Topic: Selling a custom Cafe CB750

[towerviewchops]

1st Post Kind of Long, Sorry, Here it goes:
New to site, but I've been riding Honda's since 1984.  My dad worked for the local dealer and they gave me a new 1984 ATC70 when I was 2 1/2 years old, I've been hooked since.  I currently ride a '74 CB750K mostly stock.  I've been collecting parts and plan on starting to build a custom cafe CB750.  Just wondering what experiences others have had selling customized CB750's.  I plan to rebuild all serviceable components minus the engine, as it's a low miler and I don't forsee any problems out of it anytime soon.  All work will be show quality.

Spec's as follows:
-Stripped and Black Powder-coated Frame
-Black Powder-coated rims and hubs
-Any stock painted components to be Powerder-coated
-Polished Stainless Steel Spokes and Nipples
-New Pirelli MT-66 Tires
-Custom Steel Cafe Seat
-Custom Tank w/ Knee Indentions (Black w/Gold Scallops)
-Smooth Side-covers (Black w/Gold Scallops)
-Stripped and Black Powder-coated Oil Tank
-Chrome Clubman Handlebars
-Polished Switches and Control Levers
-Custom Black Grips
-Polished and Rebuilt Brake Master Cylinder
-Chrome Mini Speedo and Tach
-Polished Rear Drum Brake w/New Shoes
-Polished Front Brake Caliper: Rebuilt w/New Pads
-Stock Chrome Headlight Bucket
-Polished Fork Legs
-Black Low-profile Turn Signals: Front and Rear
-Small OEM Honda Taillight
-Polished Engine Side Covers and Valve Cover
-Chrome 4-1 Exhaust
-Cycle Exchange Dual Mikuni Carb Kit
-Dyna Electronic Ignition and 5ohm Coils
-Chrome Short 11” Shocks
-New Sprockets and Chain
-New Wheel Bearings
-Bronze Swingarm Bushings
-Tapered Steering Head Bearings
-New Clutch Cable
-New Clutch Disc Kit
-New Battery

Looking for others experiences as far as ease of sale and prices that have been encountered.  I know sales of this type take the right person and place to be the most profitable.  Looking at what I'll have in it I need to get $5000-$6000 out of it.  Does this seem doable?

[seaweb11]

I would never get the $$ back out of mine

Ask Carpy, he builds and sells these all the time. http://www.cb750cafe.com/

[Chris Liston]

Help to see some pics to back up that asking price.  Just a thought.

[towerviewchops]

I've been on Carpy's site plenty, he states his show bikes start at $5000.

Sorry I don't have any pics, because it isn't built yet.  Looking for opinions before I put the cash into it.  Too much money for me to put in a rider with all the crazy drivers we have in Florida.

[seaweb11]

Mine cost me that much to build .......at least that's the figure I use when the wife's around.

[bill440cars]

Mine cost me that much to build .......at least that's the figure I use when the wife's around.

                                        I hear ya, On a deal like that, you have to have like 2 sets of books
           right? 1 set with info for her and 1 set with actual info for you. It makes things go a lot
           easier. When I get something delivered that I got off of ebay, she say's"What's that,
           another motorcycle part?"  Then, I say yeah, it's a headlight (or what ever) costs me
           $15.00 (Don't tell her what the total price is (you know that sometimes shipping costs more
           than the part!) 
       
                      I figure what she doesn't know won't hurt her and what she does know might hurt
           me! Well, she's not that bad but, it can lead to some discussions since she's not all that
          fond of motorcycles and I, on the other hand, was practically BORN on one. I mean, they
          are a part of me, my background, my ancestry. Wall, anyway that's my feelin' Gotta go, I've
          got one of those dreaded deliveries within the next few days ( set of exhaust pipes for my
          CB77). You take care and I'll catch you later on, Bill

[ProTeal55]

Carpy makes some sick bikes, and he is well known and respected, which I am sure helps him sell his bikes for the $$$ he gets ...
EXAMPLE : I could build the exact same bike, and I would prob. get half of what he would, just becasue he is Carpy, and no-one knows who the hell I am...

