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Author Topic: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time  (Read 121032 times)

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Offline ceebee ninja

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #400 on: December 01, 2016, 04:55:14 AM »
I can see koni rear shocks - are they older original (pre 79) or newer - if older have you re-built them?
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #401 on: December 01, 2016, 05:12:27 AM »
they are pre 79. i have not done anything to them yet, they actually work fine. but i'm in touch with ikon to get the internals upgraded to their current standard.
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Offline ceebee ninja

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #402 on: December 06, 2016, 04:34:24 AM »
I got in touch with IKON for similar with my rear shocks - they could not help as they were too old.
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #403 on: December 06, 2016, 08:00:04 AM »
was it ikon in australia? i'm in touch with a guy there called geoff who is the boss. he's definitely sorting me out although it takes some time, and he also has another customer for whom he does the same upgrade.
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Offline RAFster122s

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #404 on: December 06, 2016, 12:49:32 PM »
Geoff is the Ikon Australia parent.  Nils, Noblehops on sohc4, became a US distributor for Ikon very recently.  It sounds like it might be a set of the non adjustable shocks as he has mentioned they don't have rebuild capabilities for those.

Best of luck sorting it out.
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #405 on: December 06, 2016, 11:00:28 PM »
what number are they? mine are 76K-1302. they can't be rebuilt with standard, available parts. needs some manufacturing.
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - gauging progress
« Reply #406 on: December 10, 2016, 01:58:58 AM »
sent my gauges to marcel at cb750faces.com. now he's taunting with me pictures of how they come together.



the tach had been hanging sometimes around 6k rpm which has gotten worse recently. also, the speedo needle developed a bad jitter, jumping around like crazy. so i sent them off to get them all done up, including  some fresh make-up on the needles and redline indication, where the red and orange colours had faded quite a bit.
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Offline RAFster122s

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #407 on: December 10, 2016, 03:12:50 AM »
Looks nice, but he is a master craftsman with the gauges.
Looking like gold for several years to come.

David
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Offline Stev-o

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #408 on: December 10, 2016, 07:35:57 AM »
Didn't know Marcell did 5550 gauges too?   His work is second to none, had him do some K1 gauges for an upcoming project. 
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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #409 on: December 10, 2016, 08:07:45 AM »
Amazing. Better than new.
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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)
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"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)

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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #410 on: December 10, 2016, 10:35:36 AM »
it's not on his website yet but he can do 550 gauges now. on mine, the trip meter knob is gone and he doesn't have that one. but apart from that, he can do them.
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #411 on: February 03, 2017, 11:56:09 PM »
been a bit quiet here lately... so let me just put up some before/after pics of the gauges.

















they don't only look good, they also work fine again.
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Offline Scott S

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #412 on: February 04, 2017, 04:49:45 AM »
 I know it's in here somewhere, but can you tell me where you ended up on the jetting for your combo? And needle clip position?
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #413 on: February 04, 2017, 06:16:40 AM »
at the moment it's stock carb settings for the 550F: 38, 98, 2nd clip position.

if you red some of the last posts, you see that it might be a bit on the rich side and i want to fine-tune it on the dyno. on the other hand, i want to examine my exhaust carefully as i have a suspicion that it might be rusted internally. want to wait with the dyno until i have figured out what i do with the exhaust. will mention in this thread what i'll end up with.
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Offline strynboen

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #414 on: February 04, 2017, 02:01:07 PM »
the rust can close  the small expansion holes..and in some systems make more back pressure..other rust the holes bigger..and then open up the system
both is making problems..but to build some ekstra back pressure..make a insert is easy-..vorse is the bkocked ones.(.i had once glasblasted a system and make ot block it all up..on my 2 stroke scooter)
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Offline Scott S

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #415 on: February 04, 2017, 05:18:48 PM »
Quote from: flatlander on February 04, 2017, 06:16:40 AM
at the moment it's stock carb settings for the 550F: 38, 98, 2nd clip position.

if you red some of the last posts, you see that it might be a bit on the rich side and i want to fine-tune it on the dyno. on the other hand, i want to examine my exhaust carefully as i have a suspicion that it might be rusted internally. want to wait with the dyno until i have figured out what i do with the exhaust. will mention in this thread what i'll end up with.

