Topic: My project thus far. "Elsa"

[Inkscars]

A few of you have asked to see my bike. I have alot of pictures, but I'm just going to throw a few on here to highlight where I've been so far and how much I've invested in it.
$250.00 got me this:

Another $35.00 got me clubman bars:

Free via xmas present:

[Inkscars]

$200.00 more dollars got me a new front brake master cylinder, 4-1 kerker exhaust and some shocks, unfortunately I won't be using the shocks:



Add in free handlebar grips and an extra barend mirror:

[Inkscars]

About $5.00 dollars in foam to carve a hump for my seat:

I've also got $290.00 dollars in tires, tubes, straps, spokes, mount, balance and true and $35.00 in needles and brake pads.  Soooo.....I guess I've got about an $800.00 dollar motorcycle. Meh.... not too shabby.

Keep in mind It's in pieces so. be kind. constructive criticism is welcome.

[rachet]

looking good.  What's your overall "theme" for the bike? Cafe Racer?

Keep us posted!

Rach~

[HavocTurbo]

I didn't know if I wanted cafe or rat. so, she's a hybrid I spose.
Everyone asks me and I say " I'll know when I'm done" haha
Thanks!

These are the best kinds of build in my opinion. You just kind of go where your eye takes you.

It will be interesting to see what you come up with. Looks great so far!!

Q: What's wrong with the shocks?

[Frankenkit]

I like! the clubmans definitely change her stance for the better. "I'll know when I'm done" is my favorite way to attack a project.  Mine's a stocker rebuild but I'm always finding little stuff here and there to make it the best hybrid of 'stock-custom' for me.

oh, yeah, for mine, search "total newbie" and make some popcorn.

[Inkscars]

I like! the clubmans definitely change her stance for the better. "I'll know when I'm done" is my favorite way to attack a project.  Mine's a stocker rebuild but I'm always finding little stuff here and there to make it the best hybrid of 'stock-custom' for me.

oh, yeah, for mine, search "total newbie" and make some popcorn.

Thanks Kit, I know, the bars made it look like a totally different animal.

I will check it out. But first. Cheeseburger.

[Gordon]

Ink,

Have you had a chance to ride it at all with the clubmans installed?

[Inkscars]

These are the best kinds of build in my opinion. You just kind of go where your eye takes you.
It will be interesting to see what you come up with. Looks great so far!!

Q: What's wrong with the shocks?

I'm having fun and doing alot of learning. At least you guys know what I'm up to. SOMEBODY needs to. haha

Nothing wrong with the shocks. Somethings wrong with my Inseam. I'm leg challenged.

[Frankenkit]

Cyclex and various places on fleabay sell 12 or 11.75" shocks.  I put them on my 650 and noticed a world of difference.  For a cafe bike, you'll want to also lower the front proportionally, and can either drop the tubes through or buy a lowering kit that has both front and rear included from cyclex.  I recommend the latter just because these old forks get REALLY crappy inside and benefit so much from a good rebuild anyway.

[Inkscars]

Ink,

Have you had a chance to ride it at all with the clubmans installed?

No sir, this bike sat in a garage for 12 years, 8 of those it wasn't so much as started.
I bought this bike with the understanding that it had good compression and all the parts were there. I did a "poor mans" rebuild on the carbs and freed my slides and got it running, but the smart tiny person that lives inside me said, " Don't ride this f*&king thing before you go over everything."
So, I had a bit of inner turmoil and kicking my own ass and well, decided since i was doing a little, I may as well make it look good too. haha.
Everyone said I may experience clearance issues with them, but they don't even touch the tank!
I imagine since I don't know how my bike handled stock, it won't make any difference to "learn" on.
Why do you ask?

[HavocTurbo]

Well how much do you think needs to be removed from the rear end? Could be an easy mod to do if it isn't a drastic amount.

[Inkscars]

Cyclex and various places on fleabay sell 12 or 11.75" shocks.  I put them on my 650 and noticed a world of difference.  For a cafe bike, you'll want to also lower the front proportionally, and can either drop the tubes through or buy a lowering kit that has both front and rear included from cyclex.  I recommend the latter just because these old forks get REALLY crappy inside and benefit so much from a good rebuild anyway.

The ones that are on it are 12" too long. haha. I'd really like some 10.5" or 11. When I change my fork seals i'm gonna try and push em down a bit. If it's not even enough, I'll look into the kit.

[Frankenkit]

see what you need after making your seat, and keep the seat as narrow as possible (tough cuz the frame on these is so damn wide)  but you can only go so low and then you have clearance issues... you don't want to lose it cuz you hit a bump in a turn, then bottomed, know what I mean?  Mine are (I think) 11.5s, maybe 11.75.  They're the versa ones that are so popular on e-bay, the same type motobunny put on hers.  I'm 5'5" and have a 31" inseam, and those work well for me, even with a thick stock seat- my feet touch with some knee bend.  The wife is 5"6 and has 30" on one side, probably 28-29" on the other and still reaches ok on my bike, if that gives you an idea of the size shocks you might need. 

I would actually recommend sliding your fork tubes through the triple tree before you take things apart to change the seals, as that (seal changing time) would be the optimal time to just go ahead and install the new tubes. 

