Topic: 74 CB550 Modern Cafe - Isn't this thing done yet?

[RAFster122s]

Know a few body builders and they shave their whole body for the competition showing.

So, maybe Cal has been modeling....

Hopefully only for the wife, if that kind of thing makes her laugh or enjoy things more.

Thought you had to be kidding.  Too stupid a thing only the cafe headcases would do.

I tend to be function and form, considering the arthritis and other issues I don't go for cafe like bikes. Being 6'4" and large frame they don't suit me.

Soccer players run a lot during the game, so they are generally fit. Glad she back to form.  I did a break of my right ankle my senior year of HS playing church Softball.  Ankle injury was mainly to the ligaments and tendons with break of the head of the fibia when the heel bone came up too hard. Had to have that ankle rebuilt 20yrs later ss they didn't do surgery very often when I was a kid. Then, 9 years later I ruptured the Achilles tendon in that same ankle. Had it repaired but, it was 18 months before it was back to normal after 4 months of PT after two months after the injury.  Took smmonth before it was mri'd  (was workers comp injury as it let go on the job due to an unsafe work environment I happen to experience. ..)

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

As the holidays approach, here's hoping to see some more of progress pics of the 550 Version 2.0!

[calj737]

I go to Detroit the week of the 20th to pick the kid up. Between now and then, I have to finish up a frame for a buddy, maybe some electrical tinkering with briancwynn's K7, and finish up building a tool shed for the garden tools for my wife. Oh, and may have to run to the Eastern Shore to replace a frozen trailer brake on my buddy's 29' center console. Other than that, I've got loads of time...

I spent the ENTIRE weekend behind the windshield. Down and back to Chesapeake for an early Saturday soccer tourney for the 17 YO. Gone by 6, home at 8:30. Followed that up with a 22 hour day yesterday driving to TN and back for a 7 hour class for my 2 boys for their Hunter Safety Certs. And I am literally minutes away from piling into the car for another 12 hour endurance race to FL for the week. I should be home late Friday just in time to pick up the above mentioned list of To-Dos.

But back to your post, Don: as a matter of fact, completion of the swing arm(s) is the top priority the week after Christmas. Then we can finalize the subframe shock mounts and get a decent mock-up done. Once there, its off to Powder Coat for the frame and motor installation (probably wait until Spring Break so I can knock out Springer's bike). Still tinkering with rear brake setup and triple trees (Devin). I hope like hell, the boy brings some decent progress on his tank home with him.

He's been busting out his First Semester Studio project, sponsored by Chevy's Corvette team. Their project is a new, "down market" Vette targeted at the Porsche Boxster demographic. His models and sketches have been very well received, so, who knows? Might end up with a job as a result (wheres the praying hands enjoy?)

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Always a full plate, Cal!

I'm looking forward to seeing the SA design. The custom subframe on the 500 came out great.  Are you going to use similar construction methods with Chrome-moly?

Ending up with a job on the Corvette team would not suck. Chevrolet really stepped up to the plate with the new Z06.  I have driven my buddy's Z06 and it is nothing short of amazing.  WAY faster than V10 Lambo Superleggera and V10 M6 I've driven before.  And the traction control system is subtle and effective -- it allows you to step out the car slightly before snapping back in line without cutting your power.

[calj737]

No chrome moly for me. Billet 6061 1.5x.375  Plenty of meat! Already milled the axle keepers, just need to mill the legs, adjusters, and then determine the bends for the legs. Then weld her arse up! Oh yeah, and weld on shock bosses, mill the bearing seats for the pivot rod, and turn wheel spacers, and.... 

I am making 2 at the same time (550 and the 500). The 550 will be the "prototype" and replace my TTR arm (I promised that about 16 months ago to a buddy  ) and the 500 will be the "perfected/corrected" unit.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

No chrome moly for me. Billet 6061 1.5x.375  Plenty of meat! Already milled the axle keepers, just need to mill the legs, adjusters, and then determine the bends for the legs. Then weld her arse up! Oh yeah, and weld on shock bosses, mill the bearing seats for the pivot rod, and turn wheel spacers, and.... 

