Author Topic: Flying J CB550 Cafe Racer Magazine. (Read 181799 times)

Flying J · « **Reply #125 on:** October 14, 2010, 07:07:24 PM »

Mounted the headlight in the fairing. I dont care for it. It is sitting on the inside of the fairing. I would like it to poke out the front a hair but the mounting points make it impossible. Oh well. It will work for now. I guess later i can drill holes in the light and mount it from the back to move it forward.

scroggins5000 · « **Reply #126 on:** October 18, 2010, 12:46:43 PM »

Quote from: ffjmoore on October 07, 2010, 10:54:01 PM

Built the brackets for the faring and mounted the tac. Still need to finish the bracket for the headlight. The rear hoop looks to flat. I think it needs a bend up in it.

I agree with the rear hoop looking flat. What if you followed the curve of the tire with it, and bent it down instead of up?

Tintop · « **Reply #127 on:** October 18, 2010, 02:23:03 PM »

Quote from: ffjmoore on October 07, 2010, 10:54:01 PM

.....The rear hoop looks to flat. I think it needs a bend up in it.

Build's looking great ffj.

I'm envious of your tank.

Bending your hoop up will lose space for your electrics, and make it harder to mount things. Why not repeat the shape & top line of your tank (the back knee dent area) as your cowl. Maybe something like a Ducati seat cowl could be made to work, and save some fab time.

Airtech has some vintage Ducati stuff which might work - http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/ducati/IMOLA.htm My .02

Flying J · « **Reply #128 on:** October 18, 2010, 06:19:32 PM »

yeah, i was thinking of matching the tank with the seat. The tank is squared off at the back so the tail will match fine. I just need to save up my spare change to have a seat made from aluminum. In the meantime i may make one from fiberglass. Im fairly confident that it would turn out good but i dont think ill be satisfied with anything less then alloy.

Tintop · « **Reply #129 on:** October 18, 2010, 06:53:19 PM »

Quote from: ffjmoore on October 18, 2010, 06:19:32 PM

.....but i dont think ill be satisfied with anything less then alloy.

ah...the old once you have alloy, you have to have more syndrome.

Know it well.

Flying J · « **Reply #130 on:** October 18, 2010, 09:23:15 PM »

Yeah, i dont want to over do it but i think if i have the fairing and tank may as well cap it off with the seat. I dont want it to be one of those bikes that look like everything on it is polished alloy. here are a few bikes that have influenced my build.

Re-mounted the headlight. I like it better now. Look at the rearsets you got tintop. They are nice, and reasonably priced but i think im going to stick with what i have for this build. Going to do bare aluminum for the front calipers. Started striping them today.

Flying J · « **Reply #131 on:** October 20, 2010, 08:51:23 PM »

Re-mounted the headlight poking out instead of inset. Decided to stick with the raask rearsets so i welded up a brake pedal stop and now i need to make a new brake rod. The one i have flexes a little to much for me. Anybody have pictures of theirs? I also stripped one of my calipers. Not sure how much i will polish, may just go for the brushed look. I made a little money shooting pictures last week so i bought a new 50mm len for the camera. Thats what i took todays photos with.

Oh and i tacked in a gusset. What do you think keep it or toss it. Its mostly for looks.

Retro Rocket · « **Reply #132 on:** October 20, 2010, 09:17:58 PM »

Small gussets like that will work well to stiffen the frame up a bit, also put them in the rear triangle {where the battery lives} at the bottom of the "V"..

Mick

scroggins5000 · « **Reply #133 on:** October 21, 2010, 03:56:32 PM »

Quote from: ffjmoore on October 20, 2010, 08:51:23 PM

I made a little money shooting pictures last week so i bought a new 50mm len for the camera. Thats what i took todays photos with.

50mm f/1.8? I love mine. I have to try hard not to use too little depth of field sometimes.

Flying J · « **Reply #134 on:** October 21, 2010, 04:24:09 PM »

I sprung for the 1.4, It was either that or the 85mm.

Flying J · « **Reply #135 on:** October 25, 2010, 07:14:29 PM »

So... when i was building my rearsets i cut off the tube that the brake rod arm goes through. Well now i think i would like to have it back to weld on in a new location. Anybody chopping theirs off wana give it to me?
this is how im thinking i want to do my brakes now.

