Page 1 of 1

What are your project plans for your bikes

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 3:39 pm
by Psyco Diver 69
I'm thinking of making my CB750 into a cafe racer. I'm into muscle cars and older hotrods (or rat rods) and I was thinking of converting my my bike over. Switch to dual front disc brakes, take off the front fender, get the CB750 S/S tank seat and shorter rear fender. Lower the bike a inch or 2, runn lower handlebars, paint the tank, side panels, and rear fender flat black. Paint the exhuast black and put header wrap on the header and buy the K&N stage 2 jet kit. I think it will look pretty cool but like I said I like rat rods and flat paint jobs. I'll run the bike as is for the summer and collect the parts I need and work on it during the winter.

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 4:04 pm
by cb360
No huge plans. I have an old bike (74 honda cb360) that's actually in great shape - not a show bike, but a solid 9) and I don't plan to do much to it but I do have a few things going. I put a new petcock and rear springs on today - my old petcock had a busted reserve tube - I had gas, just no reserve so I replaced it with a 'new-old' part. My springs weren't bothering anything except my eyes as they had a good bit of rust. I found some pretty ones on ebay for $20 and swapped them today. A pain in the butt without removing the pipes, but I finally got it done. I found an old rusty luggage rack/backrest recently. I got the backrest recovered and had the luggage rack sandblasted by this dude down the street the other day - I pick it up tomorrow to take to the chromer. After that I'll be pretty much done and there really won't be anything left to do. Unless I decide to respoke the wheels with some shinier spokes....

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 4:46 pm
by Joe Mc
CB750's can make good cafe racers. That's a project I considered for a while. But ended up keeping my current ride, a '78 Hawk, and modifying it a bit. It was in very nice original shape when I got it, but lacked character.

So far I have added a Mac 2into1 exhaust, low handle bars, and bar-end mirrors. I also rebuilt the carbs and polished the engine side covers and valve cover. I haven't got it back on the road yet, but I think it's gonna be a cool little bike.
I also have a spare tank and side covers to paint. And spare seat to modify.
I always try to find spare parts to modify so I can put the bike back to original condition if I want to.

Check out Carpy's site for CB750 cafe's if you haven't already.

A couple more good sites for cafe racers:
http://www.caferacer.net/forum.html
http://scooterbbs.com/cgi-bin/board/dcb ... =DCConfID8

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 5:18 pm
by pinger05
I dont know what a cafe racer is but my CB750 wont race or even go over 50MPH without having to push it.

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 5:27 pm
by icariz83
Well I have already installed a fender eliminator with flush mount signals, a pyramid hugger and frame sliders (the most important IMO!!!).

I have purchased a seat cowel from Oneida Suzuki and it should be here by the 2nd week of June because their shipping blows. My most exciting purchase was made on Monday, I bought a Blueflame EVO3 dual port exhaust! It should be here in another 2-3 weeks and I'm stoked about it!

Then later in the summer I'm going to buy this nifty little flush mount front signals and maybe some lower fairing as well.

Image

They are expensive but they look really awesome. I am waiting to hear about their durability before I buy them though.

Linkage for them:
http://www.watsendesign.com/products/index.html

However they do come with a lifetime warranty so maybe durability doesn't matter.

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 5:40 pm
by Joe Mc
Here's a cafe racer styled bike for anyone not sure what they are.
Usually a 70's bike with low handle bars, rear-set foot pegs, small fairing, and racing seat.

This is a CB400-4

Image

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 6:26 pm
by Psyco Diver 69
pinger05 wrote:I dont know what a cafe racer is but my CB750 wont race or even go over 50MPH without having to push it.
The term cafe racer started when over in london guys would modify their street bikes by making them lighter, faster, and better brakes. They used them to race from cafe to cafe, or one story a person would start a song on a juke box, get on their bike ride to a certain point and come back before the song was over as a bet. After a while like drag racing hot rods, cafe racing moved to the race tracks. Pretty much modern sport bikes are a evolution of these cafe racers.

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 6:33 pm
by Randy
I have to get a new bike, I just sold my Virago, so I am a cager until June 15th, but then it is Z1000 city.

Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 8:45 pm
by Telesque
The mods I plan on making to my bike will probably be done with spare parts, and then fitted later, so that I can change it back to stock if I decide I don't like something.

But, the plans so far are:

Rotate front fender back several inches, opening more of the front tire view and pushing the back further to the ground.

Chop rear section of fender & frame, similar to 'bobbed' style, but not quite as extreme. Move tailight foward so that it sits 'under' the pillion seat.

Fabricated a bracket to relocated rear turn signals to mount directly behind license plate.

Fabricated my own heel shifter.

Consider designing my own paint/decal scheme to work around existing 'Deluxe' model paint.

Find lots of neat (but not too many) places for chrome and leather. :D

Edit: Tried using my crappy artsy skills to make a visual->

http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/album_pi ... ic_id=2663


And no, Buzz, my bike isn't purple. :P I've got a photo in my personal gallery of my bike, which is burgundy, not that bright screaming purple in the chop plans.