/r/CafeRacers
Welcome to r/CafeRacers.
This is a subreddit/community where you can share photos and have discussions as well as asking for help/advice if needed.
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The Basics
Photos and build links for Cafe Racers, both classic and new-school.
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/r/CafeRacers
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CX500
Im thinkin about getting a CX500 i found recently and wanted to know if yall think there good bikes.
19:40 UTC
Video of a 1982 KZ750 Twin I built a while back with the help of some friends!
22:00 UTC
What rug will tie the room together?
I was thinking red checkered stripes or red flames on the cowl, but maybe the latter would be too corny?...then again, it's a cafe racer :-)
20:12 UTC
Not the best, not the worst. 74 CL-200
In the sense it'll probably never be "done", it's done for now after 2 years as scattered parts all around my house. Would really appreciate some small profile battery suggestions/advice. Next project if to fab up a battery pan and add flashing under the seat to bridge the frame gap/weather seal the electrical access. Need battery dimensions first though and haven't really made a decision yet.
16:14 UTC
1980 Suzuki GS450L tire question
I just picked this bike up Saturday and need to get a few things done to it to make it good to ride. One of which is tires.
Please tell me if I'm wrong, but from the looks of it I need a 100/90r19 for the front and a 120/90r16 for the rear. I'm looking for street use tires only.
I've found some Kenda K657 and some IRC RS-310 that have those sizes available, but honestly I don't know much about motorcycle tires to know which ones would be better. If there are other options that I can look at as well I am open to suggestions.
Can someone help point me in the right direction?
Thank you.
15:55 UTC
Chonky Cafe?
I posted my V7 Racer on r/Motorcycles a while back, and someone called it a Chonky Cafe. I thought it was pretty funny. Thoughts?
00:28 UTC
Simple $250 cafe racer transformation
This might not be for the cafe racer purists, but I do like me some simple cafe racer tinkering for not much money. This is what $250 gets you in terms of cosmetic cafe racer transformation of a new classic stock model. I guess it's what the Genuine motorcycle version of a cafe racer would/could look like: Genuine TT40 or Genuine Continental GT400. At least it was inspired by the Mash TT40 and Royal Enfield 650 Continental GT cafe racer models.
You can toast me....but, yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, uh, your opinion, man!
15:53 UTC
VIN ID Plate Installation Question
Hey all,
I'm currently doing a restomod project, and will need to remove the VIN ID plate. The plate is currently assembled to the frame with what appear to be ~ 3/16" solid rivets in a location where there is no way anyone could get a bucking bar behind the rivets.
I'd rather not use an ordinary aluminum blind rivet when I do the plate reassembly.
What kind of solid rivets are these? Back in my A&P mechanic days, I read about explosive blind rivets, but you don't see those any longer in aero production or repair.
Can someone explain what kind of rivets these are, and point to a source of supply?
Thanks!
11:57 UTC
Motoscope Pro Tachometer Running Backwards on BMW R100 Build - Need Help!
Hey r/caferacers!
I'm in the middle of a custom build on my BMW R100. Everything is running smoothly—she fires up great, and all systems seem to be in order, except for one annoying issue: my tachometer is behaving oddly. I've had the (un)fortunate pleasure of being dropped into this project for electrics sort of midway to help some friends out, but I think I need some assistance here.
It idles just fine, but as soon as I rev the engine, the needle runs backwards to 0. For example, if my idle is 1000 RPM, it climbs correctly for a moment (e.g., 1000 -> 2000), but then it descends back to 0 as the throttle climbs.
This is somewhat the numbers I'm seeing:
Idle RPM: 1000
Throttle up -> RPM 2000
Throttle up -> RPM drops at same rate of throttle tempo to 0.
Release throttle at this point -> RMP climbs from 0 to 2000, then back to 1000.
Setup:
- Speedo/Tachometer: Motoscope Pro
- Ignition: BOYER BRANSDEN ELECTRONICS LTD KIT00286 Single coil, electronic ignition
- Tach is connected to the negative side of the coil as per the instructions (picture attached)
- Wiring diagram based on schematics beneath from The Long Way There on youtube, with some modifications on the buttonside, but the Rick's reg/rec and barebones system is the same. All other components match.
- I've also added the schematic for Boyer Brandsen which I've verified follows the same real life wiring.
