The BOSS - Cafe racer build

[JvZ]

New Toy

So I hacked the back of the frame off, and then removed the footpeg mounts rear master cylinder mount and all the excess tabs.

So I bought myself one of these.


I spent last weekend practising and used it to remove the steering bearing races. All I can say is that at first my welding has a lot in common with a duck with diarrhea! but I am using a flux cored wire so that at least makes me feel a little better. However, I managed to get a few good beads out. Now to fabricate the tail section and some brackets to attach my rearsets from a ZZR1100.

i see a lot of welding, grinding and re-welding and grinding and re-welding in my immediate future. I did tackel this as a learning experience.

[JvZ]

A 4-8 cell ballistic will do the trick

Thanks Steve, I did a bit of research on these and the seem fantastic, My GS is an electric starter only, so to be on the safe side I ordered an 8 cell. Ordered from the US so it will take a while. I have made a mock-up battery out of cardboard so that I can fab the battery box this weekend.

Thanks again for the advice I had no idea that they existed. so far it is the most expensive part on the bike!

[Agemax]

Thanks Steve, I did a bit of research on these and the seem fantastic, My GS is an electric starter only, so to be on the safe side I ordered an 8 cell. Ordered from the US so it will take a while. I have made a mock-up battery out of cardboard so that I can fab the battery box this weekend.

Thanks again for the advice I had no idea that they existed. so far it is the most expensive part on the bike!

i use an 8 cell ballistic battery, it works great and is so small and light

[JvZ]

Progress

Thanks D-Mac and others, welding on the bearing races was brilliant, so simple!

I had to grind one bearing out the front wheel, I wasn't keen to try the welding trick on a wheel bearing but that sucker was really stuck in there. it had loads of play in it so I suspect it got really hot in the past.

[JvZ]

Frame job

I made some progress on the frame, got all the old tabs, foot peg and master cylinder mounts and made some brackets for the rearsets to mount on.
.

I was getting really tired of flash rust, oil and general gunk on the frame so I decided to skip ahead a little and get the frame in a coat of primer. I will grind the work areas as I need, and then redo the painting.

.

The colour looks a little brighter in the pic, but i am liking it.

You have to love my spray booth/workshop/man-cave. Needless to say I wont be painting the tank and tail here!

[Dec79]

Wow good progress buddy!

What colours / styling options you planning?

Where about's are you? We'll have to meet for a ride out this summer

Dec

[JvZ]

Thanks mate, I got the battery box idea from your build.

I'm in Wimbledon so a ride out could definitely be on the cards (if i get this thing done by then) frame, wheels and engine will be black, not sure on the tank and tail, I will probably have a few goes with a rattle can to choose colours then strip it back and have it properly done. I am thinking of metallic root-beer kandy, but we'll see.

I the GS is not done by the time summer rolls on I have this as a backup...

[Dec79]

Sweet, I'm about 5 miles from Wimbledon... I'm sure you'll have the GS ready for the summer, good progress so far!

[JvZ]

Sweet, I'm about 5 miles from Wimbledon... I'm sure you'll have the GS ready for the summer, good progress so far!

Just 5 miles hey, I might just give you a shout when I start pulling this engine apart (or putting it back together) I've never tried it before and it looks like you've had some practice. Seriously thou a ride out will be cool.

[JvZ]

Unhappy camper

Did some anti-rust coating on the stands, Sebastian does not approve of his radiator bed, and the radiator being used as a drying rack!

[JvZ]

ID please

I found this thing in my bucket of bits, anyone know what it is? I am referring to the black metal thing, the phone I recognise.



10 points to whoever gets it first, I think it came off when I removed the rear wheel / swing arm. A spacer on an engine mount bolt perhaps?

[Mekanix]

Upper rear mount bolt just above the front sprocket.

[Steve]

I couldn't get hold of the jet kit I wanted so I used D-Mac's thread as a guide and bought some 155 jets and drilled the slides, ...

Even with pods and a pipe, I don't think that your 550 is going to take kindly to that kind of jetting.

Considering that the stock jets were 92.5, you would probably need something in the 110-115 range.

.

[Dec79]

Upper rear mount bolt just above the front sprocket.

Bingo

[JvZ]

Thanks guys, it is going to be a while before that gets used again.

I made some great progress this weekend, frame, handlebars, rearsets, fork legs, master cylinders and brake and clutch levers all refurbished so some assembly to start soon.