GSX550e -83. Project build

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  • Vanakere
    • Jan 2026
    #1

    GSX550e -83. Project build

    Hi guys,

    New guy from Estonia (so sorry about the bad grammar and etc) and i thought to make a thread a here about my small project. Bought a GSX550e and paid 290 euros for it. To be honest it was complete mess when i got it but im not affraid of challenges. Took her home and started to gather the ideas. At first i thought just to restore her to factory condition but the more i thought about it the more i wanted to do something much more fun and decided that ill just try to make something different out of her. Then the word "Cafe Racer " came into my mind and i was sold...
    So far i have striped her down, did a lot of planning and playing with different ideas.
    I will upgrade the suspension, brakes, engine fix, new rear sets, will put her on a diet.... Basically a typical cafe racer build that everybody are doing nowadays. I also have a CBR600f3 (bouhg for spare parts) standing in my garage so ill try to use as much parts as i can from it.

    First date was horrible
    Attached Files
    Last edited by Guest; 03-09-2015, 06:42 AM.
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    • Vanakere
      #2
      20150203_211415.jpg
      Half naked...

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        • Vanakere
          #3
          20150221_185338.jpg
          After a long night in the garage.... Starting to take shape..

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            • Vanakere
              #4
              IMG_20150307_195719.jpg

              Did a front end swap and damn im loveing it!! Did a geometry calculations and planning and it seems that if ill lower the front end about 25mm it should be the same (trail and rake) as OEM. Now i am wrestling with the idea what to do with the swingarm and rear monoshock. The OEM swingarm looks so weak and the monoshock is completely f**ed. As said before i have CBR's monoshock so i just have to make it out how to combine it with the rest of the bike... and what influence it will give.

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                • Vanakere
                  #5
                  Today I took the frame and CBR's swingarm to metal workshop. The pivot tube of the CBR's swingarm is approximately 16mm wider than the original swingarm so it must be milled off a little... I have to drill a frame and make a new pivot bolt because the CBRs pivot bolt is too long and shortening it is not an option because its like a tube and there would'nt be enough material left for the thread if id just cut it shorter.
                  I still havent figured it out what effect will the wider rear tire give. Hopefully it doesnt affect it in the wrong direction. To be clear i wanted to do a swingarm swap just because i can install a CBR's rear brakes and rear suspension, not because of the looks... and i had them in my garage for free.
                  The second thing im concerned is that i havent find any good advise for engine upgrade... It is a 47kw, 572cc engine and i dont want to change that, i mean i dont want to replace the entire engine to a larger capacity engine. Just to add-make a upgraded parts/components to achieve more power. I must say Im not a mechanic and rely mostly on information what i can find from the web so any good advise is welcomed.
                  I have calculated that i should gain a weight loss approximately 30kg just to remove all unnessesary parts and replace the heavier parts with lighter parts.
                  Regarding the looks of the bike i hope it will be nice clean racing style bike but most importantly it should also act as one. But thats the future...

                  PS. I havent figured out why i can post only one pic per post... so any useful info about that is welcome.

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