Topic: 1973 CB500 Project

[Gunner_CAF]

Hi all,

I am helping my son (17) restore a 73 CB500.  He plans to get it running and ride it for this summer then restore it over the winter.  We plan to put it back to stock as much as possible to include the metal flake orange paint job.  The bike was a one owner bike we picked up from a friend.  The bike was bought and rode in California and brought back to Wisconsin where it sat in a barn until now.  Attached is a picture from the day we picked it up.

First we need to get it running.  We pulled the carbs out and they were in bad shape.  They sat with fuel in them and the insides were heavily varnished.  We cleaned them up and put in a carb kit.   My son has been doing a lot of cleaning and polishing.  We have some used set of blinkers, a better front fender, a new battery and a new petcock kit.  He put a new oil filter and oil in and replaced a bad shifter seal.

We just put the carbs back in and it fired right up.  It sounds good, so we are working next on the brakes.

We restored a 66 CB77 a few years ago.  I attached a before and after picture of this.

I found this site to be a great resource and hope to share any experiences or tips we pick up on the way.  I have attached a few pictures of the bike when we got it.  I will post more as we make some progress.

Gunner

[Gunner_CAF]

The carbs were in tough shape, 20 year old fuel turned to varnish in the bowls.  The first one I took apart was the worse.  The float was frozen in place.  I needed to tap the pin out, and one of the float supports broke off from the carb body.

To repair this I cleaned it up then drilled a small hole in the center of each end of the break with a small 1/8 inch bit.  The trick is to have the holes lined up when the broken halves are assembled.  I tried to get the hole in the center of the first piece, then put the pieces back together to determine the location for the second hole opposite the first. I did this by eye as I didn't want to get anything on the surface of the break that may cause the JB Weld to not bond to the repair.

Next I used a small nail as a pin that will fit into these holes.  I cut the nail then test fit the parts with the pin inserted. 

I mixed a small amount of JB Weld and filled the holes and broken surfaces on both sides.  I inserted the pin, than put the parts together.  Hold it for several minutes than clean off the excesses JB Weld.  I let it set for a day to fully cure before assembling the carb.

After it cured, I made sure the pin would slide through the holes without binding so there would not be any tension on the repair.

Gunner

[Gunner_CAF]

After the carbs were rebuilt, I put the carbs back into rack.  The linkage was a real puzzle to put back together even with the manual.  I found the trick and got them all together.  I did the bench sync like I read here on the forums.  Great information can be found here.  I used a small drill bit for a gauge and set all carbs.  I turned back the idle just so the slides were slightly opened.

I didn't have a lot of adjustment on the idle adjustment, I put a shorter spring on the idle set screw.  I also noticed the choke would not stay open.  There looks to be a small ball bearing missing on the end of a spring that holds the choke in place.  I found a ball that would fit and this did the trick.

We were ready to install it back in the bike.

Gunner

[traveler]

WELCOME!

Thanks for taking time to join, and to post.

Looks good!

~Joe

[Gunner_CAF]

Thanks Joe!

Here is a little clip of the first startup.  After a slight setback, we lost spark and found the kill switch was on, it started right up.  The bench carb sync worked quite well.  It now starts with one kick, or a spin of the starter.

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Gunner

[scooter1]

Nice work....I just started a 72 cb500, these are great bikes!!!

[Gunner_CAF]

Thanks Scooter, hearing them start for the first time is a highlight

I finished up taking apart the front brake today, it was a mess.  The button was stuck on the master cylinder.   After several days of soaking with penetrating oil, I ended up taking it out in peaces.  I used a screwdriver and a stiff wire to push the pieces out.  I have some pitting in the walls of the master cylinder.  I will try to hone it out using the hose and some emery paper.  I ordered a master cylinder kit and bought another use master cylinder just in case I can't get this one to work.

