'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 27 July '07) Movin' ahead

Began today - April 21 2007 ;D

Bike as Original





Hopefully this thread will be a "stream of conciousness" (mine) with pix ....and supported by your thoughts and ideas.

I waited 3 weeks for delivery of my project bike - 77 Honda CB 550 Super Sport

Purchased via online auction- Trademe .co.nz . (It did not dissapoint.)

First move: Stand back and evaluate the bike. I had never seen it in the "flesh" till today. (auction) but had a lot of contact with the vendor.

It is amazing and after thirty years this bike's condition astounded me. Original stickers on frame etc ., minimal corrosion, well maintained bike with no evidence of any "drops" or crashes or fixes. Full set of records and history supplied with bike.

Next: Take 100 pix

Then spray CRC / WD40 liberally everywhere on bike

Then start mods - remove mirrors, rear luggage rack, clean chrome....


This is so exciting and i have a great base to work from.... (Bonus: my lovely wife is so supportive of this project - she see's what I see - and this is a big help)

Look forward to all your thoughts.

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread

Register at www.photobucket.com and get your pics up!

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread

Ya - we need pics man !

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread

April 22 07

OK guys - pix are coming. I use ImageShack so that is sorted ....but I just need a couple of days to sift the many pix I have done... then upload. Also kind of busy starting the project.

Great day today.

Bought new battery and acid and began charge - will fire her up tomorrow evening. (woohoo)
Mirrors removed
Front guard removed
Reflectors removed
Removed & Polished some covers as test - look great
Created a basic plan of attack....

1.Ride bike to mechanic and discuss the mechanical part of the project. This will be a partnership type thing because as he works on the mechanicals, I will polish, chrome and sort the covers, bits , frames etc etc, etc....

2.Pull engine from frame and give to mechanic - total engine recondition.

3. Totally strip bike to frame and parts

4. deal to part by part - chrome, polish ,clean, powder coat etc or replace with new.

5.Re assemble.

6. Ride like the wind.


Today I discovered what a great base bike this is. Every nut and bolt I messed with shifted easily. Obviously previous owner was as devoted to CRC / WD40 as I am. Also found original owners manual under the seat in perfect condition. (30 years old - Cool)

Generator / Alternator and the points were in perfect condition - as if brand new. So immaculate and well maintained under the covers

This bike is so original that I almost feel guilty doing a Cafe Racer and not a Restore job.

I have decided to let the project design itself as I progress but it will be based on some of my fundamental aesthetics ( and ideas I steal from your bikes - keep posting pix please)


MY PIX Coming to a site near you soon ;D

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - Now with Pix !

wow, that is in great shape, I wish min had looked like that, I see what you mean about feeling guilty not restoring it instead. I love the f exhaust man.

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - Now with Pix !

If you're going to run without a front fender, get a fork brace. Even if it's a crappy old front fender that you take the bracket out of to mount on the forks. The fender helps lock the two fork lower tubes together to make sure they travel up and down together. The axle alone is not enough for this as it's just clamped into the fork lowers.

As long as you don't hack up the frame and keep the parts you're removing, you can always put it back to stock form. Its what I did with my 550F.

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - Now with Pix !

I am going to run a chrome front fender. The original is in amazing condition and I will mod it a bit and re use it. NOt sure how to deal with the rear fender, tail lights and rego plates yet. (will wait to see what dminner does : )

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - Now with Pix !

, Im think I am going to go with out a rear fender and get one of those side mount plate/brake light combo jobs. At least thats the plan for now. I kinda depends on what seat I find, but I definetly wont run the rear fender.

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - Now with Pix !

Here's what I did for my tail light/signals/plate on my old 550F. I did hit the tail light once with the rear wheel on a very very big bump.

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=10395.0

And this is what I did to the seat, and what the bike looked like by July 2006. Then in November I put it all back to stock and sold it!

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=11302.0

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 9 MAY '07)

9 May 07

At last I can progress.

Bike has been in the shop. The mechanic who will do the mechanicals wanted to see and hear the bike running before I stripped her down.

The bike had badly leaking carbs when I rode her over there ( lucky I wasnt BBQ'd in a gasoline marinade ) so we decided to sort the carbs first then strip the engine off at my shed once we had her sorted. Replaced all the seals and o rings and cleaned up the carbs and linkages etc.

Did a bit of electrix - eg plugs and HT cables. (they were dodgy) from a home repair done wrong by previous owner).

Bike rides and runs brilliantly.

While the bike was away I bought some finned side covers and some finned tappet covers. (Both like dimminers). I polished some bits like guards (fenders) and got a great finish on the finned header /exhaust flange thingys.

Anyway now I can start and we have a master plan.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN ( photos will follow)

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 9 MAY '07)

New progress Pix


Stripped out to frame. Engine sits loosely on mounts ready for removal .

Approx ten hours of methodical parts removal and documenting and storing. (and beer drinking in the workshop)

Many parts cleaned up as they came off.

Engine now goes to mechanics
New exhaust sytem is underway
and I get to strip the frame tank etc ready for painting
Engine bits will come back to me for polishing and coating (HPC)

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 27 MAY '07)

I'd forgotten what a nice looking frame the 550 had.

How cool would it be if you could somehow hide all the wiring and run a custom gas tank where the battery / air box normally go and just leave the frame exposed.

Still one of my fave bikes and the best of the Honda SOHC/4's in my opinion.

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 27 MAY '07)

I really like the frame also. I intend to highlight it by using a light color (maybe Silver). Diminner used light gold so I can not use that unfortunately but I thought it looked great on his bike.

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 27 MAY '07)

I dont care it you do Gold, I come to these forms to get and share ideas. Its your bike, you will be the one riding it, so do what you like. Especially if you are taking to time to comepletely strip it down like you are. Plus, I still having a feeling that are bike would look very different than mine in the end. I still really like that rat-rod type look with the exhaust wrap, ghetto plate bracket, odd ball non-honda tank, and my carefully placed rusty peices here an there and I dont get the feeling that this is really your style. I think it would be interesting to see how two of the same bike would look when finished.

Although, silver isnt a bad choice for the frame color, but what color would your tank, seat, etc be. Something like red would look good with silver. But, in that case I think it would look much cooler with a bright red frame and silver boby peices.

If you do keep the silver frame, I have a suggestion on what color to paint the body peices. Check out this paint scheme, (it is on an xB and not a bike, but look at how beautiful the metallic silver and metallic teal go together. The teal color is called tahitian green I believe). I kind of wish i would have done this, it would be really different and i think it would look great



Dan

https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/dminner/topline.jpg

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 27 MAY '07)

Here's a blue/silver scheme that's a true classic. Anytime I think of blue/silver bikes I think of the 900SS.

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 27 MAY '07)

Nice suggestions guys. Thanx for the trouble you both went to.

I will put them in the melting pot.

Bike is getting new exhaust sytem made this week and I have to make a choice on the coating/color for that. This will influence things down the track so I better get that right first. THe choice is really HPC Silver (like chrome) or matt black or a combination splitting at the 4 into 1 collector

I also do not want to match my S4 Ducati's color ( Red/Grey Sienna scheme). It needs to be diiferent

Re: 'Shooter' CB 550 Cafe Racer Project Thread - (UPDATE 23 July '07) PROGRESS

After a two month hiatus due to running my busy business and a delay in the powder coating ....PROGRESS and moving in the right direction at last.

Got my frame back from the powder coaters - see pix. Color is bright silver with a clear coat baked on top. Engine mounts done the same.








This is the turning point for my project and a test to see if I remember how it goes back together. So far so good and I have done a lot of work already.

This is the fun part so will post some progress pix as it happens.

Tank and covers going into painter this week. I have stripped them to the metal.

My next delay will be remounting the engine. The mechanic is going to take a bit of time over it (6-8 weeks) due to being a bit busy. I have plenty to do anyway so not too fussed.

I found Aladdins cave and had a brilliant ride and got lucky. all tod
Did a little road trip to pick up some parts for my project today. Did I get lucky.


First ... had a great ride with a mate. He is the one in the picture on the seat and its his Buell. My bike is the Ducati.

We went to a little town 158kms from where we live to pick up some bits for my CB550 Project. Never been there before but boy did I discover Alladins cave. Endless shelves full of Honda bits from all years and run by the greatest people to deal with.

Un believable range of stuff was behind this simple facade.



Then by pure chance... I got lucky again and found this seat. . Coincidentally I had found a MC saddle-maker the day previously and this seat is going to fit perfectly with what we have in mind.





Rounded out the day with a brilliant ride (350kms total ) thru some of the greatest roads we have nearby (Te Aroha, Paeroa, Waihi, Whangamata, Kopu Hill to Auckland- for those that know.)

Now having a few beers...

WOW.. Where are these guys? Econo Honda?
do you have a number or email address for them?

Cheers
N

ECONOHONDA are based in a small town about 120kms from Auckland, New Zealand.

They do a lot of international business via the internet and I believe they have an online parts search facility.

It is just amazing the parts they have on the packed shelves in that place. (I even saw some finned side covers for CB750/500/550 sitting there if anyone is interested)

email: parts@econohonda.com

web: www.econohonda.co.nz

BTW: re the seat pictured. They are taking a mould off my seat at the current time so more of them will be available shortly.

I can always help if anyone needs to contact them re anything.