I am making 2 at the same time (550 and the 500). The 550 will be the "prototype" and replace my TTR arm (I promised that about 16 months ago to a buddy  ) and the 500 will be the "perfected/corrected" unit.

That should be enough billet material and still be much lighter than stock.  I will look forward to seeing it come together. 

And, don't worry, your buddy should have no problem waiting for the TTR. 

[RAFster122s]

I don't even know what a lacey bugee whatever you called it was. ..and I don't think I want to know... 

My browser on the phone popped me in to that section of the thread instead of the unread message...
That's why I'm bringing it up.

If you are ordering anything for Christmas you better be on it!
 David

Upholstery yet, maybe next week.  I'm in Florida this whole week on business so I couldn't really get anything done anyway I'm still home waiting.  I have the Roussin brackets to about 85% need a few final touches.

 Dave – drilling the holes in the sheet and was the joke between Brent and me.  Appreciate the compliment though. I do a lot of underwear modeling women's lingerie in my spare time ;-) this keeps my marriage spicy.
 
 Daughter is back to hundred percent crashing and banging in soccer and swimming and gymnastics.

My son is studying transportation design in Detroit. We spent the last three weekends working on the frame and swingarm for his bike.

HAHAHAHA! So much for browsing my wife's Victoria's Secret Catalogue, I'm sure that I don't want to run across a photo of Cal in some lacey budgee smuggler knickers... 

[RAFster122s]

Cal, isn't it amazing how life just seems to throw lots of immediately neeed/priority work in front of our planned out work?  Some jobs don't have this interrupt style impact as much.
My first job out of college back in '84 was with TRW, Resistive Products Division where I was a product engineer on wirewound power resistors. (Mainly ceramic encapsulated power resistors.)  My boss, W.C. "Buck" Robbins,  told me when planning on giving a quote you calculate how long it is going to take you to do the job and you double it and then double that. Because reality is it is probably going to take at least twice as long to finish as you thought & if you have any trouble you can likely resolve it within that quoted window.
If you complete it in 1/2 that quote you come out smelling like a rose,  and if you have to use the contingency you  are fine and still look good.

Best of luck and safe travels. You likely rolled through my neck of the woods on your way into TN for the training.  I live less than 3-4 miles off the second exit south-bound, exit 69, on I81.

David

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I go to Detroit the week of the 20th to pick the kid up. Between now and then, I have to finish up a frame for a buddy, maybe some electrical tinkering with briancwynn's K7, and finish up building a tool shed for the garden tools for my wife. Oh, and may have to run to the Eastern Shore to replace a frozen trailer brake on my buddy's 29' center console. Other than that, I've got loads of time...

I spent the ENTIRE weekend behind the windshield. Down and back to Chesapeake for an early Saturday soccer tourney for the 17 YO. Gone by 6, home at 8:30. Followed that up with a 22 hour day yesterday driving to TN and back for a 7 hour class for my 2 boys for their Hunter Safety Certs. And I am literally minutes away from piling into the car for another 12 hour endurance race to FL for the week. I should be home late Friday just in time to pick up the above mentioned list of To-Dos.

Do you pack all of those miles on your MB?

[calj737]

Yes, these are on the S500. Just passed 510k last night in SC... Last time I looked, it showed 33k on the odometer. Wherever the time goes, its not around here 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Yes, these are on the S500. Just passed 510k last night in SC... Last time I looked, it showed 33k on the odometer. Wherever the time goes, its not around here 

Damn! They need to feature you on a commercial!

[RAFster122s]

MB builds some of their cars to be ultra high mileage cars, the more expensive usually received better engineering overall, rather than built to price point to gain market share. They are still the old German, Swedish and some European engineering where the product was built to be strong,  safe, and last. The MB gets you there in comfort and luxury.  It is what they are known for in addition to well engineering that lasts when maintenance recommendations are followed.
The reason the Volvos and Mercedes have ultrahigh mileage cars is a solid engineered car with sound  preventative maintenance program to replace parts that are worn before their failure point..
The old Volvo rear wheel drive designs had the tank like construction and solid reliable designs.  They (other than the turbo models) don't accelerate,  they gathered momentum. 
The old MB diesel engine did that with the black cloud of soot... before they started cleaning up their emissions.
Highway miles can be easier on a car if it is maintained.

