Topic: documenting 550 rebuild if you are interested

[captaincrash80]

Lookin good man, gonna be sweet when it's done.

[egar]

I have been off this site for a few months due to personal issues, but I am selling this bike for $1,000 if anyone is interested. For more information, check the for sale forum or go to craigslist/florida/space coast and see my ad posted under todays date for a 1977 cb550k.

[egar]

I decided to keep the 550 and brought it to a legendary local old Honda specialist in Melbourne, FL. I had to stop the build due to relationship issues. Now my bride wants to learn to ride, so I brought it to Lucien of AL and L motorcycle and after a couple weeks he called to tell me why I couldn't get the cables to work. The carbs are from a 1980 cb650! I knew from the start that they didn't look quite right. He said he may have an old set of carbs that will fit and is going to see what he can do. I am excited since I bought this bike in shambles in Sept. 08 and got so close to getting her on the road. I am also going to be taking apart the KO that I bought in January. I am doing a restoration to original on that one since it is a KO and will go with the original candy gold paint job. Once Lucien figures things out and the bike is running, I will sink some money into it and get new shocks and tires. Will keep ya'll posted when I get the bike back home..

[egar]

I got the 550 back from the shop and spent close to $900. I feel liike I really cheated by bringing the bike to a shop, but I never would have figured out that the bike had the wrong carbs on it, etc. Lucien at AL and L rebuilt the whole front brake, found a set of 77 550 carbs and rebuilt them, installed slick chrome pods, adjusted the timing chain and points, installed a brand new choke among other things.
I got the bike home on Dec. 30, flushed the tank and after some battery charging got the bike running. Only took 15 months to get there - minus eight months of being separated and living out of my bike while my wife went through a midlife crisis.
Will post pix this weekend.

[traveler]

pics?

[egar]

I got the bike running and took it around the block. First ride ever. But now I fear I didn't clean the tank well enough because two cylinders (3 and 4) don't appear to be firing. Pipes are only warm to the touch while 1 and 2 are scalding hot like they should be.
When it was at the shop, the Lucien the guru fired it up for me but was using an auxilliary tank and the bike ran nice and idled nicely. He warned me to clean the tank. I used seafoam. But with the two cylinders out and the float bowls pissing gas, could it be that maybe the jets got clogged by a not so clean tank?

I will post pix soon. The bike reeked of gas and I stuck her outside under a tarp. Then we got a historic cold front here in Florida that has been here all week. Too cold to work on it but it is giving me time to figure out what to do next.

Also, thanks to the threads here, I got the cat eye taillight hooked up and am waiting for my new petcock. Paid $50 on Ebay. Egads.

Any suggestions?

[traveler]

"...relationship issues".

Poor fella...I cast that aside YEARS ago.

~Joe

[egar]

As promised, photos of the bike. I spent the past two days trying to figure out why two carbs aren't getting gas. You will see my post on the bikes discussion page. Frustrated as hell. ONly running on two cylinders after spending too much money at a mechanic's shop. Whine.....

[egar]

[egar]

Got 3 and 4 firing and the bike now runs as smooth as a pocketful of jello. I have forgotten how much I love the sound of these bikes....

[egar]

Part of the deal with getting this bike put together and on the road was that my wife wanted to learn to ride. Behold! Tonight she took her first spin ever on a motorcycle. What a quick study she is!

[scooter1]

Nice bike!!!!  Good for her!!!

[Ecosse]

nice work! and kudos to the mrs. for taking an interest in riding. 

[egar]

Now she's psyched for me to restore the KO so we can ride to events together, or just tool along the coast. I love the sound of the bike. Got it tagged today. Finally.....