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Author Topic: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip  (Read 3294 times)

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Offline zx12r

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cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« on: August 22, 2008, 11:20:25 PM »
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Offline Hush

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2008, 11:51:42 PM »
What an incredible trip, that young fellah has big hairy ones.
The fact that the 550 stayed together all that way is testament to the nuggety solidness of these SOHC 4's.
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I think the thing I most like about motorcycling is the speed at which my brain must process information at to avoid the numb skulls who are eating pies, playing the ukulele, applying make-up etc in the comfort of their airconditioned armchairs as they make random attempts to kill me!!!!!!!

Offline captaincrash80

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2008, 09:39:36 AM »
If only I had the time..........
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Offline speedy gonzalais

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2008, 05:36:47 PM »
Ewan McGregor eat your heart out
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Offline fastbroshi

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2008, 11:53:40 AM »
  I can understand the concept of a rat bike or rod, but damn that's just too darn contrived.  The frosting on the cake is those exhaust.  It was bearable before that. 
  "Rats" came about in my eyes because the folks modding them didn't have the money or wherewithall to come with a stunner Barris would be proud of - they weren't trying to make them ugly. The ammo can-panniers?  I can dig that, if temporarily; a good fitting set of those that fit well and snap on and off easily could fetch a pretty price. Tough and ugly are two different things and I think lots of folks think just adding something that looks like it was hacked (kudos if it works) makes it some badass rat bike.  No.  the owner is now the most despised meatball on his block.  Everyone rolls their eyes when he rolls by, instead of craning their necks and staring longingly, as he used to think they did. Delusional.
  That exhaust is horrible.  Different and original yes, but I bet it sounds like crap and runs even worse.  Okay the pipes on it weren't perfect, but neither was the rest of the bike.  I'd take a bike or rod with fake patina on it any day over that abortion.  Hey I got some old soda cans, and that aluminum's pretty soft maybe I can shape them to fit with some rocks to fit them holes in the motor and look different.
   In this bike, it seems function follows form.  But the form sucks, so what now?
   Okay, sorry for the rant, but I can't stand fake.   I don't want to hear arguements about "do what you want" and "whatever floats your boat", but I think the masses could speak for me on this one.  Take that bike to a Colter's car show and you'd have big pile of half digested ribs, rolls, ham hocks up to the bike's ugly exhaust (hopefully that'll shut it up) because everyone would be so disgusted as they strolled by.  That location would soon close because the once loyal customers will now only think of that monstrosity when someone says Colter's, making them get sick all over again and lose their appetite.
   This bike reminds me of the Volkswagen you always see at eccentric art shows, the one colored in all kinds of colorful graffitti, Christmas tree garland, and glitter.  You almost have to look because it's so weird.  I just hope he keeps it in Europe.
    IMHO.  Now I'm safe from attack, right?
   That trip sounded like fun though.
 
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Offline Tim in Ohio

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2008, 11:47:16 AM »
Fastbroshi:  It seems as though you're holding back...  tell us how you REALLY feel about it.    ;D   
(Yeah...  that exhaust wasn't my cup of tea either.)
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1973 Honda CB350  Four

Check out my CB350F resto project...  watch a complete moron build a bike in front of your very eyes!: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=38903.0

Offline fastbroshi

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2008, 11:10:26 PM »
Sorry, that exhaust was the last straw.
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Offline Soos

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2008, 11:52:14 PM »
hahhahaa.......



I love the teardown and rebuild bit there.
The ride looks like it was a awesome trip for him!

The VW healight and exhaust.....
Ok, i'll have to admit, If i was dirtpoor, i'd do that exhaust but only if I had NO OTHER OPTIONS.
Oh... wait I am dirtpoor.
And I still would have kept the buggered stocker exhaust over that one...

The square headlight??.... I dunno about that one either.

I've seen worse on the road however.


l8r
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Offline Hush

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2008, 02:40:03 AM »
I had to go back and have another look as you were all dissing the kids' pipes.
They do have a quant ellegance though, reminds me of a WW2 German despatch riders bike for some reason.
At least parts would be easy to find, like any old drainpipe he was going past would quickly become new pipe parts.
But hey you gotta give him credit for that amazing trip, what a freakin adventure and to do it on the old Honda knowing he had a probably more reliable faster machine at home!
Imagine breaking down in the middle of now-where and cursing yourself for taking the classic ha ha..........
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I think the thing I most like about motorcycling is the speed at which my brain must process information at to avoid the numb skulls who are eating pies, playing the ukulele, applying make-up etc in the comfort of their airconditioned armchairs as they make random attempts to kill me!!!!!!!

Offline speedy gonzalais

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #9 on: August 31, 2008, 03:33:52 AM »
id take the classic over the new piles of crap anyday, the old bikes are so simple and reliable well hondas that is for example if you bent the conrod strait in a miodern bike it wouldnt run for a second let alone 20,000 miles
I go out on my cb650 knowing that my hammer screwdriver and the few spanners i take can easily fix most probs were as my friend on hes gsxr needs a tool chest to fix the simplest of probs
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82' C90
87' yamaha T80
79' CB125T/CD200 project
82' CB650z
80s kawasaki ae50/150cc project
92' Suzuki GSXR600
80' CB250N

Offline Soos

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #10 on: August 31, 2008, 05:29:35 AM »
Quote from: dids2008 on August 31, 2008, 03:33:52 AM
id take the classic over the new piles of crap anyday, the old bikes are so simple and reliable well hondas that is for example if you bent the conrod strait in a miodern bike it wouldnt run for a second let alone 20,000 miles
I go out on my cb650 knowing that my hammer screwdriver and the few spanners i take can easily fix most probs were as my friend on hes gsxr needs a tool chest to fix the simplest of probs

+1!!
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-=≡ Soos ≡=-
Just think to yourself what would Alowishus Devander Abercrombie do?
"Brix will be shat by your neighbors." - schwebel
(61mm)652cc 1979 cb650

Offline Sporkfly

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #11 on: August 31, 2008, 09:11:20 AM »
Not a fan of the bike really. If I were him I would've kept the stock exhausts.

I'd call my bike a rat bike. That's for the time being though, it's only a rat bike because I can't afford to do anything else with it.
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Offline Soos

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Re: cool post on a cb550 restoration and 20,000mi trip
« Reply #12 on: August 31, 2008, 09:26:34 AM »
Thats what makes a ratbike... no money, and ingenuity to make it her run, stock be damned in the process.

Or at least thats how I see it.

l8r
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-=≡ Soos ≡=-
Just think to yourself what would Alowishus Devander Abercrombie do?
"Brix will be shat by your neighbors." - schwebel
(61mm)652cc 1979 cb650
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