Topic: Sourcing parts for Cafe build

[snowman]

Well the fun is about to start.....I will be picking up my '77 CB750K this weekend and already have put together a wish list of parts to by from various vendors such as Dime City Cycles, Carpy's, etc.

The plan is first to start with the mechanical/electrical and make sure all is good and  then will be the cosmetic transformation to a cafe racer.

Other than the well known vendors are there any "diamonds in the rough" that anyone would recommend. Also a question I've been trying to figure out is i should go with a fiberglass seat or spend the extra $ on a steel and/or aluminum seat.

Thanks and any inputs would be greatly be appreciated.

[RickB]

Snowman,

There are a lot of very talented shops that make their own parts. I would have a look through the exceptional Bike Of The Month pages here on the forum and websites like BikeEXIF.com and see if there's anything that you like. Often times you'll be able to contact the builder directly.

As I have almost finished my CB400F cafe build I'm finding myself drawn towards these bespoke builders more than the off-the-shelf parts because the craftsmanship is just that much better. Take someone like Richard Pollock of MULE Motorcycles, the level of work is incredible.

Anyway, best of luck with your build,
Rick.

[snowman]

RickB,
Thanks for the inputs and will definitely have look.
Cheers

[madScientist]

I'm currently in a cafe build myself. I would recommend making a plan for yourself. Get an idea of how you want it to look and perform. Price parts so you can get an idea of how obnoxious costs are going to be. Then start in.

It took me about 4 months to plan the build, 2 months of cosmetic changes, then i started in on the mechanical side. I'm about 1/2 through now (after 3 more months).

Seat pans: fiberglass or aluminum/steel. I personally gravitate towards fiberglass. It's pretty easy to work with if you want to try your hand at making your own. It's also light weight. I got mine from here:
http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/vintage/vintageseats_round.htm

Aluminum/steel will probably be more durable but can dent.

Parts suppliers:
I used dynoman for the big bore kit, valve train components, misc stuff
powersportsplus.com for OEM stuff
CMSNL.com for more OEM stuff
DavidsilverSpares.com
VintageConnections for electrical (regulator, rectifier, and harness rebuild)

That's as far as I've gotten so far.

[brycegp]

RickB,
Thanks for the inputs and will definitely have look.
Cheers

If you're going Cafe Racer....definitely stop over to the Do The Ton BOTM page and see what you like and just starting asking questions about anything you like...

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?board=49.0

[Stoli]

For OEM I have found http://www.hondabike.com/ (South Sound Honda in Olympia, WA) to be the best prices (thanks to forum member tlbranth for that find).I have found a few smaller priced items to be a few cents more but for most items that I purchased, they are as much as 20% cheaper than powersportsplus.com (now partzilla.com). Hondabike also has great service. The guy called me personally to let me know one of the items I ordered was discontinued by Honda and helped me to find another dealer that had one left in stock.

[jgivens]

I've purchased a few things from Dime City, great guys over there. They're happy to answer any questions you might have.

Best of luck!