86' Honda Cd200 Cafe racer build

[Clive Davidson]

Hi guys, I have been following these forums from South Africa since i started my build about a year ago.
All the awesome builds and info here inspired me to start my own build.

Unfortunately I lost some of the early pics of the build ie: the strip down,seat pan and hump ( nothing new here though just built as per many of the builds on the forum )

Here are the pics i have.

 

[Clive Davidson]

The first pics show powder coated frame rims and hubs. I had brackets laser cut for my rearsets.

Here are some more pics of the rolling chassis and engine painting.

 

[Clive Davidson]

More pics showing rearsets/brake pedal ,headlight mount and bike coming together.

 

[Clive Davidson]

The original wiring harness was toast so i had to rewire everything. makes for a much neater setup though.

The last pic is proof of life!

That is where i am right now....just got to get her running again and exhaust made and i should be good to go.

 

[DohcBikes]

Love it.

Diamond frame bikes are my favorite.

That one has a stamped steel backbone, doesn't have a double down tube and the rear engine mounts are not far apart from each other so provide little very force on that engine. And boy, that factory lower front engine mount looks kinda flimsy doesn't it? Amazing how something that delicately built can stay together all this time. :-X : :-X

Very nice work so far, keep it up!

 

[Clive Davidson]

Thank you hoping to have her done before Xmas. You are right that the bracket looks flimsy but these bikes were used as delivery bikes in South Africa for years....so so lots of abuse and no instances of frame failure ;D

 

[Rider52]

Nice build

 

[Clive Davidson]

Thanks appreciate it.

 

[Alex jb]

Nice build!
What does the back look like?
Seems like a good wiring job under the hump.


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[Alex jb]

Your rear set design for the brake side is very smooth.
Would you be interested in sharing the design?

I want to do something similar on my CD175


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[Clive Davidson]

Hi since the last post i have fabbed up a 2 int 1 exhaust using the original headers. She sounds great!
I am taking her in to have the jetting and tuning done proffesionally as she bogs down a bit with the new exhaust.

I took her out for a test ride. Apart from the bogging she pulls really well and the handling is so much better than stock and did i mention she sounds great!

 

[Clive Davidson]

Hi Alex, the bike is in the shop at the moment will post pics of the back soon.
I dont have any digital files of the rearsets...i made cardboard templates and had them laser cut.
I am happy to give you all the measurements from mine as soon as I have the bike back.

 

[coyote13]

That pipe is awesome, good work! Also, smart move using a long intake runner with that pod filter, you don't see guys doing that enough. I would imagine that saved you a number of tuning headaches

 

[Green199]

Good looking build. I have just started building a CD200 and was wondering what the wheel specs are? (size, width etc.) I like the look of this picture included.

That picture is possibly one of the most dangerous things you could try to emulate.

Nice and tidy build Clive!

 

[Trevor May]

What are the reasons for your comment about trying to emulate the picture being dangerous?

sigh... my turn I guess.

Those oversized firestones are heavy and rotating weight is a terrible thing to add to your bike. They also handle like crap because the tread is terrible. You will ride yourself into a corner railing because you have no traction and your bike will REALLY want to go straight.
Lowered forks and shocks are less able to absorb the bounces in the road and are likely to bottom out very quickly, causing dangerous jarring sensations. Emulate this feeling by holding a set of handlebars in front of you, and have a friend hit the spot right between your hands with a sledgehammer. Now try it at 60+ mph on a motorcycle with a strong side wind through corners on an old road with lots of potholes.
Less severely dangerous, not having fenders will coat you in mud and water every time you put a tire in a puddle.
If you want to build the lowered, fenderless firestone bike like everything you see on pipeburn, go ahead. You could also get the bike running properly before you chop it up, and then determine whether you made the bike better after the customizing, or just made a hot mess. Be honest in your comparison.

 

[Erskine]

I love the essence of this build, the tank is lush. Standing still the bike looks superb.
However I have to concur with the reservations already muted ..... once motion is added to the equation ......
At minimum a fork brace is an absolute must!

 

[Clive Davidson]

Thanks for the comments guys. Just a few points in reply. The tires were not a big jump from standard and have far better grip than the period tires. The shocks were not lowered in any way. I think I achieved far better handling than the stock bike ever had, the steering is light and responsive and will track a perfect line while cornering.

With fairly short front shocks i felt there was no need for a brace. I will agree it needs a front mudguard but need to find a suitable one.

 

[Clive Davidson]

Finished bike and on the road.

 

[brada]

Good job the bike looks great! I am busy with my CD200, about 70% there.

 

[Alex jb]

Looking great.
Does the kick start play nice with the rearsets?


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