Flying J · « **Reply #136 on:** November 05, 2010, 12:55:08 PM »

Dropped the bike off with these guys to have them build the seat.
http://www.roadrageperformance.com/index.php?n=1&id=1
only place in town that seemed to know what they were doing.

scroggins5000 · « **Reply #137 on:** November 05, 2010, 12:56:31 PM »

Quote from: ffjmoore on October 21, 2010, 04:24:09 PM

I sprung for the 1.4, It was either that or the 85mm.

That's no doubt a better lens. I went with the 1.8, because it was just $100.

bwaller · « **Reply #138 on:** November 05, 2010, 01:10:16 PM »

Do you still need that brake actuator shaft tube? PM sent.

c91x · « **Reply #139 on:** November 11, 2010, 06:31:42 PM »

your putting in way to much time and effort to leave the tank like that.... I think the bike is gonna look awesome and yours is the first bike i've seen that i like the fairing and now you got me thinkin of adding one to mine. If you try to raise the rear of the bike to much to make the tank sit flat it'll make that bike corner like crazy but be way to unstable at any speed and suffer from speed wobbles. anyway to cut the tunnel a little deeper or maybe cut and plate the frame backbone in that front area?

Flying J · « **Reply #140 on:** November 11, 2010, 07:15:03 PM »

The tank hits the down tubes first so there is no way to lower it without moving it back. I wont move it back. Its just going to have to be like that. Im not going to lift the rear to level it out. Its not ideal but in person it doesnt look bad. Its not how i pictured it but you live and learn. If that guy that sold his alloy 550 for 4000 can then be resold in la for 6500 im thinking that i can get 8 for mine when im done. If i can i will build another bike with the lessons learned from this one.

But now i just wait for my seat.

Flying J · « **Reply #141 on:** November 17, 2010, 06:39:02 PM »

Been a week and half and the shop has never called to even give me a quote. i called them 3 times and got the run around. SO F em. I went down there today and picked my bike back up and brought it home. They must not need business to bad.
On a better note i made contact with the guy who built my tank and im going to work with him to get a seat built. I already know his customer service and quality is great so thats good. I just didnt want to wait to have one built and shipped form another country.

Tintop · « **Reply #142 on:** November 17, 2010, 06:44:31 PM »

Looking good ffj. Did you get your brake pivot issue sorted?

Little_Horse · « **Reply #143 on:** November 17, 2010, 09:30:57 PM »

hopefully not too late to subscribe

.

I like what you have going so far.

Flying J · « **Reply #144 on:** November 17, 2010, 10:22:46 PM »

bwaller cut his brake tube off and didnt throw it away, so he is going to send it to me. Hopefully that will solve the brake problem for me. I want to start on the wiring but i have to wait till the seat is done to do that. Im trying to figure out what im going to do for switches. I want to keep the bars clean so i think im only going to be running a blinker switch, and my starter is controlled with the key. The other thing i want is a set of pistons. I want to do the Gentleman's express pistons bot SOOS, who was making them, has disappeared. anybody know where he is at?

Flying J · « **Reply #145 on:** November 19, 2010, 04:30:10 PM »

mounted the switch plate today. Looks good to me. Its the kind of switch that you can use as a starter so no buttons on the handlebars.

Tintop · « **Reply #146 on:** November 19, 2010, 05:18:04 PM »

Looks good ffj, just one question. Did you check the key position to see if it will rub against your leg? Hate to see you bend or break it off, or worse kill the ignition in a tight right hander.

Flying J · « **Reply #147 on:** November 19, 2010, 05:35:24 PM »

I tucked it under far enough that my lag can't hit it. The top of the key is almost flush with the rail.

Tintop · « **Reply #148 on:** November 19, 2010, 05:53:09 PM »

Quote from: ffjmoore on November 19, 2010, 05:35:24 PM

I tucked it under far enough that my lag can't hit it. The top of the key is almost flush with the rail.

Nice install. It didn't look that far under in your 1st photo, hence the question.

dmill78 · « **Reply #149 on:** November 19, 2010, 08:42:35 PM »

man I just caught up on your build... i'm really liking where it's headed!! I've been thinking about alloy tank and seat for a while.. the guy you're using, do u mind sharing? also, is he reasonably priced?as opposed to other tank builders?

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Author Topic: Flying J CB550 Cafe Racer Magazine. (Read 181799 times)