Your videos have given me a lot of confidence for building my first cafe racer. I know I'm gonna run into frustrations along the way, but that end goal of something beautiful that has my blood, sweat, and tears in it should hopefully keep me motivated. Thanks for the list, and I'm excited to see your channel grow!
Amazing, I'm glad they help you. Every project will give you frustration but keep a cool head and know if anything goes wrong or you get stuck there's always a solution
+1 for the Suzuki GS! proud owner of one just recently. didnt run when i bought it for $500. was last running in 08' but with tlc and some time and effort it pulls hard now. well built engine. cafe racer here we come!
Just wanted to stop by and say that you really inspired me a couple years ago to start my build. I have a 1982 GL500i which is basically the touring version of a CX. I found a good deal on a clean one and after watching your cx500 series I knew I had to try it. It's been a long project but the end is in sight, and the bike runs and drives wonderfully! This channel was a huge inspiration and gave me a lot of confidence going into this project, so thanks!
I myself am 6'4" and own a '83 GS550 cafe - this is a reasonably comfortable bike and quite fun when the engine comes to life in the higher rpm range. I typically ride a '99 Harley Sportster 1200 custom scrambler, a '09 Honda XR650L, and a custom S&S powered springer/chopper, but I could not pass on a solid running $700 cafe/street fighter. I love this thing, it is so light and nimble compared to the heavy American bikes, plus I rarely ride bikes with sportier riding geometry. I'm ready to start my own build on a GS platform now. These high revving little monsters are a delight, if I may say so. Thanks for the video, it was entertaining enough for me to hit the subscribe button. Keep it up!
I'm doing a GS1100g for my first build. I plan on doing it area by area as the bike is going to be a daily driver as much as it can be. First on the list is going to be upgraded gauges to digital, upgraded headlight with integrated indicators, clubman flat bar with a downward orientation, bar end mirrors, seat, possibly a floating rear fender, and brake light with integrated indicators. It'll get stripped down quite a bit for aesthetic, but all in all the work will go quick on the first grouping. Eventually I'd like to rejet the carb, upgrade the muffler to make the bike run as quiet as humanly possible, but also install an electronic cutout valve on each side to take the exhaust from quiet purr to screaming roar when the occasion calls for it. The bike is currently orange in a bobber/cruiser configuration and will eventually get resprayed in a matte black with a pearlescent white. So far that's all I have on the list.
Just started watching your videos and i can't stop. I just picked up my first project bike. A 92 Yamaha XJ600 Seca II (Diversion) for $400. Gonna turn it into a Streetfighter/Cafe. Got a lot of work ahead of me.
I'm doing a 1980 cb900f at present it's had a gsxr750 engine fitted from a 1988 bike been stood up since 2001 got it a year ago now got stuck into it this is the biggest project I've started got wiring mainly to do and styling but it is unique itself biggest problem is the fuel tap fits between the carbs and the head who started it rushed some of the important parts so taking it back and taking it one part at a time been watching your channel very informative and helpful all the best
For The Bold - dreegez the videos your making are great its showing me small jobs like rear hoop fitting I'm to in the UK suffolk near Ipswich I haven't yet got the luxury of a work shop so I'm picking good days to get on with the build I'm disabled so further to the challenge I would like to fit forward controls regards mark
I have a GS750N & L model in the garage. Both are fully disassembled. I have plenty of GS parts on hand and plan to start a cafe project bike. Your GS looks great. In the late '70's, I had several GS750 and 1000's. Both were fast and decent handling bikes in their day. Thanks for the videos.
For The Bold - dreegez ..... Soon, we will share a few photos and/or videos of our build. Thanks for the inspiration! My son and I are having a good time with the build.
Ok.....now i worship you!......you completely understand exactly what i love and enlist in a gorgeous build.......art is how ART DRIVES....ty.!!!......you understand how different i am from most.......
Working on 2x Suzuki GS'.. a 450 and a 750. Unreal that they both had gear selection displays on the guage clusters back in 1980. My 750 even has disk breaks in the back (dual disks in front). And crazy dependable. Started the 450 in 2 min after it sat with zero maintenance for 3 years.
