Decided to post my CAFE build

[Sonnylynnvick75]

So I spen my 4th just putting everything back together. Progress thus far:

Top engine mounts are bolted up (after a mysterious and useless wire popped up)
Rear wheel is polished up and rear brakes are almost finished.
Brake master cylinder and Caliper are black.
Started wiring everything back up
Got one header wrapped and mounted. Now for the other one
And, got my carbs jetted at my best guesstimate of how to run them.

Tonight and Tomorrow I hope to
Work more on wiring
Finish brakes
Finish bolting up the engine.
Wrap the other header.
Mount headlight
I hope to finish the dang thing up by next weekend but I doubt that will happen.

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

Well guys I got on it Friday night a little then woke up Saturday morn at 6:30 to get after it. And here is the product. Now I do still need to wire up the blinkers speedo and taillight but she runs and runs good at that.

 

[jsmith1107]

Nice job, looking really good.

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

So last night I got the brakes hooked up, new fuel line put on, clutch set up, and started wiring. Today when I get off, I'll put on chain, finish wiring, and test ride. Seems to be running a little rich. Here are some photos though.

 

[payaso13]

Looks good man...couple questions...those shorty mufflers sound good??? And I know you customized the seat but did you leave the rear seat loop alone( didn't cut frame)? Thanks

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

Payaso, thanks. Shorty mufflers sound good. At least in my opinion. They're loud also. The seat shown on the last pics is a motolanna seat and no I didn't cut the loop I just shaved off the side panel mounts and such

 

[payaso13]

Alright thanks dude...trying to get a cafe look without fn it up to bad so it can go back stock again.... buying another one for that

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

I know what you mean that's how I did the original cafe racer look on this bike

 

[cycleholic2010]

Bikes looks really good man!

 

[cycleholic2010]

What taillight are you going to run?

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

This one, its a one piece. Has taillight, plate light,brake light , and both turn signals

 

[cycleholic2010]

So I was going back through your build thread and noticed your not running the new seat you built. What happened to that? Who did you get to do the upholstry on it? After a few hiccups I am actually changing directions and that is the style seat I am wanting to build.

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

I'v got it sitting in the shop lol my girlfriends dad did the upholstery on it. the only reason I dont have it on is because I'm trying to figure out how to run a rear fender with it. I may end up making my own fender if I have to but IMO it just looks dumb with out the fender. I currently have 2 seat set ups; the single cafe seat that is currently on it and then that 2 person seat I built. In a couple weeks I'll be building a 3rd seat set up for it that involves the tail section I have for it.

 

[cycleholic2010]

Awesome. Yeah. The fender is one of the obstacles i was figuring working around. My plan was to just cut the fender flush with the frame rail. Then weld a flat peice of metal back in so the fender is still solid. I was planning to use sheet metal for the seat pan. It looks like what u used was plastic. Is it pretty solid? Does your girlfriends dad do upholstry for a living or on the side? Or just for family? I have been talking to my mother-in-law about doing it but she has never done anything like that before.

 

[cycleholic2010]

One more question. Is that the original fender just cut shorter?

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

Dude, unless something I can't remember happened I have like 3 or 4 stainless fenders at the house and you're welcome to one of them if you want they're about a foot long approximately. all you would need to do is weld on some brackets. Mine is the stock fender cut off but for the 2 up seat I'll be using one of those stainless fenders and welding brackets then powder coating it. My girlfriends dad is a train conductor but does home upholstery on the side but has been doing it since he was 15. I've seen him do it and it well, looks pretty precise and possibly a little difficult. You could use metal for the seat pan and some people have done good by it but I highly prefer and reccomend the plastic. I bought a $12 snowskate board off amazon, put it on the frame, used a heat gun to shape it to the frame then figured out my mounting system. Im using something similar to the front stock "guides" on the front and on the rear I drilled 2 holes in the frame, got a set of clevis pins that would fit, dropped them through the top of the pan and used a tacstrip to secure them in. then used the stock seat foam and cut out what I needed to make it nice and comfy then he made the cover and stapled it on.

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

So its obviously been awhile so time for an update.
I got it running. Clutches are slipping and my fuse box went to crap so I installed mikes fuse panel and I have a full clutch set waiting to go in hopefully tonight or tomorrow. I'm about to bolt on some swingarm spools. Has anyone done this before? or am I completely by myself again.

 

[Cafe-Dave]

So its obviously been awhile so time for an update.
I got it running. Clutches are slipping and my fuse box went to crap so I installed mikes fuse panel and I have a full clutch set waiting to go in hopefully tonight or tomorrow. I'm about to bolt on some swingarm spools. Has anyone done this before? or am I completely by myself again.

I had my welder put some "Ears" on the bottom / in front of the adjuster plates of the swingarm. 0.188" thick. Then I drilled/tapped that and mounted the Spools to that.

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

Those look good dave. I wish I had thought of that earlier. unfortunately I had everything powdercoated. I have a small amount of room forawrd of the adjuster plate that I'm thinking of drilling into. It shouldn't weaken it too bad. What do you think?

 

[weaselbeak]

Kenny freaking Roberts, for some reason i always want to call his last name Bell, no idea why, it just makes me sound like an idiot, but yes Kenny Roberts speedblocks

Not to get off topic, here, but I don't think King Kenny worries about you remembering his last name correctly, as long as you get the "King" part in there. He certainly earned it, being unbeatable on equal equipment. In Europe he was known as "that damned Yankee". He used lines thought undoable on the track and he is the reason they outlawed more than 2 cylinders on the dirt tracks back then. The term King is hardly proper enough.

As for this bike, I've never been a canyon carver or cared for the look all that much. Yours is gorgeous and I'd be proud to have it in my garage. I just can't find anything not right on it. A tip of the hat to you, sir.