Difficulty involved in an average cafe project?

[cavalrus]

Hey guys,
I've been interested in cafe racers for a while and I've been riding for 2 and a half years but whats been holding me back is I have absolutely no mechanical know-how beyond common tyre changing, basic routine maintenance etc. How hard would it be for someone like myself to work on a project bike???

I'm happy to get my hands dirty and buy requisite tools/manuals etc. But every build thread I look at seems to show people breaking the engine apart and cutting bits off the frame etc.

Any advice would be appreciated, or even tips on how to gain the knowledge required!

 

[FirstTimerGS1000s]

What a great thread! I recently posted a required tools thread since I just got my first project bike. Hopefully our threads can help each other out! Good luck!

 

[twistekeys]

I'm no expert. But I have been a "back yard mechanic" for almost 6 years, and I have already started a cafe project. On a bike you have three "sections," if you will. First is mechanical, which can be broken down into: air, fuel, mixture of air fuel, oil, compression, exhaust, spark, transmission, braking, etc. Then you have electrical, which is NOTHING compared to something like a computer build. Then you have cosmetic. In a word, cafes are cosmetic projects. (For the most part.)

The reason so many people talk about engines is because they want a perfect running bike, that happens to be 40-50-60 years old. Usually there's something wrong with them, even if it's minor. Another reason is performance. Cafes are in fact, racing bikes, even if they're not actually being raced (read up on history of cafes, there's a good YT series somewhere). In simple terms, if you don't feel confident in splitting the cases and replacing clutch plates or re-doing the top end, buy a GOOD working bike, and slowly learn new procedures.


With that being said, like I said earlier cosmetic is the biggest problem with these projects. I wouldn't be ANYWHERE without my grinder, drill, and jigsaw, and I still want to get several more power/table tools. A few questions you may encounter are: do I want a metal or fiberglass seat pan? Can I get the materials? Can I make this crap work? Do I have to buy tools for this? Does this look good? What's a cafe this, what's a cafe that? How in the hell do I get that off? How in the hell do I get this back on? Basically what I'm saying is cafes are more "crafting" projects. I've spent more time with Styrofoam and marker on my hands than I have with dirt and grease.



Of course, you could just buy a CB750 and get a few bolt-on custom parts. Everybody and their grandma makes cafe accessories for CBs and the bikes are dead reliable. Good luck finding one though...

In closing, the number one thing that will, and should be the VAST majority of your time, is looking at your bike in the shop. "Does that look good like that?" "Should that be lower?" "Should I paint that blue or gold?" I'll stand in front of my bike for up to an hour straight just looking at it and thinking about different ways something could look. In the words of Horacio Pagani: to achieve beauty, you must design every part so that they are beautiful in and of themselves, only then can you bring everything together.

 

[RichRoberts44]

I'm just beginning my project. The problem is having the stuff you need. I spent a long time hoarding tools and I'm still looking for various things. It depends how hands on you want to be! Are you going to paint yourself or get someone else to do it? Will you be stripping the engine? I personally want to do everything myself so will need a lot more stuff. Compressor, engine stand etc.
What you will need a lot of is time and money but if you build everything up as you go you wont feel the sting in your wallet as much. Essentials other than the obvious should include a jack, axle stands and most importantly of all, a manual!

 

[cavalrus]

Thanks for the useful replies!

I'm pretty keen on a 750 or bigger engine and the cb750 in particular seems like a good place to start, not very original but probably easy to find parts and advice for,

Hmmm, I might start looking for a cb750 thats in good nick or just a decent service, then I can ride it and modify it and learn as I go without needing any drastic mechanical work initially. I've got a few ideas about how I want it to look and some performance improvements like improved shocks, stickier tyres, improved brakes. Might be time to start looking for a buy!

 

[Rich Ard]

There are a lot of project threads here - read up. You'll get a good feel for what sort of tools and supplies show up routinely.

You may also notice that the bikes that end up getting finished are usually the ones that focus first on running well and on cosmetics second

 

[ako]

I would suggest to buy a bike that is running and just do a few littles bits and pieces at a time. Learn how to do new tasks one by one.

Or, buy an old bicycle and strip it completely down, and then try sanding, painting, fabrication, assembly, etc all of these skills will transfer to motorbikes. Worst case you throw $50 of bicycle parts in the bin when it goes per shaped.

And if you can finish your push bike, that gives you a plan B when your motorbike project blows up.

 

[AgentX]

As a relative newcomer myself, I'd recommend getting to know motorcycles in general for a while, before you try a "project" or a "build." If you don't know how to change the oil, the basics of electrics, what's going on with the cycle of operations inside the engine (valve timing, ignition timing), etc., you're going to end up screwed as you try and build the cafe racer of your dreams.

If you want to get there, you've got to pay your dues. If you just want the bike without the learning curve, pay someone who knows how to build it for you.

There's a Haynes Motorcycle Basics book that I found very helpful in learning the essentials. Also get the manuals for your specific model, and see if you can get it to run properly in stock form before you chop it up and worry about getting a cool seat/tail and some clip-ons.

I'd also avoid the temptation to half-ass the project and put on glitzy bolt-on bits that just look like lipstick on a pig.

IMHO. Which comes from some recent experience, although I don't have a ton of it.

 

[w_ll]

You will learn as your bike breaks.
Not running good? (points or carbs) then you learn how to adjust them by looking online.
Smoking white? (time for a rebuild) buy a manual and learn how to rebuild. (im in the process of my first rebuild.
Want a different seat? Do whatever the hell you want with whatever the hell you have. A seats a seat.

 

[OJ]

Get the bike running first and work on the cosmetics second. That's based on my limited experience.

 

[cklamer]

Just getting to the end of my first ever cafe racer build.
Couple of ways you can go and it mainly depends on how much you can spend on the project.
You can do all of the woirk yourself or pay someone to do the major stuff for you as you go.

I handled most of the tear down and frame modifications then had everything powder coated and finished by someone else.
Had someone help me with the caliper and master cylinder rebuilds and installing all new wheel bearings mainly because I didn't have the tools.
I have invested in several new tools sawz all, grinder, sander and a few others. Everytime I turned around I needed a new tool for something.

The easiest is keep the bike farely stock add the cafe bars keep the stock gas tank as long as it's in good shape.
Add a cafe seat later that you can either purchase or make yourself. there are several easy how to video's on You Tube.
but if you are not comfortable making tanks and seats and making custom parts there are several companies that make premade tanks, seats and other items that bolt right on after painting.

If you keep it simple and make small mods at a time you should not have much of a problem.
Mine was a full tear down and from the ground up build. Everything has been rebuilt or replaced with new.

Like you I had done small projects on my bikes over the years but this is really major and sometimes you just have to ask questions.
Because trust me manuals do not give you the finer details like where and when to use Anti-Seize and Loctite.

Good Luck.

 

[johngofast]

You may also notice that the bikes that end up getting finished are usually the ones that focus first on running well and on cosmetics second

+1, I definitely agree, get it running and running well. Then style it, you will definitely be happier doing this than tearing it apart to style it then dealing with making the bike operate well. It's really annoying to stare at a pretty, but useless bike. I know, I spent 6 months tuning my first bike, trying to be so careful to not mess up all the work I'd done to make it pretty. F that.

To answer your question though... You have found a great resource for edjumacation here on DTT. If you can't find it here, ask, because someone will direct you to the answer. Learn the basics of electronics, carburetion, and small engines.