VINDICATOR - 60's style Cafe Racer TR1

Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Looks like the stock TR1 tank has to stay due to costs :'( , however we're looking at making a dummy tank cover in the style of an AJS 7R or Matchless G50. These have more flowing lines than a 5 gallon Manx, and are somewhat similar in theme to the TR1.

Now then, if someone can just give me the skinny ofn the XS500 / XS650 wheel interchange ...................

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Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Thanx to good old E-Bay I've managed to secure a reasonable XV920 donor for the Cafe Racer project.

I've now got 3 lined up in Holland and I'm going to put a trip together asap to collect those as well.

With my pal's bike I collected a few weeks ago and the 3/4 of a stripped bike, that should give me enough to be getting on with.

We've decided on a 5 gallon AJS 7R as the basis for the dummy tank cover and that will be secured with a stainless steel strap - a la racing Manx'.

We'll be starting on the mock up this weekend [ tank / seat ] and then the following week I'll be looking at whether my XS500 wire spoked wheels will fit.

I managed to track down a road test carried out by Racer / Journalist Alan Cathcart of the Woods XV920 BOTT bike that was raced in 1983 - by Dave Aldana amongst others.

With very little engine work they managed to get 100 reliable bhp - that'll do for a start !

Happy days.
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Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

I'm surprise you manged to find 3! Not all that many TR1's around here. I'm also curious about the engine mods that'll give it ~100bhp.

Anyway, when you come to Holland to collect the bikes, you're always welcome of course!
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

I read on the wide wide world of webs that flat trackers were mating 750 heads to 920 engines?
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Michiel,

first off - I've temporarily lost my e-mail account thanx to some B*****D hacker. My account is temporaily blocked so I can't contact my new found Dutch pals about the bikes I want to collect !! Hopefully sorted soon.

OK the 100bhp engine - back in 1983 a guy called Work built a BOTT bike for the US series. Dave Aldana amongst others rode it.

Enginewise - pretty stock. 25thou. off the barrels [ ??? maybe head???] gives 10:1 CR with 95mm pistons. "Decent" cams and blueprinting. No real porting or headwork, other than blueprinting. Free flow exhaust and 40mm Mikuni carbs. He later fitted Amal Mk2 Concentrics [ + 6bhp]. SR500 valve springs and lightweight retainers and XS650 clutch springs. That's about it.

Timed at 150mph and gave a tad under 100bhp. The wheelbase was shortened by 3" and the headstock angle reduced.

I'm going down the route of shortening the swing arm frame by 2" [ maybe a new one ?] and I'm going to cut 'n shut the headstock to give me another 1" shorter on the w/b and also to reduce the head angle.

Not sure about the wisdom of fitting 750 heads to 920 / TR1 as the valve head sizes are significantly smaller on the 750.

At least I'm under way now, tomorrow the first stages of mock up will be under way with the fitting up of the Duke seat and a sillouette cut out AJS 7R tank outline to see what works best. Probably go with a dummy tank overlay initially as the quote for an alloy version is currently £600 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Made a good start today. Bike stripped down to basics and the AJS style tank mocked up. Fitted the Duke 750SS seat, but it looked wrong...............too 70's.

So on with the AJS 7R seat that I've had on dozens of bikes for ages. Suddenly looks right. Which I guess figures as we've gone for the AJS tank look.

I still don't have my own computer up and running, so I'll post up pix when I get my PC back.

I've ordered Tomaselli clip-ons and a Guzzi style 7" chrome headlamp. So the next job when they arrive will be to set up the bar/seat/footrest ergonomics.
Looks like we might go for the Grimeca 4LS front hub and maybe a Manx conical rear [ copy ].

When I checked the instruments, I found that the binnacles are in fact alloy - so a quick strip back and polish will bring them up 60's style.

All in all a very satisfactory day.
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Mock up going really well now - clip-ons, 7" headlamp, and rearsets now on and mocked up.

7R seat is also positioned and work has started on the AJS 7R tank overlay.

99.9% certain that XS500 wheels [ wire spoked ] are the same as XS650 - so I've whizzed the pair off my spare XS500 and they'll be fitted up [ hopefully ] on the mock up mule tomorrow.

That'll be the last part of the jigsaw for the mock up - then we'll get down to then serious business of stripping down, painting, polishing, detailing.

We're going with Grimeca 4LS front brake - as these are now cheaper [ !!!!!! ] than sourcing the Suzuki version - and they're brand new.

We've used my pal's business connections to secure a reasonable discount on future orders - I'll let you know the outcome. We'll use XS500 /650 rear hubs.

The second demo bike [ mine ] will have the original twin disc front on XS500/650 wheels.

We're working up a siamese exhaust system with a single Gold Star silencer on the right hand side.

I've also ordered a pair of Amal Mk2 Concentric carbs, as they are a more viable alternative to Mikunis/ Keihins.

I'm still without my own PC, but as soon as it's up and running I'll post some pix.

The first demo bike will be Vincent 'esque - gloss Black engine with chrome highlights, Black Tank, guards, etc. with Gold coach lines[ pinstriping ].

We've had the prototype RAM alloy bodied shocker back, and that's being trialled on the road bike along with the progressive front springs.

I'm really pleased with the overall look which is as sixties as I can make it.
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Looking forward to seeing photo's!

I saw a couple more TR1's (in parts, that usually means they are complete and assembled, but you have to pay for the add when selling a complete working motorbike, and not for when you sell a bike in parts) for sale over here. Might be worth a look before you come over?
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Hi Michiel,

as always thanx for your help.

