# 1975 Honda CB550 cafe bike build!
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505
**Category:** Builds
**Created:** [January 17, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505 "2009-01-17T16:51:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 10
### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/181 "2012-06-28T06:32:12Z")
Rode to work today.
:bigtup:
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### Author:  [@checko](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/checko)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2012, 10:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/182 "2012-06-28T10:12:21Z")
Let’s hope it makes it back home! :bigtup:
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2012, 10:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/183 "2012-06-28T10:29:52Z")
haha, already rode it home for lunch and back BOOYAH! Gonna try to use it as transportation as much as possible while the weather is nice, save up some miles on my truck hahaha.
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### Author:  [@checko](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/checko)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2012, 11:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/184 "2012-06-28T11:13:33Z")
Good deal! Do I get to take it for a spin?! 🙂
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2012, 11:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/185 "2012-06-28T11:21:00Z")
> [@checko](#):
>
> Good deal! Do I get to take it for a spin?! 🙂
sure!
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### Author:  [@pirite](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pirite)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/186 "2012-06-28T19:39:17Z")
My legs and my car made it in pics. Wonderful lol.
So glad this is finally finished :tup:
Time for me to go get my bike permit…
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/187 "2012-06-30T13:08:46Z")
spent some time on the bike and car today…
wetsanded the runs out of the clear and buffed the tank down to perfection.
after sanding:
after first cut with polish:
after the whole tank has been cut twice with polish
after sealer wax:
Then it was time to throw the emblems back on…but they looked beat to hell. I don’t mind a little bit of wear, so I chose to blast them with black and sand the tops of the letters
Before:
During:
After:
Installed:
🙂
Then I worked on the focus…
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2012, 10:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/188 "2012-07-07T10:41:24Z")
So the perforated mesh I ordered FINALLY came in yesterday, so this morning I got up and decided today is going to be a wrench-day.
Cut out the mesh and welded it to the backs of the frames I previously made:
Then, for the right-hand side I welded a few bolts to the back of it where the original side-cover had tabs that snapped through rubber grommets, and put a washer and nut on the inside to hold it in place.
The other side is hinged and mounted already, so all that’s left to do is buy a thumb latch(and install it) like this guy:
I’m pretty happy with the result. In fact, I’m thinking about leaving them raw and just clear-coating over them as-is so they don’t rust, I kind of like the industrial look they’ve got
do you think I should paint them? maybe just paint the outline/frame?
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### Author:  [@checko](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/checko)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/189 "2012-07-07T11:26:57Z")
Paint it! Save the raw look for the xs hardtail
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### Author:  [@Bull49](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bull49)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/190 "2012-07-07T12:12:47Z")
Awesome work man :tup:
So, how much?
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/191 "2012-07-07T17:50:34Z")
> [@Bull49](#):
>
> Awesome work man :tup:
>
> So, how much?
LOL, not for sale…but for someone to build what I’ve built would probably cost about $2k or so in parts/supplies (no labor) plus purchasing the bike to build with
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/192 "2012-07-09T05:44:57Z")
Saw it this weekend. Bike looks even better in person than in pics.
I say paint the side covers. Everything else on your bike is “finished” so I say finish those too.
Perhaps paint them black then outline them in orange… like a pin stripe or something.
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### Author:  [@95dime](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/95dime)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/193 "2012-07-09T05:59:24Z")
looks good dude :tup:
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2012, 6:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/194 "2012-07-09T06:03:12Z")
THE DUCK!
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### Author:  [@GV1390](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GV1390)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2012, 6:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/195 "2012-07-09T06:30:59Z")
The Duck is a Happy Camper…[ATTACH]21422[/ATTACH]
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/196 "2012-07-09T11:50:42Z")
LOL, another project in the background haha.
Newman, that pinstripe idea is interesting…It game me another idea…maybe paint the outside of the covers black, and then from the inside paint orange so all the machined holes have a spice or orange showing through on the black…
HMMMMM
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### Author:  [@checko](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/checko)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/197 "2012-07-09T17:58:17Z")
Thanks for letting me take it for a spin, I love this thing!
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/198 "2012-07-15T11:47:20Z")
Tried to tidy up a few things, with mixed results.
replaced the horn switch I busted. horn still didn’t work. traced wires found one disconnected. YAY horn works again.
replaced starter button, smoked brand new switch soldering wires to the contacts (AGAIN). Decided next switch I’m just wrapping the wires through the little eyelet holes and shrinkwrapping into place (when I get around to replacing, AGAIN)
drilled holes in sidecovers and mounted ignition key/switch and thumb latch for hinged cover. These came out nice I think…now I just need to remove them and spray with bedliner black.
Now, this thing is still running like asshole. So I thought I was too rich on my main jet…pulled the pod filters went around the block…WORSE. OK, guess I’m lean. I have 4 days to acquire #40 pilot jets and 120 mains to attempt to remedy the situation. The carbs are back off and broken down again. I’m going to be stupid and drill out a spare set of stock 100 mains with a #56 (3/64) drill bit to achieve the equivalent of a 119 main and see if it helps in the meantime (as I might not get my hands on jets by wednesday for VMD)
FUCKING CARBS
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### Author:  [@checko](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/checko)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/199 "2012-07-18T03:55:54Z")
Shirts!
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2012, 5:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/200 "2012-07-18T05:28:54Z")
How’d you make out with the carbs?
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