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Inspiration to the Newbies

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Discussion Starter · #1 ·


The above pic is probably the ultimate cafe racer. An H1 500cc engine in an s1 250 frame built by simon whitlock (of 48 cylinder kawasaki fame). the bike features watercooling (the frame is the radiator), nitrous, a roots supercharger, computerized fuel injection, H1R front hydraulic drum, and other little mad bits and baubles (like gauges mounted in the top clamp). supposedly the bike ran like an ape raped by a t-rex (that's really really really forkin fast).

If someone in their shed in merry old england can build this bike, then there is no reason anybody here can't get off their arses and build something similar. This is a call to arms for all the newbies and lurkers....."You can do it!!!!!!!!!!!"

so, lets see some project bikes from the people that don't usually speak up.


Edited by - geeto67 on Nov 18 2005 4:22:31 PM
 
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#2 ·
or even a virtual one thats in your head!or a link to a bike you like on the web... just dont lurk ..."HELP KICK THIS PLACE UP A FEW MORE NOTCHES!!!!JOIN-IN its not a bad "cult" really no brain wash sessions and we dont promise a starship ride to a planet or star or comet or meteor either!!! Just Hot old style bikes..that are different and fun..and some well KICK-ASS ones too!!!

Nitrous and supercharged well I would have to super glue my hands and ass down to the hand grips and seat just to ride this beast...then look for a plastic surgeon to get the smile off myface!!! nice bike but Id like to see what his olde crap shed really looked like and wonder if he still lives at home with mom so he can afford all the gadgets on this mad mad ride!!

Thanks geeto for showing yet another nice machine.....



Edited by - LiLBull on Nov 18 2005 3:34:15 PM
 
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Discussion Starter · #3 ·
oh yeah, one more thing...don't be afraid of two stroke bikes from the 1970s. They are tons easier to work on and have a lot less moving parts. I know 70's hondas are the opium of the masses in this hobby on but take it from me you guys are missing out. I ripped into a t500 motor last weekend and it took me 1/2 the time of doing a honda SOHC top end.

RDs, T500s and T350s, GT series triples, H series triples they are all tons easier to work on and share chassis parts with some of their 4 stroke counterparts.
 
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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
cross 1 1986 zx600 with a 1970s kawasaki h1 engine and you get:

http://kawasakitriplesworldwide.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15904


All of these bikes shown so far are built by hobbyists and not professional shops. Whitlock is probably the closest to a pro though as he is an engineer and he does convert 2 stroke triples into four and five cylinders on request, but he doesn't do it to make a living (although he does charge).

BTW, the same guy that built the zx/h1 also put a kawasaki s1 250 2 stroke motor in a 1987 zx600 frame.

http://kawasakitriplesworldwide.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11248


although not traditional manx style cafe racers these bikes are hella cool and good examples of what is possible when you merge the new plastic stuff with old iron.
 
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#7 ·
thats thinking out of the box although vintage stuff is real cool it can use some up dating but these bikes are close to Street fighters/naked bikes as apposed to cafe racer style .I just think the three styles caferacer,street fighter and naked bikes are so on the fringe they are and should be lumped together.I like the old frames and the old bike look but when they are nolonger abundant ...Ill go street fighter naked bike route.
 
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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
quote:
thats thinking out of the box although vintage stuff is real cool it can use some up dating but these bikes are close to Street fighters/naked bikes as apposed to cafe racer style .I just think the three styles caferacer,street fighter and naked bikes are so on the fringe they are and should be lumped together.I like the old frames and the old bike look but when they are nolonger abundant ...Ill go street fighter naked bike route.
Click to expand...
Actualy both the last bikes are dedicated land speed racing bikes. They both started out at street bikes but the builder decided to go land speed racing half way through the project. In england they just call modified bikes like these specials and leave it at that (covers heavily modded cafe racers and fighters).