Yes, I guessed about the complete bikes !! I think one of the guys I was dealing with had such a bike.

I'll contact you privately once my PC is safe from infection.
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Nearly there now with my PC, soon have my graffix back.

BTW - the virus attacked my PC when I went on to Photobucket to upload some pix. Might have been coincidental. ::)

The tank mock up is nearly completed now, and looks every bit as I'd hoped. XS500 wheels are installed [ same as XS650 ] and I've shortened the wheelbase by lengthening the axle mount slot in the swingarm [ 2" ]
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Got my graffix pack back up now so here's some update pix of progress so far..........
Fisrt pic - Day 1, strip stock bike down and start mocking up the CR parts.

Pic 2 - mock up for tank overlay in the style of the AJS7R - note XS500 wire wheels now installed. Needed slight mods to the spindles [ axles ] - but we'll have them purpose made in stainless steel with relevant spacers.

Pic 3 - old tank foamed up and starting to take shape

Pic 4 - end of week 2. Mock up nearly complete. Seat will be a little lower at rear and I'll make up a side panel to hide that fuggin uggerly "frame". Not happy with tank yet - although details don't show up well on the pic - I'll take a little more off the bottom of the rear horizontal face to give a bit more "shape". Footrest hangers will be mocked up properly next week to take the Tarozzi rears sets. Don't like the clip ons - we'll revert to the ones in pic 1.
I'll also reduce the w/base a little more - currently we're at 58.5", mauybe another 1". It'll mean modding th rear s/arm, but it's not a big job. I've also lowered and reduced the rake and trail of the forks to give a more sporty ride.

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Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Hi Kev,

I'm really stoked on this project - just like I was back in the sixties.

I don't think you ever lose the desire to do something different with your machine.

Flanged alloy rims have been ordered up and the front will be a WM2 x 18" laced with stainless steel spokes to the Grimeca drum / hub. The crazy thing is that here in the UK a NEW Grimeca is the same price as the ubiquitous Suzi 4LS unit!

Rear will be a WM2 laced up to the XS500 drum/hub. We might go to a Manx lookalike conical - but they are real megabucks.

The second bike we're building will have twin discs [ as pix ] and another XS500 / 650 rear hub.

The first bike will be very Vincent 'esque - Black / Gold pinstriping and a gloss Black engine.

The second will be the all time sixties favourite - Red / Gold / Chrome / polished ali.

Both will have a siamesed [ right side ] exhaust system with purpose made [ stainless steel ] Goldie style silencer
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Wow this looks bloody fantastic TJ!
It's gonna be a post-modern classic!
;)
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Thanx for the kind words Erskine. 8)

This one will pretty well be my swansong now - so I'm giving it the full Monty. OK there's the Canine's Cajones Streetfighter [ Mk4 ] based on a BMW K1100 RS - which will represent the final throw of the BMW Fighter series - and there's still the Max Deubel sitter sidecar outfit homage that MUST be done.

ALL the other projects sold off now - the CB550 70's Race Rep, Yam XS500 CR and the Suzie GS450 Tracker - all had to go after the loss of my garage and recent ill health - double whammy.

I hope to have the first of the Yam Vees out by September / October in time for the UK Classic Bike Show - that'll be the Vincent 'esque Black bike - which I'm building for my pal at Realm.

Continuing lack of funds will slow my bike down, but my pal [ bless him ] is throwing in the odd perk - like I'll get my finished tank overlay at cost - maybe less !! ;D

He did have to buy TWO Grimeca front hub /brakes to become an "agent" and get a good price .....that leaves one spare ?????????? ;)

I have a lot of "talking the talk" to live up to, so this one will be as "right" as I can make it.
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

beachcomber said:
Thanx for the kind words Erskine. 8)
I have a lot of "talking the talk" to live up to, so this one will be as "right" as I can make it.

Remember the saying ....... 'Beware the man with only one gun, because he probably knows how to use it'
;)
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

TJ, this is looking GREAT so far. I think you're in my head, or something like that. You're doing many things that are on my wishlist for future builds. Love it.
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

Thanx Ringo

My main drawback is that I'm not of the computer age, so I can't do the clever photoshop jobbies to see if my ideas might work.

Take the tank - worked in my head [ and with cardboard plant-ons ] - but now I see it, it looks a little "heavy". There's nothing I can do about the overall size as I've chosen the cheaper route [ low funds again ] of making a GRP shaped cover to go over the original tank. It actually doesn't look so huge in the flesh. A couple of tweaks to the detail shaping will make it better, together with some judiciously placed pinstriping.

However, long term goal [ next year ? ] is to make a complete tank in GRP around 3/4 size.

Initially the seat position looked good, but since I took the pix the rear end is a little too 70's / 80's - simple fix to lower at the back.

BTW - headsup on the XS650 / 500 wheel interchange - I now have an XS650 rear hub to compare with the XS500 and they are identical.

Oh, forgot to mention, we looked at one of the 5" Speedos that my pal uses in his Jag C Type replicas - just might mod one of those as a "Vincent" styling cue.
 
Re: TR1 /XV Traditional Cafe Racer

That tank has been really bugging me as it seemed to have "grown" in the transition to Cafe Racer.

And sure enough, when I checked my original cardboard plant ons to the finished article the University post grads worked on [ for work experience ] you can plainly see they got the bottom edge 1" - 2" deeper. Kids eh?

They're off doing a body design study for our Reverse Y Trike at the moment [ God help us ] - so I think I'll do what I do best - do it myself !!
 
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