Newbie from Lancashire

[codarmyman]

Good morning to you all.

My name is Mike Ward and my son is Mark. Myself, I have had three bikes in my time so far to date although currently I do not have a motorcycle. I previously began with a Honda 250cc Superdream around 1980 if my memory serves me right. Having passed my test in the early eighties I moved up to a Honda CB900F which I had for a several years. There was a bit of a gap where I did not have a bike before I splashed out on a Honda Blackbird around 1998 which I also had for a few years. Once again, its been some time since I last had a motorcycle.
My son Mark passed his motorcycle just recently and now has a Honda 600F. Recently he had the idea of buying a Honda CB550F which he saw on an auction site and suggested we have a "joint venture" in renovating it. I agreed and he won it at auction. It is a 1976CAT C bike advertised with front end damage and its now sitting in my garage requiring a lot of loving attention! And so the project begins.....
Hopefully I can get a picture up, but some initial faults I have determined is it will require a new ignition switch, some rewiring as all wires to ignition switch and indicator light casing are severed. A new exhaust tail pipe and possibly a complete exhaust system as one of the four pipes is heavily scored underneath. A new flasher unit for the turn signal indicator. Plenty of cleaning and polishing!
The bike is a runner as I have had it going and above a couple of thousand revs its sounds sweet enough - however, at idle revs and cold there is a horrible "clanking" sound. It doesn't appear to be coming from the engine itself, more the drive, but I have not checked any of this out to date as we have only had the bike less than a week - any first thougts on that "clanking" sound would be gratefully appreciated as well as pointers on a suitable replacement "flasher unit".
I have looked on e-bay for an ignition switch and seen a couple which I think should be okay although a second opinion would be welcome: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4712.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X360656769296.TRS0&_nkw=360656769296&_sacat=0
With respect to the ignition switch, it has a 5 pin connector, my wiring has been severed and does not have a connector block so I wondered if anyone could point out where I might be able to get a suitable connector block to fit.
Thats about all there is for the moment, I hope I haven't stepped out of line by mentioning the faults etc in this post on the "introductions" section, apologies if it should be in another section.
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best Wishes
Mike

[SteveD CB500K0]

Hello Mike and welcome.

If you consider your 550 as a "project", start a thread the that section and you will end up with a single documented history of the build rather than loads of seperate thread which get lost as time forces them down the list.

Steve

[hairygit]

Hi, and welcome. Okay, the clanking is often down to poor care balancing,  and fairly easy to sort. As regards the ignition switch, the 400Four and 750F1 and F2 all use the same switch, and the plug is the same too. Often people worry about engines clanking and rattling at low revs when not under load, especially if they are used to more modern bikes. Most of the social fours sound very agricultural compared to modern stuff. If the clattering calms down when you pull the clutch in, it's generally okay, best thing to do is listen to someone else's bike, you'd be surprised!

Sent from my D2303 using Tapatalk

[totty]

The 650 also uses the same plug. Vehicle wiring products and similar suppliers didn't list a matching plug, I had to buy a used loom off ebay when I needed one.

That switch looks correct to me, but it's cheaper elsewhere like David Silvers.

It'll clank if it isn't running consistently on all 4, pilot jets may need cleaning and ignition setting up properly etc.

[codarmyman]

The 650 also uses the same plug. Vehicle wiring products and similar suppliers didn't list a matching plug, I had to buy a used loom off ebay when I needed one.

That switch looks correct to me, but it's cheaper elsewhere like David Silvers.

It'll clank if it isn't running consistently on all 4, pilot jets may need cleaning and ignition setting up properly etc.

Thanks for the info on David Silvers, looks like I will be shopping there!.

[MrDavo]

Hi Mike, I'm Dave, in Greater Manchester these days, but I hail from Morecambe originally.

At the weekend I noticed my CB750, which has always been a pig to start from cold, was sounding very clanky and bottom endy once it got hot. As others have said, rough idling will make the primary chain jump around and generally sound awful, the merest whiff off throttle and it smoothed out completely, which made me suspect the pilot jets, which I already suspected of causing the hard cold starts.

Last night I whipped the carbs off, unclipped the float bows and unscrewed the pilot jets. As suspected, there was barely no hole through them, years of crud have accumulated in there from standing with old petrol in, I reckon. I faffed with a jet cleaning wire and solvent for ages, then gave up, went in and ordered a set of new ones online, from Germany.

[UK Pete]

Hi mike welcome aboard fella
pete

[Aly-b]

Hi Mike,
Welcome,best of luck with your project.

[philward]

Hi Mike
Welcome to this great forum - I'm not too far away away in Wigan. Loads of info on here from really friendly people
Phil

[Trigger]

Welcome to the mad world of the SOHC, CB550F is a great choice.

[AshimotoK0]

Hi welcome .. I like the idea of a joint father/son resto !  even father/daughter project.

These are in my Dropbox link and may be of some relevance to your model if you don't have already



CB500 / 550 F SHOP MANUAL

https://www.dropbox.com/s/88zdzlj8olqi8pl/CB500-550_Manual.pdf?dl=0

CB500F K0/K1 PARTS MANUAL

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5jfzpdcvxnahso4/Honda%20CB500%20CB%20500%20Four%20K0%20K1%20Parts%20List%20Diagram%20Manual%201971%201972.pdf?dl=0

ALSO for K2

http://www.honda4fun.com/materiale-documentazione-tecnica/parts-list/parts-list-cb500

https://www.dropbox.com/s/daizzh89pzezphs/CB500%20K2%20Parts%20List.pdf?dl=0

CB550 PARTS MANUAL

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wwtfuqz1tbgj5m1/CB550_Parts.pdf?

CB500/4 Service Bulletins

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z8s0vpxu8niqva3/AAC1D8GaKGw_tvX0y2-CTcHaa?dl=0

[codarmyman]

Many thanks for all the welcome replies and info 

[codarmyman]

Its a CB550 F1.


Think the suggestion of a new wiring harness is the best route - thanks.

[Laverda Dave]

Welcome Mike.
I joined the forum a couple of months ago and the members here are a great bunch with endless knowledge.
Good luck with the project,  personally I would go for a new loom, expensive maybe in the short term but much cheaper in the long term. The last thing you need is a breakdown due to a wiring fault especially in the headstock area where all the wires meet up!
Dave

[MCTID]

Hi Mike......and a very warm welcome to this great Forum. There are some wonderful and very helpful folk on here and I'm sure you'll find lots of useful information, knowledge and friendship.

I'm in Lytham St Annes and have made contact with members in Poulton, Swinton and Thornton Cleveleys, but there are also many others who have also given me valuable help and support.

I don't think that there is any 'daft question' so don't be afraid to ask. Some other bike Forums have some real anoraks who just want to snipe from the sidelines, but I'm glad to say that you won't find that here. You often find that a question is answered by a few different members and some of the debates are quite interesting.......but you will always get the benefit of other peoples experiences......good and bad.

No doubt we'll meet up sometime as we are only a few miles apart. Mine's a lager! LOL.