My vote is for the Yamaha XS series. Beautiful straight seat line, minimal welding, strong straight 2,3 or 4 cylinder (depending on displacement). Direct drive.
I have an 83 Virago - the monoshock version. My experience is limited but have found there are a number of solutions to avoid the issue you describe with welding a new sub-frame - I bought one from an Australian fabricator I found on RU-vid. Electrics kind of terrify me - I'm completely ignorant (I can understand things that spin and drive but the magic, invisible power is a mystery) - but, again thanks to RU-vid I found a system from a German manufacturer that is completely solid state, does away with mechanical relays - which also resolves the issue of where to relocate parts - it's called a Motogadget M Unit - mine is ordered and on its way to New Zealand now. You should definitely check them out. The web has been amazing - it's like doing an apprenticeship where you can get fired up, but never fired. I enjoy your clips, thanks for your efforts.
In the US, the transverse v-twin Hondas were sold as CX with the twin shock set-up; monoshock versions were sold as Silverwings. Transverse v-twins just look rad.
Hi, i work on my Suzuki dr Big 800. I try to do a scrambler...well maybe not the tipical one, but something that i really ride everyday going to work and on weekends - a make-a-trip bike. I really learn many things from you and the channel! Cheers mate!
I have a Honda cb400a I got for $350 dollars here in the state’s ,wasn’t running but the compression was great ! Got it running in about 1hour ,then I changed all the vitals ,sparks plugs,oil filter and oil runs great ! Cut the back end off and welded a seat hoop on also cut the fenders to a nice arrow tip shape on the ends . Put some enduro tires on it .looking pretty cool so far ,trying to come up with other ideas as well 🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧
XS650 in my opinion tops out this list. Parts availability is insane you can just about build a bike from scratch. Upgrades for this bike are also endless. It's also an easy foundation to start with. Most of the frame mods will be cutting excess bits off. Oh and they sound great too!!
The last cafe racer I built (Back in the early 90's) started life as a Suzuki GP100. It was done on the cheap, But I think it turned out quite presentable. The only silly thing I did was at the end with the paint scheme. During the build I was constantly being told by friends that I was silly to be spending all this time modifying a "Toy bike", So as a sort of p*ss take, I painted the frame blue, The tank, mudguards and seat were red, Then the wire wheels were stripped and powder coated bright yellow. I was going to get some "Fisher price" stickers made up for the tank but never got around to it. :)
Well traditionally Cafe' racers were small displacement bikes that had been stripped down to make them nimble and quick for racing through city streets. ...Aping the small road-race bikes popular in Europe in the 50's thru 70's. Seeing people call Honda Goldwings with glass seats and low bars "Cafe'" makes me wince. To me any of the Yamaha RD series is the perfect cafe' ride. A little modern to be authentic maybe. Smaller 4 cylinder Hondas are good too along with some of the Euro singles. It needs to be compact and light. Quick but not necessarily fast. A BMW R series is not that. ...anymore than a 4-seater can be rightly called a sports car. Cafe' styling elements do not make it a Cafe' Racer.
You talk about tradition, but that doesn't mean that the term cannot evolve, as Ducati made the SportClassic with a Cafe Racer feeling in mind, and I'm not saying that it is one, because it's not, but it's neither all about the technical specs, I believe there is a mix between styling, functional and technic elements to call a bike a Cafe Racer.
@@eddiecaplan1908 Those are definitely my top as well as the five in video. Very true but classic seems like a subjective term (except for specific 50 through 70 cafe racers) it really depends on the individual's experience. But I'm sure we have all seen someone take a bike and completely change every part to a mod to the point where it's original bike (make, year and model) is unrecognizable and might not really matter what they started with because it is a different bike than for the example of a 35+ year bike from Japan that has been sitting collecting dust. But basically the conclusion is doing ones homework and knowing what you are capable of doing/affording.