The front caliper was stuck good.  I tried 100 psi of compressed air and it didn't budge.  I soaked it with penetrating oil for several days and this didn't seem to do any good.  I damaged the brake pad trying to free it, so I removed the pad by drilling holes in it, than used a drywall screw to break it up.  I finally came free.  I then coaxed the brake pad's metal plate out by using a sharp chisel to rotate the plate back and fort until it was free, hitting it face down on the wood work bench to work out the plate.  Once this was nearly out, the compressed air popped out the plate and cylinder.  Wow, that really pops!  If anyone does this, make sure the cylinder is pointing down into the work bench.  Maybe if I used the grease gun method, I may have saved the brake pad, oh well.  After cleaning these up, it looks good, I have some new brake pads ordered.

All the lines were plugged, so I took these off and ran some wire feed welding wire through them and blew them out with compressed air.

On to some electrical problems while I wait for parts...

Gunner

[kap384@telus.net]

Nice work on that CB77!

[Gunner_CAF]

Kap,

Thanks, that was another Father and Son project.  My brother gave that one to my son.  We were just going to clean it up and ride it, but after I found the Honda305 web site, we found everything we needed to restore it as close as we could to original.  The bike is a blast to ride around.  My son prefers to ride my 82 Yamaha, so I get to ride this one most of the time.  The only problem with this bike is sometimes it's hard to get away from places you go when people come up and start asking about the bike

More info on the build:

http://www.honda305.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3393

Gunner

[Gunner_CAF]

Not All Wiring Diagrams Are Equal

I had some strange electrical problems.  With the key in the middle position:

Working:
Starter
Oil Lights
Neutral Light
Engine started

Not working:
Headlight
Winkers
Spedo/Tach lights
Tail Light

Key switch in the 3rd position, the tail light worked.


I put a tester light on the motor, and I got a light on all the grounds.  When I have seen these strange things before, it is normally a ground problem.  When I grounded a green wire to the motor, everything worked correctly.  I had a broken ground, but where?

I have some fancy colored wiring diagrams, and I had no clue where to look.  I found some open ground connectors, but I didn't see any place they would connect.  I took the wiring diagram from the maintenance manual and starting tracing and coloring the green ground wires.  This diagram shows the unused ground connectors and I noticed the connectors were grouped by location.  All the connectors near the fuse were in one location, the connections in the headlight bucket were grouped in the same location.  I found a ground connection near the coils.  This is where my CB77 was grounded.  We removed the tank, I found the green wire and pulled on it, the wire came off.  It was broke at the connector.  I put a new end on, bolted it to the coil mount and everything worked as it should.

Gunner

[Gunner_CAF]

First Ride - Old School Style

After lifting the tank to fix the ground, we had several fuel leaks.  We must have pulled on some connections.  This wasn't going to work, so my son picked up some fuel line at the cycle shop and replaced all the fuel line when I was at work. 

When I got home we worked on the clutch adjuster.  The adjuster was stuck.  I soaked it in penetrating oil and persuaded it out with a large socket and hammer.  It fit so tight, I wouldn't go in by hand.  I rubbed some 600 grit emery paper on it until it slid in snugly by hand.  We cleaned this up and put it back together.

After adjusting the clutch, we both looked at each other and I said, "Let's ride it!"  The front brake parts hadn't come in so we only had rear brakes.  My Dad told me one time when he had a motorcycle, the front brakes were dangerous so he took them off.  Now this may have been before they invented surfaced roads, but if my Dad did it, we can do it!  I tried to convince him, for safety reasons, that I should ride first.  He insisted he should because it's his bike.  I let him go first.

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Gunner

[Gunner_CAF]

The brake parts came today.  New pads, and a used master cylinder.  The mater cylinder looks to be in good shape, so I won't need a rebuild kit.  We installed the pads and connected all the lines and bled the brakes.

Next, new tires and seat cover...

Gunner

[traveler]

definitely not stock pipes!

What is the bar across the top of the exhaust pipes for?