I’ve tried adding a small resistor to the tacho cable to help dampen any interference, but it didn’t solve the issue. What's strange is that I’ve used similar wiring schemes for the barebones wiring on 5 other builds with motogadget previously.
Any ideas on what could be causing the tachometer to run backwards, or if there’s something specific to the R100 I might be overlooking?
Thanks in advance for your help!
20:22 UTC
Another update!
A little photoshop later and this is very close to what it will look like when completed. Obviously I’m still missing the seat and exhaust. But I’m definitely going to have to make a belly pan for this baby.
Oh and according to some peoples logic, this isn’t a true cafe racer. It’s lighter, faster, better handling but still not a true cafe bike.
18:40 UTC
Low profile waterproof automotive electrical connectors? Similar to deutsch connectors?
I'm looking for connectors like Deutsch connectors but a bit more low profile. I normally use bullet terminals but if there are a lot of wires it gets a bit too bulky. Using automotive connectors are more professional looking in my opinion. Any one have any recommendations for connectors like maybe VW connectors or Toyota connectors or something else that I can use? I have used delphi connectors but still looking for alternatives. I have a motogadget chronoclassic but the connectors it comes with aren't waterproof and are a bit crap in my opinion.
17:04 UTC
Aesthetics and style of café racers/classics
Does anyone know, why it seems like whole aesthetics and concept of Classic bikes community seems like it stuck in 2014-2018? I mean everything, the bikes themselves, design language of custom shops and bike apparel, all of it looks pretty much out of place now and not progressing. I saw a few exceptions, but overall I would call this aesthetic as trying to be timeless with a twist of temporary style of 2010s.
Anybody knows of some cool projects going on that dont look like those that I described?
14:08 UTC
Picked up a new project. ‘77 Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport
10:39 UTC
High Level Guide To Engine Rebuilds: Ian Don "Black Cat Customs" | Purpose Built Moto
In our second installment for the Purpose Built Moto Guest Builder series, we linked up with Ian Don, a mate of mine for a while now who you may recognize from the custom builder documentary “Handcrafted“. Ian is Known for building technically brilliant and beautifully detailed vintage triumphs. Ian’s a self-taught man, with a lot of skills he could share. When I asked him to be part of the series, he jumped in headfirst and wanted to give you all an insight into an engine rebuild. Something he’s grown to love after getting to know the process and becoming comfortable in his skills with the rebuilding in’s and out’s.
This article take’s a high-level approach to showing you the steps you can take to tackle an engine rebuild your own motorcycle engine. written around a vintage triumph engine rebuild, however, the steps covered here can be logically applied to any motorcycle. the idea isn’t to hold your hand through the entire process but to give you enough information to inspire the confidence you need to go and learn the rest on your own. So let me shut up and hand you over to Ian Don.
“Many a time when I’ve been leaving an event or the local to have drawn a small crowd around the bike, there’s always a couple of old guys there quietly whispering about how it might be shiny but those old triumphs are a bugger to start “ten kicks at least”
It’s always really satisfying to tickle the carbs, whisper a quick warning to the bike under my breath “don’t you dare not start in front of all these people” and kick the bike into life with a single kick, try not to look too smug and take off giving the fuel tank a little pat.
For me when I decided to build my first engine a pre-unit 1951 Triumph I had never done anything more than changing the oil and filter on a car. I actually didn’t even know the names of the major components so I bought a Haynes manual and then just spent hours pouring over the diagrams and learning the part names and studying the diagrams so that I could actually get my head around how the engine worked and what parts did what.
Against advice from people “in the know” I bought my engine piece by piece which is not only a huge task to find every single part but it’s probably the most expensive way to do it too. One upside is that spending so many hours looking at parts books and manuals I really got a good understanding of how the engine actually worked and how the camshafts pushed the followers which moved the pushrods which pushed the rocker arms which opens the valves etc.
Having an idea of how a specific engine works simplifies other engines you may end up working on and can give you the confidence, misplaced or not to give building your own engine a go.
Now you’re not going to learn how to strip down, repair and reassemble an engine from one article but I’m going to just share a few of the tips and tricks I have learned to maybe make the process a bit clearer or make your first build be a bit easier.
Getting started:
- BUY THE MANUAL! No engine rebuild is easy and the internet is amazing and you will find the relevant manual and most times a service manual too. One thing I have found really useful is many manufacturers put out a manual covering changes over the different models from year to year sometimes you think you have the right part but it may not be the right year which can cause an issue.
