Author Topic: rebirth of a cb550 road racer (Read 12980 times)

paulages · « **on:** December 02, 2007, 02:38:32 pm »

thanks to forum member agiyo (joe), i've recently acquired a cb550 racer that hasn't been raced since the early 80's (if i remember right). the specs as i know them so far:

action fours 605cc kit: 12.5/1 CR
megacycle (unknown specs as of now) cam
dyna ignition and coils
mikuni carbs (from a kz900)
cb900F front end
drive chain tensioner
gl1000 alloy rims
pro stroker gas charged shocks
steering damper
tomasselli clip-ons
ducati 900ss tank
hand formed aluminum seat and cowl (my work)
heavily braced/modified frame
kerker 4-1, race baffled
homemade rearsets

put some 110 octane in the tank last night, and after going through everything, fired it up. it sounds amazing.

the original builder is local, so hopefully i can find him and find out more details on the engine internals. can't wait to hit the track with this thing!

scunny · « **Reply #1 on:** December 02, 2007, 02:48:00 pm »

nice find, love the seat cowl.

WJL75 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2007, 02:49:59 pm »

Beautiful bike...great find.

paulages · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2007, 03:08:14 pm »

Quote from: scunny on December 02, 2007, 02:48:00 pm

nice find, love the seat cowl.

i'll be making more...

FunJimmy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 02, 2007, 04:18:54 pm »

Looks awesome Paul. You lucky dog.

olds-cool · « **Reply #5 on:** December 02, 2007, 04:30:28 pm »

Nice looking bike, willl be even better when complete. Kinda hard to tell from the pics but where exactly were the top shock mounts moved to? I like the angle they sit at. Could you get a better pic of that area for me please?

bwaller · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2007, 04:40:29 pm »

Interesting find Paul. Will the weather allow a sneak around the block? I hunted for a points cover like that one, wonder what it's from, not 350, maybe 450?

jeanhank · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2007, 04:49:41 pm »

great bike!

what kind of rim is that back one? you say gl1000 but that looks like an 18 incher. i thought the goldwings had 17" rear rims?

mlinder · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2007, 06:38:08 pm »

I've seen the bike in person. It's really quite breathtaking.
Has a full fairing, too.
It's solid, purpose built and pure. Quality stuff.

agiyo · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2007, 06:54:19 pm »

I'm the source of the race bike; Paul is completing my CB550/650 cafe bike in return and it's gonna be a sweetheart, too. Matter of fact, I think it's going to be amazing. With both bikes, two old Alfa Romeos, being a single parent and various other avocations, I'm very happy that he's doing the Hondas.

On the racer, the frame was cut across the back, and bent up at about the mounting points for the passenger pegs to move the upper shock mounts forward. Then, square tubing was welded in to box and strengthen the frame. The same square tubing was welded along the bottom of the swinging arm; this bike could probably endure a tectonic shift without warping.

The basis for the street bike is a CB550F that I got started on, but had stalled out. It has CB650 forks with cartridge emulators coming, a CB650SC motor stock but with a Jardine 4>1 exhaust, Progressive shocks, the frame is being powder coated in that near-chrome finish. Paul has worked knee indents into the tank, and I think we're going to use the seat you see in Paul's first pictures of the racer with the plastic cowl. Tapered steering stem bearings, all the stuff like that. I haven't decided on the color for the tank/seat/headlight/side covers, but am leaning toward Vanilla with red accents.

Stand by folks, this is going to be fun!

Joe C.

bill440cars · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2007, 09:40:00 pm »

Man, That 550 Racer looks and sounds like it should be an Awesome ride!

The work that's gone into it is really something!

Joe's Street Bike sounds like it's going to be something else, in it's own right!

Can't wait to see and hear more about both bikes!

Later on, Bill

paulages · « **Reply #11 on:** December 02, 2007, 10:33:42 pm »

Quote from: bill440cars on December 02, 2007, 09:40:00 pm

Man, That 550 Racer looks and sounds like it should be an Awesome ride! The work that's gone into it is really something!

Joe's Street Bike sounds like it's going to be something else, in it's own right!

Can't wait to see and hear more about both bikes!

Later on, Bill

haven't heard from you in a while, bill.. good to "see" you!

pdxPope · « **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2007, 01:39:19 am »

......wow. I mean, you know, wow!

-JP

turboguzzi · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2007, 02:06:56 am »

very very nice..... A bit jealous too ;-)

Paul, could you post a good side view too?

