Author Topic: '80 CB650C Cruiser - Project Wraith - Another setback (Read 48145 times)

manjisann · « **Reply #150 on:** March 26, 2010, 05:33:23 PM »

Those pipes look great! Do you mind if I ask how much that set you back?

What about fabing some sort of bent metal that spans the shocks. You could put that on and mount the seat to it?

Keep with it, looking good!

Brandon

The_Crippler · « **Reply #151 on:** March 26, 2010, 06:03:17 PM »

First off, let me say how awesome it is to see activity in my thread again!

Prep work, blast, pre-bake and ceramic coat for the pipes and collars came out to $290 (after taxes.) Also, one week turn-around.

I like your idea for the seat - I can be securely mounted, but have the seat mounted to the cross-bar for easy access. Damn...I'm gonna put some thought into that.

Hush · « **Reply #152 on:** March 27, 2010, 12:03:48 AM »

She's look'n loverly mate, I know you've set your heart on an all black colour scheme but I always like the yellow on our 650's for some reason, it's just so damn different.

The_Crippler · « **Reply #153 on:** March 27, 2010, 12:07:56 AM »

Yeah, I get that...and I've been getting a lot of comments on the color (especially from the guy that sold it to me.) There are times that I look at it and think, that does look pretty good on this bike...[Hell, as I might have mentioned before, the local team's colors are black and gold...I have just never liked yellow vehicles. I don't know why. (Except the Plymouth Barracuda. That looks just fine in yellow.)

The_Crippler · « **Reply #154 on:** March 27, 2010, 10:03:11 PM »

Okay, Brandon - you're either a genius, or a mad man. Only time will tell.

I think you're on to something with your seat mount idea. I removed the rear mounting bracket from the saddle to see if it can be used as a cross piece up by the shock-mounts.

As you can see, it spans the gap. It rides too tall, so it would have to be cut down and have new holes drilled, but it should work. The nice thing about using that is that I can use the same bolts from the back to affix it. If so, the seat would would have to be disconnected from underneath with a box wrench, but it would be doable. I will have to hold off on that part until I settle on a fender to use, so that I'll know my clearance.

That having been said, mounting it there will enable me to cut the pan on the lridge right above my finger below:

That would be a great place. This would give me my seat, as well as a slight rise in the back for support (like the original saddle, but deeper because of the thinner padding.) Brandon, I award you one gold star for today.

Other than that, today I did some busy work. I got out the metal brush and cleaned up the fins on the engine. Also, since I was out at the shop today to pick up the Vulcan from getting inspected and some new tires, I was able to also pick up some new fuel lines - Main line and some lengths for the carb over-flows.

The other thing I tried to do was to measure my cables so that I can secure new ones for my higher bars. Anyone know what the best way is to do this? (If need be, I can start a new thread for that.) I know the suggestions on using a coat-hanger or string, but I still need some clarification: How much slack should I work in? Should the measure line be taught, or loose to make adjustments?

What confused me a bit was that I figured that if the bars are x inches taller, all the cables would need to be x inches taller as well...however, when I tried to mock up the throttle lines, they only looked like they'd need another 1 1/2" - where-as the clutch cable looked about 5 inches too short. Any advice anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.

manjisann · « **Reply #155 on:** March 28, 2010, 03:51:19 AM »

Quote

Okay, Brandon - you're either a genius, or a mad man.

It's often said there's a fine line between the two

Glad it looks like it should work out.

As for the cable problem, I believe they make either stock or 10" over, anything else would be custom. As for mocking up, the biggest thing you don't want is sharp bends or 90 degree or sharper bends otherwise they'll bind and wear out quickly. I would think the string idea is really the best bet, or maybe wire since it will hold it's shape a little. Other than that, I'm pretty useless as everything I've done allowed for stock lengths... well except the carbs and that just had to lose an inch on the pull side so... Great to see progress!

Brandon

The_Crippler · « **Reply #156 on:** March 28, 2010, 03:58:37 PM »

I've found a place that seems to say that I'll be able get whatever custom length I need for not too painful of a price: http://www.motionpro.com/

But yeah, it's just consternating that the throttle and brake cables both look to need an extra two inches, but the clutch needs so much more. Makes me feel like I must be doing something wrong.

The_Crippler · « **Reply #157 on:** April 06, 2010, 01:33:27 PM »

We are reaching the point of A.) No return and B.) finding out if this project will work, or if I'm making a deathmachine.

This week, I should have the following arrive:

Emgo black headlight ears. (Arrived)
Custom(ish) headlight bucket.
Black shocks.
New carb boots
I also sent out my brake line to get measured and have a SS braided one made.

Finally, I futzed around with the cables. This part has caused me no end of headaches. I've been fighting with it, trying to figure out how long replacement ones would need to be to fit my higher bars. Yesterday, by routing the clutch cable differently (more behind the trees and closer to the body) I was able to reach it with the stock length. The bars go lock-to-lock and it doesn't bind or pull anywhere, so it should be fine.

The throttle pull cable also fit up and goes lock-to-lock, but is a little tighter. Even so, it does not open the carbs on its own while doing this, and when I roll the throttle, everything works as it should. So, it looks like I just need to get a push cable that is a few inches longer. I hope. Argh. I have decided that I hate cables.

manjisann · « **Reply #158 on:** April 07, 2010, 10:41:26 AM »

Quote

I hope. Argh. I have decided that I hate cables.

Thats the one serious drawback to custom projects, the custom part. The mods on my bike put the carbs closer to the engine so I have to chop of an inch or two of the pull cable. I went to braze a new barrel end on the other day and melted the little bugger, good thing they are only a buck a piece.

Looking forward to seeing this baby roll!

