Topic: CB550 K0 project

[RSTLESS]

I spoke with the powder coating guy, he says the powder will add too much material to the forks and interfere with the fork seals. He also said that the powder can be rough in spots which would wear the seals prematurely but he could powder or paint the forks from the point of max. travel to the top triple so it looks brass in colour.

I also spoke with a company about dlc coating, they can do it for $240/fork tube with minimal material and it 'should' work.

So new plan, take aluminium tube with a 35mm or close ID and thin wall, cut them down to length and powder coat brass colour and polish to make some tight fitting fork covers that look like brass forks.

I also did a quick photoshop rendering of the direction I'm going. I'll be designing and building most of the custom parts myself, other than a few components that are already too beautiful to ignore and not add to your bike ie. FrankenFrankenStuff clear points cover and stainless exhaust by MotoGP werks.

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I picked up another bike as a parts bike for my 550. Its a 1972 CB500 with a 1974 CB550 engine. I only needed a couple parts of it but it was the right price and now I have a spare engine. I am considering selling any parts I'm not going to be using and I'll post them when I get a chance. Is there anything off a 72 CB500 in particular any one is looking for?

I'm also looking for some nice rear shocks, something in the 13" - 14" range with reservoirs. If they are black and brass or gold then huge bonus! Any body have some shocks they love the look of or know some that really perform well for a race bike/cafe?

[calj737]

If I understand you right, you're going to make an aluminum sleeve for the fork sliders? I think this sounds, er, sketchy.

The fitment won't matter, the clamping pressure won't hold the forks together with the sleeve. This will allow the fork to slide free and come loose of the steering trees. Very dangerous.

Also, I can't imagine that these sleeves wouldn't interfere with the compression stroke of the shock's travel.

Do you seek a means of changing the upper fork color? If so, spend the money to have the upper anodized or plated. Powder coat is not recommended as your guy told you. OR, swap to upside forks from a modern sport bike and get the look you want. I mean no offense, but I think you're headed in a very dangerous direction....

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I picked up another bike as a parts bike for my 550. Its a 1972 CB500 with a 1974 CB550 engine. I only needed a couple parts of it but it was the right price and now I have a spare engine. I am considering selling any parts I'm not going to be using and I'll post them when I get a chance. Is there anything off a 72 CB500 in particular any one is looking for?

I'm also looking for some nice rear shocks, something in the 13" - 14" range with reservoirs. If they are black and brass or gold then huge bonus! Any body have some shocks they love the look of or know some that really perform well for a race bike/cafe?

I guess it depends on what you regard as "nice," but you post indicates you want something that will "perform well for a race bike/cafe."  At the higher end range, you can purchase Race Tech or Works shocks.  Both have piggyback reservoir models available.  The shocks are made to order, and you can request certain colors.  You will be spending upwards of $700.   

Ohlins suspension is one of the best, and even more expensive.  Ohlins makes piggyback shocks but I have not found them available with a bottom clevis mount.  Buzz at Dynoman says they do not make them for the Honda CB line (with a clevis mount).  Aside from spending more coin on Ohlins, you will also need to fabricate new mounts on your swingarm.

I was not sure what you meant about your last post on fork tubes.  If you are set on colored tubes, they you can consider TNK Titanium Nitride coating (http://racetech.com/page/title/FTNK%20Fork%20Tubes) or other anodizing.  If you want black, you can also look into black chrome plating.  Powdercoating will be too thick and will not work.

[RSTLESS]

If I understand you right, you're going to make an aluminum sleeve for the fork sliders? I think this sounds, er, sketchy.

The fitment won't matter, the clamping pressure won't hold the forks together with the sleeve. This will allow the fork to slide free and come loose of the steering trees. Very dangerous.

Also, I can't imagine that these sleeves wouldn't interfere with the compression stroke of the shock's travel.

Do you seek a means of changing the upper fork color? If so, spend the money to have the upper anodized or plated. Powder coat is not recommended as your guy told you. OR, swap to upside forks from a modern sport bike and get the look you want. I mean no offense, but I think you're headed in a very dangerous direction....

The covers would only fit between the upper and lower triple tree and would not be clamped to the forks by the triples, just 'float' in between like stock fork covers. Otherwise, that would be sketchy to say the least lol. I know the rendering shows the forks bare (without gaitors/boots) I just wanted to see the difference but with this idea I would be using boots.

[calj737]

Gotcha. Sliders in between the trees is a good idea. You could also just buy some new headlight ears and have them powder coated to save you some fab work.

[RSTLESS]

Ya I have an extra set of the stock ears, good idea. But the stock ears are a little bulky looking, if I fab the aluminium ones they would be as tight to the fork tubes as possible.

I ordered an aluminium top triple, stainless bolt kit, and rear sets a  couple weeks ago from Bullit Custom cycles in Acton. The parts look great but the top triple needs a little work for better fitment.



Does anyone know if the tapered roller bearing steering kit on a 550 needs the top bearing cap/ lock nut? I need to get this new top triple to sit lower on the steering stem.




The rear sets are a universal kit and I was planning on using the passenger pegs for mounting but I need to fab some spacers to keep the linkage and controls from rubbing on the frame.







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[calj737]

Remove the top cap and position the new clamp against the bearing dust shield. This should still prevent the underside from rubbing the steering head collar.

Fo your rearsets, you can use an offset from shift arm. Check out fastfromthepast.clm to order one up. They also have offset brake rods should you need.

