1974 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
- Thread starter bnbswrth4
- Start date
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
I started packaging everything in the rear of the frame and extending the wires to reach everything. Eventually I'll go back through and build a new wire harness from scratch and clean everything up, but for now I'll just deal with this.
I made some small brackets from aluminum I had left over from the tank and riveted it with 1/8" rivets to the steel tray that I had welded in previously. I was able to use the stock rubber mounts for all of the electrical components that way.
I started packaging everything in the rear of the frame and extending the wires to reach everything. Eventually I'll go back through and build a new wire harness from scratch and clean everything up, but for now I'll just deal with this.
I made some small brackets from aluminum I had left over from the tank and riveted it with 1/8" rivets to the steel tray that I had welded in previously. I was able to use the stock rubber mounts for all of the electrical components that way.
bcthomas
Been Around the Block
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
Thanks! Seriously appreciate all the info.
I run one of those 4-cells in the Gorilla (kick only) in my avatar and ran a 12-cell in my HD xr1200. The HD struggled on cold days but always started after following the recommended "warm up procedure".
Thanks! Seriously appreciate all the info.
I run one of those 4-cells in the Gorilla (kick only) in my avatar and ran a 12-cell in my HD xr1200. The HD struggled on cold days but always started after following the recommended "warm up procedure".
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
Fabbed up a seat to hide everything. Trying to keep a nice low profile, and simple design.
Bent the seat itself using just a standard sheet metal brake. The speed bump was just bent from a poster board template by hand. Then I used a curved piece of pipe to bevel the edges inward, similarly to how I did the tanks radius'.
This is pre-welded, with the 2 pieces.
I should have taken more pictures but I got a little carried away in the moment building it.
This is where the project stands now. Up next is welding mounting brackets for everything. My petcock is also leaking badly so I need to look into that more before I put gas in it and fire it up.
Also will be building my own carbon fiber headlight bucket soon.
Fabbed up a seat to hide everything. Trying to keep a nice low profile, and simple design.
Bent the seat itself using just a standard sheet metal brake. The speed bump was just bent from a poster board template by hand. Then I used a curved piece of pipe to bevel the edges inward, similarly to how I did the tanks radius'.
This is pre-welded, with the 2 pieces.
I should have taken more pictures but I got a little carried away in the moment building it.
This is where the project stands now. Up next is welding mounting brackets for everything. My petcock is also leaking badly so I need to look into that more before I put gas in it and fire it up.
Also will be building my own carbon fiber headlight bucket soon.
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
Designed up a set of rearsets today. Need to verify the dimensions of everything, and I'm going to run some quick finite element analysis on them to verify they will be strong enough. Currently I'm just planning on mounting them to the passenger peg mounts. After I mount them, if I think they are too uncomfortable, i'll weld up separate brackets to mount them in a different spot on the frame.
Designed up a set of rearsets today. Need to verify the dimensions of everything, and I'm going to run some quick finite element analysis on them to verify they will be strong enough. Currently I'm just planning on mounting them to the passenger peg mounts. After I mount them, if I think they are too uncomfortable, i'll weld up separate brackets to mount them in a different spot on the frame.
teddpage
Over 1,000 Posts
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
Rearsets look great! You might want to design a bit of offset into the levers, in case you run into clearance issues with exhaust.
I think the passenger pegs will be too far back, but everybody is different.
Cant wait to see how it looks! The tank and seat look great. BIG thumbs up for doing it yourself!!!
Rearsets look great! You might want to design a bit of offset into the levers, in case you run into clearance issues with exhaust.
I think the passenger pegs will be too far back, but everybody is different.
Cant wait to see how it looks! The tank and seat look great. BIG thumbs up for doing it yourself!!!
Bobbed_out
Been Around the Block
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
That tank looks awesome...really inspiring.
That tank looks awesome...really inspiring.
justinedible4
New Member
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
That tank and seat look very good! Great job with everything! It's good to see another 1973 cb500.
That tank and seat look very good! Great job with everything! It's good to see another 1973 cb500.
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
Built the first bracket for the seat. Used some quater turn Dzues fasteners to secure everything. I still need to add one to the back.
The springs for the fasteners are riveted on with standard 1/8" bind rivets.
The Dzues fasteners themselves are riveted on with solid brass rivets, the aluminum is chamfered to allow a flush fit.
Next thing to do will be integrate them with the tank and add more to the rear of the seat.
Built the first bracket for the seat. Used some quater turn Dzues fasteners to secure everything. I still need to add one to the back.
The springs for the fasteners are riveted on with standard 1/8" bind rivets.
The Dzues fasteners themselves are riveted on with solid brass rivets, the aluminum is chamfered to allow a flush fit.
Next thing to do will be integrate them with the tank and add more to the rear of the seat.
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
After a long hiatus I am back to finishing up the CB. Had to finish school, and move into my new place. Now progress should progress pretty steadily.
She idled for the first time last night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iFe2hLaycM
After a long hiatus I am back to finishing up the CB. Had to finish school, and move into my new place. Now progress should progress pretty steadily.
She idled for the first time last night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iFe2hLaycM
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
Seems like this project is always put on the back burner compared to my other projects going on in life. I refuse to let this be one of those build threads that dies and ends up scattered on cragislist.
The bike is a lot farther along now and I'll now pick up where I left off and continue this thread.
After the bike was some what put together I noticed how roughly it was running... It was burning a lot of oil.
So I pulled the head again and found that 4 of the valve guides were cracked. When the guides cracked the valves must have bent a bit because or maybe the guides cracked because the valves were bent. After adding up the cost of replacement parts and seeing how much replacement parts were I decided to take a risk and find a replacement head on Ebay.
New head
Valve before
Valve After
Head Before
Head After
The cylinders and head got a sandblasted while they were apart again with a coat of high temperature engine paint.
Motor is back and reassembled.
Seems like this project is always put on the back burner compared to my other projects going on in life. I refuse to let this be one of those build threads that dies and ends up scattered on cragislist.
The bike is a lot farther along now and I'll now pick up where I left off and continue this thread.
After the bike was some what put together I noticed how roughly it was running... It was burning a lot of oil.
So I pulled the head again and found that 4 of the valve guides were cracked. When the guides cracked the valves must have bent a bit because or maybe the guides cracked because the valves were bent. After adding up the cost of replacement parts and seeing how much replacement parts were I decided to take a risk and find a replacement head on Ebay.
New head
Valve before
Valve After
Head Before
Head After
The cylinders and head got a sandblasted while they were apart again with a coat of high temperature engine paint.
Motor is back and reassembled.
Re: 1973 CB500, Aluminum Tank and seat
I never wanted to go to pods so I'm leaving the stock intake plenum and mounting a correctly sized filter on. Just like I've seen so many other people do for these bikes. I think mine turned out pretty good.
In the spirit of this build, I built it out of more aluminum.
I never wanted to go to pods so I'm leaving the stock intake plenum and mounting a correctly sized filter on. Just like I've seen so many other people do for these bikes. I think mine turned out pretty good.
In the spirit of this build, I built it out of more aluminum.
