Topic: 500/550/650's that followed me home

[RAFster122s]

Glad to hear you guys were spared, flood waters are one of the worst things to deal with...

[rb550four]

I had some paint to use up before winter. Ended up painting a worn out South of the boarder tank, complete with all of the 70's air brush techniques, a Mexican mouse with sombrero and senorita dancing with castanets,  that has been in the rafters for years , was saving it for some day. guess that someday is here.

[rb550four]

This is the 2nd school bus yellow tank in the last couple pics and these pics.  have maybe twice the amount of flakes and clear coat than the first one I did this summer. In daylight it looks more like gold costume jewelry than school bus yellow. I think I like it.

[RAFster122s]

Those are definitely different...glad you could save the one tank.
Gee you tell us about the sombrero wielding mouse but don't show us...

[rb550four]

  This old tank has been in my rafters for years, and the last owner of this tank had it on his shop wall for years as a conversation piece...interesting enough to talk about but not good enough to use. Well , not the way it was but it's being used again now. It's the red one in bad condition ,next to the others that are also in bad condition. This is the only picture  that I could find of the tank before sanding.

[rb550four]

  My favorite 500, my first one. In the beginning this poor bike was sporting a peanut tank that was painted with an old lady's doilie design stencil  that wasn't may favorite. but it was the peanut tank that sat so high on the frame up past the handlebars and the coils and all those wires that were showing that really bothered me so I changed it to this mustang tank and always liked it . During the last paint, when I upgraded the engine to a 550 just because , the tank sported ghost flames, it was cool then, but recently I thought that I might like them better outlined in black like old school. I've been liking it much better that way , and feel even better about taking my fave 500 with a fresh 550 in it out for a ride. I wonder if I should start looking for a 650 engine for the next time it needs freshening.

[RAFster122s]

RB,pic is grainy if I select it to view it larger. Got a better photo of it.
Looks good and sounds like a fun one too...

[rb550four]

 You were  right, that 1 st pic made me dizzy just looking at it, so I switched it out, this one any better? Or maybe this one.

[rb550four]

  It's that one, looks like I better get to some polishing on it. Looking at the blown up picture...I wonder if I can re route all those wires behind the ignition switch and up through the frame behind the horn then into the headlight bucket without pinching or stretching the wires, or interfering with the steering? It would look so much cleaner wouldn't it?
 

[RAFster122s]

That is unique and unusual how the frame has been covered and flows into the tank. Photo much easier on the eyes...

[rb550four]

 So it's winter and it's really cold and I don't work when it's really cold so I have taken a little time off . I've been looking through the barn at some 500 engines that I should rebuild this year before I get too old to do it anymore.
 I have a few complete gasket kits , but not really. Have you ever dropped or misplaced those head 2 Orings or put them in that "safe place" that you'll be sure to find them again and can't. They have been more elusive than a 10mm socket . Anyways I was looking at this site
  https://www.theoringstore.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=368_1023_2347
for a possible replacement . The closest I can find to the original 2.4mmx 11  is a 2.5 mmx11 v90fkm fluorocarbon 90 durometer  , I have read about today's replacement kit Oring problems maybe not being big enough or the right compound to squish properly  and cause premature failure, I would like to avoid that . does this sound like a good altenative?

[RAFster122s]

I think so, Mark Paris might be interested in the discussion as he researched and finds things like this for his rebuilds...

Would it be possible to break down a messy motor, run it through the parts washer, and bring it inside to a place prepped for working inside in the warmth? Might make life more enjoyable in the winter ❄️❄️❄️.

[rb550four]

  Yes, bringing in already cleaned engine parts and rebuilding it in the house would most certainly be more enjoyable, but, although my wife will let me get away with allot of things.....motorcycle stuff in the house is no longer one of them.
  I was toying with the idea of rebuilding them (there is only 3 half decent 500 engines left on the shelves to rebuild) in a enclosed cubby with an electric heater when it warms up a little,and just getting them done. Tomorrow will be in single digits so this week shows little promise . That's why I'm trying to hunt down some parts that are missing, like those Orings ...and all those 10mm sockets.