[mvttryvn]

Who did the acid dip on the tank? I was thinking about blasting mine, polishing it and throwing clear on top but yours came out awesome.

[RSTLESS]

Remove the top cap and position the new clamp against the bearing dust shield. This should still prevent the underside from rubbing the steering head collar.

Fo your rearsets, you can use an offset from shift arm. Check out fastfromthepast.clm to order one up. They also have offset brake rods should you need.

When I remove the cap the bearings are exposed. Should there be a separate dust shield?


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Who did the acid dip on the tank? I was thinking about blasting mine, polishing it and throwing clear on top but yours came out awesome.

I took the tank to a place here in town that acid dips everything from industrial components, to classic cars. Make sure where ever you go, they neutralize the acid and coat the tank inside and out with oil right after otherwise it will 'flash' rust and you'll be back where you started.


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[RSTLESS]

I was not sure what you meant about your last post on fork tubes.  If you are set on colored tubes, they you can consider TNK Titanium Nitride coating (http://racetech.com/page/title/FTNK%20Fork%20Tubes) or other anodizing.  If you want black, you can also look into black chrome plating.  Powdercoating will be too thick and will not work.

I am pretty set on brass/gold tubes for this bike but TNK doesn't offer 35mm replacement tubes for a CB550, so I emailed them asking a few questions about having them coat my tubes and I haven't heard anything back.

I figured out the problem with the top triple, the supplier sent me one that still needed some machine work so he's sending me another one that will fit. Made some 1/2" aluminium spacers for the rear sets and cut some aluminium tube to cover the threaded rods from collecting dirt. The outside of the tube is now 1/2" and its looking a little bulky. I'm thinking of picking up some 5/16 tube and threading the ends for heim joints.

I received my bearing and seals kits from All Balls. I decided to go with the All Balls because they make all the bearings and seals I need and I've heard good things about their tapered roller bearing kit (once installed properly). I also got one of Franken's clear points covers, can't wait to get this baby painted up and on the bike.

I am looking into either making my own belly pan/lower faring or using one off a sport bike. I also found these guys: http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/vintage/vintagebellypan.htm has anyone here used these on their bikes? post pictures of your bike if you have.

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I am rewiring the handle bar controls and headlight for my 1974 CB550 K0 and I'm running into a few electrical issues and after reading through the Electrical section in FAQs (which if I understand correctly I am just a few splices away from having a fully working bike) and looking over a few wiring diagrams I am a little uncertain of my wiring.

I rebuilt the front and rear end over the winter and I have switched over to clip-ons, with all new parts. I am replacing the old stock honda switches with two K&S switches that I purchased from Dime City Cycles and I am no longer running gauges, gauge lights, clutch switch, or turn signals. On the left clip-on I am using http://www.kandstech.com/pimages/12-0050.html (picture 1) this is used as my headlight/tail light on/off, high beam, and low beam, and the kill button is now my horn. On the right I am using http://www.kandstech.com/pimages/12-0203.html (picture 2) this is my electric start and kill switch. I have the horn and electric start working but I don't have power to the headlight or headlight fuse and I can still turn the engine over even with the kill switch in the off position. I tested the headlight and bulb outside of the wiring harness, Hi and Lo Beam work.

To make matters more confusing the PO had the fuses mixed up or he was an electrical genius. On my bike the fuse panel from left to right reads 5A (Tail Light) 7A(Headlight) 15A(Main) on the fuse block. the PO had a 7A fuse in the 5A (Tail Light) and 14A in the 7A(Headlight) and some screwy wiring on the ignition switch (picture 3) but I ran the bike like this all last season with all stock honda parts and I had no problems. Started right up, all lights and switches worked not one problem. While wiring this time I noticed the 7A fuse in the 5A (Tail Light) location was blown (my guess is a short somewhere) I have checked the battery, the fuse panel, the grounds, no disconnected wires, no signs of a short or any other problems found yet other than the screwy ignition wiring.

To make things easy I referenced the Haynes electrical diagram and made my own as I wired.

K&S Switches ----------------> CB550 Harness

LEFT SWITCH
HORN
WHITE----------------------------------LIGHT GREEN
BLACK----------------------------------GREEN

HEADLIGHT - no power to headlight or to headlight fuse
YELLOW (Hi Beam)--------------------BLUE (Hi Beam)
GREEN (Lo Beam)---------------------WHITE (Lo Beam)
RED (Power)---------------------------BROWN/RED (Headlight to fuse)
BLUE (Tail Light)-----------------------BROWN/WHITE (to IGNITION and to Headlight Fuse)

RIGHT SWITCH
ELECTRIC START
BLUE/WHITE---------------------------YELLOW/RED
BLACK----------------------------------GREEN/RED

RUN/KILL
RED/BLACK----------------------------BLACK
RED/WHITE----------------------------BLACK/WHITE

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Air-Tech is a pretty established company.  They make tons of fiberglass reproduction parts, including gas tanks and body work.  The quality is very good, but many of their parts require you to fabricate your own mounts/brackets.

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I don't mind making my own brackets. I tend to make my own anyway.

I'm still not sure why the headlight system isn't getting any power but I know it has something to do with this new switch and the lack of wires/connections to the 550 harness. I bypassed the switch completely and hooked the headlight system into the black wire from the ignition just to put power to the system but I still want to use the switch to control power on/ off as well any ideas how?


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