Just stumbled across your channel after I was looking for a Suzuki GN 125 build, your other videos are great that explains the designs and such. Keep it up, love the tip number 5 - Don't Give Up
thanks for the videos it's nice to find a build that's not a cb. I have a 78 gs450 that I'm going to turn into a brat and I've gotten so much of the knowledge needed to do this from your videos. thanks and keep up the good work
I'm glad they've helped you. I think CB is the natural choice for cafe racers as they already have that look without doing too much. The GS is a trickier bike I think as at times it's pretty clumsy looking, but I like mine.
I'm working on a Virago XV1100 - twinshock. Have a set of Kawasaki ZX10 forks to go in, a TR1 tank and will clean up the rear subframe, lights and hide the electrics under the tank. But ... I've had a word with myself and I'm not allowed to start on it until I finish the Honda VLX600 bobber and Yami FZS 600 Streetfighter / stunt bike projects ... there's just never enough time in the day to crack on with the fun stuff!!!
let's not even mention the FJ40 or Cobra projects!!! Or house renovations!!!!!!!! Anyway - keep up the good work - I'll flick over some photos and links once I get the Virago underway.
My current build is a ZX6R 1997, this will be my 6th "Café Racer" in a row, although I don't build to sell I've been fortunate enough that people (posers) chase me down and have offered me real good money. I've hit the problem you discribe, the better looking bikes now cost too much, so I've moved on to 80's and 90's, but with a bit of imagination and a reasonable skill level you can create something credible. It's a shame the " buy em can't build em " brigade are paying so much for ready built that it's pushing up the prices of even the "Vanilla" bikes, sorry CX500 included, don't get me wrong, looks cool, but it will never be a performance bike, I think later stuff is going to change the way "Café Racers" will evolve into a more modern version of the classic. Nice stuff by the way.
with exception of the mono shock builds, 95% of the other cafe racers still look unfinished when they're completed. because of that big open space under the seat that is bordered by the sub-frame tubes and the rear shocks which draws your eye to that open blank space which just enhances the unfinished feeling, the lack of a rear fender doesn't help. whoever built that CB cafe in your video understood that and took care to make sure that space was filled which made that build look and feel completed. one thing i will say about the virago's, the virago with the best looking engine is unfortunately one of the smallest, the 535, that engine looks so classy, i love that little bike, it's just too small.......
The Honda CB (K or G) is definitely the best coffee racer donor bike if you ask me. But I think you should choose the twin version even if that motor is much smaller, because then you have a much elegant form because the motor isn’t wider than the fuel tank.
My project is a 1996 bmw k1100rs. It's kind of a weird choice, but it's a really kind of a strange project though. I'm referring to it as a wasteland scrambler, it's kind of like a post apocalyptic bike built pre apocalypse(so without faux aging, rust, etc). I just loved the look of that flying brick motor, single sided swing arm, and shaft drive. So far I've done a bunch of precision machining(I'm a machinist with access to some pretty fancy equipment), and I'm using some fancy motogadget components, but really in the end I'm hoping to have a purpose-built looking bike rather than something polished.
I just picked up a GS650 for $350usd. It runs kinda... it needs the infamous ignition piece that I’m just going to upgrade. And a full tune up. It doesn’t look the prettiest right now but it’s all there, it’s gonna be a great project, especially the price!
The Honda CB-750 if you want 4 cylinders. If you want a single to have a modern version of say, A Matchless G-50 then it's a Yamaha XT or TT-500. If you want a modern version of a Triumph twin, it's the number 1 bike to do anything with, Yamaha XS-650. Just my opinion.
82 Virago Build presently undertaking. Minimal welding to do if subframes are purchased off the shelf definitely need a donor front end Wiring can be tricky (Im doing barebones)
The Virago also comes with either dual shocks or as the modified bike on the list had, a monoshock that goes up under the tank, this makes it so cool when its converted into more of a sport bike! 👍😎 But seems like a Little more advanced and expensive to modifiy then the others
my virago was much harder to handle the carb servicing than my CB with standard config. i have the CB now and its a joy in contrast. but virago is a fun bike and sounds nice. the front and rear cyl's run different temps because of air flow and both carbs have different specs too.
