My street legal 480

[Wheelie-Gene]

I'm building a 2nd gen conversion....I'm usually hanging out where the beer cans are. Sorry to admit, but this is my first visit over here.

I purchased a clean old 480 from a good friend a while back. He put in Boysens and a new Wiseco, it had about 15 minutes on the top-end when I got it:




I did some cosmetic clean up and noticed the front rim was bent. I used the black rim from my 600 project, powdercoated the hubs, laced in a new set of spokes and mounted street legal rubber:



A few weeks ago I had some of the lighting installed. Last week I strung up the harness, installed the mirrors and changed the gearing to a 14/45 (from 14/54):






I installed the license plate for my 500, just to make it look legal (and pray I didn't get busted). I'm impressed w/the whole bike overall. Floating the front wheel in the air from 1st through 5th is a no brainer, so even w/taller gearing it still has excellent power. I don't have the speedo hooked up on the Vapor, but I'd say 60MPH cruising is effortless w/comfortable RPM (I need to calibrate the tach).....and it attracts attention.

It's finally off to get the state inspection sticker and finalize the plating at the DMV office....I can't wait for Monday to roll around.

I'll get a few back-road poses with the new graphics as soon as I can, and I'll post a vid of the thing when I can find a camera man.

[AlisoBob]

Super- Bitchin'

[lewisclan]

NICE

[CRMOE500]

Way cool man. It's about time someone did one of those bikes.
I love it!

[Wheelie-Gene]

Thanks.

Though it looks meaner wearing knobbies.

[robertg]

I still like the way those old ones look. I remember a friend acquired one in the mid 80's because someone owed him money. It used to take me about 100 kicks to start it.

[JBaze]

How are you guys getting these things to pass at the DMV? Up here I was looking to get an XR650r and street liscence it. I went to the DMV to see what I had to do and they just laughed at me. Said there was no way. So for curiosities sake how do you do it? Thanks.

[Wheelie-Gene]

I've only ridden the thing twice, so I'm figuring out the routine.
It was cold yesterday. So far.... choke on, throttle off, slow kick through several times (let compression bleed off/slow rotoatons). Bring up on compression/bleed some off/cracked throttle and kick like hell. This thing has a lot of compression...started on the 4th hard kick....Good thing for new Sidis.

The laws aren't specific between 4-bangers and 2-smokes. If it has the lights, mirrors, street rubber, horn, etc... it'll pass the state inspection. If it meets/passes with written proof, then it's reclassed and licensed (plated) at the time of retitlement. Once a bike is street legal, it can be sold/reregistered into a different state (might check CA 2-T laws to be sure).
I'll find out tomorrow how simple/pain in the ass it's going to be.

I have a plan to ride the 480 for a few weeks, iron out the bugs (jetting) and also make sure it's a reliable bike. I will then put it up for sale.

I plan to purchase a 500 steelie, convert it also for street duty (maybe a street sumo), ride it/sell it....and start all over again.
I just like building cool shit...and I'm never satisified with just one toy. My plan will give me a chance to tinker, help others along the way (a place to purchase street CR500s) and satisfy my thirst for constantly building/riding something different on a regular basis.

Building a crate isn't difficult and I know of a reasonable freight co. Out-of-state shipping won't be a problem.

On another note....if someone wants to convert their CR500 as a dual sport, send me a PM.

The 480 will be for sale in a week or so....

[B440]

How are you getting the juice to light up the lights? I've wanted to do this but haven't figured out the lighting part.

[Wheelie-Gene]

Right now it's a total loss system. It takes minimal power to operate LED lights (stop/tail/blinkers) and I have a low wattage bulb in the headlight just to give it a low/high beam for inspection.
I've been in a hurry to get it leagal so I can ride, I'll build a charging system as soon as I find a lighting coil that'll mount behind the flywheel. I figured I could track down a coil from an old ATC/XR/XL for next to nothing, and duplicate a system by looking in a Clymer manual.

[Wheelie-Gene]

Tha Vapor instrument package is a cool deal. It'll display speed, RPM bar graph, head temp, shift light, over temp warning light, over rev warning light, odometer/trip/time/timer, and a few other things I need to read up on.

Oh yeah....you can recall max speed/max rpm also.



Hmmm, 57 degrees in the shop after the heater was shut off (it was in the 30s today).


Wheel speed sensor. 1 pulse per round.
The magnet takes the place of a rotor bolt....I have drums.
I machined a piece of aluminum so I could mount it to the valve stem.
Bolted right up....no hacking on the bike here.






Good thing for heat shrink tubing.




14/45 gearing.

[B440]

Fuckin-A man I hope that works. I just may have to copy you if it does. The magneto on the 480 is tiny.

[Wheelie-Gene]

Fuckin-A man

Fuckin-A man is right....This thing is sweet. Rode it Tuesday evening for the final shake-down. I swapped from 14/54 MX gearing to 14/45 for the street. It did mellow down the power, but I thought it was mellow to begin with
Cranking on 1st gear is still useless, it'll easily loop out, as in 2nd also. Carrying the tire in 5th is no big deal either....I just love it.

For a 25 year old machine, it rocks. I wasn't sure, but I like the raspy/metalic sound of the fins. It's not loud and irritating (like Huskys/Yammis) like some I've heard, but it adds to the cool/old school style.
I'm still trying to get out for some new pics. Either the weather is junk, or there's no time.
The weather interfered w/getting it legal. So now I'm looking at Tuesday, after Xmas.

I did manage to pound the key board and get my new website started:

http://supermotoconversions.com

And a simple logo: