1974 cl125 (going cafe now)
- Thread starter mikeadamstattoo
- Start date
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 project
i ordered some drag bars, hopefully i dont have as much of a pain as i am with my cafe build right now.
i also turned on the space heater in my garage and sat in front of the bike and pondered a few things:
a. if im gonna have a big exposed rear fender, the stock one looks like hell, as it has all these weird seams, channels and holes for the current wiring. so its not gonna fly.
(as below from an ebay auction for reference)
i took off my front fender today, and it looks sweet without it. as im looking at the front fender, i realized... i have my rear fender!
(as below from an ebay auction for reference)
im only gonna take about 6 inches of frame off the back of the bike. to leave room to drill holes in the frame and also my fender to bolt it on. but it is just a straight clean chrome fender. also, the brackets that stick out to bolt on where it originally go are under a lip, so if i hacksaw them off, itll look like a perfect clean cut no matter what, and luckily my fender is in perfect condition.
b. the tank to be held in place uses this rubber pull tab thing that sticks up, im gonna try and ditch that/cut off the tabs it sits on and try and figure out some other form of holding the tank down but keeping it flush as possible.
i ordered some drag bars, hopefully i dont have as much of a pain as i am with my cafe build right now.
i also turned on the space heater in my garage and sat in front of the bike and pondered a few things:
a. if im gonna have a big exposed rear fender, the stock one looks like hell, as it has all these weird seams, channels and holes for the current wiring. so its not gonna fly.
(as below from an ebay auction for reference)
i took off my front fender today, and it looks sweet without it. as im looking at the front fender, i realized... i have my rear fender!
(as below from an ebay auction for reference)
im only gonna take about 6 inches of frame off the back of the bike. to leave room to drill holes in the frame and also my fender to bolt it on. but it is just a straight clean chrome fender. also, the brackets that stick out to bolt on where it originally go are under a lip, so if i hacksaw them off, itll look like a perfect clean cut no matter what, and luckily my fender is in perfect condition.
b. the tank to be held in place uses this rubber pull tab thing that sticks up, im gonna try and ditch that/cut off the tabs it sits on and try and figure out some other form of holding the tank down but keeping it flush as possible.
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 project
got my black drag bars today, my god are they sexy!
im getting a cl175 tank i think. is that much much bigger than my 125 tank? cause i really really like the shape and size of the 125 tank for this project.
got my black drag bars today, my god are they sexy!
im getting a cl175 tank i think. is that much much bigger than my 125 tank? cause i really really like the shape and size of the 125 tank for this project.
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 project
yippee! got a new light for my garage tonight. i was working with just a single light bulb in the middle, so i was basically working in the dark and it was very off-putting. voila, new light.
yippee! got a new light for my garage tonight. i was working with just a single light bulb in the middle, so i was basically working in the dark and it was very off-putting. voila, new light.
Re: 1974 cl125 project
Congrats on the light! I've been doing the one light clamp thing for a couple of years. It sucks and I need to do something about it.
Anyhow, A little advice would be to take a couple of hours and strip those huge turn signals off that poor bike. Damn thing knows how ugly they are. Bike must feel like Ralphie did when he had to try on his aunts bunny suit;D hahaha "you'll shoot your eye out kid!"
Front fender will look much better on the back than that orig. Cut it down and mount it up like Von said. Should look killer. I love the colors by the way. Have you thought about bisque on the wheels too. I came very close to doing that on mine. When I was figuring out my colors JRK sent me a photo of one of his friends that did bisque wheels. Looks real old school. I came soo close.
Anyhow, you can get bisque in the appliance epoxy. If you paint the chrome with muratic acid and let is soak for half a day then sand to 160 grit. Prep the hell out of it then paint with appliance epoxy it will never come off. Next to powder I don't think you can get anything thougher.
+1JRK5892 said:
Congrats on the light! I've been doing the one light clamp thing for a couple of years. It sucks and I need to do something about it.
Anyhow, A little advice would be to take a couple of hours and strip those huge turn signals off that poor bike. Damn thing knows how ugly they are. Bike must feel like Ralphie did when he had to try on his aunts bunny suit;D hahaha "you'll shoot your eye out kid!"
Front fender will look much better on the back than that orig. Cut it down and mount it up like Von said. Should look killer. I love the colors by the way. Have you thought about bisque on the wheels too. I came very close to doing that on mine. When I was figuring out my colors JRK sent me a photo of one of his friends that did bisque wheels. Looks real old school. I came soo close.
Anyhow, you can get bisque in the appliance epoxy. If you paint the chrome with muratic acid and let is soak for half a day then sand to 160 grit. Prep the hell out of it then paint with appliance epoxy it will never come off. Next to powder I don't think you can get anything thougher.
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 project
oooh yes those turn signals are coming right off, believe me brother.
and yeah im gonna make the rims and spokes all black. (i was debating white wall inserts..but most likely not, because id only do white walls if i painted my rims and spokes red) but i love the fat-wheel-look a black rim/tire combo looks on a bobber.
oooh yes those turn signals are coming right off, believe me brother.
and yeah im gonna make the rims and spokes all black. (i was debating white wall inserts..but most likely not, because id only do white walls if i painted my rims and spokes red) but i love the fat-wheel-look a black rim/tire combo looks on a bobber.