If you do intend to race the bike seriously I have one comment. Did a few weeks an endurance race on a friend's CB500 that had a CB650 fork and same brake set up as yours. dont know why Honda fitted to the 650 smaller dia discs but braking performance was definetely down compared to the original CB500 twin disc setup in my racer. You might want to consider 500 sliders, calipers and discs + Ferodo platinum pads from vintage brakes. I went all the way and fitted much lighter GS750 discs too, a good few pounds less.

bwaller, i think that cover is from a 650

Keep the rubber side up
TG

paulages · « **Reply #14 on:** December 03, 2007, 11:19:42 am »

Quote from: turboguzzi on December 03, 2007, 02:06:56 am

very very nice..... A bit jealous too ;-)

Paul, could you post a good side view too?

If you do intend to race the bike seriously I have one comment. Did a few weeks an endurance race on a friend's CB500 that had a CB650 fork and same brake set up as yours. dont know why Honda fitted to the 650 smaller dia discs but braking performance was definetely down compared to the original CB500 twin disc setup in my racer. You might want to consider 500 sliders, calipers and discs + Ferodo platinum pads from vintage brakes. I went all the way and fitted much lighter GS750 discs too, a good few pounds less.

bwaller, i think that cover is from a 650

Keep the rubber side up
TG

thanks, TG. i won't know how that setup feels at all until the weather clears up enough that i can do some illegal riding around my shop. i do intend to race it...not sure how seriously though.

here's a side view with the old seat on it:

i couldn't get a very good side shot in my shop, due to other bikes being in the way:

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #15 on:** December 03, 2007, 11:53:50 am »

Nice Paul

Sam.

paulages · « **Reply #16 on:** December 03, 2007, 12:07:25 pm »

thanks, sam.

i think i'll probably end up rewelding the rear section that was used to support the seat, and possibly the swingarm as well. it's strange-- the bracing in the rest of the frame was done very well... as a matter of fact, the gussets and extra downtubes that imitate the cb750 design look so natural and cleanly welded that you might not even notice if you didn't know better. the square tubing sections look like they were done with a MIG welder from harbor freight or something. $:-\$

the chain tensioner= one of the coolest features on this bike, IMO.

blounstation · « **Reply #17 on:** December 04, 2007, 08:36:20 pm »

Congrats! The bike looks sick! Ducati tank huh...Hmmmmm....

paulages · « **Reply #18 on:** December 04, 2007, 11:53:24 pm »

rode it around the block today at the shop...missing two stacks, and won't run too well in an "around the block" kind of way.

need to go totally illegal and take it up the half-mile strip just a bit farther.

pdxPope · « **Reply #19 on:** December 05, 2007, 02:07:34 am »

Quote from: paulages on December 04, 2007, 11:53:24 pm

rode it around the block today at the shop...missing two stacks, and won't run too well in an "around the block" kind of way. need to go totally illegal and take it up the half-mile strip just a bit farther.

In that torrential downpour we had today??? Yikes!!

-JP

paulages · « **Reply #20 on:** December 05, 2007, 11:42:15 am »

Quote from: pdxPope on December 05, 2007, 02:07:34 am

Quote from: paulages on December 04, 2007, 11:53:24 pm
rode it around the block today at the shop...missing two stacks, and won't run too well in an "around the block" kind of way. need to go totally illegal and take it up the half-mile strip just a bit farther.

In that torrential downpour we had today??? Yikes!!

-JP

it was clear skies all day in my part of town.

hymodyne · « **Reply #21 on:** December 05, 2007, 12:00:08 pm »

Beautiful work! where did you get the fork caps? I'm waiting for some 550 forks to arrive, and I'd like to fit an air system like yours to my front end.

hym

paulages · « **Reply #22 on:** December 05, 2007, 12:31:36 pm »

Quote from: hymodyne on December 05, 2007, 12:00:08 pm

Beautiful work! where did you get the fork caps? I'm waiting for some 550 forks to arrive, and I'd like to fit an air system like yours to my front end.

hym

it came in that way to me (and joe previously). but some of the 650's had air caps.

L.A. Nomad........ · « **Reply #23 on:** December 05, 2007, 02:56:37 pm »

Looks like aftermarket forks and brakes.... cool

Chris Liston · « **Reply #24 on:** December 05, 2007, 03:02:25 pm »

Nice find. good luck racing it.

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Author Topic: rebirth of a cb550 road racer (Read 12980 times)