A cafe Virago??

Deviant1

Deviant1

Over 1,000 Posts
So I was looking at pics on google under cafe racer, and I found this:
cafevirago.jpg

And I would do some things differently, but overall I'm amazed. I mean... it's a fucking Virago man! These things are all over the place here in various stages of psuedo chopper disrepair... I may end up doing one of these after my GL1100...
A virago... will wonders never cease?
 
Englebert from the Netherlands built that and actually built another. He based it on the Zero Choppers from Japan. I'm building a version of that though it will be more sport bike/cafe focused than chopper/cafe. I was really stunned by that build, but after finding my donor bike and doing even more research, I decided to go in a different direction.
Here are a couple of pics of Engleberts that I saved
Zerocafe007.jpg

Zerocafe009-1.jpg


This is my donor stripped down. I have since found an 18" rear wheel from a Maxim, powder coated the swing arm/drive shaft, cut apart the subframe in order to reconfigure it, found some clip-ons, and will use a R1 seat (in keeping with the Yami theme). There are some interesting problems that popped up such as how to replace the funky air shock and how to box in the gas tank and then how to mount that tank. I will also need to have an exhaust fabricated since I don't have any skill in building exhausts.
IMG_0198.jpg
 
They are ok bikes, but if you do decide to get one make sure it's atleast a 1983 and up. Anything before that year and you will have the infamous starter gear slippage. I used to have the 1982 xv920. I would not recommend goign any faster than 75mph on it. The only thing i liked about ti was that it was very easy to work on :)
 
There has been so much fabrication on that virago cafe that you need to have an incredible amount of shop (machining, mechanical, and metal forming) experience to even come close to replicating it.

good luck
 
no problem for the Downtown DTT crew who has access to the Kickstart Cycles shop!! ;D
 
I dig it, but I'm not a fan of shaft-driven bikes (additional weight). That swing arm looks scary dinky.
 
Although I commend the builder for his skill, I feel he wasted his effort on the Virago which is a rather dull machine to start with.
 
Kev Nemo said:
I dig it, but I'm not a fan of shaft-driven bikes (additional weight). That swing arm looks scary dinky.
Click to expand...

the benefit with shaft drive however is the reliability. guess it depends on your bikes application.
 
Ah, the infamous yamaha starter! All of the early ones make that noise, it's just the spring under the bendix gear losing it's tension. But I would think that if you're gonna do a project like this it would be much easier to start with the roadster version of the Virago. I think that version of this bike was only imported for a few years and I've only seen a few for sale here in the southeast, might be easier to find in Canada. But having said all that, I had a 920 Virago about 10 years ago and the engine was great but I thought it was the ugliest motorcycle I'd ever seen! The only reason I bought the damn thing was I was bikeless and some friends were moving onto their sailboat and I got a runing bike for 200 bucks.

Terry
J'ville, Fl.
 
CaTacl1sm said:
There has been so much fabrication on that virago cafe that you need to have an incredible amount of shop (machining, mechanical, and metal forming) experience to even come close to replicating it.

good luck
Click to expand...

I really don't think so. To replicate Englebert's build, one would have to modify the tank, subframe, relocate the electrical components and create a rear seat cowl. He did not fabricate rear sets, or build a new exhaust. He pretty much did what many cafe bike builders do, just with a highly unusual candidate. He's definitely a guy with an artists eye because I would have never thought of this! I think my version will require a bit more fabrication and will be my "Big Arse Project". I'm taking my cues from a German builder named Sepp Koch. It's as though his design takes Englebert's build to a higher level and is more cafe racer inspired. So far, I have met a couple of guys who are in the process of building an Englebert bike.
 
DrJ said:
Although I commend the builder for his skill, I feel he wasted his effort on the Virago which is a rather dull machine to start with.
Click to expand...

Wasted effort?.. ca mon... I've never ever seen a cafe racer virago before...
Just for the bragging rights and wow factor I'd argue that it was totally worth the effort...

