Topic: 1976 CB550K Rebuild NYC- NEW VIDEO FOOTAGE

[traveler]

stock.

You already have your cafe

~Joe

[clayman74]

stock! save for maybe same lower bars. drags or MAYBE clubmans. those old 450s are the epitome of sexy.

[SohRon]

Stock, please!! This old bike is a 41 year survivor that becomes more rare with each passing decade. Seems like a shame to cut it up and destroy its integrety. IMHO.

[Holdingfast]

Stock! It looks awesome as it is!

[DKB]

Stock it is 

After a quick assesment, it seems the bike is in pretty solid shape and it looks like I'll only need to replace a few smaller items such as handle bar switches, cables, mirrors, rubber components, tank knee pads, etc. It's not going to be a show bike by any means but I'm hoping to make a nice daily driver without deviating too much from original. The only changes I'm still debating are putting on a set of low bars (I've got my old ones from my 550 on hand) and updating the shocks and steering bearings.

I'm going to finish up the remaining items and paint on my 550 cafe first then dive into the 450 K1.

I started making an inventory list and plan on picking up the following items as I locate them. Already noticed a huge difference in parts availability between the 68 450 and a 76 550. May take a bit longer to source a few of these items...

Gas Tank Knee Pads (doesn't look like these are available anymore)
Front and Rear Tires
Battery
Throttle/clutch/Brake Cables
Air Filters (can't seem to locate the originals anywhere online. Any ideas?)
Points/Condensor
Spark Plugs
Steering and Wheel Bearings
Rear Shocks

Figure I'll get her up and running and back on the road and enjoy the bike for a bit and just keep an ear to the ground for nicer replacement parts should I ever want to get into a full on restoration.

[DKB]

     Finally, after a long month of nightmarish project management and minor set backs, I'm back home at my apt and have some time to put the finishing touches on my CB550. Weather's been in the 50's the past couple of days, a bit odd for this time of year, and I'm dying to get the bike on the street and out for a spin:)

     Just ordered the chain and sprockets and a few misc items which, in theory, are the last remaining items I need to finish her up. I spend last night cleaning and rebuilding 2 sets of carbs and should have those ready to bolt back up later this evening with a spare on the shelves if needed. Ordered some shiny new k&n air filters which are supposed to arrive later today.

Remaining issues to sort out:
 
     I still need to remove the centerstand as I'm having some clearance issues with the Jardin Pipes and decided to go with a pit bull stand for tune up / chain adjustments / etc..

     I'm on the fence about using the stock front fender but do need to figure out some type of a fork brace or support if I leave the fender off. Seems to be a bit of flex in the front forks without the fender that I dont imagine to be a good thing.

     I may need to remove the top triple tree and tighten up the tapered steering bearings a bit more as well. There doesn't seem to be any loose play in the neck but the bars swing side to side with less resistance than before. Hard to tell how they should feel as the old bearings were shot and I'm not sure I've ever had a bike with decent bearings as a basis for comparison. Any pointers?

    Also need to set valve clearance/timing/and sync the carbs once they are reinstalled but am waiting to get the bike back downstairs in a couple of weeks before starting her up.

Here's a couple of new pics of the ultra fancy front end....







And a link to some recent Insurance Woes and set backs:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=66746.0

Going to get back to work on the carbs tonight and will post some updated pics soon.

[greasy j]

the bike is killer! the 450 has lots of potential, too.

seems like it should be kept stock, cuz they're getting rare, but you could always keep the stock stuff and just do moderate improvements. so you could always go back. but keep the tank no matter what you do.

[wicket05]

I thought I had read it somewhere in the thread but I can't seem to find it now -- what bike did you get the front forks from?

[DKB]

I thought I had read it somewhere in the thread but I can't seem to find it now -- what bike did you get the front forks from?

The forks came off of a 76 CB500T. I'm pretty sure the later CB450 forks and the CB500T forks will bolt onto the 500/550's.

[schiarelli]

sweet bike man, love the look your goin for. ive got a 76 kz400, i live in park slope. where did you get those turn signals and what did you use to polish/clean your engine before you painted? thanx, maybe see you around
Sal

[HedNut]

Looks great!! And HEY!  Are you a photographer by trade... those first two shots of the "ultra fancy front end" are top notch I think...if they were of a 750..I'd probably pay to have those two shots printed for my garage wall....just saying.... good STUFF!!  ANd the bike is looking SWEET!  Love it!
Cheers!
HED

[BobbyR]

Very nice work and like a true New Yorker you improvise and overcome. When any of you fellow New Yorkers want to come up a few miles north, give me a shout. There are some pretty rides up here in Westchester, Putnam and Orange County.   

