Author Topic: Registry of 500/550 Owners (Three Tons of fun!!) (Read 217578 times)

the imposter · « **Reply #825 on:** March 23, 2011, 10:30:20 AM »

i have 1 now with another on the horizon

rb550four · « **Reply #826 on:** April 05, 2011, 01:38:05 PM »

I own 5 -550's that I ride regularly, a different one for each day in warm weather ,
none are factory stock, I like them semi chopped or lightly customized.
1 altered 550 with track, that I ride in the winter on snow and frozen lakes for fun.
2 500 fours ,one is totally custom, the other gets rebuilt as soon as.....the
2 550k's in cafe mode are complete . the latest one is being crossed with a kawasaki
gpz 1100 for the wheels,swingarm, dual front rotors,tubes and trees,rear disc brakes
and massive fuel tank.

Over the years I have had many smaller bore machines, but I really love the 500 and 550's. The total number of 500/550's in my garage is 10 and more are always welcome. I just love these machines.

rb550four · « **Reply #827 on:** April 27, 2011, 07:58:34 PM »

It was a sunny day yesterday , a perfect time to pick up 3 more 500 s. So I did. All three are in poor shape, engines are all seized, tanks are rusty, and wiring harnesses have been cut, and they ve been outdoors for years. That's the way I like to get them, cause when they are finished, I know what I've got.

Hope · « **Reply #828 on:** April 29, 2011, 07:55:41 AM »

rb550four,

Where are you at? I can't find them down here and it sounds like they are a dime a dozen where you are.

Zaipai · « **Reply #829 on:** April 29, 2011, 08:47:46 AM »

Welcome aboard all.. I guess I will have to update the list of owners..

.: Scott :.

rb550four · « **Reply #830 on:** May 02, 2011, 03:06:43 PM »

Hi Hope, Every now and then I 'll go to La. I check every list and you are right, they aren't around there. Before I went to Fla. I checked around ,no 550's there either. Thought for sure S.Carolina Would have a few,nope. I check a four state radius every night,and every now and then there's one in good shape at a good price, but I normally buy basket cases,cause I like to build them. The parts barn and ebay parts have killed the classics, people just want to part 'em out , it's worth more in parts to most sellers ,and they don't care if it's rebuildable or not....it's a parts business. And fewer and fewer classics will be left intact with this economy. It's a shame.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #831 on:** May 08, 2011, 02:18:49 PM »

Here's my '74 CB550K0 as I picked it up last April.
She's got some work ahead of her...

David

Zaipai · « **Reply #832 on:** May 08, 2011, 06:10:15 PM »

Quote from: RAFster122S on May 08, 2011, 02:18:49 PM

Here's my '74 CB550K0 as I picked it up last April.
She's got some work ahead of her...

David

Looks like a good start tho Raf..

.: Scott :.

mjstone · « **Reply #833 on:** May 09, 2011, 06:54:59 PM »

Nice, RAFster122S. What's your plan for her?

MJ

RAFster122s · « **Reply #834 on:** May 09, 2011, 08:50:18 PM »

Tank doesn't match (different shade of yellow) so for now she'll get a matching shade of yellow for the tank and I am worlking on getting her back on the road. Initially I plan to see what I've got, mechanically and electrically by riding her a while to sort out any kinks and saving money for a cosmetic restoration. I think I have a solid bike but a few electrical issues to address.
Front end was missing lots of parts and no grab bar on the rear, turn signals, etc. front end needed new rotor, hoses & brake lines, MC, and all new cables. Came with a rebuildable caliper but no mounting brackets so I had to scare up all the pieces for that on ebay.
New spark plug caps & plugs, points & condensers, new bar end mirrors, new Bridgestone Battlax BT45 tires, (had a Sears tire on the rear wheel...) Ignition switch was jerry rigged with a push pull switch, and I found the starter button doesn't work and has bypassed the switch or the solenoid for the starter. Carbs turned out to be clean, tank has very little rust internally and has a few small dings externally. So, rebuilding petcock and pulled the carbs, soaked the carb to intake manifold rubbers in Xylene & Wintergreen Oil to make them pliable again. Lots of disassembly for cleaning. Now I'm reassembling everything.

