Topic: 1975 CB 550 Cafe Project... Pics of my recent STEAL!!

[RM81]

GREAT NEWS!!  I got a call from my dad today while I was at work (I am a mechanic at my local bike shop) and he said he found a lady at work who was selling a 1977 CB 550 for $50.  It has a new battery, two non-matching sidecovers, but original non-the less, and supposedly she just bought a new 4-1 exaust (mac? kerker?) and she's throwing in TWO repair manuals along with it!!

I told him to SNATCH that thing up!!!  She isn't 100% sure she is going to sell it yet, but we'll know tomorrow hopefully.


I have HUGE plans for these two motorcycles, that is for sure  

Some guys have all the luck.     And again, great work on the clip-ons.

+1 on the luck part.  That's two great deals.

[MCRider]

I am going to rip the engine out of this aquired 550 to use as a spare engine to possibly bore out and rebuild over the next few years and make my 550 into a track bike later down the road. 

NOW, with the titled frame that I have left, I want to use my old 1989 Kawi 250r race engine and make a hardtail, striped cafe'.    I am starting to search for wheels, etc to get for the 250r - I feel like this will be a fun project.

OMG, the language is never sacred. how can a "cafe" (which used to be "cafe racer" before it has been shortened) be a hardtail? Words have meaning. You can call it a custom, but not a cafe. Sigh, TETO. have fun anyway, don't mind my rambling....

[A Grove]

I am going to rip the engine out of this aquired 550 to use as a spare engine to possibly bore out and rebuild over the next few years and make my 550 into a track bike later down the road. 

NOW, with the titled frame that I have left, I want to use my old 1989 Kawi 250r race engine and make a hardtail, striped cafe'.    I am starting to search for wheels, etc to get for the 250r - I feel like this will be a fun project.

Wait a second.. Maybe my idea of a cafe bike is all wrong... I always thought it was the retro "Street bike look."  Clip ons with sticky tires, knee dents, cool seats, and in the end it is all personal preference, is it not?  Not all "harley dudes" ride softails, some ride hardtails...

Call it what you want, but its going to look and feel like a cafe bike, without the rear shocks, simple as that.

OMG, the language is never sacred. how can a "cafe" (which used to be "cafe racer" before it has been shortened) be a hardtail? Words have meaning. You can call it a custom, but not a cafe. Sigh, TETO. have fun anyway, don't mind my rambling....

[Artfrombama]

I am going to rip the engine out of this aquired 550 to use as a spare engine to possibly bore out and rebuild over the next few years and make my 550 into a track bike later down the road. 

NOW, with the titled frame that I have left, I want to use my old 1989 Kawi 250r race engine and make a hardtail, striped cafe'.    I am starting to search for wheels, etc to get for the 250r - I feel like this will be a fun project.

Focus, focus, focus.....
Too many projects and nothing gets finished.

[MCRider]

I am going to rip the engine out of this aquired 550 to use as a spare engine to possibly bore out and rebuild over the next few years and make my 550 into a track bike later down the road. 

NOW, with the titled frame that I have left, I want to use my old 1989 Kawi 250r race engine and make a hardtail, striped cafe'.    I am starting to search for wheels, etc to get for the 250r - I feel like this will be a fun project.

Wait a second.. Maybe my idea of a cafe bike is all wrong... I always thought it was the retro "Street bike look."  Clip ons with sticky tires, knee dents, cool seats, and in the end it is all personal preference, is it not?  Not all "harley dudes" ride softails, some ride hardtails...

Call it what you want, but its going to look and feel like a cafe bike, without the rear shocks, simple as that.

OMG, the language is never sacred. how can a "cafe" (which used to be "cafe racer" before it has been shortened) be a hardtail? Words have meaning. You can call it a custom, but not a cafe. Sigh, TETO. have fun anyway, don't mind my rambling....

"Cafe" is short for "Cafe Racer". No racer has a solid rear end. As you can see in this from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_racer
The origin is "The cafe racer is a motorcycle that has been modified for speed and good handling rather than comfort." Good handling and solid rear ends don't hardly go together. I know I'm fightiing a losing battle here, but its always been a pet peeve of mine to see terms morph out of their original usage because after all its personal preference. Sure its persoal preference to make your bike whatever you want it to be. And maybe "cafe" without the racer part is the operative term going forward, though I would prefer "custom" for bikes that are not cafe racers. I'm old enough to remember real British cafe racers and its just sad to see the term get torqued.