[DKB]

sweet bike man, love the look your goin for. ive got a 76 kz400, i live in park slope. where did you get those turn signals and what did you use to polish/clean your engine before you painted? thanx, maybe see you around
Sal

Thanks!

I found the turn signals on ebay. I think they were 20 bucks a set. They are well made and work perfectly for the price. I'll see if I can find the sellers info for you and post it later on.  I used a gallon of simple green and a lot of elbow grease to clean the engine. Wiped everything down with acetone before spaying with high temp engine paint. The polishing work was basically 220/400/600 grit wet sand paper, 000 steel wool, scotchbrite pads and chrome polish/cleaner.  I was limited to semi toxic chemicals working in the apt and found Simple Green to be the miracle unofficial sponser of this rebuild. Good stuff on everything from cleaning the engine to soaking carbs.

Looks great!! And HEY!  Are you a photographer by trade... those first two shots of the "ultra fancy front end" are top notch I think...if they were of a 750..I'd probably pay to have those two shots printed for my garage wall....just saying.... good STUFF!!  ANd the bike is looking SWEET!  Love it!
Cheers!
HED

Yep- I shoot fashion/portraits/music here in NYC for a living. Most of the bike progress shots are taken with greasy hands on the fly while I'm working but I was able to take those front end shots while setting up lights for product shots I did last weekend here in the apt. I'm planning to go to town taking good quality pics once the bikes all finished up. Here's a link to some of the other stuff I work on when not obsessing over my 550 build: www.davidkbrowning.com

Very nice work and like a true New Yorker you improvise and overcome. When any of you fellow New Yorkers want to come up a few miles north, give me a shout. There are some pretty rides up here in Westchester, Putnam and Orange County.   

I did a bunch of riding up your way and out to CT this past summer and fall. It's amazing how much better the roads are and the scenery becomes just getting 20 miles north of the city. I'm planning some rides with a few of the other guys in the neighborhood with old bikes and will send you a pm to see if you're around when we next head up that way:)

[DKB]

Carbs are mounted and bench synced. I know I opened up a can of worms moving to the K&N filters vs the stock airbox and am hoping that the re-jetting and final tuning goes somewhat smoothly. Still on the fence about relocating the electronics and battery but think it would look quite nice with that area cleared out and running the K&N filters.

Here's a couple of new photos with the carbs on and the front brakes finished up. Getting into the final stretch and can start focusing on the paint, seat, and finishing touches soon enough

Anyone know of a source for a 550 front fork brace or know of a brace that will fit or can be modded to work? I'm pretty good at digging up info when needed but keep coming up short on this one. Any advise on fork braces and a good method of tightening the front steering bearings would be greatly appreciated!

[HondaNorway]

F@€#ng awsome bike  

[fastbroshi]

OOO!  I just noticed your stator cover.  What kind is that and where'd you get it?  Does the points cover match?

[DKB]

F@€#ng awsome bike  

Thanks I've been having a ton of fun with the rebuild and am stoked with how the bike is turning out so far.

OOO!  I just noticed your stator cover.  What kind is that and where'd you get it?  Does the points cover match?

The points and stator covers came as a set. I think the manufacturer is Vintage MC Racing or something unoriginal to that effect. Ebay find for around 25 bucks. They were advertised for the CB350F but fit perfectly on the 500/550 as well. I see them up there still from time to time. I believe the seller had multiple sets.



     I spent yesterday revisiting a few gumption traps and made some good progress...

The front caliper adjustment bolt was f&#ked and I was finally able to get that out and replaced with a bit of patience.

I disassembled the top triple tree and now have the tapered steering bearings adjusted properly.

Rerouted the clutch cable and it's now much smoother and operates with less resistance. It's a tight fit with the clip ons. Routing the stock length cable took a few tries and a bit of creativity.


Also dug up an old front fender and drilled out the brace and installed that. The front end feels tons better after bracing the forks and tightening up the bearings a bit.


I removed the center stand as it was interfering with the exhaust fitment. I think I may sell this Jardine Set while they are still new and look for another exhaust option that allows for the use of a center stand. Really like the convenience and having it on for servicing the bike.

Finally made up my mind and decided to relocate the electronics under the seat. I removed the electrical panel and laid out plans for the new locations. I need to go pick up a couple of sheets of aluminum to build a base under the fiberglass seat pan and will be mounting the components to the underside. Looks like everything will fit out of sight with a little reworking.




