This is my uncles old cb550. He bought it new in 78 and rode it around until the mid 80s. He's been wanting to put it back on the road but for the past decade my aunt was battling cancer. She passed on last year and he's working on cleaning up some things that were set aside.
I told him I'd restore the bike for him so he could ride it again but instead he gave me the title and said I could have it. My intention is to restore it back to the way he had it back in 1980 and hand him the keys. It was basically stock with a trunk and sissy bar. My dad and him tell me stories of them riding it all over the east coast and I know he'd love to do it again.
It's in rough shape though. Even though it sat in a garage, the chrome is badly pitted, the tank has some rust inside and under the trim, controls are all locked up, carbs stuck, spokes and rims are shot, etc., etc. The engine is free but I'm not used to how a 550 kick should feel. It kicks easily and you can feel it building pressure. I've spent most of my time around 750s which maybe have a harder kick.
I'm going to rebuild the carbs and get the engine running first to see if it's worth tackling. I've seen 550 engines on craigslist for around $100 so even if there's something wrong with it, it's not too expensive. That being said, I have a rough idea of how much this will cost to restore. How much have some of you spent to restore a 550?