I'm done. Boo hoo for me.  This is not anything serious or contentious I hope you don't take it that way. It not you, its me.

[Spikeybike]

not to worry MC your not alone in this, i was gonna say some thing to that effect , but couldn't think of how to word it with coming across like a ass .. you worded it perfectly

cafe=suspension, period           "get cha terms right young man!"   

[A Grove]

Aye.. Well sorry for butchering the name, I'll use custom from now on


GREAT NEWS!  I ended up going over to that ladies house, gave her 60 bucks, loaded up, and got home to check out what a deal I just scored

The run down:

1977 CB550
'77 stock carbs
'78 stock carbs
Unknown 4-1 pipe/header (anyone pick up on the maker, supposedly only 4-5 years old.)
TWO repair manuals
Two sidecovers, one with a small crack with emblem , other MINT w/o emblem
New battery
4 relatively new pods
New clutch cable
New throttle Cables

And here's something interested for you... The lady made note of the fact that her husband helped her changed the starter over to electric or something of the sorts?  I do believe it had something to do with the coil(s), but being as engine dumb as I am, can someone explain to me what they put on this bike and what advantage is has?  And how time consuming/involved it will be to swap it to my current running 550?


Now for the pics...



















There they are..

[MCRider]

Aye.. Well sorry for butchering the name, I'll use custom from now on


GREAT NEWS!  I ended up going over to that ladies house, gave her 60 bucks, loaded up, and got home to check out what a deal I just scored

The run down:

1977 CB550
'77 stock carbs
'78 stock carbs
Unknown 4-1 pipe/header (anyone pick up on the maker, supposedly only 4-5 years old.)
TWO repair manuals
Two sidecovers, one with a small crack with emblem , other MINT w/o emblem
New battery
4 relatively new pods
New clutch cable
New throttle Cables

And here's something interested for you... The lady made note of the fact that her husband helped her changed the starter over to electric or something of the sorts?  I do believe it had something to do with the coil(s), but being as engine dumb as I am, can someone explain to me what they put on this bike and what advantage is has?  And how time consuming/involved it will be to swap it to my current running 550?

SNIP

Thanks for understanding!  Now I must say that sounds like a smokin deal! Don't know about the starter references. Your bike came stock with electric and kick starters, so maybe they just fixed something that was broken? Or maybe she meant "electronic ignition" which would be movable to your other bike. It replaces the points and condensors, and possibly the coils as well if they went that far. Oh I see looking at your pictures new yellow coil wires. These are usually not put on unless one also put on the high output coils, which are often used with electronic ignitions.

Some here have made a good argument in favor of points, I was raised to think electronic was better, but i will defer to other opinions. The pipe is unknown to me as well, but definitely nice in that it tucks in cleanly allowing for "cafe racer" lean angles.    it would work on a custom as well.

[Spikeybike]

that exhaust is a Mac , not top shelf but i love the way mine sounds

 judging by the plug wires. (and the fact that the lady said coils)  i would say you've got an electronic ignition and coils... remove the side cover on the motor, on the riders right. (the one thats about 5 inches round, and has a wire coming out the bottom) snap a pic of whats behind it and we'll know for sure

those carbs have got to be gone through, they are super clean , my guess is someone was trying to get the Mac and the pods to work but gave up


BTW i am steaming with jealousy ..ssssssss

[A Grove]

Electronic IGNITION.  Thats exactly what she said... Sorry for the confusion.  This now leads me to my next question.... What are the arguments against/for electronic ignition/points, and can someone explain to me what the difference is between the two?

Thanks much for all the help, the project is really coming along!

[Spikeybike]

google  "dyna s"    thats to much typing for me 

[Joel]

Is it still a cafe racer if it never gets taken to a cafe? 

The electronic ignition replaces the mechanical "points" switches with electronic switches.  The big advantage is they seldom need to be adjusted once they're properly installed.  Hondaman had quite a few good posts explaining more detailed differences.  You should be able to find any answers you need with the site's search box.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?action=search;advanced;search=

[DarkRider]

Now you have two 550s to play with why not build two different style machines?

