Topic: Re: '74 CB550 Project "Mouse Nest" **ITS DONE!!!**

[luke000]

Ok my name is Luke im finishing up my last year in high school right now, i wanted to have 1 more good project before i head off to collage.  I picked up this 74 CB550 at a garage sale for $150.  The bike has 17K and the person i bought it from said he had the motor replaced at 16K with a motor that only  had 2,000 on it.  Some up sides of the bike are 155 psi in all the cylenders,  solid frame, good wheels, engine runs ok (think it needs the carbs synced), new tires, good electronics.  The bad: very bad paint job on the tank, cracked and missing side covers, some rust on the exhaust, perhaps the most worn sprockets and chain that ive ever seen.   My plan for this bike is to build a cafe racer on a tight budget.  I have ordered a fair amount of parts already just waiting for them to come in.   The tank needs to be refinished and i have a special idea in mind for it and the side covers  .    I would be working on this in my school's auto shop but it was closed down and cleared out two years ago so i guess i get to work in my garage for this project (i love these mild michigan winters)  i hope in the next week or two i can pick up a heater of some sort

[Tews19]

Welcome and now PICS PLEASE

[wedoo2]

American youth is not lost.   

[Elniniomuchachos]

American youth is not lost.   

We are the 1% The other 99% enjoys lady blah blah and mommies S.U.V.

[luke000]

OK here are some pictures taken between the night I brought it home and in the very beginning of tear-down. 

In the back of my truck still the night I got it home




In my driveway the next day with the "seat" put on:












Two pictures taken with her sister:





In its resting place for the next few months waiting for the face lift:





A little surprise surprise when I took the seat pan off.....Mouse Nest!!!!   Complete with foam, pleather, newspaper, wood, and plastic.

American youth is not lost.   

We are the 1% The other 99% enjoys lady blah blah and mommies S.U.V.

I Know what you guys are talking about, and im proud to be the 1% and laugh at the rest of swift and beiber fans.

This weekend Ill post an update to where I can get.

The reason I have not named my project yet is I have only a 25% idea on how it is going to look at the end.   Anyone have ideas for one in the meantime.

[Stev-o]

Looks better without the seat! 

I hereby name thy bike "The Mouse Nest Project"!! [at least til you come up with something better]

[luke000]

I got a good amount of work done over the weekend.  Friday I got my garage a little more habitable I moved in a radio and two HF heaters and some more light.   Saturday I started to strip it down, not too many bad suspires just the chain and sprocket lets say was "worn" and the brake caliper was gummed up to where it would not retract all the way.  And today I did a lot of polishing on some aluminum, I rebuilt the caliper and the fork, and drilled the rear brake. I am still going to be waiting for new parts to start to come in till at least Christmas  so until then it will be a lot of cleaning.   

After this weekends teardown






This is a close-up of the sprocket you can see how horn it is...the Teeth tips that are not knife edges have cracked off!



These are a few parts after I got done polishing.  The parts look MUCH better in person the camera sucks.

[Tews19]

Nice work on polishing. Since you have it torn down that far, replace the steering bearings with nice ALL BALLS tapered bearings for 33 bucks on Ebay. Well worth it from what i have been told and I will let you know once I fianlly put both sets I ordered for my 550's.

[seanbarney41]

wow...nice job on the polishing!, and welcome from another Michigan member...looks like you got a good base bike to start with...don't tear stuff down to far and get caught without a running bike come springtime...that bike doesn't look like it needs much to be a rider and there is lots you can do in a weekend while keeping it on the road...

[luke000]

Nice work on polishing. Since you have it torn down that far, replace the steering bearings with nice ALL BALLS tapered bearings for 33 bucks on Ebay. Well worth it from what i have been told and I will let you know once I fianlly put both sets I ordered for my 550's.

I ordered them yesterday    I have like a 12 pt indexed steering right now due to all the flat spots.

wow...nice job on the polishing!, and welcome from another Michigan member...looks like you got a good base bike to start with...don't tear stuff down to far and get caught without a running bike come springtime...that bike doesn't look like it needs much to be a rider and there is lots you can do in a weekend while keeping it on the road...

Im trying something new this project "if it aint broke don't fix it" instead of my usual "if it aint broke, fix it till it is"   I think the only further teardown I will do is the headset and triple clamps and the rear swing arm & shocks just to clean them well.  The engine is going to be left alone as much as possible.

[seanbarney41]

[/quote]

Im trying something new this project "if it aint broke don't fix it" instead of my usual "if it aint broke, fix it till it is"   I think the only further teardown I will do is the headset and triple clamps and the rear swing arm & shocks just to clean them well.  The engine is going to be left alone as much as possible.
[/quote]yep...my grandfather taught me that and I often think what an important lesson it was when it comes to these projects

[Stev-o]

Great job on the polishing, I think you found your calling!

