Poof - instant cafe racer

[QuaiChangKane]

Yup, that's the idea. I didn't invent 'em....


There's not much of a bend to them - about 2" of what would normally be called "rise" to the bars. It's actually not too bad - I've had them on CB750's and an old Yamah XS. It does put you in a bit of a severe bend, though - stock pegs put your feet slightly behind your knees, and these bars have you stretched out pretty far. Rearsets would definitely help (and a cup....)


-Q!

 

[Anonymous]

The mods continue... so true.

Well the emgo universal fairing when on without too much of a hitch. (Ok, after much plyer-ing of mounting hardware) Looks slick too, will look even better when I get it match painted by someone who knows what they're doing.

The clubman bars are another tale, new grips went on great (thx for the tips) but?

I think I need risers on the handlebar mounts as the clubmans are contacting the top of the forks -- can't be safe-- and so can't rotate forward enough to make the grips level (right now they're pointing too much downward... i feel like im holding onto the rails of a ladder. )

No test rides yet til I get it right as I'm heading the advice about the squirelly handling even if it's done properly...

All I need is another inch of rise,,, does such a thing exist?

As for the ergos, i know it'll be a stretch, but hopefully being 6'1" 'll help. Or I can just chalk it up to being a idiot slave to fashion ... Course, if all esle fails, I kept the old bars

I'll spare you the gripping tale of the exhaust system repair

- rob

 

[Bert Patterson]

Well the emgo universal fairing when on without too much of a hitch. (Ok, after much plyer-ing of mounting hardware) Looks slick too, will look even better when I get it match painted by someone who knows what they're doing.
- rob

I would go to a fastener shop and replace all those windscreen screws and the mounting bolts and washers with stainless. The hardware that comes with that fairing rusts very quickly. You'll be surprised at how well that fairing works though. Not as well as my Wes Cooley, but almost.

 

[Anonymous]

You can get extensions for the risers at most motorcycle shops that cater the the dirt bike crowd.

 

[QuaiChangKane]

If you can, email me a picture of your bars - I'm curious to see how they're being obstructed. They do make clubman bars of varying width, too - you might just be able to get bars with a wider "U" bend...

 

[Anonymous]

I'll try posting a few pics this evening once i steal, er? borrow the digital camera from work.

I think maybe a wider bar would be wiser than stacking up the risers just for a half inch of clearance (which'll screw up the re-install of that rubber suzuki dashboard cover thing anyway)

hey, any thoughts on a seat like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34284&item=2429511528


looks cool, is it worth a shot? or is this one of those perpetually auctioned items for the unsuspecting?

 

[QuaiChangKane]

Yup, that's the look. I saw another on Ebay, too -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2429510757&category=34284


That first one's a good idea with the snap on seat cover - easy to reshape and recover. Depending on your bike, you might have to cut off some of the brackets for the tail end of your frame - possibly fender or existing tail mounting brackets. That seat sits quite a bit farther forward - if you installed it to match your current tail, you'l have a 2' long seat!!

Thinking about your bars, I can't picture them being blocked by the forks. I've had them interfere with the guages before, but not the forks. I'll see if I can dig up a picture of your bike in the meantime, but take some photos when you can...

-Q!

 

[Anonymous]

I've posted a handful of pics here for your viewing pleasure

http://groups.msn.com/robscaferacerexperiment/shoebox.msnw

(note the uncluttered work space

so far, so average. But hey, maybe I'll win the ebay seat. I'm also thinking fork gaitors when I change wheels to spokes. Hey why not?

thanks to all who've helped so far!

rob

 

[robinjo]

I've posted a handful of pics here for your viewing pleasure

http://groups.msn.com/robscaferacerexperiment/shoebox.msnw

(note the uncluttered work space

so far, so average. But hey, maybe I'll win the ebay seat. I'm also thinking fork gaitors when I change wheels to spokes. Hey why not?

thanks to all who've helped so far!

rob

Gaitors look good, beefs up the front end and gives it a vintage look, looked pretty good on my 750, especially with the chrome wire wheels.

 

[QuaiChangKane]

And that shorty front fender looks great.

It looks like those clubman bars are just hitting the instruments - time to replace with a solo speedo, forgo the tach and shift by feel, eh?

That seat pan will drop your seat height and make your tank look more "toaster-ish", so you may just want to keep it (you should get the same effect as robinjo). I think it'll look great with the dual pipes, too.


Spoke wheels, new seat pan, smaller (Maybe chrome?) signals and new paint (definitely get rid of the pinstripes), lose the side covers, airbox and get pods - you'll be in business.

 

[joe.d]

I like the Drilled wholes in the front sprocket cover Robinjo
Very cool

 

[Doze]

Rob, how does your tank mount to the bike? Does it slide over two rubber donuts in front and have a single bolt fastening the rear? If so, you could probably use the tank off a 81/82 750 or 1100E they are a little more square but they have the slight cut outs in the sides for your knees. Check out some of the examples in the gallery section, and see if that will met your needs.
Doze.

 

[Anonymous]

those cafe racer style seats look pretty cool...quick question though, what do you use for the pad?

 

[Anonymous]

Hey there, I have a 79 GS425 that I "cafe'd", I also used a clubman, mainly because I have 33mm forks, and its hard to find clip-ons that small, I initially wanted clip-ons but felt it to be a hard(finacial) deccision, so on went the clubman, I have a few pics I will try and share...but may be dificult...you shouldnt have a problem with the fork tubes themselves, but yes the gauges get in the way of the clutch cable and the brake hose, I had to reroute them abit...give me an e-mail addy and I can send you some pics...thanks, Chris...

 

[robinjo]

those cafe racer style seats look pretty cool...quick question though, what do you use for the pad?

I used 1/4 inch thick black foam so it "doesn't spoil the lines of the bike" but I'm a masochist 8O

 

[Anonymous]

Ok Robinjo, I gotta ask it, where did you place all the hardware (battery, Ignitor, starter solenoid) on that bike?!? I have an 80 1000g and I LOVE the look you have there, might just have to work on my own "Cafe racer"

 

[robinjo]

Ok Robinjo, I gotta ask it, where did you place all the hardware (battery, Ignitor, starter solenoid) on that bike?!? I have an 80 1000g and I LOVE the look you have there, might just have to work on my own "Cafe racer"

One of the inspirations for my bike was a homebuild Moto Guzzi (no not Claude's :roll: ) Caf? Racer from Holland that I saw in a magazine wich a completely empty "triangle" in the frame so that was the look I was after.
To achieve this I made a steel plate under the seat to hold all the electrical stuff that normally bolts to the plate on the side of the battery, some wires must be extended so not to put tension on the wires.

lose the stock battery box and make a new one from steel plate to fit in place of the centerstand, you might be able to fit it in the seat hump but mine didn't. Dump the side panels because they spoil the effect.

More info here: http://www.msnusers.com/motorgek/cafracerproject.msnw

and more pictures here: http://www.msnusers.com/motorgek/cafracerpictures1.msnw

 

[Don Lobacz]

Hello! I just took a look at this thread and no one noticed that he wants spokes for a GS850! Does anyone out there have a rear/shaft wheel with spokes?

 

[QuaiChangKane]

Hey, Rob - any updates?



-Q!