CAFE RACERS (C/N Bike Contest!)

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Harry Klemm on August 31, 2010 at 1:03pm

As a teenager (1969) I worked at a Norton shop uncrating brand new 1970 "S" Model Commandos. They were the supreme two-wheeled hot rod at the time, and I said I would have one "someday". After surviving cancer in 2005 ... I realized "someday" was rigt fu#$%^g now. I bought a rough 1970 S model on Ebay, and spent 2 years doing a frame off restoration. Instead of building a trailer quenn (there are planty already), I built this bike to ride hard .... like I stole it.... and I do The bike has 6000+ high paced miles on it since the restoration. Been to Mexico, Colorado, all over So Cal, etc. I run bean oil in the motor to get that old-school/speedway smell ... it['s intoxicating.

Respectfully, Harry Klemm
Fort Mohave AZ

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jared Weems on August 31, 2010 at 6:55pm

This is my 1972 Triumph Bonneville. I bought this bike in complete stock form and through 3 deployments to Iraq I managed to transform her into the Cafe Racer you see before you. Some items to note are the homemade fiberglass seat, Early style fiberglass side covers, and obviously the clip on bars. The tank was purchased from a Chap in good Ol' England. It is the tank used on the European Model non-exported models. It cost more in shipping than the actual cost of the tank. The paint work was done by yours truely with good ol' rattle can. I added the short Mega phones for a better sound and performance. Replaced the ratty old Amal carbs with some new productions for reliability. In my opinion, the crowning touch is the Pedestrian Slicer front fender mounted tag. The numbers are actually my sons initals and birthdate. Throughout the entire build I tried to stay as close to period correctness as possible even maintain the Points ignition. I hope others will feel and see detail I have taken makes this bike standout in a crowd.

Jared Weems
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Parachute Rigger

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chopperjoe on September 13, 2010 at 6:21pm

Good Luck Son !!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CAMILO PINZON on August 31, 2010 at 7:01pm

hello this is my yamaha xs 650 1977 i build it down here in Bogota,COLOMBIA, found it all break down and didnt work at all and step by step did my cafe racer, hope you like it

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Corrupt26 on September 1, 2010 at 12:38pm

This is my Yamaha XJ550 that I got from a neighbor after he totally set it on fire in his garage. The rear seat cowl was made out of an old gastank I have floating around in the parts pile. I paninted whole bike using rattle cans the red is duplicolor candy apple red and the stripe is linen white. The pin striping was laid down before the clear coat was added to help lock it in. This bike is a blast to ride. I enjoy the hell out of it and hope you like it.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sunnbobb on September 1, 2010 at 8:51pm

This is my Entry into the Cafe Class. It started life as a full dress 1978 Honda Gl1000 Goldwing. I worked over the winter to remove the Tupperware, and began many modifications. The number 18 is dedicated to my recently past father, a WWII veteran, and race car driver in his younger days.

Modifications include an 81 tank, (paint job by yours truly), 82 aspencade braking system (vented/drilled rotors - dual piston calipers). The front wheel is a cast wheel from an 83 aspencade, and the rear wheel is a 16" cast Lester. Cast and polished mag wheels, handmade "vyper" control levers, custom seat, Marchel headlight, 60's fork brace, and gators. The brake lines are stainless steel Goodridge lines.

The engine covers, bars etc, were powder coated with 60% gloss black, and the fenders are painted with flat black bedliner. The gauges were removed from their original positions and remounted in the Shelter lid. Original points were replaced with a Dyna electronic ignition, and hotter coils were added. The stock mechanical fuel pump was replaced with a solid state electric fuel pump.

The exhaust was fabricated using vf1000 mufflers and the headers are wrapped in heat tape. The rear frame was spread 1" and the swing arm ground to accommodate a wider tire. Lastly, LED turn signals were hidden at the bottom of the rear shocks.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by el Mar on September 2, 2010 at 1:46am

this is the SR500 i build for my Girl in only 2 Weeks, not perfect yet, still needs some work, but i got it just in time for her birthday and she really loves it. Bought it original Stock but bad condition, standing on a Backyard for a few years, but the the engine was in good condition ans so i started. Still need Bar End Mirrors( maybe i'll win them ;o), Seat and... but not that bad at the moment and really good to ride for my Girl( yes she can kick it ;o) at the moment about 135 kg, non modified motor, in wintertime im going to clean the electricalsystem.