My point is, don't think just because Carpy gets $5000 + for his Cafe bikes that you can do the same.

[towerviewchops]

Carpy makes some sick bikes, and he is well known and respected, which I am sure helps him sell his bikes for the $$$ he gets ...
EXAMPLE : I could build the exact same bike, and I would prob. get half of what he would, just becasue he is Carpy, and no-one knows who the hell I am...

My point is, don't think just because Carpy gets $5000 + for his Cafe bikes that you can do the same.

I understand that a name with respect and recognition is a factor.  But everyone has to start somewhere.  Want to make sure I can get enough out of the first one to put me a little ahead when I sell and start on the next one.

[ElCheapo]

Carpy makes some sick bikes, and he is well known and respected, which I am sure helps him sell his bikes for the $$$ he gets ...
EXAMPLE : I could build the exact same bike, and I would prob. get half of what he would, just becasue he is Carpy, and no-one knows who the hell I am...

My point is, don't think just because Carpy gets $5000 + for his Cafe bikes that you can do the same.

I understand that a name with respect and recognition is a factor. But everyone has to start somewhere. Want to make sure I can get enough out of the first one to put me a little ahead when I sell and start on the next one.

You guys have the reputation thing right. I find that when I am buying a bike at bottom dollar we can usually get about 30% more for it than other people do.

Cheers
Tom
www.anubisycle.com

[Terry in Australia]

Don't waste your time or money thinking that you're going to build a bike that you can sell for a profit, unless you own a shop full of parts that you've already paid for. I know that the best way to buy a bike is to buy someone's "unfinished project" where they've run out of money after shovelling in twice as much as they thought it would cost, and just want to unload it.

Even "Pro's" like Carpy have to work full time at a job they don't like until they can establish themselves, and just between you and I, there aren't too many oil tycoons out there who want to throw handfulls of cold hard cash at someone, to build them a SOHC4 based Cafe Racer. If you want to build a bike for yourself to enjoy, then go for it, but to make money, buy some shares, or sell some dope. Cheers, Terry.

[bill440cars]

                  There's a lot of very good advice there, towerviewchops. It'd be very worthwhile to take
        it all in. Someone going into business is not going to be making money right off. You have to be
        able to hang in there and take it as it comes, just because you throw a bike out there under a
        new name builder (a reputation has to be built and that could take a few years) doesn't mean
        someone is just going to come up and buy your bike. If it were that easy, there would be a lot
        more people doing it. It's a nice idea but, as Ringo Star once sang in a song, It Don't Come Easy.
                                                              Later on, Bill 

[dusterdude]

bill,cool  avatar!!!

[tsflstb]

I agree you'd have a hard time making a profit from customizing old Hondas.  Most people that like the cafe style bikes are do it yourself'ers.  I tend to look at a lot of fancy customs like I look at modern art at a museum -- "hell I could do that".  In reality I don't have the skills to sweep the floors for most of these guys, but I can get it good enough for me at a fraction of the cost. 

If you were doing 100% correct restorations, you may find the guys with heavier wallets.  I can't see many folks justifying upwards of 5K on an old modified Japanese bike.  Of course, there are a bunch of baby boomers retiring and looking for the toys they couldn't afford when they were younger.  Just look at the prices for old muscle cars at the Barrett-Jackson auction.  Maybe you'll catch the next hot trend.

[bill440cars]

bill,cool  avatar!!!

                     Thanks duster, I got it off of a website that  p69  has. p69 is a Mopar another nut.
           Wish I had the car it goes on or a Daytona. I wouldn't argue either way. Later on, Bill

[Lumbee]

...for sure these bikes are a labor of love, you do it cuz you enjoy it, and if people start to recognize your work...ect. ect.  For that matter I think thats true for all bike builders.  At least the good ones.  Like someone said, for the most part people who are into old jap bikes build'm or work in them themselves.  You want to make money?  PM me, and I'll give you a hot stock tip...

