Girls who Ride- A superb machine

Often I tell people that it is so refreshing to see many Girls- Women that are taking a very Healthy interest into the Two Wheeled fraternity, I have always had an admiration for female riders, as for me personally, I would think it would be quite boring sat on the back of a Motorcycle, whilst your partner is having all the fun.

My Girlfriend Jennifer Sun has her Own T100 I bought for her and she rides all over the place and love seeing her ride, and when I heard about Jennifer bailey having a really cool  Honda CB550, well, I just had to share, as I really hope to see many more women on Motorcycles.

The past few events I have witnessed has been phenomenal when it comes to seeing more women riders, there are so many out there now that people are taking notice and Jennifer Bailey who I am featuring here is just one of so many that have as much as a passion for this hobby as anyone. Good on you Girl, love the bike.

 

Jennifer and her husband Blake Bailey run the Motobailey Shoe Co. – known for their classically styled, Kevlar-lined leather motorcycle boots. Both Jennifer and Blake are avid motorcyclists, Jennifer started our a few years ago on a Kawasaki Ninja 250 but after becoming friends with Karly Kothmann and seeing her beautifully rebuilt Honda CB550 she knew it was time for her own upgrade.

Jenns choice for this CB550 was quite easy really, compared to its bigger Brother, the CB750 is way more heavier, and more cumbersome to maneuver , also the 550 isnt much slower, probably about the same take off to 60 foot speed, it will lose out after that through the Torque and Horse Power of the Larger 750 but, that can be another bike further down the road.

Road and riding experience is key in this area and the Honda CB550 is the perfect candidate to learn and hone new skills to give not just a safer over all perception of Motorcycling, but also the lighter weight will give you a little more confidence as this is a nimble and well balanced machine.

The CB550 was the perfect Platform to create a new ride, something that you can custom build to your taste and budget, the sky is the limit as with a few modifications such as Smoothbore Carbs, a street race cam and Drive sprocket change can turn this smooth linear power inline four, into a Tarmac eating Mean machine.

Just time, Money, patience and experience will engulf you and then your hooked.

CB750 Bikes are not as plenty ful as they were when I first started to create Cafe and Brat bikes, the 550 is slowly becoming that way now, as the wonders of the internet, Instagram, twitter and the like have made it so much easier and harder at the same time to find a really good deal on these Classic Honda’s.

JENNIFER’S CB550 BUILD

Blake wasted no time in finding a 1974 Honda CB550 for Jennifer, it was a little worse for wear, running on two cylinders and needing a comprehensive rebuild. Work started immediately with a teardown, the rear subframe was chopped and a new one fabricated, with a new seat pan, seat, and low profile running lights.

It took time, but once the engine had been sorted and was running properly, with the carburetors synced and re-jetted, the attention shifted to the aesthetics. The goal was to create a clean, minimalist cafe racer that wasn’t flashy – just functional and fun.

New triple trees were sourced from Dime City Cycles, as well as clip-on handle bars, a new (smaller) headlight, and the tank and wheels were powder-coated in Black Chrome by Overland By Design. A Carpy 4-into-1 exhaust was fitted, with pod filters installed on the carburetors in place of the original airbox.

A new wiring loom was put together with significant input from friends Tyson Carver and Tanner Kothmann, powered by an Anti-Gravity lithium-ion battery, with all the important electrical gear stashed up under the seat in a tray supplied by Cognito Moto.

 

So come on Girls, get into the Garage and finish off your creations as I love seeing you all out on the road, we all ride as one, we are a family, bonded by our 2 wheeled fascination.

Thanks for reading my Blog today, Busy weekend ahead but life is good in the fast lane and I feel I am still to young at heart to pull over and get in the slower lane.