Uber Moto Noob jumps in the deep end.....

C

CrashDown

Been Around the Block
So for the last year or so I've really wanted to build a Cafe Racer. I've ridden Motorcycles, painted them at work, but never heavily wrenched on one, or owned one. So instead of being smart, finding a pretty complete bike.... I did the exact opposite.... let the flaming commence. Haha.
So here's the plan, I'm just finishing up building a 1970 Porsche 914. The idea is to make a Cafe Racer, that corresponds to the car. Same color, same pasic style paint job, and a mix of classic and modern styling. Here's the car, so you can get an idea of where I'll be pulling inspiration from
MATTS9142011_0012.jpg

So like I said I'm starting from practically nothing.... just a basic 69' CL350 frame, swing arm, and wiring harness.
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The harness is suprisingly clean.... except for the plastic harness covering, the wires look to be in excelent shape...
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gonna hold onto the battery box for now.... will be relocated under the seat, when i actually buy a seat
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SPIDERS!!!
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So I took a few hrs and got everything off the frame, so it and the swing arm can go to the blasters sometime this week. When it get's back it's time to do some trimming, and welding. And i'll have lots of questions about what to flanges can get shaved off, and what needs to be left alone.
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Off to the blaster... More to come....

-Matt
 
Just an observation

The theme of such a build will all be in the seat , tank and the seat , tank relationship .
If you really want to pull this off be prepared to build or modify a tank from scratch .
Ringo (Chris here) has laid a pretty good foundation for you and I'm sure would answer any questions you might have . He admits freely to making several mistakes along the way .

Suggestion
get a piece of paper and make an effort to get the frame , engine , tires and wheels on it to some sort of scale . Take it to the photo copier and run off a bunch . Sit down and doodle to your hearts content . Something rational is bound to come of it eventually .

The little 914 is a confusion of angles and curves like no other . I'm sure once you get in the ball park that what you eventually share with the membership will elicit unending and constructive suggestion. Please read all 80+ pages of this month's BOTM build and you will see what I mean .

As for the engine it's something of a favorite here and has quite a knowledgeable following . You'll be fine until you ask me some dumb question that has been posted a thousand times previously . :D

~kop
 
kopcicle said:
Just an observation

The theme of such a build will all be in the seat , tank and the seat , tank relationship .
If you really want to pull this off be prepared to build or modify a tank from scratch .
Ringo (Chris here) has laid a pretty good foundation for you and I'm sure would answer any questions you might have . He admits freely to making several mistakes along the way .

Suggestion
get a piece of paper and make an effort to get the frame , engine , tires and wheels on it to some sort of scale . Take it to the photo copier and run off a bunch . Sit down and doodle to your hearts content . Something rational is bound to come of it eventually .

The little 914 is a confusion of angles and curves like no other . I'm sure once you get in the ball park that what you eventually share with the membership will elicit unending and constructive suggestion. Please read all 80+ pages of this month's BOTM build and you will see what I mean .

As for the engine it's something of a favorite here and has quite a knowledgeable following . You'll be fine until you ask me some dumb question that has been posted a thousand times previously . :D

~kop
Click to expand...

Yea, i hear ya on all those points. As for the tank, seat, stuff like that I'm not gonan try to make that stuff "look" like the car, just gonna find a cool tank and seat combo and use the colors of the car to make the two resemble eachother. After it get's back from the blasters and i do some welding to the frame, I'll get it in the roller stage with the Yamaha XS front end and stock CB rear wheel. Then work on finding a tank and seat that I like.
But i'll be posting photoshops of different tank/seat combo's once it's in a roller stage.

-matt
 
GoshenCafe said:
It was worth a shot ;)
Click to expand...

Damnit.... kinda hoping for a 10grand paypal payment....lulz.
Takin the Porsche to a show tomorrow, then back home, hockey practice, then bike time....
 
Maybe I should ask around for 10 grand hoping no one will ask for something in return, THEN i'll buy your car ;D
 
GoshenCafe said:
Maybe I should ask around for 10 grand hoping no one will ask for something in return, THEN i'll buy your car ;D
Click to expand...
lol...." excuse me sir, times are really hard. Would you have it in your heart to generously give me $10,000 of your hard earned money? Family?? No, it's not for my family! See there's this white Porsche on the Cafe Racer forums..... HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WHERE"S THAT $10,000???" lol Don't think that's gonna happen dude.

-Matt
 
CrashDown said:
lol...." excuse me sir, times are really hard. Would you have it in your heart to generously give me $10,000 of your hard earned money? Family?? No, it's not for my family! See there's this white Porsche on the Cafe Racer forums..... HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WHERE"S THAT $10,000???" lol Don't think that's gonna happen dude.

