Benelli Enduro to Cafe Brat

TXBenelli

Active Member
This is not only my first motorcycle build but also my first motorcycle. I've ridden others in the past on dirt and street but only short jaunts and trails. For the last few years I've been interested in the cafe style bikes and various other styles that are related but only in looking at pictures drooling over others builds thinking,"eh I could never build one that cool, I'm a jeep guy."

A peculiar series of events lead me to owning this little beauty. For the first time I could see past what a bike is to what it could be and decided to change from restoration to custom build.

Specs:

1972 Benelli 175 Enduro
167.5 CC 2 stroke single cylinder
4 speed trans
50" WB
32" seat height

The original tank is gone, as well as some other pieces. I've had no luck finding some of the parts that are missing and that's part of why restoration went out the window.

Plans: Benelli mojave style tank, dual sport tires(it is technically a dirt bike after all), clubman bars, rearsets of some sort, build a seat, remove a lot of the stuff out back like the cargo rack. I might add a small 30 cal ammo can back as a single side saddle bag for oil and tools, it is a 2 stroke after all so I have to be able to keep at least some oil with me.

On to the pictures from acquisition to current. Don't mind the yellow tank. It's some crap on there just have a something to hold fuel to get it running right.

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Good luck with your first build - if it's anything like my experience, it will be the first of many.
 
its a cute little dirtbike would fun as a barrel of monkies except for what you are planning to do will make it less agile, extremely uncomfortable and very dangerous for a rider with little experience to ride competiting with traffic
you are putting style way ahead of function and being a beginner you probobly have no idea that it is a huge but sadly common fail .that can kill you
have you had a riders safety training course with the local group ? do it and play to the bikes strengths agility
its not even a full size motorcycle its a very small bike and you need the bars high like stock ones so you can ride upright and be abke to see over around and thru traffic so you can be situationally aware of whats going on in that traffic
with the clubmans you cannot sit up to see at a safe eye level in traffic without locking out your arms or having them straight you cannot safely control any motorcyle with straight arms,and tilting back you head and that hurts after a short time besides limiting severly your ability to for instance checking the blindspots when manuevering thru cages and it is the best possible way to loose crucial control command of the motorcycle's manueverability,thats all
clubmans/clip-ons and rearsets are for the racetrack or very experienced riders,country/mountain rods with little traffic
your fist motorcycle if suitable as this one may be if you are 150lbs or less should be ridden and enjoyed and used to learn tuning/maintanance garner traffic skills in low speed city traffic you wont be taking it on any roads with above 45 speed limit anyway unless there are no cars cause they will just mow you down
the little trailbike cannot keep up with the cars of today
 
and you forgot to say how well it runs ? you must get it running before you do any modifactions
that said you need to inspect the brake shoes if they are riveted linings that is a very good thing and look like they have plenty of friction material left then try them out but do not ride it even down the rode one time without looking

if they are bonded no rivets replace them or it could kill you using 40 year old brake shoes i know i was very nearly killed outright on a first ever test ride of a yamaha the shoes came unglued the very instant i put on the front brake
it was in the country in the orchards and i hit the brake at about 45mph as i came off pavement onto the orchard dirt
the front wheel locked solid in that split second and flipped me and the bike straight forward flipping into a ragdoll cartwheel affair
i would probably be dead if that brake had been used on the pavement that said i broke bones only the dirt had slight cushion
i have scrapped out 300+ old motorcycles and 90% of the ones with old shoes that are bonded not riveted are already falling apart it is a very very serious issue for the builder to fully address
 
Benelli Enduro to Cafe Brat

Well I appreciate your concerns.

The engine will run but is low on compression and is getting rebuilt over the next month, it only had 62 psi when I did the compression test and the carb needs a better detailed cleaning. I cleaned it when I first got but didn't have a can big enough container to soak the larger parts in so it needs a more thorough round 2.

No further modification outside of cleaning are happening until it can run and move under its own power. With a top speed of 50mph in trail gear(it has 2 sprockets for high and low gear) it's just for piddling around town or mountain roads on vacation. We live in a giant flat desert with no cool roads to speak of but vacation in the mountains a couple times a year.

As far brakes go when test riding/driving things for the first time I don't typically run them flat out and hope the brakes work. However per your advise I'll pull the back tire next time I'm tinkering and see if they are bonded or riveted.

The next step for now is get it to the mechanic to rebuild and check the motor. I'm currently $64 total into this build.




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sweet i was thinking camp bike six pack hauler but loose those clubmans what are you thinking ?you cannot ride offroad with them
and have fun on the thing you need \to do a crankcase pressure leakdown test if the cylinder is still on the engine and check the big end of the rod early on before you buy more parts
you will definately want new crank seals,but the pressure tester can find cases with leaks from porosity or cracks or bad case half gasket
grab that flywheel and yank on it sideways and up down very common for the magneto side crank bearing to be worn out this can tell you imediatly if it needs crank bearings there needs to be next to zero play
and it should rotate silently growling is bad
it could easilly need to put a thousand into it to make it a reliable runner
 
The bike is more for fun runs back to town on the windy paved roads than the offroad stuff. I have this for that. And the whole family fits in it.


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We are doing arts and crafts now, no time for anything else when you get the 5 year old crafting. HAHAHAHA

I'll check that out.
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Liking this project for it's quirkiness :D

However, are you planning on keeping the seat as it is? No point mocking up tank profiles with that lump stuck on like that as it's throwing everything out in my opinion.
Ditch it for a slicker, cafe style seat and then you'll have a better idea of how the tank should look.

Even mock the seat out of card as well, you got to have an overall view and considered approach, just making random stuff one piece at a time might not work, especially on such a small bike with little room for error.
Get the proportions wrong and it'll look shite my friend.
 
And the best bit ? ............. Having the 5 year old being with you and the project ! Future treasured memories.
 
NoRiders said:
Liking this project for it's quirkiness :D

However, are you planning on keeping the seat as it is? No point mocking up tank profiles with that lump stuck on like that as it's throwing everything out in my opinion.
Ditch it for a slicker, cafe style seat and then you'll have a better idea of how the tank should look.

Even mock the seat out of card as well, you got to have an overall view and considered approach, just making random stuff one piece at a time might not work, especially on such a small bike with little room for error.
Get the proportions wrong and it'll look shite my friend.
That seat is history, I'm using it right because I'm trying to figure out how high the seat should be from the pegs and just keep a little foam between me and frame bars. I have a seat loop coming from a friend and have to get it back to the shop where I'll sort out the back of the frame, plasma cut and bend up the seat pan once the real tank comes in and can get the shape and riding position right.

I also still have the seat because it's got the only Benelli logo on it and I'll be adding that logo back on somewhere.


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OK 8) , good plan with the seat/hoop/height and logo etc .....are you fitting rear sets?

Clubmans with stockish seat height might result in a cramped riding position so placing the pegs back 3-4" would help with the riding position. Lower the seat foam any and you'll be in a fetal crouch unless you're only 5'6" :D
 
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