Topic: Another one finally finished! (CB500 Cafe)

[Bob Wessner]

Great job! Very clean, professional and sharp. BOTM material in my book.

[bill440cars]

ohhhhh,the agony.that poor sportster tank.

              Easy duster, easy does it, easy does it. You'll feel better after you settle down and relax.
      Seems funny for me to be telling you that. It's usually the other way round. Ha!Ha!Ha!
                                                          Later on, Bill

              StevieMac, your bike is really quite a machine there. The more I see of it and hear about
      the details, the more I like it. There are several that I hope to use features of and yours has
      been added to the list. Thanks for the pictures and the details that you provided.

                                                          Later on, Bill

[Uncle Ernie]

You're killing me here.  I'd like more details of how you mounted the tank/cowl and what is the lettering on the side and how was the lettering done?  Is that a stock tank? Can you still use the kick-start? What does the tail light look like? Is the engine polished or just painted?  Those don't look like Napoleon mirrors- what are they and how do you like them?
The dog has to go out- back later...

[Sam Green Racing]

It goes in the engine. Silly 750 owner...

 

Well done Steve, nice clean lines, a good example of cafe treatment.

Sam.

[Steve F]

OH-OH-OH!  Damn that's pretty.  Totally love it.  Nice work!

[3 sticks]

Where did you get the hardware to make up the linkages and stuff for the rearsets? I'm trying to do pretty much the same thing.

will

[StevieMac]

Where did you get the hardware to make up the linkages and stuff for the rearsets? I'm trying to do pretty much the same thing.

will

The pegs are just modified aftermarket sport bike pegs.  The levers and shift linkage I made myself.
Nothing but steel, a grinder, a welder, a drill press and time.....

[StevieMac]

You're killing me here.  I'd like more details of how you mounted the tank/cowl and what is the lettering on the side and how was the lettering done?  Is that a stock tank? Can you still use the kick-start? What does the tail light look like? Is the engine polished or just painted?  Those don't look like Napoleon mirrors- what are they and how do you like them?
The dog has to go out- back later...

Wow, lots of questions there!  Here goes (hope I get them all):

I did a lot of mods to the back of the frame.  Basically there is a flat piece of sheet metal under the tail section that it bolts to.  The sheet metal is welded to the frame.  The stock rear fender brace was cut off and replaced with a flat support.  There are 4 tabs welded inside the tail section with a nut welded on each tab.  Four bolts inserted from underneath the tail section platform hold it in place.  The shocks are longer than stock to give me the required clearance under the bottom of the tail section platform.
 
I'll try to take a pic next time I have the tail section off. 

The lettering on the tail section is the stock 500Four badge from the side cover. 

The gas tank is stock other than the paint.

Kickstart: Verdict isn't really in yet.  It works but the stroke is shortened.  I can start it with the kick start when it's warm but haven't had any luck when it's cold yet.  I've only had it running a day and a half though so  I may yet master the required technique.

I'll try to get a pic of the taillight tomorrow.

Motor is painted with Duplicolor engine enamel.  I buffed up the aluminum covers a bit: clutch cover, alt cover, valve cover etc but not much really.

Just standard Napoleon style mirrors.   

I must say I'm really quite overwhelmed with the response the bike has received here.  Just can't say thanks enough guys.  I truly appreciate all the compliments and positive feedback 

Cheers,
Steve

[needswork]

Awesome Steve, that is so impressive.

[martini]

I'll chime in with another fantastic - bike looks absolutley great. I love all the unique touches.

[StevieMac]

You're killing me here.  I'd like more details of how you mounted the tank/cowl and what is the lettering on the side and how was the lettering done?  Is that a stock tank? Can you still use the kick-start? What does the tail light look like? Is the engine polished or just painted?  Those don't look like Napoleon mirrors- what are they and how do you like them?
The dog has to go out- back later...

Here are some more photos pertaining to your questions.  I was able to kickstart the bike when it was cold this morning.

[cbjunkie]

looks like it came from the factory that way...

[dusterdude]

very nice

[marvsho17]

WOW, it looks amazing great work.

[Lumbee]

...oh, I see it now in that last pic of the tail section, I can see the sporty tank.  So you just cut the front end of a sport tank off, then cut the rear section out for the tail light.  So what was the process to make the seat fit with the tail section.  I see you cut the seat in half, then how did you make a section to mesh with the cowl?

