Topic: My first project...ever. bastardized 76' 550.

[wigglethattoe]

Hello and an already well deserved thanks to all the frequent posting members out there for the inspiration and motivation to take this project on. I have always had a heart for these old bikes. Even though it may seem like small potatoes to most of you pros out there, this is a huge learning curve for me. So enough of the hype and lets get down to the nitty gritty.

So what I have going on here is pretty interesting (at least to a first time project kid). I have what I believe to be 2 CB550 F's. One is a donor, the 75 (not pictured) and the other ( 76' with 12,xxx miles) is the build up frame & engine etc. Let me first apologize too for a lack of knowledge and terminology if I do type something out of the ordinary to you guys. anyway, the bike pictured here has already had a bit of engine work done. I will go ahead and list:
-port, polished head
-web cam/valve springs
-dyna ignition
-new 8.8mm coils
-k&n pods-carbs synced and jetted
I have pretty much decided to leave it at that. I also have to give credit where credit is due to the guys at Sharer Cycle in Verona, WI that helped me with building that engine.

Next up I am planning to take it from stock mostly, to a whole different monster (sorry to all stockheads out there). So i want to achieve something close to the BCR 550 that adorns their homepage (gotta love that stuff). Will include the following when done:
-new tank and cafe seat
-relocate battery and other electric gear
-new exhaust
-clip ons

I am completely new to this sort of project and I can use the help of everyone. I have decided to leave the bike a bit gritty with some rust and pitted chrome and such. I am not a show bike kid and I think the rust and such is a story of the bike's life, right? I'm sure all of you guys may not approve but were going to try and give it a shot anyway. Overall, it isn't in too bad of shape.

So here are some pictures of what I have been doing so far and I will keep posting with progress. If anyone has input that will help, or change my mind in any direction your thoughts are welcomed. I am excited to get this project up and running at full steam. Again a thanks to everyone rebuilding their old bikes and giving me inspiration. I will be looking forward to your comments and we'll see where this project ends up.

[kghost]

Way to go congrats

Great pictures

[FunJimmy]

Looks like a fine start to a fun project.
Any recent progress?

[garretcb750]

Cycle Ops make good trainers.....lol

[Spikeybike]

sound's like an excellent start. why don't you like the exhaust ,looks killer to me

[Boost_Junkiee]

So thats what mine should look lik.  Looks like a really clean bike.

[TwoTired]

Not that it matters much for your objective, but the bike in the picture began life as a K model, not an F.

FYI

Good luck.

[wigglethattoe]

Thanks to all you guys for the tips, compliments, cracks, and error corrections along the way. I have made a bit more progress, and I have changed my mind on the final project about 47 times so far. I think I am going to stay with the stock seat but still relocate the battery under the seat somehow? I don't really know how yet...I am going to take spikey's word and keep the current 4 to 1 exhaust, and I still have the benjie clip on handlebars coming with a headlight and tach bracket. to be continued

a couple of questions for you all out there.
1. Where can I get an agm battery that is much smaller than the stock? Is it possible?
2. I know this is a horrible slacker question but, does anyone have any idea of how I can touch up some dings and small corroded chips without tearing the bike completely down and repainting, but still make it look ok? I promise I'm not a slacker but an entire tear down spells bikeneverrunagain to me.


thats it for now. oh yeah, i decided to keep the stock tank too. anyone choose to chime in with a color? I guess I'm still thinking trad black...

pics. coming soon with more progress.

thanks again

[FunJimmy]

does anyone have any idea of how I can touch up some dings and small corroded chips without tearing the bike completely down and repainting, but still make it look ok? I promise I'm not a slacker but an entire tear down spells bikeneverrunagain to me.

I hear you on that note. I'm currently completing this winters build and had to do with tidying up the frame as a frame off isn’t in this years plan. You should see pretty good results if you lightly sand any rough spots and thoroughly clean the area to be painted with lacquer thinner. Don’t over due it with the lacquer thinner, just a good quick wipe.
Rattle can paint works very well especially if you follow up with clear coat.

Good luck!
Jimmy

[Spikeybike]

if the "light dings" are on the tank that is easily removed, unfortunately though if your thinking bondo, that is actually an easy process ,but, it can be time consuming depending on your level of "perfection" , just remember to be cautious but not intimidated

anything is possible with a little recearch, and i see you have that new fangled interweb thingy, so you'll be ok.

