This is a very small bike picked it up clean titled for cheap, I like to build things mainly street cars or bagged trucks, but have been playing with bikes last few years mostly bobbers and a few vintage motocross resto's. I have ridden 2 wheels for about 20 years so figured it was time to have some of these designs in my head for trackers and hooligan style bikes come to fruition. This will more than likely end up for my wife a little small for me but wanted to get my feet wet in the cafe world if you will. lol
1982 Kawasaki csr250 cafe/brat??? something
- Thread starter Gixxer
- Start date
Normally i wouldn't use the rear peg brackets for rearsets but my wife and myself felt after playing around with different mock ups it just seemed to be most natural think it has to do with how short and small length the bike is, stock brake lever post with added tabs for linkage and brake light switch. Shift arm is cut down and reused.
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After looking at it the rear section it is too long needs to be shortened up a few inches. But I am just about to pull the motor and do the finish work on my detabbing so i will shorten it up before that and get the frame ready for epoxy, yes epoxy gonna try and keep this build around a grand including bike so no powder coating here. Get the rear tire on and reverse the front. The tank is very clean on inside but has some dings so will pull and fill them originally wasn't gonna use that tank but actually like its look played around with a few square tanks but I think this looks best. The clipons need shortened a bit to, and seeing as it has drum brakes front and rear gonna be going for a very clean bar setup. Got alot of ideas and things I am gonna be trying but rather than list them all just keep posting as I go. Thanks for checking it out 8)
Hey Gixxer, I'm just about to start on a KZ 305. We have a lot of similar ideas there... I too am going to just push the tubes up inside the triple tree, use clip-ons & shorten the back end. I was stoked to see on some other photos that the tail already has a hoop to shorten or reuse. One issue we have with this frame & a cafe style bike - we cant get the really flat look that a lot of the Hondas get because of that kick up in the middle & the height of the rear shock mounts relative to the centre of the frame & the tank. I think I've seen on that youtube vid it looks like the guy has welded in a straight section from the tank back but I'm not gonna go that far. I'm gonna work with what I have like you.
Your frame is looking really good. I agree with your choice of tank - I think it's a pretty nice shape & prefer it to some of the squarer ones.
Can I ask what size tyres you have on that rig & are you keeping them or what are you going to use?
Rusty Hama
Your frame is looking really good. I agree with your choice of tank - I think it's a pretty nice shape & prefer it to some of the squarer ones.
Can I ask what size tyres you have on that rig & are you keeping them or what are you going to use?
Rusty Hama
I pushed the forks up to see what the front end will look like but the plan is to lower them internally just haven't got that far yet, just started on bike a few days back. Yea the top frame rails are definitely weird but made/making my own seat pan out of 16gauge steel to follow the contour then the padding will be progressive thickest in low spot and thin towards rear so the top part of the seat will still be flat but from the side view the seat will obviously not look like your typical flat thin brat seat.
The front I went from a 2.75 to a 3.00 one size over and will do same for rear but have not installed that yet. They are duro hf918 they ok for the money I wouldn't run them on my sport bikes but I doubt this bike could even do the ton , lol
The front I went from a 2.75 to a 3.00 one size over and will do same for rear but have not installed that yet. They are duro hf918 they ok for the money I wouldn't run them on my sport bikes but I doubt this bike could even do the ton , lol
I was thinking about that bent frame shape on my way to work on my vespa. How difficult would it be to replace those top cranked tubes wit some 'straight ones? You'd need to have the right clearances at the tail and make sure it's all good & strong at the shock mounts & maybe raise the back end of the tank an inch to get the angle to match. Do you thinks thats doable or too much messing around?
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It would definitely be doable and honestly not that difficult and while at it might as well change shock mount locations to a more vertical position which seems to be more cafe style, I am far from being a expert on cafe I have road sportbikes consistently for many years and just getting into this myself as far as cafe goes. This is more of a shoot from the hip build and do what feels right somewhat for performance and somewhat for style and comfort.
I honestly thought about torching the rails to red hot and beating them into shape figured worst that would happen is it doesnt work and I have to hack them off and build my own. I ultimately decided to leave the sloped rails and build it this way because so many people I have seen or read tend to knock bikes or complain about this shape or that shape is or is not right. It's all in the eye of the beholder anyhow.
I honestly thought about torching the rails to red hot and beating them into shape figured worst that would happen is it doesnt work and I have to hack them off and build my own. I ultimately decided to leave the sloped rails and build it this way because so many people I have seen or read tend to knock bikes or complain about this shape or that shape is or is not right. It's all in the eye of the beholder anyhow.
In the eye of the beholder - I like that. I've started a thread for my kz305 build. I'm an architectural designer so I've done a plan with annotation etc. It's in a pdf. I'd be interested on your feedback. I'm very interested to see how you do the fork internals. I've seen quite a few posts on it... but it's definitely beyond my level for now. You can be my canary down the mine!
Didn't seem like many people had much to say on this lil brat bike. So I stopped updating with all the little bits but it's done put about 50miles on it, it's very comfortable and i'm a bigger guy might look a little funny on it but it handles awesome its very comfortabe, fairly quick for a 250 single and draws alot of attention. Let me know if you have any questions on any specifics but here's some pics....
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Can you run through your process of painting the wheels? I'm leaving my rims chrome but planning on painting the hubs and spokes. The hubs are oxidized and the spokes are rusty. Did you do the same on the fork lowers? I'll save my carb questions for later!
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