Topic: Easy "bolt-on" café mods

[lassenc]

Hey!

As you can see in the gallery, I've aqquired a Honda CB500 K '78.

My space isn't that much, in fact I don't have any, so I really don't have the possibilites for huges mods, nor do I want to make any.

I'm slugging on some clubman bars and rearsets, it sorts of go together

www.Rearsets.com has been the main manufacturer of rearsets that I've been able to dust up, but it doesn't look like they ship to Denmark.

Haven't send them a mail though, but I will do.

Know other sites?

Or other easy on mods, like fenders, lights or something.

And yes, I want to keep my stock exhaust system

[MetalHead550]

Well if you look at alot of the cafes they either have no rear fender, or a chopped one.  The rear lights are either removed or replaced with smaller, sleeker ones.  Same in front.  Its really pretty easy to pick out some aftermarket lights, chop off the originals and mount/wire-up the new ones for a much lighter look.  Making more of the tires visible, by chopping or replacing with smaller fenders makes the bike look lighter and more agressive.  You can just pull your fenders off to get an idea of what that looks like, but if you decide to ride it like that, be aware that the front fender also acts as a fork brace so youd need to do something about that.  You may consider a 1/4 fairing, viper fairing, whatever.  Kinda gives it the classic cafe look.

Look at these for some ideas:

http://www.cb750cafe.com/

[Geeto67]

there is no such thing asn an easy bolt on cafe mod. That being said check with raask for rearsets, these are the european rearsets that omar overcharges for in this country:

http://www.raask.com/

[lassenc]

MetalHead550, I've already been looking at Carpy's site for the last six months, I think I know it by now But thanks for the reply!

Geeto67, Wow! Thanks, didn't know that one! I've already mailed them!

[ProTeal55]

LASSENC--->
Welcome to the wonderful world of the great and mighty CB !
If you are going after the CAFE look , then you seem to be on the right path, with the
bars and rear-sets. I would look into ditching both the fenders, or maybe doing something alittle
more "custom" then how they are stock. Yet, I have seen killer "cafe" bikes wiht stock fenders.
A cafe style seatpan def. gives that look on these bikes, along with ditching, or atleast replacing the huge
stock signals with smaller units..

The main reason people (myself included) enjoy these bikes so much is because you can
pretty much do whattever you want with them. They become "your" bike really fast. My bike started
off to be a carpy-cafe knock-off , yet has become a hybrid cafe/bobber thing.

Do what YOU want to do , not what others tell you to do...A good place to get ideas for your scoot
is the Gallery section of this site. You can see what other members have done to their bikes , and see if you
like the finished product or not before dropping the cash...

[rt]

Lassenc -
Raask rearsets are brilliant - great fit and easy to bolt on. Only hickup here is you're loosing your kicker.


In addition to this site's Gallery section you'll find some nice bikes here:

http://www.caferace.com/cafepix.html
http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/f2.htm
http://www.caferace.com/cafepix.html

[lassenc]

Lassenc -
Raask rearsets are brilliant - great fit and easy to bolt on. Only hickup here is you're loosing your kicker.


In addition to this site's Gallery section you'll find some nice bikes here:

http://www.caferace.com/cafepix.html
http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/f2.htm
http://www.caferace.com/cafepix.html

Loosing the kickstarter seems like quite a serious thing, don't you think?

[Geeto67]

I had a couple of sets of Raask rearsets and I kept my kick starter. On the supersport I changed the peg to a foldable peg and it cleared fine. On the 75 K it cleared no problem. Never owned a 78 550 with them so I don't know if it will interfere but if it does you can always heat up and bend the kickstarter to clear.

[lassenc]

I had a couple of sets of Raask rearsets and I kept my kick starter. On the supersport I changed the peg to a foldable peg and it cleared fine. On the 75 K it cleared no problem. Never owned a 78 550 with them so I don't know if it will interfere but if it does you can always heat up and bend the kickstarter to clear.

Thought of the same, or just shortening it up, but still with length enough, so it's still easy to kickstart.

[dusterdude]

teal,thanks for the avatar pic

[Geeto67]

I had a couple of sets of Raask rearsets and I kept my kick starter. On the supersport I changed the peg to a foldable peg and it cleared fine. On the 75 K it cleared no problem. Never owned a 78 550 with them so I don't know if it will interfere but if it does you can always heat up and bend the kickstarter to clear.

Thought of the same, or just shortening it up, but still with length enough, so it's still easy to kickstart.

These bikes are so easy to kick over that you could probably take a foot out of the kick lever and it will still be managable. Of course you could go for the gusto and adapt a heavy duty lawnmower pull starter to it.Then it will be really unique.

[Japbikemike]

Must have for cafe...finned points/clutch/dyno covers, finned tappet covers a bonus.  Cafe fairing, smaller winkers (or none at all), no front fender.  When you sell the wife's car, alloy tank.  Will these items make the bike go faster?  You'll probably ride it faster!

[lassenc]

Must have for cafe...finned points/clutch/dyno covers, finned tappet covers a bonus.  Cafe fairing, smaller winkers (or none at all), no front fender.  When you sell the wife's car, alloy tank.  Will these items make the bike go faster?  You'll probably ride it faster!

Well spoken, but I don't want to change any major parts, just stock, with a tweak, mainly

[lassenc]

I can by the way buy a "Raask" rearset in denmark for 273 USD, which I think is a reasonable price, and then I save expensive shipping, toll and tax

[Gordon]

Must have for cafe...finned points/clutch/dyno covers, finned tappet covers a bonus.  Cafe fairing, smaller winkers (or none at all), no front fender.  When you sell the wife's car, alloy tank.  Will these items make the bike go faster?  You'll probably ride it faster!

Well spoken, but I don't want to change any major parts, just stock, with a tweak, mainly

All the the items he mentioned are easy, non-invasive mods.  Purely cosmetic "tweaks". 

[lassenc]

I know! And I'm doing them too I was just explaining to him what I wanted...

[bryanj]

The 77/78 500K is a very unusual beast that was only aparently available in europe and is baisically a 550K with smaller bores and the horrible carbs with smaller jets

[lassenc]

I know it is against the headline, about the "Easy" part.

But is there any dual disc kits out there for 550K's ?

[lassenc]

No-one?

[Gordon]

I know it is against the headline, about the "Easy" part.

But is there any dual disc kits out there for 550K's ?

Look in the Brakes FAQ at the very bottom.

[lassenc]

I know it is against the headline, about the "Easy" part.

But is there any dual disc kits out there for 550K's ?

Look in the Brakes FAQ at the very bottom.

I'll do so!

[lassenc]

Well I've read the guide a few times now, and seems like I have to do so again, cause I really don't understand much of it!