Author Topic: 500 cafe pics  (Read 1793 times)

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Ferryman

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500 cafe pics
« on: January 21, 2007, 04:52:59 AM »
Hi, I’ve been rebuilding this 500 over the last months and today it rumbled into life.
The bike came as a 70’s time warp café racer much modified and rather ugly. It is a K1 frame with a K2 motor. It was imported into the UK from an unknown source in 1990. The frame, under the new paint is black. The twin disc front end is a later modification as the calipers and discs differ slightly in detail. The master cylinder is the original small single disc type and time will tell if it is up to the job. The footrests were originally mounted straight to the pillion mounts but I am experimenting with these alloy brackets I made to get a good position. The tank and seat are fiberglass and have been made specifically for this model as all the mountings, front rubbers, frame coil cut outs etc line up in the right places. I have no idea who made them or if they are a one-off or from a supplier. It came with the world’s ugliest ace bars and so I replaced them with these Renthals I had hanging in the garage. I may replace these with low and flat bars. Time will tell. The exhaust is an unknown design but despite its appearance it is not too noisy, well….quite noisy, but not appallingly so. We all know how nice it is to hear a short stroke four howl !!!

Offline Kevin400F

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Re: 500 cafe pics
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2007, 05:36:45 AM »
Nice looking bike.  I like the inverted brake actuating arm, which makes for a simpler linkage.  Also, the holes drilled in the side cover (presumably to allow more air to a pod filter) are cool.

Ferryman

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Re: 500 cafe pics
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2007, 06:07:39 AM »
 
A lot of the rearset brake linkages that you see are too complicated. Every linkage introduces more slop. I don't know if the holes in the side panel will help the flow of air to the outside pod filters but they can't do any harm. I am considering making simple bolt on alloy side panels that will not obstruct the pods at all.

Offline KB02

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Re: 500 cafe pics
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2007, 06:27:19 AM »

A lot of the rearset brake linkages that you see are too complicated. Every linkage introduces more slop. I don't know if the holes in the side panel will help the flow of air to the outside pod filters but they can't do any harm. I am considering making simple bolt on alloy side panels that will not obstruct the pods at all.

Actually, I kinda like the pods the way that they are. it should help gaurd against the turbulance that a lot of "Pod People" dread as a result of the loss of the air box.
It will be interesting to hear about the difference the two ways will effect performance.
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2000 Ducati ST2
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Offline dagersh

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Re: 500 cafe pics
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2007, 06:57:19 AM »
Ferryman,

Great looking ride!  Can  you give us more detail on the brake set up? 

Gersh
1962 CA95
1966 Black Bomber
1966 CA77 Dream
1967 Superhawk
1970 CB750K0
1972 CL350
1972 CB450/500 Custom
1972 CB500K1
1975 CB550F
1976 CB400F
1975 CB750 Future Restoration
1976 CB750K6
1976 CB750F
1976 GL1000


1968 Suzuki T500 Cobra
1990 BMW K1
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Offline heffay

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Re: 500 cafe pics
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2007, 09:00:34 AM »
I am considering making simple bolt on alloy side panels that will not obstruct the pods at all.
not recommended... you will most likely experience problems with turbulence (as kb02 said) and the outer cylinders running poorly at higher speeds.

sweet looking bike!  lots of work paid off in my opinion.

i'm with you on the possibly switching the bars again... needs clipons or clubmans.
Today: '73 cb350f, '96 Ducati 900 Supersport
Past Rides: '72 tc125, '94 cbr600f2, '76 rd400, '89 ex500, '93 KTM-125exc, '92 zx7r, '93 Banshee, '83 ATC250R, 77/75 cb400f

Offline maksuttt

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Re: 500 cafe pics
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2007, 09:10:19 AM »
Looks good. It has a charisma. 8)
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Ferryman

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Re: 500 cafe pics
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2007, 11:53:22 AM »
Hi and thanks for the positive feedback. Thinking about it, you are probably right about turbulence and pod filters. I used to run an Aprilia RS 125 with big carb and huge pod and that gave dodgy carburation in strong winds. I think I wil keep it as it is for a while, see how it goes.

The bike came to me with most of the parts for a twin disc setup, one caliper was leaking and the other was seized. The spring adjusters were absent completely. I rebuilt what I had and bought what wasn't there. David Silver spares, they keep stuff not listed in their on line catalogue. Worth a phone call. Inittially I was going to convert to reversed calipers, but perversely I prefer the look of it with the calipers at the front. Looks more seventies. I know all the pros and cons of weight distribution etc but again, I will see how it goes.

I also fitted this small speedo onto a bracket I made up, just like the look of it this way, however, looking again at those bars.....? I feel some lowering coming on.
cheers Dave

Offline DME

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Re: 500 cafe pics
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2007, 12:06:54 PM »
I like the bike, I think it would definately benefit from a pair of clip-ons, though.... :)

Cheers
Daniel