guessing it was the carbs?? So this winter I started the build off by disassembling the bike. So far I've rebuilt the carbs and cleaned most of the parts up. I'm up in the air about making it a cafe racer or going brat. I'm on a fairly tight budget but am willing to spend a lil more to make this thing look sick. Here are some of the things that I plan on doing:

Flat bratstyle seat with a kick in the rear

You should try to put as much padding in that flat seat as you can (and maybe a gel insert, too) or your butt will feel kicked in the rear.

It will be difficult to hide even a small lithium battery with a flat, brat-style seat.  You could mount it on the swingarm, or fabricate a tray (but it will be visible from the side since it will need enough depth to accommodate the battery).

[MWood]

Will this battery work out? I hope to use the kick start most of the time but it's nice knowing you have a solid battery to fall back on.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005KLOYYC?pc_redir=1398757330&robot_redir=1

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Will this battery work out? I hope to use the kick start most of the time but it's nice knowing you have a solid battery to fall back on.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005KLOYYC?pc_redir=1398757330&robot_redir=1

The 8 cell Ballistic should work just fine. I've heard some mixed reviews in the Ballistic brand as to quality control. You might also look at Alien Motion or Anti Gravity. If you don't mind spending more, Shorai quality is superb.

[calj737]

+1 to what CB said...

If you're planning on down-sizing, converting as much of your lighting to LED will help on the battery. A modern Reg/Rec is a nice change, but not required. Can help with a smaller battery.

If you re-wire, do yourself a favor and interrupt the headlight circuit when the electric start is used. It will help alleviate any deep draw on the battery during the start phase. Understand the bike's electrical system first before you start down sizing. Else, you could be struggling to keep a battery alive.

These bikes operate in a draw state in the lower RPMs, so if milling and idling about is part of your riding environment, a full size (A/Hr) battery is important. The Shorai offers a 14 A/Hr small format battery in their A2 frame. Still very small, but $150.