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Author Topic: cb550 turbocharged bobber build  (Read 14624 times)

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Offline swansmaa

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cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« on: August 19, 2013, 03:15:50 PM »
scored a rough old bike a wile back, and now im getting around to building something out of it. Its a 1975 honda cb550f. The plan is to build a hardtail bobber, thats boosted with a draw through single carb setup. The main goal is to build a fun and unique bike on a tight budget.



 got it stripped down and chopped up the frame a little


start of building the intake. making 1 of 2 flanges


made the intake collector. turned out alright


intake flanges


mmmmm pie


2 runners done. chop saw and angle grinder got a good workout


better shot of the collector. cut the pieces with a cutoff wheel and mig'ed em up


this is all the progress for now, gotta get some more steel tomorrow.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2013, 03:43:27 PM by swansmaa »
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Offline lwahples

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2013, 04:09:01 PM »
Cool project.Interested to see how it works out.
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Offline KennyRedman

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2013, 03:52:58 AM »
Oh wow- cool. What carb do you plan on using?
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Offline iron_worker

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2013, 08:37:12 AM »
You've got my attention!

I really want to build a turbo bike someday too!  8) ;D

IW
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Offline Greggo

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2013, 08:42:20 AM »
Oooh, custom turbo build!  I like it! ;D ;D
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Offline madScientist

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2013, 09:15:00 AM »
I"m in. On my list of projects is a turbo'd 750 so I'm curious to see how this goes.

What turbo is that?
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You CAN do great things...with enough beer.


78 cb750f
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=113293.0
70 CL350 Street Tracker / Cafe
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=125641.0
83 KZ1100ltd
76 GL1000
71 Kaw H2 (to be built)
77 cb750A (sold)
74 cb125s (sold)

Offline SF

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2013, 09:45:43 AM »
hell ya!
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92 wr250 sold
98 zx6r sold
04 zx10r
73 cb350 twin
75 cb550f
75 cb550f
72 r5c
rgid springer bobber project

Offline swansmaa

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2013, 10:03:44 AM »
Well i have made some more progress. the carb Im going to be trying first is a 30mm mikuni from a snowmobile, because its the biggest I have laying around. Turbo is a 9b from a twin turbo mitsubishi 3000gt. Turbo intake is now all tacked in place, and I fabbed up a quick frame fixture to hopefully hold everything square while i hardtail the frame.

I do have a question about getting oil from this cb550 for the turbo. I circled a plug in the first picture on the right side of the engine, is there oil pressure behind this that i can tap into? 
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Offline Greggo

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2013, 10:35:40 AM »
Most tap the gallery plug underneath the points plate, and route the return through the oil dipstick.
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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2013, 10:58:17 AM »
Quote from: Greggo on August 20, 2013, 10:35:40 AM
Most tap the gallery plug underneath the points plate, and route the return through the oil dipstick.
Hey Greggo,
How's your turbo project coming along?
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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 Greggo

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2013, 11:11:53 AM »
Quote from: CB750 Cafe Racer Fan on August 20, 2013, 10:58:17 AM
Quote from: Greggo on August 20, 2013, 10:35:40 AM
Most tap the gallery plug underneath the points plate, and route the return through the oil dipstick.
Hey Greggo,
How's your turbo project coming along?


Very slowly ;)  The motor is all built up, but I have an ARD magneto being worked on by my dad's shop partner, and the bike needs a wiring harness made up as well. 
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Offline seaninc

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2013, 01:22:34 PM »
Super interested in this thread. I'm an engineering student focusing on forced induction and I'll turbo my 650 at some point. Subscribed!

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4

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Offline swansmaa

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2013, 11:06:54 AM »
Quote from: Greggo on August 20, 2013, 10:35:40 AM
Most tap the gallery plug underneath the points plate, and route the return through the oil dipstick.
awesome, I should be able to order another dipstick and make that work.

Ive made a little more progress, the bike is a hardtailed roller now. Still need to add some more strength to the frame but i'm happy with how its looking.

