Poof - instant cafe racer

[HiSPL]

Yes you can go to spokes. You probably won't notice a difference in performance 'cuz the old mag wheels were just about as heavy as a spoked wheel. Both used tubes so tire choices are the same. Just look through the picture gallery and find out what years and model had spokes with triple disc brakes. Then go out and look for those wheels in the boneyard. Or get someone to lace up some new ones for you......

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the help... specially the tip to install the clubman's upside down as I tracked down a set of chrome bars this afternoon
along with a universal fairing I'll paint red
and a new set of grips (Im assuming i cut the old ones off? Or.. do I? How do they go off n on anyway?)

Decided to hold off on the spoke wheels til I can get the bike to the boneyard and see for myself what's fitting what (had bad luck so far with a guanteeds-to-fit 4-into 1 system off a GSX Katana)

Guess I'll keep y'all posted to all the thrilling developments

-rob

[QuaiChangKane]

Just make sure to clamp the bars tightly - you'll be putting more downward weight on them than normal bars - you don't want to slam on the front brakes only to find the bars swivelling downward. You should put them on to where the "U" bend is fairly parallel with the ground, and the hand-grips slant downwards (with the "U" pointing away from you!).

Just cut your old grips off, but be careful on the throttle side so you don't score the throttle sleeve. Clean the new bar-end and the throttle sleeve with alcohol, let it dry, then spray lightly with hairspray. Slide the grip on with the hairspary to lubricate it - the hairspray should dry sticky, so your grips will stay in place. If they still move after a few minutes, put a screwdriver under your grip (carefully!) and pry it up a little bit to let some air in so the hairspray dries.

Some people use grip glue - you can get it at your local shop, but I never had any use for it.

Have fun at the boneyard.

-Q!

[Anonymous]

If I am understanding right about how you are suggesting to use the clubmans...
U flat... and the open end to the front of the bike...
That is gonna be one SERIOUSLY squirly handling machine.
That will put the steering point at or ahead of the centerline of the tire... and make it like using a front mount tiller.


Jim

[Anonymous]

The clubmens are meant to mimic clip ons. The problem you will run into fairly soon is that the seating position and pegs are not ergodynamic for these bars. A set of rear sets and possibly modification of the seat a bit will help. The mods continue!

[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.

[img]http://www.msnusers.com/_Secure/0PgCz*3gSpjz75g!pKqPXAIZDHWWa4qZOyw92*Z8CFYjjE36Bt 87mNOgaNBbDfplYlZWCjGllwXce4UEBf6jlxdLhFdboAhr9/cr4.jpg?dc=4675386296797879476[/img]

[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.