1975 Honda CB550 cafe bike build!

Bike looks mean. I vote for the 4-1 and also recommend bar end mirrors and a wire tuck on the front cluster/headlight.

well, I can’t leave anything alone. I snagged a spare lower triple clamp to make my own clip-on bars with…the ones I bought left alot to be desired… the downward angle was far too shallow, and I wanted them welded ahead of the tube instead of off the side of it (you’ll understand what I mean in a second)

Step one, cut up triple clamp

step two: lean bar onto brick for hilbilly-angle setter lol…then weld.

You end up with this:

I also lowered the front about a half inch and raised the rear a half inch to level out and get the stance I wanted. Really enjoyed putting some miles on it today.

looks dope,i love it! i also vote for a 4-1 header and bar end mirrors

edit: headlight/cluster area, needs some wire tuck action :slight_smile:

Nice build… I recently posted a WTB 80’s motorcycle thread with the idea of this in hand.

I came across a 74 cb750 that I’ll be doing this to, so I’ll have a build thread up soon.

Did you fabricate the rear seat yourself? If so, think you could make a second? :wink:

Oh, the 4-2 looks better, but a 4-1 will scream

Very cool build :tup:

Nice Gus! I sold my '76 cb750 about two months ago, it was too nice to cut up. YES I did in fact make my seat myself. mine is metal but I could probably pretty easily whip up a fiberglass replica if I mold mine…PM me if you want me to make you one and we can talk details. Also, if you have any interest in the chrome clip-ons I removed I’d take $40 for them.

I think I’m going to go with the 4-2 unless I can find a good deal on the CB550f supersport header and just mount anew muffler at the end of it.

Bump! Sent you a PM on the clipons.

We need to talk about the seat. I’d like to have what you created. Our bikes are similar, so I think that tail will look great on my bike. Thats what is really holding the look of my bike back is the seat and bars… Lets talk. If you want to come over or I’ll drive to your house, you can fill me in on some info about this CB.

Sounds good gus, If you’re CB is on the road, feel free to ride it over sometime…we can test fit my seat onto your bike, it’s onlt held on by 4 bolts. we can toss the bars on too…thats probably an hour job or so.

Yeah its road ready, took her to work today. I can swing by this week sometime!

I should be free thursday between 4:15 and 7ish, shoot me a text. unless you’re free friday during the day, I’m taking the day off to get caught up on some fiberglass parts I have orders for so I’ll be in the garage ALL DAYYYYY lol.

did a little project on the bike this morning and figured I’d throw it up…

I was given a set of weighted bar-end caps and some really comfy grips from a newer sportbike from Slomies on here, and decided to make them fit my home-made clip-on bars.

took one of the bolts to home depot and snagged a nuts that fit and some washers that had the same outside diameter as the bar and an inside diameter a little bit bigger than the bolt. I welded the nut centered in the washer so that the nut would hide inside the bar, and welded the washer to the end of the bar. did this on both sides obviously but I really think it finished off the bars nicely

Nice addition!

I forgot when I saw your bike the other day. Are you still rocking mirrors?

I have some bar end mirrors, and I have only the left mirror on… When I take off my left hand, the handle bars start to wobble. Not anything to worry about, but I do notice they start to get a wobble going… I’m thinking the weighted bar ends will help that… I might also go back to the throttle mounted mirror and ditch the bar ends… I can barely see whats behind me in them.

thanks for the clip on’s btw.
check my build thread out.

Gus

I haven’t ridden with the weighted ends yet, but having a wobble when you pull your left hanf odd the bars sounds like a bigger issue…might have misaligned front forks or the rear axle isnt adjusted the same on each side of the swingarm. I do have one mirror, the original left hand one. I swapped master cylinders for the brakes so I dont have a place to mount the right hand mirror.

Hmm… I noticed the wobble when I put the mirror on the left bar, but was thinking because of wind resistance… I’ll look over everything today, but didn’t notice it on my ride in this morning.

pay the most attention to the surface you’re riding on when you notice a wobble…those black tar runs they seal cracks in the pavement with yeild some pretty random riding dynamics lol. I only have one mirror on and I don’t get any wobbles on nice flat pavement…its those wierd road conditions that make for interesting characteristics.

well, thanks to my addiction to hobbies, my random searches of ebay while bored at work, and my inability to leave anything well enough alone…

BIG CHANGES ON THE WAY.

I just won a CB650 motor on ebay for $100. what’s that mean for the bike? Well…the cb650 is based on the same casings, but with 15 more HP thanks to increased displacement via stroke and bore, a FAR superior head design, and it all drops straight in. BUT, yet again this isnt simply good enough for me. It is possible to machine the cylinders to accept liners from a CB750, then bore those out for an overbore kit. If you do the math…its going to be a 740cc engine with roughly 11:1 compression in a little CB550 frame. Should net about 85-90 HP in a 1975 motorcycle…pretty nuts if you ask me. I have some ideas in store to see if I can get it over 100hp. I wanna do a wheelie on this thing haha.

Of course this is something that is going to be the winter project as it’s going to take a while. I plan to clean up the frame some more, shed some weight on the bike, and change the color of a few things (keeping the bodywork orange). I’m now looking forward to next riding season in a BIG way. Stay tuned!

LIKE.

Yes! Let me know about that 100hp. The 750 isn’t fast enough anymore…

:bigtup:

The 836cc kit for 750’s is only $110 via ebay…users on sohc4.net have been having good reviews on the kits, I plan to order one in a few weeks