...I just got my chopper on the road, and before I started, I was thinking I'd sell it for what I had into it (just parts not time).  After watching prices on Ebay (the biggest market out there) I decided I'd never sell it.  I'd never get my money back, much less any time I put into it.  You could easily hit 5 grand on a rebuilt 750 cafe using all top notch parts.  But y would some yahoo buy it from you off Ebay when they find Carpy (someone with name recognition) and could buy it from him 

[KCs76Cafe]

Sell it ? ? ? 

Build it and ride it. 

[ProTeal55]

Sell it ? ? ?

Build it and ride it.

I agree 100%

[supersport_CB400F]

I rekon your pissing in the wind mate, the old CB’s make more money being in original condition I almost piss my pants laughing every time I see one of these wanna be CBXXXF café bike’s  with a hump seat and drop bars that an armature has made it’s mostly people in the US who don’t have the Brit feel for bikes and the nostalgia for the era….example is putting a fat back wheel on a café thing, I’ve never seen a BSA with a Harley rim built into a café  the idea of cafe’s was save weight not add it. 

[Terry in Australia]

I rekon your pissing in the wind mate, the old CB’s make more money being in original condition I almost piss my pants laughing every time I see one of these wanna be CBXXXF café bike’s  with a hump seat and drop bars that an armature has made it’s mostly people in the US who don’t have the Brit feel for bikes and the nostalgia for the era….example is putting a fat back wheel on a café thing, I’ve never seen a BSA with a Harley rim built into a café  the idea of cafe’s was save weight not add it. 

Very true Dave, but the main perpetrator, Carpy, is an ex-pat Brit living in the US, so work that out? Maybe it's a special "American Cafe", just like American pizza not really looking (or tasting) like the original? I think they call that "poetic license"?

But then again, I remember buying a pizza in Windsor in 1974, and UUUURRRGGGHHH, I still can't get that taste out of my mouth, ha ha! Cheers, Terry. 

[putnaja1]

I have to agree with the above posters..  If I was gonna spend 5-6 grand on a bike, I might as well spend 8k and buy a brand spankin new Triumph Thruxton 900- those bikes are bad ass right outta the box.  I think it is a little teeny bit more for a speed triple, and these are not counting the used bikes..

On the other hand, if you really want to get your foot in the door with custom bike sales, start small- maybe take a stock CB and put rearsets, clip-ons, a good sounding pipe and jet kit, and fancy paint...  Ride it around as your daily rider- people will come to you if you've done your job right.  Offer to do the same work to their bikes, or tune bikes until you get client base built up.  Every now and then, sell your own bike if you get a high enough offer, and build your next one a little bit better.  Take it from there and run with it!

I certainly wouldn't build a full-tilt bike and expect to profit right out of the gate- you'll never get your money back.  Look at all the guys that supe up Mustangs- those cars never sell for what $ that went in to them..  Gotta have the reputation first.

Jason

[bill440cars]

                             I would think that a person might be able to start out by offering cafe racer items
            like, rearsets, seats, small turn signal lights, head & tail lights and the like. Maybe a person could
            locate a place to buy some items in bulk, save some over buying the same amount of parts and
            manage to sell at a slightly lower price than is usually charged. Then, if all went well, maybe (as
            previously suggested by another) buy a 750 or another sohc4, slightly modify it and build
            another, when the 1st one sells. Then you might be able to build a small quantity of bikes and
            maybe go a little deeper into one and see how that goes and possibly increase the number of
            bikes on hand and several different levers of modifications. Just a thought. At least, if it didn't
            go, you might not lose much.           Later on, Bill

[seaweb11]

Lets put some prices beside these lovely bike options.
Please add your figures if I left them blank or you think I am wrong.  I'm only adding what I have done. We can total it later.