[luke000]

I am going to do a little bit of work on the bike this week since I don't have any school.  I would like to polish up the handlebar switches and grind off the broken mirror mount off the left side.  Is there a way that I can remove and reinstall all the electronics in both left and right?    It looks like it has a clutch safety switch, is it necessary?  Can I just run without it?  What problems could I run into? If I decide to remove it do I leave the wires un-connected or would I want to solder them together?

[seanbarney41]

yes, you can totallt disassemble those switches for polishing...member Sohron has a thread in the faq about this...definately take a look before you start...the starter button is extremely delicate but the rest is not too bad, just be very careful of tiny springs and ball bearings...the clutch safety switch is very easy to bypass, although even though I have done it I can't remember how....then the only issue is to make sure not to hit the starter with the bike in gear...it will jump forward right off the sidestand and fall on your foot...or worse

[luke000]

I got a lot of work done today, I removed the old steering bearings and started to install them. I used A bicycle headset press to press in the races and this worked perfectly just line up the parts turn the handle and just like that both races were installed and seated perfectly. 
My headset press :


I also decided instead of blowing some $$$ on 2 new sidecovers I would make my own today out of some left over 16Ga steel. It took me a few hours to get both panels to the point where I liked them.  Im pleased how they came out considering the lack of any proper sheet metal tools, I only used a bandsaw, rubber mallet, drill press, vice, and a few chunks of wood 

Left side panel:


Right panel:


**Also now that I have a little more room in my budget, If anyone has a set of 4 into 1 headers they would like to sell me please let me know.  I only need the headers and not the entire unit.  They do not need to be super pretty if the price is right**

[Stev-o]

Side covers look good! Are you going to leave them unpainted? Might look better that way.

[luke000]

No I'm going to do something with the color of them mostly because of rust protection. I am hopefully going to visit a body shop tomorrow to drop off my pick-up that was recently in a fender bender (not my fault, girl blew thru stop sign and I took her front end out and now my precious dodge has Kia on it).  While I'm there I will see about getting the side panels and tank painted.   I am thinking a nice gunmetal gray,  but I am open to suggestions on color as long as its not white or pink. 

[Tews19]

I noticed you have a tear in your boot. You may want to start looking around for those.

[luke000]

I finally got up to the body shop yesterday  was told if I prepped it by sanding and doing whatever filler was needed  It would be $200        My original plan  (laugh if you want)  was to wrap the tank and side panels in carbon fiber then I saw this and got excited http://cbrforum.com/forum/how-mechanical-40/how-wrap-your-tank-carbon-fiber-116926/      I've never done it before and it would be my first time. So final results may vary.  It would cost me about $100 to go that route.     So what do you guys think should I just say metallic gray give the guy the money and not worry... Or try carbon fiber and possibly FUBAR? (would it even look right on an old cafe style bike?)  Any help is appreciated......seriously im loosing sleep.

[Stev-o]

Although the CF looks pretty cool, I don't think it fits a 70's bike. And, $200 is a lot for you to spend on a paint job for that bike.
Have you considered painting it your self? Got $18? Look here...

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=98350.0

[luke000]

Although the CF looks pretty cool, I don't think it fits a 70's bike. And, $200 is a lot for you to spend on a paint job for that bike.
Have you considered painting it your self? Got $18? Look here...

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=98350.0

I Know what im doing now,  I think ill get to the auto show soon to pick out a good color.  (The upside to living in Detroit  )

[Killer Canary]

How old did you say you are again?

[Stev-o]

How old did you say you are again?

High school!

[luke000]

How old did you say you are again?

High school!

17 for another month 

[luke000]

I know its been a while since my last update but...
 


Well between this project, picking which collage Im going to spend my next 4 years at, school, and work. Its been a hectic few months. 
On project mouse nest I have done a lot of work spread over some time.  At this point I have it mocked up and am about ready to order and paint this SOB

Since my last post I have done:
    Did more work and primed the side panels
    Assembled everything
    Made custom light mounts for brake light and turn signals
    I won the seemingly never ending, extremely frustrating, Armageddon like battle, known only as the wiring NIGHTMARE on this bike
    New seat, lights, bars, grips, chain & sprockets
    Made custom brake drum bar
    Rebuilt swingarm
  And probably a lot of other things that I forgot

And now for some pics

As is right now






Quick picture I took to check the riding position, and as always I got the big guy little bike look going




Front end with headlight visor and new turn signals W/ my polished aluminum mounts


My homemade steel side panels after I welded some more steel on to keep it from bending and primed them




Handmade brake drum bar, I took some flat stock I bought at lowes and twisted it up.


Rear angle of the bike with the lights on


Another one of my handmade parts rear brake light mount made out of 1/2 square steel stock I had in the back of my garage