Cafe Racers

[ducatipaso]

oh, hai

[learningcurve86]

i've been looking on CL, but my car keeps breaking so i need to get that [at least somewhat ] reliable before i get a bike... especially since i have a 50 mile commute every day :(

[StereoInstaller1]

The best starter cafe racer (on the cheap) IMO has got to be the old Yamaha SR500.

Light, nimble, cheap...and has been in production for 30 years or so now.

My brother had one. It was so much fun!

I went from CB 360 to CB550 to CBX, (many other unmentionables in between) did about 200,000 miles on 2 wheels before I ever owned a car.

Now I want a R1200 ST. Gonna be a while though.

Luke

[combustion325ix]

^ love it and have seen it before on the net when searching for pics of cafe racers google images puts it up. I was like i want it jealous you had it ;p

[bmwsone01]

1966 cb160

my love of labor...sold last year...:(

more here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9206163@N08/662020128/

[EricT]

Yeah I have heard from people having great results with redkote. Also read alot of reviews after I bought the por-15 kit. I think I will get that to try instead. I just know I will not be using the kreem again. I'll throw the por-15 kit on the shelf for a rainy day.....I'll order me up some redkote when I get home later.

[mangomango]

Hey, I would try redkote if i were you. i found it on ebay a while back and used it to seal the rust in my old yammy tank. stuff worked awesome and didnt peal off or anything and i had in there for a couple months before i sold the bike. turns in to a hard coating that should seal tiny pinhole as long as you tape over them first.

[EricT]

Thanks for the offer, I will keep that in mind. I sanded off the jb weld and started brazing the tank last night. Once I get that finished I ordered this stuff from por-15 to seal everything up. I read around on the bike forums I frequent...www.thegsresources.com and www.dotheton.com. They seem to swear by the stuff. So I will give it a whirl. For 40 bux it can't hurt to try. It's supposed to be completely impermeable to anything I put in the tank. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but not getting my hopes up.

[RobE30]

If I can remember I'll call Larry's Cycle tomorrow or thursday and try to get you a price on a tank. If you make it to the deutsche classic in july I can give you directions to the shop. Let me know man, I'm happy to help if I can!

[EricT]

For the most part I do love my bike. Some people tell me they like it, others call it a p.o.s. I take it in stride because I'm morphing it into what I want in a bike. Theres still more I wanna do to it. But right now the e30 is absorbing most of my money. Wish I could find a bike grave yard around here. I have had no luck finding a new tank. Mine leaks....I filled the pin holes with jb weld then tried the kreem kit twice (following the instructions to the t) and both times after a couple weeks it starts leaking again. Pisses me off. The tiny excuses for yards I have found around here haven't had much of anything I can use. Anyone out there know where I an find a tank to fit an 85 suzuki gs550e? i haven't looked this week yet but I can't even find one on ebay lately. From what I understand the gs450-650 from years 83-86 use the same frame. So theoretically a tank from anything in there should work. It's killing me to not be able to ride. I got stuff yesterday to braze the holes shut...but its gonna be a long tedious process and the torch plus gas tank combo makes me wanna shudder. But I have washed it out 4 or 5 times with HOT soapy water(dish detergent) and then rinsed profusley with cold tap water. It has been drying out in the sun for about a week now with all the holes opened up since I removed the sending unit and petcock and everything to wash it out. I'd so much rather just find a used one and slap it on. Anyways I was told the 91 octane ethanol enriched gas I get is whats eating away the kreem liner over the course of a couple weeks after I put it in, or so thats what the local bike parts guy told me when I asked him if they sold anything but the kreem.

[scabzzzz]

I has weed, and I has friends. I has cafe racer, before this weeks end.

[RobE30]

I have a slight advantage, a friend works @ Blackmans cycle (discount) and there is a motorcycle graveyard (more crap than you could imagine) about 20 min from me. I go there and just sit looking @ stuff until I can imagine how to make it work (or until I get a headache);) The best part about building a bike in this style is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. It's not like building a billet chopper.... this is your own style, your own way and it can't be wrong. So enjoy what ya got!:D

[EricT]

I like where this ^^^^^^ is heading. Fine examples much better than my feeble attempt. But its my first try as well as my first street bike.

[RobE30]

Some pics of mine. One is a close up of my rearset setup. It's off an '01 F4i and some type of yamaha....(it's just tacked in place @ this point) Front fender is off an early 80's suzuki (needs to be trimmed where it mounts to shock tube). Also you can see my '67 bug and my "pinstriping" talents. I need more practice

[learningcurve86]

buying a bike in july or august :-D

anyone that has a cafe racer: do you have a build thread anywhere? I think I'd probably make one.