# 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:** 7
### Author:  [@91MR2](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/91MR2)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/121 "2012-04-18T13:48:18Z")
Cool project man.
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/122 "2012-04-19T18:28:10Z")
Got a whole bunch done tonight. I stopped taking pictures because Pirite showed up with his DSLR and snapped a bunch of pics as I worked.
I started out by making some cardboard templates…I wanted to make a compartment where the battery and electronics used to go so I’d have a place for a toolkit, hat, storage for my phone/wallet, etc. especially since I plan on taking a 700mile trip on it in july. As you can see, I re-used the stock plastic inner fender to start with…trimed to clear the electrics tray I made previously.
At this point Pirite showed up and took over picture-taking (and provided me with a tasty mini-cigar)…he will be bringing a chord over tomorrow to load them up…
EDIT: Pirite’s pics…
MMM, cherry…eases the mind while fabricating stuff and things
I made a WAY nicer shift linkage using some heim joints and I threaded the ends of a peice of rod to accept the heims, then put a small zig-zag bend in it to clear the shift lever and an engine mount bolt…came out pretty damn nice.
Then I pulled the wiring harness, broke down some of the front end to get going making a new set of clip-ons to solve some gas tank clearance issues I was having, and cleaned the rear wheel and painted that black.
Planning on getting the rear end back on the bike tomorrow with the new shocks, and then cleaning/painting the front wheel black and making the new bars.
After that all I have to do is repair/repaint the tank, make a new wiring harness, and order up shorter throttle and clutch cables.
I’ll update with more pics tomorrow…
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/123 "2012-04-20T17:21:59Z")
Got a bunch more done after work today. Got the shock mounts modified to fit the swingarm mount points, re-assembled the rear end, mounted the new shocks, re-made clip-on bars, and painted the front wheel.
For the bars, the reason I re-did them was the direction the pinch bolt was pointed caused it to contact the tank before I was full lock, and it dinged my tank on both sides. I re-positiond the clamp portion so that the pinch bolt points toward the headlight on the front side of the forks so the lowest-profile part of the clamp is on the tank side.
Here’s some pictures of the shift linkage I made up yesterday
I’m still waiting for Luke (pirite) to swing by so I can upload the pics he took yesterday to put in my previous post. bare with me on those lol.
All I have left to do is build a wiring harness and paint the tank. should be done over the next week or two.
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### Author:  [@pirite](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pirite)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/124 "2012-04-20T20:45:41Z")
Ill get the cable to you. I had a 14hr day today at work. I think i have an excuse for once.
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/125 "2012-04-21T14:37:42Z")
Re-assembled the front wheel this morning, tossed on the new bars and top triple clamp, and then yanked the wiring harness. I stripped off all the old loom/wrap/tape and got it all removed from the headlight bucket so I can start figuring out how to route wires for the new harness.
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### Author:  [@pirite](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pirite)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/126 "2012-04-22T19:47:56Z")
Looks like you and i have some wiring ahead of us…
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/127 "2012-04-23T14:05:31Z")
> [@pirite](#):
>
> Looks like you and i have some wiring ahead of us…
indeed we do. the parts of the harness that were under the original loom are in GREAT shape, I’m thinking we can get away with alot of re-routing and shortening of wires instead of starting from scratch. I’m probably not going to get to it until maybe saturday or sunday morning to get started on it. ☹
Also, I updated the post from a few days ago with more pictures so don’t miss those!
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/128 "2012-04-26T17:13:50Z")
MOAR PROGRESS!
Removed my “glovebox” and sprayed it in rubberized undercoating
Did the same for the electronics tray after trimming in a notch for the wiring harness to pass through under the seat
Then I mounted up the new bars to test fit the new mirrors and controls
As you can see, I mounted the mirror clamped on the end of the bar, so that I can still use weighted bar ends
They clear the tank now and I have room for my hands at full lock either direction
I’m not totally sold on the bar location at this point, it might just be the fact that the fork tubes are a little over an inch too long (due to being from a CB750 and this is a CB550) making the top of the triple area looking quite bulky. I dunno, looks wierd to me. There are write-ups on how to shorten the tubes inside and shorten the springs (or just order some Progressive springs meant for the 550 and swap 'em) but I don’t know if I want more down-time.
