[dapaine]

I have been looking into building a cafe racer but dont really know where to start. I think I know the bike I want (CB350/500/550/750) but dont know where to get parts. I found that ebay is a great resource for building a bike but I am looking for aftermarket things like fairings and even engine upgrades. Anyone have a good website for this stuff??

Thanks a lot!!

 

[Geeto67]

This is kind of a tall order, espically since you don't have the bike picked out. My advice is to pick a bike and then we can tell you where to get things specific to that bike. As far as tune up parts most are commonly available from places like dennis kirk or the local honda dealer.

As far a recomendations for bikes go, get either a cb350 or cb450 twin or a cb750 four. These seem to be the bikes with the biggest aftermarket for cafe racer parts. The cb500/550s are cool but not a lot of new stuff is being made for them, so more custom work will be required. With a cb750 - airtech sells all the body parts to make a cr750 replica (including the fairing).

 

[dapaine]

Those are the bikes I am most interested in. My first choice is a Cb350. I think I am going to hold out until I find one. I know they are not the quickest things out there but what can I do to make this bike faster?!

 

[Geeto67]

quote:
what can I do to make this bike faster?!

buy a bigger bike. Dollar per cc this is the best option. If a stock cb350 is not doing it for you in the speed department before you even bought one then don't start there, buy a 450 and so on.

Speed in bikes is relative. Compared to the bikes that came before it a cb350 can feel like a rocket (espically if you are comparing to a dream 95 or 200). If you are comparing it to say a modern 250 ninja, you could lump it in the speed category with razor rollerboard scooters. as a street bike a cb350 is a fairly peppy bike and will do exactly what you need it to in any urban situation. As for cracking the ton and staying there without hurt on the engine, a bigger bike is the way to go. No matter how much you spend and how many speed parts you throw at it it will still be an old bike and slower than anything modern. most people ride old bikes for the overall riding expirence, that barnstormer feeling of cheating death that the modern motorcycle has pretty much eliminated. Don't just do the stupid hipster thing an buy a cb hond because it seems to be fashonible now.

My earlier point was that each of the bikes you listed has its own following and while many places will cover all for service items, all the stuff you want is usually done by specalisits. I could give you a 5 page list of vendors for the cb750 and none of them will have a single screw nut or bolt for a cb350. Some of the guys here could do that for a 350.

It is more priductive to tailor the bike to your needs than it is to force your needs to fit the bike. Are you going to tour? city or highway use? is it a weekend toy or actual transportation? these are things you should be thinking about and then looking in a class of bikes that fit your need (honda was not the only jap company to make motorcycles in the 70s). if you are looking to fart around town on a sunday and you probably won't ride further than the local pub or you want to do entry level racing a cb350 is a great choice. If you want to take day trips or overnighters but never get that far from home or you plan on riding everyday in an urban enviornment a cb450 is probably more fitting. If you want to ride two up for weekend trips or longer or plan on doing a lot of highway riding a cb550 or 750 will probably be better suited. also body type plays a lot into it. If you are over 6'1" and more than 200lbs I would stay away from a cb350. If you are a midget like AD, a cb750 will be too much for you.

best of luck.



Edited by - geeto67 on Jul 27 2006 7:27:34 PM