Author Topic: Cafe build costs (Read 14424 times)

Tkinney1016 · « **on:** March 08, 2011, 01:07:38 PM »

I would like to start a project and am just curious what I'm looking at. I searched first and only found a generic thread. I know there are a million possibilities bit I'm just currious what people are spending.

Anyways just wondering what you have spent on your cafe project including the bike and maybe a pic if possible.

Sorry if this is a duplicate thread.

Tyler

Roach · « **Reply #1 on:** March 08, 2011, 01:14:48 PM »

spent 500 bucks on the bike
600 on parts

you can spend a hell of alot more i did mine on a tight budget.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #2 on:** March 08, 2011, 02:04:37 PM »

I think the answer is how much do you want to spend? If you look at pics of the Brit bikes from the 60's a lot of what you see is standard bikes with Ace (clubman) bars and maybe rearsets. You don't really see a lot of bikes with the custom tanks and tail pieces that you find on 'cafe' bikes today.

So you can spend a couple hundred on bars and pegs, or you can spend a couple thousand on the full redo of your bike. It's really up to you. If you haven't already I recommend that you pick up an issue of Cafe Racer magazine, tons of ads for cafe gear. There is a Vietnam based company that sells a good looking (based on the pictures, I can't say what the quality is like) cafe seat conversion (foam and cover) for SOHC CB's for a very reasonalble cost. They have a store: http://stores.ebay.com/hondaclassic31

Kong · « **Reply #3 on:** March 08, 2011, 02:24:51 PM »

I think you could put together a very nice bike for two grand, including the initial purchase.

Duke McDukiedook · « **Reply #4 on:** March 08, 2011, 02:28:55 PM »

Plan on spending double what you plan on spending and multiply whatever time you think you need to do it by 4 and that should help you out a little.

It depends on what type of bike you intend on getting and what you intend on doing to it.

You might as well ask us what type of oil to put in it and the pros/cons of pods while you are asking this type of a horribly generalized question.

Homework- do a little more investigating on your end and get more specific in your questions and you will find we will gladly help you out.

apex_seeking · « **Reply #5 on:** March 08, 2011, 02:33:05 PM »

I bought a runner for $900 and haven't spent a dime. If I wanted parts, I'd sell something off the bike to cover the cost. I know that doesn't always work but if you can pull it off then you can keep your costs very low.

Quote from: Bankerdanny on March 08, 2011, 02:04:37 PM

I think the answer is how much do you want to spend? If you look at pics of the Brit bikes from the 60's a lot of what you see is standard bikes with Ace (clubman) bars and maybe rearsets. You don't really see a lot of bikes with the custom tanks and tail pieces that you find on 'cafe' bikes today.

My feelings are that a true "cafe" bike should really be on the cheap. I get the desire to have the coolest bike out there but I think the true rocker sentiment has been lost on some of these trailer queens.

jaguar · « **Reply #6 on:** March 08, 2011, 02:43:53 PM »

A true Cafe bike to be would have TONs of speed parts in the engine and suspension.

but its up to each builder what he wants and what he thinks the bike should be.
we have all seen some rusted bike that someone bought cheap and slapped some clubmans on it and called it done....so $500 for a runner with a title? maybe? and $30 on bars?.....done.....maybe

but there are so many other costs that have NOTHING to do with a cafe
like
tires
seals
battery
chain
carb rebuild
and much more

personaly i think at least here in NY you would be hard pressed to get a SOHC 4 on the road for under a grand. and i mean legal and safe. not 30 year old tires that look like they have tread....

YES there are semi mythical deals out there but im talking about on the average.

but really these types of threads dont really go any place as everyone is so different in how they build bikes and what they want

Me ive spent thousands on one of my builds and im only just getting to the engine.
others that ive built ive bin running around on them for a few hundred.

there are just to many variables to answer in a truly meaningful way

swellguy · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2011, 03:18:13 PM »

If you chance upon Benji's café racers site and become enamored with the alloy seats, tanks and stainless steel exhaust designs, set aside $4,000 or so. I'm not recommending this route, just pointing out one very expensive way to go. There are others who charge less for more, and some who charge more for less.

The comment about paying double what you think you will and it taking four times longer than you plan is a pretty good rule of thumb if you are a hobby builder.

wannabridin · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2011, 03:22:09 PM »

ya, my budget was blown WAY out of the water before i even created it!!

this bike is one of my first "dream" bikes, and i said screw it, i don't care about the budget. i've probably spent $5K on parts and crap up to now, but i'm doing everything the way i want to! i'm having the bike LOOK like a cafe, but in the truest senses of the word, it's not abiding to those "rules" in that i'm not scraping every part together from a junk yard to save a few bucks.

bottom line, it's a REALLY tough question to answer! there's some guys on here that have spent zero on their bikes, because they bought them as runners or they had all the parts available already (money from another purchase though). there's other people who've spent well into the 5 figures on JUST the motor! so take it as you may, the build is up to you. but unless you're REALLY good about a budget, you'll spend way more than you want usually. haha!

Tkinney1016 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2011, 03:24:37 PM »

I hear you guys on the fact that I haven't given enough details about my plans and there is no way you can give an amount that I will expect to spend. I know that every bike is different and every build is different. That's the reason why I simply asked how much YOU spent and maybe a pic so I can just get an idea. I also know that depending on what performance parts you get will also make the cost more or less. Not trying to ask a dumb question, just a question is all.

