Welcome to another 550 cafe build.
I bought this bike sometime in college after my brother purchased a Yamaha XS650. There was something about that XS that turned me onto the race influenced designs of the 70s, and particularly the Hondas. I found this CB550 in Muscatine, IA for $500. Through college I rode her (Persephone) around town while it was mostly stock. She always ran, but never GREAT. I parked it in Dad's machine shed for the winter of 2005. January 2005 I moved to CO for a job and it sat since. Now I want to give her the love she deserves.
Ive got a lot of plans and little time. This project will most likely span over the next year. I currently live in CO, am moving to IA (where the bike is) for a month, and then to GA for graduate school. I had planned on spending the summer in IA with the bike, but Minturn, CO is too damn beautiful. I just can't get away from this place.
Im not restoring this bike, but I want it to snap. I will be refinishing lots of stuff with new paint, but the final product does not need to be show room. Im searching for the area between going crazy making it look good, and looking crazy good. I dont have the time or cash to create a showroom bike.
OBJECTIVES:
.AESTHETICS. Cafe. Clubman bars, bar end mirrors, custom seat, getting rid of the fenders, hiding the electronics in the seat, topless coeds posing next to the bike for calendar shoots. Anything that doesnt need to be there will be removed. Things that can be spruced up will be - paint and polish. The wheels and frame are rough looking so they will be blacked out.
.RIDING POSTURE. Im not just slappin clubman bars on it. I've purchased rear sets from a 05 yzf as well. This obviously will require some custom mounts. Im also converting the original seat pan to sport the bum stop but will also hid the battery and electronics inside. Fiberglass over the original pan. My furniture prof in college (
http://www.chrismartinfurniture.com/) gave a fiberglass and upholstery demo for one of our projects, so Ive got an idea of what to do there.
.MAINTENANCE. Im sure she needs a full tune up. I've got the Clymer manual and will do what is recommended. New points and condensors, valve adjustment, when the wheels get painted/coated spokes will get trued, new steering bearings, carb cleaning, proper jets, the list will go on. New tires. All of that to start with...
.PERFORMANCE. This is the section where I an very green. I've purchased Powroll 61mm pistons (still need rings, 750 rings will work if Ive read correctly?), a gasket set, pod filters, exhaust and headers, dynatek 5.0 ohm coils, dynatek 8mm copper core wires, stainless steel brake line, new brake piston seal and cleaning the crap out of the brake system, and pod filters. I will get a cam to match at some point - suggestions? What else? I will get a smaller front sprocket for a snappier ride around town.
Cripes! What else? I suppose thats enough for now. I will post as I go. THANKS in advance for the help. I am fairly green. I worked in a Harley shop part time for a summer washing bikes and occasionally watching builds and helping dyno, so I have a little knowledge of this and that. Im a jeweler, so the intricate stuff doesnt scare me too much.
This is quite the preface. Maybe I should write a book about building a bike instead of actually building the bike...
Thanks all,
Klocke
