Topic: 1980 CB650 Front Fork Conversion Recommendations

[yard]

Hey guys! I'm really want to do a front fork conversion for my 1980 CB650, and I'm not sure which fork I should throw onto the bike. Do you guys have any recommendations for which fork I should swap it with? I was planning on doing a CBR600RR swap, but I see a lot of people doing GSX-R swaps, so maybe GSX-R's have better suspension? Either that or the market for those forks are cheaper because GSX-R riders are always crashing 💀. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

TLDR; need fork recommendations for a conversion on my 1980 CB650 🙏

[fizzlebottom]

My recommendation is to not do it. You said in a previous post that this is your first bike and you don't even have your endorsement yet.

Just get the bike going, man. You're going to end up spending a ridiculous amount of money and time on this thing when you could spend more time just enjoying a 43 year old classic. Here, I'll ask the $1 million question: What is your goal? A cafe/brat bike like you already mentioned? If so, I'll come straight out and tell you that 90% of the people who attempt this on the CB650 platform end up selling the bike for parts because it becomes such an uphill battle. And most of those people probably have a little bit of experience working on bikes.

I wholeheartedly suggest you get the bike to its good glorious self, ride it for a while as it was built, then figure out what you want to change. There are reasons that very very few people have used the CB650 platform for high performance. It really does already do a fine job, and it feels good.

Like I said before: Get new rear shocks, a new exhaust if you want, and make sure those carbs are in great shape. Call it a day. Enjoy the bike.

[robvangulik]

+1, I was about to ask WHY? when Fizzlebottom beat me to it. The 650 is the last, most "modern" of all the SOHC Honda's, the DOHC's came next.
Learn to ride it first, and when you can outperform the bike, start uprating it, or buy another bigger bike!

[yard]

Alright, I won't do a front fork conversion. I still want to completely redo the electrical system just so I can learn how to. I have some electrical engineer buddies that have dabbled in stuff like this, so I won't be jumping into it completely empty handed. I'm planning on integrating a tail/brake-light system into the seat, and probably getting some bar-end turn signals for a pair of clip-on handlebars I bought the bike with. I also want to add some little bonuses like heated grips, the m-unit that cognito moto makes or something similar to that, a more discreet speedo & tacho, and swap out the switches on the thing just to make it my own, you know? I'll definitely be in this forum a lot the coming few weeks, from the looks of things.

[calj737]

You won’t be doing clip ons on your stock 650. The seat frame is below the tank/backbone and unless you also modify your foot pegs, the position will be terrible from an ergonomics and posture perspective.

Cognito doesn’t make the m-Unit, they resell them. The device is made by MotoGadget in Germany. They also make indicators, gauges, mirrors etc.

You can do a front end swap, but you first need to decide whether you want to retain the stock “mag” wheel, or switch to spoked wheels. Cognito makes front hubs for GSXR and CBR fork swaps but they require spoked rims. Then,you need to do the rear wheel too. But sourcing a different rear hub for a spoke conversion becomes necessary, and then sprockets for chain alignment.

There’s about 3,000 small decisions to make to convert a stock bike to a cafe/brat with all the minute fabrication and alterations. Welding new hoops, making rear set brackets, re-wiring, new gauges, switches and brackets for all those. Cafe bikes that are done well, either cost your wallet (if you have someone else do the work) anywhere between. $7k on the low end, and upwards of $15k for all the labor and motor work etc. Then when it’s time to resell it, you will lose about 75% of that money because anyone can build/ buy it for less than you paid.

I’m not trying to talk you out of it, just providing some experience and wisdom in advance of your journey. Cafes are attractive and cool, but not for the faint of heart and inexperienced. They can look like a dog’s ass if done poorly and rattle can paint jobs show. If you look at 25 cafes, probably all but 3 are crap on average. Some members here have done really sweet bikes and probably spent time and money in the ranges I posted.

The several I’ve done, you couldn’t afford to buy them if I charged my time because they’d cost upwards of $40k assuming a labor rate of $100 (and that’s cheap).

Think hard on it and as I said in your other thread, maybe choose a different version to cafe as a second bike while you keep this running because to convert one takes months, months and sometimes years. And if it’s your only bike, you ain’t riding while you’re fabricating. 

[fizzlebottom]

Look, dude. In the end you're gonna do what you want to do. No one can stop you, but we can at least give you our own opinions and they're probably based on similar experiences we've had at your age and/or experience level.

Here's my opinion: Stop. Just stop. Stop with the modification plans, like, at all. Don't go changing the electrical system, handlebars, switches, lights, gauges, seat, or anything else that isn't broken.

Get your endorsement. Get the bike running and in street-worthy condition with the original configuration. Then just ride it. Get acquainted with it for a good long time. Learn the ins & outs, figure out its quirks, get a feel for its strengths and weaknesses. And then ride it more.

We've all been there, or at least I have. Grande ideas on how to make your bike/car/whatever your own unique thing. They're great and admirable ideas, but also have a huge potential to turn into a non-functional money pit. And if it ever reaches a state of 'complete' (which it won't), you'll probably have a bike that both looks and feels like just about every other cafe'd project on the road. And I can nearly guarantee that you will get way more turned heads with a properly done up stock CB650.