Author Topic: My cafe project progress  (Read 39747 times)

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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #25 on: September 10, 2010, 09:53:34 am »
Could you give more details on what you mean by by "extended"?  Also, any concerns about the rear tire bottoming out on the frame?
This is the seat that he makes that usually goes with the tank:



I didn't want the cowl section of mine to be so long so I asked him to make the seat cut out a bit farther back (extended back is what I meant). The whole piece is the same length as the original.

About bottoming out, its been a growing concern as I've been looking at it more since getting rear end back on. There is some play because the curved weld-on tailpiece has a skid plate on top of it so there about another 3/4" you're not seeing. Plus sitting on the lift the rear end is a bit compressed.

If I have to, I change shocks.
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Offline MikeJW

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #26 on: September 10, 2010, 10:23:11 am »
Hey,
mind if I ask where you got those Honda emblems & what they cost ??  Thanks
MikeinMemphis
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Offline joe29

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #27 on: September 10, 2010, 11:00:20 am »

I didn't want the cowl section of mine to be so long so I asked him to make the seat cut out a bit farther back (extended back is what I meant). The whole piece is the same length as the original.

About bottoming out, its been a growing concern as I've been looking at it more since getting rear end back on. There is some play because the curved weld-on tailpiece has a skid plate on top of it so there about another 3/4" you're not seeing. Plus sitting on the lift the rear end is a bit compressed.

If I have to, I change shocks.

Ahh, I get it now.  I like your extended version better.  I'm about to pull the trigger on a BCR tank and seat but still can't decide which one.
-joe

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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #28 on: September 10, 2010, 12:23:18 pm »
Hey,
mind if I ask where you got those Honda emblems & what they cost ??  Thanks
MikeinMemphis
I got them eBay and they were billed as being emblems from an early 70s minibike. Someone on the board previously corrected me in that they are actually emblems from an early Honda two door convertible car. I think they were about $20/pair.
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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #29 on: September 11, 2010, 05:15:12 pm »
More progress . . .

the simple:
I had planned to use a flush mount tail light as I'd shown in some previous photos but found with the reduced cowl length, my options were a bit limited. Plus I was keen to get something that mounted cleanly on the convex surface of the tail section. I had a pair of repop Willys taillights and chose to one:



The rubber backing does a nice job of sitting flush with the surface and the lens design reminds me of some of the expensive Ruby helmets:



the difficult:
The exhaust has been a #$%*. Pipes were mislabeled so there was a bunch of fiddling to figure which header went with which muffler. I have a 73 but the pipes were designed to fit 78 and later exhaust manifolds:



After finding later style exhaust flanges at a salvage yard and cleaning them up, I managed to get the right side pipes to fit ok but spent two days screwing around trying to get pipe #4 to fit since it wasn't clearing the kickstand.

Found out the kickstand on the frame the builder used:



was different than where mine was located:



To his credit, Benji kept asking for a ton of photos to try and figure out why it wouldn't clear, asked for a bunch of measurements I've already given him and offered to fix the problem in his NJ plant. From where I stood, we were looking at a whole new exhaust since everything was symmetrical and everything else already fit:



I knew I was going to lose a center stand but the only real solution, given I'm months behind on this build, was to lose my kickstand. I cut it off and everything fits just nicely now:



Now I'll just get new $100 weld on kickstand.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2010, 09:22:38 pm by swellguy »
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Offline JohnnyB

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #30 on: September 11, 2010, 09:01:23 pm »
I love that rear shot of the exhaust.  4-4 just looks cool as heck.
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Offline Old75_ratafe

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #31 on: September 11, 2010, 09:41:22 pm »
Why can't you just weld your existing stand in a different location?  ???  Well I mean besides the obvious excuse to go blow another hundred on a new trick one.  Are you sure this isn't an HD your building at this point? Every time you turn around "Hundred Dollars"  ;D lol  Well I mean aside from the point that its not leaking oil everywhere and once you tune it once you won't have to keep retuning it ever 100 miles  ::)
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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #32 on: September 11, 2010, 10:35:56 pm »
Why can't you just weld your existing stand in a different location?  ???  Well I mean besides the obvious excuse to go blow another hundred on a new trick one.  Are you sure this isn't an HD your building at this point? Every time you turn around "Hundred Dollars"  ;D lol  Well I mean aside from the point that its not leaking oil everywhere and once you tune it once you won't have to keep retuning it ever 100 miles  ::)
It feels like one of my Harley builds at this point. Reusing the old one is smart idea and there's enough of it kept to do that. I am drawn to the trick chrome ones with hidden springs though.
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Offline Old75_ratafe

