Hey everyone. Well, I am in the midst of assembling my cafe. This is going to be my 1st cafe build that I have ever done. It has been a long process. Although not new to motorcycles, I am new to the cafe scene. It all began in April 2012 when I purchased a 1982 Honda CB900 Custom for 700.00 out of an overgrown swampy orange grove. She was filthy, covered with dirt, Spanish Moss, and full of spiders........ugh. A buddy of mine and I drove out there to see her and once I laid my eyes upon her......she had me. It was love at first sight. We threw her in the back of a pickup, dirt, spiders, and all....gave the guy 7 Benjamins, and away we went.
Got her home and unloaded, then gave her quick douche with Dawn dishsoap and a garden hose, let dry, then sprayed with Ortho ant/spider/roach killer....I never say so many critters run!
I dropped in a new battery, a full can of Seafoam, fresh oil and a filter, sprayed carb cleaner into the maw of those Keihens, and hit the start button.....she fired!. She hadn't run in about 2 years, as I was told. So, I let her run for a few, smoking like an old industrial smoke stack, then added 93 octane gas to her belly. She ran rough, as the airbox was off, but, she ran. I reattached the airbox and actually took her around the block. She ran very rough, due to cracked insulators.
So, that night, whilst sitting in the driveway, my father in law (who has ridden since the early 1970s), said "You know, this would look really cool as a cafe". I said "What the hell is a cafe? You want it to speak French and serve crepes?" He said "Son, let me tell you about the Ace Cafe and the Ton-up boys.........." This was the beginning of my education to the Ton-up life. That night forever changed me from the cruiser style biker I was to something a little more bad-assed and a lot faster. That was the night we decided to build a CB900 Custom Cafe Racer...................... I began researching as much as I could find about Cafe Racers. We decided to do as much of this ourselves as we could, to keep with the tradition of the Cafe Racer.
The first thing we did was get 2 plastic bins. One being parts we were intending to keep, and the other was to be recycled salvage. As the recycled salvage bucket was filling, I was beginning to think that there was going to be nothing left to reassemble.
When she was down to the frame we threw the motor onto the bench, and I began washing her down. Everything was scrubbed with dawn dish soap, rinsed, and let dry in the Florida sun.
Then, while the parts dried, we began thinking of a color scheme. I really liked the old Honda red/white paint scheme. My father in law suggested the Ducati Monster red for the frame, I pointed to the Triumph tiger sitting in the shop and said "I love that Ghost White for the tank, fenders, and side covers." We both said together "Flat black motor." The frame and motor mounts were sprayed in the shop with the succulent red, and the tank was painted white.
Tank primered
Tank painted
Then I began cutting the chrome fender to shorten it up a bit. We chose to not cut the rear frame as we found an old original Honda seat and my daughter Rachel (7yo) is excited to ride with Daddy. I may be putting one on later, but I think it will be a challenge with the back of the frame still attached. I may end up cutting the frame at a later date, unless another solution is found.
Using the end shape of the original fender to reshape the modified fender
Final shape before the grinding wheel
Only about 9 inches of fender left
I got just a tad bit excited and slapped a few pieces together to keep that mental image, that dream alive. So, here are the Shocks were replaced with Nitrogen gas shocks I got on ebay for 69.00 (they were 129.00),
carbs rebuilt for less than 80.00 for ALL four, also, 4 new Honda insulators. I am currently looking into a stage 3 jet kit as i am discarding the airbox and going with pods.
i found an exhaust at the Webster Swap Meet off an older CB750, 4/2 to replace my 4/4. I will use my original headers, cut the 750 exhaust, expand the pipe and weld into place. They will be wrapped. The pipes end right at the back of the motor. I paid 20.00 for the exhaust at the Webster swap meet. Couldn't go wrong with that price.
The aluminium side covers and valve cover were so badly oxidized and peeling from the factory clear coat, so they were all bead blasted and hand polished to a mirror finish using 3k grit paper and Mothers polish, and a Dremel with a polishing wheel.
Each and every fin on the entire engine, tranny, and oil cover were sanded to bring out the aluminium and polished to a mirror finish. I even went so far as to strip and polish "gear oil", "901cm", “Hi Lo ”, and the gear positions on the left side of the motor. I know, a bit much, but I figure if I have gone this far, why not go all the way and do those little things that I notice.
I also obtained a Lucas tail light for about 30.00
Not pictured are the 1983 Kawasaki headlight and right controls/brake and Master cylinder I obtained for 20.00, along with a set of Mikuni carbs that need to be completely redone. The original MC is very brittle, and since it came with a Vetter fairing, I needed a headlight. I also picked up some black aluminium headlight brackets.
So, now we are at the point of reassembly. I just acquired a lift and the frame is on it. I am waiting for a few parts to be bead-blasted, I need to paint the front and rear fenders, and now i cannot find my steering bearings.....grrrrrrrr.....So, I will have to order a new set. ugh, I know i will find them once the new ones arrive. Hopefully, I will be inserting the motor, drive shaft, and final drive this week. Once the bearings come in, the front end will go on. I was considering using a GSXR front end (for the inverted forks....and yes, it will go right on), but I may just use the original and install a steering damper. Also added are Clubman bars, and my wife bought me a set of mirrors!
