Topic: Knee cuts & decreased tank capacity?

[dilbone]

I wasn't referring to andy or "The spoiler." I think it is pretty obvious. I just get annoyed when someone tries to piss on a parade for no reason. I can appreciate a well running bike as much as the next guy but I am the kind of guy that tries to do the best I can with what I have. Someone shouldn't be ostracized for something they are proud of even if it is as innocent as knee dents, clubmans, or a rattle can paint job. Most bikers don't even change their own oil. How could painting and adding a little style in your tank possibly going to add performance in any way? An extra half gallon? Flip it on reserve for gods sake. Can I get a +1 anybody???

+1

[dilbone]

This forum reminds me of the telecaster guitar forum I frequent often.  You've got the nitro vs. poly, 6 saddle vs. 3 saddle, ash vs. alder, heavy gauge strings vs. light strings, 1 piece body vs. 4 piece...and the debates rage on...

What other place can you have this much fun and still be friends at the end of the day? Informational yet entertaining...

[cb650PK]

Knee cuts are very feminine in my opinion, and real men would not be caught dead with them. In fact, knee cutouts are for sissies!
Gentleman of present company whose bikes sport them of course excluded.

[Johnny5]

Knee cuts are very feminine in my opinion, and real men would not be caught dead with them. In fact, knee cutouts are for sissies!
Gentleman of present company whose bikes sport them of course excluded.

So are stock seats...   

[Gordon]

I get the same as you. I ran my stock K5 out of gas on researve and the most it would take at the pump is about 3.5, maybe there is an extra gallon in there I am not aware of, maybe the original owner didn't check that option for the extra hidden gallon, who knows. Most I have ever gotten out of a tank is 180 miles (and I don't get that regularly), least I have gotten is 135 miles, on average I get about 140-150 on a tank before it is bone dry. I don't see a stock k0-k6 crossing 200 miles on a stock tank.   

I want to know what's up with the tanks you guys have.  I just put 3.25 gallons in my K1 the other day and I had just switched to reserve on the way to work that morning. 

Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

[Johnny5]

My Honda manual states this about the gas tank capacity:

Tank: 4.5 gallons

Reserve: 1.3 gallons

[andy750]

I also saw the Honda manual (specify model that you looked at) and looked a lot online including this site and here is what I found:

K7/K8 tanks - 5 gallons - sure they get more mileage. No issue there
K0 tanks - originally 18 litres then dropped to 17 litres - see sandcast only club webpage for more.
K2-K6 - info is sparse...I looked at the how many miles per tank thread and thats when I removed my orig post about 200 miles/tank.

My real life experience yesterday - 3.5 gallons to fill up....no idea what was left at the bottom of the tank but it wasnt 1.5 gallons...this on my K2....K4 has been run repeatedly in road tests for thousands of miles and I only ever get 150 miles/tank....and yes the K4 does run rich  ...I could never do 170+ miles on a K2 or K4 tank (even if I wanted to which I dont as after 100 miles I am ready for a break  ). Anyway like I said maybe my bikes are all running rich or I ride them too fast and hard....or both  ....fine with me...gas is cheap!

cheers
Andy

[BobbyR]

Who is this "elite" you speak of? I only see Geeto and he is not the elite...more someone who likes to see a well thought out bike that (and this is the important part) is designed to run as well as it can. If you do anything to your bike, get it to run well. Make some mods to the engine (port, cam, etc), exhaust, seating position, shocks, to get the most out of your bike - so that it runs and performs as well as it can.

No point in painting it a nice colour, adding bling if it dosent increase performance or handling. Right? That is the whole point of this discussion and nothing elitist about that  

No one is knocking cafe bikes or choppers for that matter -I love them both, in fact I like ANY bike that is used as a motorcycle should be.  At the end of the day a motorcycle does one thing and one thing well - goes fast and handles as well as it can. If it dosent then something isnt right.

Now if you want a machine that simply is a show bike, a garage queen, something pretty then good for you...if thats not a poseur I dont know what it is...no big deal, I dont care...it is what it is......but its not being what it was designed for...a fast, well handling motorcycle  

cheers
Andy

I ride a bone stock K8 for two very good reasons, I like the way it looks, and I am way too lazy to do proper mods to make it look like something it isn't. If I can't do a proper custom job it is easier to keep it as is, which is more than presentable. I change my plugs every spring and new air filter. I replace the honey colored fluid in the crankcase twice a year, Brake fluid also. I have a Dyna, and a SS brake line, so I am not 100% stock.

Honestly I have looked at some of the customizing jobs people post on here and I cringe, I have a hard time figuring what they were trying to do, I see others that are inspired.

I have no idea in the world what my actual gas mileage is and I really don't care much. On my trips to Pa. or other Day trips, I fill it up at home, and peek in the tank when I have to take a leak, I will most likely top it off. I guess I use 2 gallons in 70 miles at 75 mph on a trip going through the Mountains on the Interstate, so I guess I could go 150 miles and 785.9 feet on 4.866.990573 gallons or whatever it holds.

What are you guys fighting over? Ride your bikes with pride, the rest is all noise.

