Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB500/550 => Topic started by: alexdecker on June 19, 2023, 06:57:41 AM
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Hey all
Saw this beautiful bike on the American forum. I am getting a new rear fender soon, as there are massive rust holes in my own. Instead of the stock taillight, I am looking for something a little more discreet like this, but if possible will still fit without modding fender/drilling holes.
Does anyone know of anything nice I could go for?
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Looks a bit like a lucas lens on a home made bracket
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Or you could do this - some might call it vandalism but the lamp was cheap enough all LED's
I will post a photo of it on the rear mudguard later.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52691352325_8297cff851_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2oh9XiP)lamp 1 (https://flic.kr/p/2oh9XiP) by Macabe Thiele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187487200@N03/), on Flickr
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Here you go Alex, this is the same fitting. I installed on my Triton when I built it in 2000:
https://www.classicbikeshop.co.uk/universl-classic-style-stop-tail-light-c-w-housing.html
I changed the actual light fitting last year when I restored the bike. I swapped out the light fitting (but not the mounting) for a Motone custom LED rear light that looks exactly the same as the Lucas type but is obviously a lot brighter.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52985798073_80bcd05427_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2oJb4LD)500 rear fender (https://flic.kr/p/2oJb4LD) by Macabe Thiele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187487200@N03/), on Flickr
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Alex you can find lots of inexpensive rear lamps on the likes of e-bay - unfortunately most of them have different bolt centres so I cut the new lamp bracket down then drilled some extra holes to make it fit.
.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354419352010
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https://www.vehiclewiringproducts.co.uk/c-1-home/c-82-motorcycle-parts/c-152-lights
It looks like my Triumphs rear light - vehicle wiring products stick them along with a few other classic styles. My suggestion would be to make a backing plate/ adapter if you don't want to drill the mudguard.
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The big advantage with the fitting from Classic Bike Shop is the two mounting bolts are hidden by the chrome cover of the tail lamp so it looks 'clean'.
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Photos of the fitting on the Triton, you can see the fixings are hidden (I rubber mounted the fitting simply becuase its a vibrating Triumph motor in the frame!).
The Motone LED replacement light is a direct replacement for the original.
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Can anyone identify those tyres/ sizes? They look really nice without being too wide or no brat-style. I'm assuming the wheels are standard but possibly not if they have new rims, which seems to be the case.
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They are alloy Excel rims Andy and appear to be wider than standard. I tried to enlarge the photo to see the tire size but impossible to see.
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The front looks to be a 100/90 x 18 which means he's fitted an 18" rim onto a 550, probably means his speedo will be out. The back is most likely a 110/90 x 18 to match the front wheel. Those roughly equate to 4.10 front and 4.25/85 rear in old sizes. Which is what I'll be fitting as my rims are larger section that standard rims.
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One thing to bear in mind Alex, there is no way a perspex number plate will fit on that rear light, it's too close to the guard and needs to be bent a little to clear the guard, not a problem IF it's at the base of the guard but right under the seat you'd need a metal plate.
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One thing to bear in mind Alex, there is no way a perspex number plate will fit on that rear light, it's too close to the guard and needs to be bent a little to clear the guard, not a problem IF it's at the base of the guard but right under the seat you'd need a metal plate.
That's a good point! I was thinking of finding a rear fender that was slightly bobbed, so hopefully the plate would have clearance (and sorta act a little like a prolonged mudguard I guess). I haven't had any success finding a pre-bobbed rear fender that will fit a CB550 without straying too much from the factory look. And I don't have the skills to produce one of my own. My license plate is metal though, so could probably bend it slightly and get away with that and a Vietnamese rear fender :)