My Completed GL500 Cafe Racer
- Thread starter Chayanin
- Start date
Killman77
当有疑问时踢你的敌人在生殖器上，你可以道歉后
No kidding. I'm jealous as hell, just looking at them. I keep hearing that they're slippery as hell though. It rains where I am pretty much 9 months out of the year, but I still wanna give 'em a try 
I have to admit I've only looked at the pics. Did you eliminate the battery, or just go smaller and relocate?
I have to admit I've only looked at the pics. Did you eliminate the battery, or just go smaller and relocate?
Killman77
当有疑问时踢你的敌人在生殖器上，你可以道歉后
Yup, the more I look at it the more I like it. Just some really solid detail work, no desperate gimmicks. Love to sit you down on a Summer patio and drain a bucket or two while listening about your build if you're ever in the neighbourhood.
I think you're gonna have an awesome season. 8)
I think you're gonna have an awesome season. 8)
RickSlambone
New Member
I'm really diggin the color you chose for the frame, what color is that? And did you have it powdercoated or painted? Very cool bike all together tho, kinda makes me wish I had made my CX into a cafe instead of a bobber. But I ended up buying a 78 CB750K which I'm now making into a cafe but I still love my CX. You can beat the piss out of em and they just keep asking for more.
^1st version
^2nd version(current look)
I built that one in my apartments kitchen on a very limited budget however lol. This is not the case with the CB, I'm going all out with the cafe.
^Cafe project to be completed this spring/summer
^1st version
^2nd version(current look)
I built that one in my apartments kitchen on a very limited budget however lol. This is not the case with the CB, I'm going all out with the cafe.
^Cafe project to be completed this spring/summer
Chayanin said:Thank you
I used Firestone Deluxe Champions
In my opinion one of the best for cafe racers as the groves look damn classic
The bike is quite nice and at least you have the plate where it belongs - at the back, but that comment is beyond silly. Classic in what way? They were never used in any cafe race era and have no place on any motorcycle that is ridden. The best term I have read for them is "Clown Shoes" which was coined by he who shall not be named.
They would look good on a 30's Model T or something similar, but they have no place on a motorcycle. IMHO
Forget about not riding in the rain. That's another silly hipster comment. I don't deliberately ride in the rain either but sometimes it does rain when I'm out riding. The translation is "I don't really ride my bike as a motorcycle. It's just a fashion statement".
What I'm getting at is that motorcycles are a form of transportation and the most fun variety on the surface of the planet. If they look good, that's nice but function always comes first and looks normally flow from that.
If you manage to get some miles on that bike, you will eventually get it. I hope so.
BTW, Please ask the Administrator to move the thread to somewhere more appropriate. Thx.
Chayanin
New Member
Yeah it's true that these tires will never be used in cafe racing. In terms of function I agree that they are quite useless. However, given the fact that I will probably be riding this bike only once a week (Sunday), and also the extremely bad road surfaces / potholes / speed bumps / very bad traffic (I live in Bangkok), I will not be too concerned with its function as a mean of transportation. I will spend 6 days driving a car instead.
To add to that, you have no idea how things are like when it rains here (unless of course you happen to live in Bangkok), so the word "silly" is rather silly. It is actually not even valid since you do not have the slightest of clue the context of which I am talking about. The weather is also very hot and humid here even though it is WINTER (34c+) at the moment, so spending your time stuck in traffic may not be the best form of transportation. Oh and yes, rains = floods = even more f***** up traffic = riding cafe jetskis.
Riding a bike in developed countries where roads are well maintained, traffics are not too congested, weather is nice and cool, drivers respect the laws (and also actually treat bikes as another entities on the roads), authorities do their job properly, is an entirely different experience. Come to Bangkok if you have the chance, and don't forget to bring your bike over too. Would love to see you exquisitely maneuver your way through a maze of cars stuck in traffic that extends for about 500m - 1km, just to get to that red light at the very front so that you don't waste precious time (while competing with 200 other bikes doing the same thing).
Saying that I don't really ride my bike as a motorcycle is beyond silly. I wouldn't have started this whole project would I? Function before form? Of course I agree. But who told you it is the most suited function of transportation for where I live? I would say my passion for cafe bikes "as motorcycles" is no less than yours. For a place that is so unsuitable for bikes because of all the factors going against it, I still invested quite a bit on this thing even though I will not be able to ride it much. You sir, would probably ditch the thought of riding a bicycle and take the skytrain.
To add to that, you have no idea how things are like when it rains here (unless of course you happen to live in Bangkok), so the word "silly" is rather silly. It is actually not even valid since you do not have the slightest of clue the context of which I am talking about. The weather is also very hot and humid here even though it is WINTER (34c+) at the moment, so spending your time stuck in traffic may not be the best form of transportation. Oh and yes, rains = floods = even more f***** up traffic = riding cafe jetskis.
Riding a bike in developed countries where roads are well maintained, traffics are not too congested, weather is nice and cool, drivers respect the laws (and also actually treat bikes as another entities on the roads), authorities do their job properly, is an entirely different experience. Come to Bangkok if you have the chance, and don't forget to bring your bike over too. Would love to see you exquisitely maneuver your way through a maze of cars stuck in traffic that extends for about 500m - 1km, just to get to that red light at the very front so that you don't waste precious time (while competing with 200 other bikes doing the same thing).
