Finally after too many years I'm working on my 500/4

[matthewmosse]

Reached a decision. Cb550 fork ears -I found 2 sets in the loft, there is only 1 cb550 I own, so that means other set are fair game. There are no spare 500/4 items in my store to butcher, they all have bikes. That gains me 6mm of fork free from the helper springs. Sticking with single disk for now. Think I will make it work. Did a stocktake of spare forks and other spares. Think I may have a go at a custom hardtail frame given I have a complete spare bike bar the frame and v5c. Better off for exhausts than I thought too, but a bit of welding due on a few. I think some of the winter evenings may be spent fabricating a fancy new collector and silencer that can be chromed as it will be free of exhaust gas residue. Photos to follow on a briguter day, nothing showing up in this light and a cheap camera. Finally fixed the workshop lights too, so long as the outer workshop is left off, they now work so evenings are do able for stuff off the bike. The shed the bike itself is in is not lit but at least now bits can be sorted after dark. Still have a kl250 to follow on before any more of the sohc bikes, but the sidecar comes first.

[matthewmosse]

More progress made, brake caliper pivot was totally solid, now stiff as the proverbial but moving, leaving it soaking in wd40, this may give the twin disk setup a repreive, I am all for the path of least resistance - want my bike back. Front forks had to come back off, 500/4 ears removed, some random ones from the man cave seemed the best compramise. Not sure what they are off. Headlight replaced, old one was an mot advisory last time around for the silvering deteriorating. carbs and filter back on. it is now a rolling chasis but a lot of loose bolts to tighten. I'll be checking around sidecar alighnment soon, then electricals go back in. Still got to choose whch exhaust to fit. Also found a spare seat in the loft, cover trashed,good foam, sound base but massive crack in by the hinge. 10 minuites with a welding torch and a lick of paint and re use my original cover and foam. Loving the attic, every part I need is coming out of the woodwork. taking longer finding bits than doing the job.

[matthewmosse]

One thing I love about this bike, the patina on the tank, it shows the sheer number of hours and miles of riding fun the bike has given.
Hopefully I can add a few more pictures too.

[matthewmosse]

Appologies the thread had been  bit dy, all words , no pictures, trying to make up for it. 
Decisions descisions, which exhaust? laser and the 4 into 1 slash cut along with the chrome beauty are very loud, I love the chrome beauty but it needs welding to the collector, and in all seriousness, when the bike was delivered we heard it comming 6 miles off. Never heard the dunstal system if that is what it is, it came with the k0 - should it stay there?. Motad Neta (gold end can,) dull as dishwater, looks wrong. 4 into 2 - doubt it will fit the sidecar outfit. I cannot decide.

[matthewmosse]

Tried the slash cut exhaust, didn't fit, collector is in contact with the brake pedal and the tail hits the rear spindle. Think I may get same result from the motad neta plus I don't particularly like it, just not right for this bike. I think the 550k has a brake pedal that goes under or sideways and over that placement of a collector, I could have swapped pedals but really feel there have already been too many compramises to originality. So Laser system it is. Dunstall one is earmarked to go back on the k0 it came with. I don't want to further rot the chrome beauty. Maybe in summer it will get repaired and fitted. Another concern is with the sidecar clamps it is hard work to get the exhaust rose bits past the clamps, the laser had a bit more freeplay to juggle things into place. Nothing is simple. On these bikes so many exhausts seem to fail to address the centre stand needing a stop. That and the brake pedal being different can really swine ones day up. ? Not far off starting the engine now. Think the brakes need a proper rebuild with new piston and seals, I will have another go at freeing off with wd40 and working it in and out, the swinging pivot now works freely but with probably slightly excessive freeplay, might need sleeving. I will be thinking on that, or may check in the loft for a good spare caliper.

