Introduce yrself, bikes, projects, whatever.

G'day guys, what a great site!! Plenty of information and pics to get enthusiastic about building a nice cafe. A little bit about me I live in Goulburn NSW and I'm 40ish. Owned a few bikes in the past including a nice BMW K100RT which I recently sold. Still have my little 1981 GSX250 to run around with. Thought about restoring her a while back, but looking at the cafe racer style I liked it and decided to go that way. Heres a pic of what she used to look like...
Chassisteardown5.jpg

in the past couple of months I stripped her right down and powdercoated all the main frame parst. I cut 6 inches of each end of the frame and tidyed it up. Had the engine and the alloy rims bead blasted and cleaned up.
Starting to put it all back together now. This is what she looks like in my shed today...
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Have ordered a set of clubman handlebars. Going to paint the tank and seat metallic silver and put some side panels to cover where the battery is. Moved the electricals to up under the seat. Saw a few other members in Oz have a GSX250 as well, would like to see any other designs too. Hoping to have the bike completed in 2 weeks time ....hopefully.
 
Looking good Haysie,

Be following your progress keenly, I have recently got hold of a GSX 250 and am wanting to do something similar.
What did you do about the seat. I am looking for a seat pan so I can start trying to get a suitable shape. Thinking about keeping the lines of the tail piece and continuing them up and hiding the electrices under the pan if the side covers go. Would like to go for a peanut tank but for first instance I think do the seat tail piece, clubmans and then clean her up. Then for stage two would be to loose the side covers, ram filters, hide battery, wheels and paint.

Clubmans are on order from E-bay.
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Thats my rant
Cheers
Rob
 
Haysie,

Welcome aboard, nice ride.

I'm only over in Nowra so once both our rides are done we should organise a ride

I've got a CB250N that I'm cafeing.

Cheers

NOZ
 
Thanks guys, good to see another GSX250. Ferg_69 I bought the seat from Classic Motorcycle Fibreglass this is the website http://www.classic-motorcycle-fiberglass.com/index.html they have tons of different seats, mudguards and tanks etc, great prices and very good to deal with. I removed the original front bracket from the frame where the front of the seat is captured, I welded in a flat bar in its place (in the pic it is covered with masking tape)
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On the underside of the seat I made a metal tongue that slides under the seat and keeps the front in place. The rear of the seat has two bolts that go through the original frame brace. I haven't got any pics of it at the moment as it is off being painted. Had to also trim 6 inches off the rear of the frame so that the seat would fit on and hide the frame. I thought about hiding the battery as there was plenty of room up inside the bum stop, but will fabricate some aluminium side panels and paint silver. There is a shit load of wiring to muck around with, verything works at the moment so I didn't want to muck around with it too much! I've ordered a clubman bar from a local shop two weeks ago and they haven't turned up yet... waiting... waiting....
NOZ69R, would be great to meet up for a ride. By the way, nice stable of bikes you have there. Hopefully the end is near, my son is a spray painter and has taken the tank and seat for painting.... hopefully he gets this done quickly!!!
 
Thanks for the info and the link to the seats Haysie.
I will check them out, at the moment I would like to get the seat sorted so I can register it as a single seater then progresivly do the mods. Think at the moment that I'll keep the side covers and may keep the original paint scheme.
Cheers
Rob
 
Rob,
I found that a CB550/750 rear mudguard fitted between the rear frame rails quite well and looks a whole heap better than the original. Still waiting on the handlebars and the tank and seat from painting. Waiting waiting waiting.
How's everyone else going?

Steve
 
Clubmans arrived while I was away, thanks for the tip on the mudguard.

Cheers
Rob
 
Looking good guys. Oh, and Haysie, if you see a guy jetting around on an Aprilia RS125 with black helmet and jacket thats probably me. Have to hit up the Crookwell road sometime hey?

Almost zero progress on the bike at the moment, I'm waiting on jets from New Zealand as nowhere local stocks Mikuni carb jets. I swear, the hell with fuel injection, why let computers and electronics do work for you when you can do it yourself for the cost of a couple of jets? I'm currently running 4-1 'zorst and pods on the bike with #115 mains and am ordering some 120s, 125s and perhaps 130s as well.

I'll be sure to let everyone know if I hit on the holy grails of GS tuning - getting a smooth-running GS850 after fitting pods and exhaust ::)

Cheers - boingk
 
It's not a bad ride out along Crookwell Road, will keep an eye out for you. Lots of bikes head out along Taralga Road. Rode this one day but didn't like it all that much. Let me know when you come through.
I've put pod filters on my Mikuni's as well so I would be interested in the grail of tuning Mikuni's.... haven't started the bike since the rebuild, so keen to see how they react to the pods.

Steve
 
HAHA - I've been on this forum for about a year and have only just now discovered this folder... :eek:

I'm 44, live in Brisbane with the wife and 2 kids. Been hooked on bikes ever since my older brother brought home a brand new KH500 triple (much to our fathers chagrin ;)) but I only started riding about 15 years ago. In that time I've owned quite a few bikes (as you do 8)) and I currently have 4 bikes in the garage.......much to my wife's chagrin.......no, she's cool with it ;)

Here's a few pics

My old EFE from about '96 (my first "fighter")
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My current ZX9 fighter which started like this....
ZX9before.jpg


And became this.....
ZX9TwoTone.jpg


Then there's my GS450 project
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Which was starting to come together nicely until this thing came along at the right price (and is now my daily commute)
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And then I was offered this thing for $300 (registered and RWC ;))
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So there you have it. I currently have 4 bikes littering my garage. Life's not so bad ;D
 
Some cool projects there Hillsy,

Love what you have done with the ZX9, I think I have seen it on Aussie Streetfighters before. Great effect.

