[splatterpunx]

hey guys,just need a little advice,im building my first cafe bike,on the get go i was looking for brit-iron of course,but its kinda cost prohibitive because if im gonna do a triton or somthing id do it 110%
or not at all,then id dump it and cry like a baby

so ive been looking at old jap bikes,they seem to be pretty common and ive found loads of parts and stuff on the web and financially viable,im looking for a 450-550cc single/twin bike somthing that is easy to work on and common,i have found a 75 cb500T locally in decent shape for 700
bux,but the amount of contreversy about this bike on the net is phenominal so im hesitant to get it.

the point you ask?,i need suggestions of other bikes make/model regardless that would fit the bill

cheers

 

[joe c]

gb500

 

[splatterpunx]

nice bikes but waaaay out of my $ range,id just buy the real thing at that point

thoughts on the yam xs650? ive found loads of parts available and one cheap locally

 

[aaron]

Honda
350 twin
450 twin
Super Hawk (305cc)

BSA
B44 (441cc)
B50 (500cc)

Those are my suggestions.

Aaron

 

[joe c]

i was kidding. the xs is a nice bike. good brake, tourquey motor. reliable.

and british looking.

jc

 

[aaron]

Yamaha's are the spawn of the devil. I think a Honda Black Bomber is probably the prettiest Jap bike ever.

Aaron

 

[joe c]

good luck finding a decent black bomber. the 450's were notorious for eating top ends. oil starvation. there are fixes available but they are expensive and also not reliable. (so i guess you could say there is no fix available)

i say the best bang for your buck is the cb750. lots of aftermarket stuff. hop up kits abound, and you can find them for cheap money. and they'll smoke pretty much anything british you come across. (except for moderns) the kz's are also cool looking and would make a nice caferacer i think. i had a kz900, a motor bolted to spaghetti noodles for frame and forks. all fixable stuff though. then the old z1 is a real road eater.

cb750/550 gets my vote though

jc

 

[aaron]

Honda made 750 and 550 in singles and twins? Joe, that must one big single.

Aaron

 

[joe c]

bite me wheenie boy.....take it from someone whos got plenty of miles on a cb350/2, you dont want one of these as your serious street bike. going down the highway at 70mph is almost a life threatening situation. just riding from boston to reading is enough to make you wish you were there already. i still vote for the 4. get something with some balls. the 500t...eh...dunno. i guess they go pretty good. there was also the cb650. pure brit clone in my opinion. the suzuki gs's are still cheap and easy to get. the xs is just that, xs everything. ive never seen one cafed.

we could argue about this for weeks.

jc

 

[joe c]

kz400's a twin by the way.....

jc

 

[aaron]

Harleys are twins also... I don't know what that kz thing is all about, but I do know that I would choose a 550/four over all of em if I was going to get a Japanese street bike. Joe I think your a pure brit clone. You need a cl175, best bike ever made.

Aaron
You know if you say "bite me weenie boy" with an Irish accent than it sounds even worse. You know like you trying to get me to bite your weenie.

 

[splatterpunx]

thanx for the suggestions,i know i was opening the floodgates of opinion and personal preference but i needed some leads,i was kinda avoiding the 4's due to the more complicated engine,im leaning towards twins and singles because i know i can wrench them without
to much of a headache... i hope

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/7/6/54458176.htm

i found this yamaha and loads of parts info,thought it might be intresting to grab it,get a manx type tank and seat from glass from the past and scoot around untill i can save the cash to build a triton

i do really really dig that blue 400 honda in the pic section here

im gonna dig up all the info i can on the bikes you guys suggested

thanx again

 

[aaron]

If you get a four, you probably wont be doing much wrenching. All mine have been very reliable. And yes joe I've owned as many Honda fours as I've owned Brits.

Aaron

 

[joe c]

aaron is absolutely right. (im irish, but im not a leprechaun) the 4's just go and go. if you get one that runs good already, you probably wont need to touch it. the sr500 is a yammie single and people race em at the track. the one i rode was seriously ragged, couldnt even wheelie. i dont think they are all like that though. might be a good choice, and they are around. and so are parts too.

ive ben telling people about this book to get. its called motorcycles, fundamentals service and repair. but dave edmundson. its one of the text books the mmi uses. if youre trying to learna bout motorcycle maintanance, this is a great book to have. its kinda pricey since its a text book, but really good. i highly recommend it if youre new to moto-cycle mechanics.

jc

 

[Guyman]

I second everybodies opinions on the fours. 70s bikes nowadays are kinda underpowered in relation to the cars that are on the road now. Its nice to have enough power to pass cars if needed. Im going to though in the idea of a 70's Suzuki GS 550 four. From what ive read are superior to the Honda and not quite so common.
Not to slam any of the twins or singles but you know how the cagers like to accelerate when you try to pass. Get something that can atleast beat most cars. IMHO
Guy

The bike breaker

 

[aaron]

My 550/four took most cars on the street especially off the line.

I'm a HO too.

Aaron

 

[joe c]

i had a gs750 for a summer. nice bike. reliable. went really well. plenty of ass....probably would cafe nicely too. the tail sections are nice looking.

the cool thing about the 550/500/4's is they are small. they have a small, light feel to them. a guy we used to ride with in boston had a really sweet one before he decided to run into the back of someones car with it. i remember trading him one day my t120 for his bike to ride. i remember sitting at red light with the bonneville in front of me and i thought his bike had stalled it was so quiet with stock pipes.

i bet aaron never knew i rode so many different lame motorcycles.

jc

 

[Guyman]

The problem ive had is that the more i looked the more i realized for about the same money you could enter the eighties and get like a early half faired GPZ 550 or the like. It really clouded the choices for me anyways. Im thinking an older bike really is good for a second bike. Im sure ill get flamed for this but its just my opinion anyways. I have zip knowledge of bristish iron, they may have enough caracter to justify the lack of technology ect. ect. Kinda like an harley. LOL
Guy

The bike breaker

 

[aaron]

Now I know what kind of people buy those fuckin bikini fairings on ebay that are labled "cafe' racer fairing". Your right... you are a flamer. There is a site for those bikes called 80'sdorkoramabikes.com. I guess everyone is intitled to their own opinion. Some people have class and some people don't.

Aaron




Edited by - aaron on Aug 27 2003 08:36:48 AM

 

[joe c]

aaron once told me that if i had a triumph, i should be able to get a honda to run. the british stuff is surprisingly easy to work on. once you buy an entirely new set of tools, and remember that the positive side of the battery is the ground. but they are really really easy. the problem is the parts are expensive. when you compare the money you put into a triumph/bsa/norton, you could have a really nice modern bike. do it for the love of the era and machinery, not because it's financially legit. god, the time and money ive sunk into my triumph is insane and it still just sits in my driveway not running. i still wouldnt sell it.

the british stuff isnt for everyone, but it's very cool.

jc