[BobbyR]

I also saw the Honda manual (specify model that you looked at) and looked a lot online including this site and here is what I found:

K7/K8 tanks - 5 gallons - sure they get more mileage. No issue there
K0 tanks - originally 18 litres then dropped to 17 litres - see sandcast only club webpage for more.
K2-K6 - info is sparse...I looked at the how many miles per tank thread and thats when I removed my orig post about 200 miles/tank.

My real life experience yesterday - 3.5 gallons to fill up....no idea what was left at the bottom of the tank but it wasnt 1.5 gallons...this on my K2....K4 has been run repeatedly in road tests for thousands of miles and I only ever get 150 miles/tank....and yes the K4 does run rich  ...I could never do 170+ miles on a K2 or K4 tank (even if I wanted to which I dont as after 100 miles I am ready for a break  ). Anyway like I said maybe my bikes are all running rich or I ride them too fast and hard....or both  ....fine with me...gas is cheap!

cheers
Andy

Bravo!!!!

[Slayer]

Knee cuts are very feminine in my opinion

That's why they are so sexy! 

[TCSOHCB750CAFE]

the "cafe racer" name evolved to represent performance oriented vintage bikes (When I was growing up they were just used crappy bikes from the 60's and 70's that we wanted to go faster to try and keep up with the modern sportbikes).  Eventually cafe racer's evolved into the modern race replicas that the mfgs make today. Lately the genre has been backsliding into bikes that look the part but can't actually back it up, and that is kind of sad. The core ethos of a cafe racer is that the mods you do should improve your bike in the performance and handling department first and foremost.

....And no. Cafe Racers is a term that was actually given to people before it was given to bikes, and it's the overseas end of where choppers and bobbers came from in the USA directly following WW2. It's also where the real big start of things like dry lakes racing exploding into popularity came from. Take a bunch of recently home from war soldiers who acquired all these amazing mechanical skills and expect them to come back and live a normal life. No, didn't happen. They wanted excitement. You're about 15-25 years off on your dates there. Cafe racers didn't evolve into manufacturer bikes because the base point of a cafe was that it was customized. If it's a stock bike, it's not custom. As for bikes looking the part and not backing it up, that's blatantly wrong, and you should spend more time out riding with some of the guys building period correct cafe racers. Some of them are pretty whippy and hold their own when desired.

If any of you are into hot rods a similar thing happened with prewar hot rods or the pro street movement - for a while functional built 32 fords gave way to easter egg colored show ground crusing things that were all sizzle and no steak. The same with pro street cars - street machines started showing up with real drag race parts until all you had was blown hemi's, gumball slicks, and smoothed firewalls on tubbed stock framed cars that spent most of their life at 5mph at a good guys meet. Well I would hate to see a genre of bike that I grew up with de-volve into that - a bunch of style monsters that can't get out of their own way.

Pastel colors were never that popular with hot rods man. You're thinking of street rods, and there's a HUGE difference between the two.

There are certain parts and mods which I think do this: clubman bars on a stock seat and pegs, 16" rear rims, and knee dents - they don't add to the overall improvement of the bike and in some cases decrease performance. yet you will see people with these bikes claiming they are cafe racers cause they want to belong to the new hip bike trend now that choppers are fizzling out.

Uh, yeah. More historical discrepincy. Clubman and ace bars WERE common AND correct for the period for cafes. In the UK where cafe culture started, clip on handlebars were outlawed for awhile. Where do you think that clubmans and ace bars came from? lol No period correct bikes of the time ran 16's, and I don't personally know of too many modern cafe builds that people are hunting for a 16" rear wheel for. Knee dents in stock tanks were somewhat common, but the real find was the manx tanks. Short Circ tanks were super popular, but a lot of people stuck to the stock tanks, which, if you look at the classic brits, did have a knee tuck in them from the factory. And lower bars, knee tucks (especially with the rubber pads), etc. most certainly DO improve the bike performance wise.

Oh, check jockeyjournal.com before you decide to misinform everyone that chops are fizzling out too man. Fact of the matter is, the chopper scene is in full force, and kicking serious ass. LOTS of younger builders are doing things up OG style with modern twists. It's a great time for those into chops and bobs, diggers, etc.











Oh, and the source of my info? Lots of reading and meeting people who were there on my visits to the UK, some of which I was lucky enough to hit up the Ace on bike in nights.

There is so much incorrect historical information in this one post that it's actually amazing. And yes, I realize this thread is super old.... but it made me laugh...

[bikerbart]

I had a spare tank with a dent,so I filled it.I then put it on my bike,hugged it with my knees,then traced a curve,took out the mallet and started whacking away.Its not only fun,but I learned something as well.Starting to actually look good.I also put on the yosh rep pipe,carb rejet,Dyna s,stainless braided lines and updated master cylinder,tapered bearings,etc.I still have all the original tank,sidecovers,and 4-4 pipes.Its neat that if I wanted to make my bike stock again I can.I DONT have clubmans though,too uncomfortable,I got norman hyde M bars.(clubman like)My bike performs much better and is slightly lighter and I ride the sh*t out of it.Am I a poseur?

