Topic: My $300 77 CB550F Project

[chesterburnet111]

I've been trying to join this forum for 2 years but I kept getting the question wrong and couldn't get joined up. I tried again and they asked me an easier question. My build started a while ago so I'll try to catch my progress up. Looking forward to the feedback.

My every day bike is a 2019 MT10 which I've done aftermarket suspension on and is the motorcycle love of my life. I've always leaned towards these type of motorcycles. I owned motocross bikes until I was almost 40 and then stopped riding for 20 years. Now I've owned 5 motorcycles since 2016. When I was a kid I liked British bikes and had a clapped out BSA 350 and trying to keep that running left me to admire British bikes from afar. Of all of the traits that are important in cars and motorcycles, reliability is number 1.

I was never a Harley guy but the XR750 flat tracker when came out when I was 13 and I thought it was the coolest motorcycle I had ever seen. About 10 years ago I got the idea to build one for the street but they just seemed to be so far away from the performance I want out of a motorcycle. The bat#$%* crazy prices people were asking for old Japanese used bikes made me think that t was impossible to find a decent one but I kept checking Craigslist for a few years and finally found this basket case Honda CB550 for $300. I pounced on it and it turned out that it was a 1 owner bike with 9700 miles and the guy was turning it into a cafe racer which I always liked. He started it so I figured I'd go with that. That was 2 years ago and I rebuilt and refinished the motor over the first year and then took a year off to do some large home projects. When I got back to it this past November, I started working on cleaning up the frame and the poor quality of the workmanship from the original owner made me start to have misgivings. The frame loop that he did was pretty nasty and I really want to build a high quality old bike so I decided to cut it off and start over. The other misgiving I've had is that I'm 67 and cafe racer riding position concerned me. I started looking at options and found some cool tracker style seats and since that was my original idea, decided to go for it.

[grcamna2]

Welcome to the forum.
Do you still have enough original length rear seat rails to use the rear most fender mounts ?

[chesterburnet111]

Welcome to the forum.
Do you still have enough original length rear seat rails to use the rear most fender mounts ?

Actually I do. The previous owner cut the rear section and fabricated a rear hoop that welded to the outside of the frame and save the original frame section. When I cut off his piece and cleaned it up, the old piece matches up perfectly and needs to be welded back on which is my plan as it supports the new seat section.

[grcamna2]

Nice   
I'm glad the other previous owner saved the parts.

[denward17]

Following progress.....

[chesterburnet111]

My original plan was to do this semi cost effective using as many original parts. That was going pretty well until I started thinking about carburetors and Googled them and discovered Murray's Carburetors. Besides getting rave reviews, I thought they look incredibly cool so I bought them. Then, I Googled electronic ignitions and discovered Motogadget. Game Over. I was done in by Google. I geek out over modern technology, especially on motorcycles. I love all the technology on my MT10 and all of a sudden I had a new vision for this. I decided I wanted to use all of the Motogadget stuff I could and thought it would be cool to incorporate as much current technology without and try to make it look like an old school build. I kind of lost my mind. So far I've spent over 7K on parts. I rebuilt the top end of the motor and new electronic ignition. The previous owner painted the motor red for some reason. Removing factory paint and the red paint was brutal. Even after using aircraft paint stripper, I spent the entire summer wire brushing it off with a Dremel and then sanding. I also taught myself how to refinish and polish aluminum. It's a lot of work but I've noticed that a lot of people avoid the grunt work and paint everything black. Frankly, I'm sick of black motorcycles and everything painted black. They're all starting to look the same.

[grcamna2]

Will you paint the engine a different color now ?

[chesterburnet111]

Will you paint the engine a different color now ?

It is already painted Duplicolor silver and black engine paint.

[denward17]

Looks great!

[Stev-o]

$7K?!!!  Wow, the cheapest bikes are the most expensive!

I think you made a good choice not to go the cafe route, that riding position is not comfortable for more that 30 min.

Cal is our resident Motogadget, expert when/if you have questions.  Good luck!

PS. Love polished aluminum, nice job.

[calj737]

Cal is our resident Motogadget, expert when/if you have questions.  Good luck!

There’s a forum specifically for that topic too.

[chesterburnet111]

I've been checking out the Motogadget threads on here for a while. My biggest fear has been that CalJ (is it Cal?) would retire from the forum before I get to wiring this bike up. I think their stuff is beyond cool.

I bought the Motogaget M-Unit Blue, Motoscope Pro, blinkers, keyless lock and handle bar buttons last year.  Interestingly, they seem to sell out as quickly as distributors get them in stock so I decided to try and buy directly from Germany. To my surprise, they were available for immediate delivery and, due to the exchange rate, everything was about 1/3 cheaper even including DHL delivery.

Additionally I bought an electronic ignition from Charlie's Place and new higher output coils from Dynatek coils.

