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here is my cafe Yamaha

4K views 30 replies 10 participants last post by  bcr 
#1 ·
'78 xt500 w/ a somewhat built '81 SR motor. This bike started out (for me that is) as my dirt tracker. As such, I cut the steering head to quicken the steering and gutted everything else that wasn't required to blast around a dirt short track. Then I buskered my knee on the ice and in a weak moment decided to convert the thing into a street cafe/singles racer. Its been fun designing and making all the trinkets, but I gotta tell ya its a whole lot quicker to take stuff off and make a racer than put it on and make it legal. The latest adventure has been getting the motor into a state of tune that would make a street ride possibly fun, items such as reliably starting with a kick and idling without soaking the plug suddenly got bumped into the need to have column as opposed to the nice to have column. That came down to a less crazy cam (the one I had turned out to be a one off special that made the motor scream at full throttle/revs but flat everywhere else), a smaller carb (34mm from a 38mm) and w/ new cdi box. Now it starts on the first kick and settles into a idle but still has sufficient pop to hold your attention. I've worked over every inch of this bike. The big stuff: vented and polished XT rear hub, RD 350 front hub, drilled and polished. Lou Q laced up the sun Rims and spooned on the Avons. Old FZ front end w/ a brembo off an older Duc. Lou was also responcible for talking me into, then welding a 1" spacer to the lower rear shock mounts, further quickening the steering geometry, it definately has a stance. It'll need a steering damper. The other fab work I'm proud of: I designed and made the headlight ears, schwinn sting ray clone side stand, header, front fender, and alloy dash. TZ seat and stock tank top it off. Its going to get the Gulf mirage Turq/orange paint this winter. 15+ years ago a bud and I went to the Glen for the GT40 reunion; yes, those colors made an impression. So here's my take on a streetable factory racer. Hope you can dig it, best,.....bcr
 
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#5 ·
Lookin' good my man, can't wait to see it cleaned up. Speaking of clean, what's your strategy for the rear fender?
I like the front, and I like the gold anodized look too. Dig the pipe and the SuperTrapp can.
Roost on.


FR
 
#4 ·
Lookin' good my man, can't wait to see it cleaned up. Speaking of clean, what's your strategy for the rear fender?
I like the front, and I like the gold anodized look too. Dig the pipe and the SuperTrapp can.
Roost on.


FR
 
#7 ·
a hugger on the rear would look cool. thats sweet. i love those xt's/singles. that doesnt even look like a dirtbike anymore. very very cool. that should get you a few tickets. awesome vintage supermono.

jc
 
#6 ·
a hugger on the rear would look cool. thats sweet. i love those xt's/singles. that doesnt even look like a dirtbike anymore. very very cool. that should get you a few tickets. awesome vintage supermono.

jc
 
#11 ·
I love it - When I was in Tokyo last month I bought some SR magazine and there are a ton of amazing bikes like that one.

Apparently Yamaha even made and sold an XT500-based road racer back then!

If I had a scanner I'd post up an article about one.

Yours looks much better with the TZ ducktail seat.
 
#10 ·
I love it - When I was in Tokyo last month I bought some SR magazine and there are a ton of amazing bikes like that one.

Apparently Yamaha even made and sold an XT500-based road racer back then!

If I had a scanner I'd post up an article about one.

Yours looks much better with the TZ ducktail seat.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for all the kind words. I'm surprised I'm not taking a hit for that motor with the lived in look. Point taken on the clean up and rear fender FR. You can see the cut out for the tail light in the back of the seat section, rear turn sigs should be sano as well. To be honest I was going to trim some polycarb, and fit it between the frame members to protect the electrics and carb from rear wheel debris and call it good, but the rear wheel hugger would be totally badass and something that had not occured to me. So thanks for the input. I'm going to check out airtech and see what they have, maybe hammer out an alloy one. Last but not least, props to Tim Kennedy, and the Motorcycle Shop in Freeport for being super cool about this project. Can't wait for spring, it's going to be permagrin. Cheers, Bill
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all the kind words. I'm surprised I'm not taking a hit for that motor with the lived in look. Point taken on the clean up and rear fender FR. You can see the cut out for the tail light in the back of the seat section, rear turn sigs should be sano as well. To be honest I was going to trim some polycarb, and fit it between the frame members to protect the electrics and carb from rear wheel debris and call it good, but the rear wheel hugger would be totally badass and something that had not occured to me. So thanks for the input. I'm going to check out airtech and see what they have, maybe hammer out an alloy one. Last but not least, props to Tim Kennedy, and the Motorcycle Shop in Freeport for being super cool about this project. Can't wait for spring, it's going to be permagrin. Cheers, Bill
 
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