Cafe Racer- Easy bike to build from

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Robenstein

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So I want to build a cafe racer but I am not much of a fabricator and dont have the tools to become one. I cant afford a new Triumph Thruxton, so I want to build an easy one. So what bike should I look at getting to transform into a racer? Looking for something that I can easy transform with aftermarket parts.

Im looking at older Japanese bikes especially as I can get em under a grand running around here.
 
Honda CB 750 comes to mind.

Also any old 2 stroke yamaha street bike is a great start up too.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Im seeing a lot of Yamaha XS650 and Honda CB450 ones out there as well. Thoughts on those?

They can have the right look but if you're actually going to ride, the vibration is about as bad as could be.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
ran across a CX500 Honda for dirt cheap. Thoughts?


I personally dont care for a watercooled engine on a Cafe Racer but why not.....
 
I'm seriously considering turning a 1975 Honda CB 500T....just a bored/stroked version of the 450.....into a cafe racer.

Let us know what you finally get to make one!
 
The Honda CX500 has an incredible amount of potential for a Moto-Guzzi inspired Cafe'Racer.
thumbsup2.gif
 
Thats the plan. If I cant do a Brit inspired Yamah xs650 or Honda CB450 parallel twin racer, I figured a guzi inspired one would be good as well.
 
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
The Honda CX500 has an incredible amount of potential for a Moto-Guzzi inspired Cafe'Racer.
thumbsup2.gif



CX500 Cafe's seem to be pretty popular around here, and turn out looking great. The CX500 engine has a great and unique sound as well.
 
Suzuki LS650 Savage. Someone out there has a complete cafe kit for them. Single cylinder, air cooled, cheap and plentiful on the used market.
 
Originally Posted By: Zoridog
Suzuki LS650 Savage. Someone out there has a complete cafe kit for them. Single cylinder, air cooled, cheap and plentiful on the used market.


The kits are expensive as heck and the cruiser platform is hard to change to a racer due to the rake of the front forks and the squatted stance. I saw them. Looks good, but a CB450 or Yamaha xs650 will have just as much pep, are even cheaper, and have a better stance.
 
Too expensive.

Cheaper and easier to buy a Buell Blast. Add rearsets, bars, jet and exhaust for under a grand

Or find a Honda FT500 Ascot...I prefer the VT500 Ascot in spite of the shaft drive.

Or a Yamaha SRX600.

My favorite? The Honda GB500.
 
This is my CB450 based cafe racer, the bike is a ton of fun around town! I was just trolling around here looking for some insight on cold weather oil. Anyways i will share a bit; I find if there tuned and setup good they don't vibrate that bad its when the ignition and the carburetor sync gets off is when the vibes start. CB450's and CB500t's are a strange animal, dual over head cams, hemispherical combustion chambers, torsion bar valve springs, complex timing chain arrangement. If your considering a CB450 be sure to educate yourself before hand and know what your getting into, for more info try checking out www.hondatwins.net for other cafe racer content, inspiration and idea's check out www.dotheton.com

IMG_1603.jpg
 
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