another cb550 *videos of maiden voyage are up* let me know what you guys think

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forcefanajd

Over 1,000 Posts
i got this bike last november and basically have been stock piling parts until the weather got nice enough to put it together so my plan is to have the bike running and riding by the end of may.

the day i took her home
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and here is how she sits at the moment

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the bike itself i got for the price of a big ol goose egg so that was great! (it was entirely intact except the carbs were missing)

heres a list of parts ive got so far:

a rack of carbs
set of rebuild kits for the carbs
steeldragon performance velocity stacks
100/90 19 avon roadrider for the front tire
130/80 18 avon roadrider for the rear tire
master cylinder rebuild kit
gold o-ring chain
rear sets from durgam_k
clip ons from parts n more
front brake pads

parts i need:

grips
speedo/tach
tail light
headlight ears
mini turn signals
some sort of battery (most likely gonna keep it kick start only so if anyone has reccomendations for a battery im all ears)
clutch lever
petcock rebuild kit
sealed beam headlight conversion or vrod headlight
HID kit
and braided brake lines.

im gonna be going outside to work on it some more after easter dinner so ill try to remember to take more pictures and update this later.
 
Re: another cb550.

You'll want to add wider wheels to that list too. I have a 120/90 18 on the rear 1.85 rim on my xs400, which is up one or two sizes from stock. It's worn a good sized flat spot from the oversize after only 2000 miles. A 130/80 is going to wear like crazy on a 1.85 rim. And probably handle as poorly. Just a heads up, man.
 
Re: another cb550.

this bike came with a 120 stock, i dont see how one size up is gonna make that much of a difference
 
Re: another cb550.

Well, stock is 110 (or at least that's the closest modern size). It probably has a 120/90 on it? A 130/90 might be fine, but a 130/80 is basically adding another size on top of that. Not to width, but you're shortening the sidewall, so it increases the curvature of the tire, and that will wear you a flat spot on top. Taller sidewalls mean the tire doesn't have to wrap and squeeze in so much to fit the rim. 130/80 really shouldn't go on a 1.85. Not trying to be a dick, man, but it'll handle better with near stock sizes and you'll be replacing tires less often.
 
Re: another cb550.

lol well ive already got this tire and its already installed and really it doesnt seam bad on the rim at all. ill make my decision after i take it for the first ride since its already on.
 
Re: another cb550.

It's all good man. It's your bike. It'll run just fine, I'm just saying if you want max performance. That's all.

Now get this thing finished! ;)
 
Re: another cb550.

im working on it, i just went and pulled off the sprocket cover and front sprocket so i can bring them to work with me tomorrow to clean them. tomorrow night im gonna spray the entire bike down with some simple green and scrub the shit out of it then start putting the new bits and pieces on.
 
Re: another cb550.

It looks like a great bike to start with.

I am building a CB550 myself, so good to see another.

I must say I look back with fond memories of bringing the bike home and starting the strip down.

Keep us updated.
 
Re: another cb550.





I usually run one or two sizes larger than stock on my older bikes and have never had any handling problems. If you are getting a flat spot it sounds like you aren't running enough or are running too much air pressure in your tires. Now, as to whether the tire will fit or not....... it may foul the swing arm and that, for sure, would wear flat spots on the side of the tire and have a very negative effect on your handling. By the way Ringo...... I am diggin' that Gulf paint job on your bike.




Ringo said:
You'll want to add wider wheels to that list too. I have a 120/90 18 on the rear 1.85 rim on my xs400, which is up one or two sizes from stock. It's worn a good sized flat spot from the oversize after only 2000 miles. A 130/80 is going to wear like crazy on a 1.85 rim. And probably handle as poorly. Just a heads up, man.
Click to expand...
 
Re: another cb550.

forcefanajd said:
im working on it, i just went and pulled off the sprocket cover and front sprocket so i can bring them to work with me tomorrow to clean them. tomorrow night im gonna spray the entire bike down with some simple green and scrub the shit out of it then start putting the new bits and pieces on.
Click to expand...
If there is a lot of grease and grime build-up on your bike you might try diesel fuel as a degreaser. It will not hurt your paint and when used with a brush it is the best degreaser I have found. Pretty cheap also.
 
