Topic: CB650C Cafe project in Oregon

[finchasers]

Cheers to all of you who have let me lurk through posts for answers.  I am glad to see how many others decided to choose the lighter weight 650 for their builds even though the aftermarket doesn't support many "bolt-ons" like the other SOHC bikes.

After just doing the regular repairs to fork seals and carbs and brakes, etc. I rode it around to get the feel of what I wanted to do. 
Clubmans worked with a riser, but I may go to clip-ons eventually.  I grabbed a GS550 Suzuki tank to replace the teardrop stocker that was leaking at the seams.  Others have chopped the frame to get a cafe looking seat on, but I just chopped the seat pan and carved the foam and then had an upholstery shop do the right stuff to it.  After I mounted a Ducati monster tail light under it I was happy with the results.  Picked up reverse megaphone mufflers, removed the airbox for pod units (started with the foam crappers and then went to the nicer mesh filters).  I rejetted of course.  I debadged the tank and original side covers added bondo and a dozen layers of buildable primers.  I added retro-reflective checker decals, then painted and cleared with House of Kolor from Baxter Auto parts, and then a month later the clear cracked on me.  One vintage racer said it looks period perfect with the cracking.

Bolted on Raask rearsets from Omars, but they really added weight and are made out of some old panzer tank pot metal that was melted down.  I might fab up some aluminum brackets and retain the rods. 

I went on a week long journey through the NW with my fly fishing gear in a chase truck and a few buddies from a local rock band and their guitars.  Trailering a CB125 and riding next to a new CBR600.  It went hundreds of miles with no real issues except for depleting some oil through burnoff and various seepage points:-).

Now I just PM'd Terry in Oz for the oil cooler adapter plate since I am finally going to get into the engine and replace the head gasket and rings and do the necessaries it needs under the fins.  I like the oil recovery system I saw off the crankcase breather that "paulages" from here in Portland has rigged up.  Might have to PM him about that and maybe go for a ride.

I am going to replace my gauges with a nice little rig I found from electrosport.com.   I'll look into braided brake lines when the oil cooler arrives and I dive into that.

Thanks for being around with all the input on the forums.
be greasy,
Eliot

[scunny]

welcome from another 650 owner, they are a nice middleweight to ride

[Kurlon]

How hard was the GS550 tank conversion?  I like the lines of that tank...

[finchasers]

Here is a better picture of how the lines of the tank actually follow the exact front line of the stock side cover.  Really was kismet.
Not sure what year I just remember a piece of masking tape on it that said "gs550" and I had my CB in the back of my truck so i could do some test fitting.

It is a bit longer than the tear drop stock tank so I cut the seat pan back about 3 inches.  The rubber mounts on the front needed just a bit of shaving, but otherwise they sit in the exact spot they need to be.

To give it a mounting spot for the bolt near the seat it I just welded on a chunk of sheet metal kind of like a tab and drilled the hole where it needed to be.  

I think I got lucky finding that tank for 40 bucks and making it work.  

[Pinhead]

Could you post a close-up of the rearsets, both left and right sides, please?

[finchasers]

Here is a link to some close-ups of the Raask rear sets.  I put them on my blog so I get you some really big pictures if you click on the images.

Cheers.

http://finchasers.blogspot.com/2010/04/raask-rear-sets.html