Regards
El Mar
Ruhrpott Germany

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Randy Morris on September 22, 2010 at 8:43pm

Great Job
Lets start planning Uraisa #2

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jack on September 2, 2010 at 8:58am

This is my wife's bike is a 500 CX, I changed into a cafe racer.

Attachments:

• DSCN4512.JPG, 819 KB
• DSCN4513.JPG, 782 KB

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Pellew on September 2, 2010 at 10:19am

Here is Taimoshan - the "Super Cafe Racer". Taimoshan was completed in the end of 2009 after about 10 mths of solid work.

It was created by me as a new build from a completely custom race replica Norton Featherbed frame ( by JW motorcycles - frame makers in North West Wales, made of T45 britsh aircraft steel. The frame is a "garden gate" style with no fixed rear sub frame. The frame was custom made to fit the water cooled Aprilian RSV 1000 Factory motor and the unit pro link mono shock rear suspension.

The tank is a hand made polished Ali 5 Gal Manx tank, made by T A Baker in North West Wales, UK, the seat also made my TA Baker but of my own design , shape and dimensions and later trimmed by Saxon seats.

The front end is a comination of Ducati 996 front forks, 999 wheels, brembo brakes ducati yokes and clipons , with Aprilia controls.

The rear end is a hybrid swingarm that I designed and built, it a Honda CBR600 with the unit pro link mono shock unit from the CBR1000RR graphed to it then polished. The Unit pro link was developed for Valetino Rossi and does not have a top shock mount on the frame.

Rear wheel is Ducati 999, rear brake Brembo.

The Motor is a std 2004 Aprilia RSV1000 Factory motor, which std has a factory claimed 143 bhp and about 98 ft.lb of torque, it is a water cooled 60 deg V-twin, dry sump oiling, fuel injected, slipper clutch, etc etc. The Fuel injection is a Mircosquirt unit, for which I did all the set up, fuel and spark mapping along with all the wiring for the injection and other electronics for the bike.

The bike has a hidden RFID key and an multi-function electronic/analog tacho/speedo gauge.

I fitted, made or modified the majority of the components on the bike including all of the engine plates and mounting braces, I also made the rear subframe and the custom underseat radiator and the remote under engine dry sump oil tank.

I also hand made the one off Stainless Steel exhaust system, the cans are of the shelf shorty mega's very very loud. :-)

I am very pleased with the outcome of my pride and joy and I hope that the viewers also enjoy my work.

Thank and regards
John Pellew

ps I have a small website which shows more of the build and some more pics is anyone is interested.
www.taimoshancycleworks.com

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Beesa70 on September 3, 2010 at 7:34pm

Nice ride

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Pellew on September 2, 2010 at 10:47am

Introducing the Llandough Flyer the is my most recent cafe racer, made ( re-styled) from a pretty plain 1976 Ducati 860 GTS bevel drive.

The project only took about 3 months to complete, but did involve a complete strip down, engine out but not rebuild, as it ran pretty soundly before it was removed. The frame was stipped back to bare metal and the rear sub frame chopped and re TIG welded to fit the new repro single seat unit perfectly and to more look like the 750 SS and 900SS 's of dreams. I then removed all the tabs from the frame that were now longer used, smooth filled the welds and then re-painted the frame.

The front end is std ducati from the original bike, but the fork legs have been swapped left to right so that the Brembo calipers now sit behind the legs in a more upto date style. The rubber gaitors were removed and replaced by rubber dust caps, goodridge braided brake lines added.

The std yokes were modified, ie the handlebar clamps cut off and then the top yoke re-welded and then polished. The bike now sport adj clipons ( shortened), new old stock Lucas cast alloy switch/handle bar controls make for a nice old school look, much better than the plastic rubbish from the 70's . I added new Veglia repro gauges, while the original ducati items are being reconditioned. the guages are now mounted in a nice little polished ali mount that i whipped up.

The rear mud guard was shortened, relocated and modified along with the rear light mount and number plate bracket, then the nice flanged ali Akront wheels, pipes, rear hub, fork legs, yokes, some engine parts etc were polished up.

I rewired the bike added a new cast ali head light bracket, dropped the headlight down lower, dropped the front froks a little added some Torazzi rearsets and different kick starter, painted the rear seat hump in matching charcol black metal flake paint and there you have it, the Llandough Flyer and Oh what a sound those Conti replica's make, propper vintage racer/crowd puller!

Thanks for looking

John Pellew

ps again if you want to see some more pics of my build, you are welcome to visit my little website.
www.taimoshancycleworks.com

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page