Honda CB550 cafe racer

Honda CB550 cafe racer
The Honda CB550 is one of our all-time favorite platforms for creating a café racer. Of the six Honda SOHC4 models made from 1969 until 1982, it seems to have the best balance of performance, size and agility. Introduced in 1974, it uses a 544 cc air-cooled 8-valve SOHC transverse four; in stock form, the 50 bhp output offered a top speed of 102 mph (164 kph). This particular bike has become a smash-hit on the excellent SOHC4 forum, with a detailed chronology of the super-thorough build provided by member Squirley. He gave his CB550 a complete overhaul, right down to an engine strip, rebuild and repaint, and it looks just delicious. [Thanks to Nick Venn for the tip.]

Filed Under Custom Motorcycles From
  • http://www.classicauto.pl Antoni Walkowski

    The pics from Squirley’s thread aren’t working, but I found his Imageshack profile with all the pictures:

    http://profile.imageshack.us/user/squirley

    The bike looks just fantastic, though if I were to build a cafe racer I’d rather have the CB450 K0 as the base (though I have to admit that the 550 is much more… well proportioned?). The black and gold paintjob gives it a sinister yet elegant appearance, plus it’s a nice homage to classic racing Nortons. Two thumbs up!

  • http://www.dotheton.com Tim

    Awesome to see the bike up here! It made our Bike of the Month club just last month and was featured on http://www.dotheton.com.

  • http://www.car137.com Glenn Edley

    Classic look with excellent suspension and brakes. Very cool.

  • Phil

    nice-a gs550 dohc would be a similar basis for a project

  • http://www.mulemotorcycles.net Mule

    This thing is bitchin’ ! Awesome combo. Bring it over, I want to take it for a ride! Better still, I want to build one. Very, very nice!

  • mark

    My all-time favorite cafe racer…perfect blend of aesthetics, performance, and class!

  • Rex Havoc

    Very nice. Even a pedantic bastard like me finds very little to pick on. That front end in near on perfection.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Rob-Rooster/1000531468 Rob Rooster

    I think the ‘homage’ is due to AJS, I think the 7R is no bad thing to referece for style, LOVELY JOB!! And I am a bloke who when I was building ‘Cafe’ racers Tritons, Tribsas, Trifields etc. I NEVER thought Jap bikes could be CLASSICS!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephen-Spiteri/1079155957 Stephen Spiteri

    A practical, safe and efficient classic. This is great. Love that engine and it sounds so lovely too!

  • Aaron Burke

    Nice bike, so tempted to rebuild my current 550 cafe in a similar style to this. The kind of bike where form and function meet to create a beautiful bike. A true credit to the builder.

  • http://www.dialademo.co.za Steven | Dialademo

    Nice bike! My current ride is a Husky SM610 Supermotard, but I really like cafe racers and streetfighters. A vintage cafe racer like this, with some really top notch suspension and braking components (ie most anything of a modern superbike – go scrapyard hunting, guys, you’ll be amazed what you can pick up real cheap!) is something I’ll really love.

    The nice thing is that this goal is easily attainable with some love and dollars, with lots of time thrown at it.

    I am really enjoying this blog.

    Ride safe guys and girls!

    Steven

  • joshua

    Is there any way that I could get a detailed list of what you did to this bike. I just picked up a 75 cb550 from a friend of mine and I would love to build one similar to this one. That is one gorgeous bike. Great job!