Spec's as follows:
-Bike.....should be a runner, how about $1500.00 to start.
-Stripped and Black Powder-coated Frame  $500.00
-Black Powder-coated rims and hubs 350.00?
-Any stock painted components to be Powder-coated 100.00
-Polished Stainless Steel Spokes and Nipples
-New Pirelli MT-66 Tires
-Custom Steel Cafe Seat  $350.00
-Custom Tank w/ Knee Indentions (Black w/Gold Scallops)
-Smooth Side-covers (Black w/Gold Scallops)
-Stripped and Black Powder-coated Oil Tank $40.00
-Chrome Clubman Handlebars  25.00
-Polished Switches and Control Levers
-Custom Black Grips
-Polished and Rebuilt Brake Master Cylinder
-Chrome Mini Speedo and Tach
-Polished Rear Drum Brake w/New Shoes...3 hours labor
-Polished Front Brake Caliper: Rebuilt w/New Pads...6 hours
-Stock Chrome Headlight Bucket
-Polished Fork Legs ...8 hours labor
-Black Low-profile Turn Signals: Front and Rear
-Small OEM Honda Taillight
-Polished Engine Side Covers and Valve Cover...12 hours labor
-Chrome 4-1 Exhaust $400.00?
-Cycle Exchange Dual Mikuni Carb Kit
-Dyna Electronic Ignition and 5ohm Coils
-Chrome Short 11” Shocks
-New Sprockets and Chain
-New Wheel Bearings
-Bronze Swingarm Bushings
-Tapered Steering Head Bearings  $35-55.00
-New Clutch Cable
-New Clutch Disc Kit
-New Battery $100.00

[scunny]

It would be a brave man/woman who counted the time and money that goes into a project bike

[towerviewchops]

Lets put some prices beside these lovely bike options.
Please add your figures if I left them blank or you think I am wrong.  I'm only adding what I have done. We can total it later.

Spec's as follows:
-Bike- Near complete bike and titled frame $275
-Stripped and Black Powder-coated Frame  :Labor + Powder
-Black Powder-coated rims and hubs :Labor + Powder
-Any stock painted components to be Powder-coated :Labor + Powder
-Polished Stainless Steel Spokes and Nipples $184 + Labor
-New Pirelli MT-66 Tires $220
-Custom Steel Cafe Seat  :Labor + Paint
-Custom Tank w/ Knee Indentions (Black w/Gold Scallops) $40 + Labor + Paint
-Smooth Side-covers (Black w/Gold Scallops) $50 + Paint
-Stripped and Black Powder-coated Oil Tank $10 + Powder
-Chrome Clubman Handlebars $30
-Polished Switches and Control Levers :Labor
-Custom Black Grips $60
-Polished and Rebuilt Brake Master Cylinder $40 + Labor
-Chrome Mini Speedo and Tach $120
-Polished Rear Drum Brake w/New Shoes $28 + Labor
-Polished Front Brake Caliper: Rebuilt w/New Pads $53 + Labor
-Stock Chrome Headlight Bucket
-Polished Fork Legs :Labor
-Black Low-profile Turn Signals: Front and Rear $100
-Small OEM Honda Taillight $18
-Polished Engine Side Covers and Valve Cover :Labor
-Chrome 4-1 Exhaust : Came w/Donor Bike
-Cycle Exchange Dual Mikuni Carb Kit $500
-Dyna Electronic Ignition and 5ohm Coils $300
-Chrome Short 11” Shocks $90
-New Sprockets and Chain $105
-New Wheel Bearings $58
-Bronze Swingarm Bushings $30
-Tapered Steering Head Bearings  $60
-New Clutch Cable $18
-New Clutch Disc Kit $64
-New Battery $36

$2489 without powder and paint
$1000 high figure for powder and paint
=$3500 in parts plus labor and incidentals

[ElCheapo]

I used to do projects that way. There must be thousands of never started projects in my old note books. Now I just scrounge for whatever I need and keep jamming forward. To hell with er, giver er full sail.