Re: 1974 cl125 project
Sounds awesome. What will you be using to paint the wheels? I highly recommend appliance epoxy or I've head good results with por. If you do the muratic acid trick then hit it with 160 grit it will come out smooth as glass and be hard as nails. I didn't do the muratic on my wheels because I left my tires on. I just deflated then and ran the tape between the tire and rim. Worked sweet.
Sounds awesome. What will you be using to paint the wheels? I highly recommend appliance epoxy or I've head good results with por. If you do the muratic acid trick then hit it with 160 grit it will come out smooth as glass and be hard as nails. I didn't do the muratic on my wheels because I left my tires on. I just deflated then and ran the tape between the tire and rim. Worked sweet.
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 project
ill probably do what you did, im just looking to deflate a bit, tape the wheels, forks and drum brake and go to town.
ill probably do what you did, im just looking to deflate a bit, tape the wheels, forks and drum brake and go to town.
Re: 1974 cl125 project
make sure before you shoot any appliance paint it is at LEAST 55-60 degrees in there, and the part temp matches that. if not appliance paint will not cure and will not stick, will be able to be scratched off with your nail, hell any rattle can will
make sure before you shoot any appliance paint it is at LEAST 55-60 degrees in there, and the part temp matches that. if not appliance paint will not cure and will not stick, will be able to be scratched off with your nail, hell any rattle can will
Big R
Heaven is so far away.
Re: 1974 cl125 project
Congrats on the extra lighting out in the garage Mike! When I lived with my parents they only had one light in their garage too. Ended up putting one of those huge spotlights in it though - and I had to wear one of those headlamps to get anything done.
Anything I can tell you about a 175 tank? Mines sitting out in the garage right now if you need dimensions/pics
Congrats on the extra lighting out in the garage Mike! When I lived with my parents they only had one light in their garage too. Ended up putting one of those huge spotlights in it though - and I had to wear one of those headlamps to get anything done.
Anything I can tell you about a 175 tank? Mines sitting out in the garage right now if you need dimensions/pics
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 project
oh yes, ive learned that the hard way already recently too.
VonYinzer said:TRUE STORY... The temp being too low can royaly fuck an otherwise killer paint job. Ask me (and the auto parts store that ive spent roughly $1,000,000 on spray paint) how I know.
oh yes, ive learned that the hard way already recently too.
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 brat project
i wish it wasnt freezing cold so i could do some prep and paintwork.
i was looking up some brats for inspiration, and these def have the seat/rear fender combo im looking for.
or, should i go fenderless?
i wish it wasnt freezing cold so i could do some prep and paintwork.
i was looking up some brats for inspiration, and these def have the seat/rear fender combo im looking for.
or, should i go fenderless?
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 brat project
sigh....
i dunno if i can do it. after shoveling the driveway i went out to the garage to look at my girls (bikes).
my gs cafe is coming along nicely, just a few more things before it really takes shape.
my cl125 though.. i havent really done much. im looking at the perfect paint, the side covers, the emaculate seat, and im thinking "this is a collector bike, the last year these were made, what am i doing?"
i dont think i can bring myself to chop up and paint over such a beautiful perfect bike. sure i need to kreem the inside and clean the carb and probably install a new petcock, also repaint over the pipe, but keep the heat guard. but other than that its a beaut! id be doing an inservice to it by fowling it up.
call this a hiatus on this project or what you will, but i think im just gonna keep this one as is, it looks like it was purchased off the show room in 1974 and encased in glass until now.
sigh....
i dunno if i can do it. after shoveling the driveway i went out to the garage to look at my girls (bikes).
my gs cafe is coming along nicely, just a few more things before it really takes shape.
my cl125 though.. i havent really done much. im looking at the perfect paint, the side covers, the emaculate seat, and im thinking "this is a collector bike, the last year these were made, what am i doing?"
i dont think i can bring myself to chop up and paint over such a beautiful perfect bike. sure i need to kreem the inside and clean the carb and probably install a new petcock, also repaint over the pipe, but keep the heat guard. but other than that its a beaut! id be doing an inservice to it by fowling it up.
call this a hiatus on this project or what you will, but i think im just gonna keep this one as is, it looks like it was purchased off the show room in 1974 and encased in glass until now.
loudest143
Insert sense of humor here---->
Re: 1974 cl125 (keeping it stock and just restoring it now)
I'll agree with you... Sometimes it's good to just let the good ones stay good ones. The 175 looks stellar in the pics....
loudest143
I'll agree with you... Sometimes it's good to just let the good ones stay good ones. The 175 looks stellar in the pics....
loudest143
mikeadamstattoo
Coast to Coast
Re: 1974 cl125 (keeping it stock and just restoring it now)
so im gonna modify it without hacking anything off. i ordered an sl100 tank that im going to kreem and sandblast and repaint a pale olive. that way i can keep my stock tank. also gonna remove the seat and make a new one, in plaid. that way if i want to i can go back to stock within minutes, but still have a cool little head turner.
mockup:
tank i got off ebay:
so im gonna modify it without hacking anything off. i ordered an sl100 tank that im going to kreem and sandblast and repaint a pale olive. that way i can keep my stock tank. also gonna remove the seat and make a new one, in plaid. that way if i want to i can go back to stock within minutes, but still have a cool little head turner.
mockup:
tank i got off ebay: