Topic: new member looking for advice on do's and dont's

[cb550inct]

Wow you guys are tough!    I will post the pics of all new parts added next week, I should have everything i need by then. And in response to selling the old parts i think i should sell them. I have two crates of oem parts from my Harley's, I know i am never going to use them.. And the advice i was looking for was where to spend money, and what not to do. For example from everything i read here going with pods seems like more trouble than keeping the stock air box. So i was looking for guidance on parts or mods to stay away from, or that were just not worth the money. And to the guy that said time and patience says allot, dude i just spent 6 years remodeling a house , the bike was mostly for an escape.

This winter I decided i was getting another bike, my first choice was a Triumph Thruxton. I found one used locally in March, rode it and thought it was lame in stock form, to get it the way i would want would be about 2k in parts. So 5k for the bike used 2k in parts i was in for 7k. The I drove a coworkers CB-750 and loved it. the hunt was on. I budgeted 1.5k for the bike and 1.5 for parts i figured i could have a fun reliable cafe for 3k and have a blast driving it I had to settle for a 550 but i love it

By the way on the way into work today i noticed I developed a a gasket leak. Ive been riding the bike everyday and so far no other problems, until this .... so back to ordering parts.

[OldSchool_IsCool]

... I had to settle for a 550 ...

Them'z fight'n words!! 

Just kidding... kinda.  We each have our first loves.  My first bike was (is) my 550.  I also have a 750 and love that bike too.  Each has their own personality.

Are you talking a oil leak between the head and cylinder block?  Actually pretty common.  A fresh set of gaskets (all the way down to base gasket) should take care of that.  If you don't want to waste anymore of the riding season, you can cram a rolled up paper towel sheet between the fins to soak up the oil.  change when saturated.

When you are ready to replace the gaskets, you can rebuild the top end of a 550 with the engine IN FRAME!  Try THAT with a 750!!  >>evil laugh<<

[CafeDawg]

Hey Man,
Looks like you got a good deal and think I understand your situation.  I hunted for a bike for months, loosing them on Ebay and CL to other buyers with deeper pockets.  Finaly got one and now I am looking to modify my bike but do have some pangs when I take off good stock parts. Yesterday I sold my SS badges to fund some additions.  The deal for me though is the ride!  I love the look of the stock CB's but...... I don't like driving them.  The clubman's give me a much better feel for the road, a one up seat (Benji make nice stuff) works better for me since I'm a solo rider and never have anybody on the back.  I'm not into chopping the frame but my bike is lowered.  So my advice is make it yours, and make it the way you want to ride.  I want to be over the tank and so I modify towards a Cafe' style not because I saw it on The Discovery channel but because that's where I'm comfortable.  So there ya go, mod what you want, sell what ya can and ride the SH*T out of it!
Respect!
CD

[Duanob]

I'm begining to hate the word "cafe"

For this bike it's such a waste 

Sell it off at top dollar to someone who will keep intact and go buy a basket case.

[domer]

I'm begining to hate the word "cafe"
 

and benji....

[Statenheimer]

Welcome.  Where abouts in CT are you located?  I am in Wallingford, be cool to have someone semi-local.  I am also new to the site and recently acquired 3 CB's:

a 73 500, 76 550, and 78 550.

All are pretty much basket cases right now, but I had kind of planned it that way for the racer/mod/cafe style bike I am looking to build.

Anywho, I should have bunches of extra parts if you need anything.  I am currently trying to get 1 550 engine running, so that I can begin a full teardown... what have I gotten myself into, haha.

[cb550inct]

I live in Canton Ct, and work in Torrington. I like the fact that you have three bikes. Ambition!  I could buy a 1972 BMW r60/5 from a friend of mine. the bike is not only a toaster tank, it is toast, it turns over  but the tank and body are full of rust. no seat, depending how this goes that could be how i occupy the winter.   

Have you checked out CT rockers, a bunch of cafe owners in ct.

Also have you been able to find any parts in stock locally.


And to Cafe Dog in Vermont was that an Ali G respect you gave me.

[Bankerdanny]

When you are ready to sell the exhaust, take several pictures of each pipe and muffler and post it in the for sale board. I'm sure you will have no problem disposing of them.

[CafeDawg]

Nah straight up!  Used to work with a true Rastafarian and his greeting was always
"Respect" and closing was "Respect & Understanding" . So think strong Kingston accent and you'll start to get the idea.  If your looking for Rockers in your area could also try DTT.com , don't know if that's sacrilege here, and don't mean to offend. I'm just looking for help working on my bike and for those who love to ride CB's. 
Respect & Understanding
CD

[pat english]

spanner - I think he is talking about the original muffler when he says "don't have time or patience". I don't blame him for that, I don't think that you can do any kind of a fix on a rusted out pipe.

anything can be fixed...just depends how much time you wana spend on it...

but yeah,i wasnt trying to talk #$%*..just sayin..

