'82 cafe XV750

How does a $155+shipping conversion kit sound?

Conversion kit would include;
- Rotor hub adapter
- Drum filler cover
- New 6302 bearing (LH)
- New 6303 bearing (RH)
- 6303 bearing ID reducer (for 15mm front axle)
- 5x M10x1.25 bolts & washers (for hub attachment)
- Instructions

The LH front wheel seals from your original front 19" wheel should be easy to remove w/o damage (mine pulled out easy) to be re-used. Supplying new bearings because it is hard to remove the bearings w/o damaging them for re-use. Original brake rotor bolts and speedo drive plate(s) would be re-used as well.

If you have a cut-off tool and/or angle grinder you can modify the wheel & axle spacer for the parts to fit yourself. If not then you might need to have machined somewhere. Of course, you need to decide what tire to install.

Once I have parts, I plan to update this thread with a DIY install w/pics ... not for about a month yet.

Opinions? Anyone interested in pre-ordering (in-full or deposit)?

I just bought an '83 Virago 750 midnight & want to cafe it. Are there any spoke wheels that will fit onto the early model Virago? What is the largest tire size that will fit on them as well. I Really like the Cafe Zero, but I can't fab up a hub for the front wheel. Any updates on this conversion kit?

i would def be intrested in the conversion, is this only for this scoot or is it made to order per say for each bike?

I pick up a batch of 10 sets of adapter hubs and drum filler covers from the machinist tomorrow. I'll try to document the conversion soon - certainly hope to over the Thanksgiving weekend.

These will work with any 1st Gen ('81-83) 3"x16" rear wheel. Some of the early XJ650/750 Seca's had 2.15"x18" rear wheels that I think this would work on as well. I haven't researched much about the spoked wheels on Viragos, but I think they were available. If it is a shaft drive/drum brake rear wheel this conversion kit 'should' fit.

I hope to pick up one of those kits from you soon. I just need to find some disposable cash! The 18" wheel (from a SECA) has a larger rear brake cover. I bought one some time ago and compared the hubs and there is a definite size difference. The drive spline is the same, however and is a direct swap with the 16" stock wheel.

Cool project!!

The zero cafe you show in the opening post is not build by Zero by the way. It is build by a Dutchman *Engelbert), he actually made 2.... But it;s still the second coolest XV I've ever seen

I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

Just a thought, actually a recommendation: Metzeler makes Lasertecs in 110/90-16 front and 120/90-16 rear.

Skinny tires handle better, and Lasertecs feel great.

Skinny tires handle better, and Lasertecs feel great.

Click to expand...

Too right they do. Can't work out why theres that huge thing up front on it, wouldn't corner worth a damn. Tip-in and mid-line characteristics would be interesting to say the least.

I'd go the thinner options - boingk

WHAT! have you ever rode a 90 series front tire? they get caught in grooves in the road they have less surface area in contact with the road and completely reduce your lean angles! FAT tires on front are so much better for handling... (to a point) whay do you think rockets and race bikes run 120's up front?! it is not to make them handle worse it is cause it is better! a skinny tire in front is never better! hell even BMX guys run a fatter front tire than the rear

miob said:

Cool project!!

The zero cafe you show in the opening post is not build by Zero by the way. It is build by a Dutchman *Engelbert), he actually made 2.... But it;s still the second coolest XV I've ever seen

Click to expand...

That *is* the "Zero Cafe" at least that's how I've seen it posted here and elsewhere but perhaps 'Zero' is Engelbert?

Swagger said:

That *is* the "Zero Cafe" at least that's how I've seen it posted here and elsewhere but perhaps 'Zero' is Engelbert?

Click to expand...

It's a 'tribute to zero' as the builder calls it himself.

http://classicbikes.actieforum.com/show-us-your-project-f1/zero-cafe-racer-tribute-to-zero-engineering-build-in-haaksbergen-the-netherlands-t108.htm

Unfortunately the pics in that topic are removed, but it is the same bike/builder.

Ahh! I gotcha..

JRK5892 said:

WHAT! have you ever rode a 90 series front tire? they get caught in grooves in the road they have less surface area in contact with the road and completely reduce your lean angles! FAT tires on front are so much better for handling... (to a point) whay do you think rockets and race bikes run 120's up front?! it is not to make them handle worse it is cause it is better! a skinny tire in front is never better! hell even BMX guys run a fatter front tire than the rear

Click to expand...

I hate to be the one to tell you, but you've got it backward. Fat tires might look cool, but they're a parking lot upgrade, better suited to bar hopping than to corner bombing. Think about it: Increased mass = increased gyroscopic effect = increased resistance to turning in, and don't forget the increased rolling resistance.

I had thought like you, that I needed a bigger contact patch, but after running through a set of fat tires, then going back to the stock size, I can definitely tell you that skinny tires handle much, much better. Turns out I didn't need a bigger contact patch, and the increase is negligible.

WOW! that is news to me... learn something new every day! then again i can really rip my royal enfield (has tires about the size of a bike!) i can really drag my knees in the turn!

Heh....

