Build your own Custom motorcycles are an incredibly rewarding experience…until it’s gone. The owner of this 1976 Honda CB550F may be related. After rebuilding it himself, he threw the towel in and decided to give it to a professional shop, instead of letting it become another abandoned warehouse construction.
Since the owner is based in Chicago, Federal Moto received the call. Shop owner Mike Muller said: “When we picked up the car, it was a mess. “Rust, tired and have been driving for decades. He wanted the full Federal treatment, from wheel to wheel, to give us complete creative freedom with color and design. ”
“His only request was to ‘do it as fast as fk.’ So here’s what we came up with: ‘Go Fast’. “
Federal took the last time while staffing and moving to a larger space. So now they offer a wide range of new engine related services in addition to their usual custom work. CB was in good hands.
For starters, Federal’s chief technician, Chris Goerg, arrived in town on a tired motorcycle. It has been completely reworked and painted blue, with 592cc pistons from Dynoman Performance. APE Race Cranks are lightweight and crankshaft balanced, while Webcam Racing offers a new camshaft.
Chris also installed the KPMI valves, springs and guides, and then angled the valves. Other upgrades include Dyna ignition, Barnett clutch and Keihin CR cabin. The exhaust system is a thing of beauty; The stainless steel headers are combined with a Cone Engineering throat muffler.
Speed is useless without control, so Federal has also upgraded the chassis. The front end carries Tokico forks and twin brakes from the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, with Öhlins Blackline forks mounted on the rear.
Honda rolls on 18-inch Excel rims, fitted with Cognito Moto stainless steel spokes. They are wrapped in Metzeler Roadtec 01 sport tires. Federal also installed Brembo brakes in the rear, custom sprockets from Sprocket Specialists and chain tensioners from Monster Craftsman that use skateboard wheels for one roller.
Mike has a knack for working with unique design into his works. Here, he kept the CB550F OEM tank to retain some of its original DNA, but built a tail section that shows the line between organic and geometric. It can avoid typical things cafe racer aesthetic — but it looks great here.
The flower effect extends to the custom subframe, which features the most subtle folds to tie everything together. Look between the tubes down, and you’ll spot a splash guard that keeps the velocity stacks away.
The end of the rear end is equipped with 3D printed taillights and turn signals, designed and manufactured by in-house engineer Desmond Diogiovanni. Frequent collaborator Dane Utech at Plz has Seated treated the chair with an equally interesting cover.
Other customization details include front fenders and racks, and a stainless steel exhaust mount. Even the kick starter has been modified, bringing it low and tight.
Above is a CNC machined fork from Cognito Moto, with Motogadget Speedo and LED warning lights sink in. Interstate clamp bars are installed, then fit them with Motogadget switches, handles, mirrors and turn signals at the end of the bar. An LED headlight illuminates the way.
Federal also wound up the bike with a Motogadget control box and keyless start. The important electronic bits are hidden under the tail, along with the Lithium-ion battery from AntiGravity. The Cognito Moto rear unit wraps up the parts list.
When parked, the CB550F looks ready to strike, with its compact and sharp profile. But it also carries one of the freshest outfits we’ve seen in a while; Jason van der Woude’s top performance at NSD Paintwerks.
The black Cerakote finish on the engine and the timely Honda logo on the fuel tank add a finishing touch to the vehicle.
The real question is: Has the Federation nailed the summary? Does this CB550F go as fast as it looks? Mike said “yes.”
“Let me tell you, it’s great to feel a classic Honda break in the second gear!”
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