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

[rb550four]

It was a Limco Color # Y0510, in Acrylic. Not expensive , but not cheap either.
   Very small metalflake, It's a subdued gold, not flashy. I chose it because I sprayed the frame a dark metalflake green and it went together nicely.... That was 3 years ago , I should have clear coated it but didn't....My tastes have changed since then so I'm thinking of going a little brighter  on the body work and taking the frame back to black.
    My local body shop supply store shut down this year so  paint is a big PITA to get...so I went to Auto Zone and picked up some black, red ,  blue and clear of their paints, they are pre measured lacquer , never tried that brand but figured what the hell, try it once. They have a gold color but it looked kinda cheesy to me so I didn't get it. I'll shoot it, take pictures and give an opinion  about the brand afterwards.
  Napa has Martin Senior auto paint ...but I don't like it. The color isn't deep , it just looks shallow , cheap,and waxy to me, so I'm looking for another brand. I do like Pittsburgh paints , a wide verity of mixes, different price points, custom flavors, only problem... an hour to get to.
  So we'll see how this lacquer turns out.
 

[Stev-o]

Hey rb........you need some 650 carbs?

[rb550four]

Why yes I do Stev-o. Do you still have some?

[Stev-o]

Why yes I do Stev-o. Do you still have some?

Sold! (To you)

[rb550four]

I had a  few hours after work and made  that  550 F it in a box, cleaning and polishing along the way.
  The frame is being wire brushed clean with a wire wheel on a grinder, then sand blasted in the tight and stubborn spots.
    Picked up gloss black for frame paint day. Can hardly wait, haven't painted a dam thing since fall.
Trailered the 650 from the theater to the barn, it gets dismantled after the 550 F frame gets painted.
    I have been thinking about the 550 k semi chop, it's all  correct except for the forks, paint and extended swing-arm, perhaps I should leave that engine in that bike after a frame repaint and change out the swing-arm , take it back towards stock instead of introducing 650 parts to it. I know , Chicken $hit.
   Okay , I can accept being chicken $hit on the K,  but the F gets the full 650 treatment then . I can live with that.

[rb550four]

Prepped the F frame and gave it a shot of gloss black. I got some drips, it's been a while since a last paint, pissed with myself but I think it'll get the thumbs up anyhow.
  The 650 got wheeled up to the lift to be broken down . I whispered the plan to it and it looked happy enough, then came the "Hey ,Wait a minute", " you're going to do what? NOOO!!!" . I should have whispered in Russian like the guy in the commercial telling Yellow Peanut M&M what he was going to do him after he gets out of the trunk.
  Too noisy to work  in the barn tonight, I'll see if it's quieter in the morning, then  maybe I can get some work done.

[rb550four]

Don't like drips, looked at it this morning, There's only two drips, thought I could let it go but... anything worth doing once is certainly worth doing twice. So I'll shoot it again this morning then break down the 650 while it dries.

[Stev-o]

Thing is, if you are not satisfied with it, it will always be on your mind.  "I should of..."

[rb550four]

Exactly.  The new paint is drying now.

[rb550four]

 I was just about to start on the 650 when I thought that  I should check the E mail , and see what CL sellers was  interested in selling their machine to me today. 500 parts bike for $125 came up, so I picked it up.... you know, just in case.
  Got back , slid open the garage door where my newly painted (for the second time frame , complete with tapered bearings) 550f frame was hanging on wires and got caught in the door and fell directly on the threaded area of the lower tree thoroughly FUBARing it and scratching the now satisfied with paint.
  Sometimes Lady luck smiles at you and gives you a kiss, other days, she'll smile and kick you in the nuts... it's one of those days.

[Mcwilliams570]

I was just about to start on the 650 when I thought that  I should check the E mail , and see what CL sellers was  interested in selling their machine to me today. 500 parts bike for $125 came up, so I picked it up.... you know, just in case.
  Got back , slid open the garage door where my newly painted (for the second time frame , complete with tapered bearings) 550f frame was hanging on wires and got caught in the door and fell directly on the threaded area of the lower tree thoroughly FUBARing it and scratching the now satisfied with paint.
  Sometimes Lady luck smiles at you and gives you a kiss, other days, she'll smile and kick you in the nuts... it's one of those days.

Ah man that sucks well sounds like a good time to have a few beers 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

That severely BLOWS.   

[rb550four]

Stuff happens ,  I'm getting past it.
   Been working 12 hr. shifts this week, suffering from Dragon ass but , found enough energy tonight to start the 650 teardown tonight. I'm not moving very fast, so I gonna cut my days to  10 hrs so there's time to live after the day's done.
    I thought I had a 1200 mile engine, my mistake , it's a 1700 miler. I have a fresh 650 wiring harness since the original one was cooked. I think someone jumped it off their car or something. I't's used but came with all the electronic stuff on it. So I'll use that.
    Engine comes out tomorrow and gets ready for some paint just to freshen it up a bit.
   

 

[rb550four]

Another 12hr day, got out to the garage. Removed 650 engine and swing arm, wired down and painted the swing arm .
  Will try and get to cleaning up the engine and making that ready for paint. Then it's drill out time on the 550f frame to accept the 6550 swing arm bolt. If I can just do a 10 hr day at work I'll have time to switch out the  front end too. That would be nice to get some of all these parts back on one frame instead of all over the floor.

[Stev-o]

12 hours? Tell them to give you a break!