[calj737]

Motoscope Pro needs the breakout box, I think?

[chesterburnet111]

Motoscope Pro needs the breakout box, I think?

Yes. I got one. Your reputation proceeds you and I was aware how helpful and well respected you are on this site. I figured I'd learn as much as I can before I started bombing you with questions. I'm not a beginner with electrical but I got a ways to go. When I started looking at the OEM wiring, I realized that it could turn into a major pain in the ass putting it back together and diagnosing issues on a 45 year old motorcycle. When I saw the M-Unit, it just clicked in my head that ultimately it was simpler, more reliable and way cooler. I'm also guessing that between the old wiring harness, battery, lights, that it drops about 20 lbs off the bike.

I see that there are a lot of people that are critical of the Motogadget & Murray's Carburetors that have no actual experience with them. I'm 67 and still working full time in a technology driven industry and I see that there are a lot of people that, as they get older are hyper resistant to new things and often are very vocal about it. I'm not one of them and I enjoy talking to other like minded people.

I have to say that I am amazed at the  amount of responses and conversation here. Way cool. I don't know a lot of people that are into this stuff.

[calj737]

Motoscope Pro needs the breakout box, I think?

Yes. I got one. Your reputation proceeds you and I was aware how helpful and well respected you are on this site. I figured I'd learn as much as I can before I started bombing you with questions. I'm not a beginner with electrical but I got a ways to go. When I started looking at the OEM wiring, I realized that it could turn into a major pain in the ass putting it back together and diagnosing issues on a 45 year old motorcycle. When I saw the M-Unit, it just clicked in my head that ultimately it was simpler, more reliable and way cooler. I'm also guessing that between the old wiring harness, battery, lights, that it drops about 20 lbs off the bike.

I see that there are a lot of people that are critical of the Motogadget & Murray's Carburetors that have no actual experience with them. I'm 67 and still working full time in a technology driven industry and I see that there are a lot of people that, as they get older are hyper resistant to new things and often are very vocal about it. I'm not one of them and I enjoy talking to other like minded people.

I have to say that I am amazed at the  amount of responses and conversation here. Way cool. I don't know a lot of people that are into this stuff.

Peas in a pod.

For me, if I am going to invest time (the most precious commodity) into renovating/rebuilding something, then I am going to do so to the best level I can. That does not infer that “original” is inferior, but innovation occurs with time and these bikes are nearer to 50 years old than 5.

And I enjoy building bikes, cars, trucks, etc. But I much prefer RIDING bikes than maintaining them. So anything I can do to improve its reliability or upgrade its performance (suspension, braking, lighting…) I’m doing. To hell with Concours restos; they’re not my cup of Joe. I appreciate them, but I ride my garage art.

[chesterburnet111]

Motoscope Pro needs the breakout box, I think?

Peas in a pod.

For me, if I am going to invest time (the most precious commodity) into renovating/rebuilding something, then I am going to do so to the best level I can. That does not infer that “original” is inferior, but innovation occurs with time and these bikes are nearer to 50 years old than 5.

And I enjoy building bikes, cars, trucks, etc. But I much prefer RIDING bikes than maintaining them. So anything I can do to improve its reliability or upgrade its performance (suspension, braking, lighting…) I’m doing. To hell with Concours restos; they’re not my cup of Joe. I appreciate them, but I ride my garage art.

I completely agree. I appreciate the Concours restorations and am amazed at some of them but it's not what I'm looking to do. Honestly, I hate seeing truly rare cars and motorcycles get hacked up but a 77 CB550 is not rare. Garage art is a good way of putting it and I want to ride it.

[grcamna2]

Motoscope Pro needs the breakout box, I think?

Yes. I got one. Your reputation proceeds you and I was aware how helpful and well respected you are on this site. I figured I'd learn as much as I can before I started bombing you with questions. I'm not a beginner with electrical but I got a ways to go. When I started looking at the OEM wiring, I realized that it could turn into a major pain in the ass putting it back together and diagnosing issues on a 45 year old motorcycle. When I saw the M-Unit, it just clicked in my head that ultimately it was simpler, more reliable and way cooler. I'm also guessing that between the old wiring harness, battery, lights, that it drops about 20 lbs off the bike.

I see that there are a lot of people that are critical of the Motogadget & Murray's Carburetors that have no actual experience with them. I'm 67 and still working full time in a technology driven industry and I see that there are a lot of people that, as they get older are hyper resistant to new things and often are very vocal about it. I'm not one of them and I enjoy talking to other like minded people.

I have to say that I am amazed at the  amount of responses and conversation here. Way cool. I don't know a lot of people that are into this stuff.

Peas in a pod.

For me, if I am going to invest time (the most precious commodity) into renovating/rebuilding something, then I am going to do so to the best level I can. That does not infer that “original” is inferior, but innovation occurs with time and these bikes are nearer to 50 years old than 5.