Any suggestions for a small sealed battery that would work as an under seat replacement for the original? And how about a modern blade type fuse box. The local hardware stores have individual blade fuse holders but I've yet to come across anything that houses 3 fuses. Maybe a box off a modern bike? Anyone swap theirs out for something a it more stable then the original glass fuses?

[kennydean2000]

I live in a condo with no garage and have my two bikes in a storage unit a mile away (no power or light however).  Your build is inspiring - I've got no excuses!

I like your idea to clean out the triangle area - really makes it look cleaner.  Traveler is doing a rebuild and is using a micro-battery that he's fitting under the seat bump that would appear to work well.  I think it's an "A123" battery - in any case check out his thread, I think somewhere he posted a link to the exact unit he bought.

Keep up the work and the great photos.

[patriotictex]

Hey man that is coming along nicely.  I was looking around at a few other forums and located this thread you may find usefull for your battery issue.....................   http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=63092.175

It worked well for this guy, hope it helps.

-John

[traveler]

If you're going to sell the Jardine exhaust, please PM me on it.

A123 battery is a good option.

Your tank/seat layout looks better than mine, I think....

~Joe

[dagersh]

DKB,

Gorgeous '68. Keep her stock!  The Tank and sidecovers on that beauty are hen's teeth!  I just finished up my engine rebuild on my '72 450, a very fun engine to work on.  Now onto customizing the frame a bit....

I don't know if you have seen it, but here is the build thread so far.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=35057.0

Gersh

[DKB]

April 2nd Project Updates:

I finally finished up the last of the wiring and installed the tail light in the rear of the seat cowl. I ended up scratching the paint will need to touch up a spot or two but it's done and tested working.


I installed new NGK plugs and caps, double checked the valve adjustments, carb settings, fine tuned the throttle and clutch cables, etc... I'm trying to get as much done upstairs in hopes of an easy start when I bring the bike down this week. Shes's slowly inching her way towards the front door.




I spent the better part of the weekend working on the interior of both 550 tanks and the new 450 tank as it had a ton of crud in it. I've got one 550 tank clean as new and almost prepped for paint. I ended up selling the 4 into 2 Jardine ehxaust locally to a guy doing a CB500 build and am going to look around for a 4 into 1 that will work well. Looks like David Silver has the stock 4into4's for $570 at the current exchange rate and I'm tempted to take the plunge if I can locate the stock mounting brackets for a decent price. Wish I'd of held onto mine....

Just waiting on the chain and sprockets and I should be all set. Spring came a bit early around these parts and I think I'm going to get the bike on the road while sorting out the finishing touches as I'm dying to go for a spin after all the work and upgrades

I had the CB450 K1 dropped off at my apt and spent some time cleaning off a decade or two of dirt and grime from sitting. Here's the bike when it arrived:


And after a bit of degreaser and some time invested:



I removed the tank and cleaned the interior. Polished up the chrome a bit and installed new badges. Also pulled the carbs and rebuilt them last night. Way easier to get on and off than the 550. Nice simple design.


Looks like the bike spent some time in Hawaii...


The seat cleaned up well and has a really nice broken in feel:


After finishing the clean up and tuning efforts, I rolled the bike over a few blocks to my new garage. So excited to have a proper place to work after the Exxon Xaldez situation in my apartment all winter. This 400 sq ft apt is going ot look huge after I get all the bikes, parts, and tools out of here.



And here's one from work the other night. The lighting got all weird a few minutes before sunset and I snapped a quick camera phone pic:

[Caaveman82]

Man that is a solid bike. Good work.

[fastbroshi]

Garsh that's a nice 450.  Good luck with that one.  Pretty rare too.

[DKB]

USPS showed up yesterday with my new vintage MC 4into1 exhaust.  I was looking for something that would allow me to retain use of the center stand and this set looks like it will work out great. Really dig the overall lines compared to the Jardine I originally had on there. Got home from work around midnight and did my best to install everything without waking the downstairs neighbor. Decided to take a few pics when I finished up to share the current progress.



The header pipes fit the shape of the frame/engine well and allows easy access to the oil filter.


Rear view after installing the tail light assembly. Just need to figure out a license plate mount and I'm set.


The exhaust tip and tail light assembly have a nice sort of symmetry.


Rear profile.


I'm just waiting on the chain and sprockets to arrive and am making preparations to get the bike back out of the building and over to the new garage sometime this week. If all goes well the next set of photos will be taken outside and accompanied by some video clips of the bike up and running. Here's hoping for the best...