Suzuki GS550 or Honda CB550?

H

Holiday

Been Around the Block
I have an opportunity to buy either a Suzuki GS550 or a Honda CB550, both are late 70's models, both are project bikes. The Honda is about $250-$300 more. From what I've Goggled both have pluses and minuses. This will be a winter Cafe project for next spring. Factors are eventual performance and ride-ability, cost and availability of parts. Any advice? Money is tight now and I'm trying to decide one way or the other.

Cheers
 
Hey thanks for the reply crazypj. How'd you tune one up to clock out at 170mph?
Boy if there was ever a time I needed more disposable income now would be it. Love to take both bikes alas...Tough choice but I'm leaning towards the Suzuki which is about all I can afford at the moment at round $500. It had a recent engine rebuild and the bike is in parts which I suppose would already give me a head start. Though the CB is near road ready at a few hundred dollars more.

This vid also turns me on:
[youtube=425,350]aBuvK3Z-eMU[/youtube]
 
Holiday said:
I have an opportunity to buy either a Suzuki GS550 or a Honda CB550, both are late 70's models, both are project bikes. The Honda is about $250-$300 more. From what I've Goggled both have pluses and minuses. This will be a winter Cafe project for next spring. Factors are eventual performance and ride-ability, cost and availability of parts. Any advice? Money is tight now and I'm trying to decide one way or the other.

Cheers
Click to expand...
That is a though one.
GS is faster.
CB Classic style.
Both handle good.
Parts availability should be good for both. They were both good sellers.
Id say either way youd be making a good choice.
 
i'd go with the bike that's already rideable, it's a lot easier to build your cafe bike, do any welding or removal, then strip it down to do the frame blasting and powder, etc and all the cleaning up...
 
I'm a Suzuki guy, so you know which way I'll steer you. But..... The engine rebuild... Do you know if the rebuild was done properly, and if it was running after the rebuild? A caution flag that the bike is in pieces, if there was a problem with the rebuild. I do agree with your assertion that half the work is done as far as the tear down and modding goes.

I've got a buddy who's got a gorgeous cb550, so I don't think you could go wrong either way.

But you can't swing a dead cat at vintage night without hitting a honda. Suzi's are much cooler. And bullet proof.

loudest143
mat mladin rode suzuki.
 
I've got a CB550 and am working on it now. Parts are easy to find. Just picked up a really nice GS550. I'm finding that parts are much harder to find for it. The basic stuff from the dealer is not a problem. Other things like headers are not around like how they were 30 years ago.

I think there might be more parts now for the Honda CB550's and 750's than there were back when they were first made.
 
id go with the 550... but im a honda guy... but those things are damn cool. a guy who owns the restaurant down the block from me owns one and i do a lot of his work for him. damn sweet bikes. ;D
 
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