Cafe racer build first bike, advice on getting started and choosing/ sourcing a bike

THIS is cool

If I was a 15 year old kid looking to save up for my first street bike and it had to be a maximum of 125cc this is what I would want,
heck, I'm an old fart with expensive motorcycles and I still want one of these!



That old tarted up fat wheel fenderless crap is just plain laughable by comparison to the technology represented in one of these. The big difference is I want to ride my motorcycles and this right here is a 125cc motorcycle that will easy exceed the posted speed limit in any country I could ever hope to ride in.

Do something like this.

Go electric

steveo said:

I must have got hold of the wrong end of the stick. Thought the idea was to suggest a bike that he wouldn't kill him in the first few weeks.
Strangely he could probably buy an Aprilia RS125 over here within his budget.

Click to expand...

Where does the UK graduated license scheme stand on electric powered motorcycles?
KTM Freeride E electric bike, or if he thinks he can build one as good or better, that would be impressive, it wouldn't represent reworked antiques it would truly be engineering your own unique functional creation.



lol and you could park it in the house without it leaking gas and oil allover the place which will make yer mom real happy.

Buy a bike you can ride soon legally, & one that is a good rider in good mechanical/electrical condition. Ride it a while while scoping out bigger bikes to get and start refurbishing foe when you can legally ride them. I love the kz550 base models and GPz550's, but not sure how you'd fit on one if you reach 6'4". You might really be looking at a 750-4 if you're upwards of 200 lbs by then (sorry not sure how many kg or stone that is).
A KZ750 is a great bike, but it's based on the shorter kz650 chassis. Of course a flat seat allows you to slide back to whatever position you like.

I'm a HUGE fan of 1st generation GS750's. By 1st gen gsx750, I'm not sure if you mean the 1st generation of GS's with the original 8 valve (2v per cylinder) engines (4v - 2 per cyl on twins), or the USA 2nd Gen of gs750 (16v - 4v per cyl) which was the 1st generation to be called "GSX" everywhere else in the world with the new 4 valve per cylinder TSCC twin swirl combustion chamber engine design. A GSX was a new variant on the original GS line, & the 1st to have 4 valves per cylinder. They kept the old name in the US.

The GS & GSX750 do have a roomy chassis that fits taller people well. They are docile at respectable riding rpm's but are pretty darn quick 5500rpm thru well above the 9600rpm redline. K&N pods and a Delkevic, Predator, Vance & Hines, etc exhaust and rejetting the carbs really helps wake them up.
A GS850 cylinder and piston set is a bolt on, but better yet the Wiseco 844cc aftermarket piston kit with a fresh Serdi valve job, aftermarket valve springs, & Megacycle .354" lift or Web .365" lift camshafts makes for a very very excellent time fast street engine.
Going to a GS1000 in your 20's (or the heavier KZ1000) would spell suicide. They are lethally fast...
Great thing about GS's is aside from the early 400/425 & 550 frames lacking a simple welded in spine bracing by the coils (very basic to add - gs750 has this brace, for reference), the GS frames were the best handling of all the 70's bikes.

Honestly, in general any motorcycle 4 stroke 400cc twins and up is generally going to be much quicker than most cars (up to highway speed at least), so it's really best ALWAYS to focus first on making up for the lack of maintenance most of them have had for the past 30 or so years, THEN add great handling tires (Avon Road Rider at minimum, Pirelli Sport Demon if you want THE ULTIMATE in performance but short life), then upgrade to a more competent brake setup - '98-99 cbr600f "hornet" & cb400 super four late model 296mm dual rotors are a bolt-on, or 98-99 cbr900rr 310mm single disc rotor is a bolt on, works with a GS forum member's lower bolt mount adapter bracket kits to use late model ninja/gsx/etcetcetc Tokico 2 piston sliding calipers.

Cartridge emulators & aftermarket springs in the forks or swap to bandit 1200 43mm cartridge forks (needs bandit calipers & 2 of those 310mm cbr900rr rotors) in a modified vmax 1200 triple clamp set. Or 41mm forks like cbr600f3 in gs1100gk or Honda pc800 triples.
Then drop 200-400GBP on a set of high quality rear shocks. This will be a dreamy ride - a classic vintage bike that actually handles really well. Do one project at a time on your 21 yr old self's future ride. Don't go too far as people here point out. Life happens. The shifty thing is, the older you get, the less time you have to do what you really want.... school, career, chasing romance.... these are often huge obstacles to undertaking large dream bike builds... keep it all relatively rideable and close to being complete while wrenching in it. And before you hack up a great frame, or do some modern fork swap, post all of your intentions here for the experienced (& many very bitter and jaded!) of us to scrutinize, so that you don't end up with a really shitty handling "piece of cafe racer art" as warned about. Go for resto-mod (restored-modified), not cafe hack job cosmetic conversion that renders the bike a worse riding machine than it was all stock.

IN THE MEANTIME... for you, the big problem I see is finding a 125cc that a large 6'4" teenager can fit comfortably on.

GO HERE:
Beginnerbikers.org - Beginnerbikers.org

I'm sure this has been discussed PLENTY. Ninja 250's & GS500's over here are regarded as AWESOME beginners bikes, & the 500 can keep up with the big bikes going somewhat legal speeds. The Kawasaki EX500 is even better. Older very potent sports machine. Learn on a bike like that, OR A DUAL SPORT (take it off roading, really helps advance the riding skills on technical woods riding, crashing 20mph in dirt is way better than pavement in traffic). & you will crash a lot in the dirt if doing technical woods riding. If you arent, you're not riding hard or not riding the real fun stuff.

If you learn on a 250/500 2 cyl sport bike, you will have a much greater desire to modify the brakes and suspension on a respectable handling vintage chassis like the 1st Gen GS750 or 2nd Gen (1st Gen GSX750).

A bike like a Kawasaki Zephyr is somewhat of a modernized "retro twin shock chassis" with an engine format and styling cues taken from the KZ/GPZ bikes. 550, 750, & 1100. I'd steer clear of 900/1000/1100 four cylinder bikes until you have gotten closer to 30 years old, your mom will be happier if you're still alive! Fork spring & valving upgrades and some fresh modern sports tires and the Zephyr is already the chassis that I took a long time to put together on my gs750. Aluminum swingarm, piggyback shocks, 41mm (?) Forks, 17/18" wheels, the same 2 pot sliding brake calipers I mentioned are a great bolt on GS upgrade, 310mm rotors... 4-into-1 exhaust from the factory! A very retro styled bike that you can then redo the seat and tail (the downfall of the bike if you like more 1970's styling cues) and handlebars and maybe fairing to suit your cosmetic desires. Forks are too soft, but so are all late 70's early 80's forks, too.
Only downside is the only one to come with wire spoke wheels was the 1100 and that may have only been some commemorative or anniversary year for something or other. Modified 750 = plenty fast! Zephyr ZR550/750/1100 were early to late 1990's models that were retro styled like early 80's GPz & other bikes. Great starting point. Engines were basically clones technologically of the 70s engines, but that's not a bad thing though! Just not 1990's modern power levels.

PM or email me for any further advice if needed. Don't mind us jaded veteran bike snobs...they'll set you straight (or try to, or just plain run you off) if you go too far astray with bad ideas like too many aspiring bike builders dream up