Re: another cb550.

Thanks dew. Not meaning to derail this thread, but I'm just going off what I've noticed with a 120/90 in place of a 100/90 stocker. I'm religious about tire pressure, and the only info I could find about the flat spot comes from those wiley old Honda gurus on SOHC4. I was briefly running a 110/90 with no problems, however. Could be isolated, lots of changes happened between the 110 coming off and the 120 going on.
 
Re: another cb550.

hey ringo, the information you posted earlier is actually semi incorrect also. the reason you are getting a flat spot with a wider tire on a skinny wheel is because there is less contact area on the road which is wearing away te rubber faster in that spot because there is more weight on less area. just think about it, youre stuffing a wider tire on a skinny wheel which is pulling the side walls in further than they should be which is in turn making the "dome" of the tire tighter. either way, its no biggie i understand you were just pointing out a possible future problem and i thank you for that.
 
Re: another cb550.

I have been running the 120/90's on my airheads since the early 90's and have never experienced a problem. You may have had an alignment problem as that will sometimes cause abnormal tire wear. Or, it could be like you said..... just an isolated incident. With the amount of bikes that go through my hands it is not unusual for me to buy 5 or 6 sets of tires per year. I have never had any strange wear problems and I frequently go two sizes over because, up to a point, a wider tire looks better. I don't have handling problems either and I have been known to scrape pegs in a curve or two...... maybe while doing the ton.... hehehehe.
 
Re: another cb550.

forcefanajd said:
hey ringo, the information you posted earlier is actually semi incorrect also. the reason you are getting a flat spot with a wider tire on a skinny wheel is because there is less contact area on the road which is wearing away te rubber faster in that spot because there is more weight on less area. just think about it, youre stuffing a wider tire on a skinny wheel which is pulling the side walls in further than they should be which is in turn making the "dome" of the tire tighter. either way, its no biggie i understand you were just pointing out a possible future problem and i thank you for that.
Click to expand...

;) Oddly enough, that's exactly, though phrased a little differently, what I was saying. Glad we agree, bud.


Edit: Here, what I was originally trying to say but didn't do too good a job:

"Tower is speaking toward the sidewall angle from seating bead to tread edge. (If I understand him correctly.) Oversize tires on a narrow rims pinch the tire bead together and force a steeper sidewall angle. An angled support is not as strong as one perpendicular to the opposing forces. And worse, an angled support generally deflects at lateral angles to the opposing forces. Therefore, leaned over in a turn with extra Gs applied, the sidewalls won't keep the tread close to center of the wheel rim. When this happens directional stability suffers, requiring operator correction. The steeper the sidewall angle the more "squirmy" the tire becomes. This is often improved with running higher tire pressures. But, this causes more "crown" of the tire tread, and ultimately high center of the tread wear patterns. Looking back at the above, I'm not sure this is of any help. But, there it is anyway. :-\" --SOHC4.net
 
Re: another cb550.

so i got some more stuff done.

front tire mounted
rear tire mounted
master cylinder rebuilt
clip ons test fitted (need to remove to install controls and headlight ears once i get them.)
drive chain shortened to proper length and installed
carbs and velocity stacks installed
rear sets mocked up, just need to finish up the linkage

here are some crappy cell phone pics.

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i also just ordered:

plugs
engine oil
fork oil
oil filter
grips
clutch lever
carb sync adapters
fuel line
fuel filters
petcock rebuild
fork seals
grip glue
digital tach/speedo combo
and i think a few other things but i forget so itll be like xmas.

here is the speedo i got:

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ive also decided on a color. for those of you who know its called laguna seca blue, for those of you who dont, here is a picture:

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Re: another cb550.

oh yes.....i also need to reach out for some help. i need an idea for a small battery, any ideas? im gonna make my own seat and all that good stuff but i think i want to find something smaller than a standard motorcycle battery if at all possible so i can keep the seat small.
 
Re: another cb550.

that is a beautiful battery but a little more than im willing to spend. i think i might try the rc car battery route or capacitor.
 
Re: another cb550.

i've also read that you can buy the cells that these batteries use on ebay and make your own at a considerable discount.
 
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