I also picked up a tap & die set and chased the buggered threads for the rear shock mounts and a few other stripped studs on the frame but pics of that would have been silly.
whats left:
-measure/order shorter throttle cables, clutch cable, and brake line from the master to the distribution block for the front brakes.
-wiring
-repair and repaint the tank
-fab mesh sidecovers
-assemble and ride!
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### Author:  [@Motocrossx23](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Motocrossx23)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/129 "2012-04-26T18:14:00Z")
Let’s get a good wrench day on yours and mine Sunday?
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/130 "2012-04-26T20:48:16Z")
so just when I thought I was done working on this thing for the night, I get a call from Pirite…offering to come mess with the wiring harness for a bit…how does one say no to such a thing?
so we started trying to sort out the harnes…
“what the fuck is this clusterfuck of fuckery” -Luke (Pirite)…couldn’t have said it better.
45mins later…
2hrs in…got all the useless crap chopped out, and the rest bundled and tagged so we can attack it one connector at a time.
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### Author:  [@pirite](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pirite)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/131 "2012-04-26T21:21:23Z")
Such a pain in the ass. But its gonna be so much easier now to put it on the bike and fit it.
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/132 "2012-04-30T19:26:50Z")
Luke stopped by again and we tag-teamed the shit out of the wiring and got a solid chunk of the new harness constructed. only took a handful of pics but its FAR less wires than before and the headlight bucket now has about 80% less wires in it.
Some mini-switch setup
bucket, now with 80% MOAR LESS WIREZZZZZZZ
I didnt snap the pics of the looming we did of the now 10 wires that run from the bucket to the electronics tray. I’d say we are about halfway done with the wiring…mostly because radioshack ran out of the switches I needed.
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### Author:  [@Motocrossx23](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Motocrossx23)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/133 "2012-04-30T19:45:10Z")
Oh hi, thanks for the HELP Luke!
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### Author:  [@pirite](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pirite)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/134 "2012-04-30T19:53:56Z")
🙂 and im not sure how… But newports seem to jump into every pic :gotme:
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/135 "2012-05-01T19:47:41Z")
MOAR WIRING!
first off, shoutout to Pirite…HUGE thanks for the many hours of skilled help here.
tackled a bunch more. the harness is not like 90% done. all that is left is a couple grounds and the headlight switch wiring.
how small my new switches are (still have to make some type of housing to hold switches…)
AND, this is what has been REMOVED:
will probably take a breather and get back at the wiring next week. Just got the estimate back from MotionPro, and my cables are going to run me $110 + shipping. WAH
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### Author:  [@checko](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/checko)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/136 "2012-05-01T20:07:45Z")
first off, shoutout to **CHECKO** …HUGE thanks for the many hours of skilled help here.
fixed! haha 🙂
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### Author:  [@pirite](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pirite)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/137 "2012-05-01T20:48:44Z")
To checko: :madfawk:
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/138 "2012-05-02T04:37:51Z")
LOL
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/139 "2012-05-05T12:26:05Z")
Not a huge update, but I replaced the horn (old one stopped working) and JB-welded the seam of the tanks where it was weeping a little leak that was driving me nuts.
I can’t seem to find some nice looming material locally to put my new harness in…I hate that black corrugated plastic shit they sell at all of the parts stores.
I remember seeing a few times a mesh fabric-like material that you folded over the wires and just taped the ends…is that available locally that anyone knows of? I’m about 90% done with wiring, once this tank is finished up and painted its practically ready to ride. Just have to fab up some kind of switch mounts for the bars.
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/1975-honda-cb550-cafe-bike-build/61505/140 "2012-05-13T08:51:16Z")
Well, progress has slowed down, mostly because the wiring is playing some tricks on us. Had to quit wiring until I can borrow the clymer manual from Checko as it has the wiring schematics in it and I need to double check some of my wires…
I sanded down the JB Weld on the tank and sprayed it in etching primer. Just have to do some body filler on it now and then that’ll be ready for paint. Just have to build side covers, build switch panels for the new switches up on the bars, and finish wiring.
I’ve been pretty aggravated working on it lately…the wiring is going exactly the way I didnt want it to…a pain in the ass with shit not making sense to me. Really feeling worried that I might not get it finished in time to ride down to Vintage Motorcycle days…I didnt want to be turning the last bolt the week I’m supposed to put 600miles on it
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