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #33 on: September 11, 2010, 10:45:11 pm »
Why can't you just weld your existing stand in a different location?  ???  Well I mean besides the obvious excuse to go blow another hundred on a new trick one.  Are you sure this isn't an HD your building at this point? Every time you turn around "Hundred Dollars"  ;D lol  Well I mean aside from the point that its not leaking oil everywhere and once you tune it once you won't have to keep retuning it ever 100 miles  ::)
It feels like one of my Harley builds at this point. Reusing the old one is smart idea and there's enough of it kept to do that. I am drawn to the trick chrome ones with hidden springs though.

Well keep in mind the reuse opinions is from a guy with NO budget and building a cross between and primer black rat bike and a cafe lol.
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Offline heyjones

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #34 on: September 12, 2010, 08:28:04 pm »
Where'd you get that tail light from?

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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #35 on: September 12, 2010, 08:55:35 pm »
Where'd you get that tail light from?
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Offline domer

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #36 on: September 12, 2010, 09:50:51 pm »
are those stock shocks? cause i cant see that rear end working... i think it was member "the architect" that just went through this with a hoop that seemed a little higher than what you got going. not trying to be an ass, even though i just am, but my bike drops almost an inch with my 140 lbs of nothing on it, and i have new shocks. from the looks of it if you hit some washboards at 80 mph, that tire is gonna lock on the frame... sorry for the peanut gallery bs. it sure is pretty, sounds like benji is a good guy too...

Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #37 on: September 12, 2010, 10:04:11 pm »
are those stock shocks? cause i cant see that rear end working... i think it was member "the architect" that just went through this with a hoop that seemed a little higher than what you got going. not trying to be an ass, even though i just am, but my bike drops almost an inch with my 140 lbs of nothing on it, and i have new shocks. from the looks of it if you hit some washboards at 80 mph, that tire is gonna lock on the frame... sorry for the peanut gallery bs. it sure is pretty, sounds like benji is a good guy too...
No you're right, they're stock length (13.5") shocks and obviously far too short. I have a line on a set of 14.5", may even look for longer ones. I remember the guy complaining about having to have a machine shop lengthen his shocks by an inch or more.
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Offline domer

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #38 on: September 12, 2010, 10:09:57 pm »
look up the architect, not sure what he did, but it was the same issue...

Offline joe29

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #39 on: September 14, 2010, 12:57:41 pm »
look up the architect, not sure what he did, but it was the same issue...

Here's a link to architect's build.  About half way down the page he says he used 1" longer shocks.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=63166.100


Did you run into fitment issues with the flush mount tail light?  Is that why you went with the willys?  What are your plans for the license plate mount?  Doesn't BCR include a LP mount?
-joe

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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #40 on: September 14, 2010, 04:44:43 pm »
Thanks. We've been PM'ing and I've a couple of different 14" or slightly longer shocks that I'm going to try and fit. he has been most helpful.

One major difference between his bike and one's with BCR's loop frame is that his is an open loop design so there's essentially another inch of available travel above the tire, whereas BCR's loop was originally designed to hold all of the relocated electrics. So, to maintain the line of his seat, the bottom panel of the loop is welded to the lower edge of the steel tubing:



The other issue the architect mentioned that if the shocks get any longer, the swingarm is going to start making contact with the passenger footpeg mounts.

Benji does include a licence plate mount that bolts to and underneath the seat loop, but it's simple piece of metal, maybe 3/4" x 7" with two small mounting tabs.

Where I live we have larger 5x8" plates and on a couple of my bikes I've side mounted them on the left axle, sort of using them as a chain guard as well. We can't mount them vertically and it's something cops really clamp down on. I'm going to make a larger, more rigid mount that will hold the plate flat, centered, over the rear wheel and below the rear frame loop rail . . . once I get the rear end lifted as much as I can.

