Topic: 75 cb 550 build, Cali style ;)

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I'm digging the patina on the tank, Sean.  I hope the inside of the tank is decent.  I would treat the interior of the tank (assuming it needs some attention), polish the exterior and re-clear it.

Yea the inside lacquered pretty well. The tank definitely needs some interior cleaning. And I'm struggling with the tank color.. I love the patina just wished it wasn't orange.... but my fuel definitely matched!!!

To each his own!  I have a sentimental attachment to the Sunburst Orange since it was the color of my first ride on a motorcycle -- a CB550.  That said, I don't have a single orange bike.  My 550 has a blue bodywork and a spare set in Emerald Green.

How's yours looking? I probably won't decide until the bike is about done. But I like options. If I change the orange maybe a trade. Do you have any pictures?

I would probably not be up for a trade -- to much into the re-paint costs, but here are photos of the body work:

photo4_zps1a52ad2c by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

image_zpsiw9yh5hd by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

[Rebelbuilt]

Those are beautiful. I love that blue and the green is spectacular no worries 😁 always something in the air

[rickmoore24]

Yep, it's already looking leaner and meaner! Good to see another member close by in SoCal as well. Looking forward to see how it goes.

I'm local to corona and Perris. That's awesome I'm trying to get my buddy to buy one

Nice man, I'm near Lake Matthews in El Sobrante. I love these bikes, so much so that it hurts to turn away from purchasing another project. I'm working on a '75 CB400F at the moment. Hope your friend see the light soon! LOL

Your pretty close to me then. And we are trying to get a response off this guy on offer up. And nice what are you doing to the 400?

Good luck! The 400F will be a very mild resto-mod. Mostly stock aside from the bars and exhaust (the stock pipes are sexy though), still deciding on a stock front end or using the 500F one I have laying around. We'll see, I suppose. Keep the updates coming!

[Rebelbuilt]

Oh I will, carb kit was ordered as we're main jet holders. I'm debating on freshing up the engine (40k miles) and deciding to drop a hot cam in or just stay stock..... Choices... I know suspension and everything else already and design. Also with the sprocket sizing to figure out

[Scott S]

 Do some reading on carb "kits". Unless your stock brass is damaged, you'd be better off using the stock parts. Especially the emulsion tubes and needles.

[Rebelbuilt]

Yep, it's already looking leaner and meaner! Good to see another member close by in SoCal as well. Looking forward to see how it goes.

I'm local to corona and Perris. That's awesome I'm trying to get my buddy to buy one

Nice man, I'm near Lake Matthews in El Sobrante. I love these bikes, so much so that it hurts to turn away from purchasing another project. I'm working on a '75 CB400F at the moment. Hope your friend see the light soon! LOL

Your pretty close to me then. And we are trying to get a response off this guy on offer up. And nice what are you doing to the 400?

Good luck! The 400F will be a very mild resto-mod. Mostly stock aside from the bars and exhaust (the stock pipes are sexy though), still deciding on a stock front end or using the 500F one I have laying around. We'll see, I suppose. Keep the updates coming!

That will be awesome to see. There are a few other things I want to do but need more bikes now lol 😅

[Rebelbuilt]

Do some reading on carb "kits". Unless your stock brass is damaged, you'd be better off using the stock parts. Especially the emulsion tubes and needles.

 I think most of my stock brass is in good shape. I'm just really undecided on what to do when I freshen up the motor. Because I know I want some more go.

[Rebelbuilt]

So I got the carb kit in!!!! Miracles do happen, I have a feeling I will be tearing into them again once I do some motor work. But that's ok. Motor work wise. I think I'll be doing big bore kit, hot cam, 1mm over on intake and exhaust valves and some porting. That's ideal I still need to out source shops and gather everything.

[mbrown550]

Very nice project.  I'm not sure how many people have already asked about those pipes, but if they are going, I'd love to get a bid in. I have a '74 and every OEM pipe I've found had something wrong rotten in it...Those look, less rotten...  Keep up the build.

[Rebelbuilt]

Very nice project.  I'm not sure how many people have already asked about those pipes, but if they are going, I'd love to get a bid in. I have a '74 and every OEM pipe I've found had something wrong rotten in it...Those look, less rotten...  Keep up the build.

I just sent you a pm. I have a few other things going. But thank you. I just cleaned all the carbs and hopefully putting the carbs together this weekend and test run the engine!!! And I'll keep it up

[Rebelbuilt]

Ran in to a major headache and nightmare. Snapped off in the carb -_- fml

[rickmoore24]

Well that's no bueno.  ;/

[RAFster122s]

Drill a hole carefully in the jet so you can tap it for threads of a small screw. Thread that in and pull the screw and rest of the jet out... Wanna use a bottoming tap and get at least 1.5 times the diameter of the screw diameter in the jet material. Don't think I would try to go all the way through to minimize the swarth in the jet opening of the carb. Tough to flush that material out from the opposite direction of the passage of it wedges itself in the carb body.

[Rebelbuilt]

I just used drill bits to catch it, I believe I got it all. I'll find out soon enough. But other news.

[Rebelbuilt]

So guys, just got her started tonight, seems both carbs on the right bank are back firing, I can't get it to idle, and I have to kick start it in second gear. But she does run and blew out out an amazing amount of dust and rust from the exhaust 😂🤣😂🤣 I think she sat for more then 5 year, way more. Just waiting on finaces to order all the parts and any local guys know a good shop that does engine work and head work?

[RAFster122s]

Make sure you have the plug wires going to the correct cylinders, swapping them could cause the backfiring...

Words of wisdom on the forum is that few auto shops know these motors well enough to do the precision needed as tolerances are way tighter on these motors than most shops will hold. True there are shops out there that can do the job but, it is sometimes better to pack it up and ship it far away for someone who knows what they are doing.

Mark Paris, HondaMan, in Denver area does a good job with motor rebuilds for members and everyone sings praises for Mike Reich’s motor and head work.  APE in California does good work and then CycleX in the great white northern reaches of WI does good work too.

[rickmoore24]

➕ 1 on all of those recommendations. 👍

[Rebelbuilt]

Make sure you have the plug wires going to the correct cylinders, swapping them could cause the backfiring...



Beautiful 😍 I don't think the wires are wrong, I think the carbs are a little out of sync. But I'm sure it hasn't had a tune up, and I have 40,000 miles on the bad boy. So I'll definitely reach out and talk to them for what I want to do and go from there. Thank you so much for the advice and the proper direction
Words of wisdom on the forum is that few auto shops know these motors well enough to do the precision needed as tolerances are way tighter on these motors than most shops will hold. True there are shops out there that can do the job but, it is sometimes better to pack it up and ship it far away for someone who knows what they are doing.

Mark Paris, HondaMan, in Denver area does a good job with motor rebuilds for members and everyone sings praises for Mike Reich’s motor and head work.  APE in California does good work and then CycleX in the great white northern reaches of WI does good work too.

[Rebelbuilt]

Quick update y'all, just ordered nearly all my parts so I will finally be tearing into the bike to the frame and getting everything done. So stay posted for some pics and updates and headaches

[rickmoore24]

Nice man, moving along! Are you going to paint or PC the frame and other bits?

[Rebelbuilt]

I think I'm PC the frame. Haven't fully decided, about to order the megacycle camshaft probably next week. But everything will be coming in in a few weeks

[Rebelbuilt]

So due to a medical situation work. Has taken a little longer then originally wanting. But progress is progress
  I got the motor out and sending it out to Colorado. But now its ready do do suspension rebuilds and and all thst fun. So more pictures to come