I'm finished with mods on my 550

[Ol School]

I bought this 550 NH on Craigs list 6 months ago ..it wasn't exactly what I was wanting but for the price tag of 1,000 and 30,000 miles on the od ..it was the best deal I could find .
I`m a cruizer at heart ..not a daily rider but I ride as often as I can and this bike has been so trouble free just a real pleasure to own .
being an 83 year model I was able to buy a one time tag ..only for bikes and cars 25 years old and older ...so this has always been great for a guy like me that likes to tinker on his toys .
I`ve spent the last 5 months doing add on`s like windshield , saddle bags , tool pouch , sissy bar , crash bar , hwy pegs , Honda tour line seat and a spin on oil filter system .
my last 2 mods were a little more work than just bolting on ..but 2 things that just bugged the heck out of me ...
1 up swept exhaust cooking the bottoms of my saddle bags ...
2 tiny narrow kick stand sinking in the hot asphalt as soon as I turn my back .
Harbor freight had a 110v wire feed welder on sale for 99.00 so I decided to make the investment in one instead of finding and paying a welding shop much more for the mods I wanted to make (I hadn't welded since high school ..40 years ago ...but I still remembered how to turn the machine on ..hahaha )
For the exhaust mod I cut the up sweep out of my mufflers with a 4 inch cut off wheel I already owned ......then I welded the straight section of pipe to the mufflers ....came out great , good strong welds no exhaust leaks .....hid the welds with some chrome muffler clamps I bought from JC Whitney ...used longer chrome hangers from same .

For the kick stand problem ...I was thinking something like a ducks foot ..all I could find around my shop was an old wrench that hadn't been used in 40 years , so I cut it in half and welded it to the bottom of my kickstand ...( no more sinking in hot asphalt )
OK so I paid 1,000 for the bike and now I have invested another 1,000 in my mods ....but I have a bike that runs like a new one and fits me and my ridding like a glove ...I`m one happy camper ...and will keep the NightHawk forever ...

[gammer]

First off...nice work on the mods 

For the kick stand issue: this is why I predominantly use my center stand when I park. Its just more stable, and I have no issues getting up on the stand or off it.
But yes, the idea of a 'ducks feet' addition to the kick stand would make it more stable, for sure.

[noahnsteph]

Those upswept pipes is why I have such small saddlebags on my Nighthawk and I won't go within 10 feet of the bike in shorts.

[Ol School]

I guess I`m just not strong enough to put the bike on the center stand anymore ...I have to have help ...the center stand would be much better of a soft asphalt ..
I looked at some newer style kick stands ...they are 100 bucks and I probally would have still made some mods to make one fit .
I`m glad I bought the welding machine though ....I can use it on other projects around here now ....its a good machine ...the wire that comes with it sucks ...but it works well with a better grade wire .\
I am looking for a larger set of saddle bags now ...I have plenty of room .
I bet my ridding friends will be calling me Mr. Good Wrench when they see my kick stand ...
I don`t know why but the muffler mod changed the sound also ...it has a deeper growl now , not louder just deeper ...I like it .

[ariwhiteboy]

Very cool ol school!, Still waiting for some more  though! 

[geemann]

sounds like it looks good... 

more more more more pics please!

haha! nice work though, I can tell you have put a lot of energy into your bike.

[chas550sc]

I used to struggle with the center stand, and then I just accidently tried lfting on the  left aluminum rail under the fender while standing on the center stand (and having both feet landed) adnd whoosh like magic it popped right up. its a leverage game, fool around with it a bit and you'll nail it and make it easy.    more pics please

[Ol School]

You ask for more  
I know not everyone likes the cruizer style ...but the 550 NH does have the cruizer look ..



Been thinking about adding some ol school flames to the tank this winter .....still thinking though .....need bigger baggs first ...
Just when you think your finished ....what the heck I still have time and money left .....

[luckylindy]

Nice work.  I like the wrench kickstand.

[SirSeanSean]

I like the grips on the handle bars. Bike looks really good. Did you paint the bike or did the PO already have it painted like that?

[hockeyhawk]

Bike looking good, nice work. Have you considered spray painting your oil filter before installing so you don't have to see all that orange? Just a thought.

[Ol School]

Next oil change she gets a Bosh filter ..they come in black ..
I did do the painting on the bike with rattle cans it had a new paint job on when I bought her but she was Dodge Viper Red and just wasn`t me ..

