This Handsome Honda CB550 Cafe Racer Is a Budget-Minded Custom Full of UJM Flair

Enter Mateusz Kubak, a mechanical engineer from Illinois and the man behind this breathtaking Honda CB550 cafe racer. He enjoys building all manner of cool gadgets and rides in his spare time, like custom motorcycles, electric skateboards, and even a working flamethrower gauntlet – you know, because why not? His fabrication skills are in a league of their own, for sure, and the bike shown above ought to make that pretty clear.

Mateusz used a 1974 model from Honda’s range as his starting point, but the catch was that he only had $2,500 at his disposal for the mods. As for the donor, its frame and engine were in fairly good shape when purchased by our protagonist. The bike was, indeed, missing its seat and electronics, yet this wasn’t an issue since they would’ve been ditched anyway.

With the CB550 taken apart and placed on the workbench, Mateusz wasted no time getting started. Some intricate frame surgery was the first course on the menu, and that meant tidying up the main skeleton before addressing the subframe. The factory frame tubing at the back got deleted altogether, then replaced with a looped bespoke alternative fabricated in-house.

Once the steel subframe had been welded on, the entire framework was sent off to be covered in a layer of satin-black powder coating. Next up, the project’s author turned his attention to the bodywork, where the aim was to give the classic CB a sportier look without breaking the bank. The original fuel tank was retained, but it now features knee indentations for bonus points on the cafe charm scale.

All the other stock garments were taken out of the equation without hesitation, and a new seat pan was built from scratch. Even though this was a budget build, Mateusz still used some high-quality brown leather for the saddle upholstery to add an extra touch of elegance. Right behind the custom seat lies a cafe racer tail section, which was shaped out of fiberglass to fit atop the subframe tubing seamlessly.

There are no fenders to speak of, and the license plate will henceforth live down low on a swingarm-mounted bracket. Before ticking the bodywork off the list, Mateusz had it cloaked in a stunning light blue colorway that complements the brown leather beautifully. Some stylish pinstriping also made its way onto the fuel tank and tail, so as to add some visual depth to the motorcycle's livery.

On the mechanical side of things, the old Honda saw its suspension and brakes revamped to ensure optimal performance. The wheels were refurbished, too, and their powder-coated rims are now enveloped in a grippy pair of Avon tires. As the CB550 didn’t come with its standard electronics, an all-new wiring harness was pieced together from scratch and hooked up to a Motogadget controller.

The electrical hardware is stashed well out of sight below the seat, with discreet wires running to the lighting components fore and aft. At the back, we find custom assemblies holding both the taillights and turn signals, while making use of the same mounting points as the shock absorbers. Up north, there is a fresh retro-style headlight fitted on handmade brackets, but the front-end blinkers are bar-end units from Motogadget’s range.

Easy access to the electronic equipment is made possible by a tailor-made locking mechanism that lets the seat come off without much hassle. Furthermore, the inline-four engine got a quick once-over to make sure its internal workings were still in decent shape. What came next was the addition of some new breathing paraphernalia at both ends of the combustion cycle.

Air is now drawn in through refurbished carbs topped with premium aftermarket pod filters. On the other hand, the stock exhaust system made room for a stainless-steel item from Delkevic, which runs a four-into-one configuration and is said to sound amazing. After a thorough clean-up and polish, the four-banger's exterior looks as good as new wherever you look. The OEM foot pegs were retained to keep costs down.

On the other hand, the bike’s cockpit is now home to aggressively positioned clip-ons, carrying a single bar-end mirror on the left and handsome grips color-matched to the seat upholstery. Mateusz Kubak kept the standard twin dials, while recessing a quartet of LED warning lights into what used to be the handlebar clamp. Despite the monetary constraints associated with this project, the man behind it still managed to knock it out of the park!