Author Topic: CB550 Two for One  (Read 1132 times)

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Offline DollarBill

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CB550 Two for One
« on: November 05, 2018, 04:28:22 PM »
Whazzzzup!!!  Hey everyone, long time no see!  I've had two 550s in my shed for the past 8 years or so and I'm finally getting around to doing something with them.

Blue 1975 - NO TITLE, 30k miles, in great condition other than the previous owner was rebuilding the engine and lost interest in the middle of it.  The carbs were removed years ago and emptied of fuel.  They look great inside and out so that's a bonus.
Yellow 1976 - TITLE, 17k miles, rusty and dirty but complete

So, the plan is to take all the good bits off the blue one and put them on the yellow one and get it running.  Here's what I have done so far:
- Swapped entire front end. Kept the speedo and tach from the yellow one but swapped the chrome backings from the blue.
- Installed new All Balls steering bearings.
- Replaced rusty and broken exhaust studs
- Cleaned and sealed the yellow tank.  The blue one had old liner coming off with a lot of rust.  The yellow one looked so much cleaner with no rust so easy decision.  I'm planning on repainting eventually anyway.
- Swapped wiring harness and everything else electrical
- Swapped rear wheel, shocks, and fender
- Swapped battery box and air box
- Swapped chain because the blue one looks almost new.
- Swapped tank lock and seat lock

The blue one has the original 4 into 4 exhaust which are in great shape but I think I like the 4 into 1 better.  The 4 into 1 that came on the yellow one is crappy and rusted but it'll do for now.  Basically the blue bike is now just a frame with bottom end of the engine in it now.  It's not going to be the prettiest bike but eventually I'll get it painted.  Right now I just want to get it on the road.
1975 CB750F Project Yellow Jacket - CBR600rr Swinger GSXR 600 Forks
1955 BMW R25/3, 1966 Honda CA160, 1975 CB400f, 1975 CB550, 1976 CB550

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: CB550 Two for One
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2018, 11:56:04 AM »
PM me if you want to sell the 4-4 original exhaust in good shape.
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline DollarBill

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Re: CB550 Two for One
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2018, 01:06:22 PM »
Cafe Racer Fan, I'll take some photos of the exhaust so you can see them better.
1975 CB750F Project Yellow Jacket - CBR600rr Swinger GSXR 600 Forks
1955 BMW R25/3, 1966 Honda CA160, 1975 CB400f, 1975 CB550, 1976 CB550

Offline DollarBill

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Re: CB550 Two for One
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2018, 11:40:28 AM »
Today I got everything back together, new battery, new fuel line, new petcock, freshly lined tank, and when I try to start it...nothing.  The electric start turns over but not even a hint of it firing.  Same with the kick starter.  It's a defeating feeling after wrestling those carbs back into place.  Lol.
1975 CB750F Project Yellow Jacket - CBR600rr Swinger GSXR 600 Forks
1955 BMW R25/3, 1966 Honda CA160, 1975 CB400f, 1975 CB550, 1976 CB550