CB550 cafe --- in the begining...

cargod78

what is that for?
ok, so here is the bike i will be starting with , a relativly nice 1976 cb550.











note the "custom" muffler delete by the previous owner.


the good: runs great, most of the electrical works, brakes and tires are in good shape and carbs have been freshly rebuilt.

The bad: front brake sticks on, headlight inop, brake light inop, regulator only putting out 9v at idle 10v at 3krpm, exhaust is a hack job. original key was lost so prevous owner rigged up a new ignition switch and tore our the lock for the gas cap and its hard to find neutral.

the plan: Cafe seat, 4-1 exhaust, clubman bars, rear fender delete, repaint, H4-HID headlight LED marker lights
 
no real progress yet, still in the planning and parts gathering phase. debating over build VS buy for tank/seat/exhaust

did some electrical testing on the charging system: looks like 9v to battery at idle 10v at 3k rpm not sure if the rectifier or regulator is the problem so i may just replace both with a solid state unit.

stumbled across this post about using mountain bike parts for rear set brackets http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=34781.25 anyone tried it?
 
ok, finally getting around to doing something. got my clubman bars, bar end mirrors, headlight brackets and new regulator. now waiting on the rearsets from dime city and seat from hotwing glass.
 
ok, serious question for some veteran builders to answer please. this is my first bike and first build. my question is on lighting. I am switching all the signals and markers to LED to conserve power as i understand theese bikes have a low amp output from the charging system. that being said, i am planning on using some 1" square led assemblies for the turn signals. They are very bright but small. On the rear that shouldnt be a problem as they only have to compete with the brake/tail light but on the front i am unsure about placement so they can still be seen with the headlight on (HID in the factory housing). any input would be greatly appreciated. i am going for a cool vintage look on the overall style.

these are the lights i want to use
imagewdv.jpg

By null at 2011-12-30
 
Just an fyi, during the day those signals are invisible. I have a pair on my ducati. But at night they are bright enough to be noticed against hid lights.
 
hmmm, well that wont do. I need something that can be seen in the daylight, dont want to have to rely on hand signals. any suggestions?
 
progress made this weekend! got the clubmans, mirrorsand new regulator/rectifier installed as well as removed the factory rear fender lights and markers. next step rearsets, exhaust and new lighting

imageveb.jpg

By null at 2012-01-01

if any one wants the old parts let me know


 
lol, indeed. I have been playing warcraft for about 6 years. I even thought about a warcraft themed bike...
 
i keep looking at the picture thinking , "god that exhaust is ugly" i guess i know what i am doing next
 
If you are going to wrap it you should shoot it with some heat resistant spray paint to protect it. I've heard that exhaust wrap will trap moisture and if the pipes aren't protected they will rust pretty bad. But I like the look of wrapped pipes. I'd say go for it.
 
well, not too much progress but some at least. repainted the tank, sidecovers and rear fender also replaced the stack turn signals and headlight.. next is exhaust.

imagedmx.jpg

By null at 2012-04-27
 
It's actually a 7 inch h4 housing for a car. It has a cool projector lens center anc blacked out reflector, Looks awesome. Got a set of two for 26$ on amazon.com


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?yazjtb
 
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