750 cafe thing - opinions welcome

[ggreenfield]

Yeah I can definitely wait to see it mounted. Looks like I'd have to accomodate for dual headlights. Methinks the OEM charging system won't handle both of them without draining the battery. Time to hunt up some of those threads....

EditFound a thread.

[Craiger]

Be mindful of all the wiring the stock headlight assemblies normally hide for you....at least mine does.

[sonnygs1100]

Yeah I can definitely wait to see it mounted. Looks like I'd have to accomodate for dual headlights. Methinks the OEM charging system won't handle both of them without draining the battery. Time to hunt up some of those threads....

those 2 are 35watts = 70watts oem 65watts should work

[sonnygs1100]

ok ive past the point of no return , i cut the frame 3 different times trying to leave it as long as possible and still work . ive got tail section mounted and cut down the oem inner fender . welded a piece of steel across frame to mount tail to .

ive got to make a seat and find out were im mounting lic plate

[lostsoul74]

yea i definately want to see the pics, i was thinking of that route with a previous build, saw em on ebay for like 50, but never saw one on a bike, then found some pics of them mounted, perhaps it was the ones i was looking at, but same measurements, 12x12, on the bike it looked like it was WAY too small, like it was off a minibike or something, hope this one looks alot better, i'd like to throw these on some of the crotch rocket beaters i get that i make into fighters. I found some sport windshields that i thought would have a nice look. 50$

[sonnygs1100]

well i tore into seat pan , im thinking ill have to build whole new seat pan , never realized how bad the oem seat pans actually fit the bike

[sonnygs1100]

heres how mine came out, got the bike for 350, stock with a few mods last winter off craigslist, spent another 300 on ebay parts and paint, and heres the final. Not bad for a total cost of 650.

how did you make the seat ?

[lostsoul74]

didnt make it, it's just a 189.00$ cafe seat off ebay, comes already apholstered, you just have to paint. For mounting, i just layed it on a sheet of plywood, traced it and cut it smaller, filled the ass with blow foam (just to give added support since it's just a fiberglass shell) then siliconed hte botton and slapped hte plywood in and let dry. After i chopped hte rear frame (sawsaw, where the frame met hte curve of hte ass) i just predrilled 4 3/16 small holes and drilled some screws up from the frame into hte plywood. That way i can still have easy removal of unit the once every few years i've got to change the battery, everything else i can get from the sides ya know.


ps, make sure you double check the measurements against your frame, the standard size they usually ahve listed on there in this style is just a tad tight for my 78, but seller had larger ones he didnt list, so he hooked me up for hte same price, he has them, just doenst list them on ebay. though on my 81, the seat frame curves in more so i think the standard size would of fit this one. just type Cafe Seat in ebay and you'll see lots of styles, though keep in mind, though rough seat pans are cheap, aphostry can be costly, so even though i spent 200 on this seat (i still cant believe i spent that much, i can find almost anything for 20 bucks give enough time.... lol), it was complete and easy and just needed to paint.

[Shaughn]

Looking at that...


Looking at my pile of parts....



Jesus I overpaid....

Good work!

[lostsoul74]

thanks, thats what i do, i find beaters for cheap, and give them an updated stylish look for flip. so far i'm doin allright for someone that didnt know crap about bikes. Really wanted to put clubman bars and fork boots on to complete, but sold it before i finished that one. I'll post pics in my alblum after I get my xs1100 chop finished, paint came in today, tomarrow is paint day. Once the xs is done, i've got an 81 gs750 i'll be going with next, not sure what style yet, cafe, streetfighter, bobber, chopper, it needs a tank, i guess it will go which ever way i get hte cheapest tank off ebay for and go with the lines from there.

[Shaughn]

thanks, thats what i do, i find beaters for cheap, and give them an updated stylish look for flip. so far i'm doin allright for someone that didnt know crap about bikes. I'll post pics in my alblum after I get my xs1100 chop finished, paint came in today, tomarrow is paint day.

