Topic: Logan's Reward - CB500 and CB550 Cafe Projects

[callmejarob]

+1 on the Blaze Discs, thats what Ill be using too!  My electronic setup is pretty much identical to what cal posted above.

[Maurice]

What about mirrors? Can you still use bar-end mirrors with this type of blinker?

IMO under-bar mirrors do not cut it at all, I've tried.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I bought a pair of the Blaze discs but I'm not sure if I will use them on my 750 or another project, since I already have some Joker signals and Rizoma bar-ends for the 750.  And, I do not think you can use bar-end mirrors with the Blaze signals.

[Maurice]

What kind of mirrors do you use? This is for my SR500 that currently has some antlers on it, and I'm sure at some point Ron will be looking for some too.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

What kind of mirrors do you use? This is for my SR500 that currently has some antlers on it, and I'm sure at some point Ron will be looking for some too.

Assuming your questions was to me, I am using Rizoma Reverse Retro mirrors and bar-ends.

[Maurice]

What kind of mirrors do you use? This is for my SR500 that currently has some antlers on it, and I'm sure at some point Ron will be looking for some too.

Assuming your questions was to me, I am using Rizoma Reverse Retro mirrors and bar-ends.

Yes the question was for you.

What's a good mirror solution for Ron should he go with the blaze discs?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

What kind of mirrors do you use? This is for my SR500 that currently has some antlers on it, and I'm sure at some point Ron will be looking for some too.

Assuming your questions was to me, I am using Rizoma Reverse Retro mirrors and bar-ends.

Yes the question was for you.

What's a good mirror solution for Ron should he go with the blaze discs?

I think he will need to go with something that attaches to the bar or clip-on (versus the bar end).  I just replaced my stock clutch lever with a Pro-Taper (with ball bearing hinge) for smoother pull.  To fit the new clutch perch, I had to cut the mirror mount point off the left switchblock. 



I just ordered an Emgo mount for my mirror.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CKFKI2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am installing the new stand-alone mount at the inner side of the bars.  The mirror is offset to the outside, hopefully enough see past my shoulder.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

you can use a bar-end style of mirror, but you'll need one that clamps to the threaded rod. Instead, clamp the mirror to the end of the bar, then install the m-blaze. (Install grips before mirror and Blaze units).

I detest under bar mirrors as they pick up too much light from following cars at night. Better to see the top of the following car than the bumper... Of course, a quality bar mount/perch type mirror is a great choice too. A super bike or streetifighter look  I've got a set of Rizomas picked out for my BMW that will use a traditional perch mount.

My Black 750 has the Rizoma Reverse Retro style mirrors mounted at the end of the bar with the mirrors on the top.  They work ok, but tend to get moved inadvertently.  I personally prefer a perch mount so your hands do not bump the mirror.

[Restoration Fan]

Logan graduates next week and between preparing for that, work and various other projects, I haven't had a lot of time to put on the 500 yet.  I do have the frame stripped down and ready for the engine...which I've been slowly but steadily prepping for paint.  I probably have another 5 or 6 hours of sanding and prepping to have it ready for painting.

But today I spent the afternoon helping Bill Benton unload his truckload-o-750's from his California trip.  Three drag bikes, 11 750's (with at least 3 K0's that I counted but I was too busy helping unload stuff to notice exactly how many were in there).

[AintNoEasyWay]

Haha must have been quite a trip! 11 750's. That's crazy.

[Tews19]

Lol, 11 is greedy! Bill shame on you! 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Bill must have a compound!

[Restoration Fan]

Lol, 11 is greedy! Bill shame on you! 

Well, truth be told, he left 3 frames with engines in them in Arizona with a buddy because he didn't have room for them once he put the 3 drag bikes on the truck as well. 

Altogether now?  I'd say he probably has 30 or more 750's around and that's just ones with frames.  If you count engines as well, he's got way more.  Great dude and an incredible resource for these SOHC's.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Damn!!  Too bad he's not on my side of the country!

[Stev-o]

Lol, 11 is greedy! Bill shame on you! 

Shame?  No.   We are just jealous. 

[Restoration Fan]

Cal,
That's excellent advice.  Thank you for taking the time to put it together.
The good thing about this build is that we get to do the 500 first as a "test case".  Since I have a running 500 motor, frame and pretty much all the needed components to make a running bike, I'm going with cosmetics at this point.  Cleaning up the engine to respray it.  Tidying up the frame, etc.  I have 2 wheels with good spokes both in really, really good shape.  The tires on them are serviceable for now as a roller.  Once we get ready to actually start riding it, I'll replace those with 2 new tires.

By the way, I got my Shorai battery you recommended in this week from Amazon...DANG that this is light and small compared to the one on Stella...I love it!