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Christ some of you guys would really feel at home here pictures of a shit mess workshop don't know how you  get on.Frack tidy it up find out what you have and go from there.How the hell do you work in that environment?Sorry if it upsets just cant work in that surroundings
Cheers
Bitsa

[Trigger]

Christ some of you guys would really feel at home here pictures of a shit mess workshop don't know how you  get on.Frack tidy it up find out what you have and go from there.How the hell do you work in that environment?Sorry if it upsets just cant work in that surroundings
Cheers
Bitsa

If he tidy's up bitsa may be he will find your vernier  

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Trig
Mine is spotless mate and you have no idea how frackin mad I am.If I do not find it sunday will go out and buy another bar steward and after if it comes to light it will be buried where I find it.
Frackin Annoyed
Bitsa

[matthewmosse]

I know. The barn still has building work to do. And about twice as much stuff as I have space for. Trouble came with the kids. Had time to break stuff renovating the house and on the farm. No time to fix it. Projects piled on top of projects. It is amazing how completing a few of them frees up space. Just doing this sidecar has cleared a bit of space. Given the average bit of farm kit we have is over 50 and we still use some 100 year old stuff. Means we have a lot of spares around too. Local tractor dealers for some reason neglect to stock parts. I dream of having a clearout but it is mostly stuff we will need. Plus side is i can fix most stuff at low costs. Each to their own. I do clear the floor and sweep up at the end of each job. My dad generally messes it up before I next get out to The shed. Take my drills draw. All organised small through large. Took ages with a caliper ~I can find mine ~ and one dad job later it is mixed up with random sized bunged in. I could get cross or just get on with it. At least I get the odd dormer drill bit bought for me.

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Matthew each to our own mate
but not for me
Cheers
Bitsa

[Green1]

I know how you old farmers work.
I have a customer that won't bin nothing as everything is considered repairable.My dad painted the outside of his house in the late 80's then he phoned me about 5 years ago for a price on just the bits that need touching in.

Mick

[matthewmosse]

But pretty well everything is repairable. Given time and resources. Christ, an old friend of mine, sadly no longer with us, was still fixing up and using 1940s crawlers til last year. The things that I learnt about fixing stuff from that old boy. Hay baler broke. Mid harvest, no spare ones available, £100s in crop standing to be ruined by rain if not bought in that day. He had it running using a nail. I fixed it the same way using a link from a 500/4 chain once I knew the trick. I agree my workshop is barely workable these days. But i would sooner fix my bike first. Hence the second shed the bike lives in. Apart from the loft (rooftop jumble) I can still find most tools inside 5 Minutes let alone 5 days. ;-) organised chaos. All those crates of bolts the exhausts are on go on shelfs.  Just easier to rummage on the power hacksaw.
So there are tightwad farmers in France too?

[UK Pete]

I love the stories of messy work shops, anyone who has been to my place will no the real meaning of mess and clutter, i am too ashamed to even post a picture, there are at least 5 restorations in various stages, trying to find anything is like a needle in a hay stack, its all part of the madness i think, yet i usually no where to find most stuff, if i ever try and tidy up it is a shit hole within a few days as i just have to much stuff and not enough space so you have to pull everything out to get to the item you want , i wish i could change and really do try but your either a tidy person or a messy person when it comes to workshops
pete

[Green1]

Totally agree with you Pete my garage is my office,workshop,joiners shop and general junk room all rolled into one tiny space.
My neighbor is even worse being a builder  his garage is stuffed to the rafters he has to climbs over it all but strangely he always finds what he wants.

Mick     

[matthewmosse]

In that rooftop jumble attic, I have about 8 x 500 or 550 sohc engines, 2 bmw aircooled boxer  lumps with gearboxes. A rebel 125 engine, a few kh125 engines and some kl250 ones, and a hatz diesel in bits, and most of about 14 motorbikes. It started off tidy, but countless rummaging trips have turned it into disorder. The projects don't end there, downstairs there is a 1914 lathe I am converting to single phase and recommisioning and 3 power hacksaws. The one I bought new is so hopelessly unreliable I am rebuilding a vintage one. Finding a k0 has resulted in some upheaval as I wanted to know what exactly I had stored, not that I am any the wiser. I am not sure it makes much difference. The whole place is a bit like Gormangahst. Last proper go at clearing out I had netted £600 or so listing everything at 99p start. Nothing sohc sold, some bits of drz I pulled out of a scrap pile paying weigh in for it on the other hand went mental, along with some boat stuff Dad picked up in a sale we couldn't identify. Glory of ebay, it establishes stuffs true value if properly listed.