CB550k1 US Import - UK registration

[juitz]

Why powder coat the rims? if they were new they'd be nice and shiny, you'd really only powder coat poor condition ones. In which case just trawl eBay for 750 rims if you want 2.15 rims or 500/550 for 1.85 rims

To be fair, I was planning on powder coating as I like the look of black rims. Guess I could go unplated rims to make it cheaper? I'll have a rethink about new shiny rims though😉

With the 2.15 rims, do you go wider tyres or keep stock sizes?

[Oddjob]

Go a little wider. I used to run with 4.10 x 19 front and 4.25/85 x 18 rear and they were perfect. Sizes now are 100/90 x 19 and 110/90 x 18.

The more rubber contact area the better so the wider the tyre the more contact there is.

[Sesman]

Agree…that’s exactly what I used on mine and the look ‘right’ IMHO.

[Oddjob]

I personally always thought the OE size tyres looked too thin, like elastic bands on a chrome rim.

[juitz]

So, I've got rims and spokes in the shopping basket with central-wheels, just need to wait for pay day! As recommended, will give lacing the wheels myself a go.

In the meantime, looking at cost saving options starting with the fork stanchions. They're badly rusted/pitted and was thinking of sending to dynasurf for rechroming, but now I'm wondering if I can just slip back on the headlight covers and leave them as they are? Save myself £200ish?

[Oddjob]

Send them to Dynasurf, they'll almost certainly have some pitting/wear/damage on the seal area, although the gaiters do reduce it a great deal. It's also the wear on the tube that's a problem, eventually you'll be replacing seals on a regular basis. Might as well get them done now and forget about them and the cost of oil/seals etc for the future. Those ain't getting any cheaper, bite the bullet and save in the end run.

[beardylondon]

Re: Tyres, I posted on the US forum last year, before Julie kindly pointed out that is the UK forum....

Anyway I had this back and forth, see interesting reply from Flyin900

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,188360.0.html

Go a little wider. I used to run with 4.10 x 19 front and 4.25/85 x 18 rear and they were perfect. Sizes now are 100/90 x 19 and 110/90 x 18.

The more rubber contact area the better so the wider the tyre the more contact there is.

[Oddjob]

The reply is correct IF you were retaining the old 1.85 rims. However the start of the thread indicated you were considering what size rims to replace the old ones with. If you fit the 2.15 rims off a 750 then that opens up more tyre size choices. My rims are 2.15 as I fitted Lester mag wheels back in the 70/80s and that allowed me to fit the sizes I mentioned with no rim creep, that occurs when the rim and the tyre size are incompatible, if the tyre is too wide it allows the tyre to move along the rim as the bike corners due to the sidewalls flexing too much due to the lack of support from the rim.

4.10 is the biggest tyre size that is recommended for the 2.15 rim, I found however that the 4.25/85 tyre was perfect with it, plus it looked better from the back as it's a wider tyre and filled out the swinging arm better. I wouldn't go higher than that though. Lots of people at the time went with 4.10 front and rear or 3.60 front and 4.10 rear. It depends on how you ride the bike, as I was racing at the time, so it was important to me to get maximum grip in corners and I could get insane angles with those tyre sizes mentioned.

[juitz]

Oddjob - do you run stock fender with the 100/90 tyres on the front, and if so do you have clearance issues? Reading through some posts that as well as acting as fender, it's also a brace. Seen one or two posts saying its close but there is clearance, and just want to make sure 👍

And I'll send the stanchions out, wishful thinking as always that I will save some money!

[Oddjob]

I don't run a stock fender but I do run with a stock fender brace, I also have twin discs on the front as well. My front mudguard is off a CB900, I cut the brace off that and fitted the blade to the original 500 brace. As the 900 used a 19" front wheel it looked perfect afterwards. Plus I don't have the rust problem of the original mudguard.

[Sesman]

I run 100/90 F standard rim and 110/90 R 2.15 rim with no clearance issues using the standard mud guards….just saying.

[juitz]

Hello again!

Does anyone know where I can get some handlebar clamps that fit on the original top triple in the UK? I don't want to replace the original clamp with indicator lights. Found some on csmnl from a 78 model but shipping is 30% of the total cost.

Frame is going out to get welded with new rear hoop, and a long way to go but I'm hoping to start actually posting some pics of the build soon!

[Oddjob]

I've got some minus paint. Simple clamps with the dot on the upper surface to tell you which direction they are meant to go in.

Meant for a 550F which doesn't have the idiot panel light clamp like the 500.

[juitz]

Have PMd you Oddjob 👍

[Oddjob]

No you haven't