VINDICATOR - 60's style Cafe Racer TR1

[gentlemanjim]

"an effort to kick myself up the ass and get some progress going".

Glad you said what I've been thinking.

[beachcomber]

"an effort to kick myself up the ass and get some progress going".

Glad you said what I've been thinking.

Quite a few others I would imagine too ............................. sometimes the stars just do NOT align.

Oh, there are LOT's of very good reasons why no progress, but at the end of the day ... no progress.

See my latest posting - "Another Brother down-UK". Sucks the fun out of life.

[beachcomber]

Right over that now - pal and his girlfriend are on the mend.

Good few days in the garage sorting parts and stripping the Cafe Creme donor bike down to the bare bones. Turns out the frame will be ideal for the Vindicator as it's in excellent condition and the PO had already fitted taper headstock bearings. I'll just switch the chassis plates around to keep the paperwork good.

Also sorted out a few of the "goodies" and decided that the Guzzi "Flat back" headlamp didn't look quite right for the image I had in mind.

Then I came across this little beauty - brand new and couldn't be more "right" for a 60's Cafe Racer.

Made a $130 hole in the budget, but it looks the bollox and solves the problem of the light switches.

[gentlemanjim]

Keep on trucking 

[Swagger]

TJ, I'm glad you're still moving forward my friend.....does the heart good.
I'm still in the market for for a decent TR1 motor or even just a good bottom end and trans should you com across one for a sane price.
Pallet shipping from the UK to me shouldn't be too awful, at least that's what it looks like on this end.

But.....regardless, I'm pleased that you're back in the shed!

[damarble]

Cool stuff going on here. Subbed.

[beachcomber]

TJ, I'm glad you're still moving forward my friend.....does the heart good.
I'm still in the market for for a decent TR1 motor or even just a good bottom end and trans should you com across one for a sane price.
Pallet shipping from the UK to me shouldn't be too awful, at least that's what it looks like on this end.

But.....regardless, I'm pleased that you're back in the shed!

Lee glad to see YOU'RE back firing on all, or at least most cylinders ............... The trip to Holland is still on at some stage when I'm hoping to score a trailer load of donors / parts.

I'll look around for a sensibly priced bottom end / motor. That said - prices for TR1s / XVs in the UK has DOUBLED in the past year. There are a lot of folk going the "Vincentesque" Cafe Racer route.

In fact the last mule I sold was specifically for that purpose. The guy reasoned [ and I agree ] it was cheaper to buy a complete 'ish bike and sell off the parts he didn't need to recoup part of his outlay. He's busy squeezing the lump into a Featherbed [ doesn't work !! ].

Talking of which [ we weren't ] - I had a good look at a spare BMW Airhead [ R80 ] main frame the other day - VERY Featherbed 'ish and with more width between the bottom rails. I saw a Sitter race outfit that had the top frame rails made in a F'bed style to take a Norton 5 gallon tank ...there's food for thought, especially as secondhand F'Bed frames fetch a minimum of $1500.

I have been very lucky with all my purchases using that theory - and on every one of my projects the donor parts have ended up virtually at no cost once all the non essential parts have been sold off.

[beachcomber]

Best laid plans etc .................... just as the seller was passing the boxed chrome headlamp to me - it fell out of the bottom, smashed the lens and dented the shell !!!!!!!! 

He was so embarrassed that he sold me the goodies below - new 7" Lucas headlamp with switch / ammeter panel, "Stop" lamp and Brass petrol taps [ both for Cafe Creme ] and all for less than the price of the chrome headlamp !

[gentlemanjim]

Seems more than fare to me.  Nice deal!

[beachcomber]

Seems more than fare to me.  Nice deal!

Yes - the guy is a genuine enthusiast - as well as a businessman, rare combination !

He has over 3000 sq. ft. of assorted oldtimer goodies. We had a real good chat and ended up he's going to market the Cafe-Moto merchandise and the John Hancox artwork and calendars [ soon on their way - 2013 version ].

I put him on to some of my contacts and it looks like we might share a consignment of 2 1/2" Monza alloy gas caps ....watch this space.

[beachcomber]

The first consignment of 2 1/2" Monza caps looks like a goer .......keep you posted.

[Swagger]

YES!!!!

[Garage Rat]

Looks like the kick in the arse I need to work on mine again. Just gotta flog some old parts to buy new ones (your shocks and some carbs). I need to sell ALOT of parts...

[beachcomber]

Looks like the kick in the arse I need to work on mine again. Just gotta flog some old parts to buy new ones (your shocks and some carbs). I need to sell ALOT of parts...

That's how it works .................... I'm having a major E-Bay clear out in the next month in an effort to get all the last pieces together for my THREE projects - + money for alloy wheel builds, powder coating, Gold passivating, and paint materials.

Don't know what it's like in Canada / US - but here in Europe we've had this stoopid directive where all chemical based paints [ as in solvents ] are now banned ! Paint solvents are now WATER based.

I've narrowed the choice down to two specific Reds for the Vindicator.

Yes, you can still get Cellulose and 2 pack - but the prices are astro fuckin nominal.

I'm pretty well there with all the major parts, and at least this one doesn't need a frame !!

[Garage Rat]

Same deal with the paint here. 

IF I'm lucky enough I'll be traiding a Dunstall tank and some Redwing shocks for some flat slide carbs. The last piece I need to make the bike fire up. The rest is wiring and work.