Author Topic: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert  (Read 2677 times)

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Offline davidtime

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Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« on: June 21, 2013, 03:23:14 pm »
Can some one give me their opinion on these fitting the cb550? These are supposedly off a 79 cb550 which doesn't exist.




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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2013, 03:26:37 pm »
Might have come off an 80 CX500 or GL500 if they were setup for shaft drive but they are not.
I think the 79 still had the std Comstars instead of the reverse Comstars like these.
These were off of another bike. Did the 500/550 twin use Comstars?
« Last Edit: June 21, 2013, 03:28:58 pm by RAFster122S »
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Offline davidtime

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2013, 03:30:18 pm »
I bid on them before I realized they didn't make a 79 cb550. Jumped the gun when I saw cb550 and thought yes they've been fitted but I am unsure.

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2013, 03:38:18 pm »
'79 CB650 used black reverse Comstars and was chaindrive. Quite possibly this is where they came from...
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Offline jamesb

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2013, 03:41:05 pm »
Could've came off a cm400 or 450.
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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2013, 03:43:12 pm »
Motorera.com does not show the cb500T having Comstars and the 450 and 550Nighthawks were shaft drive, so there is more credence to them being from the 650. With axles that fit and spacers you might be able to make the rear work but the front rotor was designed with more dish and for a twin piston caliper on left fork and that is not compatible with cb550k or f front end...
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Offline davidtime

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2013, 03:44:22 pm »
'79 CB650 used black reverse Comstars and was chaindrive. Quite possibly this is where they came from...

I am starting to think that is what they are off. Do you think they would they be compatible with the 77 550?

Offline davidtime

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2013, 03:46:06 pm »
Motorera.com does not show the cb500T having Comstars and the 450 and 550Nighthawks were shaft drive, so there is more credence to them being from the 650. With axles that fit and spacers you might be able to make the rear work but the front rotor was designed with more dish and for a twin piston caliper on left fork and that is not compatible with cb550k or f front end...

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Offline davidtime

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2013, 03:48:10 pm »
Here is a picture of the rotor.


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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2013, 04:12:13 pm »
Don't think it would be easy and would require a lot of machine work for what I think is the ugly version of the Comstars. Would recommend you try to break the deal, i would.
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Offline raymond10078

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2013, 04:16:57 pm »
The rotor is NOT from a 1979 CB650.  That is a dual piston caliper disc.  The slots were put in for the dual piston caliper, which had wider, but not as tall brake pads.  I recall that the first year for that was 1981.

Most likely from a 81 and up 400/450.

Are the rims marked for tubeless tires?  That'd be another hint.
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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2013, 04:18:45 pm »
My '78 CX500 has the silver Comstars and they are a tubeless rim and are marked as such.
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Offline davidtime

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2013, 04:34:39 pm »
Well the guy told me that they were on his 77 550 when he got it and it had the stock front end. He said they are skinny mags and with the side to side adjustment that the caliper has they worked.

Offline davidtime

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2013, 05:47:39 pm »
Cancelled

Offline Lostboy Steve

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #14 on: June 21, 2013, 06:48:15 pm »
Motorera.com does not show the cb500T having Comstars and the 450 and 550Nighthawks were shaft drive, so there is more credence to them being from the 650. With axles that fit and spacers you might be able to make the rear work but the front rotor was designed with more dish and for a twin piston caliper on left fork and that is not compatible with cb550k or f front end...

I have an 81 Cm400a with comstars. Seems like they'd fit my 550 but not 100% sure.
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Offline davidtime

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #15 on: June 21, 2013, 06:58:38 pm »
Motorera.com does not show the cb500T having Comstars and the 450 and 550Nighthawks were shaft drive, so there is more credence to them being from the 650. With axles that fit and spacers you might be able to make the rear work but the front rotor was designed with more dish and for a twin piston caliper on left fork and that is not compatible with cb550k or f front end...

I have an 81 Cm400a with comstars. Seems like they'd fit my 550 but not 100% sure.

I went ahead and backed out of the deal. I would be nice to know if they would fit 550 for sure.

Offline kghost

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #16 on: June 21, 2013, 07:03:09 pm »
Motorera.com does not show the cb500T having Comstars and the 450 and 550Nighthawks were shaft drive, so there is more credence to them being from the 650. With axles that fit and spacers you might be able to make the rear work but the front rotor was designed with more dish and for a twin piston caliper on left fork and that is not compatible with cb550k or f front end...

I have an 81 Cm400a with comstars. Seems like they'd fit my 550 but not 100% sure.

I went ahead and backed out of the deal. I would be nice to know if they would fit 550 for sure.

No. They would still be fugly.
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Offline cb650

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #17 on: June 21, 2013, 07:08:00 pm »
A menber did make 650 comstars fit his 550.  Those did look like 650 ones.  But with a single disk dual piston disk looks like a pieces parts conversion.  The only twin piston caliper on a 650 with comstars was the nitehawk with dual calipers.
I think the 400 had a 18 front.
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Offline Bootlegger56

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #18 on: June 22, 2013, 07:28:43 am »
Alas....and I had such high hopes when I saw this post.  I thought an answer to my decrepit rust pitted 550K1 spokes and rims might be within...that is without my becoming a wheel lacing expert or further financially embarrassed when I look at what it costs to get a replacement set of rims and spokes professionally installed.   But the song remains the same with no hope for a suitable alternative!   ;D
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Offline LesterPiglet

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« Last Edit: June 22, 2013, 07:40:22 am by LesterPiglet »
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Offline raymond10078

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #20 on: June 22, 2013, 09:20:14 am »
Since you have the wheel in hand, why not just try it out?  Doesn't take much to drop a front wheel.  The rear isn't much harder.

I did a comstar swap (but it was the original comstars to the reverse comstars (like you have)) and the rear - just reused the brake plate (?) and the spacer from the wheel to the swingarm.

The front was a different story - since I was making other front end changes at the same time.
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Past bikes - Honda: SL350, CX650C, CB900C, CB1000C, CM450A; Kawasaki: several 1972 750 H2's; Suzuki: TC90J.

Bikes I want: CX650ED, a mid-sized japanese V-twin with ABS.

Offline davidtime

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Re: Cornstars for the 550 looking for an expert
« Reply #21 on: June 22, 2013, 11:16:00 am »
Since you have the wheel in hand, why not just try it out?  Doesn't take much to drop a front wheel.  The rear isn't much harder.

I did a comstar swap (but it was the original comstars to the reverse comstars (like you have)) and the rear - just reused the brake plate (?) and the spacer from the wheel to the swingarm.

The front was a different story - since I was making other front end changes at the same time.

I ended up not getting them after all. It was only 80.00 shipped but then I would be stuck with them. Normally I would have just got and dealt with em but you can't trust people on ebay sometimes.