[A Grove]

Well, I am going to keep what I want off the bike right away, and from there I am going to start to part things out until I'm left with a bare frame/fork.  So if you think you may want something, no matter what, shoot me a PM now to gain "first dibs" on it so that come next week you dont wish you were the first one to get it   Otherwise, its off to fleabay. 


So to swap over this electronic ignition from the doner '77 to my cafe'd '75, what all is involved?  Is anything technical with the engine involved?  What do I have to worry about messing up, if anything?

[Spikeybike]

don't do that ,    it's your first build, your gonna need spares, most of that stuff is NOT cheap or easy to find ,    and no offense meant here, but you can count on breaking/bending/cracking/dropping/  something during any build especially your first

KEEP ALL THAT STUFF TILL THE BIKE IS DONE AND HAS AT LEAST A SEASON OR TWO UNDER IT'S BELT

(sorry guys, but you know i'm right)

[MCRider]

don't do that ,    it's your first build, your gonna need spares, most of that stuff is NOT cheap or easy to find ,    and no offense meant here, but you can count on breaking/bending/cracking/dropping/  something during any build especially your first

KEEP ALL THAT STUFF TILL THE BIKE IS DONE AND HAS AT LEAST A SEASON OR TWO UNDER IT'S BELT

(sorry guys, but you know i'm right)

Yeah I'd say so too. parts is parts, can't have enough. Use em or trade em when you find out what you need or want. Sell em, the money gets away from you, or you sell too cheap.

You can use the Elect Ignition, Its just an unbolt, rebolt swap, but if the current bike is near running, don't worry with the swap yet.

Or so I think. It's not life or death, do what makes it tick for you.

[A Grove]

I have to wait a week or so to fire the bike up again, I have to finish work on the tank before I can even think of firing it.  Tomorrow morning I was going to swap the electronic ignition, turn signals, and make a mount for the muffler on the rear footpeg mount. 

I guess I'll keep the parts around... And use the frame for the above project.  Only time will tell... This winter is going to be a fun one

[MCRider]

I have to wait a week or so to fire the bike up again, I have to finish work on the tank before I can even think of firing it.  Tomorrow morning I was going to swap the electronic ignition, turn signals, and make a mount for the muffler on the rear footpeg mount. 

I guess I'll keep the parts around... And use the frame for the above project.  Only time will tell... This winter is going to be a fun one

If you swap the ignition, try to find a makers mark. You'll need to time it, find instructions for that make (probably "Dyna"), search this site or contact Dyna. It's pretty easy.

[A Grove]

What is a "makers mark"?  I'll start looking for timing guides now. 

[Spikeybike]

damn it , i was trying to find the pic before you posted that


to witch i was gonna add   "ask Terry"

[A Grove]

Real funny, guys   So, is oldbikebarn.com THAT un-reliable of a source for parts?  Because they are like one stop shop CENTRAL for my next order of goodies!!

[Spikeybike]

i wouldn't , they have given alot of us the shaft

[A Grove]

Well thats what I've been hearing, but I seem to be having a really hard time finding replacement parts for this thing.  Specifically fork parts... Seals and progressive springs, to be exact. 

So I started to tear into the bike to see what all the dyna s (it is indeed a dyna s, opened up the case and saw it on the "points" (?), and my dad got really sketched out.  He is worried that while doing the swap, something is going to get messed and make me miss my deadling of having the bike done by sept 1.  Can someone tell me what could/would most likely go wrong in the swap, and if it is catastrophic, etc?  About how many hours would one guesstimate it would take as well?

I got the pipe mounted up and made a plate to hold the silencer to the rear footpeg with.  Looks nice on there (Rust and all!)  Front turn signals are a check (though definitally not my first choice...)!! Tonight I ought to have the shocks 100% done.  Hopefully I will have both wheels on, as well.  I'll be sure to post pics when done!!

[Spikeybike]

just my opinion here but ,  setting points is actually actually more difficult then the Dyna. with the Dyna you just set it once and forget about it , the points have alot more ajustablity witch leaves more room for error. 

you have to set the point gap, then time it to cylinders 1-4 , then to 2-3 (with setting the point gap being the hardest part)

with a Dyna there is no point gap to set, and most times once you set 1-4 , the other side is already where it needs to be

[A Grove]

I see.  So with the whole swap, timing and all, about how long does it take?  Just to swap the dyna to my bike, not points back on.  Also, where could I find a guide to setting up a dyna.  I'm going to search there website, is that the only good place to look?