Wow, just what you've got so far on the xs11 is pretty sweet from the pic in your profile. Can't wait to see the finish.

Who does your mechanical work then? Or are these appearance mods only?

[lostsoul74]

I do strictly exterior for the most part. I can do simple things like clutches and stators and such, but for hte most part, i buy em cheap, old, and ugly, but mechaniclly sound, other then cleaning carbs from sitting ya know. I pull up a chair, look at hte frame lines and then check ebay and see what i can get deals on to decide what style i'm going to go with next. then research to see what cross fits and ALOT of help from forums, and good to go. This is hte 7th bike now i've completed, the xs will be 8, thats a keeper. I actually just started ridin last year, but thats how i am, when i get into something, i get into it hard, but then fade out and move on to new hobbies, but i think i found my niche, i enjoy this.

[TheCafeKid]

I do strictly exterior for the most part. I can do simple things like clutches and stators and such, but for hte most part, i buy em cheap, old, and ugly, but mechaniclly sound, other then cleaning carbs from sitting ya know. I pull up a chair, look at hte frame lines and then check ebay and see what i can get deals on to decide what style i'm going to go with next. then research to see what cross fits and ALOT of help from forums, and good to go. This is hte 7th bike now i've completed, the xs will be 8, thats a keeper. I actually just started ridin last year, but thats how i am, when i get into something, i get into it hard, but then fade out and move on to new hobbies, but i think i found my niche, i enjoy this.

Thats kinda how I started with Cafe bikes. Lots of cosmetic stuff. My first two street bikes were that way, both honda CBs (one a 550 and one a 750) and they were cafenated with bolt on stuff. I got to the point where i wanted to build MY cafe tho, and make it look exactly how i wanted it. Ended up with this so far:


I have a different tank to go on it, i need to take it to the radiator shop to get it cleaned out and etched, and finish up the body work, then get it shot. but i wanted to get this thing on the road so i could tune the carbs, so i put this one on it for now. Not quite done, have a different pipe to go on it as well, (Thanks 80GS750 for that Kerker BTW!!) but getting close.

[lostsoul74]

yea thats really gona turn out sharp once it gets shot. I see alot of seatpans on ebay for hte cafe style, your standard 80-100 ya know, hows that seat your on without padding and apholstery?? I'd sure like to go a route like that expecially if i'm just gona flip it, save a hundred ya know, but still attain that look, buyer would always have the option of having it done themselves later, but at least for riding at first. But who knows, i really didnt want to get rid of that cafe, maybe this next one will better and i decide to make that the keeper, or a secondary..

[TheCafeKid]

yea thats really gona turn out sharp once it gets shot. I see alot of seatpans on ebay for hte cafe style, your standard 80-100 ya know, hows that seat your on without padding and apholstery?? I'd sure like to go a route like that expecially if i'm just gona flip it, save a hundred ya know, but still attain that look, buyer would always have the option of having it done themselves later, but at least for riding at first. But who knows, i really didnt want to get rid of that cafe, maybe this next one will better and i decide to make that the keeper, or a secondary..

I made that seat. First fibreglass work I ever tried. Easy peasy really. Stinks like hell tho, i dont advise using it in the house...lol. I have padding and upholstery for the seat as well, just havent gotten around to doing it. And actually, Its not that uncomfortable. I wouldnt want to do 200 miles on it mind you, but thats not what THIS GS is for. I have my 1100 for comfy muscle...lol The problem i found with ALOT of the seat pans on fleabay is that most of them are really designed for the Hondas. That seems to be the bike de rigur to cafe. Why i dont know, other than they remained remarkably unchanged for about 10 years. The GSs are a bit wider thru the frame rails than the CBs (which is part of the reason they handle better) so its hard to find seat pans that fit RIGHT. This one i made based on the GS frame, so it fits perfectly. I plan on doing a bit of GS cafe parts in fiberglass in the future, for sale to those who want them. THis is one of the tanks im considering to put on this. I have a couple that ive hand beat, some more intensely than others, this is kind of in between.