I was more just curious what people have spent

Spiider · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2011, 05:19:20 PM »

Quote from: wannabINDUSTRIdin on March 08, 2011, 03:22:09 PM

ya, my budget was blown WAY out of the water before i even created it!!

this bike is one of my first "dream" bikes, and i said screw it, i don't care about the budget. i've probably spent $5K on parts and crap up to now, but i'm doing everything the way i want to! i'm having the bike LOOK like a cafe, but in the truest senses of the word, it's not abiding to those "rules" in that i'm not scraping every part together from a junk yard to save a few bucks.

bottom line, it's a REALLY tough question to answer! there's some guys on here that have spent zero on their bikes, because they bought them as runners or they had all the parts available already (money from another purchase though). there's other people who've spent well into the 5 figures on JUST the motor! so take it as you may, the build is up to you. but unless you're REALLY good about a budget, you'll spend way more than you want usually. haha!

^^^+1 Couldn't have said it better.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2011, 05:42:36 PM »

I just bought my '77 550k last weekend. Paid $700 for it, which may turn out to be a great deal or could be a couple hundred too much. The last owner bought it in 1980 with 7k miles, then a year years later had hip surgery and parked it in his garage with 7,500 on the clock and there it sat until I bought it from his grandson 30 years later. It's completely original including the tires, 4x4 exhaust, seat etc.

But as good as it seems, I figure I will spend about $300 getting it on the road with a new battery, tires, new gaskets in the carbs, fuel lines, brake lines, etc. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the exhaust isn't just rust with a really nice chrome finish.

tweakin · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2011, 06:05:41 PM »

I never really had a budget in mind when I started my "dream bike" build... I have kept track of all my receipts but never plan on adding them all up. If I did I would be scared I would never want to ride the bike and don't want a trailer queen. That being said I spent the majority of the funds on the engine and suspension.

Just build the best bike you can with in your personal budget.

bollingball · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2011, 06:28:55 PM »

Banker Better add another $200 just for those parts

Tkinney1016 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2011, 07:19:42 PM »

Thanks for all of the input guys. That's what I'm looking for. I will be doing pretty much everything myself as I am a do it you selfer, at least when possible. I am looking for a project bike, don't care much if it's running or not. I really dig squirley's 550 build, not sure how much he spent.

Roach · « **Reply #15 on:** March 08, 2011, 07:41:32 PM »

Quote from: Tkinney1016 on March 08, 2011, 07:19:42 PM

Thanks for all of the input guys. That's what I'm looking for. I will be doing pretty much everything myself as I am a do it you selfer, at least when possible. I am looking for a project bike, don't care much if it's running or not. I really dig squirley's 550 build, not sure how much he spent.

alot... no clue on price but his time...priceless

Tkinney1016 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 08, 2011, 07:53:27 PM »

^^^^ That's for sure. I don't know if my fab skills could touch his but I get something in my mind and I figure out how to do it. Wonder if he just changed the tail or other parts of the frame? I know the while fork/triples are from a gsxr.

Roach · « **Reply #17 on:** March 08, 2011, 08:08:35 PM »

he did change the rear. he braced the rear swing arm and got rid of the rear triangle. if you look back in his thread you can see that he tried to mono shock the rear but decided against it

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #18 on:** March 08, 2011, 08:16:22 PM »

Quote from: bollingball on March 08, 2011, 06:28:55 PM

Banker Better add another $200 just for those parts

We'll see. It depends partially on how much I decide to spend on tires. Also if I have to rebuild the master cylinder, the 77 runs almost double the 76 and earlier version.

FunJimmy · « **Reply #19 on:** March 08, 2011, 08:19:36 PM »

If memory serves me correctly, I purchased the initial bike for $1400.00 and put a bit more into it.
Just ask my wife. It couldn’t have been that much honey.

It's better than spending all night at the bar.

Cheers
FJ

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #20 on:** March 09, 2011, 08:02:49 AM »

FJ: You're bike is beautiful. Are those before and after photos or two different bikes?

Because for me, I would not want to take a really nice original bike like that and cafe it. There are plenty of cosmetically challenged bikes out there you can build out and not that many clean originals, especially the 500/550F models, which seems much rarer than the K bikes.

FunJimmy · « **Reply #21 on:** March 09, 2011, 08:32:18 AM »

Quote from: Bankerdanny on March 09, 2011, 08:02:49 AM

FJ: You're bike is beautiful. Are those before and after photos or two different bikes?

Because for me, I would not want to take a really nice original bike like that and cafe it. There are plenty of cosmetically challenged bikes out there you can build out and not that many clean originals, especially the 500/550F models, which seems much rarer than the K bikes.

Before and after photos of the same bike, but don't worry I have a much cleaner stock 550F parked right beside this one.

MattFreeman · « **Reply #22 on:** March 09, 2011, 09:58:23 AM »

I'm not keeping track but it's way too much. Every part in the motor is new. Wiseco pistons, MRieck head, inverted fork swap, custom triple tree, undercut trans, new rims and spokes.

I don't keep track so I don't cry and I don't have to fess up to the wife. But it's a project and it's gonna be sah-weeeeet.

Buy a low mileage/running bike to start, it's worth the initial cost. I didn't.

MattFreeman · « **Reply #23 on:** March 09, 2011, 12:42:22 PM »

Oh, and beware of the "might-as-wells".

Tkinney1016 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 09, 2011, 01:06:46 PM »

Ha ha that's for sure those $20 might as wells add up when you do it 50 times!!!

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Author Topic: Cafe build costs (Read 14424 times)

bollingball