Saying that I don't really ride my bike as a motorcycle is beyond silly. I wouldn't have started this whole project would I? Function before form? Of course I agree. But who told you it is the most suited function of transportation for where I live? I would say my passion for cafe bikes "as motorcycles" is no less than yours. For a place that is so unsuitable for bikes because of all the factors going against it, I still invested quite a bit on this thing even though I will not be able to ride it much. You sir, would probably ditch the thought of riding a bicycle and take the skytrain.
Nice bike and well executed.
As for the tyre debate, I have coker diamonds on my build because like you I went for style over function, I would never consider them them on any other bike. That said after I read all the negative comment on these type of tyres I was a bit nervous on my first ride.
I live in the UK the first ride was on damp roads and +2 Degrees C, so not ideal conditions for any tyre. To be honest I ddin't push and kept to speed limits and was quite surprised how stable they were and not as bad as I would of thought. However I wouldn't want to test there limits on adhesion in an emergency situation or a front wheel lock up.
For me they work well on my style of bike but as others have said they are not for a true cafe racer.
As for the tyre debate, I have coker diamonds on my build because like you I went for style over function, I would never consider them them on any other bike. That said after I read all the negative comment on these type of tyres I was a bit nervous on my first ride.
I live in the UK the first ride was on damp roads and +2 Degrees C, so not ideal conditions for any tyre. To be honest I ddin't push and kept to speed limits and was quite surprised how stable they were and not as bad as I would of thought. However I wouldn't want to test there limits on adhesion in an emergency situation or a front wheel lock up.
For me they work well on my style of bike but as others have said they are not for a true cafe racer.
Chayanin
New Member
I'm very new to this forum and I have no idea how to get in touch with the admin.
Did I post in the wrong place? :/
Oh FYI: Wrenchmonkee's CX500 used the same tires. Look it up. That bike won a few awards and was my inspiration for my project. For me it does look nice on a bike, and for me it does look classic (not to mention any history in cafe racing).
Did I post in the wrong place? :/
Oh FYI: Wrenchmonkee's CX500 used the same tires. Look it up. That bike won a few awards and was my inspiration for my project. For me it does look nice on a bike, and for me it does look classic (not to mention any history in cafe racing).
Chayanin
New Member
I agree with notlob. One cannot just say this tire does not work and should not be used.
It all depends on the purpose and use. If you have read everything I wrote in the previous post, you would have to agree that the tires will do just fine. It will not be possible for me to go any faster than.. 80kmh? Forget racing
It all depends on the purpose and use. If you have read everything I wrote in the previous post, you would have to agree that the tires will do just fine. It will not be possible for me to go any faster than.. 80kmh? Forget racing
Chayanin said:
No to the first. There is nothing in my post that suggests we should all be riding around at a million miles an hour. I race on a race track and would never consider going that fast or hard on a public road, but I do enjoy riding "spiritedly" and for that I want the most suitable tires available. They do not need to be super sticky track day specials or hand cut slicks. They just have to be appropriate to the conditions I am likely to encounter. I want more tire than I will need for 99% of the time.
Wrenchmonkees build hipster bikes that are designed to appeal to people who know nothing about bikes or how a motorcycle is designed to work. They are very capable builders of a commercial product. That doesn't not mean that they know the first thing about designing a functional motorcycle. It doesn't mean that they don't either
Wrenchmonkees aesthetics are not my particular cup of tea, but I can see why they appeal to some people. Winning awards and trophies has very little to do with how functional the bike is unless it has been awarded after considerable testing and comparison to other motorcycles. After all, this is all relative. There are very few absolutes here.
Going back to those tires. Are those tires bad in the sense that they are completely useless and slide out at walking pace? Of course not. Are they really poor tread, carcass and construction design compared to tires from mainstream tire manufacturers? Yes. Are they the worst on the market? Probably, or close to it.
Chayanin
New Member
I agree with what you have stated. However, "how a motorcycle is designed to work" and "how functioning the bike is" are two very subjective statements. Doesn't it all depend on the use and application? After all if I mostly intend to cruise at 80kmh in densly populated roads, wouldn't the tires be fine for that purpose?
Chayanin said:
I realized that you are not in the US and I have not ridden in Bangkok, but I have ridden in Asia on potholed roads with crazy drivers who ignore motorcycles. And yes, I get that you want to ride on sunny Sundays to hang out with friends and there's nothing wrong with that. I like to do that too.
I rode Cafe Racers in the UK and they worked well in that country's traffic and roads. In Australia I gave up road bikes and just raced. It's much safer. In the US I have or had a few bikes that sort of suited the flat boring roads here and tend to ride with higher bars that make the bike easier to maneuver in traffic.
In Asia I rode what would be called a street tracker in the US or a street scrambler or dual sport. Light easy to flick around and handled pretty well. Just suited to the roads and traffic. In China I'm not sure what I'd ride, probably a supermono or street tracker style bike and to get around places like Beijing I use public transport. It's marginally safer.
What you do with your bike is up to you. I simply provided some information and an opinion as to why there are some better tire choices.
