Hello From North Wales

[Café Builder]

Hi All

Just a quick note of who I am and to say hello.

I'm Mark Live in Wales in the uk. I have a couple a few bikes and thought I should join a forum or 2 so I can get plenty of advice. I'm mechanically minded when it comes to cars but am a complete novice on bikes. I Love cars and bikes but have mainly restored cars. I have switched to restoring/building bikes Last year after falling ill and decided that cars take too long and take up too much room.

I have  1981 Yamaha XS250 which is my daily rider when the weather permits, I'm building a café Racer out of a 1979 Honda Benly Twin and have just bought a Honda CB550.

I'm hoping to get lots of advice and parts for my Hondas as the CB550 was going to be converted to another café racer but changed my mind as I will already have one with my Benly I am going down the path of restoring it back to original.

Engine No CB550E 1129***
Frame No CB550K2025***

Any help and advice you guys and gals can give me will be very appreciated. I hope the pictures show up ok.

Mark

[UK Pete]

Hi mark and welcome aboard fella
pete

[matthewmosse]

Hi there from sunny Mid Wales. Cb550s are good bikes, one of my mates had an Xs 250, not a bad looking bike, his was pretty unreliable though he might just have been unlucky. He dropped a 400cc engine in. I ended up rescuing lots of engine bits from the skip when he got divorced  and moved. I might still have one or 2 bits that survived the eBay clear out hiding in the odd corner. I mostly have cb500/4s but still have a cb550 project lurking in a barn. What cars have  you restored? I have a series 2 land rover that took me away from my bikes for a few years.
Cheers
Matt

[Bryanj]

The K in the frame number makes it a K3 with the worst ever carbs on a 550, they do not like being stood for any time at all and are a pig to strip and clean, that apart form the unobtainium original exhausts and they are good bikes

[mick]

Hello Mark and welcome to the forum  , cheers Mick.

[matthewmosse]

Carbs are indeed a swine to get right but running a motad neta exhaust it can be phenomenal frugal. Mine definitely gave a lot more mpg than my 500. I got from Fort William, across the a9 and down  to other side of Glasgow on a tankfull, my mate was a a super dream which guzzled  anther 5 litres on the same ride.when we filed up I wasn't  even down to reserve.

[Café Builder]

Thought I would post some pictures of the bikes, having trouble reducing the size of the pictures for the post.

As you can see the CB550 is in proper poor shape but as soon as the café racer is finished the CB will be started. Thanks for the information on the carbs, I have found a guy who will completely refurbish, clean and set the carbs up for £350 which I think is pretty good considering there is four of them.

The cd185 is currently in bits at the moment but will update on it and the cb550 as I go along. and y little xs250 is my run around picked it up £300 with mot and its fun to ride,

[Café Builder]

Hi there from sunny Mid Wales. Cb550s are good bikes, one of my mates had an Xs 250, not a bad looking bike, his was pretty unreliable though he might just have been unlucky. He dropped a 400cc engine in. I ended up rescuing lots of engine bits from the skip when he got divorced  and moved. I might still have one or 2 bits that survived the eBay clear out hiding in the odd corner. I mostly have cb500/4s but still have a cb550 project lurking in a barn. What cars have  you restored? I have a series 2 land rover that took me away from my bikes for a few years.
Cheers
Matt

Well if you have anything I could use or mite need let me know.

I have done a few cars in my time completed an MGB GT and MG Midget on my own and done a few Mk1 facelift Capri's, Jaguar xj6 series1 and VW LT35 Van with a friend and a series 2 land rover with my brother in Law.

[matthewmosse]

I have a pretty decent sized stockpile of well used cb550 and 500 bits. If you are stuck for anything give us a shout. I buy bits off eBay to replace what I break or wear out so not likely to be as cheap as folk clearing stuff out, but I do have most bits stashed someplace if something proves unobtainable. Nothing worthy of use in a restoration  likely to be in my shed though. My bikes are commuters and have genrally seen too many winters. Some nice cars on that list. Our series 2 landy  runs hay balers in summer.

[Café Builder]

I have a pretty decent sized stockpile of well used cb550 and 500 bits. If you are stuck for anything give us a shout. I buy bits off eBay to replace what I break or wear out so not likely to be as cheap as folk clearing stuff out, but I do have most bits stashed someplace if something proves unobtainable. Nothing worthy of use in a restoration  likely to be in my shed though. My bikes are commuters and have genrally seen too many winters. Some nice cars on that list. Our series 2 landy  runs hay balers in summer.

Well if I'm honest I could do with a front calliper as the one on my bike is missing. I'm chatting to a lad in Ireland who is building a racing project that looks really nice. He has a load of stuff he's not going to use so will probably by most parts of him and probably collect in march when shamrock rally is on.

[matthewmosse]

Dave Silvers do a repro brake caliper I think, and for less than used ones get off eBay. Where I might be of use to nearby members is the fact I have a lathe and welding kit, and may soon be after small jobs, as my job is headed up the swanny.

[Café Builder]

Dave Silvers do a repro brake caliper I think, and for less than used ones get off eBay. Where I might be of use to nearby members is the fact I have a lathe and welding kit, and may soon be after small jobs, as my job is headed up the swanny.

Sorry to hear that, if I have any jobs doing I will let you know. I have a fried who travels though your neck of the woods often so can always give him stuff to drop off.

[matthewmosse]

It is a pain but clouds and silver linings, it might give me the kick up the arse to do something worthwhile with my life. It ain't  going completely,  just after 7 years of pay freeze, a new lot are taking over and crowning if off with a host of cuts so time to get out, cost of living now higher than wages, to crown it off the new lot say the don't want anyone to be upset or anything. Never mind, pastures new, possible self employment.