Yeah, now you got the idea JRK. Check out Google Images for a Honda CT110 - over here we call them postie bikes because they're used by the mailmen to deliver most light mail. Anyway, they've probably got 90/100 series tyres on them and I can't keep up with my mate through town corners. He might only get up to 45mph, but he doesn't slow down for anything once he's there ;D

The increased rear patch makes sense when you're running a MotoGP bike with 220hp; you need all the traction you can get to utilise the power. For a street bike it doesn't make all that much sense, and when you put into the equation that most of us don't ride anywhere near the bikes limits of our (maybe not even) 50 horsepower bikes...then it just seems stupid.

Anywho, I'm not knocking the project, this is gonna look sweet no matter how it comes out.

Cheers - boingk

Wheel conversion kit is ready to go!

Here is what comes in the shipped kit

Hub adapter and drum filler cover are as-machined aluminum - so you can choose to anodize, paint, or powdercoat to your color choice. M10 bolts are grade 10.9 and M8 bolts are 8.8.

You need to supply a suitable '81-83 16" rear wheel. I snagged one off eBay for $4 with drive hub & trim, full brake hub, axle, and lousy tire! I suggest you remove the tire and degrease the wheel before starting on the conversion. If you are going to paint it, wait until you are done and/or put the tire on.

Remove the wheel bearings (1 on drum side and 2 on drive side). I suggest tapping in the drum side bearing a bit to use the inner spacer sleeve to push out the 2x drive side bearings a bit. Once there is a little clearance, a long drift can be used thru the ID of the bearings/spacer sleeve to drive the opposite side bearings out. Because the bearings are being driven out via the ID races, they will be ruined and cannot be reused. That is why I supply new bearings in the kit.

Step 1 - Drive side: remove the 4 Philips screws that hold on the drive side outer trim ring and remove the ring (keep if you plan to reuse - your choice).


Step 2 - Drive side: remove the 5x M10 bolts holding on the spline-drive hub and remove the hub (discard or save as a spare).


Step 3 - Drive side modification plan


Step 4 - Brake side modification plan


Step 5 - Remove drive side material. I used a body grinder with a 4.5" cutoff and grind wheels. This is a clearance cut and part mating surfaces aren't affected - hence lathe-type accuracy isn't required.


Drive side pilot cut off ...


And ground flush to original bearing press stop surface


Step 6 - Remove brake side material. Again I used a body grinder setup. Again a clearance cut to the drum filler cover, but some fine tuning may need to be made once the wheel is installed (the drum filler cover doesn't turn with the wheel so it needs ~1-2mm clearance to the final surface).

Remove the outer flange ...


Grind down the remainder of the outer flange and the brake hub flush with the surface that is between them


Step 7 - Clearance drill the original spline-drive hub mounting holds ... 7/16" drill bit works well



Step 8 - Brake side hole cleanup ... chamfers and washer clearance grind (body grinder fit if careful)


Step 9 - Install rotor hub adapter over drive side pilot and insert 5x M10 bolts/washers from drum side. I suggest a bike trial fit before final assembly that should include blue threadlocker and a final torque.



Step 10 - Install rotor onto hub adapter with 6x M8 bolts/washers (or original strap tabs under original rotor bolts). Again, this is a trial fit, but final assembly will include blue threadlocker and a final torque.


Step 11 - 6303 drum side bearing. Install flanged ID reducer into bearing and then install bearing into drum side of wheel with the flange of the ID reducer towards the center of the wheel. A press is ideal, but a 32mm socket and hammer works well.




Step 12 - 6302 hub side bearing install into rotor hub adapter. Again, a press is ideal, but a 30mm socket and hammer works well.


At this point the wheel is ready for a trial fit ...
Pre-trial comparison LH side

Pre-trial comparison RH side

Original front wheel brake rotor to LH fork groove clearance


Converted wheel installed (still needs inner spacer sleeve, speedo drive/seals installed in rotor hub adapter - provisions are there). Inner spacer sleeve may be a modified front wheel original or a new one made from 3/4" OD x 1/16" wall tube.
LH side

RH side

Brake rotor to LH fork groove clearance

Caliper clearance is fine and the drive side outer trim ring should clear too


The wheel is nicely centered between the forks - perhaps favors the LH side by ~1mm, but I'm not going to worry about it since the rotor in the LH fork groove is perfect. The following shows how adjustments can be made to the axle and the RH axle spacer to center the wheel and to properly reposition the axle for final torquing and cotter keying.
Axle installed - looks like I need to grind down the RH side axle end ~3-4mm per the mod description below

Axle minor mods


Since this was the first trial, I still need to final fit my inner spacer sleeve and finish the install of the LH side speedo drive and seals (all parts can be easily pulled from your original front wheel and be reused). You can have the hub adapter and drum cover anodized, painted, or coated prior to final assembly ... I'm probably going to paint before final assembly.

Next up I'll get a tire on the wheel and try this with some lowered forks.

So who's interested in a kit?

WOW MAN!!! that is SLICK!!!! i can see if any of the guys on the virago forum would be down wiht a kit... shit i almost want to buy a XV just to use this set up! VERY NICE!!!

Already posted on the viragotechforum.com ...

This is an excellent thread. Very resourceful, I like the hammer and socket method, my boss would be peeved if I did something like that. Made me realize my xs850 has a 16" rear tire, not quite cafe material (neither is the shaft drive). I'm gonna have to see if it's been done on an xs triple yet, very inspiring!