500k miles is an accomplishment,  most I even put on my Volvo 240s was 300k miles. I sent a car to the junk yard that had a solid body (california car) but, it developed wiring harness issues and it needed 700+ in AC work and the auto tranny needed rebuilt. It was snapping the tensioner mount bolt to the block and I had repaired it 3 times. No time to change a motor & tranny and living in an apartment they kind of frowned upon that kind of wrenching...

Irv Gordon has over 3 million miles on his 66 Volvo P1800.

David

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Just saw this on FB.  Serious Weldporn dimes -- inspiration for Cal's tig welding!

https://www.facebook.com/Weldporn/photos/a.547511911959450.1073741826.546957275348247/1023570037686966/?type=3&theater

[txdrifter05]

calj737

Thank you so much for documenting your build.
I respect that you have taken your time to get the bike perfect. It really shows! I have read this particular forum a dozen times, and I have learned so much from watching your project come together. I have booked marked several of the pages with pictures and beneficial nuggets.

I was hoping you could help me out a bit though. I myself have a 1974 CB550. I have done a lot of similar mods that you have done, just not quite as elaborate. I recently purchased the M-Unit and the M-button, and to be honest, I am a little scared to dig in to the rat's nest. The headlight and other accessories don't really worry me that bad, but I am a little skeptical about the Ricks reg/rec combo unit, starter and coils. Im not really sure how to wire it all in. I do not want to ruin the M-unit or anything else for that matter. I am also not the best with electrical, but if I have a diagram, at least I could follow that. The diagram that comes with the M-unit is very basic and generic. I have combed different forums and other various sites and haven't really found anything concrete. In fact you are pretty much the only person that I have found that is documenting their CB550 m-unit build and it is so similar to mine.

If you could help me out, I would be eternally grateful. Maybe you have found a diagram (including the aftermarket parts) somewhere else or somewhere on here I haven't looked. Maybe it is so simple you could just explain what wire goes where. Maybe you can draw up a simple diagram. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am ready to ride, because it is spring time now and I am afraid if I tear this down, It'll be September before I get her back on the road.
Your bike is gorgeous btw. I can tell that you have put a lot of time and effort into it. Mine beside yours, just wouldn't compare. My CB is more go than show. LOL

Here is a list of all the mods I have installed and plan to install:
Charlies place electronic ignition, Dyna coils, Ricks reg/rec combo, Antigravity (8-cell) battery, HID headlight conversion, race pistons, cam shaft, valve springs, valves, race clutch kit, Keihin CR-29 race carbs, pod filters, motoGPwerks "yoshi" exhaust, 17" rear wheel and several other little things
future plans include (but not limited to) mono shock conversion, updated front end with dual disc brakes, nicer rims and new spokes, tons of powder coating and of course my M-unit /electrical including the m-button, m-blaze pin turn signals, m-switch mini (x2) and all new high quality wiring and waterproof connectors.

All I need is a nudge in the right direction regarding the wiring harness. I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks again,
Adam B

[calj737]

Sending you a PM, Adam.

Perhaps, one of these days I'll write up an FAQ on installing the M-unit. I've done up so many diagrams for so many people, its getting a bit difficult to keep track of all the configurations, members, and sortings.

[txdrifter05]

Ohh... thank you so much! You da man!

[txdrifter05]

Also, I wanted to start my own thread about all of the engine mods I have found and done. I plan on tearing my engine down at the end of next riding season and I would really like to document it on here with pictures and videos, to show people some of the process. Once I do that, I would love for you to chime in since you have so much knowledge in the area of these old Hondas.

The thing I love about customizing, is you can give the same bike and parts to two different people and tell them to build their bike, and the two would be totally different. People will love it and hate it, but it is awesome to see all the different variations of this bike. I have never seen one done like yours. I have nothing bad to say at all. You did your research and executed the build beautifully.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Cal,

You should just buy a used Snap-On van and travel the land helping install M-units!