You get the 650 carbs?

[Tews19]

Subscribed!  You are a 550 building machine.

[rb550four]

Stev-O, The boss is a slave driver , a real son of a  B1tch, a jerk , and an A hole....dammit , I'm the boss!
I'm a working contractor, I've had my own construction company for 30 years. I'm working with a younger crew, told them I could run circles around all of them.... they don't stop, they just keep on going and I can't say UNCLE. They are just kicking my a$$. This has been going on for 4 weeks. Stubborn bunch. They'll be getting a bonus for this.
  And  Yes I did get the carbs , Thank you!
   Got the 1700 mile engine cleaned up this morning with some paint thinner and a battery of brushes, picked up some Duplicolor 500 degree paint in cast iron, cast aluminum,and low gloss black. A roll of a tape and a newspaper and I was off to the races. Engine was finished and hit with a hair dryer for 2 hours hung it off the lawn mower handle and rolled it around every 20 minutes. Toasty.
  Drilled out the frame, slipped in the 650 swing arm and shocks. Changed out steering , had an extra 650 frame laying around for parts. Forks, wheels, brakes, handle bars,buffed front chrome and added the 650 lighting.
  After dinner the now painted 650 engine was transplanted into the 550f rolling frame. Pics tomorrow, lighting isn't that good tonight and I'm pretty beat.

[calj737]

RB - I'd tell you those young c-suckers that they would have gotten a bonus had they not worked you so hard! That'll teach them 

I'd bet they're just as bloody tires as you but won't let up due to pride. I can picture it now, "Who needs a bloody cement truck, I'll mix it by hand!" (as the testosterone challenge ensues and escalates). Better tell them you've a doctors appointment out of town, and you'll be away for a day or two. Then, get some rest, finish up your bike, and go back and tear them up-

[Stev-o]

Stev-O, The boss is a slave driver , a real son of a  B1tch, a jerk , and an A hole....dammit , I'm the boss!

Hilarious!

[rb550four]

This is an idea of what has been going on around here.

  Last week I picked up this parts bike for the forks and tach drive...worth 125 to me.

pulled the 550f motor out of frame.

Painted 550f frame, 650 swing arm & front end, added tapered bearings , Viola ...Roller

set freshly painted 650 engine in 550F frame.

[Stev-o]

Looks good, quick roller!

Will be interested how the 650 improves performance.

[rb550four]

The 650 does pretty good. It's not a 750 but when you are sitting at the stop sign on a 500 you wait until there's no oncoming maybe 200 ft in 30 mph traffic, on the 550 I can step out over the line with oncoming 25 feet closer than the 500, with the 650 at the stop sign in 30 mph oncoming  traffic, about 150 feet comfortably (for me), ( as long as I remembered to turn the petcock  back on if after stopping).
 The 650 Plus... is a bit faster than the 550, has more pull up hills, the suspension is less severe, and you can get some nicer tires in the swing arm.
             Minus... Modern style design, nonclassic look, funky handlebars, comstars usually. I have the non custom 650 project  with spokes going on now, bummer is that dual disc front was only offered with comstar wheels.
 It's what the 550 could have been had it one more year of production and a couple more cc"s.

[rb550four]

Carbs, choke cable and throttle cables are on. New oil filter,  checked out the stuff in the pan  no metal at all, looking good , put that back on. 650 exhaust cleaned up and on .
  Put on the 550 rear fender' it a kind of beat, don't like it, may switch out to 650 rear fender and lighting...I like the blinkers on the tail light for a change, there will be some altering to do to get the rear grab bar back on.
   Ordering new chain...don't like the O ring that was there, I like a master link.
I'd like to do something different with the air box...like no air box,and a K&N  if I can find one that fits or start getting creative with other ideas.
  Wiring is next though, I usually have all that stuff done before the carbs go on, a little backwards, but I don't see any problems doing it in this order.

[rb550four]

Rained out at 5 ,had some time to play.
81 650 battery box and wiring swap to 550F
So, If you don't know , the 550 air box and battery are opposite on the 650. so to install the 650 battery box on the air cleaner side  isn't too tricky. The 550 air box mounting holes in the frame can be used to mount the battery, here's how I do it I use the origonal insulator on the battery box and bolt it to the front mount for the 550 air box. I use 2 insulators for the rear mount,then use a 550 front engine mount, and bolt it together


You can weasel the stock 650 airbox in if you want, been there did that, want to try something different this time....still working on it.

The tool box that is bolted to the battery box gets unbolted

cut

and bolted back onto the battery box upside down, thread in the harness first, it's tight in there.The reason for this is the rectifier/regulator needs to be remounted there.

Connect the wires and button it up.

This 650 swap works on the 550 f without trimming the side covers, the K's that I've done before, needed the sidecovers trimmed to accept chrome carb trim.
The cdi boxes can be mounted sideways on the closest bolt to the air cleaner in this application, length wise with frame if using the stock 650 air box, and you'll have to drill the mounting hole.
this is what mine looks like with open filter.

  I had a beat 550 fender that I wanted to change out to 650 fender and keep the 550 grab bar.
cut off the 650 bolts , move fender forward too accept 550 grab bar mounting bolts, redrill fender on the top of the frame grommet and bolt together

[rb550four]

This is what the electrics looks like  basically finished.

next time I get to play , I'm gonna hook up the 650 coils on 550 frame ( they are different) like this.