1975 Honda CB550 cafe bike build!

Rode to work today.

:bigtup:

Let’s hope it makes it back home! :bigtup:

haha, already rode it home for lunch and back BOOYAH! Gonna try to use it as transportation as much as possible while the weather is nice, save up some miles on my truck hahaha.

Good deal! Do I get to take it for a spin?! :slight_smile:

sure!

My legs and my car made it in pics. Wonderful lol.

So glad this is finally finished :tup:

Time for me to go get my bike permit…

spent some time on the bike and car today…

wetsanded the runs out of the clear and buffed the tank down to perfection.

after sanding:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/focusinprogress/2012-06-30133446.jpg

after first cut with polish:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/focusinprogress/2012-06-30134131.jpg

after the whole tank has been cut twice with polish

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/focusinprogress/2012-06-30140444.jpg

after sealer wax:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/focusinprogress/2012-06-30140457.jpg

Then it was time to throw the emblems back on…but they looked beat to hell. I don’t mind a little bit of wear, so I chose to blast them with black and sand the tops of the letters

Before:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/focusinprogress/2012-06-30140717.jpg

During:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/focusinprogress/2012-06-30140926.jpg

After:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/focusinprogress/2012-06-30142541.jpg

Installed:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/focusinprogress/2012-06-30154633.jpg

:slight_smile:

Then I worked on the focus…

So the perforated mesh I ordered FINALLY came in yesterday, so this morning I got up and decided today is going to be a wrench-day.

Cut out the mesh and welded it to the backs of the frames I previously made:

Then, for the right-hand side I welded a few bolts to the back of it where the original side-cover had tabs that snapped through rubber grommets, and put a washer and nut on the inside to hold it in place.

The other side is hinged and mounted already, so all that’s left to do is buy a thumb latch(and install it) like this guy:

http://www.mailboxes.com/assets/item/regular/4388.jpg

I’m pretty happy with the result. In fact, I’m thinking about leaving them raw and just clear-coating over them as-is so they don’t rust, I kind of like the industrial look they’ve got

do you think I should paint them? maybe just paint the outline/frame?

Paint it! Save the raw look for the xs hardtail

Awesome work man :tup:

So, how much?

LOL, not for sale…but for someone to build what I’ve built would probably cost about $2k or so in parts/supplies (no labor) plus purchasing the bike to build with

Saw it this weekend. Bike looks even better in person than in pics.

I say paint the side covers. Everything else on your bike is “finished” so I say finish those too.

Perhaps paint them black then outline them in orange… like a pin stripe or something.

looks good dude :tup:

THE DUCK!

The Duck is a Happy Camper…[ATTACH]21422[/ATTACH]

LOL, another project in the background haha.

Newman, that pinstripe idea is interesting…It game me another idea…maybe paint the outside of the covers black, and then from the inside paint orange so all the machined holes have a spice or orange showing through on the black…

HMMMMM

Thanks for letting me take it for a spin, I love this thing!

Tried to tidy up a few things, with mixed results.

replaced the horn switch I busted. horn still didn’t work. traced wires found one disconnected. YAY horn works again.

replaced starter button, smoked brand new switch soldering wires to the contacts (AGAIN). Decided next switch I’m just wrapping the wires through the little eyelet holes and shrinkwrapping into place (when I get around to replacing, AGAIN)

drilled holes in sidecovers and mounted ignition key/switch and thumb latch for hinged cover. These came out nice I think…now I just need to remove them and spray with bedliner black.

Now, this thing is still running like asshole. So I thought I was too rich on my main jet…pulled the pod filters went around the block…WORSE. OK, guess I’m lean. I have 4 days to acquire #40 pilot jets and 120 mains to attempt to remedy the situation. The carbs are back off and broken down again. I’m going to be stupid and drill out a spare set of stock 100 mains with a #56 (3/64) drill bit to achieve the equivalent of a 119 main and see if it helps in the meantime (as I might not get my hands on jets by wednesday for VMD)

FUCKING CARBS

Shirts!

How’d you make out with the carbs?