Author Topic: '71 CB500 Four Scrambler (Read 23750 times)

Stev-o · « **Reply #50 on:** March 08, 2018, 08:14:08 PM »

Quote from: DurangoCB on March 08, 2018, 01:51:35 PM

Speaking of polishing, I get the impression that once the uppers are rusty like this, you either have to cover them up with something, replace them or ride them rusty.

True? No chance at all of polishing them back up, even somewhat?

No chance!

Look at your pic of the white connectors. on the top, there is a little prong. Use a small screwdriver to open it and then unplug the connector.

Flyin900 · « **Reply #51 on:** March 08, 2018, 08:31:06 PM »

Those will never clean up to new as the rust/pitting is too far gone, although here is a solution I have used on the same conditions on forks that have rusted under the triple tree areas or the fork ear covers. Stay only on the rusted areas don't move down onto the good chrome areas of the forks when doing this repair.
Use some sandpaper to clean those areas up and at least get them down to bare metal. If they are normally covered with fork ears or the triple trees then not a big deal. I would start with 220 grit to knock down the worst of the rust and then move to 400 and then either 600 or 800 grit to get the area smoother again. Use a little WD40 on the sandpaper to lubricate it as you sand away.
Once you get them decent then you are going to need to protect the bare metal from rust again and probably a good rust resistant paint will help slow the rust starting again.

DurangoCB · « **Reply #52 on:** March 09, 2018, 08:46:43 AM »

Thanks, fellas! That's helpful. Sorry to post my questions in two separate sub-forums but it seems like most of what is posted in the Project Shop isn't seen by very many people.

Stev-o · « **Reply #53 on:** March 09, 2018, 08:55:29 AM »

Quote from: DurangoCB on March 09, 2018, 08:46:43 AM

...most of what is posted in the Project Shop isn't seen by very many people.

Dont be so sure of that, your thread here has over 700 views.
For whatever reason, most guys wont answer questions...fear of being wrong?

DurangoCB · « **Reply #54 on:** March 09, 2018, 09:34:24 AM »

Ain't NOBODY right all the time!

Pin2Hot · « **Reply #55 on:** March 09, 2018, 09:36:44 AM »

Regarding your electrical learning curve, do you have a multimeter? I would say that's gonna be your #1 tool to help you diagnose wiring issues and you can get them pretty cheap at Lowe's or HD. The primary functions you'll use are checking for continuity (checking to see if A is connected to B) and to check the resistance of various parts of the electrical system. The Honda manuals have a lot of great information for checking to see if your charging system is up to par (ensuring there's sufficient resistance in the charging coil, etc). It's a cheap investment for peace of mind.

DurangoCB · « **Reply #56 on:** March 09, 2018, 09:43:53 AM »

Yeah, I have a cheap $15 one. I will admit that my lack of broader knowledge of electricity means that the myriad of settings on the average multimeter confuses me a little.

What I don't have and is on the shopping list today is a test light.

Pin2Hot · « **Reply #57 on:** March 09, 2018, 10:06:34 AM »

Your multimeter serves as a different, if not more functional version of a test light. Instead of the light turning on, you get a voltage reading giving you more information than just an illuminated lamp. Electrical systems are my jam, hopefully I can help if you run into trouble.

DurangoCB · « **Reply #58 on:** March 09, 2018, 10:30:28 AM »

I bet I’ll lean on you more than once! And I’m jealous- electricity has always confused me a little. But I have put very little effort into learning more. Looking forward to changing that.

WhyNot2 · « **Reply #59 on:** March 09, 2018, 02:32:35 PM »

I'm watching to see what comes about.......love the brat style builds.

Electricity on these suckers throw me for a loop quite a bit too.

So will watch and read with with hopes of learning as much as I can too.

May be able to throw some (very little) knowledge your way, and hope to pick some up as well.

So, drive on.

Scramps · « **Reply #60 on:** March 09, 2018, 05:23:26 PM »

Electrical work is somewhat of a passion of mine, I’m gradually becoming kind of obsessive about it. If you run into anything that stumps you, I might be able to help you out

DurangoCB · « **Reply #61 on:** March 09, 2018, 05:30:48 PM »

Music to me ears, lads!

Welcome aboard, WhyNot2!

DurangoCB · « **Reply #62 on:** March 09, 2018, 05:38:41 PM »

Anybody know a better resource for learning about the battery plate (?) doohickies and gizmos than this?

https://www.bikebandit.com/oem-parts/1971-honda-cb500/o/m9140#sch393501

I want to know what the parts are but I also would like to learn exactly what their function is.

calj737 · « **Reply #63 on:** March 09, 2018, 06:27:30 PM »

Pull down the electronic manual and turn to the Electrical System section. Locate the page that has the picture labeled with each components description. If you don’t know at that point what it does, try Google: “motorcycle regulator” and read the explanations. It’s really that easy.

These are 12v systems. There’s no Black Magic, not enough electricity to kill you, and short of (pardon the pun) hooking the battery up in reversed polarity, it’s pretty hard to damage anything.

DurangoCB · « **Reply #64 on:** March 09, 2018, 08:00:02 PM »

I’m all over it, calj. Keep an eye on me though.