Donor bike costs in the States are catching up to yours in the UK. In my area, anyway. A non-running 1984 Virago is going for $1100 on Craigslist here. Granted it's been available for awhile, but a running 1985 700 is selling for $1900! Same goes for costs for CB, CX, and GL models here. Just sky high here.
I´m working on a Suzuki Gr 650 from 1983. Downside of it is that it´s a very rare bike and hence it´s very hard and expensive to find spare parts for it. Also it´s a monoshock rather than a dualshock which I prefer more. The rear frame would also need some modification in the future. Today I´m gonna go pick up a Suzuki Gs tank for it ;) Good side of the Gr is that it has a straight-twin engine like the good old British bikes. One that would be interesting to work with would definitely be the Yamaha Xs.
I've started a love for monoshocks, I used to really like the bulky back ends of the twin shocks but now I like that void a monoshock creates. Good luck with your build
I had an 83 Virago 500 monoshock I was working on for a year. Ended up selling it because it got pretty far outside of my current skill set, I would fix 1 thing and something else would go bad. Luckily it went to someone who knows how to work on these bikes. Now I am currently working on an 81 CM400, the subframe on these bikes are really bad so I am fabricating an entirely new subframe to get ride of the weird angles that the stock seat mounts into.
There’s an interesting video from Clasified Moto on their RU-vid called ‘last of the XVs’. All the issues they had and why they won’t build them any more
A great donor is a rd350. I have a 1973 rd350 that has been comply stripped and wet now weighs about 230 and i put on jl pipes and dg heads with clip on bars and many other parts. She is all black except for the gold heads and gold chain and gold yamaha logos on the tank and is really a sight.There is a lot of forums out there for this bike and two websites dedicated to 70's two strokers.
Sounds good, can't beat a 2 stroke engine. Your comment came through as I was recording next week's video, so your name will come up on that no doubt Ron Burgundy
Currently in my stable here in the US is quite a list FTB. Oldest to Newest.... 1973 CB350 Four 100% original with 11K miles 1974 CL200 Basket Case (Future Cafe or Brat) Naked Goldwing 1975 GL1000 100% original also Naked Goldwing 1975 GL1000 Parts Bike 1975 CB550 Four very slightly modified. I'd say 75% original 1986 GL1200 Fully Dressed Goldwing 2003 Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic, 100% Original with just 5,500 miles 2004 GL1800 fully dressed and comfort fitted for long trips with trailer Plans? CB550F will get a mild Cafe` "Ish" build CB350F will always stay 100% Original as it's a time capsule. Three older Goldwing's are up for sale CL200 will eventually be a full Cafe or Brat build Yamaha V-Star is the in town cruiser GL1800 is the Long Haul Comfort car on two wheels. When I run out of room, I sell off the bikes that get the least attention to make room for others on my wish list. Right now, CB750 K0 or K1 and a CB900C are the last two I'm wanting to add to the stable. Cheers and thanks for your time put into this video! Zip~
Best bike for cafe racer is a Moto Guzzi, the engine is air cooled unlike the Honda cx500 and there are loads of fairly cheap ones around especially 90's to the 2000's. The engine is beautiful, fairly bulletproof and easy to work on. For some strange reason Moto Guzzi's are totally overlooked, yet once you take off the seat and fuel tank you already have a fantastic basis for anything you want to build. I have a Moto Guzzi which I have modified and a CX500 that is staying totally original. I guess I see things slightly differently, I actually love the CX that Honda built and most Moto Guzzi's but there are some where Guzzi got it wrong so fair game for cafe modification.
Unfortunately the Guzzis in the UK still fetch a high price for a project like this, especially when compared to the CX but I agree they're beautiful engines.
@@forthebold you can buy the Navada or Florida very cheap and underneath there is the same frame and engine just needs a different tank and seat and handlebars to change to cafe. Also during the late 90's early 2000's moto guzzi made a few styling mistakes with their bikes so they are not so desirable but again the frame and engine is still the same. These can still be found for less than £2000 and mechanically they are fairly bulletproof, just needs tank seat and clip-ons to make them look beautiful.
