My cb550 needs some help and I do too

lukieluke

New Member
I'll try to keep it brief
First build
Second bike
Love the cafe racer look
On a budget
So.......
Where to begin?!?!
I have reached out to a couple shops and people I know but very few do fabrication or builds.
The few cafe shops I have talked with seem to be very busy ( it's winter and I love right outside Washington DC)

So what is some stuff I can do at home to keep this project moving?
Or is anyone out there able to help ( preferably in D.C. Area)

I'm looking and old empire cycles ripon build and I like it but it seems on the pricy end with a lot of futon fabrication

So I turned to kinetic cycles in Texas.
Love their monoshock, I think I am set on that idea
Exhaust kit is nice but with both those I'm almost running $1000

Here are some pics. All help appreciated




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Skip the whole mono-shock conversion. If you want a mono shock for some reason, buy a different bike.

Put it together and get it running.

Put on some shoes
Download the Service Manual and Parts Manual - search the site - I uploaded them 10 years ago
Get some headlight clamps / bucket and get that on there
Put the front wheel back on
Find an original CB550 rear wheel - sell the 16" drop centre Harley conversion to someone building a bobber
Put some fresh AVON RoadRider tires on it (or something else - anything but Firestones)
Sort out your brakes - fresh pads, new brake lines (braided steel would be nice)
Put the wiring harness back on and connect the dots
Put the controls on the handlebars and connect the wires
Rebuild your motor - that's a good starting point given it's out of the frame and in pieces
Get a frame loop welded on the tail end of that thing - someone got happy with a sawzall
Sort out the mounting of that tank - Suzuki GS400? Doesn't look familiar
Put the other Suzuki tank in the garbage
Sort out a rear bump seat with room for a small battery under the hump
Sort out rear brake light and signals
Ride the crap out of it
 
Tim said:
Put on some shoes

Download the Service Manual and Parts Manual - search the site - I uploaded them 10 years ago
Skip the whole mono-shock conversion. If you want a mono shock for some reason, buy a different bike.
Put it together and get it running.


Ride the crap out of it

These in this order. Good luck
 
Tim said:
Skip the whole mono-shock conversion. If you want a mono shock for some reason, buy a different bike.

Put it together and get it running.

Yes, for god's sake, skip the mono-shock. This is a useless modification, done wrong 99% of the time, and used mainly for bikes that will have pretty pictures taken in front of an industrial hipster background, and never be driven.

Could I design you a chassis with a mono-shock, yes. Would you even utilize it, no.
 
Tim said:
Skip the whole mono-shock conversion. If you want a mono shock for some reason, buy a different bike.

Put it together and get it running.

Put on some shoes
Download the Service Manual and Parts Manual - search the site - I uploaded them 10 years ago
Get some headlight clamps / bucket and get that on there
Put the front wheel back on
Find an original CB550 rear wheel - sell the 16" drop centre Harley conversion to someone building a bobber
Put some fresh AVON RoadRider tires on it (or something else - anything but Firestones)
Sort out your brakes - fresh pads, new brake lines (braided steel would be nice)
Put the wiring harness back on and connect the dots
Put the controls on the handlebars and connect the wires
Rebuild your motor - that's a good starting point given it's out of the frame and in pieces
Get a frame loop welded on the tail end of that thing - someone got happy with a sawzall
Sort out the mounting of that tank - Suzuki GS400? Doesn't look familiar
Put the other Suzuki tank in the garbage
Sort out a rear bump seat with room for a small battery under the hump
Sort out rear brake light and signals
Ride the crap out of it

All of this. Doesn't take a ton of money. Just reading stuff on this sight and patience. Luckily most cafe racer bits you could want are available for purchase at a reasonable price these days and don't have to be one off creations.
 
Depending on your skills all of it. Welding is easy once the right person teaches you, same with painting. I still hate painting. Mostly it's patience and a little money and there till your done. If it were rocket science alot if people including me wouldn't do it. All the above posts nailed it. So much knowledge on here from really talented people. Good luck with your build.
 
As mentioned above, I'd skip mono as well. Also I would ask Mike @ Kinetic what ID their kit uses.
 
Thanks for all the help guys! I signed up for a welding course, still have some money for school so I figured that would help with the. Hold and future ones

Tank is a xs500
Other tank is gz250

Monoshock is out. Heard it would be good for better center of gravity, but I won't be racing it just riding around town and maybe some weekend trips

I'll keep y'all updated as stuff comes up



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what tim said is pretty spot on. also, your left and right fork legs are mounted on the wrong sides.

Looks like you're missing quite a bit.....hopefully you aren't missing all the racking components to make those 4 individual carbs into the stock rack of 4 so that they can function again.

definitely ditch the 16" rear.

def. don't waste money on a "monoshock" loop kit. just buy nicer dual shocks to run in stock location. Maybe Hagons

if you're looking for a very good exhaust, Hindle is where it's at. get it from RippleRockRacers. Or, be cheap and buy a delkevic off ebay. Just for the love of god don't buy a MAC exhaust.
 
+1 for Hindle Exhausts. Kemp (the owner of Ripple Rocker Racers) is a very nice yet informative guy.
 
You are lucky to have that xs500 tank, imho they are the best no mods required tank for a custom build. Just make sure you pair it with a compatable seat unit.
 
johnu said:
You are lucky to have that xs500 tank, imho they are the best no mods required tank for a custom build. Just make sure you pair it with a compatable seat unit.


Any thoughts on seat unit. Preferably a single seater but I'm open to two seater. Specific sellers or brands?


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focusinprogress said:
what tim said is pretty spot on. also, your left and right fork legs are mounted on the wrong sides.

Looks like you're missing quite a bit.....hopefully you aren't missing all the racking components to make those 4 individual carbs into the stock rack of 4 so that they can function again.

definitely ditch the 16" rear.

def. don't waste money on a "monoshock" loop kit. just buy nicer dual shocks to run in stock location. Maybe Hagons

if you're looking for a very good exhaust, Hindle is where it's at. get it from RippleRockRacers. Or, be cheap and buy a delkevic off ebay. Just for the love of god don't buy a MAC exhaust.


Ya currently I've got a carb rebuild kit going on off camera. The guy who sold it to me had brand new gasket kits for the engine and for the carb too. Basically he came to a gaily on the project and the wife wanted a down payment for a house.



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lukieluke said:
Any thoughts on seat unit. Preferably a single seater but I'm open to two seater. Specific sellers or brands?


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lukieluke said:
Any thoughts on seat unit. Preferably a single seater but I'm open to two seater. Specific sellers or brands?


Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON
I make all my own stuff, but there is a place called glass from the past that do all that stuff and another whose name escapes me. I can't vouch for their products but others on here probably can.
 
I've bought stuff from Hotwing Glass and Airtech. They both make good stuff. I don't have a lot of fiberglass stuff laying around and I find it a tedious process so I just pay someone else for it.
 
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