Author Topic: Latest on 76 CB550 project (Read 7617 times)

DelbT · « **on:** July 08, 2009, 08:59:37 PM »

Well it has been months since I posted about my CB550 project. So, I thought I would put up some pictures of how it's coming.

Here's an earlier mock-up of the view from seat.

Here's the finished paint and powdercoat. Candied blood red with black ghost flames under the candy.

Paint work on the seat. It's hard to photograph the paintwork. It looks much better in person.
The seat is a customized stock seatpan and still opens. Plus there's storage in the back.

Here's a shot of the tank.

Here's what the tail light looks like installed. The light illuminates the license plate.

Left side (in process of assembly). Those are the wrong forks.

Right side.

I'm working through the wiring harness, polishing the carb parts and deciding what to do with the exhaust at the moment.

thanks.

Tom in Newcastle......Ontario · « **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2009, 06:15:41 AM »

Not into Cafes' that much ...........but I like

Caferacernoc · « **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2009, 12:51:47 PM »

Wow that is looking tight.

DelbT · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2009, 08:18:18 PM »

Here are the most recent pictures. I'm getting so close.

The To-Do List is down to:
fabricate spacers to center the rear wheel in the 550F swingarm,
decide which exhaust to use,
find some aftermarket petcocks that fit,
fabricate a bracket to hold the rear brake switch w/ the rear sets,
install the chain,
fluids,
and fire it up for tuning.

I've asked this before, but does anyone know why my 550F swingarm would be wider where the wheel fits versus my stock 550K swingarm? Shouldn't they be the same? Thanks.

DelbT · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2009, 06:09:37 PM »

IT'S ALIVE!

I swapped the 550K swingarm back in, put the chain on, fitted up a 4 into 1 header with a supertrapp and found some sweet pingle petcocks that fit the Yamaha tank.

I put in oil and gas and hit the button. If fired up instantly. I mean instantly. I about fell over. I've been taking it out all weekend for short shakedown trips. So far, I've had the steering stem rub on the bottom triple tree clamp (scary steering resulted), had a gas leak, vibrated a throttle cable screw loose, siezed one of the front calipers and ran out of gas on my own cul-de-sac. All in all, an awesome weekend.

To top it off, my wife just completed her motorcycle training course today.

The Supertrapp is LOUD, and my neighbors didn't care for me before.

IndyFour · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2009, 07:05:35 PM »

Wow that paint it HOT!

DelbT · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2009, 07:15:43 PM »

Quote from: IndyFour on August 09, 2009, 07:05:35 PM

Wow that paint it HOT!

Thanks IndyFour. A buddy of mine, north of you in South Bend, IN, did that for me in his one stall garage at home. He's a body-man at a local dealership but takes some side work. He did my car too.

Thor's Hammer! · « **Reply #7 on:** August 09, 2009, 07:38:41 PM »

Very nice bike. Love the paint work.

tomdaenen · « **Reply #8 on:** August 11, 2009, 05:05:16 AM »

Incredible paint job on the tank!!!
How the black flames seem to come from inside the tank

Very nice

psniff · « **Reply #9 on:** August 11, 2009, 10:40:00 AM »

just curious, what master cylinder are you using?

DelbT · « **Reply #10 on:** August 11, 2009, 05:40:00 PM »

Quote from: psniff on August 11, 2009, 10:40:00 AM

just curious, what master cylinder are you using?

The whole front end (wheel, brakes, forks, triple tree) is off an '81 CB650C with the forks shortened to match the CB550 length. From what I can tell, the '80's had only a single disk, and the later years had cast wheels. I wanted comstar wheels with dual brakes, and it was one of my options. So, I am using the CB650C master cylinder. The nice thing about that master cylinder is that the hose connection is off the front and the reservoir is spaced away from the bars enough that neither get in the way of the clips-ons. That allows the master cylinder to slide right up next to the clip-on.

PartsNMore sells the little chrome cover and rebuild kits for the CB650C master cylinder.

DelbT · « **Reply #11 on:** September 01, 2009, 04:17:58 PM »

Well, that's that.

The engine just blew up on the way home tonight. I've got around 50 miles on the stupid thing. I was engulfed in smoke. It was blowing raw oil out the tailpipe. My back wheel is covered in oil, and it is dripping out of the muffler. I have no idea what it is yet, but it is certainly going to mean a full top-end tear down.

I am so PO'ed.

Anyone want to buy a nice looking (non-running) CB550 cafe?

DelbT · « **Reply #12 on:** September 01, 2009, 07:02:17 PM »

By the looks of the #4 plug, I would say some part of the #4 piston is no longer functionally associated with the rest of my engine.

So much for the 604cc big bore kit. Where the F--- am I going to find a new one of those pistons?

Looks like I will have to put the stock pistons/cylinder back on and hope nothing else got fragged in the process.

DelbT · « **Reply #13 on:** September 10, 2009, 06:29:28 PM »

Well, here's the diagnosis.

The #4 cylinder sleeve from the big bore kit slid down somehow. I've got to talk with the shop that did the machine work on how this could have happened. The head gasket got loose and sucked into the cylinder and burned out through to the cam-feeding oil passage by the #4 piston. So, instead of feeding my cam, that passage was pumping oil straight into the #4 cylinder and out my exhaust. I've got to convert it all back to the stock 550 cylinder and pistons.

Good news, I guess, is that it wasn't the type of failure where metal bits got dropped into my crankcase. Nothing else was damaged. I'll try to post some pictures once I can take some.

CaféElite · « **Reply #14 on:** September 10, 2009, 07:54:33 PM »

Is that air suspension? Im not familure with the tube running across your two forks. What are you using for rear sets?

Im digging the bike..

Sorry to hear about your engine mishap..

GoatBaSS · « **Reply #15 on:** September 11, 2009, 12:16:03 AM »

Very nice. I love the car also.

DelbT · « **Reply #16 on:** September 11, 2009, 11:43:26 AM »

Quote from: CaféElite on September 10, 2009, 07:54:33 PM

Is that air suspension? Im not familure with the tube running across your two forks. What are you using for rear sets?

Im digging the bike..

Sorry to hear about your engine mishap..

Thanks.

Yep, the front forks have air suspension. I wanted to use comstars with dual disks. So, I used the front end off an 81 CB650C and cut about 1.5 inches out of the fork tubes to keep the length the same.

I'm using Raask rear sets from Omar's (if I remember correctly).

With some luck, and if I get my rings on time, I should have it back on the road by the end of next week.

Zaipai · « **Reply #17 on:** August 07, 2010, 09:21:23 AM »

Wow, just saw this jem.. Holy cow that is a nice ride. Love the paint and the front end setup is awesome. Sweet looking car also btw..

.: Scott :.

Kerr · « **Reply #18 on:** August 07, 2010, 09:46:43 AM »

Dang, I had a similar red in mind. Looks great!

CBJoe · « **Reply #19 on:** August 09, 2010, 06:30:19 PM »

Is that an XS750 tank?
I'm building a '79 XS750F at the moment and I have to say the color combination has me thinking........

Very Slick....

Cheers, joe

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Author Topic: Latest on 76 CB550 project (Read 7617 times)

tomdaenen