- Specialist tools. Most engines require at least one or ten specialised tools to be disassembled, if you find yourself with a screwdriver in one hand and a hammer in the other, stop! Take a breath and buy the correct puller, driver or whatever it is. You can do a lot of damage unintentionally and cost yourself more money by having to buy replacement parts.
- Although you may imagine rebuilding an engine in a blur of spanners and sockets over a weekend, chances are it’ll take a bit longer than that so as you start to remove parts take photos each time you remove anything so you can remember how it went together.
- I like to use zip lock freezer bags to store nuts, bolts etc & use a permanent marker to write a quick note on each bag of where the part is from or even a quick note about how it was fitted if it may not be obvious.
- Inspect each part as it is removed. Is it worn or rusted? Are there unusual score marks on a shaft? This is also a good time to start making a list of replacement parts you will need to keep a pad and pen handy so you can look up the part number in the manual and then write down each part you will need as you are going along.
Teardown
Ok, you’ve got all your tools out and you’re ready to go! This may be obvious but the best way to take the engine apart is by starting at the top and methodically working your way down.
I’ll describe this in terms of a Triumph engine but will be applicable to many types.
Removing the engine head bolts will allow the rocker boxes to be removed and disassembled (bag these parts separately and label)
Remove pushrods and push rod tubes by simply twisting and pulling to break any silicone sealant.
Remove the head carefully. Using a valve spring compressor, remove the valve springs, keepers and valves. Bag these separately and note which side of the engine they came from, it’s best to differentiate the sides of an engine by referring to them as the drive side and timing side this way you cant get mixed up with left and right.
Remove the timing, cover the oil pump and nuts holding the timing gears onto the camshafts and the crank. Using the correct puller remove all the timing gears and bag.
Again the correct puller is needed to remove the gear on the crankshaft, remove and bag up with the timing gears.
Now try turning the engine over by using a tight-fitting deep drive socket on the end of the drive side of the crankshaft, if the pistons move up and down you can remove the nuts holding down the cylinders and carefully slide them up and off with a slight and gentle side to side motion. If the pistons are seized try pouring some WD40 or similar into the cylinders and let it sit for 24hrs.
Remove the cam followers from the blocks at the base of the cylinders again noting which side they came from, exhaust or inlet.
Now that the barrels are off remove all of the bolts, screws, and plates holding the cases together, make sure you get them all as many a person has been banging away trying to split the cases not realising they are still bolted together! On pre units there are two internal screws at the top of the cases internally so don’t forget those or the sump plate!
Gently remove the piston rings then the circlips inside the sides of the pistons, gently heat the pistons with a heat gun and using a gudgeon pin extractor slide the gudgeon pin out and remove the piston bag these parts again noting which side they came from.
Before going any further slide two pieces of 25mm pipe insulation down over the exposed conrod ends which will stop them from being damaged during the next stages.
Try pulling the cases apart alternating from the top to the bottom until they come apart, some GENTLE persuasion on the cases with a rubber mallet may be necessary.
Whatever happens, DO NOT hammer on the end of the crank like a blacksmith on an anvil don’t even do it with a soft face hammer. It will damage the end of the crank and you’ll be up for an expensive replacement part.
Usually, the crank will stay inside one-half of the cases so carefully lay this down and remove the camshafts and the rotary breather disc and spring from the end of the camshaft bush and bag them.
Now using a press, push the crankshaft out of the case and set aside.
Label the conrods with permanent maker noting which side of the crank they came from and which side was facing out before removing them.
Some engines are a “unit type” which will mean that the gearbox is also housed inside the crankcases as one unit. By using the same methodical and logical steps the gearbox can be disassembled and bagged, try to remove the gear clusters as one unit and photograph them laid out as it might make it easier for you to reassemble.
Cleaning and refinishing
Once the engine is all stripped down and neatly placed into bags you can start sorting them into boxes. For example one for cleaning, one for chrome plating and one for parts that aren’t going to be reused don’t throw these out as they can be invaluable to measure new parts up against or you may need to supply photos when trying to find replacements.
There are many methods to clean the many different materials found inside and outside the engine. I mostly use vapour blasting as it is probably the most gentle on alloys and leaves a nice protective coating. I also have an ultrasonic cleaner which is great for small springs and nuts.
Inspection and preparation
Once you have your cases back from vapour blasting give them a thorough look to see if there are any cracks as now is the time to get them welded and blended out.