[TCSOHCB750CAFE]

I had a spare tank with a dent,so I filled it.I then put it on my bike,hugged it with my knees,then traced a curve,took out the mallet and started whacking away.Its not only fun,but I learned something as well.Starting to actually look good.I also put on the yosh rep pipe,carb rejet,Dyna s,stainless braided lines and updated master cylinder,tapered bearings,etc.I still have all the original tank,sidecovers,and 4-4 pipes.Its neat that if I wanted to make my bike stock again I can.I DONT have clubmans though,too uncomfortable,I got norman hyde M bars.(clubman like)My bike performs much better and is slightly lighter and I ride the sh*t out of it.Am I a poseur?

Meh, who cares? It's your bike, you like it, and anyone who will rag on you probably doesn't actually know their history anyhow.

I run clip ons on my cafes, with stock seats and stock pegs. I'm 5-8, and frankly, and more than comfortable at highway speeds with this setup. Plus, the guys back in the day were seen commonly riding their cafes with stock seats, one of which was popular was the gold star. Why? Same reason I keep it. Cause the ladies like to ride too. 

[Laminar]

There is so much incorrect historical information in this one post that it's actually amazing. And yes, I realize this thread is super old.... but it made me laugh...

Your "corrections" make it sound like you missed the entire point of his post.

[TCSOHCB750CAFE]

There is so much incorrect historical information in this one post that it's actually amazing. And yes, I realize this thread is super old.... but it made me laugh...

Your "corrections" make it sound like you missed the entire point of his post.

Hard to make a point when your supporting facts are off.

Doesn't do wonders for credibility in discussion.

[Laminar]

And no. Cafe Racers is a term that was actually given to people before it was given to bikes, and it's the overseas end of where choppers and bobbers came from in the USA directly following WW2.

He wasn't stating the source of the term, only what it evolved to mean.

the "cafe racer" name evolved to represent performance oriented vintage bikes (When I was growing up they were just used crappy bikes from the 60's and 70's that we wanted to go faster to try and keep up with the modern sportbikes).

Uh, yeah. More historical discrepincy. Clubman and ace bars WERE common AND correct for the period for cafes. In the UK where cafe culture started, clip on handlebars were outlawed for awhile. Where do you think that clubmans and ace bars came from? lol No period correct bikes of the time ran 16's, and I don't personally know of too many modern cafe builds that people are hunting for a 16" rear wheel for. Knee dents in stock tanks were somewhat common, but the real find was the manx tanks. Short Circ tanks were super popular, but a lot of people stuck to the stock tanks, which, if you look at the classic brits, did have a knee tuck in them from the factory. And lower bars, knee tucks (especially with the rubber pads), etc. most certainly DO improve the bike performance wise.

And you missed a bunch with this one. Read his quotes again:

Lately the genre has been backsliding into bikes that look the part but can't actually back it up, and that is kind of sad.

Well I would hate to see a genre of bike that I grew up with de-volve into that - a bunch of style monsters that can't get out of their own way.

There are certain parts and mods which I think do this: clubman bars on a stock seat and pegs, 16" rear rims, and knee dents - they don't add to the overall improvement of the bike and in some cases decrease performance. yet you will see people with these bikes claiming they are cafe racers cause they want to belong to the new hip bike trend now that choppers are fizzling out.

He never said clubmans weren't period-correct. He never said 16 inch rims were period-correct.

Reread what he said and tell me what you think he was saying. Pay attention to the bold parts.

[Retro Rocket]

 Laminar....Who #$%*in cares....what TCSOHC said is correct and no where does he say he doesn't get the point...........Purely argumentative.

Mick

[Bluegreen]

Laminar....Who #$%*in cares....what TCSOHC said is correct and no where does he say he doesn't get the point...........Purely argumentative.

Mick

Amen.

 There are so many smart and talented people on this board and so many good topics and interesting bikes. There is also a lot of elitism and wasted time arguing about crap that pertains to personal opinion/taste. Lame. Enjoy your bike, pretty simple...

[Laminar]

Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me that not everyone shares my disdain for poor reading comprehension.

[Retro Rocket]

Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me that not everyone shares my disdain for poor reading comprehension.

You could be the stupid one here mate.....Show us where he exhibited poor reading skills here ....

There is so much incorrect historical information in this one post that it's actually amazing. And yes, I realize this thread is super old.... but it made me laugh...

I'll type slower for ya laminar.....w h a t  h e  p o i n t e d  o u t  w a s  i n d e e d  c o r r e c t,  T h e  i n f o r m a t i o n  h e  r e f e r s  t o  i s  n o t  a c c u r a t e ......

Your argument is pointless and not needed..,,,,Try again dude...

Mick

[Shenanigans]

You could always just paint the knee dent on, that way you get the same visual effect, more gas and you did not destroy a perfectly fine gas tank.   


Just sayin'


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[Laminar]

Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me that not everyone shares my disdain for poor reading comprehension.

You could be the stupid one here mate.....Show us where he exhibited poor reading skills here ....

Yep, already did that. Seems like you're just here to argue with me.

[Retro Rocket]

Look up the definition of an argument, i was just pointing out the obvious...

Mick