Topic: 1973 Cb500 poor boy chop

[Kelly E]

That's lookin' good.
Do I see the remains of a Seca or two in the background?

[Shtonecb500]

Nice!

I love rolling a project bike out of the shop for its first sunlight glance, I enjoy that as much as fresh cut grass at 7am.

[Gurp]

Thanks fella's!

2 Yamaha Maxims
They are my ex Brother in laws. His chopper he never fixed and his parts bike.

Hopefully soon I'll get the sporty off the lift so I can get back to this bike. Funny how life gets even busier when youale a plan lol.

[Gurp]

Set the motor off the shelf onto the lift 2 days ago.

Today I got around to getting it in the frame. My buddy stopped by when he heard I was doing it. Made it a lot easier with 2 of us.

Now back on the lift and have to find bolts and spacers I may or may not have lost being a part for so long.

Going to have questions and such I imagine on some spacers specs and bolt sizes.

This also means soon I'll be ready to part out the 73 500-4 motor that came out of it. Only thing I. Wanting to keep out of it is the pistons and connecting rods for metal art.


Oh, yeah.
I picture of neighborhood kitty Blondee just chilling while we work.

I almost decided to spot the aluminum solid wheel on the back. I have a few in the shop that don't fit my sporty with the belt drive.

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[Gurp]

I have no idea what I did with that spacer....
So I made one out of a few 5/8ths nuts rigged together.
I painted it and let it dry. I'll prob install tomorrow. Might mount the carbs and exhaust tomorrow as well.

Taking a trip on the Sporty early June so not spending any .oney on the Honda ATM. Everything is being put back for my trip.

Times are def tighter since I lost a lot of my OT. Still grateful to have a good job though. Ready to be off this shift though. I stayed bc all the OT made great money. Now if I'm Going to make 1st shift money I might as well reap the benefits.

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[Gurp]

On the rear fender mount at some point something leaned on it or the bike fell. I can't remember which but it was bent inwards a little. So of course I wacked it with a hammer and cracked some ground thin old flux core welds.

Tig'd it back together and ran out of argon.
Lmao.

Messing with the sporty getting ready for my trip in 2 weeks. Hopefully get the lift cleaned up and back on this next week.

[Gurp]

Well, I haven't made much progress. Realized the way I made the electric box/battery box I have to pull it to wore the bike/bolt in the recreg and fuse block. Big over sight on my part. Can't find my front tank rubbers. They are new in the pack somewhere in my shop. Ordered more.... I'll find the others when the new ones come in. Isn't that how it always works? Never hurts to have spares though.

Busy with house and getting my sporty ready for the trip.
Have to replace a clutch in it. Started to slip at the end of my last ride.

Pulled the swing arm today realizing I need some M5 nuts for the fuse block. Slowly getting back to it though.

[Shtonecb500]

i have so many spare parts in retail packaging, lost, waiting to save me one stressful day when least expected....good luck with the sporty and ride safely.

[Gurp]

I tell myself one day these extras will just be there and save the day. Hopefully one day. Lol

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[Gurp]

Starting some wiring and swapping out the rear wheels.

Drive hub is stuck. Wiring is loosely into place. Need could and a ing switch still.



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[Gurp]

Looking at my last post... Man I LOVE auto correct.

Put the new bearings in and remounted the wheel  today. Got to remake the lid for my battery box tonight or tomorrow.

Then I'll be ready to roll it outside to bring in a Evo sporty I'm fixing for a fellow.
Gotta fund the Honda chopper lol.

Getting ever closer.
Need side covers, cables, ign switch, and to make and mount a bracket for a 3 way toggle for the dual lights. Could use a rear tire as well. New front spacers for the XL250s 23 inch wheel would be a good thing as well.

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[WhyNot2]

Yep, would love to get a 23 inch front wheel for mine as well......!!!!!!

[Gurp]

I realized the other day that I have to cut off the electric/battery box and scoot it over about a 1/4 inch. It's just barely in the chain path. I'll prob scoot it back a little as well when I do this to make it easier to change fuses and stuff roadside if/when I need to.

[Gurp]

So today I dumbassed it again....

Thought I could snug the triple without the D washers......

I was very wrong.