-Matt
Click to expand...

if it did happen, would you give him the porsche?
 
Rocan said:
if it did happen, would you give him the porsche?
Click to expand...

... Naw. lulz.

Took it to a show today, didn't even officially enter it, and was asked to be one of the feature cars for a Porsche show at the end of the month, and a feature car at abnother Air-cooled only VW/Porsche meet in august. So i guess i'll keep it for a while. Too damn fun!
 
The Porsche is sweet. If you pull this off, the bike and car as a pair could be pretty awesome. Don't just put on whatever and hope the color will make it all work. The right lines are what's really gonna make it or break it. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. In the end, the money shot photo of the two side by side will be killer. Good luck!
-chris
 
Grahamworks said:
The Porsche is sweet. If you pull this off, the bike and car as a pair could be pretty awesome. Don't just put on whatever and hope the color will make it all work. The right lines are what's really gonna make it or break it. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. In the end, the money shot photo of the two side by side will be killer. Good luck!
-chris
Click to expand...

Yea, We did a sick thumper Ducati Cafe racer for a guy about 6 months ago. I loved the tank and seat he got for it. We shot the whole bike red with white tank sides and white sides on the seat with gold pinstriping around the white. never took pics of that thing. It was an amazing looking bike though. I'd love to have that tank and set on the bike, can't figure out where he got them though. The tank was really squared off recessed sides for knee clearance. Gotta keep looking.

As for an update, frame and swingarm go to the blasters tomorrow!
 
Back from the blaster... time to cut and weld.

So, The frame ans swingarm came back from the blasters on friday. Cleaned up real nice, they did an awesome job for 90bucks.
So i took today to inspect all the stock welds, look for any holes from rust (none found) and looked for areas to gusset for strength.
Here's her back from the blasters...
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_MG_3488.jpg


_MG_3489.jpg

So let's reinforce these.... Isn't there a guy on here that makes rear sets that both to these???
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Done.....


_MG_3494.jpg

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Can someone tell my noob ass what these mounts are for? Exhaust??
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Lower neck area...
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next is to fill in those big spot welds and grind smooth

-Matt
 
Those tabs are for the "step bar". One side points down the other to the outside of the frame. The bar that bolts on runs across the bottom and has the original pegs on ether side. The step bar also has the tab for the side stand on my '71 CL350.
 
hah yeah just put my rearsets on today and realized i have no kick stand now... what a duh move ;)




well youve got some skills with a welder so youre probably in better shape then most of us guys. looks good man
 
Goldie said:
Those tabs are for the "step bar". One side points down the other to the outside of the frame. The bar that bolts on runs across the bottom and has the original pegs on ether side. The step bar also has the tab for the side stand on my '71 CL350.
Click to expand...

sweet man, those mounts for the step bar are gonna go. I'll just use the center stand that mounts back futher.
still workin on it today, more pics in a bit.
 
finished for today

Alright, I'm done for the day...
Now you see the pinchweld,
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Now ya don't....
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After some grinding...
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And a shot up the back to make sure the seam didn't come out looking like a question mark..
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Looks like the frame didn't get tweaked from the heat. I destroyed my last two grinding disks so I'll pick up more at the shop on monday. Can't work on it tomorrow because of Hockey practice, but I'll bring it with me to work and get the grinding done and finish cutting off the tabs I don't need.
Still working on trying to find a front end. I'm in need of a mid 70's XS650 complete front end with the wire spoke wheel. If anyone out there has one for sale PM me.....

And last but not least, i picked up a rear rim, axle and drum brake assembly. it's in decent shape, needs to be torn apart, the drumcover needs to be vented and then that and the hub are gonna go out for powder coat.

-Matt
 
So wow... havent posted here in a while.

Sence the last post, i bought my first RUNNING bike. A 2010 Honda Sabre, and my father almost managed to burn my 914 to the ground (freak electrical fire, can't blame him). So most of my time has been putting miles on the Sabre and stripping out the old wiring harness on the porsche and rebuilding it, wire by wire.

Updates, got a rear wheel assembly, and picked up a XS1100 front end (trees, forks). What i need now is a Front wheel and here is a question i have. Can I run a XS650 front wire spoke wheel on a XS1100 front end? i know you can put XS1100 fron rotors on a 650 wheel, but will the calipers line up, and are the axle sizes the same?

If the wheel will work and anyone on here has one to part with please post here or PM me. With winter comming i can get some good progress on this thing.

I'll post pics of the stuff i got in the next few days.

-Matt
Once I get a front end and tires i can start to mock up a Seat and tank.
 
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