CB desert sled

AKA spawn of Outta Sight Racing.
AKAKA, saving a bunch of old Honda parts from cafe racer purgatory.


So after being part of some serious vintage bike idiocy for a couple of years, mostly involving two rounds of the Mexican 1000, it was time for me to build a bike. I wanted something a bit bigger then the SL. An old airhead was my first impulse, but I kept coming up with practical objections. Weight, balance, power, etc, etc. In truth, the problem was I used to own an oilhead GS and didn't really want another.

That brought me to the old Honda CBs. Something like an old CB550 was still heavy, but would be easier to balance (shorter motor, chain drive) and have a bit more power. But that's just dressing up the fact that my first bike was a CB650 and I do kind of miss that one.


So with about 8 months to go until the next MX1K I enlisted some accomplices and started ordering parts. Most notable among the accomplices is Rick "LC Garage" who is letting me build this thing in his garage. This bike is being built with a mind towards the race, but mostly as a

Normally with a build, it makes sense to start with a complete bike and modify it. Unfortunately, the old SOHC 4s have such a following that complete bikes are quite expensive, so I'm starting from parts. The good news is that the cult has produced a lot of information on building and tuning these bikes, and has also kept the aftermarket alive.

Ebay and Craigslist were scoured, parts trickled in, and building starts.

I've only gotten as far as a test fit of the forks to the frame, but so far everything is progressing perfectly. :eek1 Rick has some posed pictures, but here is one I took while checking the wheel clearance.




The forks and wheel are from a DRZ. So far, so good. But there is a bit more to do.

Docsprocket says:


Absolutely awesome! I want in super bad, but I want deep in. Give me a "what's-missing?" list, I'll start tracking it down. Rick's is closer to my place, and I can be there more than schelpping out to the coast. Set me up with a sub-project. For the love of God, anything! My hands have been idle for too long, and I'm on the verge of tricking out my 4-year-old electric Mini Cooper toy car. Dear Lord save me. And Larry's got those crazy eye like he knows what I'm thinkning, and he's in too...

Hey Luke,

Looks like you left yourself logged in to the nextbook I lent you guys to take down there. That was me trying to post above. Didn't realize it was "you" until after I sent it. But in summary: Hells yeah, count me in.

At this time of night, I totally could be talking to myself.




What does it need? Just imagine a motorcycle. Then look at the picture above. It needs everything else.

Seriously, what it needs first is a proper BS session / sanity check. Before cutting the frame in half or ordering fancy custom shocks.

I'm so confused


And sooo IN!

Luke should I box up that DRZ rear brake set-up for you??

Do you have the complete engine or just the bits in the picture?

Luke's new project is so far out of the box, it even makes Andrew Folcher's SC500 seem sane by comparison.

Here are some photos from the first few work days:

Day 1, a pile of parts and a dream (nightmare?);



Day 2, parts pile begins to resemble a motorcycle;









I'm sure this project will have it's share of names and nick-names, right now I'm voting for CBZR-650!

I had a CB550 and loving this! Im in.

What youre going to find is that most of us here are very impatient and will want daily (hourly?) progress updates !!! So lets get cracking!!!!!

Neophyte desperately searching for WTF is "desert sled." I think I got it now!!! good luck!

Please. The front brake is on indefinite back order, and I better have at least one working brake before the motor is working.

It's going to have a frankenmotor. Two, actually. I'll build a spare at the same time.
I have one parts motor already, and another in the mail.

You would know.


I like your Harley. And your CAD drawings, too. They are much nicer than mine.

I can't imagine a much more beautiful sight and the even more beautiful sound of a CB four blasting across Baja at 9,000 rpm with open pipes; Chuck Norris agrees, so I'm in!



I used those crash bars exclusively for crashing, believe you me!

Good luck with it.

Thread here might be of interest http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=497905 (towards the end)

Subscribed!

Yep.
My CB500/4 was also fun sitting at the lights next to the "beautiful people" in their soft-tops.
Open megs and methanol on the way to the track will do that........

PLEASE have 4 pipes!

Darn right MODNROD! I tried to stay under the radar most of the time, but for a few weeks in my senior year of high school, I ran my CB500/4 with open headers, no baffles, no mufflers and no turn signals

Man, does a CB-Four make A LOT of noise at full tilt boogie like that! :huh

No CB desert sled build thread is complete without engine noises!

Here's a YouTube video or two of a CB500 Four being run through the paces on the road. I couldn't find any decent ones of CB550s or 650s being run out, but the sound is very similar. This one sounds like it's either got stock pipes or 4-2s, either of which IMHO, sound manlier then a 4-1

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d_9jCQzmflg" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2A36MnG1xJA" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>

It's funny, even this euro-spec bike has the "wagging" speedometer needle at high speeds. Mine does the same thing... at 80-100mph, the bike is almost wagging it's finger at you saying "slow down!"

The experience is killer on these bikes. It's nothing like a modern inline four...

Awesome! Let us know what (if anything) you need help with. CAD skills and some fabricating/manufacturing capabilities over here.

I figured the exhaust would be an afterthought, but it's apparently the most important part. :) It'll be 4-2, by process of elimination. 4-1 pipes all seem to have big collectors under the frame which kill ground clearance. 4-4 is heavier and more expensive, especially since the bike will need spark arrested mufflers.

The question left is whether to use supertrapps or something else.

I suppose a wagging speedometer is better than wagging handlebars.