Check the internal bore of the cylinders; are there score marks or marks where the rings have been sitting? You may be able to get away with a simple hone or they may need a full rebore.
Check the condition of any bushes, do they allow too much movement of their mating spindle? They may also need to be driven out and replaced.
Get the crankshaft checked for balance as well as the big ends of the conrods. (This is probably a job for a machine shop). It’s a good idea is to take the barrels, crank, pistons, and conrods down so they can measure up and let you know if work needs to be done.
Once I am happy with the condition of the major components I will clean everything again THOROUGHLY! Don’t be in a rush to throw it all back together as most of the cleaning processes such as vapour blasting leave a fine-grit inside the parts. Wash everything in warm water and rinse many times to make sure nothing is left a small amount of blasting grit will do damage fast.
Reassembly
My best advice at this stage is to take it slowly. Make sure everything fits as it should and above all make sure everything is clean! I usually put down heavy-duty plastic cling film and clean each of the relevant parts with a product called “BrakeKleen” and then lay them out in order that I will need them.
Tip: Try doing a dry run first by assembling sections without gaskets or sealant just to make sure they all fit nicely. There’s nothing worse than having to clean all the sealant off and start again because something just won’t sit right.
Try using assembly lube with all mating parts that turn or spin inside a bush etc. (it will just be a little kinder to them on the initial start-up).
Take your time and try to assemble the engine in sections. Make sure you double-check with the manual and photos that you took to make sure you don’t forget a part of have something in backward.
Take note of bolt torque measurements and when tightening up multiple bolts holding down a single part i.e. head bolts tighten them by going in a diagonal pattern and starting at ¾ of the final torque setting on the first run then go back around.
Hopefully, these tips will get you started and make you want to give building your own engine a go. Building engines is an exact thing and sometimes it’s the smallest thing that will cause failure but don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work the first time, there are countless forums and YouTube videos that can help. My first forays into engines were not a spectacular success and I can remember sitting on the side of the road beside The Black Cat, my head on the tank totally beaten and ready to give up forever!
Give it an engine rebuild go keep persisting and eventually it’ll roar into life, and there is no greater feeling than having brought a motorcycle back to life with your own two hands and thinking to yourself, I made this.”
We hope that’s given you a bit of a peek inside the mind of a great motorcycle builder and shared enough information for you to take the first steps to try an engine rebuild on your own. Make sure you keep up with Ian and Black Cat Customs on instagram @blackcatcustoms
23:24 UTC
Mock drawing of frame modding I'll be doing next couple weeks-looking for input
2005 Ninja ex250, preliminary drawing for some changes to come, as seen in the drawing I'm welding a new rear frame, seat to mesh with frame, and some smaller fairings you can see at the front of the tank to round out where the tank fairings used to sit.
Right now I only have experience using fiberglass for custom seats, would that work with making that little fairing on the tank? or would I have better luck forming it with metal if I have experience there.
All comments appreciated, cheers.
01:37 UTC
Restoring my Brothers FIRST motorbike! | Yamaha DT50 - Part 1!
With progress still on-going for my Grandad's Ariel, we have another project bike on our hands to keep us distracted in the winter months!
My Brother recently got back his very FIRST road bike from when he was 16 years old, and it is in dire need of some TLC.
Bit of a spit-shine resto on this one, getting it all functional and....semi-restored....as we don't do proper concourse on this channel!
17:00 UTC
Do the venturis need to open at the same speed on carbs?
Hey all, I have a 1981 gs850 (BS32 carbs) and I was doing some research. So, some of the Venturi slides or whatever they are called, have an extra hole drilled in the bottom of them. I read that some people did this so the idle drops back faster? Either way, not all of them are like this, however the bike runs fine from what I can tell, maybe a little lean midrange which I’ll fix but what I noticed is that the slides with the extra hole drilled through them raised easier and came down faster. Obviously, makes sense to me, but since they don’t all have this, I wondered if this would effect performance since it seemed some needed less vacuum to open than others or am I looking at this all wrong. If the extra hole does effect performance and the little pops I hear when I let off throttle are from some slides not falling as quickly while the others do then should I drill an extra hole in the other ones? My thought was the little pops when coming back down to idle was that some of the slides were close but the bike was still up in the rpms because the other slides without the extra hole, were still slowly coming down. I don’t mind the pops but I’m not trying to mess up the bike.
16:40 UTC