[Gurp]

The dreaded missing 10mm, for me it seems to be the 13mm is always gone.

[rb550four]

  So , after trying the sohc 10 step program the garage hasn't had but a couple new additions...Ain't really backsliding, just testing my strength over the lure of out of control purchasing of old Hondas. Cold Turkey is just a cruel and unusual treatment to try to curb the need to purchase as many 500,550, and 650's as possible. I haven't purchased a bike for a while maybe longer , and there's really nothing wrong with that....but it does mean it'll take me allot longer to collect every one of them on the face of the planet.
  Anyways , I was minding my own business just a lookin' at Facebook one night when suddenly, as I was a scrolling, much to my surprise , there came a 71 500
tortured project that someone gave up on a few years back just a couple miles down the road from my garage. I saw a picture of this poor incomplete machine that had obviously hid out in a corner long enough that the owner forgot about it , and now there it is on the owner's lawn trying to escape by putting a for sale sign on itself. I know it doesn't have the strength to make it to my garage on it's own.  But what was I to do, I've dam near recovered from all of this.... I'll give it a couple days and see if it escaped.  7 days passed and that poor bastard was barely standing, laying far into  the mud on it's side stand from the rains it was left ito endure  in.  I tell ya  man , I tried to look away......but just couldn't.  I called the owner at 10 at night on that pitch dark , raining night, not knowing anything about it's condition, only seeing it and it's relief  for the first time by my trailer's tail lights as I was loading it." Just a couple miles more down the road  there is a safe haven for bikes like you, you poor bastard, don't worry, you're safe now " I assurred it.  And had it in the garage safe and sound by eleven. 

[Gurp]

Safe sound and warm. You're a good man. Rescuing that innocent motorcycle

[RAFster122s]

Rich, that is a good bit of creative writing... Very humorous it made me smile while reading...
That is a challenge with the way life has been lately ...

Hope you are enjoying the late spring and warmth of your coming summer. We broke 100 in Tucson before the end of April and today reached the century temp mark out here in the desert far NW of town...
Enjoy!

[rb550four]

  Spring seems like it's been a long time coming here in NY, 39 last night and a windy 53 for the high today but it seems we may just skip spring and head right in to summer this year as the forecast for next week will be in the low to mid 80's. No time to get acclimated but I'm thinking we might just get used to it.

[rb550four]

 So I gave that 71 500 a look n see , to find out what ails it, and that gave me a chance to find some parts that I may have been squirreling away ...you know just in case. And now this  so far un named 500 might just be the just in case I have been waiting for.
  I'm gonna get this right out in the open straight away....I haven't taken a picture of it when I picked it up, and I have been helping it along with some shelved parts whenever I could steal away from the other things that I'm supposed to be doing. so there are no pics yet.
   The last owner did take the whole machine apart except for the engine as far as I can tell right now.  He removed all the paint from the frame and repainted it and did a halfways decent job. except there is allot of black pain on things that don't need black paint ,like the ground cable...both ends all sides completely covered in paint, even the engine mount hardware was almost completely painted. guessing the battery didn't get to do what it is supposed to do.all that is getting cleaned up.
   The fuel tank has a ding on one side where the fork  has hit it, didn't like that much usually means a chance of a bent frame from impact . I gave it a thorough looking over and found that there was no road rash on anything, not on the headlight ring, not on the blinkers  or seat , the forks looked straight ( but I didn' reuse them ) the top tree was busted at both forks and they had the D washers in place, the bars were straight but the master cylinder was missing , the grips look orig. the bottom tree had a turnstop that is almost broke off on the dent side but I couldn't find any other damage that would suggest anything more than someone dropped it from their  parked truck while moving it and it measures out fine compared with the other 71's here.  So the triples got replaced along with a new set of all balls rollers for the neck. I had a very nice set of forks from a 500T that took the place of the orig rusty ones along with a better rim than the rusty orig.  , the fender was in pieces in a box, it's complete buffed and mounted  and looks nice now,a fresh pair of gaiters  and  viola. all better.
 I cleaned up the wiring harness that had all kinds of numbers on masking tape on every wire.....they are color coded, one of the few things that didn't have black paint sprayed on them, why number them ...maybe he was color blind. but the wires are all clean and plugged in where they are supposed to be, the hardest part was getting all that dam numbered  tape off of the wires. all better.
  Been cleaning off rust from the rear wheel,  have brake shoes going in soon .The brake actuator was taken apart and now sports a return spring too, orig was MIA. all better.
  The engine is an unknown ,locked up for some reason ...but PO thought it was a good idea to remove the grease and shine up the chrome and aluminum parts  with a wire wheel on a grinder then paint....we'll see how that goes. I'll get some pics next time.

