Author Topic: CB550 "James Dean"  (Read 1319 times)

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Offline SteveRogers

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CB550 "James Dean"
« on: March 19, 2011, 03:40:53 PM »


      First off, hello, thanks for coming and if your returning welcome back. I am a procastinater, and ideilest, and a dreamer so its safe to assume I've been the president an astronaut and a movie star at some point in my life thus far. I bought this bike with the same aspirations that lead me to my previous positions. I wanted the best the baddest, the latest and greatest, a futuristic flyer.

  Now I just want to ride.

   I named this build after James Dean. Why? Because when I'm on a motorcycle I want to feel like him a "Rebel without a cause" a "Giant". This bike needs to emulate freedom. A word is only a definition varied by the individual that produce its syllables. So to me, coupled with performance and durability this bike is going to be mine.

  It's a 1977 CB 550, purchased on a whim for ironically 550. It came with a clean title a clymers manual worth of problems and a history.

   One of the previous owners had already left his mark by cutting the frame in a spot I suppose he felt fit.



Thus starts the already tremulous adventure. After careful consideration the decision is to keep the frame, supplied by 754 I have the missing puzzle pieces coming and a friend eager to weld.

Done.

Thing number two. Suspension. Again aftermuch deliberation I have decided to upgrade the forks to the Yamaha R6 forks. Funjimmy has an excellent article posted that goes into detail about Rake and Trial and Offset which is imperative when doing a swap like this. My next post will be specific on what parts, measurements and tools you will need, and if all goes to plan the final product.