Topic: Slowly modifying my '82 CB650Z

[Jimcg]

Warning: This is going to be a very slow forward moving project thread about me modyfying my CB650 to the looks I'm after. My goal is not a genuine scrambler, not a cafe racer and not a flat tracker look, but some of the parts from those styles but with minimal cutting and welding.

This is what I started with, bought it a couple of weeks ago:




I'm not planning on doing much to it at all until winter other than driving and getting a feeling of what condition it's in. But I had to do a few modifications immediately.


At first I removed the rear view mirrors and the luggage rack:




I can't stand the way the stock rear light looks, the fact that it ends one bike length behind the seat. Here's a stock rear close-up:




So I moved the rear light and I also replaced the mufflers with shorters ones, both for the looks and sound and this is where I'm at now:





Mini turn signals are ordered as well. Other than that will have to wait for now.


/Jim

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Very clean looking bike.  I see from your signature that it appears to be a 1982 model, which is interesting because the frame looks like a 1979 model for North America - it has straight upper frame rails (versus the cruiser frame manufactured 1980-1982).  This is a better handling frame that is nearly identical to a CB500/CB550 frame but it has a detachable lower right frame rail for easier engine removal and installation.

[Jimcg]

Thanks, that was useful information about the detachable frame part. But I hope I don't have to use it. 🙂

/Jim

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

The tail cowl is also different from the North American 79-82 models, but I like it.

[TXRanger]

That's a good-looking bike! Working on a 1980 model myself. I like the setup of yours much better.

[scunny]

I wonder if the rear cowl was removed, and the light shifted forward ?

[Jimcg]

I wonder if the rear cowl was removed, and the light shifted forward ?

That's correct! I think the stock rear looks ugly so I removed the cowl and made a temporary bracket to bolt the tail light as far in as it would go, without cutting anything. My plan is to remake the rear end this winter with a new fender, tail light and seat but still without cutting the frame.

/Jim

[Scott S]

 Man, I wish we got that model 650 in the states!

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Man, I wish we got that model 650 in the states!

No kidding.  I am not a huge fan of the cruiser frame on the US-market 1980-82 models.

[Jimcg]

New front mudguard in place. Drilled out the rivets and used the stock bracket for the new alloy mudguard. Ordered a rear one as well but that will have to wait until I have decided what to do with the seat.



/Jim

[Korven]

I was looking at the backgrounds and was hey, that looks alot like home. Then i saw your tag giving it away. Good looking 650! fun to see what progress you will make.

[Jimcg]

I was looking at the backgrounds and was hey, that looks alot like home. Then i saw your tag giving it away. Good looking 650! fun to see what progress you will make.

Your username sounds swedish (means hot dog in english), so I understand that you noticed the red and white house.

/Jim

[Jimcg]

Started to make a new seat a while ago. I'm using the stock hinge and lock as mounting points, as I want the modicifations I make to be reversible. Below are a few pictures of the making of the aluminium seat pan. I haven't decided about the final shape of the rear part of the seat yet. The tank has some straight lines in its shape and I feel the seat has to match that. I will see what happens when I put foam on it and start to shape the actual seat. Maybe I will modify the rear part of the pan then.











When I saw cwchan's great looking 550 here on this forum I knew what kind of tail light I wanted. I am not expecting my bike to look as good when finished but hopefully good enough.

/Jim

[Jimcg]

The "having difficulties making up my mind-championship" is going on in my garage. Last post I wrote that I wanted the same type of tail light as another bike on this forum, because it looked so good on his bike. Once I got further in the progress with my seat I started to feel that it wouldn't look that nice on my bike, being later model with more straight lines. I have narrowed down my options on how the seat can be shaped because of my decision to use stock mountings along with building a shorter seat. Time will tell if it will work at all. I can always go back to stock everything if my vision turns out to look awful or try the chrome mud guard with the Lucas style light again.

So I've mocked up a template for another solution, with a kind of cowl (will try and smoothen the bends a little) and double rear lights and as for now that is the look I will go for, with the cowl painted when I repaint the tank and side covers later on.



