New guy, old bike.

[Captain Snakebite]

Evening all - just a quick pop-in to say Hi.

So - erm... - Hi!

Am currently in the process of acquiring the makings of (what I hope will be) a nice little project (400f2 motor in a 550k rolling chassis if all goes according to plan).

I'm a desk-jockey by day but am pretty comfortable around spanners and oily things that go BRUMMM.

My mystical super-power is the ability to ask really stupid questions, so apologies in advance folks! 

[mickwinf]

hi captain, welcome to the forum, interesting project, i am not sure its possible to fit a 400 engine to a 550 frame but i am sure someone on here will know for sure!! regards,Mick

[Captain Snakebite]

Cheers Mick

Am hoping it'll be mostly a case of a 550K front mount and some rummaging through tons of bolts to find the right sizes - if nowt else, it'll keep me busy for a while. :-D

Owen

[florence]

Welcome

The 550 rolling chassis is heavier than the 400.  Why do it, won't it be very underpowered?

[SteveD CB500K0]

37bhp vs 50bhp.

You'd lose the agility of the 400 by using the larger rolling chassis.

Still, as they say, you can fit anything to anything with a bit of fabrication!

[Bryanj]

I think you are into lots of special spacers and bolts to do that, easier to fit any 500/550 engine

[Captain Snakebite]

Welcome

The 550 rolling chassis is heavier than the 400.  Why do it, won't it be very underpowered?

I'd thought about that, but there's only about 14kg in it - according to wikipedia anyway - and I was planning on a bit of a lightening exercise anyway, with a nod to cafe styling and keeping unnecessary bits to a minimum.  I reckon that as I'm only 10 1/2 stones dripping wet anyway, 37 gee-gees should be plenty enough to play with.

[Bryanj]

Thats 37 very old and tired japanese Gee Gees, and at the crank! so it'l be a fair bit less now

[Captain Snakebite]

Thats 37 very old and tired japanese Gee Gees, and at the crank! so it'l be a fair bit less now

True, but I'm pretty worn out myself these days. 

Anyway, the tape measure's been depressing the daylights out of me lately and no matter how many times I measure things, the lump won't fit without some pretty severe frame butchery.  It's a nice solid frame and I don't want to take cutters to it, so am admitting defeat and shopping for a 400 frame.  Luckily I know a chap who might have a spare stashed somewhere.

Fingers crossed... 

[K2-K6]

I guess most people trying to shoe-horn a bigger motor into a small frame is more conventional.

You could try and squeeze it into something newer for a hybrid.