[wigglethattoe]

A quick question to you all out there.

I am planning to use a much smaller battery for this bike now, and I don't think it is going to support an electric start. Can someone giev me a couple specific detail on how to remove a starter?

Thanks for the help.

[FunJimmy]

You can find all those answers in the service manual.
They are available online for free.
You should have already downloaded them, but now is still a good time.

[fastbroshi]

What kind of pods do you have on there?  Those look like K & N's, but I didn't think they advertised any for the 550.  Could they be the "breathers" in their catalog?  Looks like they fit great.

[wigglethattoe]

Hey everyone,

got some fresh pics and a few updates to throw your way. extra tabs and hangers have been ground off and painted. it turned out ok I think, at least best I could do without stripping down to just the frame. got the electrics under the seat with a space for the battery. I decided to keep the tank original. I mean come on, how can you cover up 32 year old paint, even if it does look rough. I think it just has more character than covering it up with new gloss. This way holds a little nostalgia and catches a few more eyes...right? I promise I'm not just being lazy. Overall it has just been a ton of clean up and removing 30+ year old grease, dirt, grime, and abuse. we're getting there though. i'll shut up here are some pics:





Let me know what you guys think. This has all been a huge learning experience and I have only made a few "S$%T" mistakes, but nothing that isn't repairable. Thanks again to you all out there keeping my head up.

Benjie's handlebars are on their way too. I'm getting pretty pumped for that first ride. Spring might finally be here in ol' wisco.
 

[wigglethattoe]

Broshi,

not sure if the pods are elements or not, I'll look into it a bit. Thanks

[wigglethattoe]

Does anyone out there have a cheap and effective way to compress rear shock springs so you can reassemble the chrome sleeve and collar pieces without puncturing a lung or losing an eye? Any and all ideas would be much appreciated. Kind of stuck in a tight spot here... Thanks for the help. Pictures would be nice too.

[Spikeybike]

not sure if there is an easy way, you may end up buying the tool

[squirley]

If you get some flat metal stock and some threaded stock you can make one pretty easily.  Cut two equal flat metal pieces, drill two holes in each, insert the treaded rod with nuts and you have a little compression tool. 
Or, if you have a rachet tie down, they work well.  Just wrap the shock and rachet away, be carefull it doesn't slip off though.

[wigglethattoe]

Thanks for the ideas guys, I'll try the ratchet one first, see where that gets me. After some discouragement I'll probably go out and look for the tool. Thanks again

[wigglethattoe]

Just wanted to let you know that I got my springs compressed and shocks back together without buying the tool. Just a little tip, it may actually work again for some of you out there. I just took the spring out of the shock assembly all together, set it on the ground, put a piece of 2x4 over it and sat on it. Then I used industrial zip ties, like the ones cops use, and zip tied some of the coils together. Stood up off the spring and voila, there was my shrunken spring. So I just put it back on the assembly, popped in my retaining collars, cut the zip ties carefully and let it snap in to place. It really only took about 15 minutes to do both shocks. Try it, you'll like it. Overall was safe on chrome and fingertips.

all the best

[wigglethattoe]

does anyone out there know what size banjo bolt fits in to the m/c of these 550's. I am trying to add a wired banjo bolt from Z1 enterprises and I noticed he has 2 different ones. One with a 1.25 thread pitch and one with a 1.00 thread pitch. Anyone know which one will work for me?

Also I would like to add stainless lines from the m/c to the caliper. Anyone out there know the sizes I need off hand. I will obviously bypass the stock switch because of the new banjo switch, but I need to know what adapter I need to link up right in to the caliper.

Any ideas???

Thanks

[wigglethattoe]

Well boys here is what I finally came up with. Like I said before this isn't a bike that will be winning any shows anytime soon, but it is fun to ride and i can at least claim the design as my own...

When I first started playing with this thing, I had some really grandiose ideas about where the project was going to go, but what I didn't realize was my lack of knowledge, experience, tools, cash, space, and time was a huge deciding factor of where this project was to end up.

Sinking your teeth in to projects like these takes a lot of dedication and even more time, and I tip my hat to all of you out there who have tackled projects like these and came up with a finished project you loved to ride. It's hard work that frankly I am glad I am (mostly) done with, but I also can't wait to start my next project. Don't worry I am going to alot myself more time the next go around. Working full time and graduate school application deadlines left me in a pinch this go around.

