1983 XV500 Cafe Racer

notlob said:
May be easier than a new build and you will have a Vin and number on the headstock so less hassle.
Its a triumph Daytona 900 frame could use any of the triple frames from that era.
You may only be able to use the headstock and backbone but thats what you were replacing anyhow.

Been thinking even more!! I'm gonna research the cost and availability of a Daytona frame.
 
Theres quite few on ebay, range from £50 to £200.

I dont have an XV to measure the engine so haven't been able to figure out if it will fit the mounting plates between the headstock and rear curve. Or whether you will be able to keep the rear curve or have to cut it off.
 
I thought now the bad weather has gone I'd chase up my steel provider as I asked him to price some tube so I can cost the best way to deal with the frame, he hasn't done it yet and on top of that he told me he has a tube bender, I thought excellent. However it transpires that it isn't a tube bender, just a pipe bender.......I've got one of those so back to the drawing board and maybe a frame off ebay...ggggggrrrrrr!
 
After a long long winter, my wedding to my beautiful bride, a change in job (same company) and a fantastic honeymoon to Asia, I thought I'd best get on with my project. Tried to buy a tube bender off ebay, got out bid, original steel supplier let me down, I've now submitted my drawings and paid for my new frame tube with 2 bends. With all things being well my build will be back on track... :D
 
Ok, so I've had a new frame tube made, actually had 2 as the bloke got confused, but I was happy with the price so I've now got a spare one.

Did some mock ups at the weekend, just to get an idea of position etc.
 

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Just need to find some time to work on it.
 

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ill jump on board, interested to see what you make of it. i swapped for a gixxer front end but love the ride height and angle, can also check my thread for insight. did you get it running? ive also considered the dual carb swap, but at the moment i am running.. wont fix what aint broke at the moment.
 
MJ thanks for the support. I haven't had it running properly...yet. Still undecided on the carbs, I've bought a set of a four cylinder bike, so I have the option to stick with the original, which need a fuel pump, of swap them for 2 side draught carbs.

As the original frame has the rear shock running up the centre of the frame I'm looking at going for a side mount shock, akin to what Kawasaki use on their ER6.

Next step is to drill the frame tube and mount to the engine.

My plan is to sort the headstock out after I've mounted the frame tube to the rest of the chassis...........
 
Hows it going with build? That new backbone is going to bring that headstock down quite a way and give you plenty of options on front forks now.
 
It's going slow, mainly due to lack of time. I've drilled out the new backbone today. I'll be getting it welded and mounted soon. I'm away touring Europe at the end of this week on my Speed Triple, so the progress on the XV will be slow. However I will get it done!! :D
 
I've welded the backbone to the bush, although as my MIG is only 110amps I may have to get the joint re-welded. I've moved the frame slightly higher than my mock-ups as this will allow me to use pancake filters if I need to retain the original carbs.

This build isn't a carefully planned out project, more of a trial and error, suck it and see piece of work. But hey isn't that the beauty of garage built bikes...... :D
 

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2000 miles covered in Europe, get back to the UK and I'm riding along the M20 in Kent when a piece of tubing from an unsecured load on a lorry smashes into my foot. I keep the bike upright, pull over and the only damage to the bike is a broken gear change. My boots have a hole in the left one, my foot is smashed and I spend a night in hospital. I'm think this isn't so bad, until I get pictures of my bike. Whilst it's been in the insurance company's yard it's been totally trashed, I'm talking about the entire right hand side of the bike has been smashed in, totally wrecked. I am so angry and the insurance company are trying to dodge their responsibility!!
 
Karlloss said:
2000 miles covered in Europe, get back to the UK and I'm riding along the M20 in Kent when a piece of tubing from an unsecured load on a lorry smashes into my foot. I keep the bike upright, pull over and the only damage to the bike is a broken gear change. My boots have a hole in the left one, my foot is smashed and I spend a night in hospital. I'm think this isn't so bad, until I get pictures of my bike. Whilst it's been in the insurance company's yard it's been totally trashed, I'm talking about the entire right hand side of the bike has been smashed in, totally wrecked. I am so angry and the insurance company are trying to dodge their responsibility!!

Sorry to hear of your mishap, hope you recover quickly with no lasting damage. The recovery truck probaly lay the bike on its side to take it away, they dont give a fuck what they do, heard the same story many a time that they do more damage than the accident does.

200 miles was quite a trip, where did you get too?
 
Notlob, thanks, I'm recovering ok. The damage the insurance company's recovery agent has done to the bike is massive, the original damage was only the gear change, now the entire right hand side of the bike is trashed, the seat has been ripped off and ripped. I can't believe what they've done to it, and as I've told them this is their problem nothing to do with my claim, which I only did on their advice to cover the initial recovery fees as this was done by the police as they wanted the vehicle off the motorway and I was on my way to hospital in an ambulance.

As for the trip it was great, we took the Eurotunnel to Den Bosch in Holland, put the bikes on the motorail train, had a sleeper cabin, 4 of us in one 5 in the other, fantastic experience and amazing food. Got to Alessandria in Italy, rode to Garda del Riva (Lake Garda) spent 2 nights in a youth hostel, (centre of town, super cheap and clean) then rode over the mountains to Cortina, night in a ski lodge, again super cheap and amazingly clean and warm, good breakfast. Then onto Munich, again a night in a youth hostel (40 euros each) centre of the city, then onto Heidelberg, night in a youth hostel, clean cheap and good breakfast, then onto Liege in Belgium and another youth hostel (stayed in that one before) then onto Calais and home (well for me a load of hassle)
 
Found some time today to get into the garage. I've made some cardboard templates for the front frame mounting and did a mock up with the fuel tank (no idea what it's from) which cost me £16.
 

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Not sure about the tank, maybe too small, once I get the front end on I'll be able to judge it better.
 

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Finally found some time to get into the garage today. I've done a bit of welding, although I've bought a cheap TIG welder, my mate was supposed to be supplying me with an argon cylinder, but he's let me down, therefore I had to resort to the MIG and CO2 gas, not as good, but the welds are ok. Also bought a cheap lathe which should allow me to turn my own parts rather than pay a friend of a friend £20 a time for small items.
 

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