Author Topic: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Gentleman's Roadster  (Read 346862 times)

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Offline akabek

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - The Fun Never Ends!
« Reply #400 on: January 28, 2014, 02:34:37 AM »
So I was tinkered around in the Lab tonight and innocently pushed the button.
My first thought was....."Holy Crap!  Do these guy's really ride bikes this LOUD?"
Then I started to get it.

Yes they are on the loud side.  I had a friend ride my bike while I was standing watching and it sounded louder being the rider than off the bike.  It does take some getting use to but it is loud enough that drivers of other vehicles notice so there is an extra sense of protection they will not cut you off.

Offline Syscrush

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - The Fun Never Ends!
« Reply #401 on: January 30, 2014, 04:14:34 PM »
Then I started to get it.
:D

Love it.

I don't wanna ride a loud bike, but I respect those who do.
Life is precious: wear your f'n helmet!
There's nothing more expensive than a free bike...
FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.

Offline FunJimmy

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - The Fun Never Ends!
« Reply #402 on: February 03, 2014, 11:10:47 AM »
I'm not comfortable having the entire exhaust system hanging from the head studs and the Kerker muffler bracket won't fit the Cone megaphone.
The Kerker mount (with the holes) was never intended to be the final design either, so this was a good opportunity to do it differently and have a little fun in the Lab.

I started a step by step "How to" thread for those interested.
Aluminum fabrication for Dummies: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=134054.0

Anodized black, this muffler support bracket should do the trick!

Stay tuned for a sound comparison next!
« Last Edit: January 02, 2019, 04:06:54 PM by FunJimmy »
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - The Fun Never Ends!
« Reply #403 on: February 03, 2014, 02:19:20 PM »
I'm not comfortable having the entire exhaust system hanging from the head studs and the Kerker muffler bracket won't fit the Cone megaphone. The Kerker mount (with the holes) was never intended to be the final design either, so this was a good opportunity to do it differently and have a little fun in the Lab.

I started a step by step "How to" thread for those interested.
Aluminum fabrication for Dummies: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=134054.0

Anodized black, this muffler support bracket should do the trick!





Stay tuned for a sound comparison next!

First-class job, Jimmy.  So many use the 4-1's without a bracket, but I tend to agree that (long-term) it is better to have a support mount.  Did you fabricate the mating mount on the Cone exhaust, or did it come with a mounting plate?
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline Retro Rocket

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #404 on: February 03, 2014, 04:20:41 PM »
Nice work as usual FJ.... ;)
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Offline FunJimmy

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - The Fun Never Ends!
« Reply #405 on: February 03, 2014, 04:24:52 PM »
Did you fabricate the mating mount on the Cone exhaust, or did it come with a mounting plate?

Cone Engineering sells mounting tabs seperatly.
They need to be welded on though.
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline calj737

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #406 on: February 03, 2014, 07:21:40 PM »
FJ - well thought out brackets are a strong indicator of a well thought out build. And the care you've invested in the small parts make the entire build really beautiful.

Since I used the MotoGP exhaust, I followed suit with his use of springs and secured mine with a HD spring. It's consistent tot he build and very solid. It's a small detail, but it is also very subtle.

'74 550 Build http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=126401.0
'73 500 Build http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132935.0

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Offline 754

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #407 on: February 03, 2014, 08:39:35 PM »
Jimmy i would. Have probably built it exactly like that.. We think alike..
 Is there seriously people that run a 4-1 unsupported. On the back..?

 I always thought that it was just a joke when people said that.. Is there really people that have done it ?
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Offline FunJimmy

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #408 on: February 03, 2014, 09:47:04 PM »
Jimmy i would. Have probably built it exactly like that.. We think alike..
 Is there seriously people that run a 4-1 unsupported. On the back..?

 I always thought that it was just a joke when people said that.. Is there really people that have done it ?

Thanks Frank. It's an honour to be in such great company.
Yes! There are many who run Yosh style pipes without support hangers.
Can't see them holding up over the long haul though.
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline FunJimmy

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #409 on: February 11, 2014, 04:13:12 PM »
For reasons unknown, I've intentionally avoided making a chain guard for over 6 years and I can't procrastinate any longer.
My first thought was to fab it up out of sheet aluminum and have a sheet metal shop bend it up for me but I got thinking about using extruded aluminum U channel instead.
I couldn't find the right profile in U channel so I bought some box section.

Here's the prototype.

« Last Edit: January 02, 2019, 04:11:20 PM by FunJimmy »
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline FunJimmy

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #410 on: February 11, 2014, 04:14:42 PM »
Fini

« Last Edit: January 02, 2019, 04:13:18 PM by FunJimmy »
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline tweakin

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #411 on: February 11, 2014, 04:19:49 PM »
looking great as usual Jim.  Must be cold up north.. ;D

Offline FunJimmy

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #412 on: February 11, 2014, 06:02:54 PM »
looking great as usual Jim.  Must be cold up north.. ;D

Long cold night are great for more than working on bikes, but they need love too.
That and I have a few things to get anodized, so the more the merrier.
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor - Over 100,000 served!
« Reply #413 on: February 11, 2014, 06:05:04 PM »
Looks great Jim.  How did you get such a clean cut?
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline Trevdawg

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor
« Reply #414 on: February 19, 2014, 12:03:15 PM »
Unbelievable!!
I have been looking at this build thread for the past couple days, while at work, and i love all the documentation/pics you have done. It is crazy to see how this is up to 30 something pages as well.

