Uncommon virago cafe
- Thread starter CBPayne
- Start date
roman_dog said:
+1
CBPayne
Been Around the Block
I appreciate all of your opions. I think is something you have to see in person, but here is a better pic. Are your thoughts the same? My thoughts are the oem tank flows better with the design, its lighter, only requires one petcock(saves me $15+). Downside to the oem tank is there is no place to put my knees and it will be a little more tricky to find a seat that will fit.
I was reading through a thread about someone cafeing a twin shock xv like I am(mine might turn out to be a cafe/bobber), and of course they were being spit on and chewed left and right about cafeing a xv. Well the subject of using a taller wheel came up for better handling. Going from what I think is a 16" to a 18" would give you better handling, I think someone on here said that to me as well.
Can anybody explain this. I plan on lowering the rear if I can. Maybe later down the road I'll try to do this, maybe get some aluminum hoops too. If anybody has some advice about making this bike more of a performer, please do. This build is not going to be and over night beast. In the future if I still have her I plan on swaping to a bigger motor, 920, 1100. Thanks everybody
I was reading through a thread about someone cafeing a twin shock xv like I am(mine might turn out to be a cafe/bobber), and of course they were being spit on and chewed left and right about cafeing a xv. Well the subject of using a taller wheel came up for better handling. Going from what I think is a 16" to a 18" would give you better handling, I think someone on here said that to me as well.
Can anybody explain this. I plan on lowering the rear if I can. Maybe later down the road I'll try to do this, maybe get some aluminum hoops too. If anybody has some advice about making this bike more of a performer, please do. This build is not going to be and over night beast. In the future if I still have her I plan on swaping to a bigger motor, 920, 1100. Thanks everybody
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roman_dog
Ain't nothin' to it but to do it.
CBPayne said:
To each their own, of course, I just think the small tank is too small. I personally don't care for seeing the neck of the frame. Plus looking at that bottom curve of the first tank, you could get a cafe feel with some amazing, and unusual, lines if you continued that into the seat like your paint mockups. No limit to how creative you could get with that. Just my two cents. Also, hell with the guys who talk down on the XV. It may not be as powerful, but I love the way the engine just seems to hang there. Looking forward to your progress man!
Wangofree
Coast to Coast
I understand the idea of something being "light", but something about the geometry and size of the tank makes it look out of place.
BUT, it is hard to capture a 3 dimensional object with a photo. You have it in front of you and have the vision of what it can be. Go for it.
BUT, it is hard to capture a 3 dimensional object with a photo. You have it in front of you and have the vision of what it can be. Go for it.
CBPayne
Been Around the Block
roman_dog said:
Thanks Roman. Now, I agree with you about the lines of the tank. Thats why I plan on hanging on to the tank for a future build, maybe another virago. Now when I was looking at the bike with the big tank it looked awkward. Too much front end and not enough rear. Maybe a short seat would have changed things. I like the look where the rear wheel goes past the cowling of the seat.
The pics I keep posting are at a slight angle so you don't get, well how I see it. Not that my eye is best. I like it better without the fender and I have lowered the light bucket. The bike looks mean now and has a better turning clearance, but will require a more creative fabrication. I found a seat I think will go, from glass from the past.
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CBPayne said:
Still the first tank - for all the reasons given.
The stock XV tank can be disguised somewhat by taking ut the upward curve at the bottom of the tank [ flattening it out ]. It really depends on what the image is you have of the completed bike.
Here's a modded OEM tank [ as your #1]. Just taking the curve out alters the looks dramatically and is not a whole bunch of work. I took my mods a little further as I was after a specific look [ AJS 7R / Matchless G50 6 gall TT tank ].
CBPayne said:
Here's another view. It's a very old [ NOS ] solid Brass version of the alloy 2 1/2" Monza. Very rare it never went into production - I picked it up from the manufacturer's.
The screw-on neck's are available seperately - in alloy only, so they have to be glued / bonded to the tank. When my tank cover is completed I'll be posting up the filler conversion [ "Vindicator" - Cafe Racers ] onto the actual tank I'm going to use.
CBPayne
Been Around the Block
Thanks RomanDog, Im starting to see her in my head now. The tell truth I watching a docChops video on youtube and I think Im going to end up changing some more stuff for the better...nothing to drastic like the tank. Small details. Here's the vid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtW9aDGyJFw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtW9aDGyJFw
CBPayne said:
Apart from requiring seperate good earths no problems I can see ?
We used a fibreglass box and cover for all the electronic gizzmos on the Cobra replicas.
Re: weight saving .............. grp of similar strength to alloy is heavier ! Check a GRP tank against an alloy tank sometime !
ALL the electrics / electronics are mounted on a GRP tray inside my seat cowl on the BMW Fighter.
CBPayne
Been Around the Block
It's not great and requires a lot of body filler to fix the shape, but I can say Im happy with it. Im telling you its a world of difference between walmart's fiberglass materials and the local boat shops', also a huge price difference too. Can I use dolphin glaze on this or what? These pics are the second layer of glass, Im going to put one more layer with the not so stringing glass mixed with the wax. Sorry I can't remember what its called. I thought the glass sheets I'm referring to was the mat but the stringing kind I used today had mat on the package.
Now I trying to figure out how to mount it, there are so many variables here, I usually over think things. One change to consider is Im adding a FG electrical tray and how to mount that. I'll have to mod the frame to fit under the seat. The seat will be too high if I mount it above the frame, too much weight on my wrist. So if I do that I'll have to mod the seat on the front side where the two sides seperate. Im thing about molding some fiber glass to fit around my frame to go on the underside of the seat to hold it in place. Going back to subject of the frame mods, I will probably end up doing the hoop. Look if anybody hasn't figure this out I have no idea what I'm doing. Im just sailing with the wind
Now I trying to figure out how to mount it, there are so many variables here, I usually over think things. One change to consider is Im adding a FG electrical tray and how to mount that. I'll have to mod the frame to fit under the seat. The seat will be too high if I mount it above the frame, too much weight on my wrist. So if I do that I'll have to mod the seat on the front side where the two sides seperate. Im thing about molding some fiber glass to fit around my frame to go on the underside of the seat to hold it in place. Going back to subject of the frame mods, I will probably end up doing the hoop. Look if anybody hasn't figure this out I have no idea what I'm doing. Im just sailing with the wind
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CBPayne
Been Around the Block
I need some advice on buying new rear shocks. I was going to lower it at the beginning, but... I lowered the front about 2" so after doing a little reading it seemed that lowering the rear was a necessity for a safe ride. Now after emailing the Dave Quinn and reading some more info on suspension, Im not really sure. Now what I read if I remember right, please correct me If I'm wrong. When I lower the front end that reduce my rake and so my turning reaction will be faster but so will raising the rear. Now Dave Quinn told me I don't need to lower the rear end becuase of bottoming out and that maybe I need to raise the rear end because race bikes have longer shocks to keep the rear wheel on the ground better or more so they don't loose contact with payment. I think thats right. So maybe go from a 11.5" to a 12" or 12.5". I don't know what do you guys think? Also what about moving the upper rear shock mounts to the holes about two inches above and to the rear, then go with a 13" shock... I don't know just thinking out lound here.
