The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Honda CB550 Cafe Racer

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Honda CB550F cafe racer
Honda CB550F cafe racer

CB550F cafe racer before work beganIf you need another example of what you can do with a classic, but less than pristine, motorcycle, take a look at this. Starting with an obviously rough 1977 Honda CB550F, the owner stripped it down to the frame, removed all of the brackets that weren’t necessary, bead blasted and repainted it then began the rebuild.

The tank and tail section is a Benjis Fiberglass Cafe set. The front forks were polished and rebuilt, then topped with a Buell headlight and CB200 gauges, along with clubman bars. The stock engine was painted and polished, the wheels were rebuilt with stainless spokes, plus lots of the hardware was replaced with new.

Honda CB550F cafe racer
Honda CB550F cafe racer

The candy red and black paint with gold pinstripes sets off the build and makes it look extremely classy.

Now, look at the before and after photos, go over the parts used and the work done and you’ll see you can apply this thinking to thousands of old bikes. Yes, he spent some money for parts, but not an enormous amount, what he did invest is lots of time, effort and skill. If you don’t have those to invest but you think this bike looks as good as I think it does, you can buy the finished product right now because it’s for sale. On the other hand, if you don’t have the money but you like what he did here, you can take much the same approach with an old and rough example of your own.

Honda CB550F cafe racer work in progress
Honda CB550F cafe racer work in progress

Examples like this keep popping up and everyone who says there aren’t any small displacement bikes available that look good and stand out from the crowd, is missing the treasure trove of bikes like these, hiding in plain sight. Nicely done, I definitely like it.

CB550F cafe racer detail
CB550F cafe racer detail

Related: CR-450 Clubman Café from Phil Little

Be sure to check out the Honda CB550 motorcycles for sale

Comments

  5. WOW…..! Very well executed! Goes to show that you dont have to spend thousands of dollars on a buncha bolt on parts. Its much better to go over each part you have and give it a little time and elbow grease. Customize to your own tastes and amazing results can be had. I love a lot of things about this bike, The carbon fiber inner fender, the drilled, progressive sized holes in the rear drum, The open look of the chassis, and the way everything fits the way it should. The tank and tailpeice look like they belong on the bike. Very well done! The best looking CB-550 I have ever seen, hands down.

  6. Beautiful and all, but my one nitpick is that colour scheme looks like it belongs on a much older bike from an American manufacturer, maybe Indian. Regardless, it’s a vast improvement over what was there originally, and to my eye, looks better than a full restoration would have.

    cl

  7. If someone sends in pictures of their bike there is risk.You open yourself up for lots of praise as well as the inevitable criticisms.

    First, I would give this bike about a “Nine”. Great job! Lots of things about it I think are really well done and most of it with stock parts. A different, total remake on a familiar bike from my era.

    However, after going to the EBAY link out of curiosity to see if there was actually a picture of the pipe, I’ll say I really never cared for black header pipes with a chrome Cherry Bomb muffler. It really needs a proper magaphone attached to either an entirely chrome system or all black. The battery is gonna take a rock hit from the tire and the bike will be dead and the rear wheel will get an acid rinse. But I really like the location of it. Just needs a guard of some sort.

    Lastly, I’d lose the stock caliper and replace with just about anything from the last 20 years. Those stock swinging pivot type 1969 design calipers never did it for me. Especially with so much stuff out there used. I’m splittin’ hairs though. But this is a forum and it’s about opinions. Black and red almost always looks good! I love the paint.

    Can’t waith to see his next bike here at KS.

  9. I’ve run batteries there before – NO problems.

    Nice job – vastly better than the cliche’d UJM neo-cafe racers infecting Craigslist here (plywood seat/clubman bars/flat black paint)

  10. Pretty. Fun. You can also accomplish something like this without taking out a small loan for the cafe bits: Work with the stock tank, do a home made bum-stop seat (but not out of plywood as mentioned above), and buy some old dirt bike aluminum rims off ebay. That tank/seat combo has been overdone on so many CB Cafes before, almost like fishtails on a wide glide.

