New to Cafe Racers

hey everyone, I have a question that might sound dumb but I couldn't find this info by googling it.

Can motorcycle like a KZ550 (in good condition) handle highway speeds?

I grew up on dirt bikes and want to get a motorcycle and take a month long trip before I leave for law school and I was hoping I start on a cafe racer around 500cc but I'm not sure if the engine can take 4-6 hours on the highway

thanks for the help,
-patten

patteng527 said:

Can motorcycle like a KZ550 (in good condition) handle highway speeds?

I grew up on dirt bikes and want to get a motorcycle and take a month long trip before I leave for law school and I was hoping I start on a cafe racer around 500cc but I'm not sure if the engine can take 4-6 hours on the highway

thanks for the help,
-patten

Click to expand...

Hi Patten. I would have thought the KZ in it's original form would be better suited to 4-6 hours on the Highway than a cafe styled bike? Not to say you couldn't do it, but at the end of 6 hours in the saddle, the ergonomics of the KZ would be a blessing.

All that aside, it's a brave move to take a modified bike (of any sort) on a cross-country run without a proper shake-down to highlight reliability issues you may have introduced. What's your skill-level/experience with bikes? I know some people value the experiences of meeting 'nice friendly folk' as they repair their rides, but I'd rather not be in that position in the first place.

My suggestion would be get a reliable bike, give it a good service, new chain and sprockets (or is the KZ shaft?) and a good look at the tyres. Save the cafe version for after you've returned.

Just my 2 cents.

ian

Pretty much any motorcycle can take sustained highway speed. I took a trip from Philadelphia to Tennessee and back on a Suzuki GZ250. It fell off the pace a bit hauling my fat ass up some of the mountains in Virginia on I-81 but was otherwise fine. The trip home was just under 600 miles, and I did it in 12 hours of running that little bike with the throttle wide open to the stop.

I did a trip from Philadelphia to Utah, (and back,) on a Suzuki GS450. Ran the piss out of it.

The real question was raised by bikeboy...why the fuck would you want to do a trip on a cafe racer? Whenever doing a bike trip, (something I do regularly,) you need comfort, and you need luggage. Don't even think about carrying your shit in a backpack. Hours of having that on your back is a really bad idea. You think you won't need to carry anything? Think again. You will need room to store basic stuff like sunscreen, a few tools, and raingear. You will probably want to have a camera along. You can get by with just the one pair of pants that you are wearing, but you will need fresh socks and underwear everyday. A couple extra T shirts and a long sleeve shirt are a good idea, too. Don't forget your toothbrush and other grooming supplies, that is, IF you groom.

Here was my GS450 on the way to Utah:



Part of what was packed on there was a self-inflating bedroll. There were a few nights that I slept in the open instead of spending money on a motel. Notice also it is fitted with a windshield. That makes long rides MUCH less tiring.

Agree with above. We've had several people come on here, and I think we probably discourage them from this. Ride a café for an hour or two, and you'll probably figure out quickly a week long trip imprisoned on a torture device, is not the way to go. If the KZ550 has been kept up, it would be fine for a long trip. I don't know how big you are... I'm 5"10" /210lbs. That bike would be marginal for me, but back in the day when I was your age and about 170, I wouldn't have thought twice.

The KZ550 is a very capable bike. Like said, I would go through the brakes, change all fluids and make sure tires are up to snuff. Also make sure the valves are within spec, timing chain is adjusted and keep a very close eye on oil consumption, and clean the carbs before the trip and add fuel filters. I would talk to hikers and gather the best light weight stuff I can find and as A.D. pointed out you can't have enough clean socks. Rain suits can be bought cheap and packed small. Back packs are not an option. In your tool bag, add zip ties, duct tape and electrical connectors, along with a good leatherman tool and wrenches and extra fuses. When I tour on a older bike, I always swap the fuse box for a newer blade type. easy to replace and seem to be more dependable than glass fuses.