The two lights I had that could have been flush mounted into the seat were too deep to sit inside the rear cowl since Benji made the rear cowl smaller than normal for me. I had the Willy's light, though it looked good, so I used it. It looks funny in some of the side photos of the bike, but it really does look good in real life.
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Offline Mavryk03

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #41 on: September 18, 2010, 06:17:44 am »
How did you attach your cafe seat to the bike  ??? I'm trying to figure out how i can attach mine to my 75 CB550f thanks  ;D
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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #42 on: October 26, 2010, 10:24:29 pm »
Bit of an update . . .

- ran throttle cables, nothing fancy to report here, everything looks like it should but I've chosen to go with a 7/8 internal throttle with a single cable. I know there has been lots of discussion about whether you can run without a push cable but I'm pretty confident of my setup. It'll be my 3rd bike with an internal throttle.

- rear shocks: got a set of 14.5" Partsnmore shocks and it raised the rear end enough for where it needs to be:



Nothing fancy, a $100 set but from what I've heard the ride isn't all that great so I'l likely wait until getting some miles on the bike before making any decisions on better shocks.

- rear sets: I actually went for the TC Bros "universal" rear sets that aren't that expensive (about $150) and their linkage kit. I knew I'd have to figure out a way to mount them but I was intrigued about the idea of using frame clamps:



Believe it or not there is only one real spot within the triangle that you can mount these things which gives you a fairly comfortable position and doesn't interfere with either the swingarm, the exhaust I have or one that provides no access to the pegs rearside to install the mounting bolt.

The problem with this setup is that the pegs sit very close to the frame so running linkage rods is tricky because if they don't sit between the pegs and the frame, they interfere with actually putting our feet in the pegs. In my case I had to mount the pegs rearward enough to avoid hitting the swingarm grease nipple and have the lever travel not bang into the pipes or the linkage back into the frame.

So this is where I'm at:



The linkage kit is essentially 5/16" threaded rod, stainless tubing sleeves and some flexible connecting joins. It's a bit heavy gauge and this isn't the cleanest route but it gets me forward in the build for now.


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Offline scottly

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #43 on: October 27, 2010, 06:25:21 pm »
Can you remove the toe piece from the lever and reverse it, or, if the right side lever is a mirror image, swap it to the left side? If so, you can rotate the transmission lever (I would position it at about 5:00) and run the rod underneath. All those bends may lead to "springy" shifting; try to keep the bends to a minimum. Also, I would not rely on a single frame clamp to mount a foot peg, if that's what you are thinking.   
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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #44 on: November 01, 2010, 07:37:29 pm »
Can you remove the toe piece from the lever and reverse it, or, if the right side lever is a mirror image, swap it to the left side? If so, you can rotate the transmission lever (I would position it at about 5:00) and run the rod underneath. All those bends may lead to "springy" shifting; try to keep the bends to a minimum. Also, I would not rely on a single frame clamp to mount a foot peg, if that's what you are thinking.   
You were right, plus I hated the look of what I had done. Did some digging on the board and found a much more stable way of mounting the pegs and fabbed ned linkages with heim joints and stainless rod.

Shifter:



Brake:

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Offline Old75_ratafe

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #45 on: November 07, 2010, 01:00:15 am »
Looking good, much more simple setup less chance of binding.
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Offline swellguy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #46 on: November 17, 2010, 07:40:21 pm »
I hesitate to post these since the shots are pretty lousy. Bike really needs to be rolled outside for some proper images but I yet to get get my kickstand welded back on. I've got Friday morning set aside to do it. Anyways, got the paintwork back today. No bodywork horrors as mentioned in previous threads. Told the painter what I wanted and am pretty happy with it.









So far no striping between the black and silver. Gold, white and red seem to be the most popular choices for this kind of color scheme. If I go there, I'm leaning toward another shade of gray.

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Offline joe29

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #47 on: November 17, 2010, 07:47:31 pm »
NICE!!  Looks really good!
-joe

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Offline FunJimmy

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #48 on: November 17, 2010, 07:51:24 pm »
Great progress.
It's always so nice to get the freshly painted body work back on.
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Offline Bluegreen

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Re: My cafe project progress
« Reply #49 on: November 18, 2010, 12:40:00 am »
That looks really good man! I like the exaust and the badges really set the bike off.