Seat pan got rubber mat glued on and this morning before I went to work I started to shape the foam. I will continue to work on that shape next time, but it feels like it might work.






/Jim

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Looks pretty good.  Once you have your foam shaped, take the bike on some extended rides to see how it functions.

[Jimcg]

Looks pretty good.  Once you have your foam shaped, take the bike on some extended rides to see how it functions.

Thanks for that idea!

/Jim

[Jimcg]

Thanks again, Cafe Racer Fan, for the comment on testing how the seat feels. I had bought foam described as being "stiff enough not to sit through" and I didn't even think I needed to test that. But I did and it was to soft! I'm so glad you helped me discover that before it was dressed in vinyl.

New and stiffer foam is in place now, almost finished in shape and I think I'm almost satisified with the shape. This one feels right as well! After smaller adjustments of the foam, my next mission will be the figuring out the sewing machine and the vinyl.



Also finished my tail light housing and got it mounted.





/Jim

[Jimcg]

Now I've finished making my new seat. I'm partially very pleased - with the size, shape and height. I wanted a shorter, lower and slimmer looking seat than stock, but mounted in the same way with the hinge and lock from the stock seat. That part works fine. But I'm not as happy about the result showing my lack of sewing skills. I havent't used a sewing machine since school.

I also know I could have gone for a simpler design but wanted the ribs on top and the "string" on the rear sides and across the middle. That design resulted in many parts to figure out, cut in right shape and bring together. In the upper "corners" in the middle there were 8 layers of vinyl and such complexity was to much for me, my patience and the sewing machine.

If I look at it from a distance, with eyes a bit closed - then I'm pleased! I try to think about it like I made a trial version and that will have to do for now. Maybe I'll do some extra work in the future so that I can afford having a professional to do what I tried to accomplish.








Next up is paint job or making my own side covers - I haven't decided yet.

/Jim

[rb550four]

  That seat cover looks way better than one of those Saddleman rags , oh sorry  seat covers.
What's wrong with the side covers? They look great. Are you saving them so you can go back to stock at some point?That being said , do your plans for paint include a different tank so the whole paint scheme  can go back to stock? Just wondering.
  Nice bike.

[Jimcg]

  That seat cover looks way better than one of those Saddleman rags , oh sorry  seat covers.
What's wrong with the side covers? They look great. Are you saving them so you can go back to stock at some point?That being said , do your plans for paint include a different tank so the whole paint scheme  can go back to stock? Just wondering.
  Nice bike.

Thanks!

My thoughts on other side covers is about trying to give it a slimmer design and not having to buy several kinds of paint (tank being metal and side covers plastic). But just as what happened to my initial thoughts on rear fender and tail light - it might turn out not to work along with the shape of the tank once I see it in place, because of the tank's size and bulky shape. I'll try and make side covers out of things I have laying around as a test, but if it doesn't work visually along with the tank and seat I'll use the stock covers. Either way I'm saving them. Everyting I remove is stored if I change my mind in the future.

I haven't manage to find another tank so far and I try to keep costs at minimal level, so the one I have will probably be repainted, possibly along with the side covers but I am aware that going back to stock will be harder if I repaint.

/Jim

[flatlander]

the tank and side covers with their original paint seem in pretty good shape. if you ever want to sell it, it will be worth a lot more like this than modified or repainted. you may want to take that into consideration when deciding to buy another tank.

the seat turned out pretty well. it already makes the bike look slimmer, especially with those tail lights and the rear fender removed. also your pipes already remove some of the visual "bulk" of the original.
personally, i'd put some lower profile handle bars on it and leave the tank and side covers. that would preserve the "oldskool kool" while giving it a bit of a lighter look. but that's just me... carry on

[Jimcg]

the tank and side covers with their original paint seem in pretty good shape. if you ever want to sell it, it will be worth a lot more like this than modified or repainted. you may want to take that into consideration when deciding to buy another tank.

the seat turned out pretty well. it already makes the bike look slimmer, especially with those tail lights and the rear fender removed. also your pipes already remove some of the visual "bulk" of the original.
personally, i'd put some lower profile handle bars on it and leave the tank and side covers. that would preserve the "oldskool kool" while giving it a bit of a lighter look. but that's just me... carry on

I appreciate your input! That's one of the reasons for posting here. My wife isn't very interested...

After rb550four asked about the original paint (and now you) a new idea started to spin around: I could start with Photoshop paint the tail piece in the original red just to get a feeling for how that would look, before I decide. I can also mention that as always, things look better in pictures than in reality and that goes for my tank and side covers as well. They have scratches and the rear part of the tank, towards the seat, the paint is worn.


Edit: I quickly "painted" the tail in red just to see how that would turn out along with keeping tank and side covers as they are. I have to consider that option a little...



/Jim

   

[rb550four]

  Jim , I think Flatlander nailed it. Between the blinker change out , your new seat , and custom taillight and of course the exhaust pipes, the 650 bulkiness has disappeared, it looks so nice. And I also think he may be right about those bars too. That's an item that has many choices in overall appearance and comfort, very personal for sure.
  I have a 650 with cafe bars on it....I have a 650 with cafe bars coming off it , it was the rage a few years ago  and I had to find out why, I still don't know why. I have another 650  with a bar set up like the 550 only not as tall. That one works for me, can sit upright comfortably ( 5' 10") or lay on the tank when riding a little naughty without feeling that they are too close to the tank or not wide enough to have maximum control when riding on less than perfect roads. They also slim the look down...without making me look fat.
 I'm liking your upgrades.  I like the factory paint though, I've painted  and pin stripped 650 tanks before and I found that they never look smaller. That's not really a bad thing when the stripes flow with the side covers stripes, it elongates the machine visually. That and a red 650 always looks good.

[Jimcg]

  Jim , I think Flatlander nailed it. Between the blinker change out , your new seat , and custom taillight and of course the exhaust pipes, the 650 bulkiness has disappeared, it looks so nice. And I also think he may be right about those bars too. That's an item that has many choices in overall appearance and comfort, very personal for sure.
  I have a 650 with cafe bars on it....I have a 650 with cafe bars coming off it , it was the rage a few years ago  and I had to find out why, I still don't know why. I have another 650  with a bar set up like the 550 only not as tall. That one works for me, can sit upright comfortably ( 5' 10") or lay on the tank when riding a little naughty without feeling that they are too close to the tank or not wide enough to have maximum control when riding on less than perfect roads. They also slim the look down...without making me look fat.
 I'm liking your upgrades.  I like the factory paint though, I've painted  and pin stripped 650 tanks before and I found that they never look smaller. That's not really a bad thing when the stripes flow with the side covers stripes, it elongates the machine visually. That and a red 650 always looks good.

I listen... and like your input and advise. I will absolutely make a more thorough Photoshop paintjob before doing anything paint wise on the bike. I did a quick version a few weeks ago but that image is to ugly to share. If I succeed and manage a better one I'll post it. It's another attitude I'm after and a unique color scheme.

But... I'm already starting to get used to the thought of just painting the new rear end in red and keeping it like that for one summer and see how I like it out in the sunshine and when I can look at it from a distance. My shed is very small and you don't see the same things standing close to a bike as when looking at it from a distance. That's also  one of the reasons for sharing pictures here.     

I am 6' 2" and although lower bars might look better I wouldn't like sitting that much forward. The handlebars I think I want are something like these (in black): https://www.jemparts.se/product.html/styre-abm-superbike-svart?category_id=141

/Jim

[grcamna2]

Hi Jim,I am enjoying the work you have accomplished this far along the journey of your custom changes made to your CB650:I like your design of the seat and taillight,and I also like that you could choose to turn the progress back to stock if you change your mind at a later date.This is a 1982' CB650Z ? I like this model.Can you tell me how many years they made this model Honda and what changes they made to it from when it first started production until the last model was produced ? thank you,Bill