Topic: 1975 CB550K1 - Stock-ish Restomod - More Mods

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Great paint work.  Love the color.   I now find myself wishing for the dual front discs.   Love that look and I am sure the breaking performance is tight also.    I may need to start hunting for rotor, calipers and mounting gear.   Will back read this build to see how you attacked that.

Most of the front disc hardware came from Godffrey: calipers and mounts, drilled and thinned rotors and phenolic pistons, and a modified speedo drive plate. The discs were countersunk so longer bolts were not needed. Everything bolted in, but the alignment took some work on the right side caliper.

Braking performance with EBC pads is good. Not doubled but much improved.

[bwaller]

There you go, great looking bike with upgrades but still instantly recognised as a CB550. Nice job.

[onetruepunk87]

Love how this turned out, I've got a similar vision for my CB500 build. I have an extra brake rotor for mine already, this makes me want to grab an extra set of brake parts and some 550 forks.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Thanks, guys.  Onetrue, Godffrey supplies very nice reconditioned parts. My brake calipers looked brand new until some brake fluid took some paint off. One of the reasons I love powdercoating.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I need to swap out the idle jet, as the 550 is overly prone to stalling at idle.  I also need a new oil sump gasket, as a leak has developed below.   

[Blackfin5]

Original, but upgraded - very nicely done.  It looks like you just uncrated a 2014 CB550.  I like it.  Let me know if you ever ride through the S.D. back country.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Original, but upgraded - very nicely done.  It looks like you just uncrated a 2014 CB550.  I like it.  Let me know if you ever ride through the S.D. back country.

Thanks. I wanted the bike to retain its stock character since my other projects embrace more modern upgrades. I've been up Palomar and Julian a few times. Great roads.

[bwaller]

Re the oil pan o-ring, I have found those new Honda O-rings have become thinner over time (valve cover, breather cover, oil pan etc.) I bought some replacements from 4into1.com and found the cross section is thicker. I have always been true to Mother Honda for OEM replacement parts but I was about to make my own cover O-rings when I discovered these guys. Their prices seem good and they shipped quickly.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Bummer.  They are out of stock on the rubber o-ring gasket!

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

The brake calipers needed new seals.  Although they were new from Godffrey, they managed to be leaking after installation.  New Honda OEM seals and repainted calipers (since the brake fluid ate some of the paint off).

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

They're more fun when they run.

I took the 550 for a ride over the South Bay bridges into San Pedro.  She ran like a champ with the new idle jets.  I only wish she had as much power as my 836 with that lighter 550 weight.  Unfortunately, on the turn around, the bike started fluttering and missing.  I pulled off to one of the port exits (off the bridge) just in time for her to sputter and stall.  There was plenty of juice in the battery, and the starter was working fine -- just no spark.  I checked and reconnected all of the wiring connections to the Dyna 2000 box, the coils, the plugs, etc.  Nothing was loose.  I ended up getting a flatbed tow home. 

I let her rest a couple of hours and then she started again, but after running about five minutes the same thing happened.  It's almost like my Dyna ignition is overheating or something. 

Suggestions??

image_zps8f469c9d by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

[Tews19]

I have read the dynas will take a #$%*. I would call them up. Tell them you did troubleshooting for other issues and everything points to the Dyna. Maybe put the points plate back on and see if the problem is still there.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I will have to do some more troubleshooting to see if the Dyna took a dump. It's a brand new unit with maybe a few hundred miles on the clock.

[bwaller]

How long did you ride before it ran into trouble? I'm just wondering about the tank vent, inline gas filter??, fuel issues first. If you rode it any distance first then likely not.

I have had my issues with the D2K's. If we were closer I'd send a box & trigger plate for you to try. As suggested you can install a points plate to know for sure.

[flatlander]

keeping an eye on this... interested to find out if this is due to the dyna2000 or something else.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

How long did you ride before it ran into trouble? I'm just wondering about the tank vent, inline gas filter??, fuel issues first. If you rode it any distance first then likely not.

I have had my issues with the D2K's. If we were closer I'd send a box & trigger plate for you to try. As suggested you can install a points plate to know for sure.

After the latest round of tuning, I rode it about 40 miles.  No apparent fuel issues.  It started as a "miss" issue with noticeable power loss and bogging. At first, I though it was a loose wire to one of the coils or the plug wires, since it felt like I lost two cylinders.  Then as I pulled off the road, it felt and sounded like I lost the remaining cylinders into a stall.  I couldn't get the bike to fire.  I pulled and reconnected the wires to the Dyna box, to the coils and to the plugs.  No joy. 

After a few hours of non-running, I fired the bike straight up but after five minutes of running the same thing happened. 

The starter motor is working fine too. 

I've never had a Dyna crap out on me on my 750, even when riding in the heat here in Southern Cal -- and yesterday was not hot, either.  This Dyna unit maybe has a few hundred miles on it.

[calj737]

Don - stock coils or Dyna? And what's deal with your Reg/Rec? Stock or aftermarket?

I've noticed my Dyna coils get pretty dang hot, though I've not had any issues with my Dyna S or them. Just gathering info...

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Dyna 2000, Dyna suppression wires and Dyna coils.

Rick's regulator/rectifier, in a spot where it gets plenty of ventilation.

[bwaller]

If it was a coil, it would continue to run on the opposite two cylinders. I have had two separate issues with these crank triggers. In both cases the bike idled fine on all four but wouldn't rev past 5500 or so. This is obviously a different issue but could still be ignition.

When it happened the second time was there spark at the plugs? I'm sure you're all over this, but try it again & when it stalls check for spark.

I have seen goofy things happen with fuel lines breaking down and blocking flow, so if there is actually spark after it stalls you'll have a new avenue to follow. I've been frustrated with fuel line the last while, maybe it's junk line, possibly ethanol.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

If it was a coil, it would continue to run on the opposite two cylinders. I have had two separate issues with these crank triggers. In both cases the bike idled fine on all four but wouldn't rev past 5500 or so. This is obviously a different issue but could still be ignition.

When it happened the second time was there spark at the plugs? I'm sure you're all over this, but try it again & when it stalls check for spark.

I have seen goofy things happen with fuel lines breaking down and blocking flow, so if there is actually spark after it stalls you'll have a new avenue to follow. I've been frustrated with fuel line the last while, maybe it's junk line, possibly ethanol.

No spark. After cooling overnight, it fired but was dead missing on a cylinder. Fuel is running fine. Then another cylinder misses after more running and eventually a stall. Then no spark.

[bwaller]

Better call Dynatek.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Yep. Hopefully they will stand behind their product.

[bwaller]

They will know the manufacturing date but not how many hours it has run! (that was my problem  ) Hopefully you didn't but it three years ago otherwise they should look after you. It doesn't happen overnight however.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

They will know the manufacturing date but not how many hours it has run! (that was my problem  ) Hopefully you didn't but it three years ago otherwise they should look after you. It doesn't happen overnight however.

I bought it in December so it still falls under the 1 year warranty (and I have a proof of purchase) so hopefully Dynatek will just replace it.

UNRELATED QUESTIONS:  What year did Honda switch to longer fork legs on the 550?  My 1975 fork legs are too short to fit both a fork brace and fender.  I've heard that in later years, the fork legs are longer and provide more clearance so you can fit both.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Just got an answer on the fork legs in the sohc/4 bikes forum.  It looks like Honda changed the length of the 550 fork legs with the 1977-78 models.  This seems to make sense, because they changed the frame passenger peg mounts, the gas tank, upper dash and carburetors.