Realized I had a slight miscalculation when I raked it. I either have to shave the triple or move the tank mount 1 inch. Undecided what one I'm going with at this time.

On a positive note it's the first time I've seen it all together in over a year.

So now to order D washers off eBay unless someone here has a link or holding a set. I'd really just like to get a stainless set of triple tree bolts.

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[wolf550]

hey gurp check d washers in for sale section.
see if they are still available

[Kelly E]

I made a set of D washers for the 74' CB 550 from a couple of cylinder head nut washers. They are pretty thick so I clamped a pair in the vise grips and ground one side flat. The triple tree didn't crack when I tightened it up.

[Gurp]

Wolfe. I commented on the thread. Waiting now. Thanks for the direction.

Kelly. If I can't source a correct set I'll make some.

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[Shtonecb500]

i really dig it, i think you should lose the tank and go custom.

[Gurp]

i really dig it, i think you should lose the tank and go custom.

Honestly if I did it would solve my needing to move the mounts slightly but I really wanted that tank. I've saved it for years now just for this bike. The 68 sporty in the pics(shiny) is going to get a king sporty tank and that's what I would do to this one if I want another direction. Love that tall skinny stuff. I also wanted fuel capacity. Our tanks are 3.7 gal. The biggest tank I like for this style is 3.1.(king Sportster)  doesn't sound like a lot but that's 20 miles or so down the highway when you need it to be.

Ultimately I'm hopeful to have this done and ready for my June trip next year. 900 to a 1000 miles in a 4 day period in early June.


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[Shtonecb500]

Then that makes sense, cant blame you for wanting the fuel capacity....also after looking at the pictures some more a stock tank mating up to the seat is flawless so dont wanna #$%* that up. Carry on.

[Gurp]

I always have loved how these stock tanks mate up on these bikes.

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[Gurp]

Few days late on the update but hopefully have my triple tree tank issue solved.

Put my spare upper in the mill at work and clearanced it a bit then rounded the corners.

In the process of fixing my 61 GMC cleaning and reorganizing the shop as my main to time consumers.
Also working on buying a second home to fix up and move into and working on the current home. Needless to say everything has been moving slow but moving still a tad.

I'm hoping in the next 2 weeks to get the Honda back on the lift.
Then to get the upper on and test the motion. Next will be cutting the batt/elect box off and moving it over 1 inch. Then rewelding and hooking stuff back up.

After that it's weld a IGN switch tab and wire it up!

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[Gurp]

Mounted my shaved top triple today. Was unaware of the difference between 500 and 550 top triples.
Luckily I had enough play in my headlight mount to make it work.
Later when the bike is back on the lift I'll even put the trees and stuff before I'm ever ready to fire it.

Got the shop almost finished being cleaned up. It's funny as it's taken so long with this bike off and on. I built this shop to build this bike. It's seen all the evolutions of it as well.

Friday we go look at a house with a built on garage and 4 acres.
Even if we get it no intention to move before spring/summer. So I'll have to make a push to finish this bike.

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[Gurp]

Well waiting on papers and such for closing on the house.

Got the bike back on the lift the other day.
Cut off the old batt/electric box.

Cut into the swingarm pretty bad. So back filled with Sil-bronz fill rod. I had prepared for this sort of thing and built a new box over the weekend at work.

Swingarm was tougher to back fill than I originally thought it would be. Really had to cram the rod to it to get it to cooperate.

Tomorrow or the next day I'm going to smooth the swingarm back out and adjust the clutch on my Evo sporty.

I think I'll be able to fire the bike before snowfall this year if I don't get too distracted.

Need to get this one done to get another bike started before the hopefully move next year. So probably going to put the amen savior 750 on the lift after this or take in some work. Have a few people asking me to fix various things.

Some carb jobs, a clutch in a metric bike.
Sporty charging system. Possibly a trans in a Evo sporty as well.


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[Gurp]

Also been looking as getting a dual voltage inverter mig.
For jobs like back filling that swingarm and for building my sissy bar for this bike that will be made from old motorcycle chains. Actually all off of CB550s and 500s bc that's what I have laying around.

Not wanting to break the bank as I have a Tig already and it wasn't cheap to me.

Looking at Yeswelder's offering and reviews.

I'm thinking that I should be riding this CB500/550 by spring. Hopefully taking my June trip next year on it.

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