[calj737]

Ha! I just got home last night from Columbia, SC. Dashed down there Weds night and helped a new member install a new harness in his K5. Funny, I turn up, and the first thing he asks me is, "Know anything about MotoGadget M-Units? I've been thinking I should get one."

I look at the rats nest of stock harnesses on a 40 year old bike, the over-stuffed headlight bucket, and the dingy side panel, and say, "Uh, yeah I've played with them a bit..." All the time thinking, WTF kind of sadist uses stock harnesses anymore?

But with some tinkering and tracing, we got almost everything done. He didn't have a SSM so dashed across town to a small time hoarder and grabbed one. While away, he left his key on ACC and killed the battery. All we didn't sort out was a few of the idiot lights (could be bulbs, could be wiring). I'll go back in a couple of weeks and knock it out in short order.

But yeah, a small trailer, some crimpers, a soldering gun, and a spool of wire would make life far less complicated. And I could sure use some time off!

[RAFster122s]

Ping Cal's son for this build....  because we all know Cal has been kicking back with his feet up watching movies eating bon-bons.


(PING is an old Unix command...ping machine name on the network and it tells you if the two machines can connect and the speed of the responses.)

 

David

[calj737]

Well David, that would be pointless. Since none of his Apple devices respond to PING, there will be no reply. Thats the problem with arcane UNIX commands; to takes two to tango. Or, he might profess that there were so many hops in the route, that his QoS markers dropped the packet as malformed. Either way, it would be crickets.

Actually, this build is mildly on hold awaiting me to get the new swing arm built. It will be the prototype for the unit I'll be building for his bike. His swing arm is stuck waiting on a rear wheel project. And the first swing arm is slightly behind a small "favor project" for a buddy who farms oysters that hugged me up to build him another 30 oyster crates. So thats going to consume a few days of time.

And I can't weld up the either swing arm because my Dynasty took a crap on me after 12 years. So I won't find out about that until next week whether it can be repaired or I have to buy a new machine 

Other than that, pass the remote and refill the Bon-Bons.

[RAFster122s]

So, did the Dynasty get new parts or is a new welder decorating the unfinished garage...or is it a mechanical and social bit of drama similar to "Days of our lives"...some cheesy bad acting drama...

Get those swingers knocked out yet...you were going to build a pair, but that was before the Dynasty stbbed its toeand went on the injured list.

I hope things have been improving.

BTW, saw on the CX/GL forum a master there,  Larry Cargill LCX, had been doing more immaculate restorations and was using teflon coated calipers, MC, etc on several of his recent jobs.  He has a pair of bikes headed for Mecum's in January.  (They charge $400 for it going across the block plus they take 10% of final auction price from the buyer AND the seller.)
He found the teflon laughs at brake fluid and other chemicals bikes would encounter and the matt black does a very nice job of recreating the look of the black coated calipers and MC Honda used.  The original being more akin to a powdercoat and epoxy finish. He does the black hand control switch housings as well.  It is a very durable and touch finish that doesn't mar or peel. VHT doesn't hold up well to brake fluid even with their caliper paint if it can get below it and it will chip.  Shall I drop a link to Larry's build for you to take a look?

David

[calj737]

The Dynasty lives again (at least for now). I have the swing arms mocked up, but waiting on a custom rear hub before I begin tacking and welding and final machining.

In a couple of weeks more after the Fall soccer season ends, I'll be able to devote a great deal more of my weekends and evenings to the bikes. I've also been tinkering away at my R90 because I could probably wrap that up far faster than my son's 500. That plus I have a couple of little things to do up for Riverfever's bike.

I'm pretty familiar with all the productive uses of teflon coatings and its impervious nature to chemicals. Heat it doesn't like so much, but chemicals don't bother it too much.

I'm tinkering now with Ti since I got my welder back. Might have a go at a bike frame for the wifey... Pretty tricky stuff to weld properly.

[grkmf3]

I'm sorry to bother you Calj737, I'm new to this site and wanted to see if you can help me on my wiring issue I'm having since you have pretty much the same set up as i do

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I'm sorry to bother you Calj737, I'm new to this site and wanted to see if you can help me on my wiring issue I'm having since you have pretty much the same set up as i do

And so it begins anew. 😉