1983 honda nighthawk 550

[teamnaptime]

well, i have this project going on another forum as well. but i wanted t oget it on here as well so i can get as much constructive input as possible since this is my first bobber project.


i bought this bike just about a month ago for 600 bucks. got lucky when the previous owner had a tranny go out on his car and needed 600 asap.

i was not looking for a small bike. i had been looking for something along the lines of an 1100 or 1300 but bought this to hold me over in the meantime.

about a week ago, i accidentaly stumbled acorss some honda bobber pics.. which lead me to mutliple forums, websites, and photo albums.. all which sealed the fate of this bike

with the end of riding season almost upon us, i'm gonna start getting ready to chopp this bike up and build it through the winter while also saving to get the bigger bike that i want for crusing.


this thread will be slow to get started.. as its still riding season here (at least 1 or 2 halfway decent days a week anyway... with plenty of cold weatehr gear on lol) but once its too cold to ride.. then this wil lreally get under way.



here is the bike as it sits now:







i dont have a perfectly clear cut vision of how the bike will be in the end.. but i do have some guidlines i'll be following along the way.

i plan to keep the stock tank. i dont care for the look of the small sportster style tanks.

i plan to cut about a half inch from the top tube and lean the neck back for just a little rake.

i'll be keeping the stock tires and forks.

i WANT to keep the softtail rear, but will be using shorter shocks, as well as relocating the upper and lower mounting points so i can get the rear as low as possible.

will go with asolo seat. but would like to have a removable seat pad for the rear fender for days when my daughter wants to ride too.

i'll be building custom forward controls.

i'd like to use drag bars but with risers so they clear the tank.

i want to lower the front a few inches as well.



overall look i am going for, is low as possible. nice low seat height. legs stretched out front. just a little rake to stretch out the wheelbase a little. KIND OF like what henry did with the suzuki, but not quite stretched out THAT far.. but enough that yo ucan tell some work was done to it.

i'll be keeping the bike street legal... ie: signals, lights, horn, etc... but i will be using smaller flush mount signals and switching to a nice big fat round headlight. and the horn will get relocated off the forks.

for pipes.. i want a LITTLE noise out of them. but not so much that i wake the neighbors when i ride at night.. i have a number of different ideas rolling aorund in my head concerning the pipes.. so i think i'll wait tili i get to that point, and then ask them.

well, sorry i dont have mroe pics yet... but in a few days i'll have some of at least the initial lowering of the front and rear.

[teamnaptime]

alright i think its time to get started on this project.

took some initial pics today and started trying to put togetehr some of the plan..

so... here we go....

side views of the bike. i would really like to keep the softtail rear end. although i want to figure out a way to make it as low as possible. whether that means rebuilding parts of the rear of the frame or moving the lower shock mounts up and back and moving the upper shock mount in and down. not sure yet. but we'll figure it out.

[teamnaptime]

i like the look on the front of the bike.. just needs cleaned up a little. i would definately like to change out the square light for a round one. i'll ditch the horn or move it somwhere else. i've got drag bars on risers that im bidding on. i want to put smaller, bar end mirrors on it. and i'll probably move the turn signals down on the forks and smaller, flush mount. or maybe even mount them on the back of the mirrors to do something different. sort of like newer cars and suv's.

[teamnaptime]

the backend. i wish it could use a wider tire. but i've been told its not possible because of the shaft drive.i know i'll be redoing the turn signals and maybe flush mounting them onto the fender or something along those lines. not sure if i want to mount the plate off to the side, or keep it on the fender, albeit the new bobbed fender. i somewhat like the off the side look, but its also way overdone imo. thats why i'm thinkign id rather make a unique mount for the plate and turn lights on the fender and have something thats my own style.

[teamnaptime]

some angle shots just i ncase it makes it easier to visualize.

[teamnaptime]

i'm not sure how to handle the issue of the softtail rear end. i would really prefer to keep it, since i will be ridign the bike around town, on some not so friendly roads. i prefer to keep the tire in contact with the road.

so, keeping the softtail is a real desire.

but i would also like to have the bike as low as possible and close up the gap between fender and tire. and i want a really low seat height. i'd liek to get it around 25-26" if possible. i'm thinking i can relocate the upper or lower shock mounts.

also, is there any danger to getting as low as possible, while maintaining the shaft drive. most bobbers i keep seeing are chain drive. i've only seen a few that were shaft drive.. hope we can make this work !

[teamnaptime]

one thing i really dont like is the pipes. for one thing.. the bike is rather quite. which is nice when you're pulling in the garage at 3 in the morning.. but i'd like a little bit of growl from them. not loud like an obnoxious harley vrod or something. but just enough that yo uknow its there.

also, on the nighthawk, the pipes are a 4 into 2 setup , and they run under the bike and out the side. problem is that they are lower than the frame. so you cant even use a motorcyle jack. maybe i might not ever NEED a jack, but i dont like not having the option. i guess the other thing that bothers me is that the pipes are taking up 3" of space, which is going to limit how much the bike can be lowered.

so, i'm thinkign i'd like to bring the pipes out the side or someother way, and have straight pipes down the side of the bikes. perhaps keeping two on each side instead of 4 into 2. id like the pipes to end around the point of the rear axle. just not sure how to get them there...

[teamnaptime]

soooo those are all the pics of the bike for now...

here are some of the things i'm leanign towards...

i'm currently bidding on these handlebars on ebay.. the auction is over tommorrow, so i'll be watching it closely..




i'm goign to either make, or buy forward controls.

right now i'm looking at the ones from tcbros.



if i get those, i definatley want the knurled pegs instead of the smooth concave ones. i like the idea of having a peg that bites into my shoe a bit.



and of course, they also have a linkage kit which just looks like it rocks.




and, here is how they look mounted on a honda cb750

[teamnaptime]

and thats it for now..

if anyone has any ideas or input, please feel free.

like i said this is my first project of this sort, i dont know know anything about working on bikes, but i have the ability to learn


forgot to mention... as far as tools are concerned...

i have a garage full of hand tools. power tools. plenty of sawlzawls, and grinders. 80 gallon air tank and compressor. air tools. torque wrenches. 220v mig welder with gas. and HOPEFULLY pretty soon i'll be adding a plasma cutter to the mix as well. but thats still in the works.

[teamnaptime]

oh yeah..

here is a short video so you can get a better look at the bike, and here how it runs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KTGhvDBaxQ