[wookie]

FWIW I took the worst 750 i could find and chopped it up, made it mine and if you wanted to call it a cafe, fine.  But that bike you have, keep it stock, trust me.  Find another project bike and ride the one u have.

[SohRon]

I'm not sure I'd be selling off those stock parts... If you do decide to sell the bike someday, it's going to be worth a lot more in its original stock form than you'll ever get in its "cafe" condition.  Good move on not cutting up the frame; that really is a "no return" situation I see much too often these days.

The good news is that, due to all of the decent old surviving stockers being ruined by "cafe" modifications, the remaining stock bikes become more valuable day by day (see the "Honda Bubble" thread). Sure would be a shame to see a true survivor destroyed...

Like pretty much all of the other respondents have said, I recommend you sell this and cafe a basket case.

[cb550inct]

Ok i Think its time i chime in with a reality check here, In 2004 i bought a Harley Heritage Softail, I added vance and hines pipes, carlini bars, braided cables, new pegs various pieces of crome, new levers. Needless to say i was into the bike for 25,000, In 2008 i sold it for 13k. I took a 12 hit, but it was an all cash purchase. When I am done with this cb
and get it to what i like ( like i did with the harley) ill be in for about 3000. Im already ahead of the game. Who says I am going to sell this bike. I picture some you out there owning a bunch of s@#t parts hoping the guys from american pickers come to your house. To me this is fun transportation it is not a f#@ckin Fabergie egg.

This is probably my fault, since i was 16 in the 80's i have modified every bmx bike, 10 speed, scooter , and motorcycle i ever owned, Im not a hipster( btw hipsters drive ducattis and triumphs) . I am used to harley forums, or home improvement forums where members point out how to save money or what is cost effective. Not where people call you an idiot because you god forbid upgrade something.......dude i love your formica kitchen with the jenn-air stove do you know whats that is worth. I looked today there is about 20, cbs like mine for sale in the us, go buy your own and mothball it.

P.S. What if i Crash the bike? then what

[xsmooth69x]

whatever you do to the bike make sure you can bring it back to stock!!

dont sell any parts dont cut or fabricate anything crazy!!

why ebay? why such a nice bike to turn into a cafe

this is the kind of bike you turn into a cafe bike.

thats my bike 1976 cb550k1 lol

==============

you already got the exhaust soooo u need...............

a full dyna electrical system

a uni filter for you stock air box. (good job on not going the pod way)

new dual disc front brakes drilled and slotted

new rear ikon shocks and better fork springs

or you can do a gsxr inverted fork swap unless u really wanna keep it classic

i dont know what tires you have on the bike now but you need some sweet period tires like continental RB2/K112 combo

35w hid kit and h4 head light conversion, or if anything get an H4 conversion so you can put in H4 bulbs instead of having to replace the whole headlight

a 530 to 520 chain conversion

also aluminum sprockets

SS brake lines

cut the rear fender smaller + different tail lights

a sweet pair of rear sets

cb650 cam

end bar mirrors

some header wrap

swing arm rebuild by hondaman

stuff like that....... 

u should really consider making a build thread so we can all watch your build. you can see mine in my siggy i think im up to 1700 including my bike price

super jealous about your exhaust btw you lucky bastard 

[xsmooth69x]

Another hacksaw-wielding Bolt-on Billy.  That's ok, your just ruining a great specimen of a bike and making mine worth so much more.  I have a '77 frame for sale if you want to cut that up, too. 

^ wow thats a lot of hate..... this dude came to these forums, to this community for help and questions. great job with the first impressions 

if the man wants to just push his bike off a cliff well let him... its his bike

i might just buy a real museum faberge egg that is irreplaceable in history, art, culture and jewelry and hit it with a golf club just because i can or drink a bottle of 1921 dom perignon

[Kevin400F]

Welcome, and it sounds like you have a good plan.  My only advice parrots the previous comments about selling off any parts you take off (holey exhaust included).  Instead, clean the take-off parts really well, preserve to the best of your ability, and set them back in a safe dry place (attic, back or your closet, etc.).

The small revenue generation you get from the sell-off pales against the investment value of being able to put the bike back to original unrestored condition at some point should you choose.

Kevin

[Tintop]

Welcome, and it sounds like you have a good plan.  My only advice parrots the previous comments about selling off any parts you take off (holey exhaust included).  Instead, clean the take-off parts really well, preserve to the best of your ability, and set them back in a safe dry place (attic, back or your closet, etc.).

