my first bike
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congrats on your new purchase. aaron (on the list here) used to have a 75 SS, nice metallic blue that year. I guess it all depends on the condition. if its in really nice shape I might not hack it up too much as the really nice ones are getting more expensive all the time. but thats totally up to you of course. I personally like the minimalist approach to creating a caferacer styled bike. the original caferacers were basically taking their streetbikes and trying to emulate the racebikes of the day. which means removing anything extraneous, such as vetter fairings, luggage racks and bags, king/queen seats, highway pegs and engine guards, grabrails and sissy bars, and I would even include blinkers. the next step is lower bars. clip-ons are great but not necessary. for ease of installation you could start with some clubman style bars. the bike in question already has a 4-1 pipe. after that it starts to become a little more personal with taste. you could go for rearset pegs and bar-end mirrors. more go-fast and stop-quick stuff is always important such as quality tires and new brake pads. engine mods like cams and bigbore kits are out there if you have the know how and/or wallet. there are some really trick caferacers out there. look around and find what suits you. good luck!
Thanks for the reply. The bike is in beautiful original condition, metallic orange, without any luggage racks or sissy bars. I put on some clubman bars and a bar end mirror already. Is it legal to get rid of the signals? Are there rear sets I can buy for this bike, or do I have to make my own? I would love to install a race tank and single seat, but don't want to hack the bike up at all. Is this possible?
right now if you go to ebay there is some beautiful parts for a Honda CB400F Cafe Race Body. well it's on a 400 but i bet it might fit i would ask the seller you can see it at http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1866396222
good luck with the project.
aloha
---c
good luck with the project.
aloha
---c
its most likely illegal to get rid of the turn signals. they are always good to have anyway. you can do what i did and buy some of those shorties that you see all of the moderns running around with. they are small, and work nice. dennis kirk sells tons of them. you can also buy them on ebay. just go to the motorcycle parts and search turn signals. there should be a crap load of those mini stalk types. you probably also want to get rid of the mailbox on the rear fender called a tail light. the lucas style ones are nice and small but are dot approved. either that or you could get a teardrop ford repro. and make a mount for it, mount it direct or if you get snazzy, french it in. then you need to find a way to light your plate....shouldnt be a problem though. some plate alum and drill/dremel and some creativity and you can do just about anything! also keep in mind, you can retro fit alot of parts from one bike to another with the hondas. you can also retro fit rearsets from newer sportbikes to work. or you can look for some called tarrazi (sp). they are just the assemblies with no rods/linkages. you have to make those on your own. but that way they are perfect. allthread works good or you can get some rod and thread it. have a blast on the new toy. they are very fun.
joe
joe
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1,670 Posts
yup, no blinkers on a bike that came with blinkers after 1974 I think is illegal....so what. as far as safety is concerned blinkers are good. and joe's right, getting rid of that giant tail light is a good idea but I probably wouldn't wreck a good fender for it. buy a cheap used one in good shape and drill all you want. I saw that body "kit" on ebay, the guy wants $600 for it! you might want to contact Bret at Glass from the Past. me might be able to come up with some fiberglass items you could mount in stock locations. Bret is not only his name but is also his username here.
How do you guys feel about getting rid of the tach? I can't imagine coming close to the 9500 red line on my bike. Can I get rid of the chrome fork cover thingy that the speedo and tach is bolted to, and install some clip ons?
I really appreciate all of the input. As soon as I can borrow a camera, I'll post a photo of it. I can't believe I've been riding a bicycle for all of these years. What was I thinking?
I really appreciate all of the input. As soon as I can borrow a camera, I'll post a photo of it. I can't believe I've been riding a bicycle for all of these years. What was I thinking?
hey there buster don't go knocking bicycles. if it were not for bicycles then we would not be on motorcycles. i take that personal seeing how i am a certified bicycle tech. and have an undying love for them. so think about it. if it has two wheels it ain't that bad.
mahalo
---c
mahalo
---c
then you know. were do you build? i have been talking to a friend of mine about starting up a frame company here un VT now that fat city is done. i have been on motorcycles for 18 years and bicycles even longer, they both have a place in my heart.<img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>
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1,670 Posts
thanks, always looking for parts. let me know the details. planning on using a 400 bottom end on my racebike. they have a better tranny and clutch than my 350, not to mention its a six speed. I think I'll be going to pick up those aermacchi motors on saturday. I'll let you know what exactly they are.
you need a tach about as much as you need a speedo. rev til it doesnt make power anymore, then shift. i think it said that in the honda owners manuals. you may think you wont touch 9500, but you will. you'll learn how to ride it by the way it makes power. you'll feel when its power tops off, and you'll learn to shift it then. it probably goes a little flat before 9500 anyway. actually, until you get used to riding it and listening to it, you might want to keep the tach on there. then, as you get used to it, you can pull it off.
hows that?
you got 35mm fork tubes???
or 32mm?? i have a set of proflos that are really nice. if they fit your bike, maybe we can make a deal. go to proflo for your clip ons. the problem with the honda stuff is that they from early on ran the wires through the bars. so with clip ons you need to re route and make clean. alot of it can be tossed out. the back lighting for the guages. neutral light, if youre not getting it inspected, ts indicators, and a whole host of other junk. you'll also need to shorten you brake lines probably. see some of my question posts to learn more about that in the tech section.
goog luck
joe
hows that?
you got 35mm fork tubes???
or 32mm?? i have a set of proflos that are really nice. if they fit your bike, maybe we can make a deal. go to proflo for your clip ons. the problem with the honda stuff is that they from early on ran the wires through the bars. so with clip ons you need to re route and make clean. alot of it can be tossed out. the back lighting for the guages. neutral light, if youre not getting it inspected, ts indicators, and a whole host of other junk. you'll also need to shorten you brake lines probably. see some of my question posts to learn more about that in the tech section.
goog luck
joe
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