Topic: CB550 Custom Cafe Racer attempt #1

[drillmastertommy]

Hi all, I've been into my bikes for a long while now but up until the last couple of years have never tried doing anything more than just adding bolt on goodies. I'm a Blacksmith by trade so I'm used to a little bit of metal working , can weld and now have a few useful cutting and coating contacts. A friend asked if I would help him out with a budget sportster chop which turned out really well, I was then inspired! Then stopped by a measley budget..... I stumbled across a picture of Freezingprocess' 550 which got me fired up again.

Before I knew it I was embarking on a 500 mile round trip to pick up a 79 550K that had been sat in a shed next to a very smelly sewage plant for the last 14 years. I drove most of the length of the M6 with the van windows open and this is what I had to show for my pocket change and diesel money...


Pretty huh.


I sold my little Honda scooter to pay for the tank, seat unit and wheel rebuild then just got stuck in.

Pretty much everything on this bike looked like the grubby carb when I started. Soda blasting is great for carb cleaning.

I don't have any pics of me enthusiastically pulling the old girl apart so it's straight to frame choppin!

Vonzeti tank and seat look great in the flesh and are really well finished.

Top end rebuild, new rings, honed barrels, lapped valves, polished heads, ported exhaust plus some new studs after a few did that frustrating snapping thing.

Frame back from the powder coaters, wheels back from wheel builders and a load of time spent in my workshop..........

[drillmastertommy]

Some clip on's later and a hand lifting the engine back in and things are progressing nicely, I love new bolts!


Always a milestone in any build.


It was nearly a complete bike at this point but I'd been putting off touching the electrics, even though I've rewired a few old yank cars and trucks and an old harley this was definitely the most hair pulling job so far.


some hours and paint later and I finally have the bike I was after.


Registered, taxed and MOT'd, only one advisory being the slightly noisey exhaust, it sounds great and with a little bit of fiddling on the fuel air front it will be a fun bike to ride, gets plenty of attention wherever it goes and I hope you guys like it. Apologies for the poor pics but they are all courtesy of my Nokia!!!

[rickmoore24]

Nice work!!

[Cevan]

First attempt?  Right.   

That came out beautiful.

[Free Booter]

Looks great. Love the red. I've got a friend looking to build one off the same model bike. Yours will be a great inspiration to him.

[theofam]

No additional attempts necessary - looks beautiful!

Any chance that Nokia could send us a close up of the brake-side rear set?

[diekstra]

You did a great job! Looks really nice.

One question, what type of exhaust is that? Looks really good on a cafe racer...

[kajtek]

Did you have any issues with the side mounted plate and brake light? im in england too and would like to do it but cant face being pulled all the time for it..

ashley

[Honda Brat]

hey Kajtek, not too sure if its where you are in ol' blighty - but I have built a couple or three chops.customs all have had side mounted plates and never had any bother from young william.  I think they take a look at the bike and then probably think its not worth the hassle lol, they always tend to go for the pocket rocket boys with dark visors and loud cans 

[drillmastertommy]

Thanks for the positive comments, in the least vain way possible it's always nice to know that somebody other than me can appreciate the countless hours sunk into one of these projects.

Colourwise I wanted to do something that didn't have a black frame, black always looks good but I think it takes a bit more nerve to step out and get a potentially more striking result. I was inspired by a 32' 5 window coupe that I saw at last years Hotrod Hayride (awesome weekend).

Rear sets are pretty basic home made numbers, lathe turned pegs, brass top hats , stainless connecting piece that I quickly rashered out and then some rose joints, nothing fancy but it works and cost very little!


I'm not sure what make the exhaust is, it was on the bike when I picked it up. I don't think it's motad as all four pipes are welded where they meet. The stubby silencer I made (it actually makes the bike louder).

As for the side mount plate, I wasn't aware that it was illegal, several of us run side mounts and I don't know of anyone thats been given any grief as a result... As hondabrat says, I think the law are more interested in storm trooper piloted pocket rockets of which there are no shortage.

[Honda Brat]

forgot to say, damn fine looking ride 

[Nicolai]

Very nice bike. Is it a K3?

Could you post some pictures of the clip-ons and speedo? and also of the rearset on the left side of the bike? I have a cb500 K3 which have the same frame so I need to place my rearsets like yours.

[wannabridin]

very nice looking!!  you stole my color scheme!!     i'm going with a brighter red, but your's looks GREAT! 

very nicely done, lets get some videos up!!

[drillmastertommy]

Yes it is a K3 Nicolai although I haven't noticed any difference between this frame which is a 79 and the 76 F that we are also building. Some more pics as requested.






I will try and get a video up soon, thats a little beyond my normal level of computer expertise but it does sound sweeeeet!

Paintwise I decided very early on what I wanted and questioned my choice numerous times during the build, I'm really pleased I stuck with it as now it's done it looks lovely. Red is a RAL colour called Purple Red and the grey is Blue Grey by Farrow and Ball. Apologies to anyone I beat to the colour scheme

[wannabridin]

Did you paint or powdercoat the frame and wheels?  Looks really good!!

[Raef]

very nice work, simple, neat and clean

[drillmastertommy]

Thanks again for all the compliments. Rims and frame are powder coated, springs and any other red is paint.

[kendo57]

Nice job, i wouldn't mind seeing how you fitted all the electrics under that seat, must be a
small battery.

[Elan]

Looks awesome dude. Love the tank/seat.  One question, I dont know whether this matters much or not, but is your front tire on backwards? I just notice the front and back treads pointing different ways...

[drillmastertommy]

Electrics under the seat was an interesting birds nest style squeeze and no the battery is not small by any means! I used a YTX14AH-BS battery which has the following dimensions, 134mm(L) x 89mm(W) x 166mm(H). I wanted to make sure there was never any shortage of power for the starter etc. I did as a result though have to mount it at an angle following the upward line of the seat back, I'll put up a pic when I get back from my weekend away.

Thanks for the keen eye Elan but no the front tyre isn't on the wrong way round although it would need to be the other way round if it was on the back (indication arrows marked on side wall). Most modern sports/touring tyres are like this and if you stare at it long enough, imagining it cranked over counter steering through a nice wet corner you can see the tread leading the water away from the tyre surface.

I'll try and get a video up next week. Until then.....

[drillmastertommy]

Awful quality video I'm afraid but our quick video skills aren't up to much!

http://s351.photobucket.com/albums/q469/drillmastertommy/?action=view&current=FILE0009.mp4
http://s351.photobucket.com/albums/q469/drillmastertommy/?action=view&current=FILE0005.mp4
http://s351.photobucket.com/albums/q469/drillmastertommy/?action=view&current=FILE0006.mp4

[toytuff]

Very nice! Very!

 

tt

[tortelvis]

Designed in a pub, built in a shed? Nice one mate!

[mrjack55]

Strong work sir.  Very well done.

[65Ch3v3LL3]

Which Vonzeti tank and seat is that?