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Offline swansmaa

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2013, 11:45:16 AM »
well ive made a little progress, slowly but surely. decided to build an exhaust header that was a little more direct, thats all done now. intake mani is off for powdercoating right now. Also, I just won these. 40mm flatside (Ill only be using one) So she should be able to breathe.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2013, 12:04:36 PM by swansmaa »
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Offline swansmaa

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2013, 09:34:34 PM »
got the carbs in the mail today, and my buddy finished up powder coating the intake so i made a little progress.

new megaphone/log style header is all welded up, painted with high temp black, and wrapped in header wrap. Forgot to take pics while building it, but im happy with how it turned out.


got a buddy to machine me a steel oil galley plug with the metric male threads and an 1/8" pipe thread tapped into it. Much stronger than drilling/tapping the hollow aluminum plug. The T fitting feeds the turbo oil inlet and an oil psi gauge.


Intake is powdered high temp black and bolted up to the cylinder head.


new carb: gotta make a couple slight mods but it should work out well. 40mm flatslide mikuni, with plenty of main jets/ pilots/needles available thanks to the snowmobile world.


got a few more things to give some attention to, and i'll be pretty close to seeing if it will run.
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Offline jdtim

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #15 on: October 01, 2013, 12:12:19 AM »
Nice build so far! Please post vids of this thing when it comes alive!

-tim
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Offline ivanhoew

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #16 on: October 01, 2013, 02:14:52 AM »
wot he said ^^^
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just do it .

Offline iron_worker

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #17 on: October 02, 2013, 07:40:38 AM »
I'm diggin it!  8)

More updates plz.

IW
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Offline swansmaa

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #18 on: October 02, 2013, 12:00:11 PM »
got the downpipe welded up. just needs a few little things and ill be close to making some noise hopefully


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Offline Tews19

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #19 on: October 02, 2013, 08:26:46 PM »
Oh man, this is so cool! Great work and subscribed!

Welcome to the site BTW
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1969 Honda CB750... Basket case
1970 Honda CB750 survivor.

Offline swansmaa

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #20 on: October 02, 2013, 10:06:39 PM »
Quote from: Tews19 on October 02, 2013, 08:26:46 PM
Oh man, this is so cool! Great work and subscribed!

Welcome to the site BTW
thanks a lot, this site is a great resource for someone like me without much bike experience.

I did manage to get it running tonight. I haven't touched the jetting yet, but i don't think its real far off. On top of that, this is the most that this engine has ran in probably the last 10-15 years or so. Good spark without touching the points, awesome oil pressure, and started right up. A little smoke, I'm not too concerned about that yet.
sorry about the video quality, but you get the idea.
Cb550 turbo
« Last Edit: October 02, 2013, 10:16:57 PM by swansmaa »
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Offline Tews19

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #21 on: October 02, 2013, 10:10:00 PM »
Holy cheese puffs! At 30 seconds on the video. You give it some throttle and the engine roars!
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1969 Honda CB750... Basket case
1970 Honda CB750 survivor.

Offline iron_worker

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #22 on: October 03, 2013, 07:09:56 AM »
 8)

That is all.

IW
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Offline jpfrk2001

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #23 on: October 03, 2013, 09:19:57 PM »
Been looking at the turbo builds here. I like how you did yours. I like it. What size did you go with? (the turbo size).

I turbo'd a motor awile back. So I understand how it all works. But I sold that toy to fund my CB550 build.

Looking good.
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Offline swansmaa

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Re: cb550 turbocharged bobber build
« Reply #24 on: October 04, 2013, 12:32:06 PM »
Quote from: jpfrk2001 on October 03, 2013, 09:19:57 PM
Been looking at the turbo builds here. I like how you did yours. I like it. What size did you go with? (the turbo size).

I turbo'd a motor awile back. So I understand how it all works. But I sold that toy to fund my CB550 build.

Looking good.

thanks, the turbo I used is a td04 9b. they come on factory twin turbo'ed mitsubishi 3000gt's. I had a buddy upgrading to larger turbos on his car, so i traded a case of beer for the turbo i'm using.
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