BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL: A CB550 FROM THIRTEEN & COMPANY

[weeksy]

Seeing as you all seem to have peaked, i thought i'd still throw these threads up but maybe a bit less often.

https://www.bikeexif.com/cb550-cafe

[KungFooBob]

I don't mind that, it's very shiney.

[weeksy]

The problem is they're all art projects.

I'd like to see that bike with a reg plate and MOT certificate next to it.
In fact I'd like to see some bloke riding home from work on it at 6pm in the rain in Grimsby, cursing that he'll have to spend all weekend on it with a tube of autosol and a rag

i get that of course, but Bike Exif bikes are always going to be form over function, that's why i sometimes throw an old/current race bike up from Ebay as i don't know where to find nice bikes all the time... But bike exif is a good source for bikes that are at the very least, 'interesting' so they get chucked up.

[Mussels]

The problem is they're all art projects.

I'd like to see that bike with a reg plate and MOT certificate next to it.
In fact I'd like to see some bloke riding home from work on it at 6pm in the rain in Grimsby, cursing that he'll have to spend all weekend on it with a tube of autosol and a rag

It looks like it has a reg plate hangar, could it be road legal in the States?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Weirdly I like that, I could make lots of small improvements but overall I like it

[Rockburner]

Lose the balloon tyres and it'll be rather tasty.

[MingtheMerciless]

Inner Magpie likes shiny thing.

[DefTrap]

I'd happily ride anything for a go on those salt flats, flat out.

Not especially on that though.
The chrome is a right turn off - I don't hate the styling, it would just look better with some patina.

[derek badger]

I like that, but agree with DT it needs to be grubbier. Those Bell Moto III lids are nice too.

[The Spin Doctor]

The CB550 was one of the worst-handling bikes I've ever ridden. I remember tipping into a roundabout at the same sort of speed I would have taken it on my 400-F, the thing going into a violent weave and barely making it out the other side. I was convinced I was going to crash.

I stopped and checked tyres, and wheel and swing arm bearings, even though on a bike with just a couple of thousand miles on the clock I wasn't expecting problems... and there weren't. It was just an evil-handling bastard that should never had made it past the design stage.

And balloon tyres? No thanks!

[demographic]

Naah, thats too shiny, front tyre looks like its off a tractor, no airbox, straight shot from the rear tyre to the bellmouth on the carb so water/dust/salt just flies right in off the rear tyre.


That doesn't go anywhere, its someones art project.