[StevieMac]

So you just cut the front end of a sport tank off, then cut the rear section out for the tail light. 

Yes.  The bottom of the tank was removed as well.

So what was the process to make the seat fit with the tail section.  I see you cut the seat in half, then how did you make a section to mesh with the cowl?

OK, first I chopped the back of the frame a bit.  You can see in the pic from underneath that the back of the top frame rails where the rear of the stock seat would be have been cut on an angle so they come up and meet with the tail section platform nicely. The curved rear fender support was cut off and replaced with a flat support.

Then I basically took a piece of sheet metal and welded it to the top of the back section of the frame.  This is the platform the tail section would sit on.  Actually the tail now slips over the platform a touch but that comes later.  To start with the platform was longer and wider than needed.
.
Then I cut the seat pan where I wanted & welded a vertical piece of sheet metal to that back of it to support the bum stop portion of the seat. Again it was bigger than needed originally.

Then I mounted the seat pan on the bike and placed a piece of 1/8" steel directly behind the vertical portion of the seat pan and taped it in place.  This served as a temporary spacer that I could make the tail section match up to.  I needed a bit of a gap to allow for the seat upholstery.
   
Then just cut, grind, and file the front of the tank (tail section) until it sits flush on the supporting platform and meets up nicely with the 1/8" temporary steel spacer.

If you look at the pic with the seat hinged open you can see I put a bit of a front on the tail section.  It’s about 1” all the way around.  That made it easier to have a nice straight edge on the front of the piece.  Even if my filing and grinding wasn’t a perfect match to the 1/8” spacer, once I welded the front plate on all was well.

Then trim the sheet metal platform so the tail section just slips over top so you don’t see the edge of the platform when the tail is mounted.

Then I drilled the 4 holes in the platform for mounting bolts and welded in mounting tabs on the inside of the tail section.

Once the tail is bolted in place, remove the temporary 1/8” space and grind the support for the seat bum stop until it matches the front of the tail section. 

There, I hope that makes some sense.  Sorry, I don’t have digital pics of the process.

[Lumbee]

...very innovative stevie...i'd have never thought of using a sporty tail section, but it looks to work perfectly.  don't mind if i steal your idea do you?  Sorry Duster...looks like there are gonna be more sporty tanks being hacked up...     Need a cowl for my 550 cafe...

[StevieMac]

don't mind if i steal your idea do you? 

Go right ahead!  Sharing ideas and learning from each other is what it's all about.   Just be sure to post pics!

[dusterdude]

mark,i hear ya,it does look damn good.

[Jeff]

I am really blown away by your bike StevieMac. I had no idea when looking at the photos in your gallery that you had to do that much fabricating. It all looks just so.... right. Very cool.

Do you have any pics of the bike from directly behind?

You need to put those fabrication photos in your gallery.

Very well done,
Jeff

[StevieMac]

I am really blown away by your bike StevieMac. I had no idea when looking at the photos in your gallery that you had to do that much fabricating. It all looks just so.... right. Very cool.

Do you have any pics of the bike from directly behind?

You need to put those fabrication photos in your gallery.

Very well done,
Jeff

Thanks again Jeff.  Sorry this isn't the best pic but......

[Lumbee]

...been chewing on your setup the last week....you said you have the reg/rec under the rear cowl also?  What about heat?  There won't be much air flow under cowl, do you think it will get to hot for the reg/rec?

[StevieMac]

Fair question and I don't have a definite answer.  On my chopper I have the reg/rec in a pretty small sealed box and have had no problems after 2000 miles.  If it becomes a problem I guess I'll move the new reg/rec to a more open location.

[Stormer]

GREAT bike Stevie!
Enjoy the toy and ride safe.

[StevieMac]

Thanks Stormer.

I haven't ridden her for several days now.  I've been feeling guilty about subjecting my motor to unfiltered air via the velocity stacks (thanks SOHC forum!  ).  They have screens but not filters.  I'm trying to get some type of filter rigged up at the moment.  Those stacks originally had thin foam filters outside of the screens but being 70s NOS the foam completely disintegrated when I open the packaging.

I rigged up a secondary screen further down inside the velocity stacks giving me a gap between the first and second screens for a filter of some sort that can't be sucked into the carb.   I tried a thin layer of foam filter designed for a lawn mower but it's pretty dense and really chokes off the air.   I'm trying to get some bulk foam filter material from UNI to see if that might work.  I may end up switching from velocity stacks to pods or something eventually though.