Cafe Racer Thread - Page 30

jhelgesen · 11-10-2014, 11:23 AM

I got my disc brake adapters finally last week, going slow still

Eric 951 · 12-09-2014, 11:28 AM

More progress. Have the Dunstall fully mocked and fabricated the mounts/bolts. Set the tank from the 78 F I just picked up, swapped out the gas lid flaps so the key worked and set the tank. I had to re-adjust the clubmans since I had them set for the original 75 tank and they are a little different. Unfortunately that also entailed removing and re-routing the front brake line and having to re-bleed the brake. All that's left now is some slight cutting on front of the seat pan, running a new fuel line from petcock to carbs, and it's done.

Some pics.

Eric 951 · 12-09-2014, 11:34 AM

a Pic of the donor 78 $225.00 runs and rides!

asphaltgambler · 12-09-2014, 11:44 AM

Diggin all the cool pics!!

Eric 951 · 12-22-2014, 05:00 AM

Finally finished. Made a big push on Saturday and completed everything. When I pulled it out of the garage, the clutch was hanging up. Thought I needed to tear into it, then remembered I put a new cable on and never finished adjusting--some turns of the wrench and works like a charm. Mounted the 78 tank, which had a different style of petcock (rear drain vs. bottom drain) petcock on the 75 tank must have been a retrofit as it had a larger diameter fitting as well--fiddled with the 78 petcock and rotated 90 degrees so fuel lines will clear the carb linkage/choke. Laminated and mounted some vintage cheesecake playing cards I had from an old estate sale--bolted down the seat, and she's ready to go. All I need now is a throttle return cable as the existing isn't as snappy as I like and is due for replacement. Now I just need to wait for 3 months for riding weather.
Before

Now:

Eric 951 · 12-22-2014, 05:01 AM

And a couple more

motion · 12-29-2014, 01:35 PM

OK, I'm officially in. Made a deal on this young lady and will be picking her up on Wednesday. Its a frame up mod that took the guy 5 years. Everything is new or NOS and the motor is up from 50HP to 68. No expense spared. 1974 Suzuki Titan 500. I'm kinda excited

Jeff Higgins · 12-29-2014, 01:45 PM

Awesome bike, motion; I'm envious. I would love to get into one of the two strokes from that era. One of the guys out in the shop at work has a number of the Kawasaki triples, from stock restorations of both the 500 and 750, and a 900 big bore kit on one of the 750's. Another guy (a local Pelican, actually) is into the Yamaha RD 350's and 400's. I love listening to these things and seeing them run. One of these days, if I clear out the garage a bit...

jhelgesen · 12-29-2014, 03:55 PM

I didn't like the angle of the cx tank on the cb frame, so i added a skirt around the bottom. Was fun panel beating.

Really changed the lines of the bike.

Before

After

Jeff Higgins · 01-01-2015, 07:07 PM

'65 Sportster based cafe:

Jeff Higgins · 01-01-2015, 07:18 PM

How about an old Ironhead Sporty being flogged mercilessly around a racetrack? This guy is getting everything a 550 pound, 65 horsepower bike on really skinny tires has to give. The Ducati 848 mounted cameraman is nothing if not gracious, staying behind this old bike to give us a great view of a guy having some real fun. He could have passed him at will.

motion · 01-01-2015, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

'65 Sportster based cafe:

LMAO, Jeff! That thing is a total abortion. Just LOVE the gold accents.

motion · 01-01-2015, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Awesome bike, motion; I'm envious. I would love to get into one of the two strokes from that era. One of the guys out in the shop at work has a number of the Kawasaki triples, from stock restorations of both the 500 and 750, and a 900 big bore kit on one of the 750's. Another guy (a local Pelican, actually) is into the Yamaha RD 350's and 400's. I love listening to these things and seeing them run. One of these days, if I clear out the garage a bit...

There's still some good deals on two strokes out there, but not for long. Even the lowly RD350 is starting to creep up. I've seen low miles, stock RD350s going for $8,000 recently. RD400s are even higher.

I have a chance at a GT750 water buffalo. Not sure about it, though... They are a bit ungainly looking, but I have no doubt it will be worth big $$$ in 20 years or so.

Jeff Higgins · 01-01-2015, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

LMAO, Jeff! That thing is a total abortion. Just LOVE the gold accents.

I'm left wondering if it actually runs. No oil tank visible (among other details that jump out at an Ironhead owner), although that could be hidden up in or next to the gas tank. That, and the open tube ends poking up to take core samples of the rider's chest, have me wondering...

The video, though, is the real deal. I have to say, though (again, as an Ironhead owner), that that guy used up seven or eight of its nine lives on those two laps. You just can't run 'em like that for long. You've probably discovered that running the XR1200 class, and that is a markedly "updated" and "improved" Sportster design.