I got a sohc cb750k 1975 for $100 here in the us. Was only the engine and rolling frame, some one took the body parts and electronics and left it out in the woods by their home Litrally. The carbs and points timing was the only thing wrong with the engine, it runs great. Still in the prosses of building it into a cafe racer.
@@forthebold I got the bike on the road yesterday and it ran perfect through all 5 gears up to speed. I dont understand why it was parted in the first place. I am the happiest person in the world right now, this is my first bike.
Kawasaki's 250 makes a damn good looking Cafe style Bike. Especially for someone with limited experience. BCB makes a great kit. I'd just want to add a headlight fairing from the Harley catalogue.
It really does come down to skill! With enough skill anything has potential. I personally like vintage English (bsa, Norton, triumph) 1930s and 40s Indians and Harleys, and for Japanese I had a virago great base, and the Hondas cbs.
Suzuki 650 Savage / Boulevard L40. Such a beautiful thumper motor that you can do nearly anything with. The frame and running gear is shite, so to do it up right is almost as involved as a Virago, possibly more, but the versatility of that lump is inspiring!
I also own a KZ650 and am wanting to convert it over to a cafe racer. It's a '78 with a strange angular gas tank. If you're switching out the tank what tank are you going for?
I own a sym wolf classic 150cc and it pretty much a cafe racer out of the box really inexpensive model after the honda cb125s quality built with a 2 years parts and labor warranty weather your a beginner or we'll seasoned you can't go wrong with it and it goes highway speed and gets 85mpg but you have to run 91octain
I can second what you said about the Virago. I've got an 82 750 - the mono shock. I'm going for more of a bobber look, but I can definitely say that it has NOT been an easy build. Almost a year later (working on it off and on) and I'm still having trouble getting it to run. And the fabrication once you remove the stock seat and subframe, is a challenge also. I've enjoyed it, and I've learned a lot. But, if I could go back, I would have gotten an xs650 or an old Harley instead (again, I'm more into bobbers and old school choppers).
Your CX500 build series gave me the inspiration to get at it again. It's been sitting, neglected, for the past couple months. I stripped down the wiring harness and last night it made a little noise! So, baby steps in the right direction!
Honda XBR500 for me; the purity of an air cooled single, twin shock and mine came with spoked wheels so the build was relatively simple. Still took ages though!
picked up a honda cg125 copy and gunna be turning it in to a cafe racer lookalike (wont be breaking any speed records) managed to get it for £50 so im laughing found your channel and watching alot of your videos
Thank you for a good show! I´ve just done my first cafe racer projekt it is a Kawasaki Z500. Next up will be a CB500 Four. Sounds good that it is a good beginners bike its just hard to plan what you should do before hand. I would like to do a bmw sometime but im pretty novice so i will stick to the easy ones until i can handel the bigger ones :)
I remember watching the thing being sawn in half as it went to bike heaven. The inline carbs were awesome. Saw a pretty mint one going on our local classifieds for over £4000! Anyway, loving the channel. Hooked on the CX500 build. Should give a bobber a bash next! :)
I have a 84 Honda Nighthawk cb650 and a 1980 Suzuki gs550. The Suzuki already has the café look. I would just have to add whatever modifications if I need to. The Honda is stock but I know some of the parts like handle bars, headlight, seat, directional etc. would fit on the Honda. I don't know which bike to choose. Also, is there a way to increase the CCs or horsepower on the GS550
To be honest once you've shifted all that extra weight off the bike you'll probably be happy with the bike rather than the expense of increasing the power. I guess compared to new bikes it's not much but I'm more into enjoying the ride and the build than after the power.
Virago is the best donor for cafe's. Every Virago cafe's are bad arse. The Virago in your thumbnail I guess it's by JT Moto and I'm a big fan of that build. But in India we have only Royal Enfield as a donor for custom build because of it's high availability of spares and low cost.
virago,everyone is looking to modify the monoshock one from '82-'84,and not the dual shock.If someone makes a little bit of search,he'll find out that only one or two dual shock viragos have been customised as C.R. The dual-shock has a better frame and in general a better engine(the e-starter on the monoshock is problematic),and for last,Viragos are pretty cheap here in Greece,compared to the other models you mentioned.