[rb550four]

  I went back and put some new brake shoes on and did the usual greasing and polishing of the aluminum parts after getting some of that black paint off the parts that i like to be shiny. I did bring the camera this time so you know it happened.
  Out of all the bikes that I've gotten a hold of , I can't remember a single one being a factory green color.I look on facebook and it seems that everyone else seems to have them, how is that possible I wonder, is it just that our local Honda shops thought maybe only the orange or gold would sell? Did  anyone really like that green or did they just get a green bike at a better price because they sat around longer than the other colors? Don't know for sure but after seeing all those green ones on FB , well that's all I want now.
  This is the poor bast#4d as it sits now since under going a beautification exercise, rust removal ,front end, and a buffing of parts that should shine'wire harness clean up and rewire.
  Not all the rust has been removed yet ,I want to soak some other chrome parts like shocks spokes on rims in Evaporust and see if that'll help, I saw that someone here did that in a wheel tub and it made a decent difference.
  Once everything else seems to be in order I will take that engine apart to see what the problems are. I poured oil in her when It came home and it only took a couple days for it to all leak out....i'd bet there is no pan gasket in it or maybe it's a silicone job  or some kind of cost saving idea like that..... or the string from a Leatherman seat cover . No telling what you can find in a project engine.
   Speaking of engines, I'm down to my last on the shelf rebuilt 550 engine .Was saving it in case I blow one up ....and I'd put it in this bike in a flash but I'm fresh out of 550 clutch cable engine mounts....would anyone have one laying around that they may never use and would care to sell it?

[RAFster122s]

Well Rich, you can repaint this one to be Freedom Green, we will not stand in the way...
Statistically green cars are more problematic, or that used to be trufor some reason... Not pulling your leg at all. Maybe dealers knew that and shyed away from stocking green bikes in your neck of the woods...

Working outside on car...
Oil change at night when it is much more pleasant temp wise than the 106 yesterday or 105 Saturday afternoon between 3 and 5 typically peak heat. Didn't the planet get the memo? We are Not suppose to be having 100s consistently until next month and it is only suppose to be in the 90s up to 100 later in last half of month? We broke 100 for 3rd earliest date in the last week of April.
I put the car on ramps Friday night and pulled the drain & filter housing and Saturday morning I began looking for the T55 I had bought for the job to not find it! Gave up and decided I would need to go buy one around noon I was ready to go ride to buy another and it was 100f already. I had a migraine Friday night and worked at night. Saturday morning after sun up and tending to the dog and putting plenty fresh water out for the stray dog that began living on my property in at least late January. He was looking pretty ragged skinny so I began feeding him and he will not let me get near him. He looks to be a lab mix and 8s black except for a white patch 9n his chest. He is really sneaky at night...

I've created shelter for him but he prefers hanging out under a tree and burrowing  beneath the bush to create more room...he must be an Army dog as he burrows or digs down to where he is recessed to ground level In his foxhole...

Saguaro Cacti are blooming again, same time as last year. The saguaro are the cactus with the arms... Native only to the Sonoran desert in Mexico, Arizona, and part of California. So any old westerns with Saguaros likely we're done here in Tucson at Old Tucson Studios less than 10 miles from me or they might have been filmed in another studio in California.that has some Saguaro Cacti. But most were filmed here if they featured the Saguaros.
The lights draw in the bugs.
Well, I gotta finish up and go get the a Redbox DVD I rented earlier so I can watch it...

