Author Topic: CB550 - several years in the making  (Read 1177 times)

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Offline charlie27

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CB550 - several years in the making
« on: January 25, 2016, 11:03:40 AM »
I got sidelined with this project and finally got all the wiring completed.  I had to make a complete wiring harness and that was a motivation killer.

Offline rb550four

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2016, 02:30:35 PM »
  Looks good. Is it finished now? did it fire?
A few Honda 500's, a few Honda 550's, a few Honda 650's, '72 cb 450, a couple 500/550/650 hybrids, and 2001 750. 
  550 Snowbike -Somebody had to do it.
  http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,101678.0.html             
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,137317.msg1550907.html#msg1550907

Offline charlie27

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2016, 02:38:59 PM »
yes, fired up - I still need to tune it.  I bought it apart and didn't have the airbox.  I guess I will find out how to make it run with the pods. 

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2016, 02:56:58 PM »
Charlie,
Do you have any other posts showing the "years in the making" and what you did on your build, in addition to the nice looking paint, rearsets, dash, etc.?
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline charlie27

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2016, 02:59:54 PM »
Braced swing arm, 18" aluminum rims, dyna ignition and coils, rebuilt carbs, valve lash, CB750 forks and caliper, drilled disc, tapered steering head bearings, needle bearings for swing arm

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2016, 04:09:41 PM »
I like the braced swingarm.  Can you give us some more details (did you fabricate/modify it, etc.). 
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline charlie27

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2016, 04:19:19 PM »
I started about 4.5 years ago.  I de-tabbed the frame, cut the rear frame rails and tacked in the seat hoop and battery box. 

http://btrmoto.com/about.html - Curt braced the swing arm for me.

I figured out the spacing for the CB550 wheel to work with the CB750F forks and caliper.  I rebuilt the forks (new fork seals and fork oil). I drilled the disc.  I removed the handle bar mounts from the upper triple clamp.

I used an ACE 3701 instrument cluster and K&S switch gear along with full custom wiring harness that I figured out and made. 

Frame is powder coated.  Polished all the hubs and engine cases. 

Bolt on rear sets. 

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2016, 04:47:50 PM »
Charlie,

Thanks for indulging my questions.  Since I could only find a few posts and not a soup-to-nuts build thread, I was curious.  I'm liking much of what I can see.  Are you running stock carburetors (or 750 carburetors) and a Carpy 4-1 pipe?
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline seanbarney41

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2016, 05:22:03 PM »
that's looking pretty damn good with well thought out mods...your gonna want a rear inner fender of some sort even if you live in a dry climate and only plan to ride in the sun.  Carbs are not gonna like the taste of what that back wheel is dishing out.
If it works good, it looks good...

Offline Stev-o

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Re: CB550 - several years in the making
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2016, 06:17:29 PM »
Super nice build.....subscribed.
'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........