The other concern might be that if you're inseam challenged, hopefully you don't have to lean too far forward to reach the clubmans.  Just like in bicycle fitting, too much weight on the handlebars on a motorcycle will fatigue the wrists, arms, shoulders, and neck as well as be a strain on your maneuvering capabilities.  If the clubmans prove too low and far forward, a set of barbacks might be just the fix for you while retaining the optimal look and feel.

[Inkscars]

see what you need after making your seat, and keep the seat as narrow as possible (tough cuz the frame on these is so damn wide)  but you can only go so low and then you have clearance issues... you don't want to lose it cuz you hit a bump in a turn, then bottomed, know what I mean?  Mine are (I think) 11.5s, maybe 11.75.  They're the versa ones that are so popular on e-bay, the same type motobunny put on hers.  I'm 5'5" and have a 31" inseam, and those work well for me, even with a thick stock seat- my feet touch with some knee bend.  The wife is 5"6 and has 30" on one side, probably 28-29" on the other and still reaches ok on my bike, if that gives you an idea of the size shocks you might need. 

I would actually recommend sliding your fork tubes through the triple tree before you take things apart to change the seals, as that (seal changing time) would be the optimal time to just go ahead and install the new tubes. 

The other concern might be that if you're inseam challenged, hopefully you don't have to lean too far forward to reach the clubmans.  Just like in bicycle fitting, too much weight on the handlebars on a motorcycle will fatigue the wrists, arms, shoulders, and neck as well as be a strain on your maneuvering capabilities.  If the clubmans prove too low and far forward, a set of barbacks might be just the fix for you while retaining the optimal look and feel.

I know it's not exactly the same, but after I put them on i cane sit and reach comfortably without leaning too far forward.  All of this info is very helpful. Thank you. I'm almost 3 inches taller than you but our inseams are the same. hahaha. damnit.

[Frankenkit]

That's ok.  I'm sorta leggy; they go all the way up to my hips.
Doing a search around here on bike lowering, you'll find a bunch of posts by Proteal.  He gave me some great advice, but I don't think I could ever really recommend short shocks AND lowering blocks in the rear, it just seems sorta unsafe.

[Gordon]

I imagine since I don't know how my bike handled stock, it won't make any difference to "learn" on.
Why do you ask?

I was just wondering how you felt about them if you had ridden with them.  If you plan on keeping them, I highly suggest looking into installing rearsets.  I had clubmans on both my 550 and 750 for a short period of time, and with the pegs in the stock location it was very uncomfortable.  The extreme forward lean of the clubmans required a serious compression of my mid-section, which I was constantly trying to fight by pushing up with my shoulders.  After one long ride with the clubmans on my 750, and the subsequent two days of soreness caused by them, I switched to the Euro sport bars. 

[Inkscars]

I was just wondering how you felt about them if you had ridden with them.  If you plan on keeping them, I highly suggest looking into installing rearsets.  I had clubmans on both my 550 and 750 for a short period of time, and with the pegs in the stock location it was very uncomfortable.  The extreme forward lean of the clubmans required a serious compression of my mid-section, which I was constantly trying to fight by pushing up with my shoulders.  After one long ride with the clubmans on my 750, and the subsequent two days of soreness caused by them, I switched to the Euro sport bars. 

Wow.
I was thinking about rearsets already, Industrial Cafe (manchicken) talked a little about it. I guess it's one of those things I won't know till i ride it. Good heads up.

[HavocTurbo]

Ah yes... I am no moderator that's for sure. 

Another thing to think about is to cut the springs on your existing shocks and in your forks.

There should be a thread about that floating around also. Kit should know where to find it.

[Inkscars]

The bikes has hard "hardtail" struts on it. I'ma make em shiny and rock those for a couple months till I can find a set of good used shortys with the reserves on em.. mm mm mm sexy!

[Duke McDukiedook]

Cafe seat or a cut down refoamed and recovered seat will drop your height to ground a little also.
Try that before getting lower shocks or lowering kits.

[Frankenkit]

You're only as old as you feel, HT, and for a long time (probably up thru '07) I WAS the youngest woman here. I still might be, actually.  
So there.
Ink, if the clubmans work well the way they are, then don't change a thing, but if not, I think clubmans were actually made so you could use them right side up or upside down depending on how you wanted to sit.  These bikes vibrate too much to want to lean forward for a really long ride (well you might want to, but it might not be a good idea) and just switching to right-side-up might be similar to euro bars.

[Inkscars]

AHAHAHAHA! that's funny. That's what I call girls, and sometimes girl oriented things.
Like passion parties and slumber parties, and ehhh. other things I shouldn't type.
It's kinda like the opposite of a " sausage fest"??
Go ahead and use it. Best term EVER.

[Ecosse]

Design on the fly is sometimes a better way to go rather than get caught up in themes. It helps to have good taste too. 

I like the K tank over the F tank; might be in the minority here but I think your Xmas gift will look better on your ride. Congrats on bringing another one back from the brink.

[Inkscars]

Just some more that I did.
I got the shocks and couldn't use them. The bike had a "hardtail" on it. so, what I did was spray em down with some rust eater and take em to a grinder to at least make em look nicer till I find shocks.
Before


After