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Old 12-11-2015, 01:49 AM
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Robert Woolley Robert Woolley is offline
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Getting my old motorbike back on the road.

Hi all. I am in the process of getting my old 1982 Honda CBX 550 back on the road. I got it in the early nineties, but the old girl has been languishing in my dad's carport for the last 16 years. It is now running and ready for registration. I have a lot of cosmetic work to do, but most of all I look forward to riding it again. It was a fun bike back in the day. I used to have a 1986 Kawasaki GPZ 600, which performed better in every way, but was nowhere near as fun as this bike both on the road and at track days. I guess that was because I felt like I was going faster and riding like a hero on the CBX, even though I wasn't. I was too scared to go as fast as the Kawasaki could go.
Anyhow I am at an age where speed doesn't call me so much, just the fun of riding around the back roads.
If I do start to restore it, I will share it here, but that will probably be a ways down the road.

Robert
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Old 12-11-2015, 01:42 PM
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mbauer mbauer is offline
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Great looking bike!

Mike
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Old 12-11-2015, 03:23 PM
rmks2000 rmks2000 is offline
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Good luck! I'm looking for a project bike myself but can't decide on what platform to start with to turn into a streetfighter. I really want to pick up an old Kawi H1 or H2 two stroke. although the state noise restrictions would most likely limit using expansion chambers on the street. Currently still riding my '01 cbr f4i that I bought new. She's coming up on 16 years this January.
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Old 12-11-2015, 11:18 PM
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mbauer mbauer is offline
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Originally Posted by rmks2000 View Post
Good luck! I'm looking for a project bike myself but can't decide on what platform to start with to turn into a streetfighter. I really want to pick up an old Kawi H1 or H2 two stroke. although the state noise restrictions would most likely limit using expansion chambers on the street. Currently still riding my '01 cbr f4i that I bought new. She's coming up on 16 years this January.
Used to ride a Kawi 1971 Blue Tank 500.

Wheelie without warning going from 1st to 2nd. No cornering ability and after a 35-mile ride of constant riding needed to take 10-minutes to un-peal you fingers from the handlebars.

In a staightline-WOW! Beat 750 Hondas easy!

Was very young in the 70's when It was mine.

Had no fear and rode it hard! Kept burning holes in the center piston. Then the crank seized. Ended up by parts from all over the country and putting together a monster. Almost twice the 42 horses it started with.

Was getting ready to race it at a 1/4 mile track and had an issue one night.

Knocked a 1972 Buick 225 fourteen feet sideways that totalled it (car too). Driver was turning left onto a one-way street (going the wrong way), with the right blinker activated. I decided to pass and hit center of the driver door.

Would love to find another 1971 Blue Tank or even a 1969 White Tank!

Mike
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Old 12-12-2015, 12:28 AM
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Robert Woolley Robert Woolley is offline
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Great story Mike. I had a Yamaha TZR 250 two stroke at dads along with the CBX. It was the second one I had owned and the only bike I had a serious crash on. It hasn't run for 17 years. I had planned to restore it but decided I would never get around to it so struck up a deal with an old bloke near dads place who prepares race bikes. He has a shed full of them. I gave him the TZR in return for getting the CBX ready for rego. As a sports bike the TZR left the CBX for dead but like the old Kawasakis was a white knuckle ride. The old bloke is going to turn it into a forgotten era racer.
The CBX is a 30 year old bike but is a cult bike in Japan and parts are cheap an readily available for it, so the choice of which to do up was easy.
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Old 12-12-2015, 03:27 PM
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That looks like fun! Bet it was fast!

A local kid, works at a nearby Chevron station is rebuilding an RZ350. It is almost ready to go, he is having troubles finding the tires though.

Do you happen to know anybody that sells older style tires? Here in Alaska we are limited on choices.

Mike
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Old 12-12-2015, 06:09 PM
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Robert Woolley Robert Woolley is offline
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That is an interesting question about the tyres Mike, because I need new tyres on the CBX and they are the same sizes front and rear as an RZ 350. I haven,t tried finding them yet. I was assuming the local bike tyre shop would still carry them. Old bikes with 18" wheels are still fairly common here, but I may be in for a surprise.

Robert
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road, back, fun, riding, kawasaki, bike, cbx, faster, days, scared, track, guess, felt, hero, restore, share, start, roads, robert, ways, age, speed, call, fast, carport

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