Topic: My First Bike- 1975 CB550 Four, Melbourne, Aus

[Irish Aussie 550-4]

Hi All,
I have been lurking and postponing my introduction until I had stuff to post and questions to answer.
I'm a complete newb, no mechanical experience and this is my very first bike and very first project all in one. I love my bikes but my missus hates them-cue some domestic tension! 
This is my CB550 Four. The rego says it's a 1976 but apparently there was a few complaints back then with '75 550's that didn't sell in '75, being sold in early '76 as '76's?!
I have checked the frame and engine numbers and they fit with the '75.

(Can anyone have a look at the pics and let me know if their eagle eyes spots anything that contradicts this?)
Frame No#-CB550F 1023696   
Engine No#-CB550E 1127916

I question the seat, exhaust isn't stock-(muffler possibly homemade?). Its seen some work- wiring being a bit of a sorry show. You'll spot a black wire coming off the top of the fuse box in my pic-no idea why or where its meant to go-possible earth?! Its not on any wiring diagram I can see.

She started but was noisy. So far I have had to change the cam chain tensioner. Got the last OEM in Australia AFAIK. Massive $$ saving! Done with the engine still in frame, but had to remove most of the engine fixings to shimmy it aside enough to remove it/install it. It was a nightmare with the nut locked on the tensioner bolt, the bolt spinning freely and the flathead slot burred out. Hacksaw and a lot of fiddling got it across the line.
Waiting on new gaskets and in the meantime have wire wool and brushes to clean out the old gunk. Currently struggling with the choice to polish or just to clean the covers. Have started scrubbing my spokes and shocks to remove as much of the rusty bits as possible-all just surface stuff. Degunking and sorting anodised cam cover is proving to be a balls.

Struggling with electrics-one indicator not flashing (new flasher relay ordered), Horn not working, Headlight comes on with 1st 2 ignition stages (turning the key) but not the 3rd so no headlight once started, High/Low beams also not working. I also currently have 3 wires under my seat not connected to anything and I have no idea what theyre doing.

The plans;
For now, get the gaskets in, fix the electrics and get it past a RWC.
For later, brat style seat and lights, major clean up, possible drag bars
For next year, carb clean and new floats, possible tank and covers colour change.

Parts missing
Some little washers here and there, most I can get from Honda here in Melbourne or from the US. I am missing the Air Cleaner Duct assembly-I just have the filter and its box, missing spring, tray and intake duct-not too hopeful on finding one. I hear mixed reports on this affecting performance...?
Everything after that is manageable I hope.

So, thats me. Thanks for all your help so far, I really have been getting so many great tips and answers here, you've saved me heaps of time and heartache.

Looking forward to getting involved and, most of all, taking her for her first ride!!

Al

[Irish Aussie 550-4]

Some pics to show her off, warts and all...

[vfourfreak]

Tá fáilte romhat !

Kev

[Irish Aussie 550-4]

Go raibh maith agat a chairde.

Al

[Retro Rocket]

 Welcome Irish, Do yourself a favor and skip the brat style stuff, stock bikes pull far better money here and they aren't as plentiful as in the states, cutting up a perfectly good example for a brat is a crying shame....

[Irish Aussie 550-4]

Welcome Irish, Do yourself a favor and skip the brat style stuff, stock bikes pull far better money here and they aren't as plentiful as in the states, cutting up a perfectly good example for a brat is a crying shame....

Appreciate that Retro Rocket, but at this stage I'm finding its a bit of a bastard (I'm considering calling it John Snow). Lol.
Muffler, headlight, bars, indicators, seat, side covers, decals all non stock and taken off almost any other model.
Wirings a mess, controls are poorly sorted on there, and I'm missing bits and pieces in more than one area under the seat, intake ducts, springs and overflows, the list is growing. A perfectly good example is a ways off what I think this one actually is.
Engine and frame seem to be original with true mileage (30,000 ks), headers, wheels and rear end but that's where we have to stop and ask questions about all that remain!
I'm not planning on ever reselling it either, the missus barely accepted this one, I'll never get another one in under the radar if I let this one go! Lol

[Stev-o]

Welcome from Texas.  My current project is a '76 550F

[Irish Aussie 550-4]

Good stuff Stev-o, I'd love to live in the US with one of these, the parts are far more available! Hope you're enjoying your time on the bike!
Al

[Terry in Australia]

Welcome Al, I'm not a 550 fan, but that one looks pretty clean, so have fun with it. Be careful if you decide to take a hacksaw to it though, even if you get a roadworthy and get it registered before you "customise" it, if someone sees it and thinks that it looks dangerous they can report it to VICROADS and you'll get hauled in for an inspection, and if you don't have an engineers certificate to explain away your mods, it'll be taken off the road permanently.

