Josh-ender's Comments

Generally, the way backyard builders start is by buying a beater or non running bike with a clear title. Then you take it home and strip it down. Standard hand tools and the occasional drill, hammer, sawzall are all you need. If you get lucky, the engine won't need a rebuild, or might need just the top end rebuilt. It really doesn't matter what the bike looks like. The Cafe style is all about making it yourself, cutting, modifying and customizing. I made everything for mine with materials you can get at any menards. The old twin engines are pretty simple (more or less beefy lawnmower motors as far as complexity) and reasonably powerful. Check out my pics/page, my bike still hasn't crossed the 400 dollar mark and it looks even sweeter than in the pics (they are from last year, I've done a lot since these were taken).