 I think it's pretty cool that you've got a pretty modified little motor and still run stock jetting.
 I ended  up nearly stock on a set of "lean burn" PD carbs on a mildly modded motor before. Just goes to show how forgiving these Hondas are.
 If you're rich and just can't tune it out, it may be the needles/emulsion tubes. I've had two K bikes like that. Sorta odd....maybe the P.O.'s didn't keep the air filter as clean as it should have been or something? It's gonna be hard to find jet sets (emulsion tubes/needles) for an F model, though.
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #416 on: February 05, 2017, 12:06:54 AM »
air filter is fine, it's been replaced by me. i've got some jets to play with, but no needles or emulsion tubes.
the stock carb settings are very close to being right, just a tiny bit off. the fact that now, in cold winter temperatures, the hesitation that used to be there in the summer, around 8.5-9k rpm is so much less that you can call it almost gone, makes me thing that on WOT the mix is just a tad rich. when you think about it, the mods really kick in with higher efficiency at higher rpms.

i go today and see what i can figure out about the exhaust. my feeling is i'll be getting a replacement to continue the tuning and have something that buys me time to pull apart the stock pipe and see what state it's really in.
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - muffled sounds
« Reply #417 on: February 05, 2017, 01:03:02 PM »
well the muffler doesn't come off at all. at least not without risking a certain degree of destruction which i don't want to do right now. but i don't think i can make any definite conclusions from that concerning the internal shape of it.

seems more and more likely that i'll slap on an alternative so that i can take the time to investigate my current one. might be interesting anyway, to see how the bike goes with a different exhaust.
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Offline calj737

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #418 on: February 05, 2017, 03:58:14 PM »
Scott S just showed you where to get a sexy replacement...  ;)
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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #419 on: February 05, 2017, 07:33:46 PM »
Quote from: calj737 on February 05, 2017, 03:58:14 PM
Scott S just showed you where to get a sexy replacement...  ;)

And it's closer to you than us!
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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 flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #420 on: February 06, 2017, 02:14:38 AM »
you know, those are really tempting me. so far i've been completely partial to the stock 4-1, because of my idea to keep the bike close to stock looks and also because i thing the header design was one of the characteristic elements of the 550F. all that would be lost with any other exhaust but that one... would make up for it in so many ways that i'm getting weak and ready to give up on my principles.
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Offline calj737

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #421 on: February 06, 2017, 02:21:45 AM »
The "What did you buy in a moment of weakness" thread is right over there >>>

We will be monitoring it for your confession.  :D A worthy, forgivable offense in our view.  :-*
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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #422 on: February 06, 2017, 02:36:37 AM »
yah yah... you guys are the devils that whisper in my ear!
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Offline calj737

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #423 on: February 06, 2017, 02:44:08 AM »
Quote from: flatlander on February 06, 2017, 02:36:37 AM
yah yah... you guys are the devils that whisper in my ear!
*You need that exhaust, yours is SOOOO rusty its killing the performance of your bike
*Why should Scott have the sweetest exhaust on the forum? What, like your bike doesn't deserve it?
*I bet that would raise the value of your bike
*Think of the envy of the wannabes down at the pub when I ride by like the King of Siam
*You need that exhaust. You need that exhaust. You need that exhaust.
*Mike Rieck would be so proud of you!

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'73 500 Build http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132935.0

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

Offline Stev-o

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #424 on: February 06, 2017, 07:01:58 AM »
Quote from: calj737 on February 05, 2017, 03:58:14 PM
Scott S just showed you where to get a sexy replacement...  ;)

How much ya think it is?  Going on my Xmas list!
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'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........
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