Bought a cb550 for a cafe build...what have I got myself into?!

[tangerine911S]

I went with 3.25/19 and 4.00/18 Roadriders. I didnt want them too fat and I think they are just right.

[WilsonTC]

Where did you get the tank/seat set-up? Is it aluminum or glas?

[sailchef]

Looking very cool.

Did you fab the seat yourself?

[tangerine911S]

The tank and seat are from benjiescaferacer.com. Tanks is fglass, seat is metal. A fglass seat would need to be double walled and would not have enough room for the battery and electronics.

[nynor]

that is looking VERY nice.

[tangerine911S]

PAINT !

[tangerine911S]

I should be documenting this on the sohc forum but I dont think anyone there cares. Everyone has or is building a bike just as cool (well...almost).

[Tim Hancock]

Looks nice.....What kind of paint?

[tangerine911S]

POR-15. Keeps me from having to completely strip the frame and every spot of surface rust. Goes on great, self-levels well, and very durable. Only con is that it is not UV-resistant. I dont think the bike will be in the sun too often but I can top coat it if it is. Cheap too!

[sailchef]

I'm looking forward to seeing how your bike turns out. Where abouts in Vermont are you?

I grew up in Shelburne Vermont, and bought my first (and only) motorcycle there in 1979, its a 1973 CB 750. My buddies and I would cruise the entire state. We would head down 89 to Waterbury and then head down thru Waitsfeild/Warren into Killington, over to Rutland and back up route 7. It's god's country for riding. I put something like 45,000 miles on that bike and then stored it. She's been tucked away for more than 25 years now. I've been hankerin for another bike, but I'm thinking now that I might just pull this one out, follow your path, and make her look sweet again. I like the "new" look of the cafe' racers. I checked out benjiescaferacers site and they have some cool ideas.

Anyway, just thought i'd say howdy, and add the gratuitous picture. The pic was taken in 1980 but the bike looks exactly the same, the dirt is probably that old. I've started it religiously once every year and it still fires right up. I may have ridden it a few times really late at night, can't remember, it hasn't ben registered in a long time, and you know if a bike isn't registered you can't ride it. Uh Yep.







Next time I'm out in my shed with a camera I'll push her out for an updated photo.

Keep up the good work.

[tangerine911S]

Hey sailchief! Im in Rutland actually. Sounds like you are familiar with the area. Drop me a PM next time your around and if the bike is running, we can take them for a spin. A took a few more pics of some more work thats done so check in later.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

One 550 I built a couple years ago

[Schumi]

Saw one hell of an old beat up CB on a trailed heading through town today. Friend in the car recognized the guy and said he had just bought the bike to mess with. I said "lemme guess- Cafe Racer?" Yup, sure enough.

I've even been tempted lately to get an older bike project going. Seems a bit easier to bring to fruition doing a large scale modification project on a bike than an entire car (especially with no garage space!).

Helped a friend do molds and layups of carbon fiber tank and airbox for a bike project where he took a Honda Hawk GT and adapted new style triples with completely different steering in the front, a moto gp monocoque style tail, custom headers, electrical system, the works. Turned it into as much of a track bike as possible.


Bike came out amazing. His total expenditures were small for the performance of the final product, but he did spend a lot of time on it considering he machined all the custom steering eccentrics and brackets and things himself in spare time on borrowed machines.

He wouldn't mind me showing off a pic:

Not cafe but definitely custom, hand built work. That carbon fiber tank is one off and boy did he put time into that.

[tangerine911S]

Now we are geting somewhere. First pic shows new shocks installed.