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Author Topic: NZ CB500 Bobber build  (Read 24617 times)

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Offline fevah

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NZ CB500 Bobber build
« on: July 14, 2009, 08:37:33 PM »
So i picked up this stock 74 CB500.  Got sick of sports bikes and hunching over and decided to try something old that i could hack up.
Picked it up for $1750 with WOF and reg looking like this



1st things 1st, pull the shocks off to see how it looks on its ass. i like it but not sure on hardtail yet so i will cut some coils off the springs, shorten the shocks and probably move the bottom mount further back and see how low i can get it for now.



Stripped some bits off and bought some cheap chinese pitbike pod filters for it.  Had to smash the frame a bit to fit them ,still a bit close for my liking




drilled the swing arm, slapped some rivnuts in and cut down the battery box to mount it here a bit tidier and give the frame a more open look




Got some small apes/bonnie style bars and grey MX grips. not sure on the bars yet but il swap em out if i dont like it once the look is done.  think il get brown grips to match the seat thats comming to.



ditched the big ugly indicators and got these. will be painting the cases satin black not the terrible fake carbon fibre it is now



Got a free 4-1 exhaust from a mates dad. has fatter headers to which is cool. had to cut and tweak it to make it fit better and get my collars on. fabbed up some stopers for shims as well since i was too cheap to buy them.  Have since sprayed it black and heat wrapped most of it. will update pics when i get more wrap



took the trusty XU1 grinder out and bobbed the front fender, shift the bracket so its as flush as possible.




Thats it for now, have solo seat comming from JMAC and with any luck a sportster tank in the future plus satin black paint and maybe creme rims/highlights
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Offline RM81

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2009, 09:00:02 AM »
Nice progress so far and welcome to the forums.
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NaK

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2009, 01:10:03 PM »
Wow. You are starting with a nice bike!  i would of rode it like it was, well at least for the first 50 miles ;D
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Offline obrut

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2009, 04:48:41 PM »
fevah,

firstly, nice work!

could i ask a favour?  next time you have your tank off - can you take a pic of your top frame rail and the underside of the tank.  i'm trying to find a less square tank to fit my 400F.

cheers, ryan
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Offline The_Crippler

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2009, 07:33:18 PM »
Obrut - Hope I'm not threadjacking, but I happened to have the tank off my CB650C.  Do these help?  (sorry about the cluttered background...it's in the garage right now.)
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Offline fevah

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2009, 12:38:16 AM »
quick mock up pic with a harley sportster tank and a custom seat
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Offline Hush

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2009, 01:51:46 AM »
Yo Fevah, did those lowering blocks fit?
Nice work so far, just remember the New Zealand testing station Nazis won't let us mod up like our American and Canuk cousins can. ;)
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Offline The_Crippler

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2009, 02:25:52 PM »
Quote from: Hush on July 25, 2009, 01:51:46 AM
Yo Fevah, did those lowering blocks fit?
Nice work so far, just remember the New Zealand testing station Nazis won't let us mod up like our American and Canuk cousins can. ;)

...and even then, it varies greatly from state to state.  ;D
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Offline fevah

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2009, 05:31:46 PM »
They did fit but they didnt have tabs to hold them to the swing arm and it seems if the shock was unloaded (weight) the lowering arm would swing. all seemed a bit flimsy so they are just sitting on my shelf at the moment. i cut 3-4 coils of the spring and am going to get the shock shortened for now untill i sort lock bars or similar.
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Offline SanDogDewey

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2009, 07:36:40 PM »
Quote from: NaK on July 16, 2009, 01:10:03 PM
Wow. You are starting with a nice bike!  i would of rode it like it was, well at least for the first 50 miles ;D

I liked it out of the box....well, minus the seat.
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Offline fevah

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2009, 11:43:12 PM »
Not into stock old bikes much.  Wrapped my pipes the other day and mocked the height i want.  Put 115 main jets in, dropped the needle 1 clip and cleaned the lot up with simple green. runs a lot better on the quick ride i took it for last nite.






Not sure i can run it this low though. exhaust has about 60mm clearance. Thoughts ?
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Offline Hush

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2009, 12:32:39 AM »
The height shouldn't be a worry except when you go over a speed bump, just remember what you did before you belly it. ;D
Interested to see if you will get a WOF, should do as long as lights, horn, tires, brakes all good.
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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!!!!!!!

