finally some pics of my frankenstien

[TheCafeKid]

eww..i dunno..You have an E model?? Im really not sure, but if your tank is the same as mine id think so, and even if not, cos the 80 E had the different tank too, so maybe it will. Im not real up on the later models so i dunno if they went to a different cap, the laters had fuel sending units and all that jazz so i couldnt really say for sure.

[drhach]

airtech has about 50 or more different designs for cafe's even old school Rickman stuff. Hell they even have full on vintage race fairings and fibreglass tanks!! course, they're illegal for street use, at least around here.

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I'd like to set the record straight, in the U.S., Fiberglass tanks are not illegal, anywhere. You can run them on the street. Canada and Japan are another story. The reason that you don't see them a lot in the U.S. is because they are hard to mass produce. Therefore the big companies won't bother with them. Plastic tanks (polyethylene) are a different story. They are easy to mass produce (as easy as making a two-liter soda bottle), but they don't take paint and generally don't have the cosmetic appeal that a painted tank has. Many people will try to say that plastic/fiberglass reinforced tanks are illegal. This is hype, and more to the point; absolute bull****. It's mostly brought out by companies that don't have the willingness to make them, so they try to spin it in their favor by saying that they heard from a guy who knows someone who blah, blah, blah. I looked high and low and I never found one federal regulation outlawing fiberglass tanks for street use in the United States. Hell, they use them on airplanes which are way more regulated than bikes and cars. All new cars have plastic tanks. Many new bikes have them. If anyone can point to a specific regulation stating otherwise, I'd love to see it.

On another note. Did you paint the lower fork legs gold? I like it. Nice touch, keep up the good work.

[Ironriot]

eww..i dunno..You have an E model?? Im really not sure, but if your tank is the same as mine id think so, and even if not, cos the 80 E had the different tank too, so maybe it will. Im not real up on the later models so i dunno if they went to a different cap, the laters had fuel sending units and all that jazz so i couldnt really say for sure.

Uhm I think its its an L model. I don't know how to tell for sure though

[TheCafeKid]

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I'd like to set the record straight, in the U.S., Fiberglass tanks are not illegal, anywhere. You can run them on the street. Canada and Japan are another story. The reason that you don't see them a lot in the U.S. is because they are hard to mass produce. Therefore the big companies won't bother with them. Plastic tanks (polyethylene) are a different story. They are easy to mass produce (as easy as making a two-liter soda bottle), but they don't take paint and generally don't have the cosmetic appeal that a painted tank has. Many people will try to say that plastic/fiberglass reinforced tanks are illegal. This is hype, and more to the point; absolute bull****. It's mostly brought out by companies that don't have the willingness to make them, so they try to spin it in their favor by saying that they heard from a guy who knows someone who blah, blah, blah. I looked high and low and I never found one federal regulation outlawing fiberglass tanks for street use in the United States. Hell, they use them on airplanes which are way more regulated than bikes and cars. All new cars have plastic tanks. Many new bikes have them. If anyone can point to a specific regulation stating otherwise, I'd love to see it.

On another note. Did you paint the lower fork legs gold? I like it. Nice touch, keep up the good work.

Well, i will have to say i may stand corrected...i'll have to research myself, heresay will do that to you...but i did take this right off of Airtech's site

Please note these very important items!
Please note!!!! These gas tank are not recommended for street use, these are fiberglass gas tanks that will not dent!!!! It is possible that the gas tank will rupture and spill fuel possibly catching your motorcycle on fire if you happen to crash on the street. This lightweight racing gas tank is recommended for racing purposes only!!!!

and on the for legs, i didnt paint them, but i drew the rest of my idea from that, i like that contrast. Thanks for the compliment!

[TheCafeKid]

Here's some more pics..i painted the side covers yesterday and i'm not sure about the stripes. I didnt like them horizontal, and im not sure about them vertical, what do you guys think??




I also chopped down that rear chrome fender, and painted it black..thats probably going bye bye when my new shocks get here, as like i said its mounted at the bottom to the swing arm. I want a small fender back there, but im not sure how to go about it. I do like it tucked in and under so you cant really see it.


I also painted my headlight bucket. I was going to take the stripes up the bucket, as i thought that would be pretty sweet looking, but i couldnt get the damn tape to lay right around all the compound curves...maybe with some more practice...I have yet to figure out where im going to move the light switch, and the little starter togggle is useless as its currently kick only. (which is fine by me...at least that will hardly ever break..lol)

[TheCafeKid]

Uhm I think its its an L model. I don't know how to tell for sure though

Look on the neck of the steering mast. Where the stamp plate is...blah blah blah 1981 GS750 L or E

[n1elkyfan]

Well, i will have to say i may stand corrected...i'll have to research myself, heresay will do that to you...but i did take this right off of Airtech's site

Please note these very important items!
Please note!!!! These gas tank are not recommended for street use, these are fiberglass gas tanks that will not dent!!!! It is possible that the gas tank will rupture and spill fuel possibly catching your motorcycle on fire if you happen to crash on the street. This lightweight racing gas tank is recommended for racing purposes only!!!!

and on the for legs, i didnt paint them, but i drew the rest of my idea from that, i like that contrast. Thanks for the compliment!

Almost all compaines put this disclaimer so that you can't sue them.