The fact that the Virago is a TOTALLY dull machine to begin with excentuates the WOW after seeing somthing like that... Now talk about something unique!!...(everyones got a cb350, cb360, cb550, cb750 cafe racer.... but a virago???... WOW)....

As much as I love the CB cafe racers, Im having a harder and harder time finding anything unique about them anymore, as I see more and more of them on the street...

I though the Virago would make a cool Brat-Style bike... but as a Cafe Racer, I certainly didnt see that one...

After the BSA is done, I think I've found my next build!!...
 
Yep, it's got that "I'll bet you've never seen one like this" thing goin on for sure! I'm just amazed by that bike, there's nothing cruiser about it... It's that 90 degree v that does it for me!
 
i love and one of the main things i love about the Viragos... is how the motor IS part of the frame! i love that!
 
Try to find the european model, i've seen a few for sale here in california. They have a bigger gas tank and are chain instead of shaft.
 
Well,
What's all the fuss about?
I have a cafe Virago sittin' outside my back door - in fact, most of it was built there (I'm pretty pressed for space these days).
So far:
front forks straightened, added new seals and Progressive spring kit,
fork brace from Pogue Machine - originally for a Kawasaki superbike and modded to fit,
"spoiler" front fender which bolts to the brace,
braided steel brake lines,
new brake pads,
fork gaiters,
tapered steering head bearings,
clipons,
self-made headlight brackets,
chrome British style replica headlamp with H4 bulb,
self-made tach / speedo bracket, which is getting redone to take a Mike's XS 1.9" speedo,
relocated warning lights,
Gunnar Gasser-style straight pull throttle and simple kill button to replace the right hand side handlebar switch,
Hailwood NCR-style Ducati gas tank uber modified to fit the Virago (like, major),
VM38 round slide Mikunis with Ducati-style K&N air filters,
high / low exhaust - low on the right side and high on the left - to try and get equal length headers and some ground clearence,
really big reverse cone megs, which will be replaced with something smaller / lighter / louder once the safety is done,
self-made rear subframe - the original was bent, way too heavy and the wrong shape,
Hailwood NCR seat to match the tank - has been shortened a bit (I'm 165cm tall), with LED frenched taillight and turn signals that function as running lights as well,
Progressive spring on the monoshock,
rearsets designed by me, basic machining done by Abbot and Costello Machine in Ballinafad ON and final drilling, fitting, polishing done by me,
shift linkage / lever and brake linkage / pedal modified by me,
ditched the enclosed chaincase and made a lightweight aluminum chainguard,
ditched the #630 chain and replaced with #520 chain and sprockets,
drilled the living s**t out of any part I could, just like we did back in the 60's - in fact, the rear brake stay is from my 1967 350cc Yammy and has more air than aluminum,
about (it seems) a million little brackets, fittings and fasteners,
Things to be done:
where to put the big, big battery,
throttle cables,
paint.
Stuff down the road a bit:
I have a 120/18 and 180/18 spoked wheelset to go on the bike,
295 drilled front discs and rear disc (I have 2 setups, don't know which one I'm going to use, yet),
Norton Manx full fairing,
oil cooler
Give me a couple of weeks to sort the TTBD list out and I'll post a couple of pictures...
Pat Cowan,
Pacomotorstuff
 
locO leoN said:
Wasted effort?.. ca mon... I've never ever seen a cafe racer virago before...
Just for the bragging rights and wow factor I'd argue that it was totally worth the effort...

The fact that the Virago is a TOTALLY dull machine to begin with excentuates the WOW after seeing somthing like that... Now talk about something unique!!...(everyones got a cb350, cb360, cb550, cb750 cafe racer.... but a virago???... WOW)....

As much as I love the CB cafe racers, Im having a harder and harder time finding anything unique about them anymore, as I see more and more of them on the street...

I though the Virago would make a cool Brat-Style bike... but as a Cafe Racer, I certainly didnt see that one...

After the BSA is done, I think I've found my next build!!...
Click to expand...

You've said this before.....
 
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