Chances of completing my first cafe...

B

BLVCKxSCVLE

New Member
I am new to cafe's and to DTT, I don't have servicing/painting/mechanical experience... was wondering if anyone out there thinks I stand a chance at completing a project bike lol. Moreover I do have some actual real questions.

- I'm a big guy ( 280-290 lbs); is there a certain CC that I should try and shoot for?
- Any brand recommendations for a noob/starter?
- Lastly any advice that you guys can offer, I would love to have.
 
hey there...

For your size, i would say something at least 600ccs...


Id say grab yourself a cb750, dust it off, get some manuals, read read read, try to do a simple tune up, learn through practice, ride the bike, then start upgrading.

Start with a cafe style seat... simple enough.

Then move on to clip ons/clubman bars and rearsets.

Do simple mods to start off with; youll get the flow.

Dont be afraid to ask for help, and when in doubt, put the tools down, step back and think about what your doing.
 
I have a friend bigger than you and his 1977 CB750 moved him PLENTY quick. Anything 650+ will more than do the job.
 
So then when i purchase my project she will most likely be a 750

I guess people can argue on for days about which brand this and which brand that, but I really do want to hear some peoples takes on the different brands and their 70's era bikes
 
Parts availability is a big factor... look for bikes that were built in large numbers to ensure used parts availability and aftermarket goodies. Yamaha XS650's and Honda CB750's were churned out in quantity. Maybe not as cool as that 750 water buffalo you're also considering, but for a first build you'll have enough interesting challenges without having to look for some uber-rare part that you just cracked by overtorquing it....
 
overdraft said:
Parts availability is a big factor... look for bikes that were built in large numbers to ensure used parts availability and aftermarket goodies. Yamaha XS650's and Honda CB750's were churned out in quantity. Maybe not as cool as that 750 water buffalo you're also considering, but for a first build you'll have enough interesting challenges without having to look for some uber-rare part that you just cracked by overtorquing it....
Click to expand...

thanks overdraft and thanks crab for the advice
 
I agree on parts availability. ALso along with that comes more people building them so you can get ideas and help. The cb750 is great and a lot of knowledgeable people are building them. I am partial to the xs650 because I like the 2 cylinder look over the 4 and they have loads of potential for speed and such. whatever you pick will be great if you follow their advice. Mikesxs.com deals with only xs650s and has a lot of parts. There are also websites that have lots of parts for the cb750.

I second the comment on read read read. There is tons of info on this forum alone and if you pick up an xs650 check out xs650temp.proboards.com. SOrry I do not have as much info ont he cb750, but I have an xs650.

Good luck

p.s. if you have no experience buying a running bike is definately going to help a ton.
 
I will definitely keep the xs in consideration, thanks a million ryan for the sites and advice. Its hard to find someone has has a bike in good condition and isnt charging an arm and a leg.
 
BLVCKxSCVLE said:
I will definitely keep the xs in consideration, thanks a million ryan for the sites and advice. Its hard to find someone has has a bike in good condition and isnt charging an arm and a leg.
Click to expand...

it just takes time.

If a price is to high, offer him something lower. If he comes back with something high, just walk away and make sure he has your number.

Theres ALWAYS another bike- well, that is of course if your not talking about a rare english bike or something.

Eventually youll stumble upon something way nicer then you were originally expecting in the first place.
 
Rocan said:
it just takes time.

If a price is to high, offer him something lower. If he comes back with something high, just walk away and make sure he has your number.

Theres ALWAYS another bike- well, that is of course if your not talking about a rare english bike or something.

Eventually youll stumble upon something way nicer then you were originally expecting in the first place.
Click to expand...


I will have to work on my haggling skills lmao! thats good advice though, I am moving to Miami, Florida at the end of this month and once I am settled in down there I will hunt for my project bike. Seems that Florida has a lot of nice 70's bikes (probably because a lot of Floridians are older/retirees)
 
[quote author=Rocan]
Eventually youll stumble upon something way nicer then you were originally expecting in the first place.
[/quote]

oh yeah, and just to prepare you.... when you finally find the best bike at the best price and buy it? THEN there will be a whole bunch more that pop up which are better and cheaper... but wtf... you'll have your bike and be already having fun with it so don't stress about it...
 
The cb750 1978 or older is a good idea. I think all the posts so far pretty much covered everything you need to know. Take your time and research everything you need to do! I did not do enough research and ask enough questions. I was way too anxious to get my seat done that i ended up screwing it up twice. It's been a month and a half since i started on my seat.
Hopefully i will get it right the third time hahaha!!

Here are some good websites for parts. The first two websites sell for many makes and models. The last one specializes in XS650's :eek: They all have fairly good prices

www.z1enterprises.com

www.partsnmore.com

www.mikesxs.com
 
Well your 'chances' depend completly on your tenacity and determination, but as a big guy (6'3" 280lbs) I can tell you I'm quite happy with my little cb400 and have no trouble keeping up with smaller guys on bigger bikes.
 
Find something that appeals to you. Then turn it into something you absolutely love!

I'd recommend the larger Susuki GS series (yeah...no bias here...), and definitely larger the Honda CB's. Also look into Kwaka Z and GPz bikes, plus the Yamaha XJ and XS series. Don't go exotic stuff, it'll be a pain for parts as mentioned.

If you're a bit intimidated by mechanics, then buy a cheap junker weed-whacker and pull it apart taking piccies as you go. Reassemble with the help of said pictures, after cleaning vital bits like the carburettor. Get it to run and you'll have a cheap wheed-whacker, and have gained some experience with mechanics to boot. Otherwise just read up and perhaps enlist the help of a friend who knows their stuff.

Cheers - boingk
 
what a great idea! I used to have a job fixing small engines and it gave me the confidence to rip a motor apart without having to practice on my car.
 
I can always count on everyone here to give some awsome advice... cant wait to settle down in Miami and find my project bike
 
BLVCKxSCVLE said:
I can always count on everyone here to give some awsome advice... cant wait to settle down in Miami and find my project bike
Click to expand...

XS650 sounds like the ticket for you. The simplicity of having only 2 carbs, 2 points and 4 valves to adjust is a big bonus if you are starting out. CB750s are awesome but a lot more complex. The older models also have no hydrolics which is a bonus from a simplicity point of view

The XS is a torquey beast that will move you easily. It's not wicked fast, but it's Vintage bike fast. Plus you can't beat MikesXS
 
I agree on the XS. or any large twin. Buy a twin as your first project. My first was an '81 CB750 and though the DOHC stuff was a pain as far as convertng to a cafe racer. It was the goddamn 4 carb set up that got the best of me. After working on twins and gaining some experience I am lookikng forward to an inline four project but an XS is how I would start knowing what I know now. That motor is pretty f@#*ing sexy too.

Good luck and keep in touch!!
 
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