Developed bad migraine during my ride for the tool as it returned with a vengeance and ride back home was very painful and I stopped for about 60 min to cool down, eat , and hydrate. Cooling vest didn't last 15 min... didn't soak it long enough and 8% humidity sucks the water out of everything.
Sunday I stayed inside after feeding dog and giving him plenty of water around 7:30am and didn't go outside again until after dark.

Today no migraine, thank you God...
So, was able to do some stuff outside this afternoon until I got into some Cholla cacti with them penetrating my tennis shoes on the side. The walk back to the steps of back porch wasn't fun. Cholla are evil cacti and their spines are barbed on the end.they often feel like they are burning pain as well when they embed themselves in your flesh.
At least mosquitoes aren't too bad (yet), I keep the water changed so they cannot start breeding if any are around. DEET keeps them away at night.
If it is calm I can use a repellant device I have that will give me about 15 sq feet of repellant protection.

[rb550four]

  I just don't know how folks can survive temps in the 100+ range, I 'm having a hard time in the 80's as we hadn't the time to acclimate. This weekend is supposed to be 93 here, been eyeballing the air conditioner out in the barn and thinking it might be more useful hanging out the window in the house if it's gonna be like that.
  I'm told that the key is massive water intake, air conditioning and plenty of breaks during the day . Sometimes it feels like it works  but most times we just know that we're just baking and overheated . Anything short of grabbing a long nap in a dark cool place or being in cool water just won't do.
   Arizona in the summer sounds like Hell to me , don't know how you do it.

[RAFster122s]

Well, it is something that you have to adjust to..it takes a while but my arthritis and joint issues feel so much better in the dry heat. Until you experience dry heat of the desert you cannot understand it. You adjust to it the best you can.
The sunshine helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder and folks with Depression, if you get outside to enjoy the sunshine.
Sitting in the sun early in the day helps with your vitamin D levels as well. But, you have to have exposed skin...

The sun here has given many visitors a nasty burn especially in winter as the rays are pretty intense and the dry air doesn't filter as much UV. It doesn't take long to get that sunburn either...

The tough part is when the monsoon rains happen, if they do, and the humidity goes up and that my friend is unpleasant...very high heat and 50% humidity is pretty crazy... Body temp temps become sticky and unbearable.
I will take bone dry and hot anyway over 80s and humid.
Only problem with extreme temps is you dehydrate very quickly and the intense heat leads to headaches and you can get heat stroke if you don't stay hydrated and take breaks to cool off.
You quit needing to go to the bathroom and that is a warning sign you are dehydrated. A gallon a day of fluids that aren't caffeine laced or sugary is a good rule of thumb for many strapping working males...
You learn the hard way sugary drinks in the heat will make you sick...
I lived in NE TN growing up, then NC for a couple years before being in central Ohio for 19 years...
So I am familiar with humid weather, not Mississippi or Louisiana levels but sticky humid heat never the less.
I prefer the desert.

[Gurp]

Yes Raf I agree.
I was born in So Cal. It's not bad until the damned rainy season hits.

[rb550four]

  I've been stealing a half hour here and a half hour there taking the engine apart in the cradle to see what ails it... and to make it lighter for when I pull it out of the green 500. Covers are off , clutch is out ( the plates were all stuck together from sitting w no oil), new brakes on the rear, polished  whatever I took off if it needed it or not,new rear sprocket ,rear brake rods are cleaned polished and installed...with the the addition of new replacements for the missing cotter pins. All in good working order there so far. Rubber and steel front brake lines are on order.
   So I haven't ridden for 3 years now , last week I got the 2001 750 ace , my fave 500 with the 550 engine upgrade and my fave 1980 650 road worthy and put  the 3 bikes back on the road. Had nice rides on all of them except the fave 500 which ended in front wheel bearing failure after I hit a bump a half mile from the house on my way back...they all wear out sooner or later so I replaced them with All Balls sealed units today, took it out , problem solved and another very nice ride was had.
   Ordering new chain and front sprocket for the green 500 . A few more parts to remove before I can set the engine free from the cradle and up tp the work bench to brake it down completely.