Author Topic: 100$ 71' CB500 project  (Read 3802 times)

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Offline Longfellow

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100$ 71' CB500 project
« on: October 11, 2009, 06:45:00 PM »
Just got it home the other night from orlando. I got alot of spare stuff along with it. I think I got like 5 or 6 headlights, 2 seats, clutch assembly, 2 or 3 wire harnesses, throttle cables and other misc stuff. I need a gas tank and an ignition lock and key.

Bike was in storage for most of its life and the OD reads 6170. Also came with a Jardine 4-1 exhuast which I have the reciet for.

Here she is as of this morning




Project wont really take off untill I get the new motor for my car finished and new coil-overs purchased. So hopefully I should really begin work around december. But I'd like to take the bike apart to the bare frame and really give the bike a good look over in the next week or two.

I'm up in the air as well as to if I want to restore the bike since its in really good shape and has such low miles or just go with my original plan and make a resto-mod cafe racer.

Offline nobody

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2009, 03:49:53 PM »
I dig the 240, with a hitch though? lol. Gotta do what you gotta do I guess.
The bike looks to be in decent shape too.
74 cb750k

If life hands you lemons, make lemonade. If life hands you tomatoes, make tomato soup. If life hands you a box of hand grenades... well, now... THAT'S a message!!

Offline Alan F.

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2009, 04:08:56 PM »
I vote for the resto-mod, you've got a great start, why mess it up with a detailed restoration?

Offline le_sterls

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2009, 04:17:08 PM »
I say cafe it, I need to buy a project bike to cafe as well...
That's what I'd like to hear.
'77 CB550k - running... For now...

Offline Longfellow

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2009, 07:09:19 AM »
I've been leaning that way since before I picked up the bike. I got a lock on some F4i front forks/tripple trees that I was going to use for the front and then use a modern swing arm/shock in the rear. I also have the idea for my seat I just need some free time to make it.

I want to first get the bike running, then I'll go from there.

Offline Alan F.

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2009, 07:14:01 AM »
I got a lock on some F4i front forks/tripple trees that I was going to use for the front and then use a modern swing arm/shock in the rear.

Very cool, check out the info I've got parked at http://sites.google.com/site/alansdocuments/ for some pointers and ideas you may not have thought of.
Oh and if you do a swingarm swap send me some info, I'm compiling some swingarm swap info to add to the collection.
-Alan

Offline Longfellow

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2009, 08:05:49 AM »
Thanks for the info!

I'll have all the build stuff as documented as I can. I'm looking at either an F2 or F4(i) swing arm. We'll see how it goes.

Offline Alan F.

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2009, 07:16:19 AM »
I think a CBR F1 and F2 swingarm will fit easily, I don't know about the others.
-Alan

Offline Longfellow

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2013, 12:12:22 PM »




Haven't been on here in a long while, but I've been working on and off with the bike. Painted it, and rebuilt the rear section of the bike and made a new cowl/seat out of 18ga sheet metal, re-wired it, finally got it to run correctly. I did a crappy job of covering the seat so that's the next part on the list to fix.

Sometime next year I'm probably going to rebuild the suspension with RaceTech inserts and either have them re-valve my OEM rear shock or buy an aftermarket unit.

Also want to eventually adapt some 17" supermoto wheels so I can get the classic spoke wheel look.

Not really much of a budget build anymore, especially since it started out as $100 bike, but it's still not a bank breaker.

Also got this a few weeks back at a local show, which I'm pretty stoked about.



« Last Edit: November 19, 2013, 12:16:02 PM by Longfellow »

Offline Longfellow

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2013, 08:03:04 AM »

Offline emilios

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2013, 09:25:49 AM »
cheap bike u got there...
Good for u...but i think from the clutch cover is a 550 not 500..except if the previous owner made clutch works!

Offline Bankerdanny

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2013, 10:02:28 AM »
Wow, quite the transformation. Did you photodocument it? If you did I hope you can find the time to load them in here so we can see what you did along the way.
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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 Longfellow

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Re: 100$ 71' CB500 project
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2013, 11:11:18 AM »
I found out its a 500 frame with a 550 motor.

I have the build documented better elsewhere. I 'll update this one soon one i get some free time .