Singel upper tube on the frame (under the tank) is a thing whorth consider when chosing a bike to build. Real proud of my Honda FMX scrambler. But reasantly I got a scratch on building a Transalp whit V-shaped upper frame, so I'd be glad fore a tip in case I cant hold myselfe :)
You said that the virago goes for $1,000 where you are, but they do in the US too. Perhaps it's more common to find them for less in the US, but I'm sure it still costs less than a bonneville (and if I'm wrong, at least you can buy a bonneville for less than a virago lol).
Great videos man, keep them up! Lots of enjoyment and knowledge from what you have to say. Good luck with finishing the project...I'm thinking of a BMW K75 as a first cafe project. I love the look of Mike Flores k100 shown on bike exif. How difficult do you think it would be to replicate that, with a few personal changes, of course.
That's a nice bike. And Mike Flores K100 is brilliant example of a clean and simple bike. The only thing you might need to spend a bit of work on is the seat cowl.
It is a good bike. Only things to look out for (like with any old bike) pre 1980s charging system if you're looking to add a lithium battery, old rubber that needs replacing and the trouble with ignition points and carbs.
The guy who has it has the carbs tuned, and of course recommended upgrading the ignition. Other than that, all it needed was a new front tire and it was ready to ride, or modify. Was going to trade my 4 wheeler for it, but he wasn't interested. Now I'm getting a 77 Yamaha XS650 with only 10,000 miles. It will need everything, but it's been stored inside all these years.
Amazing, if it's running fine for you then it's half the battle done. I've just come across an issue with mine where the rubber manifold intake boots have finally given up the will to live. Thats my next expense on the bike. Good luck with yours.
Mate that virago from the top pic is diffrent that one on bottom one. The year older versions of the yamaha xv(before the virago) have different version of the frame(mono shock and twin suspension)
Good video - your points are clear and the narrative is pretty logic. I'm currently working on a GS1000G (yes, the driveshaft one...). Lots of opportunities there - I wish I were more skillful and experienced though! :-)
I have a real Challenge, I buy a Honda Pacific Coast 800 ´94, and my final project is a Big Cafe Racer Motorbike, I am in design stage, and cleaning the chassis from plastic pieces. Best Wishes and Regards from Copiapó, Atacama Desert, Chile.
First... thanks for all the amazing videos! I've always wanted to build a bike. Just starting out with looking into a build. This would be my first bike and first build. What about the Yamaha SR400 as a platform? You can get a newer one (2015ish) for a 3 or 4 k so I'd assume you'd have a fresher engine etc. that would need less work etc. I think Yamaha makes bolt on parts too if you don't want anything too custom? Are there advantages to the CB4 over the SR400? I think my big disappointment with the Sr400 so far is it seems to not sound super great from videos I have seen. I like the look of the smaller more tear shaped tank it has though. It just looks more old fashioned which is what I'm going for in my build. But coming from the car world and I'm big into how things sound.
So you’re correct. If you go with a newer bike you have less issues and less cost to correct. You have a good wiring system and engine. As for sound you can easily change that with exhausts. I think you’ll be fine
Entirely up to you and how you want the bike to look. Also depends on the condition. There'll become a point where all these stock bikes will no longer exist.
Not that it matters a lot, but the Virago on your pictures do not match. The original on your pic is XV 535 while the cafe Virago is XV750 (mono-shock version).
I have the Honda Rebel 500 and although a beautiful bike I really want to change the naked/cruiser style to more of a cafe racer look. Started getting worried it wasn’t going to be possible you definitely gave me hope. Any tips or tricks to what to look out for would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again in Advance
Hey man been watching a lot of your stuff. I want to pull the trigger on a 1982 cb650 in good shape. Im a beginner and have no experience. Love the mono shock setups. Also want to do a fork swap but not sure if im capable of doing that. Will keep following to get all the help i can get. Cheers
+Juan Lopez I think the more variety there are in the cafe racer building scene the better it's going to get. A lot of cb fours and viragos etc. So definitely open for more alternative bikes