    Here’s a great example by FunJimmy on sohc4.net:
    http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee195/whydoit_/CB550InterceptorCafe-ba.jpg

    -todd

  12. i love this whole 70’s ujm retro movement re imagined as 60’s cafe racers , i remember these when they were new lol. affordable practical creative very nice

  13. Thanks for the great comments on my bike. I am plotting my next project now. I’m thinking two stroke cafe. This time I am making all the bodywork myself. The benjis body took alot of work to get straight but I think it turned out pretty good. The exhaust is a MAC 4into1. This was my first cafe (but not the last!). Thanks for all the input. You can see more of the project at Vintagespeedandcustom.com

  16. Josh, if you can find one, start with a Yamaha YDS (1, 2,or 3). Those things sound amazing at speed (or a Suzuki X6 being more readily available). Since I’m a cheap SOB I’ve often played with the idea of using a DT400 or an earlier DT250 as the basis of a cafe. You can’t beat the twins though for sound and power. The later RD’s have been over done but are nice, plentiful, and inexpensive. If you’re going water cooled all-out you might as well find a CR500 with plates. Sounds like great fun and, do post in spite of all the various comments you’ll get on here.

    I have a ’70 Yamaha HS1 90cc twin (can you say 14,000 rpms?) so I’m partial to the Yamahas…

    -todd

  17. Hey Todd- My first bike was a ’66 YL1 Yamaha Twin Jet 100. I know all about 14,000 rpm’s. The CB550 motor was one of early Honda’s best, had a wet sump so no external oil tank. Neat bike, although if you pulled into a Harley bar, they’d pay no attention to it. Well, maybe they would if you stuck a set of apehangers on it…..

  18. Hey Josh I love the bike! I was wondering what battery did you use? and how did you hide it so well? lol

  20. I did a cafe racer out of a 1974 GT380 14 years ago. It got stolen 8 years ago. I’m still trying to find it.
    On a more positive note, the Suzuki 2-stroke triple sounded fantastic through the Wirges chambers. And it handled amazingly with a 17″ rim laced to the stock front hub.
    I’m thinking I’ll do a Yamaha XS750 or 850 next. There’s a lot of good-looking cafe’s of those on Youtube.

  21. I once built a Yoshimura 460 (400-4 conversion) and it was the most fun bike I ever owned.

    I wonder if Yoshi parts are available for an upgrade?

  22. Ok, I just picked up an 81 CM 400 and plan to do my first cafe style bike. I would like to know more about the rims and suspension set up you went with. Great job, your bike looks great.

  23. Gorgeous! Simply Elegant! Divinely Inspirational! This WebSite ROCKS!!! I’m lovin’ ALL the Eye Candy!! You have brought a sweet smile back to my shrivelled, overburdened, life-worn heart!.Keep it up!

  25. Great bit of work, i was wondering if you have plans for what you created? Basic instuctions for the novice would be of grat help. This will be my first attempt and the CB550 seeems to be the cheapest way for me to learn.

    Kind regards

    Sean

  26. It’s so beautiful… Really an excellent choice of parts and colour.
    I accidentally found this page, beacause someone had an old cb550 with lots of work. And being a mechanic i was considering to fix it.

    I’m not a biker, but after I’ve seen this, I’m serious about getting my license and a cb, just to make and ride a bike like this!

    So of all goes well, next summer this bike will have a sister cruising in The Netherlands. 😉
    I don’t think just anyone can acheive this level of minty condition though…

    greetz
    Alper

  27. Hey I’m looking for EFI for my CB750 four. dose any one know where I can obtain them and the wiring?

  28. Nice. Most “cafe” racers these days look like junk piles. This actually is an improvement over the donor bike it is built on.
    Fantastic!