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Vintage550 · 11-10-2010, 01:16 PM

Check out this Barn Find! Lots of elbow gresse. Been in a garage for 26 years! Got her in the shop (carbs rebuilt), classes done and a trip to the DMV I'll be riding!

Vintage550 · 11-10-2010, 02:27 PM

New to this don't see my pictures WTF!

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8410/garage2n.jpg

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/5018/550favorite.jpg

Vintage550 · 11-10-2010, 03:33 PM

OK Figured it out!

Morbo the Destroyer · 11-10-2010, 06:32 PM

Wow, that's a pretty cool bike! Love all the '70's stuff like the extended forks, turnout exhaust, King and Queen seat.

Was it covered with sawdust? It really cleaned up well.

Vintage550 · 11-11-2010, 09:49 AM

No Saw Dust just a think layer of Dirt! Took a pwoer washer to it to get allot of the grease and dirt off. Thank god i had that, saved me allot of time.

Had to re-do the inside of the tank (rusted bad inside!) and I found a really cool product out there called "Metal Restore" Killed all the rust in the tank. I didn't want to do one of those Krem things cuz I here if you don't do the liner just right it will come off after a few years and fool up your carbs. Also there was suface little holes of rust. I used a fine steel wool and this "Blue Magic Chrome polish, so lots of finger scrubing.

Was worth the wait just got the Carbs rebuilt and the custom pipes sound Awesome! She runs like a champ after sitting for 26 years!

One Happy new Motorcyclist!

Morbo the Destroyer · 11-12-2010, 07:13 AM

I really like it because when I was a kid, the riders I was hanging out with rode CB750's and Sportsters with the same customizations your bike has.

You were super careful with that pressure cleaner, right? Those things can blow the grease right out of a wheel bearing (or worse!).

Vintage550 · 11-12-2010, 09:23 AM

Ya I was real careful with that power washer. I went to the shop after the carbs were rebuilt and heard how the custom pipes sound. They sound so good! She has great compression and I'm going to pick her up tomorrow in the morning! Can't wait!

I havn't seen a 550 on Google or Craigslist like this. I mean I guess after the 70's it wasn't cool to have the mods or the Cafe Racer thing just became popular. I think I have a really uniuqe bike here. Not going to change a thing on it.

So that's what they did back then eh? Changed out the pipes, extended the forks, and added the King and Queen Seat.

I'm curious how the extended forks will be with handdling and what have you. Any ideas or cautions I should be aware of. I'm new to riding. I took the class and have only riden on a 250 so I'll be taking it real easy for the first few weeks for sure! Thanks Morbo!

Morbo the Destroyer · 11-12-2010, 09:35 AM

The forks depend on how they were done. Sorry to say, a LOT of guys stuck "slugs" in the tubes and weakened the crap out of them. The right way to do it was to replace the upper tubes.

It's not too radical; you might notice some "flop" at low speeds. And the front end might squirm if you really load it up. If it does, find a fork brace that fits and that will fix it.

Vintage550 · 11-12-2010, 10:32 AM

OK COOL. I'll keep an eye out for the Flop and I won't be "Loading It Up"! What ever that means. Fast speeds? LOL Need to learn all this motorcycle lingo!

I had to look what "Flop" was. Thanks man!

Morbo the Destroyer · 11-12-2010, 10:59 AM

Yah, "load it up" means going into a 270 degree freeway ramp at 80 and putting .7 gee's compression into the suspension.

Or having a fat chick jump on for a ride...

11-10-2010, 02:27 PM	#2
Vintage550 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Loomis CA Posts: 9	New to this don't see my pictures WTF! http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8410/garage2n.jpg http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/5018/550favorite.jpg __________________ Danny Vin550 Last edited by Vintage550 : 11-10-2010 at 03:32 PM.

11-10-2010, 03:33 PM	#3
Vintage550 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Loomis CA Posts: 9	OK Figured it out! __________________ Danny Vin550

11-11-2010, 09:49 AM	#5
Vintage550 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Loomis CA Posts: 9	No Saw Dust! No Saw Dust just a think layer of Dirt! Took a pwoer washer to it to get allot of the grease and dirt off. Thank god i had that, saved me allot of time. Had to re-do the inside of the tank (rusted bad inside!) and I found a really cool product out there called "Metal Restore" Killed all the rust in the tank. I didn't want to do one of those Krem things cuz I here if you don't do the liner just right it will come off after a few years and fool up your carbs. Also there was suface little holes of rust. I used a fine steel wool and this "Blue Magic Chrome polish, so lots of finger scrubing. Was worth the wait just got the Carbs rebuilt and the custom pipes sound Awesome! She runs like a champ after sitting for 26 years! One Happy new Motorcyclist! __________________ Danny Vin550

11-12-2010, 09:23 AM	#7
Vintage550 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Loomis CA Posts: 9	Ya I was real careful with that power washer. I went to the shop after the carbs were rebuilt and heard how the custom pipes sound. They sound so good! She has great compression and I'm going to pick her up tomorrow in the morning! Can't wait! I havn't seen a 550 on Google or Craigslist like this. I mean I guess after the 70's it wasn't cool to have the mods or the Cafe Racer thing just became popular. I think I have a really uniuqe bike here. Not going to change a thing on it. So that's what they did back then eh? Changed out the pipes, extended the forks, and added the King and Queen Seat. I'm curious how the extended forks will be with handdling and what have you. Any ideas or cautions I should be aware of. I'm new to riding. I took the class and have only riden on a 250 so I'll be taking it real easy for the first few weeks for sure! Thanks Morbo! __________________ Danny Vin550

11-12-2010, 10:32 AM	#9
Vintage550 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Loomis CA Posts: 9	OK COOL. I'll keep an eye out for the Flop and I won't be "Loading It Up"! What ever that means. Fast speeds? LOL Need to learn all this motorcycle lingo! I had to look what "Flop" was. Thanks man! __________________ Danny Vin550

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11-10-2010, 06:32 PM	#4
Morbo the Destroyer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,309	Wow, that's a pretty cool bike! Love all the '70's stuff like the extended forks, turnout exhaust, King and Queen seat. Was it covered with sawdust? It really cleaned up well.

11-12-2010, 07:13 AM	#6
Morbo the Destroyer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,309	I really like it because when I was a kid, the riders I was hanging out with rode CB750's and Sportsters with the same customizations your bike has. You were super careful with that pressure cleaner, right? Those things can blow the grease right out of a wheel bearing (or worse!).

11-12-2010, 09:35 AM	#8
Morbo the Destroyer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,309	The forks depend on how they were done. Sorry to say, a LOT of guys stuck "slugs" in the tubes and weakened the crap out of them. The right way to do it was to replace the upper tubes. It's not too radical; you might notice some "flop" at low speeds. And the front end might squirm if you really load it up. If it does, find a fork brace that fits and that will fix it.

11-12-2010, 10:59 AM	#10
Morbo the Destroyer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,309	Yah, "load it up" means going into a 270 degree freeway ramp at 80 and putting .7 gee's compression into the suspension. Or having a fat chick jump on for a ride...