Topic: How to get 60hp from a 76 550f

[Emokid]

Noob as i am , i ask maybe a stupid question , and one i guess with many possible answers , but please bear with me in this , and i will learn my ways
So ..... I am doing a 550 cafe project this winter , im getting ready for teardown , as soon as riding season ends her in the cold lands , witch is pretty soon .
My goal is a little more power and a lot less weight on the bike , so lets start off with a nice round number of a 10hp increase in the power .
What is the most affordable and reliable way of acheaving this in a bike that is usable on the street , its not going to be a daily driver , just something im going to take out to enjoy in an afternoon or or daytrip ?
Cam ? Porting? Exhaust? Carb ?        Combo of these ?      Brands  of parts ?


Enlighten me ye wise loremasters of the sohc4forums

[turboguzzi]

no stupid question, just innacurate data....

Honda CLAIMED 50 hp for the 500/550's and that was maybe on a good day at the crankshaft.

dyno measurements even from that time, usually showed 36 to 38 real, rear wheel horsepower.

Going up to 60 hp from that means a pretty high state of tune, almost douoble what you have, so not for the street really.

Maybe you should ask in the regular and project sections what people are getting from street type tuning mods like you listed. But believe only the dyno graphs, not what people THINK they bike is making

 A big bore 600+ kit should be high on your list

quite few threads here on 550 tuning, do some searching

TG

[strynboen]

are you shure you need so mutch pover..i have a 105 hk cbx and a 50 hk cb 550..just love the saund and pull of that littel 8 valve engine..mine runs 150 kmt..and with that brake singel disc and drum... and tire and frame ..its fine..have a marchall exh..saunds super...more importment then topspeed..
all can autrun you anyvay..vith yours 40 years old bike...sorry for my english..

[DavePhipps]

Like TG said, big bore kit. You can find them now and then on Ebay.
Try and source an early cb650 cam. It's a drop in mod.
Better than all that is to update the ancient suspension. Replace the old shocks, and rebuild the forks with progressive springs or a cartridge valve emulator.
One last bit of advice. If you like to corner hard do not get a motad 4-1 exhaust. I'm grinding the heck out of mine on right handers.

@strynboen: You speak bike, I can understand you perfectly

[Emokid]

Like TG said, big bore kit. You can find them now and then on Ebay.
Try and source an early cb650 cam. It's a drop in mod.
Better than all that is to update the ancient suspension. Replace the old shocks, and rebuild the forks with progressive springs or a cartridge valve emulator.
One last bit of advice. If you like to corner hard do not get a motad 4-1 exhaust. I'm grinding the heck out of mine on right handers.

@strynboen: You speak bike, I can understand you perfectly

Thanks all of you , honestly i assumed that the specs where correct and that i had the 50 hp but there you see 
I have stayed up half night reading the post in interchangability between the 550 and 650 engines , and the worrying part is that it got me thinking ....... That usually means lots of work if you get my drift 

[MRieck]

There are modern 592cc piston kits available.

[DavePhipps]

There are modern 592cc piston kits available.

Forgot about those, dynoman sells some http://dynoman.net/

[bwaller]

I believe that's what MRieck was getting at.

Emokid, I have a 550 bored to 592, street cam from Web, mild porting and using stock carbs makes 51rwhp. Not a lot of work really. It is also weighs 385lbs so is somewhat easier to propel.

[turboguzzi]

I believe that's what MRieck was getting at.

Emokid, I have a 550 bored to 592, street cam from Web, mild porting and using stock carbs makes 51rwhp. Not a lot of work really. It is also weighs 385lbs so is somewhat easier to propel.

was going to tell him to ask you. 50 rwhp should make a quick street ride. never saw the dyno of that thing brent, how do the curves compare to the racer's?

it's just interesting how much more work you have to do to get those last 10hp....

[bwaller]

I agree TG. Getting to 50hp at the rear isn't that difficult, however the next 10 or so is.

Here's the dyno chart for that 592.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

Brent,yes it is!It can be had,60+,after that pretty challenging and $$$$!!!Bill

[Emokid]

I believe that's what MRieck was getting at.

Emokid, I have a 550 bored to 592, street cam from Web, mild porting and using stock carbs makes 51rwhp. Not a lot of work really. It is also weighs 385lbs so is somewhat easier to propel.

Thanks for your replies , i think what you are saying is just what i mean too when i put how to get 60 hp.... That was on the basis that i thought i already had 50 , so i guess in real life what i am looking for is in fact  more like 50 just as you describe you have , roughly 10 more than i have now 
You say your bike is 385 lbs , how light do you think it is possible to make a 550 (and yes i know . My weight is going to be a big factor to  but lets stick with the bike ) .
Im thinking about loosing it "all" on this one , everything to make it weigh less , just as long as it is within street legal limits .
The way i figure is that its much easier to make it lighter than it is to add extra hp to make that dead weight move faster , am i right ?

[iomtt9]

Heres my Dyno chart, and the bike weighs kgs160.

[bwaller]

I should add Emokid the 385lb CB592 is a street bike, not my race bike. Just so I don't raise any more eyebrows.