Project CB690 (KTM 690 engine in a CB550f frame)

[goodoltup]

Finished welding the centre stand, and finished up the side stand mounting. The white tape is temporarily holding the magnet on, I don't want to epoxy it until I test whether or not it is pole-sensitive.

 

[goodoltup]

Frame prepared for engine mounting, and engine in the frame. Getting it in wasn't as hard as I remembered. The cardboard was sufficient to prevent scratching.
As I went I had to shorten and dress some mounting bolts, which the lathe proved perfect for.

 

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Engine, swingarm, rear wheel, and chain all on.

 

[Luugo86]

That motor looks like it belongs in that frame.. looks great man, this bike is gonna be aa monster lol

 

[goodoltup]

Started bead blasting and painting parts.

 

[goodoltup]

That motor looks like it belongs in that frame.. looks great man, this bike is gonna be aa monster lol

Cheers! I rode it for less that 100 miles before I tore it down, it is a vicious motorcycle.

 

[goodoltup]

Refinishing continues. Unsure if I will paint or nickel plate the fender stays. If I go for nickel plate I'd like to do it at home, the kit is £150 and if I remember right the quote to get them plated was around that. Might be fun.

 

[goodoltup]

Here is the state of the radiator. I used satin black radiator paint, and masked the tube areas. I went to install the radiator but I found that the radiator clamps were too big, which may have contributed to some small leaks I was seeing. I've ordered new, smaller clamps.

 

[goodoltup]

The rear caliper ended up in a position that made it kind of hard to fit a brake line. It just requires too small a radius to get away with. On my CD175 I made a hard brake line and it ended up pretty good, so I'll do that again. I got a 1/8" BSP hydraulic plug, used the lathe to remove the nut and bring it down to 11mm diameter (not shown) and used the mill to put some 8mm flats on it. Then bored it for the brass tube. The fit was a little too tight (I don't have a 4.1mm drill bit) so I removed a little material from the tube. I will anneal the tube, bend to shape, and silver solder the newly modified fitting and the banjo (to be modded).

 

[Luugo86]

Great solution for the brake line!

 

[goodoltup]

What I started with, by the way.

 

[goodoltup]

I cut the end off of one the Venhill banjos I had, and bored it to 4mm with the pillar drill. Then I mocked up the brake line with welding rod. The brass line gets heated to cherry red then quenched in water, then bent around a suitable diameter (I used the pillar drill chuck which was about the right diameter).
Interestingly, after quenching it only took a little sanding of the brass tube to make it fit in the 4mm bore, so it wasn't necessary in the end to turn down the diameter in the lathe. This looks a lot better anyway and there is no stress riser on the tube, which I'm sure would have been fine but looked wrong.

 

[goodoltup]

Silver soldered both ends, cleaned up and wire brushed, cleaned, and installed.

 

[goodoltup]

This allowed me to finish the brake pedal and master. This is the brake pedal return spring arrangement from many, many pages ago.

 

[goodoltup]

Great solution for the brake line!

Cheers Luugo! I did this on my CD175 as well when I put a rear disc brake on it. I enjoyed making this one so much that I think I'll go and re-do the CD175 one now that I've gotten better at the process.

 

[goodoltup]

I decided to just get a cb550 rear fender to replace the universal one I had on first. I don't even remember why I used that, maybe there were no original fenders available at the time. This fits exactly as Honda intended and had a much sturdier feel. I cleaned it up and sprayed the underside with a protective coating. Mounted the tail light and ran the wire through a modified tunnel. All installed and looking great.

 

[goodoltup]

Spraypainted half the battery as you can see it through the battery box when installed.

 

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The new reproduction seat has a fibreglass base. I still had the original document holder and I wanted to install it, but the grommet couldn't go in the fibreglass. So I made a plate to hold the grommet, and epoxied it to the seat pan. All installed and looking great. I'll never use it.

 

[goodoltup]

Current state of the motorcycle. Just really picking away at it now, doing odds and ends. It won't be long until there is nothing left to do but the tank paint, which I'm waiting for better weather for.

 

[adventurco]

Looks great.


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