Classic Bike Mechanic in Munster?

Itineoman

I have a 1979 CB550f that's been sitting in the garage for a few years. I bought it in the UK as a pre-midlife crisis thing around 2004 and rode it for a few years as a weekend bike before moving on to more modern bikes afterwards. It was a bit shabby and I spent more on making it nice than I paid for it and delighted to be able to do so.

Pic is from its heyday around 2012. ( 4 into 1 downpipes cost more than what I paid for the bike!). I think it's time to get her up and running again.
Main points:
The moving bits are all ok as I turned the engine over regularly and the fork stanchions don't have any pitting so everything is fundamentally sound.
The bike has been fitted with electronic ignition so no issues there.
Battery's dead of course.

Here's what needs to be done in no particular order.
a. Carbs.
Despite fitting new carb kits including float valves from David Silver one carb still p*sses petrol at all times. Dissolved the tarmac in the brother in law's driveway once while I visited. I spent my youth setting float levels on small engines so I know a little about it - this one refuses to work with an amateur.
Carbs need cleaning and setting up and balancing

b. Unleaded -
Top end needs stripping, valve seats need replacing and bike set up to run on unleaded

c. Ideally source an X-Ring chain and sprocket replacement for the existing setup. Chain width is an issue I know which is why I ask.

I got the bike serviced back in 2011 in a modern bike shop (a local and very good one to be honest) but it wasn't their bag. They just weren't set up for it and hadn't the time to be dealing with the archaic technology and its' inherent flaws. I got a quick fix and was sent home.

So: Does anyone know of anyone in Munster competent/patient/available to take the likes of this on?
I'm in no rush and can wait for quality.


550 small.JPG

Cork Trucker

If you’re around Cork give Noel Quinn of GMC Motorcycles a bell,well respected, around a long time and Works on classics everyday

H_Lime

Yeah Noel or CB motorcycles.
Sort the carbs yourself as this is the black hole of calcutta in terms of labour. Establish if the carb body or float unit is to blame.

Swap the offending float unit into an adjacent carb body and wet test it? Does it overflow there?
Does the non overflowing float overflow in this position?

If the former replace the float, the valve, the o rings the lot with Honda stock.
I'd the latter look to get a new set of carbs or degang them and replace the bad one.

Hotblack Desiato

Itineoman wrote: »

b. Unleaded -
Top end needs stripping, valve seats need replacing and bike set up to run on unleaded

You sure about that?
I thought all Japanese bikes since 1975 were setup for unleaded, it was a US market requirement and it's their biggest market by far.

Looks lovely.

Itineoman

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

You sure about that?
I thought all Japanese bikes since 1975 were setup for unleaded, it was a US market requirement and it's their biggest market by far.

Looks lovely.

Thanks! I'll have a look on one of the Honda forums and see. Happy days if I can leave the engine alone.


Edit: Yep - checked and as you say all 70's Hondas were made for Unleaded. Good news.

At this rate I'll have talked myself into doing it all myself !

H_Lime

Yeah more pics thats gorgeous.

Itineoman

H_Lime wrote: »

Yeah Noel or CB motorcycles.
Sort the carbs yourself as this is the black hole of calcutta in terms of labour. Establish if the carb body or float unit is to blame.

Swap the offending float unit into an adjacent carb body and wet test it? Does it overflow there?
Does the non overflowing float overflow in this position?

If the former replace the float, the valve, the o rings the lot with Honda stock.
I'd the latter look to get a new set of carbs or degang them and replace the bad one.

Yes I know about the labour bit - all mine up to now !:D
Maybe I'll give it one more go and see how it turns out - I can do what you suggest without dismantling anything apart from the float bowls. All the valves and jets are new but aftermarket. Maybe a set of OEM bits and bobs would help.

Itineoman

H_Lime wrote: »

Yeah more pics thats gorgeous.

Thanks -

I'll post a few over on the Pics thread later on.

H_Lime

Itineoman wrote: »

Yes I know about the labour bit - all mine up to now !:D
Maybe I'll give it one more go and see how it turns out - I can do what you suggest without dismantling anything apart from the float bowls. All the valves and jets are new but aftermarket. Maybe a set of OEM bits and bobs would help.

Did you replace the needle valve? In the past I used to eyeball these and declare one good or bad but these days I change them if anything is suspect. In doing this I've fixed a widdling float where there's been no discernable wear on the tip! Mikuni have ones with viton tips as well see do they do one for yours??
Recently learnt to polish the mouth of the bore on the float valve seat, seems to help a particularly pissy bst carb I had.

Itineoman

H_Lime wrote: »

Did you replace the needle valve? In the past I used to eyeball these and declare one good or bad but these days I change them if anything is suspect. In doing this I've fixed a widdling float where there's been no discernable wear on the tip! Mikuni have ones with viton tips as well see do they do one for yours??
Recently learnt to polish the mouth of the bore on the float valve seat, seems to help a particularly pissy bst carb I had.

Yes all four needle valves were new from David Silver. I'll need to extract the bike out of where it's stored in the garage to have a go at it. Next sunny day that comes hopefully.

Itineoman

H_Lime wrote: »

Yeah more pics thats gorgeous.

I dug out a few more and put them up on the Post a Pic of your bike thread if anyone's interested. Pictures are making me feel a bit nostalgic about it. Definitely going back on the road next spring.:D

Cork Trucker

Itineoman wrote: »

I dug out a few more and put them up on the Post a Pic of your bike thread if anyone's interested. Pictures are making me feel a bit nostalgic about it. Definitely going back on the road next spring.:D

Great photos!

Itineoman

Cork Trucker wrote: »

If you’re around Cork give Noel Quinn of GMC Motorcycles a bell,well respected, around a long time and Works on classics everyday

H_Lime wrote: »

Yeah Noel or CB motorcycles.
.

Thanks for the suggestions folks - both are within easy reach and I'll drop in to have a chat with them next time I'm in Cork. Great to know that there are still a few working on the oldies.

Cork Trucker

Itineoman wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions folks - both are within easy reach and I'll drop in to have a chat with them next time I'm in Cork. Great to know that there are still a few working on the oldies.

Noel is breaking a few old bikes at the moment

https://www.donedeal.ie/motorbikes-for-sale/gmc-motorcycles-cork-bikes-for-breaking/23223507

Itineoman

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Noel is breaking a few old bikes at the moment

https://www.donedeal.ie/motorbikes-for-sale/gmc-motorcycles-cork-bikes-for-breaking/23223507

That CB125 has the bottleneck (known as Tulip elsewhere) exhaust - probably more valuable than the rest of the bike and impossible to find anywhere.

Itineoman

So I picked the bike up from CB today. It was a big job that involved lots of parts - tyres, electrical - RegRec, brakes - rebuilt caliper and master cylinder , resealing the tank - big job in itself as it was full of the last unsuccessful petseal which needed to be dug out through the tiny filler., CDI died and was replaced with points and condensers. New tailpipe and lots more.
I’m happy to confirm that the owner is a gentleman and one of a rare breed of operator who is committed to getting it right rather than trying to extract the most money for the least effort. Anytime I spoke to him on the phone my intended one minute call turned into a long discussion of what he had done, diagnosed, and needed to do next. The carbs had defeated me in the past and he must have dismantled them four or five times. All done professionally and with good humour. As if it was his own bike.

And he rode a CB550 to Australia in the early ‘80s So he had probably fixed every past and future problem on my bike at some stage.

So thanks for the advice - and if I can offer any in return, go and visit their shop/workshop. They’re proper old school and and a dying breed. Decent nice people with a sense of humour. Places like these need to be cherished. And supported.