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Author Topic: CB550 Project Start  (Read 14070 times)

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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #50 on: July 20, 2017, 09:14:21 AM »
Quote from: tacc13 on May 09, 2017, 04:31:41 AM
After playing around with a 900SS dash and fibreglass to try and housed the Motogadget speedo I gave up and took it to the machinist I use. He came up with a very simple alloy bracket to go on the fairing brace.

Also got sick of not having a bike to ride since my divorce so bought a big brother for the CB550. The CBR1100XX is brilliant. Had Ducati's, Harleys and Triumph in the past, never a big bore Jap bike. Has put the project back a bit, but well worth it.

Turns out the Reg/Rec won't fit easily in the tank tunnel. Anyone see any issues with sitting it in the tray under the seat, next to the m-unit (as per image)? Will post the question to the main forum as well.

All things being equal, it would be better to place the reg/rec in a location where it gets fresh air. 
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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 tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #51 on: July 21, 2017, 02:42:42 AM »
Thanks, that's the plan. I am thinking of fabricating a bracket that holds the horn and the reg/rec just below the head tube.
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #52 on: April 25, 2018, 01:12:37 AM »
Bit the bullet and decided to run the bar wiring internally. I got some advice from the blokes at Revival Cycles as there is a small amount of modification required. I drilled a 4mm hole at the end of the bar and had to enlarge the internal diameter slightly. I used two cheap ebay tools for about $5 each. I need to make the exit hole a bit neater and larger so I can run the braided covering.
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #53 on: September 23, 2019, 03:08:53 AM »
Way overdue for an update.  The bars didn't work out so I got some clipons and had new tubes made with a thicker wall.  I wasn't happy drilling a hole in the stock tubes to run internal wires. 

The same machinist made me a small dash to sit between the fairing and tank.  He also made the speed mount.

After collecting the new engine parts I needed I finally started the assembly last weekend.  Looking forward to getting the engine back in the frame.  Cases are ceramic coated.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2019, 03:12:47 AM by tacc13 »
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #54 on: November 16, 2019, 01:08:20 AM »
Got the pistons sorted and installed and have the barrels on. Waiting for the heads to get back from the machine shop and also get ceramic coated. The Stahlwille piston ring tool may never get used again until I need to go up a size on the pistons, but it's a very cool piece of equipment.

ARP 12 points are from Allens Fasteners who are great people to deal with.
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Offline MauiK3

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #55 on: November 16, 2019, 09:15:57 AM »
Looks great, keep the posts coming!
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1973 CB 750 K3
10/72 build Z1 Kawasaki

Offline djpwiebe

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #56 on: November 18, 2019, 09:40:16 AM »
Quote from: tacc13 on April 25, 2018, 01:12:37 AM
Bit the bullet and decided to run the bar wiring internally. I got some advice from the blokes at Revival Cycles as there is a small amount of modification required. I drilled a 4mm hole at the end of the bar and had to enlarge the internal diameter slightly. I used two cheap ebay tools for about $5 each. I need to make the exit hole a bit neater and larger so I can run the braided covering.

I'm also planning some internal wiring in the same Tomaselli bars with Motogadget mini switches for my CB750. Did you use the m-button relay to send a single wire to the m-unit? I'm curious if the m-button relay can fit through the hole drilled in the end of the bar where you installed the signal. Alternatively, were you able to separate the threaded bar from the elbow? From the other end of the elbow it looks like the bar itself is threaded into the elbow. I'm not sure if I can turn that out or if adhesive was used to fix the threads and I'm worried I might cause damage if trying to separate those parts.
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #57 on: November 18, 2019, 12:12:41 PM »
I eventually went with different bars.  The Tomasellis were problematic, the internal diameter is very tight.  I didn't separate the bars from the elbows and don't think the m-button would fit. I ended up buying standard clipons and two 6061 solid rods that I got bored out to maximise the wall thickness. Standard bars have thin walls and I was concerned the internal wiring holes would weaken them.

Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk

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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #58 on: December 22, 2019, 11:51:55 PM »
I ordered two new oil control valves which finally arrived today.  Everything went together well,  including the Cam chain tensioner,  which I didn't previously know had a slot to sit in.  Good advice that! Cam goes on tomorrow and then pull the chassis down so I can drop the frame over the engine.
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Offline calj737

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #59 on: December 23, 2019, 03:37:12 AM »
Quote from: tacc13 on November 18, 2019, 12:12:41 PM
I eventually went with different bars.  The Tomasellis were problematic, the internal diameter is very tight.  I didn't separate the bars from the elbows and don't think the m-button would fit. I ended up buying standard clipons and two 6061 solid rods that I got bored out to maximise the wall thickness. Standard bars have thin walls and I was concerned the internal wiring holes would weaken them.
You may have issues with the M-Button installed inside aluminum bars. Motogadget is pretty firm about the fact the M-Button is to be installed inside steel bars due to electrical interference issues.
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'74 550 Build http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=126401.0
'73 500 Build http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132935.0