~Joe

[Gunner_CAF]

Yes, the exhaust is not stock, there are 4 small canister type things on the ends of the headers.  They are something aftermarket that the last owner put on after the stock pipes rusted.  I think it sounds good, but I am sure the neighbors would disagree

The last owner had this highway bar / foot rest thing made from a bar of stainless steel.  It looks to be turned on a lathe.  He said he tipped the bike one time and it saved the motor from being scratched.

Gunner

[Zig]

The bike sounds good and its a really great father/son project. Have fun!!

btw, i have 6 daughters so i am very,very jealous.

zig.

[Gunner_CAF]

You never know, maybe one of your daughters will like motorcycles

Thanks,

Gunner

[traveler]

You gonna keep the foot bar?

~Joe

[Gunner_CAF]

For now we will.  Maybe after the restoration this winter, we will see if we want to put it back on.  It will be my son's call.

Gunner

[Zig]

is the paint good enough to keep or you gonna repaint??

[Gunner_CAF]

Zig,

The paint on top of the tank is gone and there is surface rust on top.  The sides are not as bad.  There is no binging this back, it will need new paint.

Gunner

[Gunner_CAF]

In Stitches to Tears

Most of the afternoon and evening Sunday I spent stitching with a needle and thread.  The sides of the seat are in good shape, but to top is gone.  I have made two snowmobile seats, one from scratch, the other I had the old material for a pattern.  I know enough about a sewing machine to be dangerous.  This looked like something I could do. 

After buying some marine grade material, I want to work on the seat.  I cut out a pattern and cut out the bad material and marked and cut the new seat top from the new material.  After pinning it up several times I finally had it in the right place.  I couldn't get the machine close enough to the seam, so I decided to do sew this by hand.  I stitched all around the seat top until it came out perfect!  I decided to do one more seam with the machine, so I did one more around the entire seat.  At about 9PM I then cut off the excess material and turned it over.  I found part of the seat cover got caught in the machine in two places, and when I cut the excess, I cut part of the cover making a hole in it.  Arrrrgggg.

OK, enough of the happy homemaker routine, I went on-line and ordered a cover for 35 bucks   Heck, I can spill more than this in one evening!  I am sure it won't get here until next week, but we have other work that needs to be done while we wait.

We made some progress tonight.  The rear tire came in, but the front will not be in until Monday.  Oh well, the seat will come about the same time.  Tonight we put the new tire on and balanced it.

[Gunner_CAF]

Paint and the Seat

When looking at the store for some seat foam, I found some paint that looked like it may be a match.  We plan to give it a good paint job later, but the tank top looks bad so we would like to give it a touch up. 

I found some red Dupli-Color Metal Specks paint.  This is a metal flake paint.  And I saw some orange Metalcast paint.  This is kind of a candy apple type transparent paint you put over silver or chrome.  I took a sheet of scrap metal and put silver, Metal Specks and Metalcast on it to see if I could get a combination that would be close to the sunshine orange color.  Most of it was too red.

I found some Dupli-Color Burnt Copper Metal Specks, and some silver metal specs.  I tried some more combinations and found an almost exact match.  I used the Burnt Copper as a base, and a light coat of Orange Metalcast.  The Metalcast is transparent so it changes the color slightly but shows the flake through it.

We masked off the tank and preped the side covers.  I used the same combination but I got a bit carried away with the top coat of orange Metalcast.  It turned out a little darker than my test piece, but the looks better than it did before it was painted.  Maybe I will try some rubbing compound on it to see if I can lighten it, or just leave it for now.

First pic is the first test, close but not right
Second pic is the second test, a close match.  The the bottom edge of the test peice is a match.
Third pic is the paint I used.


Gunner

[Gunner_CAF]

Now the Seat

The seat cover came in.  I ordered it on e-bay.  It wasn't exactly what was shown in the picture, but it looks of good quality.   I picked up an exercise mat for under $20.  It looked to be about the right density I was looking for to repair the seat.  The seat foam has some deteriorated areas on the top.  I used a Ginsu knife and took a layer off the top of the seat.  I cut and trimmed a replacement piece from the exercise map.  I glued this in place with some 3M spray adhesive for foam.  I use some auto edge trim on the sharp metal edge on the bottom of the pan so the metal would not wear through the seat cover on this edge.