The small revenue generation you get from the sell-off pales against the investment value of being able to put the bike back to original unrestored condition at some point should you choose.Kevin

1st, welcome to the forum CB550inct.  As you have quickly found out, we can be an opinionated bunch.   That said the knowledge base here for SOHC's is outstanding, and freely shared.  No matter what it is, someone has 'been there / done that'.

+1 Kevin.  I hear where your coming from CB550inct re mod'ing just about everything ever owned.   The keep it stock vs modifying debate will rage forever, but being able to return it to stock is the key.  By all means make it 'your bike', just try do do it without cutting.  If you want to shorten the rear fender & change the huge tail light (who doesn't , Save those nice stock pieces, and chop some cheap beaters from eBay.

As for your intended mods to date, seat & bars.  Stay away from the clubmans if this is a daily rider, your back, and neck will thank you.  Euro bars, drag bars, or super bike bars are a much better option, and will give you that same 'control' feeling.  Regarding the seat, nothing against Benji's stuff, but it's become the Arlen Ness/Kuryakin for CB's.

[cb550inct]

xsmooth thanks, thats the king of reply I was looking for. I was deinately looking to upgrade the rear shocks, dual disk conversion,and front springs but this winter. after i get my riding in for the season.

I have bar end mirrors.

I had to get the h4 conversion ( on the way home last week low beam went out)

New throtlle body and cables.

On the rear fender, I may loose it all together or buy a short fiberglass one keep the original.

Rear sets are a must im 5'11" and 210 i look king of goofy upright.

I think you saw my exhaust on Lossa's websight, check out his clubmans, a little wider than normal. I bought them. I laso plan on adding black headder wrap.

Also im thinking about the rear swingarm, Carpy is going to have one for 550's

All my new parts will be in on wed i will post a thread and take pics next week.

Thanks for the help, and understanding what i was looking for

[dhall57]

It's your bike, you bought it, so do what you want to with it. This remark has been repeated hundred's of times on this forum. The only thing that ruffles my feathers the wrong way a little bit is :
Asking for opinions and advice on modifying very nice stock CB's that need very little to make them great everyday riders and than when you don't get the answers you want to hear the people at this forum are mean and not very nice. I call BS on that. You've got to understand, a large amount of members here including myself grew up with these bikes in the 70's and most like me just don't like to see nice stock survivors modified. If that feeling makes us a unfriendly bunch so be it. These stock CB's are like land, they aren't making any more of it. 

[Spanner 1]

dhall + 1.... when you post a pic. of a very nice , clean stock bike and then tell us your about to lose the seat, pipes etc and cafe it, the blokes drooling in the gallery will hurl their pitchforks.
You might as well remove Pamela A's silicone..........

[cb550inct]

Its not that clean. And sorry but i grew up in the 70's and no one kept anything stock...remember all the van conversions, with shag carpet, and waterbeds....I was really looking for the type of advice like x smooth gave, I think the front brakes on these bikes are needless to say a little sketchy, and would like to upgrade them.

P.S. I am watching the NBA finals tonight on my 1983 RCA console TV.......its a classic

[dhall57]

Like I said it's your bike do what you want to it. But wasn't your subject title- Looking for advice on do's and dont's- You came to this forum wanting members to tell you what they thought and they did. Too bad for the most part it wasn't what you wanted to hear. I imagine you had already made up you mind what you where going to do to it before coming on this site.
Good luck with your CB550 whatever you end up doing to it and enjoy riding it!

[domer]

imo, id leave it... but its yours. who gives a fack what enyone else thinks! but you did ask 

as far as brakes, your talking about stopping a 50 hp bike.... unless you'll be spending most of your time at the track, a font end swap is almost cosmetic as the cb's front brake is more than suffecient for these little machines. buy some decent pads (feddoras are nice) and some ss brake lines and you'll be golden! i just did the ss line upgrade and its like night and day. so unless you plan on doing stoppies or really need the "cool" factor, the front brakes are fine.... so is the rear drum i never use 

there are some hard headed folk around here, but take it with a grain of salt... they might help save your ass in the future! hopefully this pissing match is over 

 

[cb550inct]

Thanks for the advice on the brakes


And I went back and read my first post I said clear as day I was making this bike into a cafe...never asked if I should or not.

[MoMo]

imo, id leave it... but its yours. who gives a fack what enyone else thinks! but you did ask 

as far as brakes, your talking about stopping a 50 hp bike.... unless you'll be spending most of your time at the track, a font end swap is almost cosmetic as the cb's front brake is more than suffecient for these little machines. buy some decent pads (feddoras are nice) and some ss brake lines and you'll be golden! i just did the ss line upgrade and its like night and day. so unless you plan on doing stoppies or really need the "cool" factor, the front brakes are fine.... so is the rear drum i never use 


 

Couldn't agree anymore, pads mentioned plus stainless lines is all the bike needs for street riding...Larry