Topic: Olivia's Face lift. 78 CB550 build.

[RustyOlive]

Lol. Guess I could have read your profile summery on the side I.W. lol

Been to Saskatoon a few times as a kid. Dad used to drag race there years ago. 

[iron_worker]

We got some lovely freezing rain last night followed by snow. Perfect skating rink conditions on the road....

IW

[RustyOlive]

Sounds like you need a set of these.... Lol

[RustyOlive]

sun shine baby.

[iron_worker]

That's a great lookin bike.

Enjoy the sun... -16C here this morning. wah!

IW

[RustyOlive]

That's a great lookin bike.

Enjoy the sun... -16C here this morning. wah!

IW

Lol. It's 10 above here today...sorry.. Lol

[RustyOlive]

Took Olivia out for a high speed test up the Don Valley Parkway here in Toronto. She feels solid and fast. Super fun bike to fly down the high way. Really impressed how smooth and yet agressive she is. Can't wait till next summer.

[eelliiss]

Great looking bike!

[RustyOlive]

Great looking bike!

Thank you. Still lots of work to do. But getting really close. :-)

[Tews19]

I nominated your build for BOTM... Good luck!

[RustyOlive]

I nominated your build for BOTM... Good luck!

You did?!
Doesn't a bike need to be finished to be a BOTM? Lol

I still have to paint and rebuild the engine. Lol

[Tews19]

As is, the bike is sick! From the looks you got the second nomination needed already!

[RustyOlive]

A second nom?! Wow.. Crazy!! I don't know what to say....? Thank you.. Lol

[RustyOlive]

Out for a ride..not bad for still riding in December up here in Canada. Lol

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

I have to tell you. THis bike has inspired me to get back onto my project....after a year or so. Thanks.

[RustyOlive]

I have to tell you. THis bike has inspired me to get back onto my project....after a year or so. Thanks.

Wow! Really?
I don't know what to say. :-)
Thank you sir! :-)

[theofam]

I agree with Frankenstuff.  Your build has rekindled my long-dormant interest in my CB550 Seamus.

Too cool that you got alot of garage time growing up with your dad.  It certainly paid off!  Very nice work.

[RustyOlive]

I agree with Frankenstuff.  Your build has rekindled my long-dormant interest in my CB550 Seamus.

Too cool that you got alot of garage time growing up with your dad.  It certainly paid off!  Very nice work.

Lol thats awesome!! Glad to assist. Hahaha.
You guys have build threads up yet? Post'em! :-)

I haven't touched Olivia much these days. Been pretty busy at work (my real job. Haha)
I hope to get back to her in a few weeks when time allows me to play in the garage.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Hey Cam,

I sent you recent message about your front end conversion.  Can you share the step by step details as to what your machinist did?  Did you swap the stock stem into the CBR triples? 

It appears that you used the stock hubs and machined adpaters to fit the CBR discs at the correct space for the radial brake calipers.  Did your machinist create a new axle from scratch to fit the stock hub?  If so, do you know how he went about it?  Or did he modify the hub to fit the CRB axle?

I'm trying to map out a front end conversion for my next project.  The more I think about it, the more I want to maximize front end feel, handling and braking.  At first I was going to use a Joker triple, then I thought of doing a GL1000 front end swap.  I ended up doing that on my current project to maintain a period correct look.  On my next project, I am trying to improve performance, and I'm okay with going mongrel on it.

Don

[RustyOlive]

Hey RO,

I sent you recent message about your front end conversion.  Can you share the step by step details as to what your machinist did.  Did you swap the stock stem into the CBR triples? 

It appears that you used the stock hubs and machined adpaters to fit the CBR discs at the correct space for the radial brake calipers.  Did your machinist create a new axle from scratch to fit the stock hub?  If so, do you know how he went about it?  Or did he modify the hub to fit the CRB axle?

I'm trying to map out a front end conversion for my next project.  The more I think about it, the more I want to maximize front end feel, handling and braking.  At first I was going to use a Joker triple, then I thought of doing a GL1000 front end swap.  I ended up doing that on my current project to maintain a period correct look.  On my next project, I am trying to improve performance, and I'm okay with going mongrel on it.

Don

Hi Don.

I'll do my best. Unfortunetly I didn't take a lot of photos when I had the front end apart.

I did not have to swap stems. The CBR600RR stem is right lenght. I bought the tappered bearing kit from allsballsracing.com . The forks fit like glove!

I had the machinist whip up a new axle. Same o.d. as the i.d. of the 550 hub bearings. The axle is machined at one end to fit the lower axle mount on the cbr fork leg. The other end of the axle has a thread on spacer to fit the other fork leg. (Make sence? )

Once the axle was made. The wheel was put in the forks and placed dead center. Measured out the space between the forks to the bearings. Made slip on spacers to hold the wheel centre.

Next. Measuring the distance between the centre of the caliper to the hub surface is how we came up with the disc adaptors thickness.

Using the the original "through" hub bolt holes. Was able to bolt down the discs/adaptors with just longer bolts than the stock ones.

Down fall is. Had to ditch the speedo drive off the hub. Therefore loosing the stock analog 550 speedometer. So I bought a Acewell digital gauge with speed/tac/singals/hi-low beams/netural/oil light on in one.

Also. With running two quad piston calipers. I had to run a front break master cyclinder/leaver off a 2006-2008 cbr600rr. She stops on a dime I tell ya!! Hahaha.


Hope that all makes sense? Hahaha. Few photos to maybe help..=
 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Thanks, Cam!  Hopefully, my 2008 CBR600RR front end will not require a stem transplant.

[FunJimmy]

Next. Measuring the distance between the centre of the caliper to the hub surface is how we came up with the disc adaptors thickness.

Using the the original "through" hub bolt holes. Was able to bolt down the discs/adaptors with just longer bolts than the stock ones.

Should have used the large diameter CBR axle and machine the adapters to accept CBR bearings.
Stiffer and easier than fabing up an axle as well.

[RustyOlive]

Next. Measuring the distance between the centre of the caliper to the hub surface is how we came up with the disc adaptors thickness.

Using the the original "through" hub bolt holes. Was able to bolt down the discs/adaptors with just longer bolts than the stock ones.

Should have used the large diameter CBR axle and machine the adapters to accept CBR bearings.
Stiffer and easier than fabing up an axle as well.

Thanks.
That was my original plan. In fact it was your build I got my original plans from. :-) 
My machinist had already done a few front builds like this. (He's a fellow DTT member)
And was able to whip up the axle pretty quick.

The stiff'ness was a consern I had as well. But he assured me the hardened steel axle is plenty strong. If I still have concerns, we can revisit the axle.

I have been riding it for a few months. It feels great. I took the front end apart few weeks back. Inspected the axle and hub. No stress marks or wear marks. Thus far. Its solid. But I will be keeping an eye on it.

[theofam]

RO, my build threads are in my signature below.

I'm going stock with Paddy - had him back together last March and seized the engine 15 minutes after takeoff due to a clogged oil orifice to the 1/2 cam side.   I'm about to start the thread back up to document Round 2 of assembly.

Seamus, the 550, has been a 2.5-year garage lizard that I hope to get to in Feb based on inspiration from you!

[RustyOlive]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HQwwDZKPYPI&feature=plcp