I'm not sure if you have a line on a KZ550 for cheap or one in the garage, but when touring, there is little replacement for C.C.'s. A big loafing engine is nice to have for droning on the freeway. If the majority of roads are going to be "B" roads then something more lively is more fun. If this trip is going to be all interstate, then buy the biggest bike you can afford, for slower "B" roads the KZ550 is fine and it's plenty capable of rolling on interstates, the engine will just be a little busier.

I think most here have been on a long trip on a small bike, and most at some point in that trip probably would have enjoyed a bigger bike, but we've also been on that road that a midsize bike was probably more fun. I ride to Cambria a couple times a year on "B" roads, and my Aprilia rocks! But when I visit my home in New Mexico, I use an FLH, it's just more comfortable for 12 hour trips from Socal to N.M.

I think you mentioned college, you're young, a long trip on a KZ550 will be an adventure you won't soon forget. Get out there and have some fun.....

Thank you all for your replies. I appreciate it a lot! I'll try to answer as many questions as possible and I had a couple more for you as well.

I never thought that a cafe racer would be that uncomfortable, so thank you for the heads up. However, I can only afford one bike right now and after this trip I'll be using it for my daily transport (weather permitting) around the city. And I think the cafe racer is the bike for me! Plus, I only plan to spend about 4-6 hours a day riding during this trip and the rest of the day I'll read and write. Honestly, I'm taking this trip to figure out what I'm going to do with my career. I'm not entirely sure I want to go to law school. I have already earned a bachelors and masters in chemistry and patent law is the next 'logical' step since I don't want to do chemistry anymore. So I'm taking this trip to figure out what I should do with the rest of my life.

I have considerable amount of experience on dirt bikes. I had several from age 8 to 16 and rode almost everyday (YZ250 was the largest bike I had). I raced a few times but I'm not really a thrill seeker and always enjoyed trail riding more. I don't have any experience on the a street motorcycle though and can't see myself on a sport bike or cruiser just yet. I want to get the feel for a easier to handle bike but still be able to have some fun.

The bike I was thinking about buying I first saw on this site but later stumbled upon on craigslist. It was made by Mario of Iron Geek – beautiful bike from my point of view. I normally would just hop on a bike and travel but from what I saw on his blog during the build it seems like it'll be up for the long road ahead.

Here is the vimeo link that features the bike: http://vimeo.com/69133351
Here is the craigslist link: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/mcy/4365077023.html

If any of you have any extra time, what type of things should I bring with me on the trip? I plan on rigging up some saddle bags and strapping a duffle bag on the bike. For sleeping I'll be bringing my hammock that I take on hiking trips so I can camp out some nights. It's not the most comfortable sleeping arrangement but I enjoy being outside. Most afternoons I'll spend in coffee shops and some nights I'll spend in motels. I want to take as many "B" roads as I can and see as much nature as possible. What kind of tools/supplies should I bring outside of a leather-man, fuses, and electrical connectors? Besides a lot of underwear, socks and a few shirts and bathroom essentials can you guys think of anything else? Are there any common routes people take on cross-country travel that hit mostly B roads along the way?

Again, thank you all for your time. I appreciate the knowledge you pass on!

That is not a bike you want to take a month long trip on. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but that ain't the bike.... Just for starters.. no front fender. I don't know how tall you are, but that bike is going to lock you into one position, and that will get tired before you get out of town. If you did 500 sit-ups a day for about three months, and found some place to tie stuff down or ship it ahead, you might be able to do a week on this thing. 6 hours a day for a month.... Not going to happen unless you're a sadist. You studying to be one of those priests that beat themselves, you're on the right track....

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/mcy/4352811720.html

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/4366065173.html

In stock form and in good condition you could do it. But not in that form. Maybe get one in good stock form and change it once the trip is over.

