I drove a buddies 75 cb500 and I realized I had to have one! I immediately began looking on craigslist and found quite a few. After looking at numerous piles of $#!t that people wanted over a grand for, I found one in my price range and that ran...sort of.
It was only a few miles from the house, and it stalled a few times on the way home. I felt very embarrassed driving it as it had a ugly windjammer fairing on it...kinda like a wannabe goldwing...along with some highway bars off who knows what that were attached with hose clamps and zip ties (I kid you not). The fairing was not made for this bike, as it has been modified and attached with a custom welded mount and (yes you guessed it) more hose clamps.
Anyway just before I pulled in the drive, the oil light came on, I started worrying that I just bought a bike that was about to die. after finding this site, I solved this problem and many more without even asking a question (since someone else has seen my problems). It turned out to be gunked up with crap.
I spent the first day grinding and cutting the fairing and bars off after trying to unscrew them. The guy who put it on tightened the bolts, then cut the extra threads off, so I could not unscrew 90% of them. WOW, bolt cutters are a gift from the gods!
Well enough of my b!tc#in about rednecks and their creative ingenuity, so here are some pics.
Once I start something I like to finish it. so when I started tearing things apart, I didn't want to stop. I took the carbs off cleaned them up real good, took the exhaust off and removed the rust and painted it, and removed quite a few other things to fix/clean. I worked through basically 4 days straight minus one or two hours to sleep. I am off school this week until tomorrow, when summer classes start, so I am trying as hard as I can to get it done soon. I don't have a job either our real unemployment rate is near 24%. There are no jobs around! So for now I'm living off savings and student loans.
I have no garage, I keep the bike in a shed and it has no electricity. As you can see from the pic, I used the light from a doorway to work through the night.
Below are some pics of the paint. I am trying to spend the least amount as possible, yet get it looking and running good. I plan to have it sprayed professionally next year, but until then rattle cans will do. a $4 can of primer, $3 can of yellow, $3 can of flat black, $4 can of yellow (plastic), $4 can of flat black (plastic), $4 can of high heat grill/stove paint (for headers), $2 roll of painters tape:
Total investment in paint: $24, not too bad in m opinion
I ripped off the honda emblum and had to bondo quite a bit but you cannot tell now!
I experimented with the tank, I don't want all 1 color
I didn't like how this turned out so I taped off a stripe of yellow and sprayed the rest flat black.
here's how it looks now
I'm not quite done with it yet, it still needs something yellow on the side, too much black.
Any Suggestions???
Honda logo, block lettering, something else???
The guy who owned it before me also tried to use the Kreem kit to seal the tank, but didn't wait till it was completely dry so it is peeling. I ordered the POR15 tank sealer, and ill get the Kreem out with paint stripper, then I'll pick up some phosphoric acid from Home Depot and I'll be all set for a fresh rust free tank.
I stopped working today because I have to wait for a couple new parts. Cylinder 2 and 3 were not firing, i ripped apart the points and found one bent up pretty badly. I tested the coils and condensers but all seemed to work fine. after about 3 hours of fiddling around with the $#!t, I come to find out one of the condensers works intermittently (only for about 10 minutes, then stops) that's why it tested fine but I still had problems. Well now the wait til the new parts come in, let me know what you guys think.
Ill post some better pics when I find the charger for the digital camera, these are from my phone.
