Topic: 72 CB500 Restomod - *Update* Sold!

[Scramps]

Engine isn’t quite ready, I’m gonna clean on it some more and then paint it before it goes back in. It’s mechanically ready, though.

Definitely gonna use the laying the frame around the engine method, it’s the best way for sure.

As for the powder coating - I haven’t gotten the final invoice yet, but it sounded like everything went well. I expect that it’ll be close to the original quote of $150.

I’m excited to see it, too! Not sure if it’s gonna happen today, though. That winter storm blew in last night and is making a mess of things.

[Scramps]

Not a great picture, and there are a few minor flaws in it that I’ve found so far, but overall, looks pretty nice!

Best news, they only charged me $75!

[DurangoCB]

Are the blemishes in places where they'll be obvious? 

Screaming deal! 

[Stev-o]

Great deal

[Scramps]

The things that I’ve found aren’t really going to be visible once it’s assembled, so it’s not a huge problem.

And yes, it’s a crazy good deal.

[Scramps]

Started putting some things back onto the frame tonight. Got my new tapered steering head bearings installed.

Really should have taken the old races out before the powder coating, that lower race was an absolute bear.

Did a little cleanup and started contemplating my next move.

Also having some second thoughts about my cheap Chinese handlebar switches. Any good suggestions for affordable aftermarket options?

[Scramps]

So things have been a little abnormal lately. Nothing life-altering, just hectic.

You know how sometimes you try to have some “me-time” and it ends up being circumvented and by the time you get back to what you wanted to do, you’re exhausted and just want to go to sleep?

That’s been every day for the past few weeks.

I finally had an opportunity to do a little something with the bike- I rebuilt my master cylinder.



I’m at a point where I need to make some decisions for final assembly. I want to redo my wiring in such a way that is more aesthetically pleasing, but I feel like that should wait until the bike is more together.

I’m debating scrapping my engine painting idea, since it doesn’t look bad, and I think it will be fine the way it is.

I need to get some supplies together, like braided nylon wire loom and some parts to secure the seat. I’m probably going to have to improvise something for that, since the original hinge was removed.

I’m trying to go too many directions at once, I just need to pick one and start there.

[Scramps]

[DurangoCB]

I can relate to that feeling.  I think that feeling of not knowing exactly how to plan the project steps and then the issue of having money for the parts you need for the next step... those two things are why so many projects take people 2-3 years to complete. 

Gotta stay organized and keep revising your plan.  And you have to keep the momentum. 

All it took was for one friend of mine to say, "Your CB is going to sit in pieces in your garage for 4 years just like my KZ did and in the end, you'll give the pile of parts away to someone because you want them out of the way" for me to decide that there was no way in hell I'd leave a bike unfinished. 

[Scramps]

The failure stories were definitely a large source of inspiration to me as well.
I have a tendency to get emotionally attached to my projects, and it makes me very sad to think about all those machines out there that people started working on, then abandoned when they lost interest. These bikes are amazing pieces of engineering and they deserve better than to rot away in somebody’s shed for decades on end!

[Stev-o]

When a project has stalled, for whatever reason, I find it helpful to do at least 1 little thing a day, no matter how small.  Clean, polish, paint or order a part, there is always something that can be done daily to keep the project moving. 

[Scramps]

So, this evening I did some things. The first thing was polishing up my rear fender with some steel wool, and painting the underside of it to give it a little bit of protection from the elements.





Then I painted some other things.





Then I put my switches and levers on my handlebars, which seem to fit just fine. Some tucking and routing will need to be done once they're clamped, of course.





Then I took a whole bunch of pictures of my engine because that was what I wanted to do at that point.























Afterward, I came back inside and played video games and ate pizza and had a grand old time.

[Scramps]

I painted the underside of the fender with rubberized undercoat, which seems like a no-brainer. I guess the grit and whatnot that your tires kick up could chip away at it over time, but not any worse than conventional paint, right?

I mainly wanted to cover up the rusted part and try to stave off future rust a little.

[calj737]

Are you going to paint the engine or leave it raw? If left raw, it will oxidize badly, quickly. Are those new copper gaskets in the exhaust ports? If not, claw them out and replace them to prevent leaks with the reinstall of your headers.

[Scramps]

They are new gaskets, and I had planned on painting the engine, but the paint I bought wasn’t adhering very well. I should probably try again, eh?

[Scramps]

Looks better already

[calj737]

Paint needs both mechanical adhesion and chemical adhesion to the surface. If you polished the motor surfaces, you'll struggle to get mechanical adhesion. Self-etching primers can help overcome that, but a max of 320 grit sanding is my go-to.

[Scramps]

This first coat of yellow is looking pretty okay, too.

[DurangoCB]

Paint needs both mechanical adhesion and chemical adhesion to the surface. If you polished the motor surfaces, you'll struggle to get mechanical adhesion. Self-etching primers can help overcome that, but a max of 320 grit sanding is my go-to.

cal- do you go to 320 grit though?  Or is your preference something even more course for engine painting prep?

[calj737]

That’s as high as I ever go painting anything. I’d probably even stay closer to 180 if I were going to paint the engine with a primer base.

[Scramps]

A little bit of paint did more to spiff this engine up than all the hours of laborious cleaning I’ve spent over the past few months.

It’s exactly the look I was hoping to achieve, and the polished points and starter covers will make it look very snazzy.

[Stev-o]

A little bit of paint did more to spiff this engine up than all the hours of laborious cleaning I’ve spent over the past few months.

But it must be clean before it is painted.    Looks good...

[Scramps]

Got my braided nylon wire loom in the mail today



I had used that corrugated split-loom stuff, but it’s so bulky, I wanted to use this instead.

[calj737]

I hope that’s the self-healing, non-fray type. Else, you’ll have a mess on your hands unless you use a hot knife to cut it.

[Scramps]

I don’t believe that it is self healing, but I’ve had good success heat-shrinking the ends