And I enjoy building bikes, cars, trucks, etc. But I much prefer RIDING bikes than maintaining them. So anything I can do to improve its reliability or upgrade its performance (suspension, braking, lighting…) I’m doing. To hell with Concours restos; they’re not my cup of Joe. I appreciate them, but I ride my garage art.

I appreciate what you're saying 

[chesterburnet111]

I received my seat this week and last night I put it on top of the frame to eyeball it up. It's made out of plastic so I'll have to figure out a way to mount it. I want it to have a way to put it on and off quickly and easily so I can access storage and electronics. I figured that there are some big brained people that have puzzled over this and come up with some innovative solutions. I've never been shy about adopting a good plan or idea. I posted a picture of the seat earlier in this thread. 

[MauiK3]

Quite a project!!

[Godffery]

 For a nice clean easy seat mount / removal method, I've been making aluminum mounting posts similar size and shape to what's on the side-covers, then using stock rubber grommets for the other side.
 https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/94434865_842723786235636_5481074213311741952_n.jpg?stp=c67.0.521.521a_dst-jpg_s851x315&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c21ed2&_nc_ohc=Uxtl0vtKa8sAX96SFJU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOkE4iAZJdVHrRo2ldp1op4ti1Kxg0Kzv29fnrnfRYjg&oe=65E47CCE

 https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/359814778_817006363543311_4585416237824568594_n.jpg?stp=c342.0.1365.1365a_dst-jpg_s851x315&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3d9721&_nc_ohc=d86sc2g5YjcAX8byI9m&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB47ZUVr42LXSvkcMem_1So6iesdvJBgsR78ynqmbUFkA&oe=65C2A2B6

[Floshenbarnical]

Motoscope Pro needs the breakout box, I think?

Yes. I got one. Your reputation proceeds you and I was aware how helpful and well respected you are on this site. I figured I'd learn as much as I can before I started bombing you with questions. I'm not a beginner with electrical but I got a ways to go. When I started looking at the OEM wiring, I realized that it could turn into a major pain in the ass putting it back together and diagnosing issues on a 45 year old motorcycle. When I saw the M-Unit, it just clicked in my head that ultimately it was simpler, more reliable and way cooler. I'm also guessing that between the old wiring harness, battery, lights, that it drops about 20 lbs off the bike.

I see that there are a lot of people that are critical of the Motogadget & Murray's Carburetors that have no actual experience with them. I'm 67 and still working full time in a technology driven industry and I see that there are a lot of people that, as they get older are hyper resistant to new things and often are very vocal about it. I'm not one of them and I enjoy talking to other like minded people.

I have to say that I am amazed at the  amount of responses and conversation here. Way cool. I don't know a lot of people that are into this stuff.

I think I'm biting the bullet and going m.unit this year. It just makes the most sense. I'll be buying it in March when I actually have the money

[calj737]

Actually I do. The previous owner cut the rear section and fabricated a rear hoop that welded to the outside of the frame and save the original frame section. When I cut off his piece and cleaned it up, the old piece matches up perfectly and needs to be welded back on which is my plan as it supports the new seat section.

Take notice of the slight curvature in the stock frame from where the backbone terminates, to the tail end. With your aftermarket seat cowl, you'll want the "hoop" laying flat and parallel to the ground. This can also allow you to tuck the seat upholstery tight to the tank. Takes some fiddling to get it right, but looks so much more professional when it is done properly.

Just bear in mind when you lower the seat pan, check the clearance to the rear tire when suspension is fully loaded. You would not be the first to miss this fabrication detail. 

[chesterburnet111]

I think I'm biting the bullet and going m.unit this year. It just makes the most sense. I'll be buying it in March when I actually have the money
[/quote]

Check out buying it direct from Motogadget in Germany. The exchange rate is still quite favorable and you can save a good chunk of cash.

[Floshenbarnical]

I think I'm biting the bullet and going m.unit this year. It just makes the most sense. I'll be buying it in March when I actually have the money

Check out buying it direct from Motogadget in Germany. The exchange rate is still quite favorable and you can save a good chunk of cash.
[/quote]

Thanks for letting me know. I know Revival Cycle puts together and sells a big bundle of wires as an optional accessory with their m.unit, I might pick that up.

[calj737]

I think I'm biting the bullet and going m.unit this year. It just makes the most sense. I'll be buying it in March when I actually have the money

Check out buying it direct from Motogadget in Germany. The exchange rate is still quite favorable and you can save a good chunk of cash.

Thanks for letting me know. I know Revival Cycle puts together and sells a big bundle of wires as an optional accessory with their m.unit, I might pick that up.
[/quote]
Cheaper and easier to buy spools of colors in the correct gauge through McMaster Carr. I use 22AWG for the ground wires from the buttons, and 18AWG for the power to the components. I duplicate the stock colors for ease and clarity of future owners.