Brandon

The_Crippler · « **Reply #159 on:** April 08, 2010, 06:35:34 PM »

Hooray! New parts arrived today. I now have my headlight ears and bucket, and I've got my new carb boots. First off, the bucket:

As the link above shows, I got this from Roc City, a guy that some others in these forums have purchased from. The glass work is supurb - especially since I gather that this guy just does this on the side. I will need to cut and drill it for my wires and mount points, but that was expected. Also, like a numbskull, I thought the headlight for the 650 was the same size as the 350 (what the bucket was designed for.) No biggie, I can pick up one of those on Feebay.

I also couldn't wait to see my new ears on the bike. Yeah, that bit me in the ass. It took me way too long to get the forks dropped enough to get the old ears off (I really hope I got them back up properly, but I'll deal with that later.) Then, I binged the tops of the ear tubes a little, but nothing that will effect them going on someone else's bike. But in the end, success:

I can't decide right now if I like the ears better up or down, but I think up. (And that phrase makes me think of an old cartoon where a girl rabbit asks that question.)

Hopefully I'll get my shocks before the weekend. Fingers crossed.

nitroeagle · « **Reply #160 on:** April 08, 2010, 08:17:02 PM »

the bikes looking good. i have the same bike. a little thing i did was cut 1/2-3/4 of an inch off the posts that the turn signals slide onto. it doesn't sound like much, but it really makes a difference. keep up the good work

The_Crippler · « **Reply #161 on:** April 08, 2010, 08:32:47 PM »

Hey, thanks for stopping in and commenting - you don't realize how important that really is until it's your build thread...

Since I nixed the stock ears completely, I will be fabbing totally new TS mounts. Also, I will be going with much smaller LED ones to stick with the "minimalist" theme I'm going with. I might just mount them right to the light light this one I found on Ebay...that should pull them in fairly tight.

Hush · « **Reply #162 on:** April 08, 2010, 10:56:57 PM »

HMMM that looks nice TC, clever idea to combine the whole lot.

cb650 · « **Reply #163 on:** April 09, 2010, 05:44:25 AM »

Are the old ears in good shape?

The_Crippler · « **Reply #164 on:** April 09, 2010, 05:51:00 AM »

Fair to good. They need a good polish, and I munged the tops a little getting them off. (They got crimped a little on the in-board side - nothing that would be that visible/couldn't be reformed.)

The_Crippler · « **Reply #165 on:** April 09, 2010, 03:34:43 PM »

Hey-hey! New shocks have arrived! These babies look sweet!

So, looks like I know what I'm doing tomorrow. You know, as soon as I figure out exactly I use these parts... (The plastic posts in particular.)

manjisann · « **Reply #166 on:** April 09, 2010, 07:06:01 PM »

Nice looking shocks, who makes them?

Brandon

The_Crippler · « **Reply #167 on:** April 09, 2010, 07:28:20 PM »

They are Emgo Heavy-Duty.

Zaipai · « **Reply #168 on:** April 09, 2010, 08:37:20 PM »

Yea those puppies should look sweet!

.: Scott :.

P.S. Plastic posts?

The_Crippler · « **Reply #169 on:** April 09, 2010, 08:39:30 PM »

Quote from: Zaipai on April 09, 2010, 08:37:20 PM

Yea those puppies should look sweet!

.: Scott :.

P.S. Plastic posts?

Is that a question, "Why the F&$ would they have plastic posts," or a guess, "Hey, maybe those are plastic posts!"?

nitroeagle · « **Reply #170 on:** April 09, 2010, 08:57:08 PM »

where did you get the shocks? mine stuck compressed after about a 1/2 hour of riding.

The_Crippler · « **Reply #171 on:** April 09, 2010, 09:01:01 PM »

Yours stockers stuck, or the ones that I got?

They were linked above: http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/rear_shocks.htm

The_Crippler · « **Reply #172 on:** April 10, 2010, 01:13:39 PM »

Got the new shocks installed today, and man do they look sweet!

I figured out as I went along that the extra stuff in the bag above were different sized bungs for the eye part of the shocks. The plastic posts were actually three break-away cylinders, that I would guess would go in the bungs - but I didn't seem to need, as the stockers just had rubber.

One question - There is this this white disk in the springs. Is that supposed to be there, or is it a spacer that needs to be removed?

Also, today was an example of Crippler's 3rd Law of Projects: If you have two items that are, for all intents and purposes, exactly the same - one will cause you nothing but troubles. Or, as my wife the seamstress says: "One sleeve always goes in wrong."

First, there is a bolt on the lower side of the tree by the turn signals. One went back in perfectly, the other won't bite the threads. I'm really, really hoping that the thread is just bunged up and that I didn't bend something out of alignment with my headlight ear shenanigans the other night.

Second, one shock went on perfectly. The other, I just couldn't get the lower bolt into the second one. Eventually, I figured out that I could jack the bike up, put a 4x4 under the rear wheel, and then slowly lower the whole bike until the swingarm came up to the right level. If I haven't said it enough yet, that lift was worth every penny.

Zaipai · « **Reply #173 on:** April 10, 2010, 08:53:38 PM »

Yup I feel your pain every time I go out and work on the bike..

One sleeve is always shorter! Shocks look fantastic tho.. nice call.

.: Scott :.

Hush · « **Reply #174 on:** April 11, 2010, 03:06:38 PM »

Damn was expecting to see a man-trap with high voltage security bike alarm after reading your heading.

Those are the same shocks I got from David Silver, so good after the originals that worked more like pogo-sticks.
Leave the white thing in, I believe it is part of the shock, I did anyway.

I've also got a massive collection of spare rubbers and spacers, guess they were prepared for any eventuality.

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Author Topic: '80 CB650C Cruiser - Project Wraith - Another setback (Read 48145 times)