Topic: "Little Horse," and "Little Dragon" the war of the 500's

[Lefthook]

Left hook, you live pretty close to me. I was out in the Bald Peak Lauralwood area saturday.

I work out in Hillsboro, just within a stone's throw of the Ronler Acres campus.  Depending on my route home, I drive through there just about every day.

I'm buying parts to put my cb750 together.. I might be interested in buying a steering stabilizer from you.     If you're interested in building some parts.  I think the 550 and 750k3 front forks are the same geometry.... not sure.

[syth82]

Tachs generally speaking are fairly accurate, as opposed to speedometers.  A revolution of a magnet passing a brush is one revolution, period.  Each rev is counted.  Pretty difficult to get that out of calibration very far.

But these bikes have mechanical tachs...

[Little_Horse]

Left hook, I would be more then willing to build a fork brace (I think that is what you meant), or help fab anything else you might need, just let me know.

As far as the speed thing, since I have a seperate speedo reading at 110 and a tack reading from my bike coming in at very close to that I am going to call it close enough, sure it might be off some but aren't we splitting hairs here. I wasn't claiming of a breaking any records, the bike should be able to do it and it did.

[syth82]

Oh yeah, congrats on making the ton.

[Lefthook]

Left hook, I would be more then willing to build a fork brace (I think that is what you meant), or help fab anything else you might need, just let me know.

As far as the speed thing, since I have a seperate speedo reading at 110 and a tack reading from my bike coming in at very close to that I am going to call it close enough, sure it might be off some but aren't we splitting hairs here. I wasn't claiming of a breaking any records, the bike should be able to do it and it did.

I will probably take you up on that.  The frame is being sandblasted tomorrow and am going to start mocking things up in the next couple of weeks.  Debating on whether I want to have a set of knee dents put in a stock tank or whether I want a fiberglass Dunstall tank... the idea of draining gas out of it after every ride isn't that appealing with a FG tank..   

[paulages]

Debating on whether I want to have a set of knee dents put in a stock tank or whether I want a fiberglass Dunstall tank... the idea of draining gas out of it after every ride isn't that appealing with a FG tank..   

that's why you seal it. 

[Lefthook]

Debating on whether I want to have a set of knee dents put in a stock tank or whether I want a fiberglass Dunstall tank... the idea of draining gas out of it after every ride isn't that appealing with a FG tank..   

that's why you seal it. 

what I keep reading is that the KREEM or whatever sealant you choose doesn't last forever... 

[scroggins5000]

Id' stick with a metal tank, unless of course it's for the track. Maybe I'm just old school... even though I'm only 26. Haha.

[Little_Horse]

I too would say stick with the original, but modify to your hearts content.

[Lefthook]

I too would say stick with the original, but modify to your hearts content.

my metal tank is ROUGH.  I would probably have to buy another one, or spend some pretty good coin on getting it fixed.

[scroggins5000]

I too would say stick with the original, but modify to your hearts content.

my metal tank is ROUGH.  I would probably have to buy another one, or spend some pretty good coin on getting it fixed.

Practice on your beater first, and if really screw it up just buy a new one. 

[Lefthook]

I too would say stick with the original, but modify to your hearts content.

my metal tank is ROUGH.  I would probably have to buy another one, or spend some pretty good coin on getting it fixed.

Practice on your beater first, and if really screw it up just buy a new one. 

LOL.  I'm eventually going to do something with this tank, but this won't be the last cb that I build.. my pops wants one too.   

[Little_Horse]

I didn't feel like starting another thread and since it is not a SOHC I will put it in here so maybe the mods don't find out .

Its for my sister a 78 cx500 I am going for a more modern looking cafe where as Little Horse was more traditional in appearance. Anyways here a few shots of the project, I am shooting to keep the build cost under $1000 and finish no later then June. Purchase price was $400 she was running with title.

[Frankenkit]

LOVE the monoshock!!!!!

[Industrial Cafe]

taking notes, gathering intel.

[Laminar]

I take it you've done the calculations and know that shock/spring position is appropriate?

And that you've looked into the water pump seal and stator?

[paulages]

i've always thought a cx500 could be done nice and made to look like a sporty euro-style guzzi, given that you do what you've done and lose the whole stock subframe. could be a really cool project.

[Little_Horse]

yeah the stock shock was just to prove the idea could work, not to get it to work. I have ordered a more appropriate spring for the job. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't bind or anything like that. I left it on to help inspire me with the rest of the look. I am planning on copying one of the moto guzzi exhaust designs. I should post a pic. So this is a poor man's guzzi done my way, a little practical but still a little crazy.

I will continue to update as things go along, I do have one question for those of you who might know. Is 5.2 amp hours enough to run the starter? I am not even sure what the stock battery is.

[Industrial Cafe]

I think you need to look at the CCA and keep it between 160-190

they make some that are half the size of a stock battery, but I can't find them now.

[Little_Horse]

problem is for those drill batteries the don't list cca since that's not it original purpose. I will probably have to try it and see what happens, if I have to I could always loop in three. Which would not weigh any less then the smaller standard battery but they are easier to hide.

[traveler]

Orient Express is where I got mine.

I need to charge it back up today.....killed it trying to start my bike yesterday.

~Joe

[traveler]

Just my .02....

A CB750F tank and the seat frame section coming back straight instead of an upward angle, would look much cleaner.

Just a thought.

~Joe

[theofam]

I'm diggin' what you've done to clean up the rear end.  Also anxious to see how the monoshock works out. I like how you incorporated Little Horse's dummy lights idea in to the CX's triple tree - very clean.

Have you decided whether or not you'll continue the cowl's carbon fiber forward on the bike?  I'm still rooting for carbon fiber in the knee dents!

[Frankenkit]

It was really neat following you on su Caballito in those tight turns.  it was like watching poetry in motion.  Looking forward to seeing this CX pan out the same way.

[Hush]

CX500, damn I hope your electrics hold up for your sister.
These bikes have massive stator failure rates and unfortunately the whole motor has to come out to fix them as it is situated at the rear of the engine just in front of the back wheel.
Maybe you could moderate this problem by making sure as you build that the engine is an easy thing to lift out for the future.
Cool mods.