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #60 on: December 23, 2019, 03:42:42 AM »
Yeah, I'm not running the M-Button, just running independent wires from each switch.
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #61 on: December 26, 2019, 03:03:01 AM »
Have managed to make a lot of progress over the last two days, as per all the photos. Apart from the wiring there's a ton of small things to do that I noticed while I was bolting everything together. I'm also not entirely happy with the seat. It's an AirTech Dick Mann replica that I lengthened slightly, but it leaves a gap under the tank with about half of the electrics tray exposed. It also sits completely flat on the frame which doesn't leave any room for wiring. The upholsterer also did a pretty average job, which is a surprise because he is well known locally in the custom car world. Will strip it back and keep the hump, but mould a new base that has about a 1.5cm lip. Still not sure what to do about the bit under the tank, am very open to suggestions. And obviously I need to paint the fairing.
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #62 on: March 06, 2020, 09:45:24 PM »
Doing my wiring harness again from scratch.  I've been able to get all the proper Honda colors and I think my skills have improved a bit since I built the last harness three or so years ago.  The Motogadget switches are every bit as tedious as I remember, and I've lost one of the microscopic screws on the floor.  Waiting for Mizu P25 and Deutsch connectors to arrive in the mail.  Nothing can be bought over the counter in this country. Found a replacement screw in the back of a calculator!
« Last Edit: March 07, 2020, 02:31:13 PM by tacc13 »
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Offline ctcycleworx

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #63 on: March 17, 2020, 08:03:06 AM »
Coming along very nicely!!
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Offline kerryb

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #64 on: March 22, 2020, 05:28:01 AM »
I applaud your tenacity!  This will one very fine machine.
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intrigued by the wail...seduced by the scream.

Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #65 on: March 23, 2020, 02:24:11 AM »
Thank you. The fuel line reducers you sent are brilliant, hopefully when this virus is over I will get a chance to help you plan a trip to AUS and NZ. At least the country will have recovered from the fires by then.
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Offline XC204

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #66 on: March 28, 2020, 07:20:06 AM »
Awesome bike what detail!
Gary
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #67 on: July 02, 2020, 03:47:45 AM »
Just got my fairing back from the paint shop. Color is Candy Red over a charcoal base. Thinking of getting the channel where the screen bolts on covered in 3M clear tape to protect it from rubbing and stop any squeaking. Just got my second Golan petcock and now waiting on a few bolts from Allens Fasteners.
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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #68 on: July 02, 2020, 08:08:51 AM »
The paint looks rich.
Man, those Motogadget micro wires are a PITA.
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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 tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #69 on: July 04, 2020, 12:52:25 AM »
Had to see what she looks like with the screen bolted on. Waiting on Brembo front master cylinder, air box from Steel Dragon Performance and a shorter 12" muffler from Ripple Rock. Covid is slowing everything down. I have a longer muffler but it fouls the track stand.
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #70 on: February 07, 2021, 12:57:05 AM »
Apologies, haven't updated this for a while unfortunately.

Finally got the bike started and to my surprise it ran reasonably well right from the start. It idled high so I redid the valves and timing which both needed adjusting slightly. Added to my tool collection with a set of vacuum gauges and balanced the carbs. Eventually got the engine to idle nicely at just under 1000 RPM. Had to grind away part of the choke lever because it hits the Steel Dragon air box about 2/3 of the way through it's motion.

Two things that have been a problem for a while are hanging the exhaust and working out where to put the rear brake light actuator. I had a micro-switch for the brake light, but wasn't really happy with it.

For the exhaust hanger I got a 10mm rod joiner and used that as a nut on the Cognito rearsets. Made a bracket similar to the Ripple Rock one but a bit longer out of 3mm stainless and used the other end of the 10mm rod joiner as the anchor point. Photo is attached. The clamp on the exhaust is an earlier trial and needs to come off. The rod joiner also makes it easier to take the foot pegs off as the original 10mm nut was recessed in the mounting bracket and a pain to get to.

For the rear brake light switch I got a stainless 90 degree bracket for an SR500 and then used threaded rod through the kickstand brackets to hold it in place.

Hopefully the photos are clear, if anyone wants better shots let me know.

Just need to tidy up the wiring harness and sort out the sensor for the Motogadget speedo.
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Offline ceebee ninja

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #71 on: February 18, 2021, 06:56:00 AM »
Awesome bike & rebuild - where did you source the clear screen?
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #72 on: March 13, 2021, 01:45:05 AM »
Thanks! The fairing is for a Ducati 900SS. I got it and the screen from a Ducati shop in Sydney, Australia. Air-Tech in the USA would probably have the same parts.
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Offline tacc13

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #73 on: May 01, 2021, 06:21:54 PM »
Bike is basically finished, as much as projects are ever fully done. The seat needs to be re-upholstered. Took it for a ride yesterday but couldn't go too far as she isn't registered yet. Just need to give her a good clean and hope she passes inspection for registration.
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Offline seanbarney41

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Re: CB550 Project Start
« Reply #74 on: May 01, 2021, 09:07:22 PM »
Nice job!  That is a lot of really nice stuff coming together there!
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If it works good, it looks good...
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