RatRod

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2009, 01:26:13 PM »
Can you tell me again where you got your seat and how you attached it?  I have done similar mods to my bike, but my seat isn't attached right now.  I am using a make-shift seat using plywood, foam, and wrapped with fabric, cut to fit between the frame.  Any info is appreciated.  Thanks!
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Offline kerryb

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2009, 11:04:57 AM »
Nice looking bike there Fevah,

I've started a similar project and I'm hoping someone here can help me learn the historical significance of the Sportster tank on bobbers.  Is it just the "look" or was it the lightest tank the early bobbers could get?
  Was the mounting position high on the frame for style and lines, or was that the physical limitation posed by the earlier frames in use?

Yours looks real good with those bars.
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Offline Ogri

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2009, 02:08:44 PM »


This looks really, really good.

My only concern with the exhaust being so low is if you have to ride over a brick or a piece of wood in the road, could end in tears.
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Offline bucky katt

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #15 on: October 17, 2009, 03:48:42 PM »
bike is coming along nicely. what kind of car is that in the garage? looks mean as hell.
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Offline Hush

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #16 on: October 17, 2009, 04:13:21 PM »
That's a Nissan Sylvia, I've got one for my work hack (1994) but mine aint as flash as that Bucky. ;D
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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 Retro Rocket

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2009, 05:23:22 PM »
I could be mistaken but it looks like that "free" pipe you scored is a Yoshi race pipe, from what i know these are very hard to get for the 500-550's. For the guys checking this out, look at the shape of the headers going around the oil filter.....??

Mick
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Offline the technological J

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #18 on: October 17, 2009, 06:47:30 PM »
the pipes look real good why did u wrap them?  that kind of ride is a kind you go low and slow.... looking real sweet by the way
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Offline blindguy76550

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #19 on: October 18, 2009, 07:45:25 PM »
nice bike, i like the sporty tank. i have been thinking of a sportster tank on mine looks so good on yours that i belive im sold on it now. how much did the tank put you back? where'd you find it?
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Offline toycollector10

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #20 on: October 19, 2009, 01:03:45 AM »
He's got a Fevah, and the only prescription is, more bobber.

Welcome to the forum from Cristchurch.

I was talking to a chap just yesterday who sold his sport bike because of his aching wrists, neck, back and shoulders. All hunched up like a bloody cripple.
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cafetimmy

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #21 on: October 19, 2009, 01:36:13 AM »
Love the look your going for. Make it a hartail! it wants to be a bobber but its just begging for a hardtail setup. Do iiiit!
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Offline fevah

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #22 on: October 19, 2009, 05:11:32 PM »
Thanks for the comments guys. havent checked this thread in a while.
Im very tempted to order this universal hardtail kit - its $350NZ landed
http://tcbroschoppers.com/id23.html

Friend of mine thats handy with a welder is going to check out the bike soon so il see if he thinks hes up to the task of fitting it.  Im not that flash at making stuff even and level etc.

I changed back to my original bars, i like the look more with these


yesterday i manned up and cut the rear section off behind the rear strut mounts. will get them tidied up and capped off.  going to shorten the factory struts for now till i sort the hardtail or solid shorter bars.  I have also binned the stock 30 year old worn out bar switches and replaced them with 04 CBR1000RR items.  Im going for a kind of hybrid old school frame and motor with some new school items.  Thinking of ditchin the stock gauges and getting one of these on



The seat isnt mounted yet and im struggling to make it look right with the flat frame so i might put it on hold and use a cafe style solo seat till i hardtail.  local guy in NZ made it for me. fibreglass pan.

I wrapped the pipes cause we had to cut the headers to fit my old collars and for them to fit as they are off a 600 i believe.  The headers are a bigger diameter than my old ones.  Plus i love the heatwrap look.  I couldnt find any black stuff but i may just dye/paint it later.

As for the car yea its my S14 Drift car. Selling it as i just bought a house



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cafetimmy

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #23 on: October 19, 2009, 10:17:41 PM »
that hardtail kit ur considering is exactly what I had in mind! I was gonna get the same kit for my 550 but decided to go cafe instead.
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Offline fevah

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Re: NZ CB500 Bobber build
« Reply #24 on: December 10, 2009, 11:42:37 AM »
Havent done much on the bike since buying a house and building a garden etc.
got a bit happier with the angle grinder and cut the back down some more. dummied up the rear fender and made some temp struts to hold the back of it. the front now has a rivnut in the swingarm and bolts through the fender to hold. need to mount the tail light somewhere and get the rear shocks shortened so its a bit lower.
Going to make a new seat pan cause the saddle style one i have doesnt really suit the wider frame.  Moved all the electrics into a piece of exhaust tubing that i will mount under the seat.  Still need to get one end capped off and figure out how to do the other. Hoping it all wont over heat being jammed in there

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