So, any thoughts, ideas, or comments will be greatly appreciated. More pics to come soon....Now that it is cooling off, the shop will not be as hot.
Got her home and unloaded, then gave her quick douche with Dawn dishsoap and a garden hose, let dry, then sprayed with Ortho ant/spider/roach killer....I never say so many critters run!
I dropped in a new battery, a full can of Seafoam, fresh oil and a filter, sprayed carb cleaner into the maw of those Keihens, and hit the start button.....she fired!. She hadn't run in about 2 years, as I was told. So, I let her run for a few, smoking like an old industrial smoke stack, then added 93 octane gas to her belly. She ran rough, as the airbox was off, but, she ran. I reattached the airbox and actually took her around the block. She ran very rough, due to cracked insulators.
So, that night, whilst sitting in the driveway, my father in law (who has ridden since the early 1970s), said "You know, this would look really cool as a cafe". I said "What the hell is a cafe? You want it to speak French and serve crepes?" He said "Son, let me tell you about the Ace Cafe and the Ton-up boys.........." This was the beginning of my education to the Ton-up life. That night forever changed me from the cruiser style biker I was to something a little more bad-assed and a lot faster. That was the night we decided to build a CB900 Custom Cafe Racer...................... I began researching as much as I could find about Cafe Racers. We decided to do as much of this ourselves as we could, to keep with the tradition of the Cafe Racer.
The first thing we did was get 2 plastic bins. One being parts we were intending to keep, and the other was to be recycled salvage. As the recycled salvage bucket was filling, I was beginning to think that there was going to be nothing left to reassemble.
When she was down to the frame we threw the motor onto the bench, and I began washing her down. Everything was scrubbed with dawn dish soap, rinsed, and let dry in the Florida sun.
Then, while the parts dried, we began thinking of a color scheme. I really liked the old Honda red/white paint scheme. My father in law suggested the Ducati Monster red for the frame, I pointed to the Triumph tiger sitting in the shop and said "I love that Ghost White for the tank, fenders, and side covers." We both said together "Flat black motor." The frame and motor mounts were sprayed in the shop with the succulent red, and the tank was painted white.
Tank primered
Tank painted
Then I began cutting the chrome fender to shorten it up a bit. We chose to not cut the rear frame as we found an old original Honda seat and my daughter Rachel (7yo) is excited to ride with Daddy. I may be putting one on later, but I think it will be a challenge with the back of the frame still attached. I may end up cutting the frame at a later date, unless another solution is found.
Using the end shape of the original fender to reshape the modified fender
Final shape before the grinding wheel
Only about 9 inches of fender left
I got just a tad bit excited and slapped a few pieces together to keep that mental image, that dream alive. So, here are the Shocks were replaced with Nitrogen gas shocks I got on ebay for 69.00 (they were 129.00),
carbs rebuilt for less than 80.00 for ALL four, also, 4 new Honda insulators. I am currently looking into a stage 3 jet kit as i am discarding the airbox and going with pods.
i found an exhaust at the Webster Swap Meet off an older CB750, 4/2 to replace my 4/4. I will use my original headers, cut the 750 exhaust, expand the pipe and weld into place. They will be wrapped. The pipes end right at the back of the motor. I paid 20.00 for the exhaust at the Webster swap meet. Couldn't go wrong with that price.
The aluminium side covers and valve cover were so badly oxidized and peeling from the factory clear coat, so they were all bead blasted and hand polished to a mirror finish using 3k grit paper and Mothers polish, and a Dremel with a polishing wheel.
Each and every fin on the entire engine, tranny, and oil cover were sanded to bring out the aluminium and polished to a mirror finish. I even went so far as to strip and polish "gear oil", "901cm", “Hi Lo ”, and the gear positions on the left side of the motor. I know, a bit much, but I figure if I have gone this far, why not go all the way and do those little things that I notice.
I also obtained a Lucas tail light for about 30.00
Not pictured are the 1983 Kawasaki headlight and right controls/brake and Master cylinder I obtained for 20.00, along with a set of Mikuni carbs that need to be completely redone. The original MC is very brittle, and since it came with a Vetter fairing, I needed a headlight. I also picked up some black aluminium headlight brackets.
So, now we are at the point of reassembly. I just acquired a lift and the frame is on it. I am waiting for a few parts to be bead-blasted, I need to paint the front and rear fenders, and now i cannot find my steering bearings.....grrrrrrrr.....So, I will have to order a new set. ugh, I know i will find them once the new ones arrive. Hopefully, I will be inserting the motor, drive shaft, and final drive this week. Once the bearings come in, the front end will go on. I was considering using a GSXR front end (for the inverted forks....and yes, it will go right on), but I may just use the original and install a steering damper. Also added are Clubman bars, and my wife bought me a set of mirrors!
So, any thoughts, ideas, or comments will be greatly appreciated. More pics to come soon....Now that it is cooling off, the shop will not be as hot.
