This is my back-burner project. It is a distraction while I work on my Bionic Mongrel CB750. I need another project like I need a hole in my head, but I have not been able to put this one out of my mind.
I love the pull and power of my 836cc CB750K7 Restomod, but I sure wish it wasn't as heavy. I love the handling of my stockish CB550K1, but I wish it had some more power/torque. I want the best of both worlds - a street bike that is light and nimble as a CB550 package, with the grunt of an 836cc engine.
Now commeth
The Hot Mess: a CB550F frame with a 1981 CB650 engine stuffed into it. Not any CB650, but a 650 with a Dynoman 674cc kit with 10.5:1 compression and a mildly ported head (at least until I save my nickels for something more on the order of a Mike Rieck job).
Let's start with the frame. I picked up a rolling chassis 1975 CB550F1 on the cheap from a listing on craigslist. It had not been registered for many years, but not long quite enough to fall out of the California DMV system. Of course, the guy who sold it to me (and told me it was out of the system) only gave me a bill of sale, and I did not have a chain of title documents, bill of sale or release going back to the last legal owner. AAA told me I was out of luck without a release from the legal owner, but of course would not give me the owner's information. I could have done a DMV records request and waited a month, but I contacted a DMV expediter I know and she was able to cut through the red tape and get me a title. Whew! And she got me a waiver of the back fees, too!!
image_zpsbvf9nfsg by
Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr
image_zpszejhyqhh by
Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr
image_zpsgxuhte5c by
Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr