Topic: Bonjour!

[GreaseMonkey]

Hello SOHC4.net! Long time lurker, first time poster.

My backround is street riding '90s superbikes, and now that I'm getting older I've recently sort of been wanting something that may not kill me every time I take it out. Don't remember where, when, or how, but I saw and heard CB550 with a Yoshi style pipe. I needed one of these things in my life.

After initially wanting a CB750F for a some time, the more I researched these bikes I started leaning towards a CB550F. I'm a very tiny guy (100lbs) so I appreciate the lighter weight of the 550. Power to weight also makes the 550 much faster with me on it than most "regular" sized folk. Handling always trumped power for me, provided that there was "adequate" power.

I'm very mechanically inclined and love projects, but hate rust and body work. I'm in the rust belt in a very major city so everything here is overpriced hacked rusty garbage. I was pretty much ready to give up on finding a decent 550, and COVID these past few years meant I couldn't travel like I normally would when looking for a clean older vehicle.

Fast forward to one morning last week, I come accross an ad for a possibly decent looking CB550F. Not a show piece but all I care for is finding a bike that's unhacked, rust-free(ish), and mostly complete.

I can now finally say I proudly own one of my dream bikes. It's a 1977 CB550F Super Sport. The engine number aligns with the frame serial number, so it's got the upated pinned rocker shafts and all that good stuff. I'm very happy I didn't have to settle for a K model or earlier 550 or a rustbucket like I thought I may have to. The bike has a MAC 4-1 exhaust and front dual disc brake mod from what I can see so far.

She has been sitting for 10ish years, but indoors and actually looks taken care of before things started to pile on top of it in the garage. I cleaned out the tank the day I got her and to my surprise it's practically brand new in there. Motor turns over nicely and I'm hopeful she won't need a rebuild, at least not immediately. Definately a project though, especially with my planned mods. Unfortunately the bike is parked away from me at the moment, so I'll only be able to tinker with her once in a while till it gets warmer.

I'm happy that there is still a healthy operating discussion board for these bikes. Learned a lot about these bikes so far comes and all of it came from this board. I'm sure I'll need a lot of your help to get my project started and finished. I'm looking forward to it!

Unfortunately, was so excited I forgot to take a proper picture of her. Here she is en route to her new home:

[tool14]

welcome aboard

[dusterdude]

Welcome

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk

[Prospect]

Welcome to the forum.  100 lbs.  That's even lighter than me.  I'm 120lbs.  The cb550 is a great bike.  I took one from Toronto the the cabot trail in Nova Scotia and back.  Had to cut my trip short because a hurricane was coming and I was tenting it. 

[MD]

Welcome from Lake Superior,

550F SuperSport can do 1000+ mile days.

-MD

[BenelliSEI]

Welcome from just south of Peterborough, ON. My first Honda was a 550K. Congrats!

[GreaseMonkey]

Appreciate all the warm welcomes!

Prospect, when I'm in good health and in shape (deep into the riding season), I can actually push over 120 lbs. I build and lose muscle ridiculously fast from activity/inactivity. So my bikes are fastest come spring time, though I can barely push them around for a week or two.

I notice most your bikes are 750s. If you don't mind me asking how tall are you?

Have you lightened them at all? What made you pick the 750 over the 550 in the end?

MD, what do you mean by 1000+mile days? As in ride a 1000 miles a day?

Clean bike BenelliSEI.

[Prospect]

Appreciate all the warm welcomes!

Prospect, when I'm in good health and in shape (deep into the riding season), I can actually push over 120 lbs. I build and lose muscle ridiculously fast from activity/inactivity. So my bikes are fastest come spring time, though I can barely push them around for a week or two.

I notice most your bikes are 750s. If you don't mind me asking how tall are you?

Have you lightened them at all? What made you pick the 750 over the 550 in the end?

MD, what do you mean by 1000+mile days? As in ride a 1000 miles a day?

Clean bike BenelliSEI.

I'm 5'6" and can almost have my feet flat on the ground with the 750.  I don't find the bike too heavy at all.  I find the 54 Harley Panhead very heavy to push around the garage and at slow speeds but I've never had it down.  It's very hard to kick over.  I'm tired after 5-7 kicks.  I just don't have the weight to get that kicker down as fast as someone 100 lbs heavier than I.   I chose the 750  over the 550 because I wanted the heavier weight bike for cruising. 

[goodtryer]

Howdy!

[Stev-o]

Welcome to Blue 550F Club!   The 550F is a fine bike, being relatively lightweight, you may feel it being pushed around on the highway when passing a big truck.  I did not like that feeling and bought a 750 as well.
But the 550 does have adequate power and is fun on the twisty roads around here in Central Texas!



PS. Start a thread in the Project Shop area so we call follow along and answer any questions you may have.

[Kevin D]

Hi GreaseMonkey, welcome to the forum and congrats on your new Honda.
Where are you in Canada?
If the stars align, I might be riding in Canada this summer.

[MD]

Appreciate all the warm welcomes!

MD, what do you mean by 1000+mile days? As in ride a 1000 miles a day?

Clean bike BenelliSEI.

I have ridden 3 certified 1000+ mile rides from the Ironbutt Association completed on my '75 CB550F Supersport.  Circle Ride Around Lake Superior,  45-90 Geographic center in Wisconsin, and all in the UP of MI - Yooper 1000.  All completed under 24 hours.



Picture taken during the Yooper 1000.

-MD

[GreaseMonkey]

I'm not really the crusing type so I think I picked the right bike. I wanted an old SOHC Honda that "handles" and the 550 seemed like the smallest one with adequate power for my appetite. Hope I was right and don't end up with a 750 in the garage next year! Prospect, you do have a couple of inches on me so that must help with the 750 .

I'm used to being pushed around on the highways, modern litre bikes are super light and pretty "twitchy", doesn't bother me at all, it's one of the costs of handling I guess. I will be starting a build thread once I get cracking on her. Parts are already arriving and in the mail!

Going to see if I can get the bike ready for this season, but not holding myself to that. I'm not sure if I should get it running at a bare minimum and get her on the road or take my time with it and build it the way I want. I sort of want to get some riding done on it to get a feel of what I think she needs though. I'm not one to ride a stock bike, at least not for long.

MD, good to hear these bikes are capable of being that reliable. I'm curious, since you do so many miles how often are you doing oil changes? I was surprised to read the change interval listed in the owner's manual is quite short. I think it said 1500 miles? I guess that's just how these old bikes are with their larger internal build tolerances?

[newday777]

I was surprised to read the change interval listed in the owner's manual is quite short. I think it said 1500 miles? I guess that's just how these old bikes are with their larger internal build tolerances?

The oil available back then combined with the gasoline bypass gasses contamination was the reason for the short intervals.
Todays oils and cleaner burning gasoline makes it possible to go longer on oil changes.

[MD]

MD, good to hear these bikes are capable of being that reliable. I'm curious, since you do so many miles how often are you doing oil changes? I was surprised to read the change interval listed in the owner's manual is quite short. I think it said 1500 miles? I guess that's just how these old bikes are with their larger internal build tolerances?

Running a bike continuously is easier on the engine than multiple 30 mile jaunts.  Longest I have gone is 2500 miles ridden in one weekend.

-MD