Author Topic: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe  (Read 5622 times)

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Offline Leafshutter

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CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« on: April 18, 2013, 09:24:19 AM »


Hi all!

Time to get my own project on the forum, been working on a CB500 -73 that I bought in september last year, got bitten by the bug looking at all nice builds on this site and had to get my own idea of a mild cafe build going

The bike was in decent shape with the engine running ok, had been sitting in a garage for the last 5 years according the PO

Someone did put a lot of love on this bike in the late seventies for sure, fibreglass front and rear fender in some "custom" looking style
Handmade  seat by a guy name Bengt Sandin who did aftermarket seats for the CB´s  here in Sweden back in the days
Marzocchi rear suspension, high handlebars and a Swedish made 4-1 system from the seventies








Got the bike in to my garage and started to get her into small pices...







Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2013, 09:30:51 AM »

Engine out and preparing for paint








Frame back from powdercoting , also had my front lowers powder coated in matte black



Frame back on the jack and new swing fitted




Front forks on the bike again



Time for a Beer!



Offline strynboen

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2013, 09:34:13 AM »
skål i tuborg...fine bike,, lækre detaljer/nice old parts
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 Bankerdanny

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2013, 09:43:33 AM »
That's a great looking seat. Are you going to reuse it?
"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 Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2013, 09:43:55 AM »
Thanks

Nothing better than a Tuborg Grøn in the garage  ;D

Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2013, 09:55:36 AM »
Bankerdanny

No I am not using the seat on the bike, but I think i will hang on to it as it´s a pice of Swedish bike history
« Last Edit: April 18, 2013, 10:01:20 AM by Leafshutter »

Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2013, 10:58:52 AM »

Engine back in the fram and Tarozzi rearsets on



Rear wheel bearings was a pain to get out... some minor injuries involved :-)



Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2013, 05:24:35 PM »
Really clean bike. Nice paint and the engine looks pretty sanitary. I like the swing arm, triples, clipons and rearsets. Looking forward to the rest of your build.
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 Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2013, 02:51:57 AM »
Thanks,

The paint was in fairly good shape but new paintjob on the whole bike now... but I am keeping it red  ;)


Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2013, 02:55:42 AM »

Clip-ons, new controls for the switches and brake




Time to prep for paint... testing out the paint scheme using tape just to get a hint of it





And here are some just painted parts, Yummy!

   


Offline kghost

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #10 on: April 19, 2013, 04:49:24 AM »
Very nice pictures and craftsmanship!
Stranger in a strange land

Offline Glaede

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2013, 05:06:24 AM »
Nice bike!

I'm in the middle of a very similar project and therefore looking for a cafe racer seat. What type of seat is yours and where did you buy it?

Men projekt og hej fra Danmark ;-)

Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #12 on: April 19, 2013, 07:49:06 AM »
@Glaede


The fibreglass seat is from caferace.com

But there is a much better story about it...

The mold was made by FunJimmy, a member here on the forum that has inspired me a lot by his build "the Interceptor" one of the most beautiful bikes I have seen and a big reason that i started my build

Did make the set pan/bottom of 3mm aluminum

 

Here the bottom side ready to be mounted



And the "seat" itself was pretty much done in the kitchen  ;D






Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #13 on: April 22, 2013, 12:36:16 PM »
Parts back on the bike

   

The  Motogadget Cronoclassic is alive!


It tok a lot of head scratching to get all the new switches and controls to work with the original wiring... but I think that ME was biggest problem...  to many wires and different colors to keep in the head at the same time :-)


Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #14 on: April 23, 2013, 02:58:33 AM »

On wheels again!




new 4-1 exhaust fitted








It has been such a fun winter with this bike!

First time that I have done a tear down and build up on a bike and I have learned a lot on the way, this forum is a gold mine and a great inspiration!


Offline strynboen

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #15 on: April 23, 2013, 06:29:10 AM »
super sport cool...this alu rim are they 18" rear and 19" motor cross or how faund you them..or are the photo just looks like alu rim
the closest i have to find the right stuff are old virehveeled yamaha rd..

is there a tudur batteri in the old volvo140 ;)can see it are a 1969-1972 modell
« Last Edit: April 23, 2013, 06:41:09 AM by strynboen »
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 FunJimmy

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #16 on: April 23, 2013, 06:47:09 AM »
@Glaede


The fibreglass seat is from caferace.com

But there is a much better story about it...

The mold was made by FunJimmy, a member here on the forum that has inspired me a lot by his build "the Interceptor" one of the most beautiful bikes I have seen and a big reason that i started my build

Did make the set pan/bottom of 3mm aluminum


Thanks for the plug and kind words.
I'm honored to have inspired and influenced such a beautiful bike, so far from home.

Cheers
Jimmy
« Last Edit: April 23, 2013, 06:49:12 AM by FunJimmy »
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2013, 07:00:49 AM »
Hi Strynboen!

They are wide shouldered Morad/Akront rims 3.0”x 18" rear and 2.50”x 18” front

Tires are Avon Roadrider 130/70 rear and 110/80  front



Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #18 on: April 23, 2013, 07:12:06 AM »

Thanks FunJimmy,

Means a lot coming from you!




Offline RAFster122s

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #19 on: April 23, 2013, 08:11:54 AM »
Very nice build. Should draw a lot of admiring gazes and comments.
David- back in the desert SW!

Offline brandEn

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #20 on: April 23, 2013, 08:15:17 AM »
sweet ride!

Offline Leafshutter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #21 on: April 26, 2013, 03:22:06 AM »

Thanks!

Started her up a couple of days ago and what a great feeling, have some leaking from the carbs that I have to fix but soon I am going for the first testride

Here is a vid of the bike running

Honda CB 500 cafe

Offline Retro Rocket

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #22 on: April 26, 2013, 03:36:42 AM »
Very well done, beautiful bike.... ;)
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750 F1 970cc
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Offline Garystratos201

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #23 on: April 26, 2013, 06:00:56 AM »
Sounds wickedly sweet!!!.............Gary
Visit my build project;
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=111620.0

Current ride; Bass boat.... 2005 Ranger 521VX,250 hp Mercury Verado, super charged and direct fuel injected. Not a bass on the lake can out run me !!!

Offline syverter

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Re: CB500 73 The Redfire Cafe
« Reply #24 on: April 26, 2013, 06:09:32 AM »
Awesome bike!  Have fun!