While Kyle Vara of California’s Thirteen and Company garage is always ready to build custom bikes to clients specifications, he has a special love for the rides he designs and builds just to see how they look. Of his labor of love creations, the ‘Amber’ Honda CB550 ($15K) is a build to be proud of.
The engine is a stock displacement Honda 550cc four cylinder that has had extensive overhauls. The carbs, for instance, are now topped with stainless steel velocity stacks, improving performance while enhancing the bike’s good looks. There is also a new rear loop and custom stainless steel 4 into 1 exhaust. The wiring harness was completely reworked from scratch and the bike now sports an all-in-one LED rear brake/taillight/turn signals integrated into the rear loop.
The elegant seat was created from reclaimed Italian leather and matched to Italian grips. For the paint scheme, Vara got inspired by the Porsches of the 1950’s, finishing off this beauty in silver and deep brown, and mixing in a few hand-polished aluminum parts for good measure. The result is a café racer oozing “an elegant, rich and mature style,” that is sure to never go out of fashion. [via]