I placed plastic on the foam, than covered it with the seat.  I used a block and clamp on a work table to compress the foam, then I stretched the cover and clamped the cover in place.  I moved from the back to the front until the seat was clamped in place.  I used a hot nail to melt holes for the belt hardware.  We will put some chrome sick-on trim around the base of the seat later.  I used this on the Super Hawk seat and it works good.

The front tire comes Monday, and we should be ready to license it and ride.

Gunner

[hotsauce]

NICE! I am just starting a rebuild on the same bike year and all.

[Gunner_CAF]

NICE! I am just starting a rebuild on the same bike year and all.

Post some pictures when you get a chance, It's good to see the other 500s.

Gunner

[Gunner_CAF]

It's on the road.  I call it a 30/30, looks good at 30 feet or 30 mph.  It runs good so we will ride it like this for the rest of the summer.  Over the winter we will strip it down and do a better restoration and paint job.

Gunner

[Ecosse]

good to hear... uh, read. 

so, what's the back story here?

[Gunner_CAF]

good to hear... uh, read. 

so, what's the back story here?

It's all on Page 1

Gunner

[scooter1]

looks good.....had my 72 out on the hwy and it died on me!!!

[Ecosse]

good to hear... uh, read. 

so, what's the back story here?

It's all on Page 1

Gunner

 

geez... all the way back there?! 

serious brain fade on my parts, sorry.

if that cb77 is any indication this 500 has something to look forward to!

[Gunner_CAF]

Thanks, we also hope it turns out as good 

Gunner

good to hear... uh, read. 

so, what's the back story here?

It's all on Page 1

Gunner

 

geez... all the way back there?! 

serious brain fade on my parts, sorry.

if that cb77 is any indication this 500 has something to look forward to!

[Gunner_CAF]

looks good.....had my 72 out on the hwy and it died on me!!!

Thanks, don't you love old motorcycles.  My son found out how many miles he can go on a tank of gas.  He was on an interstate like highway, got a ride to the gas station in a police car

Gunner

[scooter1]

hahah...thats always fun!!!!

[Gunner_CAF]

Update...  We took the bike down the basement last winter to give it a good restoration but because of some other projects we put it on hold for a year. 

Over the summer we did paint the frame.  It started as a project in our garage, the picture is my son putting on some primer.  My neighbor came over an offered to take it to his shop.  Good thing, the clear coat he put over my paint made it look great.

Over the past few weeks we have been cleaning, shining, and painting small parts.  We finished the motor, front forks, and working on finishing up the wheels.  Having a room filling with completed parts have given us new energy to get this project put together.  Attached are a few of the in-progress  pictures.

Gunner

[seanbarney41]

this is cool...really dig some of the very resourceful repairs you did to the bike to get it on the road!...I will be  watching the restoration too...finished assembly's are looking great!

[Gunner_CAF]

Here are a few more in-progress pictures.  The first is a side cover.  The cost of a new cover that will most likely fall off the the rest seemed a little high so I made one.  I used a heavy piece of aluminum and bought a bag of sandbox sand.  I cut it into a circle, put it on the bag of sand and beat on it with a heavy rubber hammer for a few weeks until I formed the right dished shape.  I polished it and used 3 small stainless screws to attach it.

When I was working on the handle bars, I wanted to remove the electric kill switch cover to paint it.  This didn't work well, it just broke as I tried to pry it off.  I could see it wasn't coming off, so I did a repair in-place.  I used some epoxy putty and filled in the break.  I filed and sanded it.  I masked it off to paint on in place.

This week we put the motor in the frame.  We set the motor on the ground on it's side, then lowered the frame over it.  We secured as many bolts as we could then tipped it upright.  It worked good with no damage to the motor or frame.

Gunner