1988 Kawasaki 750R cafe project - Italian Job

[Tokmolly]

Interesting build but to me this is more of a streetfighter then a caféracer. Thats my humble opinion. I will follow this build to see what you comes up with in the end.   

[DeusExMaxima]

I have been working on the seat a little at a time after work. Mainly, I have been doing some minor shaping and filling in of small air pockets that develop in the resin and bondo. I also figured out how to attach it to the bike. I glassed in to "L" brackets to the back which line up with two already-existing holes in the seat sub-frame. I got some nuts and bolts and the seat now bolts to the rear via the brackets. I had to notch the seat a little so it sits flush with the subframe. The front was much harder to figure out. I made a large bracket that bolts to the subframe. It follows the underneath part of the seat. I used some thick aluminum stock. I then glassed some bolts into the seat and drilled two matching holes in the bracket. The wing nuts I got to secure the seat are a little hard to get to from underneath. I may drill a small hole in each bolt and use cotter pins to hold the seat in place for easier removal.

I also made a subframe cover out of thick ABS plastic. I will provide a floor for storage area under the seat for electronics such as Battery, wiring and relays.

I started work on the gas tank early this morning. I stripped off the ugly red paint off the gas cap and it revealed the original black paint. Then I ground off the black paint to reveal the bare metal. My plan is to polish the gas cap.

I ground off the original Kawasaki decals and plan to strip the entire tank. I also filled in the remaining minor dents with bondo and sanded smooth. I did a light spray of primer over the dent areas and will sand to make sure the dents are smooth. The primer will reveal the low spots. There are some threaded metal areas that were originally used to attach the fairing. Those need to be ground down and bondoed smooth as well.

After the tank is prepped, I decided to cover the tank and seat in 3M carbon fiber vinyl. I haven't picked it up yet from my "vinyl guy" but he tells me it looks really good and has a semi-gloss finish. Ill keep you posted and may send some pics along the way if u like.

Pic from a couple days ago:


The paint scheme I am thinking of doing:

[MotorbikeBruno]

This is great! Nice to see a mod to this ride.  I'm just starting an 88' cbr600, great work so far. I like where this is going.  I've personally used some of that carbon stuff and once you get the hang of it, it can look really great. Plan to waste the first piece maybe though...

[DeusExMaxima]

This is great! Nice to see a mod to this ride.  I'm just starting an 88' cbr600, great work so far. I like where this is going.  I've personally used some of that carbon stuff and once you get the hang of it, it can look really great. Plan to waste the first piece maybe though...

I almost got an 88 Hurricane but that deal fell through, so I ended up with this bike, which Im very happy with.  I cant wait to get it on the road to ride it...it just rides so nicely.

Here is an update of the work this weekend:

I installed the tail lights by drilling holes in the seat and fitting them in. Ill make brackets for each.



The gas tank is totally stripped of paint in preparation for either paint or primer and carbon fiber vinyl wrap.



Im polishing the gas cap as a side project while finishing up the tank and seat.

[DeusExMaxima]

There is a small crater in the front of the side of the tank on each side where the fairing attached to the tank by a metal tab that I removed.  I  filled it with jb weld.  When that dries, I will sand it and then bondo and sand.  The tank should be ready for paint and or carbon fiber vinyl.

[MotorbikeBruno]

Great. looking forward to more pics.

[DeusExMaxima]

Did lots of spot filling and sanding and then primered the tank and seat.

[whitey]

Very interesting and challenging choice for your project. A '88 750r was my first taste of sport bike performance and had that thing for my main transportation for 10 yrs and over 100k miles, it survived my younger (stupider) motorcycle riding years up into my commuting and civilized days, if not for a whim purchase on a new bike I am sure it would still be mine and on the road.
I really like what you are doing with yours, I never thought about stuff like that when I had mine but seeing yours brought back some fond memories.

[DeusExMaxima]

Thanks Whitey.

This weekend I'm working on the electronics in the rear.  The battery needs to go under the seat hump and the nearby wiring and relays and such will be positioned under the seat and mounted to the seat pan.  I cut the electrical tape on the wiring to make the wires accessible to lengthening if needed. I plan to clean the tape glue off the wiring and just put a bit of tape on it to keep the wires together and wrap it in that GM wire loom stuff (I dont know what its called but its that ribbed stuff with the slice in it)

One problem is that the battery is going to have to be lowered below the seat pan because it hits the underneath part of the seat hump.  Ill have to cut a hole in the seat pan which will countersink the battery.  Then I will have to build a battery box to support the lowered battery and secure it somehow.





On Sunday, I plan to take the seat and gas tank to a carbon fiber vinyl installer and have them covered in gloss 3m carbon fiber vinyl.

[MotorbikeBruno]

I'd replace it with a shorter AGM battery or something. Find one with same cranking amps and 3" shorter usually.

[whitey]

I'd replace it with a shorter AGM battery or something. Find one with same cranking amps and 3" shorter usually.

Thats the ticket, will be a good bit smaller and not have to be straight up and down, you can build your battery box at an angle or even have the battery on it's side for more space.

[Worst cb650 ever]

BikeBandit was having a sale on batteries, including AGM and lithium cells.  While I'm spending all your money, you could get a nice lithium unit for $150 and end up with a 3 lb battery...add lightness and keep your center of gravity low.

[DeusExMaxima]

I could get a smaller battery as suggested, and it might be  something id do later.  For now, I built a battery box to lower the battery so the seat clears it.  In order to build it, I used some of the green styrofoam left over from my seat project.  I taped it together about two inches above the bottom of it using aluminum duct tape.


Then i covered the foam and bottom of the battery in duct tape and slathered grease on it for a release agent.



I had to work on it upside down because I was molding the bottom part of the battery.



After the first two layers dried, I removed the battery from the fiberglass which was tough.  I then added more layers to strengthen it and trimmed and sanded it.  Ill add another layer of resin to the outside to make it smooth looking.  You cant really see it unless you look under the seat because it is countersunk only a couple inches.




I cut the seat pan and slid the battery box through it.  The battery fits like a piston in a bore because it is perfectly molded to it.  Now the seat covers it nicely.

[MotorbikeBruno]

Wow, that was well done sir.  Normally you don't want to flip one of those batteries upside down though!!

[ScrapMetal]

I like the build, and used to own one of these bikes, so interest peaked,,,

That being said I don't care for the gauges, sorry. I would never have thought of doing what you are to this bike, so I applaud you!