New member, Herefordshire

[DomP]

Hi, I've been hanging around looking on this forum for a while now so thought I'd introduce myself.   I've recently restored a 1975 Yamaha XS650B American import which I'd intended turning into a cafe racer but ended up buying an example too complete to mess about with, I found the standard looks of a standard xs really grew on me.  Hopefully I won't be torn to shreds for wanting to do this to a cb550.

[Nurse Julie]

Welcome to the forum. Depends which 550 you intend customising. If its a UK model CB550 F1 or F2, you'll be torn to shreds, if its any other model 550, ie K3 or a USA model, fair game 😂😂😂

[Athame57]

Welcome here Dom! As long as you don't fit one of those ridiculous banana seats and ape hangers on it, I'm sure you'll survive customisation!

[DomP]

It'll be the cheapest but with all the bits I need available so almost certainly a US model, when I say cafe racer I'm more likely going to remove some of the chrome parts and store so there is potential to return to original, lower bars or clip-ons etc so not too drastic.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Welcome were not all purists here - worst shredding I had was when I was going to have my 500 frame powder coated in Nut Brown instead of boring black (BB).

Being the Snowflake that I am I capitulated at the last minute going for a very matt black instead.
At least I have a 400 with a blue frame not BB. 

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

It'll be the cheapest but with all the bits I need available so almost certainly a US model, when I say cafe racer I'm more likely going to remove some of the chrome parts and store so there is potential to return to original, lower bars or clip-ons etc so not too drastic.

You must be a bit of a youngster then if you can still ride a bike with clip-ons.

[Johnny4428]

Hi DomP and welcome to the forum, always interesting to see what people do with their classic bikes. Me personally I would find it difficult not to restore to original. (Lacking imagination 🤣) Good luck with project.

[philward]

Welcome to the forum Dom - keep us posted on the progress of the customisation - lots of 550 experts on here that are always happy to help

[Matt_Harrington]

Welcome Dom - it'll be your steed, so do as you wish to it.... 

[Trigger]

Welcome to the mad world of the SOHC 

[DomP]

I think I should probably be starting a new thread here but is 45k on one of these engines too much?  There is a tidy 550k on FB for 2500 or best offer but I wonder if I should hold out for one on lower mileage.

[Johnny4428]

Probably depends how often the oil has been changed in that 45000 miles. Think you need to be prepared to fully strip whatever mileage maybe?

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

My trade experience with cars was consistently the case that a three year old car with 55 k miles was a much better engine than one of the same age with 9k miles.

Worst car for engine wear I ever had was an Opel 1600 (CIH) Ascona I bought that was 10 years old with just 9k miles on the clock serviced every year with the Mot.
Used to go to Church on a Sunday by PO for the last few years of use. You would not believe the amount of sludge under the rocker cover when I took it off.

[Orcade-Ian]

Hi Dom and very warm welcome from 'oop north'. Lots of great info to be had here and no question is a daft one.

The problem with these bikes approaching 50 years old is that they have often been through many hands - some more able than others and whilst the speedo may have travelled 45k miles, you can never be sure of the rest of it unless there is documented history.  Could be more, could be less.  Some detailed photos of the important bits will help if you can't get to see/hear the bike in the flesh.

I too was looking for a 550 back in November last year and one of the respected members came up with just the thing I wanted.  I wanted the 'near standard' route but I like specials too.

I wrote a brief account (in lots of parts) about the journey

http://www.stallard-engineering.co.uk/stories/Bikes/Japanese/Honda%20CB550F1.htm


Ian

[DomP]

Thanks folks, all good replies.  As for age, well I'm 44 which some people find odd that I'm into bikes that were on the road before I was even born rather than those that I'd have dreamed of as a kid.

That's a great read Ian, I'll certainly be going back to reread it when I have time.  Any advice on nickel plating, I've read a fair bit about it and thought of setting up a plating tank but not as yet bitten the bullet