I tell you wut, boys (and Marissa), this mess really offends my sense of orderliness and beauty. Is that manner of chaos just how it has to be? Or could I recreate this harness and improve it?

This is the squirrels nest of wires found crammed inside of the headlight. And I can just barely stand it!

calj737 · « **Reply #65 on:** March 09, 2018, 09:10:39 PM »

As it should be- anything less is just unacceptable.

DurangoCB · « **Reply #66 on:** March 09, 2018, 09:28:54 PM »

If those units were $120, I'd be all over it, no question. I just don't have $350 to put toward it.

Unless I rattle can my frame instead of having it powder coated. Hmmm.

What do you love about the m-Unit?

This video made me drool (

but man, that's a lot of money for a bike that's worth $1500.

calj737 · « **Reply #67 on:** March 10, 2018, 04:51:12 AM »

I have seen you post repeatedly about Hesse bikes only being worth $1,000-$2,500. Perhaps that is what folks bought them for, but many people invest much more money than that into them. It doesn’t make them sound investments, but it does represent the “value” some owners place on them.

Buying an older bike, refurbishing it, and making it your own can be done very inexpensively, or, for some, completely without reservation. To purchase a new bike might always be less expensive, but you are buying a production, available-to-anyone, plastic coated bike. Lots of people shy away from this due to the newer bikes lacking character and soul. To each their own. I like older bikes that have been Besto-Modded and some new ones.

Why an M-Unit? For a custom build, it can not be beat for its simplicity, reliability, and organization. Yes, they cost $300, but they resolve many inherent design flaws in the older system, and allow those who are new to electrical/wiring the ability to do it from scratch with absolute confidence. I’ve seen many “poo-poo” them, but I’ve never seen anyone who actually installed one say anything but how great and wonderful they are. So take that for what it’s worth.

DurangoCB · « **Reply #68 on:** March 10, 2018, 08:06:26 AM »

Quote from: calj737 on March 10, 2018, 04:51:12 AM

I have seen you post repeatedly about Hesse bikes only being worth $1,000-$2,500. Perhaps that is what folks bought them for, but many people invest much more money than that into them. It doesn’t make them sound investments, but it does represent the “value” some owners place on them.

I'm on the same page. If I had the money, I'd be going buck wild on this bike. And the CX project that will follow it. My original plan was to pick up both bikes for $1,000 each and then spend another $1,500 on customizing each one. If I pick up the m-Unit I'll be $500 over budget on the CB.

And yes, end up with a bike that is worth more than $3,000 to me. I just don't know if my wife would agree.

That said, I was up late last night convincing myself that I must have the m-Unit for the CB. I am convinced.

Quote

Why an M-Unit? For a custom build, it can not be beat for its simplicity, reliability, and organization. Yes, they cost $300, but they resolve many inherent design flaws in the older system, and allow those who are new to electrical/wiring the ability to do it from scratch with absolute confidence. I’ve seen many “poo-poo” them, but I’ve never seen anyone who actually installed one say anything but how great and wonderful they are. So take that for what it’s worth.

I dug and dug last night. Didn't find a single person who said, "Tried the m-Unit. Wasn't for me."

I would imagine that when the new Blue unit came out, many people upgraded so perhaps there are used ones going on eBay/CL, etc?

calj737 · « **Reply #69 on:** March 10, 2018, 10:13:27 AM »

Quote from: DurangoCB on March 10, 2018, 08:06:26 AM

I would imagine that when the new Blue unit came out, many people upgraded so perhaps there are used ones going on eBay/CL, etc?

There are now 2 versions of the new M-Unit; a Bluetooth enabled, and a non-Blue. The latter is less expensive than the former. I doubt seriously if people "upgrade", but maybe...

DurangoCB · « **Reply #70 on:** March 11, 2018, 08:00:08 PM »

Experimenting with sanding down the rusty fork upper tubes. I think it’s going to be alright with some primer and paint of an as-yet-to-be-determined color.

The other fork leg has about 12 times as much rust. Not as bad as most I’ve seen, but still going to take a lot of sanding.

calj737 · « **Reply #71 on:** March 11, 2018, 09:05:27 PM »

I would use a chemical rust converter, not sand paper. Sanding the metal changes the thickness ever so slightly. May not damage the integrity, but added to the rust and pits, it surely isn’t good for them.

DurangoCB · « **Reply #72 on:** March 11, 2018, 09:19:22 PM »

The one rust spot on that first tube I treated with Prep & Etch. I’m not sanding that leg down any further and I’m hoping the Prep & Etch plus rust primer will keep it from rusting further. Which I’m not too worried about in general because metal rusts so slowly here. There wouldn’t be a speck of rust on this bike if it hadn’t been for the awful design of those stock headlight brackets.

DurangoCB · « **Reply #73 on:** March 15, 2018, 08:58:41 PM »

Had an hour or two to spare this afternoon and managed to cut the battery tray out. Just needs to be welded up and then will go to powder with the rest of the bits.

Scramps · « **Reply #74 on:** March 16, 2018, 04:22:58 PM »

I absolutely love that tray, and I’m probably gonna unabashedly copy it for my bike

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Author Topic: '71 CB500 Four Scrambler (Read 23750 times)