Author Topic: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650  (Read 1517 times)

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Offline ktm520

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Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« on: September 06, 2021, 07:56:07 AM »
OG Cali tags last stickered in June 1989. Very well preserved with only 8900 on the clock!

No chopping, but taking/saving some of the original stuff off to suit my taste/comfort...seat, bars, engine guard.

Will post follow-up and lessons learned for first dive into this bike/carbs...

Cheers, Keith






Offline Shtonecb500

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2021, 05:36:20 PM »
that is clean, enjoy.
73/74'' CB500/550 resto-mod - sold
75' 750f 91' cbr f2 swap cafe - mock up
74' 750 chopper hardtail - complete - sold
74' CB750/836kit - Black mix & match - daily rider - always tweaking
71' cb500 K0 survivor - complete
71' K1 - CANDY GOLD/BROWN Winton kit - in process

Offline fizzlebottom

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2021, 06:35:22 PM »
Wow that is clean. Get a high quality carb rebuild kit, change oil, air filter, fork oil, lube all cables, and a new battery. Enjoy!
1982 CB650SC Nighthawk

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2021, 07:32:08 AM »
Congrats, Keith.  That is one clean-looking survivor.  Those 1979 models are hard to come by, too.
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 pekingduck

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2021, 10:43:15 AM »
That's the clean, well-preserved cousin of mine.  I saw that for sale in So Cal last month or so, and thought - Damn, I should get that and sell mine.  But I wanted to modify mine anyway, so.....  Congrats on a nice find.   

Offline ktm520

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2021, 03:35:31 PM »
That's the clean, well-preserved cousin of mine.  I saw that for sale in So Cal last month or so, and thought - Damn, I should get that and sell mine.  But I wanted to modify mine anyway, so.....  Congrats on a nice find.

That is the one, it was right in my backyard, sitting up in Santa Clarita for a long spell and a Ventura local bought it and made a half-hearted effort to get it running. He did get it retitled and tagged, so that hassle is out of the way.

Slightly out of order I know, but based on parts as they came in!

New rubber is mounted, new seat and lower bars are on, carbs are off (lots of work here and some to be undone by PO, he did save all the brass!):
- Slides are sticking
- Choke will not return
- Air cut-offs and Accelerator pump are toast
- Pilot circuit is completely clogged (pressfit slow jets will need to come off to clean)
- Will separate completely and replace o-rings on connectors

They were cleaned and some basic brass exchanged, but no deep dive. All in all should be ok, barring slow jet removal.

Front brake caliper is a mess (odd how much corrosion here versus anywhere else on the bike), but will attempt to save...oil done, new chain, timing chain/valves set, static ignition visually set (OEM electronic...a nice surprise;)








Cheers, Keith


Offline pekingduck

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2021, 09:50:05 AM »
I always loved the look of that bike - shape of the tank and the contrasting paint panels.  I'll repaint mine a different color, but keep the paneling motif.

Online grcamna2

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2021, 08:12:33 PM »
That looks Just like the bike I want to buy,when I go shopping for a 79' 650  8)
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline ktm520

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2021, 09:59:38 PM »
OK, here is the latest:

She is running like a top! Pilot carb circuit needs to be mindfully cleaned/disassembled (pressfit) for this bike.

Pulls much harder than my '76 SS 550's.

Front brake required complete overhaul, have a aftermarket MC on there for now.

Speedo and tach not working due to warped needles rubbing glass, lots of fun fixing that and have some aftermarket needles coming or may consider 3D printing to match OEM.

Lots of the other usual stuff to resurrect a sitting bike.

Here is the new look; all OEM parts (bars, seat...) saved;)



Cheers, Keith



Online grcamna2

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Re: Found in the wild: 1979 CB650
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2021, 11:27:33 PM »
 8) Very Nice work Keith  8)
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.