1974 Honda 550~Four – Café Racer or Bobber?

[RogerB]

awesome restore job!

Cafe all the way. Nice project. I did a 66 honda 2 years ago. Will be starting another this summer. Here's what I wound up with:

Start:

Finish:

 

[elpenguin0717]

make it a cafe get some clubman bars and do a full wire tuck and that alone will make it look so clean.....if you need help or advice with a wire tuck hit me up iv done several mostly on jap cars and a 77 cb550 i had

 

[Colt556]

Dude, that is an awesome find! If it were me I'd return it to original and rock it in all it's old skool glory!

 

[spec4]

Know this ain't your plan, but back to original would be awesome. Just had to say. I brought a 305 Hawk back from Japan in the 60's. Wish I still had it.

 

[kinorton]

Turn it in to a bobber, that is my vote.

 

[down3green]

Just do a "rust-oration" and have a classic.

 

[jbombelli]

I don't see any ape hangers.

 

[VUPDblue]

Cafe racer FTW.

 

[sepe]

No cafe,

No bobbing,

CHOP IT

LONG BIKES RULE

I like long bikes but they aren't really for much other than shows or bar hoppin. If you do a proper job bobbing a bike, you've got something comfortable that doesn't take 2 city blocks to turn around. I LOVE long bikes done in the tacky paint jobs from the 70s, absolutely beautiful but they're more for eye candy than anything.

 

[lovemywoods]

I admire your talent! Wow!

(Oh, and my 'vote' is for the cafe look!)

 

[Roadie]

Cafe all the way

 

[HamsterStyle]

Bobber. And that teal and black bobbed 750 is or at least was a guys in Lafayette that builds a few a year to sell. His name slips my mind right now but he's a really nice informative guy. We went up and picked up a few parts from him a couple years ago.

 

[CVMA544]

I like long bikes but they aren't really for much other than shows or bar hoppin. If you do a proper job bobbing a bike, you've got something comfortable that doesn't take 2 city blocks to turn around. I LOVE long bikes done in the tacky paint jobs from the 70s, absolutely beautiful but they're more for eye candy than anything.

I have built my own and rode them all over the place, 600, 1300, 2000, etc mile trips on my rigid chops. But to each their own, build it the way you want an ride the **** out of it.

As for me....mine are long bikes.

 

[RogerB]

whatever you decide, please keep posting progress pics. Can't wait to see it come back to life in whatever form you choose.

 

[vitamink]

Cafe race. I planed on doing the same. Here's a site with tips

Home

look at "carpy's corner" or whatever for ideas. I've always liked the checker pattern stripe.

 

[Suprtek]

My vote is for the bobber. With lots of flat black to contrast nicely with your awesome polish work! Whatever you decide, I can tell it will rock!

Looking forward to pics of progress!

 

[Rob377]

That bike NEEDS to be a café racer.

 

[theweakerbrother]

Flat black only paint. MURDER THAT THING OUT.

 

[Rocket57]

Damn! I wish I hadn't come across this thread. I rode all over the western US on a 78 Suzuki 750. If I came across one I'd have to sell the dog or kids or something to aquire it!
I'd go with the bobber. At my age the cafe would kill my back. I had an 83 Suzuki XN85 (google it) that was great fun to ride in the mountains of Colorado but the riding position was killer unless you were doing over 80. (which I was most of the time)

 

[theweakerbrother]

I'm taking the ABATE class this weekend. I have little to no experience with motocycles. I want something cool that I can cruise around town in but not something that is a crotch rocket. Unfortunately, about 90% of cruiser type bikes are WAY out of my price range. I could see myself sporting one of these... are they pretty idiot proof as far as maintenance and repair?