She'll get repainted in Orange Flake Sunrise (whatever that orange is called) but not sure if I'm going to do the black panels...thinking not. Frame will get a fresh coat of paint, silver, and engine will be repainted with highly polished side covers and aluminum bits.
Front fork tubes highly polished with dual front calipers with drilled rotors.
Basically a decent stock bike but not over the top. My fenders have some oxidation and pitting so they may get stripped and powdercoated or rechromed. Spokes will get replated and rims rechromed and hubs highly polished.

That's my thoughts as I think she's going to be a keeper as I like the riding position she has me in as well as the size and nimbleness of the 550.

If she needs motor work, I've picked up a Henry Abe 605 kit that needs a little attention with dedicated cylinder ready to bolt on.
Don't know if I'll have MRiech do a stage 2 head job for me or if I'll try Hondaman's recommendations. Possibly the later.

I picked up a rear rack for her and have soft panniers, top box, and roll for some camping gear...so she'll see some road trips around AZ and NM.

Should have her on the road in another month to month and one half.
That's the plans for her...

mjstone · « **Reply #835 on:** May 10, 2011, 03:06:07 PM »

Glad to hear your going to keep her fairly stock. Way to many of these bikes are turned in Cafe bikes. I've converted my 500 to dual disk, but haven't had the disks cross drilled. I should have had it done this last winter, but didn't have the money then. Now, I just can't have the bike down while waiting for the drilling and shipping, to much riding time to be missing. Maybe next winter.

MJb

skamagedon · « **Reply #836 on:** May 26, 2011, 07:07:21 AM »

my flicker of bike rebuild
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57177301@N08/

patni · « **Reply #837 on:** June 06, 2011, 12:37:11 PM »

Hi,

Here is my 1975 CB Four from Karachi, Pakistan.

Patni

jessezm · « **Reply #838 on:** June 06, 2011, 01:49:06 PM »

Very cool! Do you run it without air filters, though??

patni · « **Reply #839 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:10:27 PM »

Jeseezm,

Air Filters are fix now, I only run few miles without filters.

mjstone · « **Reply #840 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:31:47 PM »

Beautiful bike, patni. I like the color.

MJ

Mooshie · « **Reply #841 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:25:51 PM »

Wow that is a head turner!

s7paul · « **Reply #842 on:** June 14, 2011, 02:45:39 PM »

Mine rolled off the production line in August '74, and was first registered in the UK in April '75. I bought it as a "basket case" in 2003.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #843 on:** June 14, 2011, 10:12:42 PM »

Wish my Project bike looked that good...very nice job on your basketcase!

DJ_AX · « **Reply #844 on:** June 23, 2011, 07:59:06 AM »

Got a solid running 75 550 the other day...
As much fun as it'd be to cafe it ... it's in too good of shape and too original to modify.

OldSchool_IsCool · « **Reply #845 on:** June 23, 2011, 02:23:45 PM »

Nice DJ! Are you going to ride that bike on the relay?

DJ_AX · « **Reply #846 on:** June 23, 2011, 07:50:22 PM »

oh sh!t .. the relay

I forgot all about that. I might actually be able to make it

sans trunk

RAFster122s · « **Reply #847 on:** June 23, 2011, 08:45:31 PM »

DJ, nice find. Not trying to be nosey but what kind of coin did it cost? Looks like a very nice 550K.
You were lucky to find it with the nice rack too. Those are getting hard to find in good shape.

The CX500s are cheap and can make nice looking cafes. Just check to be sure you don't need a stator if you pick one up. They are pretty quick and nimble. They are becoming more popular as cafe bikes.

David

DJ_AX · « **Reply #848 on:** June 23, 2011, 09:09:02 PM »

$900
Not a killer deal.... maybe ...
But a great deal I think ... because it's the one I really wanted..

SUELZER · « **Reply #849 on:** June 24, 2011, 09:31:32 AM »

Quote from: DJ_AX on June 23, 2011, 09:09:02 PM

$900
Not a killer deal.... maybe ...
But a great deal I think ... because it's the one I really wanted..

good deal, $900 is what i paid for my 76 550F as well. I wound up going cafe with mine, though the PO had been trying to go stock. I'm quite happy with my purchase...probably put as much in to it as i originally paid but have enjoyed the process

good luck with yours!

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Author Topic: Registry of 500/550 Owners (Three Tons of fun!!) (Read 217578 times)