Like everyone else, it just motivates me to get something going. It would probably be better for me to start with a bike that is already running then one sitting around. I also like how you are able to ride it in the warmer months then have a good time frame of your winter project, and able to ride again by the following summer.

Keep up the good work and the updates/pics.  :)

Offline akabek

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor
« Reply #415 on: February 19, 2014, 12:10:33 PM »
Unbelievable!!
I have been looking at this build thread for the past couple days, while at work, and i love all the documentation/pics you have done. It is crazy to see how this is up to 30 something pages as well.

Like everyone else, it just motivates me to get something going. It would probably be better for me to start with a bike that is already running then one sitting around. I also like how you are able to ride it in the warmer months then have a good time frame of your winter project, and able to ride again by the following summer.

Keep up the good work and the updates/pics.  :)

The great part of these builds is that they keep evolving.  We ride in the summer and make more changes over the winter.  Unfortunately this winter has been crazy cold to work in the garage....

Offline FunJimmy

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Re: CB550 Cafe Interceptor
« Reply #416 on: February 19, 2014, 02:45:32 PM »
Unbelievable!!
I have been looking at this build thread for the past couple days, while at work, and i love all the documentation/pics you have done. It is crazy to see how this is up to 30 something pages as well.

Like everyone else, it just motivates me to get something going. It would probably be better for me to start with a bike that is already running then one sitting around. I also like how you are able to ride it in the warmer months then have a good time frame of your winter project, and able to ride again by the following summer.

Keep up the good work and the updates/pics.  :)

Thanks for the kind words and positive feedback, Trev.

My goal has always been to work over winter and enjoy through summer.
There's just too much to do in one stint and my creativity has been able to expand with riding season recesses tossed in.

I sometimes think about a restart with another bike, but just don't have the time, space or finances to do another at this point in time, so I chip away at refinements rather than a wholesale reformat.   

Keep checkin in, I never seem to be truly finished.
After all, what would I use as an excuse for some Lab time?  ;D
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline Syscrush

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Re: CB550 Café Interceptor a Gentleman's Roadster
« Reply #417 on: March 28, 2014, 05:34:50 PM »


Jimmy, you're a f'n maniac.  This looks fantastic.  I'm glad that I happened on this thread the week that I'm trying to figure out what to do for a new chainguard on my 'X!

Stellar work as always.  I'm totally ripping off this idea.  So much better than bending from sheet.
Life is precious: wear your f'n helmet!
There's nothing more expensive than a free bike...
FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.

Offline FunJimmy

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Re: CB550 Café Interceptor a Gentleman's Roadster
« Reply #418 on: March 28, 2014, 07:54:12 PM »
Jimmy, you're a f'n maniac.  This looks fantastic.  I'm glad that I happened on this thread the week that I'm trying to figure out what to do for a new chainguard on my 'X!

Stellar work as always.  I'm totally ripping off this idea.  So much better than bending from sheet.

Thanks Syscrush.
Bending from sheet was my plan for the longest time.
That's probably why it's taken me 6 years to get it done.
The box section aluminum had pretty sharp corners.
I think it looks nicer with the short radius edge.
I'll post a few pics since anodized black.
You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist's office!

CB550 Cafe Interceptor a Gentlemans Roadster
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27159.0

Offline Retro Rocket

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Re: CB550 Café Interceptor a Gentleman's Roadster
« Reply #419 on: March 29, 2014, 01:26:28 AM »
Thats a sexy looking chain guard and well made... ;)
750 K2 1000cc
750 F1 970cc
750 Bitsa 900cc
If You can't fix it with a hammer, You've got an electrical problem.

Offline Syscrush

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Re: CB550 Café Interceptor a Gentleman's Roadster
« Reply #420 on: March 29, 2014, 07:13:51 AM »
The link-style brackets also look awesome.  This is such a great idea, I don't understand why anyone bends sheet.  It's going to look awesome when it's anodized - but I'll be doing mine with powder coat to match other parts of the bike.

My bike is undergoing major surgery this winter/spring - I'll post a bunch of pics in my 'X thread here when it's done.
Life is precious: wear your f'n helmet!
There's nothing more expensive than a free bike...
FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.

Offline riverfever

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Re: CB550 Café Interceptor a Gentleman's Roadster
« Reply #421 on: March 29, 2014, 08:42:17 AM »
That chainguard is silly. Super clean job Jimmy. I really dig it.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=127186.0

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Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 Café Interceptor a Gentleman's Roadster
« Reply #422 on: April 18, 2014, 06:26:37 PM »
The anodized finish on the chain guard and brackets looks sharp.  If you get the hankering to cut another one, let me know!

The megaphone exhaust is giving me something to think about for my next project!
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline brandEn

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Re: CB550 Café Interceptor a Gentleman's Roadster
« Reply #423 on: April 19, 2014, 06:35:14 AM »
Jim the fresh anodized parts look great. That cone muffler really looks fantastic on your build. Icing on the cake!

Offline Syscrush

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Re: CB550 Café Interceptor a Gentleman's Roadster
« Reply #424 on: April 21, 2014, 05:57:54 AM »
That is so f'n sweet.  Love it.  I am 100% ripping off this technique - I'm sending your pics to my machinist this week.  I promise to refer to it as a "FunJimmy chainguard" whenever it's admired. :)

You know what would set that chainguard off nicely?

Life is precious: wear your f'n helmet!
There's nothing more expensive than a free bike...
FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.