Cafe Racer Forum banner

Cheers! Newbie here from Indiana

3K views 22 replies 9 participants last post by  Ews 
#1 · (Edited)
Wanted to shout out to everyone an introduce myself. I'm Ryan from Richmond Indiana. I'm a mechanical engineer by trade and hobbyist of many. Hobbies include CNC machining, cars, bikes, motorcycles, and RC planes. Basically anything with a motor.

I've got 5 motorcycles with 3 of them is / to be projects. Ive got an S2000 that I used to track and an RDX as my daily.

1981 Yamaha Exciter 250

1988 BMW K75S that I plan to make a project out of eventually.

Daily Rider: 1999 BMW R1100S


Current Project: 1970 Honda CL450



Build thread although I may move it here... Not! https://www.hondatwins.net/forums/1-project-logs/18051-bonzo-s-cl450-cafe-racer-build.html

Future Project: 1998 Honda CB750 Nighthawk (was my wife's bike till my brother wrecked it)



My S2000:



Looking forward to leaning new stuff and sharing my project builds with everyone.
 
See less See more
4
#5 · (Edited)
Welcome, don't take this personally but...


Current Project: 1970 Honda CL450



Build thread although I may move it here. https://www.hondatwins.net/forums/1-project-logs/18051-bonzo-s-cl450-cafe-racer-build.html
Wow, that is hot fucking garbage. It's a good thing you put those shitty firestones on it because it's clear you don't actually plan to ride the thing. It's not personal but leave that rolling attempt at Instagram likes over at honda twins - most of the people here are focused on improving the performance of their old motorcycles and well..this just ain't the audience for what is essentially what most here despise about the direction of the hobby - rideability compromised for the sake of curb appeal.

personally I would rather see you turn that wrecked nighthawk into RC42 spec using cbr600 f2 parts since we never got the RC42 here.

nice s2000.

BTW, don't take this to mean you aren't welcome here. I think most of us share the same hobbies here and there are quite a few engineers as well (not me). It's just whatever you did to that 450...man...this is not the crowd for it. I hope you don't think that is a "cafe racer". Anyway. stick around, tell us about the other cool shit you do.
 
#7 ·
Welcome, don't take this personally but...
Really? you're a fucking prick. Do you take pride in bashing other peoples hard work?

I would agree it certainly isn't a cafe racer that i had originally planned. Direction changed 3 times. I went from clip-ons, rear controls, and inverted forks to a completely different direction. No problem that you don't like it but to be a fucking sack of shit about it is another thing. You think everyone should build the same bike. fuck that. Be unique build what you like. No need to be an asshole.



 
#9 ·
Really? you're a fucking prick. Do you take pride in bashing other peoples hard work?

When it results in a worse performing (and considerable less safe) motorcycle than the stock version... yes.


The CB750 is planned to be a more performance oriented bike. Inverted forks are first on the list.


What makes you think inverted forks will improve the performance of a CB750?
 
#11 ·
I have to agree with Geeto, that Honda looks like hot garbage. Function over form here, every time. That thing looks like a Honda Fat Cat more than it does a street bike.

Land vehicle Vehicle Motorcycle Car Honda



Now there is still hope to make that bike something that looks good and performs well. Listen to people like Geeto, he may be ornery and have a face only a mother could love, but the man knows more about CB's than I could ever hope to learn in 2 lifetimes.
 
#13 ·
It doesn't have to be a race bike making hundreds of HP, but people here generally appreciate modifications that make the bike bike more efficient and easier to ride. They are not big on modifications that make a bike less safe or handle worse.

Building the same as everyone else is hardly a requirement, but if you design a bike to meet certain criteria, they will all have some design elements in common. On the flip side, doing things that are seen on Pipeburn etc isn't exactly making it your own, as they say.

It's your bike and you can do whatever you want to it. But don't expect that everyone will like what you did - especially on here. Many of the regulars here are racers or ex-racers or hang around with racers, so they tend to know what they like and what looks wrong to them. But not all of us are making our bikes faster or more race oriented. Some of us are going with higher bars. Some are restoring bikes. Some like old style racers and cafe racers. Not many are into so called brat style or silly tires and those tires are some of the worst around.

So, Yes. It's useful to not be thin skinned.
 
#16 ·
This is a great place to start a build thread, as long as you go into it with the right mindset. People here are going to tell you if something is wrong or stupid. It may sound harsh, but often times it can be the difference between enjoying the ride and ending up wrecked in a ditch somewhere.

No one here is going to go out of their way to hurt your feelings, but we will also not spare them either.

It's about sharing the love of the hobby and doing it safely so that we can all keep doing this until we can no longer swing a leg over.
 
#19 ·
BTW, honda used the nighthawk platform to build it's own freddie tribute:



This is a factory RC42 freddie spencer tribute. I believe it was made 2005. It's basically piggy back shocks and paint, but it's not a bad way to go. That is stock RC42 bodywork.

something I would like to see someone do is make a "restomod" superbike race bike for the street, Something like this honda 599 based custom:
View attachment 98697
 
#20 ·
I think I need a few moments alone with this picture.

I assume it was a 1 off and not a production bike? I would love to look out my roll up door at work and stare at that thing while I wait to ride home.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top