CB550 "Macaframa"

Re: CB550 "YOLO"

Ok, so clip-ons are a dead horse, but we like to beat them so that others will learn too.

Name makes a bike my dude. I'm tellin' you, build a bike with the name Yolo and it'll come true. First ride you take on it, well...you only live once. You don't gotta make it a priority, just hit the delete key in your signature a few times and you'll be right as rain.

Haha, I'm givin' you a hard time. If you REALLY do want your bike to be named Yolo because it has some deep meaning to you then I'll shut up, but if this Yolo name was just a spur of the moment thing, I say reconsider. Names are supposed to embody your bike. They're supposed to be the verbal representation of all the late, sweaty nights that you spent turning bolts while all your friends we're "only living once". They are supposed to yank from the dredges of peoples mind a fleeting formation of your all-together unique and totally individual combination of parts that you sanded and polished to either get you closer too, or get you looking better while you hit the blue flower-esque TON. You go up to any salty cafe racer and in all sincerity tell them that your bike is named xYOLOx, you'll be laughed out of the parking lot. They're gonna think you're some punk kid who watched an episode of "Cafe Racer TV" in the waiting room of Jiffy lube while you had your oil changed for you and then went out and bought the first CB750 you could find thinking your self badass/individual and hoping to be the next Ton Up rider. I'm not trying to judge you because I know it was supposed to be a joke, but I am trying to inform you of the connotations that are associated with making a rash decision with a very silly and intrinsically foolish word like Yolo. It's not just a name, it's a representation of you, your riding style, and most importantly your bike. If its dumb (as you say it is) then I'm going to think you and your bike are dumb as well. Think about it. Get back to me.
 
Re: CB550 "YOLO"

I am a pretty sarcastic person and I guess for the sake of everyone's viewing pleasure I will remove the name lol!

I'm currently waiting for my exhaust collars and flanges as well as my headlight to arrive. I did however line my tank today and get it painted. Color scheme is blue and gold.

mojo.jpg


Pics of paint tomorrow, I promise.
 
Re: CB550 Racer

Finally came up with a name that describes me and background before getting this bike.

The last 4 years of my life have revolved around fixed gear bikes, organizing critical mass events in my town, hosting bike races, and hosting weekly rides all year long. "Macaframa" was the movie that got me on two wheels so thats the official name. Yolo was merely a joke among my friends and I, not to be taken seriously.

With that out of the way I just got back from my first trip to California. We were there for maybe 2 days when we got news that my great grandmother had passed away. We tried to get our tickets changed to come home early but It would've been over $1000 to change them all. So the family held things off for us to get home. I just made back to Wilmington yesterday morning and I've been getting some work done.

-Mocked up a license plate/tail light bracket
-Painted the new CB550 tank and coated it
-Pulled the motor and carbs before I left and cleaned everything as well as painted a few bits
-Pulled the rear swing arm off and cleaned/painted it
-Ordered some new clip ons from marcW today but I tossed my new grips onto the old ones to have a look at em
-Found a wine chiller to hide all of my electrical in

Also I scrapped my seat idea and I'm working on a new one with a buddy of mine. TheOneTrueGreg's DT250 is the inspiration just with blue metalflake vinyl to match the tank and without the pleats.
http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn356/Whitey80/266252_10150231013992927_628782926_7528355_6516065_o.jpg
Heres some updated pictures of how shes sitting at the moment.
2012-06-12153625.jpg

2012-06-12154020.jpg

2012-06-12154000.jpg

2012-06-12153704.jpg
 
Re: CB550 Racer

Damn.

That engine looks freaking sexy. What kind of paint is that?
 
Re: CB550 Racer

If you're being serious, its just some vht spray I picked up at autozone.
 
Re: CB550 Racer

paint does look good!
you going to re-silver paint or polish the rest of the covers? or leave as is?


just so you know ive changed the name of my kz project about 10 times.
for now it remains nameless....
i spend countless hours thinking of witty bike names....
only to then knock em back a week later coz by then i think they sound shit.
haha
its half the fun of it though!
just gotta be sure before you go painting it on the bike.....
or gettin g it tattoo'd on ya head.
 
Re: CB550 Racer

It's way easier to build the bike than pick a name haha! Macaframa Is the final name as it describes the last 3 years of my life and how I came to love cafe racers.

Plans for the seat are to build it slim and sleek. I have my neoprene foam already and my fabric. I just have to build my damn seat pan and have the frame hoop welded up but welders around here charge an arm and a leg so thats whats been holding me up.

Cover vv
il_fullxfull.344737960.jpg


And the plan is the have it end up like this just without the pleats.
IMG_0018.jpg
 
I'm getting really frustrated right now though because I can't seem to find anything to hide my electronics in. I'm thinking of using a wine chiller or a martini shaker..... I just don't know if a martini shaker will be big enough and I don't think people will like it if I walk into the store with my reg, rec, and started solenoid and stuffing it into a shaker to make sure hahaha!

I really wan't a clean open triangle and a clean seat with the cafe hoop on the end but I have almost nowhere to hide my electronics. The battery is in a tray under the swing arm.
 
make a steel/ aluminium tray which sits just under your seatpan.....
you could mount it with some solid "p" clamps to the framerails..... if you dont want to weld some tabs
just put the reg/rec inverted on the outside of the tray, underneath the seat. (so it gets plenty of ventilation)

check out some old biscuit tins too....
ive seen a guy use a milk urn......it looks awesome.....
peace
 
Thanks for the tips man but I actually found a cocktail shaker that will work and it looks pretty sick! I'll get a picture up in a few minutes.

What I'm looking for now is some super short shocks because it's going to be a pain in the arse to get the shaft on my modified shocks machined and threaded. I need something like 9.5" to 11" but I want the shortest shocks available.
 
Hey anyone have some 11" shocks from a Honda Rebel or from a LS650 Savage that they wanna sell for cheap???

BTW we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
2012-06-15125727.jpg

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2012-06-15130143.jpg


My cocktail shaker electrical box:
2012-06-15130210.jpg


Things left to do:
-weld the frame hoop
-build my wiring harness
-build my seat
-through my new clip ons on here when they arrive
-clean my brake caliper
-have my brake disc drilled
-order some pods and re jet my carbs
-and once its on the road head over to my favorite local exhaust shop and have some super long drag pipes welded up then get em wrapped

Should be all done in a week or two!
 
cocktail shaker looks good.....
now get some cocktail shaker exhausts to match
like these
http://www.lowbrowcustoms.com/images/products/large_794_cocktail-shaker-mufflers-exhaust-bobber-photo-2.jpg

i like the belt securing the cocktail shaker!
 
Keep it coming. Like the belt fastener for the electronics box.
 
I'm young and dumb and I really want the bike to be super loud but I do love those muffler!

Decisions, decisions lol
 
My personal opinion and you are free to disagree, but:

I'd probably keep the swing-arm black, and get gold rims or spokes or paint the wheels are something.

I'm just an anti-painting-of-engines type of guy though.
 
It's cool. I thought about that while I was coming up with my scheme but it just wouldn't look right on this bike.

Only bike I've seen with gold wheels that I actually liked:
http://www.xs650chopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/uv0q3999gcc2008web-copy1-1024x682.jpg
 
God that has got to be the UGLIEST bike I've ever seen. Do the whole world a favor and take them f*ucking clips ons and throw them in the garbage. The only way of possibly salvaging this bike is if I lend you my highway bars and apes. I'll give you my cruise control too and maybe a cool chop seat. Dude I really feel bad for you, because of some of the things youv'e done to this may never be reversed...all we can do from here on is pray.

Maybe a good name for this is LIVED once.
 
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