Prince George Vintage Motorcycle Club
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ironman on June 09, 2012, 05:31:15 PM
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Hi guys, couldn't make the monthly meeting last week, something else came up..
I am new here and am into Cafe Racers. Just bought one from a gent in Vanderhoof and would like to change a few things. Don't want to mess it up and do things that aren't "Kosher"
Who should I talk to for "build" info?
I'm a steel fabricator/welder by trade and have a few ideas I'd like to implement on this bike I just purchased.
I'm also interested in building my own "modern" cafe racer with upside down forks etc...
Need a bit of coaching, when is the next tech night, someone out there want to take me under his wing?
I have a few ideas and need to talk to someone that is into this sort of things...
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Apparently you have met 5 Bike Mike. Rusty Bucket has a Cafe thing down to a science, Dennis would be the guy to talk to if you are fearless. We'll be riding from A&W on 5th avenue next Tuesday at 6:30, come on down and meet the crowd if you can.
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I'd like to change the headers (handmade) for an undermount style and clean up the rear, I have a pic of what I'd like to achieve...
Or I leave it that way and build a new one!
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Iron man you are in the right trade for this hobby. Just remember to think outside the box if you want an original bike. Why build one like some one else when you can do your own thing. A little imagination and a lot of hard work goes a long way on a low budget build and you never pull up beside yourself at a light--though Harley folk seem to enjoy it. Good luck and hope to meet you soon! Cheers.
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I saw the GL you have now when 5bikeMike first got it - and it very much needed the work and parts Mike put into it. The monoshock/linkage style rear end should be helpful in getting a really spare tail, so it's a good start in that way. The original owner's (out in Terrace?) fetish for almost-but-not-quite black paint and powdercoating created some visual confusion in my opinion, in comparison to the one you have pictured, which I like very much. It was lucky Mike still had some original-finish valvecovers at least.
Nobody I know has really attempted a modern USD forked, 17" wheel streetfighter/cafe crossover - expensive parts make for expensive project bikes. To justify the spendy suspension, you'd want a worthy frame to hang it on. and there aren't many from the days of the air-cooled dinosaurs that would merit the open wallet. Most of them would just drag the Ohlins USD forks down, and the fat modern radials would exacerbate spindly-tube frame-flex. An older belt-drive Duck, or even better, a bevel, might be worth the trouble and return enough ride satisfaction to justify the budget. As Hans says, Dennis has boldly sliced into his latest project, excising much of the original sub frame, and blue-skying his own monoshock swingarm - certainly more ambitious than anything I have tried. He will be reading this tonight perhaps - he has been working very hard on this project and needed to take his wife out to dinner tonight, or he might have weighed in already.
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Thanks to all for the feedback and input, I think I should "carefully" work on this GL500 as my learning tool. Maybe remove a bit of the powder coated finish this bike seems to be plagued with. I now definitely understand that outfitting modern parts to a chassis may not make a lot of sense unless you take your time to choose a worthy donor. I'll keep an eye open for such an animal but in the meantime will just have fun getting acquainted with my present toy.
I still want to clean-up the rear (cut into it!) and maybe relocate the battery under the hump... or something.
Hope to come over and see one of you guys' "operations" and have a chat about bikes...
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Was over helping Dennis tonight and he is indeed up to his elbows. He and Lauri were in the shop till 4 this morning and he was still out there when I left at 11 . Should just make it for the show and shine if HIS battery doesn't go dead. Ironman the one thing that stuck out to me on that bike was the taillight. It should be under the tail cowl, not over. They make some cool and affordable l.e.d. units now and I know you can fab a mount. Cheers.
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When you guys are done and the car show thing is over we'll have to go over my options ;)
I will see there anyway, I actually live right across from Ft.George Park. I see a fellow at the corner of 17th and Queensway with all sorts of Kawis around his house... Does he belong to the club? I've seen a KZ1000 and KZ650 at his place, both of which I have owned in a past life!
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That would be Paul Svisdahl also known as kawmeister. He has a large collection of junk..err- bikes and would be happy to bend your ear if ya catch him outside.
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...I got caught outside with him yesterday and now I'm all sunburned :D