All that said, I just want to say thanks again to all out there for inspiration and guidance. You all helped me put together a bike that is super fun to ride and I have a lot of pride in turn that wrench on this sucker. She's no beauty queen, but she's mine and I'm takin' her to the dance.

Here are some of the final pictures. Y'all have a great summer.

I'll be back...

[Toyman321]

im in the process of doing the same thing with my fuse panel and battery, can you post up a pic of how you mounted the fuse panel and routed the wiring?

[MJL]

I like the brake light location, but where does the battery go?

I agree with not erasing 30+ years of history with a paintjob and scotchbrite pad, let it show and be proud of the miles it's travelled.

[wigglethattoe]

I'll get some pictures up for you guys shortly, have been pretty busy lately. thanks for looking

[joecool14u2]

any problem with the rear wheel slinging stuff on engine, into carbs, oil deposits from chain and such, if i removed the inner fender on my bike it would be sloshed with oil and muck and water when it does rain, looks like a fair weather bike to me, sorry, i'm just jealous, i have to ride everyday, and i have to maintain it myself, so chain guard and inner fender make for a blessing in diguise when it comes to cleaning things up and keeping it that way, here is the site to see mine http://www.cmsnl.com/community/vehicles/Honda/CB550_K/1976/2553.html

[wigglethattoe]

Well here we go again all. And don't worry, I have plenty of questions again.

Lets recap here, started out with this:


Then after this:


I got a whole load of this:


So after I got to that point I got to take it for a few rides this summer until my less than thoughtful design went to hell (don't ask). So I wheeled it back in to the garage and pouted the rest of the summer. I didn't get to wrench on it much with work and traveling I was never at home, or at least not in the garage.

As of a couple weeks ago, I started throwing a wrench around again with big wide-eyed hopes of getting this bike in order for next spring.

So here is What I've got now:




Here are some questions for you experts out there.
I noticed this summer that my crankcase breather was smoking quite a bit. I took of the filter and noticed some oil in it. Now I did add a street cam to this bike last winter and boosted the compression to 12:1. I have read a few other threads about smokin' crankcase breathers, and I guess my queston is: How can I add more ventilation to the crankcase without destroying anything? Anyone have any tips?

As far as where I am going now with this...I have decided to cave and go with Benjie's bolt on gas tank, seat, and fork covers. So I am pretty pumped to get those on and get this thing riding for the first snow here in Wisco.

I'll keep updates with new additions to bike with pics.

any suggestions welcome.

[Dunstall_74]

Here are some questions for you experts out there.
I noticed this summer that my crankcase breather was smoking quite a bit. I took of the filter and noticed some oil in it. Now I did add a street cam to this bike last winter and boosted the compression to 12:1. I have read a few other threads about smokin' crankcase breathers, and I guess my queston is: How can I add more ventilation to the crankcase without destroying anything? Anyone have any tips?

Might have a look at this thread.  Looks like some of the same issues.  http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=41275.msg425772#msg425772

[oldhondarider]

jumping in here a bit late...

but how did you cut the casing to expose the front sproket?


and can you show where the battery and elec's went?

thanks in advance

[wigglethattoe]

Man O' Man,

I forgot how fast you guys are...

Thanks Dunstall. I need to take a better read, but that is the info I'm looking for.

And to oldhonda, I just removed the cover and used a pneumatic die grinder with a cut off wheel to make the rough cut. Then I followed it up with a Dremel tool to smooth out the roughs and burrs then voila. It was actually one of the easier and more up front things I've done to that machine.

As far as the electrics, I'm just splicing into the existing harness where it needs to be lengthened to fit a Benjie single seat. Also not too difficult, as long as you have a decent harness to work with.

More updates soon hopefully...

Thanks for the input guys.

[wigglethattoe]

Another question for you pros out there.

Since I have moved the battery and I had to down size to a smaller gel battery, I don't have the cranking power (or whatever you call it) to actuate the electric start. So with that in mind, I was wondering if anyone could help me with the details of removing the starter and unnecessary wiring from the harness I would be greatly appreciated.

I take a look at the wiring mess and get nervous.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[papp101]

Any updates on this? I live in the cities so if you're ever riding up this way give me a shout!