Jeff Higgins · 01-01-2015, 07:53 PM

My buddy with the Kawi two-smokers really kind of rues the quality of those machines, and the aftermarket stuff available for them. He says it was before Kawasaki really hit their stride. How are the Suzukis? The Yamaha RD's?

dlockhart · 01-01-2015, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

How about an old Ironhead Sporty being flogged mercilessly around a racetrack? This guy is getting everything a 550 pound, 65 horsepower bike on really skinny tires has to give. The Ducati 848 mounted cameraman is nothing if not gracious, staying behind this old bike to give us a great view of a guy having some real fun. He could have passed him at will.

Nelson.
A great track layout in need of ownership that gives a rats a$$ about the place.

Me exiting the last turn onto the front straight.

Bowling · 01-02-2015, 07:04 AM

^ +1, it is a shame. A lot of history there. I thought they had a buyer in contract last year, a cable channel money guy or someone like that?

scottmandue · 01-02-2015, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

OK, I'm officially in. Made a deal on this young lady and will be picking her up on Wednesday. Its a frame up mod that took the guy 5 years. Everything is new or NOS and the motor is up from 50HP to 68. No expense spared. 1974 Suzuki Titan 500. I'm kinda excited

Wow... just wow... when I'm goofing on the internet looking at things I don't have the time and/or money for (cars, motorcycles, spoons) I drool over the RD's.
A friend had a water cooled GT550... scared the poop out of me but it sounded like angels singing when revved up. Not sure how fast I went on it because as I approached triple digits the ride got a little rough and looking down at the speedo did not seem prudent.

creaturecat · 01-02-2015, 10:18 AM

Re: two strokes.
The two strokes are great collector bikes. Not so great to ride, on the street.
Old tech, by virtue of their age. Stinky. The stink sticks to your clothes. This can be perceived as a good thing, depending on circumstance. : )
The "hit" from the 750 triples? Addictive, for sure.

I owned one in high school. Parts would fly off it, at speed.
I can still feel that flexi-frame, at work.
Put her over backwards, with the mayor's kid on the back, 75-80 mph. I bet that the kid, aged 60, now, still has the scars to prove it. I escaped relatively unscathed.

fwiw: I just sold my last two stroke to the owner of Tech 3, in France. He has been madly gathering up 2 strokes from North America. There were 20 of them, in the container. His agent has been collecting and sending 1 container/year, for a while.
There were 2 water buffaloes on board.

Jeff Higgins · 01-02-2015, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creaturecat

Re: two strokes.
The two strokes are great collector bikes. Not so great to ride, on the street.
Old tech, by virtue of their age. Stinky. The stink sticks to your clothes. This can be perceived as a good thing, depending on circumstance. : )
The "hit" from the 750 triples? Addictive, for sure.

I owned one in high school. Parts would fly off it, at speed.
I can still feel that flexi-frame, at work.
Put her over backwards, with the mayor's kid on the back, 75-80 mph. I bet that the kid, aged 60, now, still has the scars to prove it. I escaped relatively unscathed.

fwiw: I just sold my last two stroke to the owner of Tech 3, in France. He has been madly gathering up 2 strokes from North America. There were 20 of them, in the container. His agent has been collecting and sending 1 container/year, for a while.
There were 2 water buffaloes on board.

Oh man, I'm just sitting here chuckling to myself. Your experiences almost exactly mimic some of my own.

I had a room mate right after I got out of school and went to work who was as into bikes as I was. This was the early '80's. I had my current Ironhead and a few dirt bikes, he had a Honda 550 four, some dirt bikes, and an H2 with a big bore kit, expansion chambers, and some sort of carb upgrade. I rode it once, and just once. That flexi-frame felt like it had a vertical hinge right under the seat; I got into a near tank-slapper just as we crossed into triple digit speeds that darn near pitched me from the bike. I swore it off right there.

The mechanic out in the shop that I mentioned earlier - we have known each other for over 30 years. We rode together a bit in the mid '80's. Yes, me on that Ironhead... he already had a couple of H1 and H2 Kawasakis. My one chance to "beat" him in a drag race came one day when a big old Vista Cruiser wagon was in front of us, blinker on, slowing to make a left hand turn. I was in the right half of the lane, so I had clear road ahead of me first. I did the obvious and hammered it, leaving my buddy behind. At least temporarily. He caught up in very short order, right about the time that peaky little H1 got up on the pipe. He flipped it over backwards about the time he cleared my front fender. Wearing one of those "Michelin Man" down jackets (perfect riding gear, huh?) he exploded in a cloud of goose down as he landed on his back in the middle of the road. He wasn't hurt, the bike got only a little bit scraped up, and we both laughed our asses off.

Not sure why I want one now. You're right, they were horrible machines even when new. They have a certain appeal, though...