[97Intruder]

Here's some more pics..i painted the side covers yesterday and i'm not sure about the stripes. I didnt like them horizontal, and im not sure about them vertical, what do you guys think??




I also chopped down that rear chrome fender, and painted it black..thats probably going bye bye when my new shocks get here, as like i said its mounted at the bottom to the swing arm. I want a small fender back there, but im not sure how to go about it. I do like it tucked in and under so you cant really see it.


I also painted my headlight bucket. I was going to take the stripes up the bucket, as i thought that would be pretty sweet looking, but i couldnt get the damn tape to lay right around all the compound curves...maybe with some more practice...I have yet to figure out where im going to move the light switch, and the little starter togggle is useless as its currently kick only. (which is fine by me...at least that will hardly ever break..lol)

Maybe lay the stripes diagonally....to kind of add to the "speed effect" ? I'd take the stripe on the tank from the far rear corner (left or right ) to the opposing corner, then the same for the sides.....? just a thought....other than that it looks pretty "mean"....rear of the seat would(to me) look better if it was more "rounded"
keep up the good work!

[97Intruder]

Was talking about getting one like the small round one you gots on yours. I have the giant rectangle gas cap. Its fugly and I hate it. And another note on ebay. Damn ebay there's so many things I want to buy and DO buy. They should just give me an ebay charge card \\/

I would like to be able to modify one of those " push button " types I've seen on choppers, where you push the center, and it opens.....I saw them once, but don't remember if it was in a mag or on t.v. that would be very sleek, and add a " cool " factor, I hate the one on my Intruder(makes the otherwise Harley clone look like what it is.....another rice-burner clone, and sticks up like a speed bump!), and the one on the GS, gotta take out the stupid key at the gas station to open it, then to put it back on!......maybe I could see this on a car/truck with a big gas tank.....but c'mon....how far is someone going to get on a few gallons of gas?? or is there that many motorcycle gas cap thieves out there?

P.s. Iron.....I got one......it's called a PayPal card......might as well be a E-Bay charge card....I spend WAYYY too much time on there.......and here!!

[TheCafeKid]

That whole seat is going bye bye VERY soon. its makeshift at best, made from a flat of heavy aluminum with memory foam pad and that lovely "Grandmas old kitchen chair tops" vinyl complete with sparkles riveted to it. She will have a full on cafe seat soon. I just cant decide if i want a boxy seat or a bubble seat. I think the boxy would help make it look very retro, and still keep some of the original GS lines, but i also think a classic cafe bubble will follow the lines of the tank better. Im leaning toward boxy just cos i think it will keep that mean look a little....meaner...lol

Thanks for the input and the compliments!! I do appreciate them alot. While cafe bikes are all about self expression, it helps to have an outsiders opinion when you're torn..

TCK

[TheCafeKid]

I would like to be able to modify one of those " push button " types I've seen on choppers, where you push the center, and it opens.....I saw them once, but don't remember if it was in a mag or on t.v. that would be very sleek, and add a " cool " factor, I hate the one on my Intruder(makes the otherwise Harley clone look like what it is.....another rice-burner clone, and sticks up like a speed bump!), and the one on the GS, gotta take out the stupid key at the gas station to open it, then to put it back on!......maybe I could see this on a car/truck with a big gas tank.....but c'mon....how far is someone going to get on a few gallons of gas?? or is there that many motorcycle gas cap thieves out there?

P.s. Iron.....I got one......it's called a PayPal card......might as well be a E-Bay charge card....I spend WAYYY too much time on there.......and here!!

And on top of that, a new cap is like 10 bucks...ive seriously thought of buying a surpluss of them, just in case..Couple that with the fact that i pretty much make it known wherever that if anyone so much as breathes on my bike funny i will throttle them...im my own alarm system..lol

[TheCafeKid]

Actually i DO need some serious input from you guys, tho it may be impossible for you to see just by looking at photos...I have some NJB racing shocks coming, and its going to raise the rear about 3 inches...obviously the bike is slammed in the rear and lowered a bit in front. (believe it or not those are dirt bike forks on it) The current "shocks" if you wanna call them that, are ten inches eye to clevis and the new are 13 eye to clevis. Do you think 3 inches in lift is going to cant the bike too much to the front?? Im just not sure..i dont think so, cos it sorta cants to the back a touch..what do you guys think?

Thanks for the input in advance!!

TCK

[Ironriot]

When i first started looking at the rear height of my bike to see how much lower i need to go to make it look good I put it on a jack and took the rear shocks off. I lowered it and measured from the lower to upper shock mount and found that 1 to 2 inches made a HUGE difference in the way the bike sits. Like after I had it sitting at about 1 1/2 inches lower for a while it just looked funny when i put it back at stock ride height. I dunno what 3 inches will do for your bike but i know a small change does make a BIG difference

Other than that the bike is looking awesome. I like the gold forks and black spokes. Makes it look tough. Where did you get those spokes?

[TheCafeKid]

well i do want it to sit higher obviously, but not stock high, and thats gettin kinda close..i think stocks are 13 3/4...even stock high isnt that bad i just dont want it all thrown to the forward so much it looks jacked up in back. we'll see i guess.

[Ironriot]

Stock high for my bike was a twelve inch shock so yeah 13 3/4 is pretty up there. But yeah i guess we'll see what happens. How long till the shocks get there?