Topic: CB 550 F rebuild

[andyd]

HI Andy from Sydney Australia,    I thought I would post this CB 550F I am working on, done a fair bit already as it was in very poor shape when I got it. Had been sitting outside covered for a few years near the coast, not pretty, but anyway it is underway and hope to finish it in the next month or so, 2 packed the frame, found a couple of rims and wacked in some stainless spokes, done the top end as bottom was pretty good.  will keep posted with progress.  Andy

[Andych]

Looking really good Andy. Is the brightwork on the engine new or just polished up?

[andyd]

Hi Andy,  the covers were previously chromed but in bad condition, a lot of steel woolling and when I have finished assembling the bike fully I will hit them with Autosol. Threw the wiring looms in today and what a mess, it has been chopped, cut, soldered, twisted together, some wires just hacked off at the end of the insulating sleeve etc. I got most of it working but a few lights are proving very painful, so get up, go upstairs make a brew and sit there and look at it then have another go.
Have you started your 400 yet or will you finish the other bike first ?  After my 550 I already have the next candidate ready for a rebuild, a Kawasaki W650  2000 model, I might keep this one as a town hack, I like the look of them.
regards  Andy

[Andych]

I know the grief you have with the harness... thankfully the one on the 400 appears (from what I can see) to be untouched other than a joiner for the rear indicators under the seat.
To be honest it has been to damned hot the last couple of weekends to do anything out in the garage.. Tin sheds dont handle 40 degree days too well I am keen to start on the 400 but really should get the little one under way first.

[andyd]

G'day Andy,  the wiring was a real mess, ended up stripping the whole lot back to the reg & rectifier and redoing up to the headlight but all done.
It is starting to look like a bike now.  Been nice weather of late for restoring

[Andych]

That is looking really nice... hmm is that a Delkevic megaphone exhaust on it? Looks to be nearly finished

[andyd]

Hi Andy,   yeh slowly coming together just waiting on a few carby parts as I had a drip coming from 2 carbies, the motor sounds good and solid and everything in the electrical department works.
Had a look over the muffler and there is no sign of the manufacturer just a label saying it illegal to fit to bikes that are not vintage and must be older than 1985 I think. Exhaust noise is quite mellow not a raspy 4 cylinder bellow but you know it's a 4 but will not deafen you when riding.
How is your project going ?        Andy

[Andych]

Havent really started mine yet... still gathering smaller items and will get into stripping it down soon. I have started my thread and also found some rot in the LHS where the kickstand mounts..
Off Topic... sorry.. yours seems to be coming along quite nicely. Is this one going to be a keeper or will it be funding your next project?
How is your seat pan? No major rust issues I hope.
It will be nice to hear the bike when it is done... should have a nice deep note.

[andyd]

Not sure if it will be a keeper or not, usually finish them put them on historic rego and ride them for a month or two then if they are in the road then move them on and ready for the next victim.
A bit unlucky regarding the rust probably has been ridden along the beach or such, wouldn't be hard to make a bracket for the kick stand a lump of 3/8" mild steel and fashion it to suit.
Will post a few photos of the 550 when finished   Andy

[andyd]

Forgot to reply about the seat pan, had a lot of foam rot under the cover so had to strip a fair bit of foam out and re-apply some layers and trim off, the actual pan was pretty good just some rust up under the edges but welded some strips along the side and re-drilled, came up ok.

[Andych]

Seems that bike was a pretty good base to start with..that is going to be a nice bike when its finished.

[andyd]

Well after many painstaking hours ( but enjoyable hours ) I have come out with this 550 F. Took her out for a bit of a gallop today and it went remarkably well, has a bit more guts than I thought for a 550 but very smooth and everything behaved and worked as it should, quite impressed.
I left a couple of electrical bits off like the, kickstand switch and the indicator buzzer that were not on the bike anyway when I got it. The neutral light stayed on all the time regardless of what gear you were in but found  the wire at the switch had a slight rub through and was going to earth.
Well ready for the next victim but sorry not a Honda but a Kwacka W650        Andy