You could do what I did on my stupid Virago with the inch-thick seat and strap all your shit to the tank so you could lean on it - but I did 1300 miles in four days, and I won't be doing it again.

You could buy a more comfortable bike for the trip and sell it when you got home.

Buy this, so my temptation will stop.

http://www.bobsbmw.com/home/store/?slug=product_info.php&cPath=27&products_id=604

We're really not trying to dump on your trip. We've all been on trips and we're going to give you some good advice. That's not the bike. If you're going to be going cross country, you have to think of some things, like local laws. On that bike law enforcement will be drawn to the open pipes (Colorado maybe) then they'll see, no front fender, no blinkers and you could be stacking citations, and worse case scenario, impoundment of your bike. There are many reasonable bikes in that price range, and as Richard said, you can resell it or turn into the Café of your dreams, but again, that ain't the bike...

I mean, it's doable, but you will regret it within hours. I am in pretty good shape and a 450-mile day in a more relaxed seating position, stopping every hour for ten minutes, left me with a mighty sore ass.

Rich Ard said:

I mean, it's doable, but you will regret it within hours. I am in pretty good shape and a 450-mile day in a more relaxed seating position, stopping every hour for ten minutes, left me with a mighty sore ass.

Click to expand...

But, you're a fuckin' pussy, fer cryin' out loud! This guy is obviously a bad ass, and only a cafe bike will prove his mettle.

That's fine. The Valkryie seat on my Goldwing is comfy enough for me to pass on the "real man"tle.

ApriliaBill said:

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/4366065173.html

Click to expand...

This is the bike. Trust them on the local ordinance thing. I've been down that rode many times. I can tell you what the inside of the jail cells look like in Valdosta, Georgia, Commerce, Georgia, Duncan, SC and few other places. Mind you, I had a racing problem (lost my license 3 times before I was 28) and the cops loved to follow me around. In the end, it can be close to $1000 to get back on the road again. Back roads are nice, but they are where all the local and county sheriffs are. It's all state troopers on the interstates. The sheriffs are the ones you have to worry more about.

Somebody go buy that /6 RIGHT NOW

That is a most excellent video. I think he hits on a lot of very important philosophical ideas. You would NOT want to ride that bike for a month.

You will likely be hating everyone on this site or at least this thread but that forward riding position while fun and aggressive would not be fun after a few days. I rode my '89 GSXR750 for a few 6-8 hour days (mind you a slightly more aggressive position though negligibly so) back when I was in my late teens... my wrists and lower back paid for it and I was a serious athlete at the time. If you are 6 foot tall or more you will also feel it in your hips if you have switched to modified rear sets. Japanese bikes were of course not really designed for taller people to race/ride.

Beautiful bike though.

I think the best advice has been given... buy a cool café racer "potential" bike... ride it around to get your head figured out, and then modify it when you get back. (I also have to say that all this aside... if I were you... and in your position... I would say "to hell with them" and buy it anyway.) You will survive riding that thing if it is all you have to ride.

By the way... I am a lawyer and be very sure you want to go that route. It is a good career and good lawyers are badly needed, but it is also a very time demanding career. It is becoming apparent (with increased studies and statistics) that lawyers have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in N. America and the highest if not almost so rates of substance abuse and divorce. There are loads of reasons for this but that is not what this topic/thread is about.

Keep us posted. I would like to know what you decide to do. I would also love to see your bike when and if you do purchase it.

Holy Roller.

Rich Ard said:

Somebody go buy that /6 RIGHT NOW

Click to expand...

I just bought a Triumph and my kid just blew up the FJ600, or it would be sitting in my garage. I hinted to the wife my B-day was coming up, but that didn't work...

It seems like the only real issue is the riding position, so why not just use a set of bars that aren't as aggressive for the trip and swap over to clubmans / clip-ons when you're back?

I agree with everyone else, with clip-ons you'll have way too much weight placed on your arms and you'll hate your decision early on in the trip.