a Hello from Frome o/

[rmii]

Hello, good morning and happy Thursday!!

After a few years without a bike (prioritising a house purchase), and another at least 2 years looking for a GL1000/1100... I bought a 1976 CB550 \o/. She will probably be named "Sara", I need to see how she looks after everything done

Romulo here, I can say that coming from the MX5 club (not bad there), I am impressed with the amount of knowledge sharing and attention, and fun you guys have (I do love an oil thread (and fuel) but will not dare ever to start one). Happy to say hello and go for a ride at any time. *After my bike is re-assembled 😅

My idea was to buy a running bike that needed basic service (oils, filters, refurb brake) and enjoy it before doing a full restoration. BUT, after having it delivered I could see that the seat, although original is not for the model, there were a few too many electric cables "trimmed". I've decided to strip it down and go for "my approach to a full restoration".
Includes:

• Front brake refurb and direct braided hose to caliper - Hel really helps with the custom service. I've also added a brake switch to the caliper to simplify everything
• Fork spring and oil + shocks from Hagon
• The original idea was to keep the original electrics, so I bought new handlebar + switch gear (Classic bike shop), but ended up deciding for M-unit and replacing everything related: switch, turn signals, tail light and everything to led from Classic car Leds. I am keeping the airbox as I like it, but I am making custom air filters for the top and to replace the one that separates the air/oil coming back from the engine
• Because of the new switch gear, I had to buy a clutch lever and a throttle assembly, not too worried how it will look at the moment
• New seat from Texavina, as I don't have the hinge (very hard to find/buy), I've decided to go 3D printing, I have printed a model waiting the seat to arrive to see how it will go
• I bought a NGK HT lead join/splitter to fix one bad cable, but whilst the bike is stripped, I might consider buying coils that can have "plugged cables instead of fixed ones (accepting any advice here)
• The bike doesn't have its original colour (brown) and I am pretty sure I will go with BRG and will see
• I also don't like the original 4 to 4 exhaust, so I will probably go Delkevic 4 to 1

Apart from that, not going to chop anything, going to just clean, patch/treat//protect and polish all old chrome for now, replace the tyres and, not do anything else to it for at least 1 year (replenish funds).

*I will most probably sell all the original parts I've removed and the new switchgear I bought. Feel free to ping me about that or anything else.

Thanks for the space o/

[Matt_Harrington]

Welcome. There will be plenty of help here if you need it!

[Nurse Julie]

Welcome to the forum.

[Bryanj]

When you have enough posts pics would be welcome and, depending on modle and conditio exhaust will sell easy

[Johnny4428]

Welcome Romulo, sounds like you’ve been busy already with the 550. Great time of year to be getting road worthy for the spring, looking forward to seeing some pics.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Welcome Romulo - be intersting if you post on the project section here to see photos of the starting point and reading your progress.

Aside from the cost of 4:4 exhaust systems I too never really liked the look back in the day but now I've grown fond of them as its very retro.

[DomP]

Welcome from the forum!  I'm intrigued to know your experiences with the m unit, Roo (LaverdaRoo) on here was telling me about his and it is something I've been considering for my bike partly because wiring confuses me (no pun intended) and they are meant to be fool proof.

Your original parts will sell easily

[Johnny4428]

Interesting unit this less than half the price of the Motogadget. Anybody know anything about it?
https://www.digital-speedos.co.uk/accessories-c10/electrics-c7078/axel-joost-b-box-control-module-the-ultimate-system-for-simplifying-your-wiring-and-using-push-button-switches-p878/s1231?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=axel-joost-b-box-control-module-simplifys-your-custom-wiring-b-box&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlJKuBhAdEiwAnZb7lUpcSbU9VNArLLmns0ld3-cJ4SujPqVM71FH16kNwntsrnBDYkDCfhoCZf8QAvD_BwE

[Jan B]

Welcome Romulo!

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Interesting unit this less than half the price of the Motogadget. Anybody know anything about it?
https://www.digital-speedos.co.uk/accessories-c10/electrics-c7078/axel-joost-b-box-control-module-the-ultimate-system-for-simplifying-your-wiring-and-using-push-button-switches-p878/s1231?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=axel-joost-b-box-control-module-simplifys-your-custom-wiring-b-box&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlJKuBhAdEiwAnZb7lUpcSbU9VNArLLmns0ld3-cJ4SujPqVM71FH16kNwntsrnBDYkDCfhoCZf8QAvD_BwE

I've never fully understood the attraction for adding a Motogadget or similar to a bike.
Is it to enable lots of extras to be added or so you can use your phone to start the bike?

Just seems another layer of complexity - I had enough trouble fitting the wrong bar switches to my 500.
I'm assuming it would be pretty easy to hot wire a feed to the coils and ride off on a bike be it fitted with a Motogadget or normal fuse box.

[DomP]

Interesting unit this less than half the price of the Motogadget. Anybody know anything about it?
https://www.digital-speedos.co.uk/accessories-c10/electrics-c7078/axel-joost-b-box-control-module-the-ultimate-system-for-simplifying-your-wiring-and-using-push-button-switches-p878/s1231?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=axel-joost-b-box-control-module-simplifys-your-custom-wiring-b-box&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlJKuBhAdEiwAnZb7lUpcSbU9VNArLLmns0ld3-cJ4SujPqVM71FH16kNwntsrnBDYkDCfhoCZf8QAvD_BwE

I've never fully understood the attraction for adding a Motogadget or similar to a bike.
Is it to enable lots of extras to be added or so you can use your phone to start the bike?

Just seems another layer of complexity - I had enough trouble fitting the wrong bar switches to my 500.
I'm assuming it would be pretty easy to hot wire a feed to the coils and ride off on a bike be it fitted with a Motogadget or normal fuse box.

It's mostly that it's a far more simplified wiring loom because of the technology in the M Unit Ted, single wires to everything from what I understand

[Johnny4428]

For me, I would never rip out the good wiring of an existing bike in a restoration job to replace with modern electrickery, but ideal for a special build where there is no existing wiring or electrical fittings to speak of such as looking for some sort of mongrel type build for that old 550 that I was gifted.

[andy120t]

I watched the video. Very informative.....it reminded me why we don't let techies write user manuals.

Do this, this flashes, do this, follow all 8 steps in the manual and it works.  Wtf?  What do I connect to what?

[andy120t]

....and he looks and sounds like a Dutch Ron Jeremy.

[Johnny4428]

See what you mean about the video Andy, probably why it’s only very discreetly shown on web page.