We will take that 500 and get it running and riding and experiment with how he likes the various handlebar heights.  We'll start off with regular placement of foot controls and then later move to rear sets once he's comfortable.  So that by the time I start on the 550, I have a definitive plan of how we want the bike to look.  On the first one, we won't use the mUnit because I want to keep the costs down so that when I sell it, I can use the money to dump into Logan's bike.

One really valuable lesson I've learned from many of your posts on various threads is the need to really plan out my components and where they'll be on these bikes.  Since we're trying to hide the electronics, the first thing I want to do is start laying out the those out before we install the engine so that we can figure out what does and doesn't work from an aesthetics AND functionality standpoint. 

I'm sure it won't be perfect on the 500 but hopefully it will be good enough to be functional and then we can apply the lessons we learn on that one to building the 550 for Logan.

By the way, do you have a specific brand/model of superbike bars you recommend?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

The body position and design Cal is advocating lends itself to a street tracker for a vintage bike. The USD forks will work well with that design too.

Rental makes great quality products including bars. That new Motogadget clamp/cluster is really clean, too.

[Restoration Fan]

LSL makes some pretty affordable, high quality aluminum bars, offered in varying heights, pull back, and color. Even have the new style of "fat bar" and my favorite, the carbon fiber bar (alloy core, carbon wrapped).

 
Just don't go looking for the super bike bars at www.lsl.com.  Fair warning...it's NOT a motorcycle site and definitely NSFW. 

[2strokeTrush]

Oh so very subscribed!

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

LSL makes some pretty affordable, high quality aluminum bars, offered in varying heights, pull back, and color. Even have the new style of "fat bar" and my favorite, the carbon fiber bar (alloy core, carbon wrapped).

 
Just don't go looking for the super bike bars at www.lsl.com.  Fair warning...it's NOT a motorcycle site and definitely NSFW. 

HAhahahaahahahahahahahaha!!!!!! 

[NobleHops]

Ron - since you've been so tolerant of others opining about how you should build Logan's Reward, I'd offer this advice:

I don't like clip-on bars for new riders. I love inverted forks, and there's not a reason in the world I wouldn't use them on his bike, especially since he wants something a tad custom and modern with vintage soul. Instead, I would use Superbike Bars installed on rises in the top clamp. You can choose from a variety of lift heights to accommodate the exact posture and clearance of the tank too.

...

I could not agree more, and certainly would not have said it better. All I might add is that if you look at photos of the Superbike racers of the 70s, riding 70s bikes, they ALL used the Superbike bars Cal is suggesting. If clip-ons worked better for these 70s bikes, they'd have used them.

A way better choice IMO.

[AintNoEasyWay]

Yes, I <3 super bike bars...

[Restoration Fan]

I got most of the paint stripped off of the 500 tank, as well as getting almost all of the paint off of an early K model 750 tank I received as part of the "parts and engine purchase".  The 750 tank had literally 9 different discernable coats of different colored paint on it but looks pretty decent underneath now that I'm down to the bare metal on most of it.  Still need to probably put another coat or two of aircraft stripper on it tomorrow.

Regarding the 500 tank though, I've seen guys like Cal get some pretty good dents out of tanks before.  How would you recommend attacking the large dent in this one on the left side?  I almost reconsidered trying to do the knee indentations since the left side has a start already  but I think I want the lines on this first one to be more the stock style tank....at least at first.



Also got the frame touched up.  Bill told me this was a low mileage bike when the engine locked up on it and I believe it.  The original frame powdercoating was in really good shape on the bike on 95% of the frame and there's absolutely zero rust on it.


I didn't mess with cleaning up the center stand because it's only staying on the bike while the construction is ongoing...it'll come off once the bike is ready to ride.  Also, I won't be de-tabbing very much right now.  Once I get a cafe-styled seat and seat pan, I'll decide what has to go there but I have a set of superbike handlebars on order and a few bits and pieces from CognitoMoto are about to be placed for the under-seat electronics tray to hide the electronics. 

I won an auction for a set of 500 front forks on eBay this afternoon that will go onto this bike.  By the time those arrive, I'll have the cleanup of the wheels done and expect to have a roller by first of next week. In the meantime, I'm going to change the oil and plugs in the engine Thursday and test the oil pressure before the engine gets prepped and painted and put back into the frame.  That will probably take another week to 10 days before I have it ready to go from a cosmetic perspective.

All in all...just feels good to be making some progress.  Spent most of the entire holiday weekend with my baseball team so that is starting to put a drain on the time available for working on the bikes.

[Restoration Fan]

Cal,
Do you use something like rebar bent at an angle when you're doing it?  Or do you have a special tool you purchased?  I've seen the dent removal tools and don't mind buying one if it works.

[NobleHops]

I use a tool purchased for the work.

...


Hope that helps -

Man, I hafeta learn how to do this. I watched a guy do paintless dent removal on my wife's car a couple of years ago and he was very skilled - it was amazing. Thanks Cal.