[Stattz]

Geeto,
What do you think of this Giuliari cafe seat for sale on ebay? Do you think it will fit a CB550K ('78)? What do you think it's worth?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hond...ryZ35589QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have looked at the Royal Enfield Continental GT gas tank. I really like the styling, but not the price! I'm not sure that it will fit - I think the tunnel will be too small. It's only 2.5" wide at the top, 3.5" wide at the bottom and 19" long. Tank is 25" overall. Still' I love that look. They also have a cool continental seat...

http://www.royalenfieldusa.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_11&products_id=6564


Stattz

 

[Geeto67]

The old Giuliari cafe seats are not bad seats at all. Not sure if they still make them or not, the last ones I saw were made around 1984. I know there was a firm in england that made similar ones (i'm blanking on the name right now) but they have since closed shop. The problem is that you own a 78 cb550K and I don't think the cb750 seats fit on the 550 ( I have heard of people putting 750 tanks on 550s but never seats, I am pretty sure they don't fit). The papers compartment was pretty neat but on some of them the lid rattled. They are not any lighter or more comofortable than a stock seat. For the $153 current price i'd rather get a fiberglass bubble seat from 1hotwing on ebay (under $100) and dump the rest of the money into refinishing.

If you still like that style, Hot Rod Carpy at cb750cafe.com can make you one just like it using your stock seat pan.

The problem with the enfield tanks is that they are meant to go on a single backbone frame. The cb750Fours are all triple backbone tube frames and those tanks look kind of akward because they usually end up sitting on top of the outter two top frame tubes and not the backbone. It is nice that it comes in aluminum though. While I have heard of people using them for cb350s and 450s, the SOHC4s are saddled with an unusually wide frame. I like the cafe racer tank they have for the enfield also (much nicer than the continental tank) but unless you have something really skinny I'd look at other alternatives.

For a cheap alternative that has a smiliar shape in steel I'd look at the cx500 tank or the cb350F tank, both of which were designed for a wider honda style backbone. once you get into the realm of custom tanks you will need to start thinking about custom seats to match since there is very little that will mate to your stock seat and fit perfecty.

Another tank I have been looking at recently is the kawasaki h1 tank 1973-1976. Very long tank, sits low and narrow. Really wide tunnel at the back and narrow at the front. very curvy tank and no emblem holes to fill.


The continental kit you are eyeing from enfield looks very similar to the bike benji built out of a cb500 four (same basic bike as yours - I think he called it havoc cafe). The early style cafe bikes from the 1950s.
http://www.benjiescaferacer.com/images/DSCF2452.JPG

http://www.benjiescaferacer.com/home.html

 

[Stattz]

Excuse the ignorance, but what exactly do you mean by a triple backbone?

http://home.triad.rr.com/stattz/carbs 6.JPG - a pic of my 550 showing part of the backbone.
It looks like a single to me. I measured it and for most of it's length it's 2.5 inches wide. The bottom end flares out into two pieces to support the seat.

The US Enfield dealer emailed me a pic of the bottom of the tank with a hard to see ruler resting on it.

http://home.triad.rr.com/stattz/Continental tank underside.JPG

Stattz

 

[LiLBull]

that tank looks like it may fit is the front mount spacing the same width as i noticed a big differents in mounting width between a 74 cb 360 and a 74 cb 450 frame mount .obviously the 450 was a little wider .but it looks like it may fit in the center tube and it would rest in front of the or past the seat mount .

 

[Geeto67]

quote:
Excuse the ignorance, but what exactly do you mean by a triple backbone?

http://home.triad.rr.com/stattz/carbs 6.JPG - a pic of my 550 showing part of the backbone.
It looks like a single to me. I measured it and for most of it's length it's 2.5 inches wide. The bottom end flares out into two pieces to support the seat.

The US Enfield dealer emailed me a pic of the bottom of the tank with a hard to see ruler resting on it.

http://home.triad.rr.com/stattz/Continental tank underside.JPG

Stattz

Stattz,

you are right I was thinking of the cb750 frame where the backbone has one tube running to the top of the neck and two tubes running semi-parallel to the bottom of the neck. My mistake, that is what you get for trying to do things from memory. Did I mention my cb550 has a custom frame and I haven't worked on a stock cb550 frame in years. Even dahli lama #2 doesn't know everything. Sorry.

Just tkae good measurements. If it loos like it will fit then why not? just make sure to take good measurements.