Introduce yrself, bikes, projects, whatever.

bikeboy said:

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

Click to expand...

Sure was. I won it on EBAY but didn't make the reserve. The guy contacted me and I paid his price. Very happy with it. Just need to get the headlight and blinkers fixed and then it is getting registered.
I've been checking out as many CX builds as I can find. I just kinda stumbled across the CX whilst looking for a CB or something smiliar. The more I saw of the CX the more I liked its look. Now that I have one I am pretty smitten.

Cheers
Rod

Well finally got my seat back from the upholsterer, he had gone away over xmas plus I didn't really need it. Put it on the bike and it looks great!



Big improvement and it is almost complete. At themoment the bike won't start and I think it is the coils. I have tested them and I am getting no spark on left coil and poor spark on right side. Once I find some replacement coils it should be right and back on the road.

Steve

I need to read this section more often.
My name is Dean and I'm from Sydney. I bought my cb175 so that I could do my license test about 8 years ago. I then came across an article in a UK mag that had a cb500 cafe with a 450 black bomber tank and that is what sparked the inspiration for my bike. It took a while and a few different directions along the way but finally I finished it last year. I have owned a few scooters during the time but now it's just my cb and a postie bike that I'm riding from Cairns to The Cape and back in July... but thats another story.
anyway heres some pics

Version 1



current version

Looks awesome hotfunk. That seat is looking pretty good too Haysie.

Cheers
Rob

That's a hard act to follow Hotfunk..... But here's some progress on the uglyest production bike in suzuki's stable!

ROne said:

Click to expand...

Hey I know this bike, tho I am sure it has a different license plate to what is on it in these pics. I am the clown that annoys you on the TLR most days on Hoddle St. ;D

I also have you to blame for me getting some old piece of crap to turn into a cafe racer. I picked up an 81 Z650 on the weekend and plan on making it into something like this one. I am expecting it to take between 12-24 months as I don't have an enormous amount of disposable income to throw at it.

hi

hey, im al from melbourne. About 2/3rd the way of getting my bike on the road.
Hopefully, there might be a few like minded cafe racer nuts who would be keen for ride someday
Cheers to ya'll
full build thread:
http://www.perthstreetbikes.com/forum/f61/honda-cb550-cafe-racer-67776/

Another Aussie. Welcome!!

Re: hi

valvolux said:

hey, im al from melbourne. About 2/3rd the way of getting my bike on the road.
Hopefully, there might be a few like minded cafe racer nuts who would be keen for ride someday
Cheers to ya'll
full build thread:
http://www.perthstreetbikes.com/forum/f61/honda-cb550-cafe-racer-67776/

Click to expand...

welcome. just read through your build thread, and I'm mighty impressed. sweet bike you have.

Can you tell me how those pre-load adjusters work? I see them all the time, but I'm not sure how how they work? Do you rotate them to lower the 'piston' which pushes down on the spring?

thanks
ian

But here's some progress on the uglyest production bike in suzuki's stable!

Click to expand...

You take that back! Wait...unless its a GS750GL...ugh....

- boingk

Re: hi

bikeboy said:

welcome. just read through your build thread, and I'm mighty impressed. sweet bike you have.

Can you tell me how those pre-load adjusters work? I see them all the time, but I'm not sure how how they work? Do you rotate them to lower the 'piston' which pushes down on the spring?

thanks
ian

Click to expand...

cheers for that. Yeah, its taken a while but might be on the home straight now. Im a bit broke at the moment, but im keen to get in back on the road for some decent weather. Preload adjusters are a replacement for the fork top nut, yep as you say, adjustable so the correct amont of sag can be acheived. Better than using washers . They look good at any rate, but as you probably well know - good suspension comes correct spring rates, fork oil selection, and fork emulators (racetech or yss or even those from mikeXS.com)
Had a look at ya website, good stuff mate - cool 70's muscle look eh.

Hey guys,

Signed up last November... but only gotten round to being more active in the last couple weeks. From Brisvegas. Currently in process of my 5th build, but this is only my 2nd cafe racer I've built thus far. I'm doing a ground-up custom/resto of a 1981 drum rear XS250/400. Putting a 400 top end on it and general cafe job. Will be much classier build than the last one I did. My 1st cafe build was also an XS250. Competed in the Deus build-off back in November... built a rigid SR185 in 3 weeks especially for the build-off. I did it for the free t-shirt LOL Not a mechanic.. nor am I a welder.. I have no trade quals... only what I have learnt from working at Honda and at East Coast custom years ago (custom chopper scene) as well as what i have taught myself from picking up books.
Currently, I have my own workshop under my house as well as the following bikes in various stages of tear-down/rebuild: 1981 XS250, 1976 XS750, 1977 GS650, 1982 SR185.
The SR185 which was my Deus Ex Mechina build-off entry last year will be converted back to swing-arm rear and then modified for the land speed records at Lake Gairdner next year. XS750...? Unsure at this juncture.. but possibly a tracker of some description. XS250 looking for a May 2011 completion... half fairing, solo seat, proper cafe racer deal.
For those interested, my last cafe build:


...took me about 65 hours over 5 months. Total build cost (not including my time) about $1000, including the bike. Bike was literally a "barn-find". It was in a barn.. covered in mud and dust... hadn't run in 2 years. All work done myself, except for the custom tuck'n'roll seat cover.. and the paint... had my mate paint it.. but it was a lovely custom silver metallic... hues of pinkish red at certain angels Self-professed cafe racer nut! I think we need a few more pics of other bikes in here guys! Let's see 'em!

latest build thread:
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=11543.0 :

Did the site intro here
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=25564.0

based in Perth, WA,
cutting hacking and welding most days, good shed time is better than masturbation meditation.. ops

The wifes 2fiddy is off the bench and on the road so the Buell is about to go through its metamorphous

Hey Guys,


Name's Sam, from Brissy here. Grew up with Dad riding all manner of bikes and have always been interested in them, he was hit by an unaccompanied learner driver about 8 years ago which left him with a minor head injury and a bung shoulder so he stopped riding (He had a 1987 BMW K100 at the time which was written off). I've had my bike license for around 4 years but haven't had a bike to ride (Money to have a second vehicle as a single bloke and my Mum is terrified of them since my Dad's accident). In late March got a hold of a 1983 GSX250 off Gumtree for $200 which turned out to be a bit of a pig condition wise. A couple of weeks later I scored 2 more 1980 GSX's off ebay for around $230. By this stage i had already disassembled the first bike and binned everything that wasn't usable, im close now to having a runner, albeit a junky looking one, but it wont stay that way for too long.


My plans for the bike: Get it running and registered as a first priority (going to build a flat seat, give the tank a rattlecan paintjob, replace speedo and handlebar switches and replace all lights with LEDs during this phase), then rebuild the second engine i have (possibly with a big bore kit, or i may even source a 400 engine) to replace the one currently in the bike, then finally rear-sets, clip-ons, fab up a bumstop seat, and decide on a more permanent better quality colour scheme to complete the cafe racer look.


I could just whack on a set of clubman bars, buy a nitro heads seat and give the tank a racing stripe and just call it a cafe racer, but i'd feel too dirty riding it as a daily, and i want something more personal (and reliable).


Cheers

Hey everyone

My name's Sean and i'm from Maitland NSW

I currently have a 82 gsx250 I'm slowly cafe-ing. I had planned on just painting it and riding it but the bug got me.





I'm slowly working towards something like this, I already have the gs tank and i'm part way through making a seat pan



Cheers
Gilly

Looks cool Gilly, I have an 84 GSX250 in the shed that I am going to get roadworthy and then play with. I have an old 1980 GS250 that is partially complete and I was going to use as a reference bike strip parts etc. Be good to hear how your build goes, and it might be a little quicker than my pace.
If you get stuck for parts let me know and I might have something. So far I have had to get a second hand seat to later butcher, a new tacho cable and need to send my spedo away to get fixed.

Cheers
Rob

Simon from Melbourne, live out past greensborough in Doreen for any locals.


rode as a kid from 14 - 19 i guess then moved away from home, got into cars moreso (4 cylinder corollas, currently got AE82 twincam (4age)) always planned to restore dads old bike and am in progress at moment, not going stock but also not going over the top, just adding some influence from cafe and tracker route mainly around front fork looks, slight drop, lower headlight and instruments a bit etc and some polishing of bits.


Its a 1975 kawasaki F11B "enduro" from reading and chatting to ppl on OZVMX they were a bit of an underrated bike and out handled other enduros of the era.


Taking it slow and enjoying the process, started March 2011 and hopefully maybe done by Oct - Nov 2011.


will be minimal road use once a week maybe, club reg and moreso might see some Vinduro events in vic.


This site has been invaluable in advice, ideas and inspiration.


http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=24311.0


back in the day (me dad and sister)





Currently

Hey guys,

John from Sydney. Totally new to this bike business, but been wanting to get one for quiet some time now. Finally got around to doing the prelearners about 2 weeks ago, hurting myself in the process (I'm accident prone) but absolutely loved it. I'm surprised having read a couple of the profiles here how cheap you guys managed to get bikes for. I had my eye on a Suzuki GN250 or somehing which was going for 900 or so on Gumtree, but someone beat me to it - I ended up buying a Kawasaki Z250 ('82 I've been told) from Scotts Motorcycle for $750, doesn't start or anything, but it looks like its in a decent condition. Its suppose to be delivered soon (supposedly tomorrow) and hopefully I'll be able to start working on it then, but I'm pretty clueless - the way I see this is a learning experience which will hopefully have a good outcome - I think I'll enjoy myself regardless.

Priorities would be to get it running again and learn to ride properly, and hopefully be able to do some changes along the way. Some of the stuff you guys have posted have been pretty amazing.




Cheers

Hey John, Looks like a great start (here's hoping it does start) she will teach you plenty. I really like those wheels and the black brake housing. Like most late 70's early 80's Japa's everything is little bit to big but really easy to slim down, there's plenty of cheap parts on the net. What did they say about it at the shop? does it turn over at all? You should start by checking that. I don't know if these have a kick start (doesn't look like it) you can jump start it with any 12 volt (which I imagine it is) battery and some leads, at least then you know its not seized, check its got spark then check its getting fuel. I'd drain the tank and replace it with fresh gas as you don't know how long its been sitting. If you get stuck there's plenty of people in here that can help, Good luck.