Author Topic: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild  (Read 24939 times)

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Offline scartail

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #25 on: June 27, 2009, 02:11:22 PM »
Awesome project. Keep up the good work.
'89 Hawk GT, newly acquired, daily beater...
'76 CB550, was my daily beater... my cafe project...
'72 Yamaha R5, newly acquired project... donated to my buddy...
'67 Suzuki T20, still working on her too... Currently in pieces...

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #26 on: June 27, 2009, 09:43:29 PM »
Have any closeups of the rearsets and how they're mounted?
ill get some pics for ya tomorrow
Is the front brake on the right side on purpose?
Looks really great, betcha can't wait to ride!
Progress is really impressive - you're getting there in a hurry!
Are you sure you're a "noob"!?!
yea after i posted the pic i realized that the wheel was on backwards and fixed it today :D and yea ive been working on the bike pretty much everyday for the past few weeks, I just wanna ride 8)
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #27 on: June 28, 2009, 08:23:40 PM »
Have any closeups of the rearsets and how they're mounted?
heres the pics of the tarozzi rearsets

1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline Laminar

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #28 on: June 29, 2009, 07:10:20 AM »
Very cool, thanks.

(Did you mean to post the same picture twice or do you actually have two different pictures?)

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #29 on: July 16, 2009, 08:16:32 PM »
ok so Im feelin really stupid right now can someone explain to me how the exhaust header connects to the head ??? I forget the order everything went it when i took it apart and i cant find anything on it. sorry for the really newbish question
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline Laminar

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #30 on: July 16, 2009, 10:11:19 PM »
http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/honda-motorcycle-cb550k-1976-exhaust-muffler-step-step/o/m9447sch399665

The picture isn't very good, but you can kind of see what's happening. The is a round exhaust gasket (usually stays in the head). Slip the circular clamp over the header with the fins pointed away from the head. The two halves go on the header with the flared side away from the head, toward the circular clamp. the flared side of each half goes into the circular clamp, and the flat side pushes against the flare on the end of the header.

Hope that wasn't too cryptic...
« Last Edit: July 19, 2009, 09:28:29 PM by Laminar »

Offline lynchj

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #31 on: July 17, 2009, 05:06:13 PM »
Question..... Did you really start this build on April 15 of this year? Thats a great looking bike and some serious inspiration for me to get my butt in gear.
my CB500 build thread   http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=54143.0

Other toys: 98 YZ125, 70 MGB, 99 Camaro

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #32 on: July 17, 2009, 05:40:29 PM »
http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/honda-motorcycle-cb550k-1976-exhaust-muffler-step-step/o/m9447sch399665

The picture isn't very good, but you can kind of see what's happening. The is a round exhaust gasket (usually stays in the head). Slip the circular clamp over the header with the fins pointed away from the head. The two halves go on the header with the flared side away from the head, toward the circular clamp. the flared side of each half goes into the circular clamp, and the flat side pushed against the flare on the end of the header.

Hope that wasn't too cryptic...
awesome thats exactly what I was looking for. thanks a lot laminar
Question..... Did you really start this build on April 15 of this year? Thats a great looking bike and some serious inspiration for me to get my butt in gear.
yup sure did ;D
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #33 on: July 23, 2009, 10:22:09 PM »
I got a NOS gas tank off ebay, I love the new color ;D



still try to figure out what i want to do about the fenders...I dont know whether to bob them or just leave em stock hmmm ???
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline firefighter_zach

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #34 on: July 23, 2009, 11:27:15 PM »
wow i didnt know it was possible to build a bike so fast! mines been in pieces for two years!! looks great, i'm a fan of bobbed/no fenders but thats just my taste. i love the black rims. keep it up with the pics!
1974 CB550K-in pieces

Offline Nicolai

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #35 on: July 24, 2009, 08:00:07 AM »
Cool looking bike. What size are your rear tire?
'77 CB500 K3

Offline Beans

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #36 on: July 24, 2009, 08:21:21 AM »
Man I love those rear sets. Trying to find a set for my 75 550f.  Where did u order them from?
Keep it shinny side up.

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #37 on: July 24, 2009, 08:02:26 PM »
wow i didnt know it was possible to build a bike so fast! mines been in pieces for two years!! looks great, i'm a fan of bobbed/no fenders but thats just my taste. i love the black rims. keep it up with the pics!
thanks i think i might just bob the rear fender and put a fork brace up front or something
Cool looking bike. What size are your rear tire?
thanks the rear tire is size is a 120-90-16 I believe
Man I love those rear sets. Trying to find a set for my 75 550f.  Where did u order them from?
thanks,I ordered the rear sets from fastfromthepast.com
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #38 on: July 27, 2009, 07:11:33 PM »
So i went to go and try and install the exhaust today but I ran into a little problem. The problem is that the exhaust shims dont fit around the header...so either I got the wrong header or I have to use different exhaust shims, mounting hardware etc. Which one is it

Kerker Header


Stock Header


anyone got any ideas?
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline Beans

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #39 on: July 27, 2009, 07:32:48 PM »
I got a mac 4-1 and am running into the same problem nothing will fit.  I think their is special mounting hardware for all that stuff.
Keep it shinny side up.

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #40 on: July 27, 2009, 07:58:20 PM »
hmmm interesting
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #41 on: August 11, 2009, 05:39:25 PM »
got some little stuff done this past week. put the bar end mirrors on, plumbed the fuel lines, started finishing up the wiring, and trimmed the front fender

heres a pic with new front fender, I cant decide if i like it or not :-\
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #42 on: August 13, 2009, 07:10:20 PM »
some crappy cell phone pics from today.
mounted up the exhaust and put the headlight on. all thats left now is to figure out something for the rear, hook up the brakes and wire up the dyna. then its go time ;D

1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #43 on: August 14, 2009, 12:06:36 PM »
wow it looks pretty sweet.

Offline dilbone

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #44 on: August 19, 2009, 05:43:24 AM »
I'm really not sure if you are allowed to call this a noob rebuild...wow, looks fantastic

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #45 on: August 19, 2009, 10:11:00 AM »
thanks guys :)
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline psniff

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #46 on: August 27, 2009, 08:53:53 PM »
well I went to start it up for the first time, and nothing, wont start >:( no comes process of trying to figure out what the hell it is  ugh
1974 Honda CB550K
2009 KTM 200 XCW #2039

Offline Laminar

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #47 on: August 27, 2009, 09:08:40 PM »
It won't fire or it won't crank at all?

If it won't crank, take your multimeter and trace the wires to figure out what's not getting power. Don't trust fuses that look good, test them. Make sure you have 12V at the battery. Make sure you have 12V at each fuse with the key turned on.

If it won't fire, check the four basic components: spark, fuel, air, and compression. If you have those four, you'll have a running engine.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2009, 09:12:04 PM by Laminar »

apextamer

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #48 on: August 28, 2009, 09:05:20 AM »
Looking good. What rear sets did you order from fastfromthepast? They dont list cb550 rearsets and when I ordered my clip-ons from them they said tarozzi did not make cb550 rearsets only cb500.

Offline IAmCitizenMe

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Re: Noobs 1974 CB550 Rebuild
« Reply #49 on: August 28, 2009, 09:57:52 AM »
Looking good. What rear sets did you order from fastfromthepast? They dont list cb550 rearsets and when I ordered my clip-ons from them they said tarozzi did not make cb550 rearsets only cb500.

I'm pretty sure rearsets for a 500 will fit a 550.