So, this is the build thread I said I'd start. Expect it to be slow and boring, as I'm a broke college student with high hopes of getting two project bikes running at the same time. Stupid, I know. Oh well. I've got a 1977 CB750k almost running, just need to replace the head gasket and cam tower pucks and it'll be running. Knowing that project is coming to a close, I made the idiotic decision to browse Craigslist for a cheap bike. I stumbled onto a 1974 CB550 frame and "75% of a complete bike in bins". I paid $300 for the frame and literally 75% of a bike. The PO got 2 complete bikes and make one running café racer. Since this bike is missing so much, I think I'm going to make it a bare bones runner, just using whats absolutely necessary to make run and stop (especially since I have to wire everything up). The rest of the parts got piled into a bin that I later bought. This build will take a while, as I don't really know the direction I want to go yet. The k7 I have is a mix match of a café/brat bike, so I may hard tail this one if I can fid some good looking bikes for inspiration. If you have spare 550 parts that I need, please let me know but be prepared for a super low ball offer and the best negotiating you've ever seen. I am downright ruthless when it comes to saving a few bucks. Here are some pictures of my 1985 VW Golf with a CB550 in it and some of my garage and parts.
This is what my garage looked like the night before I got the 550:
Here's the frame in the back seat of the Golf:
Finally my Golf has a cupholder:
Picture of the frame tag:
Bottom end (from a 75F according to the part number):
Now I hunt for parts and ask a million stupid questions, be prepared:
1. Im missing the pistons and sleeves, and all related parts like rings and pins. I was looking into the "605cc" kit, which actually comes out to 594cc or the 555cc kit for the 500's. The PO had good luck running the 555cc kit in a 550 motor because I guess all of the pistons were shot.
Should I go to the 605 kit or find stock or 555cc kit? The 605 kit is 120 on ebay, the 555 kit is 149, and stock is all over the place. I would love to hear your opinions on these kits.
2. I also am missing the valves and rockers out of the head. I was thinking since the motor is in pieces and I may go bigger in CC's, I may want to increase the valve size or valve quality. Kibblewhite makes larger valves that I'd love to port and polish to match.
Is it worth it to mod a 550 motor? Are the power increases really worth the price? Im a giant man, 6'6 tall and 220lbs. My thoughts are: any HP gain is a gain and a good thing.
3.
Got any awesome advice that you can't wait to tell me about the 550? spill your guts!
Thanks for reading,
Jordan
