Hi guys and girls,
This is my bike, a 1981 Yamaha SR250. It was basically given to me, and when I dragged it home, it was a pretty sorry sight ..
Initially I didn't have any grand plans for the bike, I intended just to clean it up and use it to get my license as I've always ridden offroad since I was a kid, but have never had my road license.
Then, as I got into cleaning it up I was inspired by some of the amazing work Deus Ex Machina (www.deus.com.au) in the eastern states (I live in Western Australia) do with the humble Yamaha SR and decided since I have always loved 60's race bikes such as the Manx Norton's and British cafe racers, that I'd turn it into a cafe racer.
I played around with the stance of the bike by slipping the forks through the stanchions 2 inches, raising the rear shocks, lowering the bars and removed the seat in order to measure it up and fabricate a cafe seat, I also repainted the tank and shaved the badges (what a mission that was, that tank has so much filler in it, it was junk, but my "budget" dictated I save it!) and the bike began to look like this ..
And here's a couple of photo's of the tank before and after painting, I shaved the badges also hence all the filler ..
After about a zillion coats of high build primer it finally started to look straight ..
I had a friend who is a spray painter paint the tank for me (but still using rattle cans) and I think we made a pretty good purse out of a sows ear..
I then decided to clean up the rear end of the bike, so I gutted the middle section by removing the side panels, airbox, battery box, inner guard and tool box (for want of a better description, you could probably only fit a 10mm spanner and some loose change in there) deciding to relocate the battery, run a pod filter on the carburettor, and hide the electrics. At this point I stripped the bike ..
I then decided to go solo, and remove the loops that mount the pillion pegs, sidestand and muffler from the rear downtubes. I also removed any superfluous mounting tabs and brackets for a cleaner look, and welded plates over the holes where the loops were.
Here's the frame before modifications ..
And after a lengthy session with the grinder (actually 3, two of the ones I borrowed from the workshop died on me before I bought a good one!) and wire wheeling the paint off ..
And after all the grinding, cutting and welding here it is with a coat of paint and the rubbers back on. As you can see I still need to fabricate a clamp/bolt on muffler mount and sidestand, but I am waiting until the bike is a rolling chassis again ..
This is my bike, a 1981 Yamaha SR250. It was basically given to me, and when I dragged it home, it was a pretty sorry sight ..
![n704951495_1234730_3558.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-495.ll.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ll-sf2p%2Fv339%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1234730_3558.jpg&hash=2fd90f1756d2c4c4ef4dba0523fe9e4e)
Initially I didn't have any grand plans for the bike, I intended just to clean it up and use it to get my license as I've always ridden offroad since I was a kid, but have never had my road license.
Then, as I got into cleaning it up I was inspired by some of the amazing work Deus Ex Machina (www.deus.com.au) in the eastern states (I live in Western Australia) do with the humble Yamaha SR and decided since I have always loved 60's race bikes such as the Manx Norton's and British cafe racers, that I'd turn it into a cafe racer.
I played around with the stance of the bike by slipping the forks through the stanchions 2 inches, raising the rear shocks, lowering the bars and removed the seat in order to measure it up and fabricate a cafe seat, I also repainted the tank and shaved the badges (what a mission that was, that tank has so much filler in it, it was junk, but my "budget" dictated I save it!) and the bike began to look like this ..
![n704951495_1248695_608.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-h.ak.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ak-sf2p%2Fv339%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1248695_608.jpg&hash=4fb059f595b269b47c89834a3f063089)
And here's a couple of photo's of the tank before and after painting, I shaved the badges also hence all the filler ..
![n704951495_1253190_7518.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-g.ak.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ak-sf2p%2Fv339%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1253190_7518.jpg&hash=4de79a8c89cb6dc92af9d5efbf45bf0b)
After about a zillion coats of high build primer it finally started to look straight ..
![n704951495_1253191_8324.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-h.ak.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ak-sf2p%2Fv339%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1253191_8324.jpg&hash=5a3beadaeccec887ce88232e481ab003)
I had a friend who is a spray painter paint the tank for me (but still using rattle cans) and I think we made a pretty good purse out of a sows ear..
![n704951495_1248694_5250.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-g.ak.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ak-sf2p%2Fv339%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1248694_5250.jpg&hash=c88c449c070a8eba096cf0cdea4132c2)
I then decided to clean up the rear end of the bike, so I gutted the middle section by removing the side panels, airbox, battery box, inner guard and tool box (for want of a better description, you could probably only fit a 10mm spanner and some loose change in there) deciding to relocate the battery, run a pod filter on the carburettor, and hide the electrics. At this point I stripped the bike ..
![n704951495_1094193_4974.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-495.ll.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ll-snc1%2Fv322%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1094193_4974.jpg&hash=a4f12f2afa15b198a367413b83bc1709)
I then decided to go solo, and remove the loops that mount the pillion pegs, sidestand and muffler from the rear downtubes. I also removed any superfluous mounting tabs and brackets for a cleaner look, and welded plates over the holes where the loops were.
Here's the frame before modifications ..
![n704951495_1094191_4233.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-495.ll.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ll-snc1%2Fv322%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1094191_4233.jpg&hash=8fecc922230e95fab749d030e886e15d)
And after a lengthy session with the grinder (actually 3, two of the ones I borrowed from the workshop died on me before I bought a good one!) and wire wheeling the paint off ..
![n704951495_1094192_4643.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-495.ll.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ll-snc1%2Fv322%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1094192_4643.jpg&hash=b0ab79c3271681c8ce1d4de34ad1955f)
And after all the grinding, cutting and welding here it is with a coat of paint and the rubbers back on. As you can see I still need to fabricate a clamp/bolt on muffler mount and sidestand, but I am waiting until the bike is a rolling chassis again ..
![n704951495_1234729_3074.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-495.ll.facebook.com%2Fphotos-ll-sf2p%2Fv339%2F119%2F119%2F704951495%2Fn704951495_1234729_3074.jpg&hash=797dc6cffd5c113fe1e2514b858f8656)