UPDATED 4/22/04 - added second handlebar section


It's starting to look like the mock up (see the bottom of this page).





Not too much left to do, mostly fluids. I need to refill and bleed the front brakes, and reconnect the gas line and do an oil and filter change. In case you're not familiar with this project, read on. More specifics are at the bottom of the page.



In the beginning, there was the bike, and the bike was good.



A 1977 Honda CB550F "Super Sport" that belonged to my former Minneapolis roommate. He had quit his job and decided to ride his motorcycle all around the US to see the country and visit his friends here and there and everywhere.

He crossed the midwest with it, hit the east coast and headed south until he hit Raleigh, NC, my present location. By that time he had had enough of the weather and the bugs, so the bike went into my basement, and he arranged for a car to take him the rest of his way on his journey. Many of us were surprised he made it this far, or should I say, surprised the bike made it this far. Not that the bike wasn't a fine specimen. It was in good shape and had been well maintained by all owners, it's just not the most comfortable touring setup for cross-country travels.

The bike sat in the basement as the owner continued across the south and up the west coast into Canada. He returned to the Twin Cities, then decided to head to Mexico. He returned from Mexico and decided to head off again, this time to New Zealand. This brings us to the bequeathing (my favorite part of the story).

After the holidays, before he left the country for NZ, I asked him about the bike in the basement, as he was planning on being out of the country for the next 6 months (or more), and within that time I would be moving. So what to do with the bike?

"How about I sign the title over to you?" was his answer. Fine by me. Gives me something to do, a reason to get my license endorsement, and a cool lookin' bike to ride around, even if I do have to move it this summer.

I have always liked the cafe racer look for a bike, even before I knew what it was all about. I always thought the stripped down look with the "dog ear" handlebars looked a lot cooler than many of the cycles you see on the road. I didn't know why anyone had those short, bent bars, or no rear fender, or a tiny little windshield (if any windshield at all!) and it has stayed with me from a very young age that if I were to own a motorcycle, that is what I would want it to look like.

This site will document the project of transforming the bike at the top of this page, into something more like this:




[ body modifications ]

©2004 Alex J. Bajuniemi