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To install clipons, rearsets and a cafe seat with upholstery, what extra parts will be needed and what would be a general cost not including paint for a budget Cafe Bike?
The bike is a CB350K Honda that runs great and has no major defects.
Google the parts you want, make a list of the cost then double that. Then decide your time frame and multiply that 10fold. Lol. It's all worth it though. Just don't give up. When you get frustrated walk away for a while and don't do anything drastic/ghetto to fix something. It will make it just that much longer.
An LED flasher from an auto parts store is all you need if your talking about LED turns but back to your first question. If your bike is already super clean and you're looking for a quick cafe i'm sure $1000 and a couple weeks would cover it but once you get into it everything changes. Once the clip-ons are installed every cable and wire is too long...so if you're like me, it all needs to be shortened. Then the old brake master cylinder is at too much of an angle so you eBay one for a sport bike with a remote reservoir and then get a stainless brake line of course. Now you notice the gauges look too high...and too big, so then you order new gauges and build a new dash. Then the headlight bucket ears are looking too big and blocky for your newly streamlined front end or you had to molest them to get the clip-ons on...so then you order shiny new ones. And it just goes on and on...it's just best to assume you'll be redoing the entire bike over 6 months and spending $3500...but it is worth it.
Depending on your fabrication skills...it can cost as cheap or as expensive as you want. I thought i'd spend about 1,000, and i must be over 2,000 by now. I dont want to count the reciepts.........
Yup. I had a 500 budget over the cost of my bike. And in now crossing the 1000 more easily.
There are so many little things you dont think about.
100 in stainless hardware for instance
Depends on the amount of restoration required during the project. If it is a clean, running bike, you can do the simple 'cafe' conversion you speak of with $500 in a seat, clip-ons and rearsets, plus $100 in miscellaneous. But, having the money isn't going to get the project done; you have to have common sense, be handy, and have lots of tools, time and space.
I'm a handy fellow. I cut my teeth on '70s vintage cars and spent 30 years in an electrical generating plant as a process technician. I'm not a welder but can pretty well put anything together. I didn't think there were any big deals with the LEDs but things change daily and I just wanted to be sure nobody had changed the rules while I wasn't looking!
I'd forgotten about needing to shorten the cables and wires. The wires I can handle fairly easily but can anyone suggest a good source Stateside for shortened cables?? I'll probably just run a tach if it is legal in my State. That'll keep it cleaner up top.
The bike is in good shape...3700 miles and runs great. I want it cafe and on the street. I'll save $$ on gas and continue to gather odds and ends for next winter when I can get a little more hairy!!
I rarely if ever shorten cables, usually routing things properly takes care of things
I do make a new brake line or cable though as routing doesn't work when lower bars are fitted.
i'm building mine from ebay bits and shop spares. I have 1000 into it so far, but I'm not trying to pay too much attention to money when I know what I want. It will be such a frankenbike nobody will have any idea what it is when it's done.
Yeah, I started my 750 three or more years ago with the intention of doing it as cheaply as possible. IT ended up not working out that way. Sometimes to have a bike that you're happy with you have to break down and shell out the dollars. You can make stuff like a seat cheaper than you could buy it, but only marginally when it's all said and done. You can go with cheaper mirrors but they'll vibrate or fall off. You can go with cheaper tires but if you like to push your machine you'll wish you didn't cut that corner. You can handmake headlight ears pretty easily on the cheap. You can make new mounts for your guages, tailight, tag, etc. You could buy the cheapest neat looking shock if you wanted but horror stories abound. It's all in what you want. If you're going to build it and sell it then do whatever. If you're planning on keeping and enjoying the bike, do some research into what corners to cut and where to spend your money. Saying all of that to do a good bike you'll enjoy cheaply, realistically figure between 1500 and 2000. And you may be able to come in under that. Technically you could build one for 500, but the whole would suffer due to the corners cut on cheap parts. You still get what you pay for.
And all of this is assuming you don't have problems with your bike mechanically...
I love hearing about how we're gonna "save on gas and expenses by riding a motorcycle". My experience is that it costs me more simply because I have to have both a cage and my bike. If I could get rid of my cage, maybe.
In the vast majority of cases, that's just not practical.
It's a hobby or a toy that has some practical advantages, but it rarely "saves" you money.
Lets all be honest with ourselves. If you think you'll be able to stick to any real budget, or the bike will be exactly how you envisioned it when completed youre nuts. Customising a vintage motorcycle is a neverending money pit. The old adage about them "never really being finished" is 100% true. If youre really concerned with how much you'll end up spending, buy a new bike from a dealer. They give you the total up front. No suprises. Now, dont think Im trying to convince anyone that they shouldnt dive into this type of "hobby". Just be aware of the fact that its time consuming, expensive, and frustrating as fuck sometimes. As far as what parts you'll need... Well... Thats a silly question man. Not trying to be a dick, but are YOU building the bike for YOU or do you want it be look just like someone elses? Research, and hours of searching dont cost anything more than your internet bill and some legwork.
I'm with Yinzer.
I have just accepted that it takes my free time and money. It's like a girlfriend only more expensive and without the blowjobs. But somehow better.
My cheep bike has probably cost me $350 (on top of the 5-600 I spent in parts) in the last 3 months cause as I start putting it back together I think, well since I have the wheels off I should paint them, probably should get bearings too, oh I need to flush the rad, so I need a thermostat, oh and I shoud change the rad cap too now I need to polish this bit because I polished that bit, oh I need grinder flapper wheels and a new wire brush, now I need PB blaster and more paint. I should re-cover the seat and ......... Beer for all the time in the grage, that is probably the biggest expense because we get bent over for it here and for some reason I can;t start working on the bike unless I have a beer to drink ;D
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