Cheers
Rob
 
Another Yammy thumper rider hillsy! I'm Paul from adelaide and i've been lurking around this page for a month or so getting some great ideas for my build. It's been a breath of fresh air seeing some of the ideas on this forum. I have a '78 SR500 in the shed which was my learner bike a few years back and has been in the slow process of a custom rebuild for about the last two years. Here's the link to my build thread on the SR forum. http://www.sr500forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1283
I'm also keeping an eye out for a yammy AG100 or 175 for a lightweight cafe build, and in the long term i'll be getting my hands dirty on an XS650 and build a rigid rear bobber if i can find the right one for the purpose. Best not to get too far ahead of myself now hey. ;)
 
Well I just had to do it.... much to the wife's disgust, I bought a Honda CJ250T for $450.00 on friday. It is the younger lighter brother of the CB250T and that is about all I know about the model.

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Anyway, I put the seat that is going on my 1981 GSX250, and it looked great!


And this is what it looks like now, slowly getting it all stripped down. The engine apparently ran pretty well, but it did not have a lot of oil in it so I am going to pull it down and freshen it up a little.

IMG_0642.jpg


Apart from removing a few tag ends and putting the battery housing under the seat, this is going to be an easy build. Already given the tank and front mudguard to my son for painting, going with a silver frame and red tank, mudguard and bumstop. Lot of work to be done. Will start a build thread later.

Haysie
 
Staffy said:
Another Yammy thumper rider hillsy! I'm Paul from adelaide and i've been lurking around this page for a month or so getting some great ideas for my build. It's been a breath of fresh air seeing some of the ideas on this forum. I have a '78 SR500 in the shed which was my learner bike a few years back and has been in the slow process of a custom rebuild for about the last two years. Here's the link to my build thread on the SR forum. http://www.sr500forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1283
I'm also keeping an eye out for a yammy AG100 or 175 for a lightweight cafe build, and in the long term i'll be getting my hands dirty on an XS650 and build a rigid rear bobber if i can find the right one for the purpose. Best not to get too far ahead of myself now hey. ;)

G'day Staffy - I'm a little late with a reply (I keep forgetting to look in this folder :mad:). Saw your build over on the SR link you posted - that GS tank should look pretty tidy when you get it sorted ;)

Speaking of which, any updates ???
 
hillsy said:
G'day Staffy - I'm a little late with a reply (I keep forgetting to look in this folder :mad:). Saw your build over on the SR link you posted - that GS tank should look pretty tidy when you get it sorted ;)

Speaking of which, any updates ???

It will but i really butchered it using the gasless mig :D Well you live and learn don't ya. Updates on the build? I write something on there every few days. I have three vids up now plus some pictures of a few "inspiring" ton-ups, but no progress as i have to get some oxy and acetylene bottles first. Do it properly. ;)
 
Greetings from Victoria

Hi guys. Been lurking for a while, primarily because I don't have a cafe build on the go at the moment. I do have a project underway, but as it's off-topic, I'll just post a link to it here: http://home.iprimus.com.au/ianfox/ss01.htm. I do plan on building a cafe next, and I'm on a fact-finding mission here. There's some great bikes being built here, and while I'm reluctant to single-out anyone, zonda's effort has to be one of the best builds of any bike I've come across. Plenty of inspiration there, particularly as I had short-listed a 450 anyway.

I see a few familiar names from the netrider site in particular, and I'm thinking now that might be where I was introduced to this site from? Just on that note, boingk, you may be intereseted in another project I completed recently. The big-brother to your gs850: http://home.iprimus.com.au/ianfox/gs1100/.

More restoration than modification, but I agree with you in that these bike are an underitilised platform, and make brilliant runners. I'm a committed honda-phile, but there's a lot to like in these zookis.

So there you go. In time I'll have a project to report on, but for the time being, I'll help where I can.

Bugger it. I see a precedent has been set, so here is my daily rider ;)

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cheers guys-love your work
ian
 
Nice stuff ian, that Honda looks wiked...and the GS! MY GOD! Brilliant, just brilliant.

Have a blast, and hope the cafe goes as well as that GS looks ;D

Cheers - boingk
 
I've been kicking around here for about 3 weeks and only just discovered this Australian section.

Loving the Cafe style.

I am out near Bathurst NSW. Been riding since I was a teenager. Mainly motocross but have had 2 road bikes. Haven't had a bike for the last 12 years but the bug has bitten again. Just picked up an '83 CX500 in great condition. Getting my license next week (let it go 12 years ago) and planning to get my bike registered the week after. Can't wait.

Will be giving it a Cafe makeover in January. Clubmans ordered today, seat section and rear sets are being custom made for me. There is a chap down the road from me that I am planning to take my bike to later next year to have the motor worked on. Pod filters, re-jetting etc will happen then.

Can't wait to meet some other DTT Aussie members on the road.

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Rodders said:
Just picked up an '83 CX500 in great condition.

welcome fella. Did I see that bike on ebay recently? Those rear shocks look familiar? I guess you've seen the other ozzie cx builds under way at the moment. They seem to be a good platform to start with.

Keep us posted.

cheers
ian
 
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