I was at Ace Motorcycles in West Heidelberg last week getting a RWC for my XR500R, and there were 6 or 7 "Cafe Racers"/"Brats"/"Street Trackers" there, all of which had frame mods, (mostly the rear frame sections cut off and replaced with "hoops") none of which were done by an engineer. They're all currently on Victorian "Club Permits", but the owners will never be able to re-sell them, because as the transfer to the new owner will involve obtaining a roadworthy certificate, the bikes will become unsellable.

I subscribe to AMCT (Australian Motorcycle Trader) and I've watched the BMW R800 Cafe build by Chris Harris, one of the staff journo's, and the recent SR400 Cafe build giveaway bike, both of which involve frame mods, neither of which is technically "Roadworthy", and it's interesting that AMCT are saying that they'll supply all the original parts for the SR, if the new owner needs them for a Roadworthy inspection? I'm interested to know how the lucky winner will also replace the missing frame sections to achieve a Victorian RWC?

I know that the current "Kustom Kulture" is very big here in Oz, but if the other states follow Victoria's lead, this could be the end of customised bikes as we currently know them, apart from the "Trailer Queens" that we see at bike shows . Sure, people can take their bikes to an engineer to get modified, but the engineer will only do it if it's safe to do so, and will also charge the bikes owner an arm and a leg for doing the work and providing the necessary documentation.

Roadworthy testers have been told to be very careful to ensure that they don't pass any "modified" bikes, so they are being extra scrupulous when conducting their inspections, lest they risk their testing licenses, which for many small shops are a big part of their revenue. Best perhaps to keep it looking stock and work on it's performance, most modern LAMS bikes will kick a 550's butt in so many ways Al, so some headwork/cam/carbs/ignition/suspension/brakes upgrades might be a better route to "Personalise" your bike? Have fun! Cheers, Terry.        

[Kokoda]

Great to hear someone else is taking on a build for the first time as well.  I have just picked up a 1977 CB550F and have just stripped it down. Brand new to the re-build process but willing to have a go.  So far I have got a new wiring loom done, modified frame with a loop put on the back, had a leather seat made to fit the new loop, carbies overhauled and a lot of new parts ordered.  Cleaning all the bits now to send the frame and parts off to get powder coated. Hard part will be putting it all back together.  Biggest issue is getting parts at a reasonable price.  Would love to hear if anyone has some good websites to try.  I find the U.S. sites are good but the freight kills you.  Look forward to any updates from you and hopefully we can compare.

[pepsie62]

Another Aussie! G'day Mate!
The airbox is critical on these things, I attempted to repair mine on my CB750 but it was too far gone (rubber degraded, cracks in the plastic). Turned out that the carbs were leaking internally anyway so I got some Keihin CR Special 29mm carbs so now I don't have to deal with the nightmere of the airbox, just the nightmere of tuning the keihins  . Hopefully you have better luck with yours, I'm sure you will find bits and pieces on ebay.

Regards,

[Retro Rocket]

Another Aussie! G'day Mate!
The airbox is critical on these things, I attempted to repair mine on my CB750 but it was too far gone (rubber degraded, cracks in the plastic). Turned out that the carbs were leaking internally anyway so I got some Keihin CR Special 29mm carbs so now I don't have to deal with the nightmere of the airbox, just the nightmere of tuning the keihins  . Hopefully you have better luck with yours, I'm sure you will find bits and pieces on ebay.

Regards,

You can still run CR's or RS34's with an airbox, they work great like that as well, I've even seen CB750 race bikes made by Rex Wolfenden with CR's running airboxes, custom made of course........

[pepsie62]

Thanks for the info, I would like to do something like that myself when I have the old girl running right. I have seem some awesome looking custom airboxes, but everything is expensive in Australia

I have a few bits and pieces I want to get first, just noticed today that one of my rear shocks is leaking so I guess its time to do my shocks XD

Don't you just love reversing PO errors?

[Retro Rocket]

Thanks for the info, I would like to do something like that myself when I have the old girl running right. I have seem some awesome looking custom airboxes, but everything is expensive in Australia

Im in Brisbane, I buy almost everything from overseas...

[Irish Aussie 550-4]

Thanks for the info, I would like to do something like that myself when I have the old girl running right. I have seem some awesome looking custom airboxes, but everything is expensive in Australia

Im in Brisbane, I buy almost everything from overseas...

Thanks retro, just awaiting my 4into1 order now, it's taking an age, and I've continued find things I need as I go that I thought I didn't!
A new seat is my ongoing job, trying to find a cafe type that doesn't involve my coping frames.