One of the reasons I posted these is to show that you can put anything into anything with careful planning. newer bikes are made of more exotic alloys and require tig welding to do this kind of work in some cases, where as the old black pipe frames of the 60's and 70s can be worked over with an oxy torch. Got a featherbed frame and cr250 honda dirt bike engine? make a bike out of it. Got a cb350 frame and a yzf250 motor? make a bike out of it. build, build, build. Got a cb750 motor and an fzr600 chassis? make a bike out of it.

off to search for more cool bikes.
 
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Discussion Starter · #9 ·
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#10 ·
that last group to me falls under the updated caferacer ..Great bikes all of your posts I havent seen a bike you have pick I didnt like Geeto very exotic stuff these one offs and specials. George
 
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Discussion Starter · #14 ·
that list has a lot of errors as to the model designations of the bikes. Plus some of them were made when there was no such thing a a naked bike...or rather all bikes were naked.
 
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#15 ·
still not a bad place to start...wouldnt you say ?Gee, I mean your on a much different level, your like Kung Fu Master,in your bike tastes, some are just grasshoppers.But I do like the bikes you hunt down they would all happily be on my xmas wish list.
George
 
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Discussion Starter · #16 ·
quote:
still not a bad place to start...wouldnt you say ?Gee, I mean your on a much different level, your like Kung Fu Master,in your bike tastes, some are just grasshoppers.But I do like the bikes you hunt down they would all happily be on my xmas wish list.
George
Click to expand...
I guess I see your point it isn't a bad place to put a face to the name. It doesn't tell you much about the bike espically ride quality or feel, but it does put some stats and numbers there for you. It is just enough information to be dangerous as the saying goes.

Personally the book I recommend is The History of Fast motorcycles by Roland Brown. I got this book off the bargan section of my local barnes and nobel for less than $10 bucks. It covers all the "milestone" bikes pretty well, really fair to all countries and covers bikes that are actually easy to acquire like xs650s, t500s, cb450s, etc... and gives a pretty good write up on each one. It'd out of print now so you have to grab it up from B&N before they ship it back. Amazon wants $18 for it which still isn't bad:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1405437324/104-4299867-6499147?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

Roland also has a reall nice encyclopedia of motorcycles that he wrote and a book called superbikes of the 1970s which is also a pretty good start since most 70's bikes can still be had for cheap but are rapidly appreciating in value. They are also the mainstay of cafe racers right now since 60's brit bikes got too expensive for the average man.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/104-4299867-6499147

There are also some books on cafe racers which I think are pretty good to look at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1872004199/104-4299867-6499147?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0850456770/104-4299867-6499147?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1859150039/104-4299867-6499147?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

But before you even start to chop down your bike it is MANDATORY that you read Keith Code's "A Twist of the Wrist". It really reinvents how to ride a motorcycle, not just how to ride it fast. I even have the video he put out in the 1980s.



NOw about the only thing I don;t like about the above ducati SS and NCR kit is that by the time you get one into this country from england it cost you $10K. That is not including the cost of putting it together or the donor monster you need. Figure you are spending $16K when you are done, maybe less if you start with a wadded 620 monster instead of a pristine m900. If a wrecked monster ever comes my way and I suddenly find myself with $10K, I am going to go for it since a new paulsmart will set you back at least $16K, an original SS is over $20K and the older bikes look hella cooler anyway. The only thing I will mis is the bevel gear drive window.

Bull, I have access to a few "old" frame designs for road racers from the 1970s for japanese bikes. Now figure if they get $10K for a replica ducati, do you think there would be enough of a market for say an old T500R or H1R road going replica kit (just add engine). How about a full cafe racer kit with unique trellis frame using early 90's sportbike suspensions and say a cb750 engine.

Edited by - Geeto67 on Nov 20 2005 7:49:52 PM
 
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#18 ·
thats were a brilliant marketing team comes in!!! you build it they CREAT THE MARKET! So with a lot of capital from some investment group, that once they get involved, start telling you what to do... even though, they know nothing, about bikes just interested in the bottom line.

You could easily do it in that parallel universe we designers and craftsmen should be living in!!

Another great Idea Geeto put the world is not ready or "they are not worthy"quote from Waynes World ah haa ha!!
 
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