[bajakirch]

I used to struggle with the center stand, and then I just accidently tried lfting on the  left aluminum rail under the fender while standing on the center stand (and having both feet landed) adnd whoosh like magic it popped right up. its a leverage game, fool around with it a bit and you'll nail it and make it easy.    more pics please

I read this a few days ago and thought, "There's no way it can be that easy." Normally I looked like a spastic monkey when I put my bike on the centerstand: I set the front wheel straight, push down on the centerstand with my left foot, put my right foot behind the bike, take hold of the grab rail with both hands, get my butt as close to the ground as possible and PUUUUULLLL.

I just tried your method. Not only did it work as described, I got it on the first try.

You get a   and a  

[chas550sc]

You are most welcome! If your are like me you will start to use the centerstand as your default now that you have it sorted out.
 

[Ol School]

I`ll have to give that a try next time I put mine on the center stand ...
I always have to get the wife to pull back on the sissy bar while I pull back on the handle bars ..and its still hard for us .
I guess its like the easy way to pick up a heavy bike ...I watched it done by a girl on Utube ....she sure made it look easy ....like said ...its all leverage .

[Option13]

How's that oil conversion working? no fear of low oil pressure?

I'd spray the aluminum fitting black as well. I'm not into chrome and shine, but that's just me.

[Ol School]

No problems at all with the spin on filter system I really like it ...no leaks ..oil light goes out just as fast as it did before ..engine sounds the same .
I have done the spin on filter change on some old cars in my past ...it was always an improvement ...a lot less messy doing oil changes ..I no longer dread changeing oil on the bike .

[bajakirch]

You are most welcome! If your are like me you will start to use the centerstand as your default now that you have it sorted out.
 

Pretty much what I'm doing now. After several times I'm discovering little nuances that make it even easier. I noticed that when I push down with my foot on the centerstand's foot-spur (or whatever you call it), it gives the bike a little boost up and I don't have to pull as much with my arm. You can actually feel the leverage at work.

[ariwhiteboy]

Just put all your weight on the stand with your foot baja, it will shoot up with almost no pulling on the bike needed! 

[Ol School]

I tried putting my bike on center stand as described this morning ....
man I feel like a dumbarse ...it was too easy they should explain this in the owners manual ..

[Medina]

should be in the owners manual

Yup. I read somewhere, probably here, just to balance the bike, and stand with your weight  on the leftside of the centerstand-(on your heel) and just keep the handle bars lined up gentle pressure rearward...it just rolls itself onto the center stand.
I looked like a steriod monkey fighting with it till then...now my 220 pounds FINALLY has an advantage!

[ndmeistr]

should be in the owners manual

Yup. I read somewhere, probably here, just to balance the bike, and stand with your weight  on the leftside of the centerstand-(on your heel) and just keep the handle bars lined up gentle pressure rearward...it just rolls itself onto the center stand.
I looked like a steriod monkey fighting with it till then...now my 220 pounds FINALLY has an advantage!

OK, maybe I'm just plain dumb, but I don't get what you are all talking about.

• First off, are you all sitting on the bike straddling it or are you off the bike, standing next to it?

• Next, please explain what you are grabbing to lift it?

• How do you keep the hadlebars centered if you are standing of of the bike?

The only way I've figured out to do this is stand on the left side of the bike, lock the steering wheel turned to the right, flip and hold down the center stand with my right foot and grab the left handlebar with my left hand and grab under the rail on the left side with my right hand and pull up and back. It takes some straining to get it up off the ground but I finally do.

If you are all claiming its easier, please explain it to me more.  

[Medina]

I stand to the left side of the bike, keep handlebars straight, lower center, put my fatheel on the spur or dogs head or whatever that thing is called, and simply put all my wieght on that, while gently pulling up on the rear seat handle.
Easier than it sounds, I struggled, then the very first time I did it, it took less energy than to push it up the little hump into the garage.

[Ol School]

each time I do it ...seems like it gets easyer ..
Like said ...I stand on the left side with the kickstand down ..put my big foot on the center stand thing my right hand under the rear fender shroud ....just pull up ....don`t try to pull back at the same time ..the bike will rock back on its own .
just pull up with your right hand as you push down with your right foot ...pops right up .

Before it was me in the middle with the wife pulling on the rear grab handle ....and sometimes it would come up sometimes it wouldn`t ....pulling back just makes it worse .