My 78 GS550 Cafe Project!

[bhppy101]

Nice work, man! I am in the process of turning my 78 550 into a cafe right now. How did you get the master cylinder to fit on the bars without knocking into the fork?

I had absolutely no clearence problems with the master cylinder....I did have to move the brakeline that connects to the master cylinder by loosening it up and swiveling it around.

[bgmart450]

Thanks.....That is the stock fender.... I sanded down the chrome with 80 grit....than primered.....and then paint and clear. I think it will be ok....Just as long as you have a good surface to adhere to.

Sanded by hand or mechanical means? I would love to lose the chrome on my fnder as well.

[bhppy101]

I used a palm sander.....but I'm sure that if you used some 60 grit by hand....you can get the same results.....just make sure that you primer it with a bunch of coats and sand with 400-800 grit in between primer coats to get rid of all of the scratches from the rough grit.

[Albert257]

Wow, I just found this thread! I love your bike!! I have been dreaming of doing this exact same thing to my 79 GS750!! Have you considered making a fiberglass tank??
Also, do you have any pictures of the bottom of your seat? I would like to see how you mounted it to your frame. I went out and bought my fiber glass and resin a few days ago, and I just saw this thread for the first time today!! If you have a chance, please email me pics of your fiberglassing process for both the seat and the side covers. I am also thinking about fiberglassing my fenders.

my email address is AMLeffel@gmail.com

Keep us informed on all your progress!!

[jaberwok]

Looks real slick man..... Nice work for sure! Someday I'll get to do a similar project on a bike... being a poor student is no fun! haha

Do you fly scale gliders at all... ever done any aerotowing? It's a lot of fun. I haven't flown in about a year, but I used to be an avid RC'r because my Dad was so involved... every weekend growing up was spent at the local flying field or flying at home behind the barn... ahhh, the good ole days :-D

Anywho... your 550 looks great!

Cheers

[bhppy101]

Looks real slick man..... Nice work for sure! Someday I'll get to do a similar project on a bike... being a poor student is no fun! haha

Do you fly scale gliders at all... ever done any aerotowing? It's a lot of fun. I haven't flown in about a year, but I used to be an avid RC'r because my Dad was so involved... every weekend growing up was spent at the local flying field or flying at home behind the barn... ahhh, the good ole days :-D

Anywho... your 550 looks great!

Cheers

Thanks! I have one scale glider....its an ASW27 with a 10ft span....I have never aero-towed it....just slope....and it is gracefull and fast! I'm lucky to have slopes all around me and all along the coastline.

I got my 550 back together last night and took it to work today.....ran perfectly!!

Heres some pics I snapped outside when I got home tonight. I do not have the speedo or tach on...I am making a bracket to attach another set.

[bhppy101]

Wow, I just found this thread! I love your bike!! I have been dreaming of doing this exact same thing to my 79 GS750!! Have you considered making a fiberglass tank??
Also, do you have any pictures of the bottom of your seat? I would like to see how you mounted it to your frame. I went out and bought my fiber glass and resin a few days ago, and I just saw this thread for the first time today!! If you have a chance, please email me pics of your fiberglassing process for both the seat and the side covers. I am also thinking about fiberglassing my fenders.

my email address is AMLeffel@gmail.com

Keep us informed on all your progress!!

I will take some pics of how I mounted the seat in the next couple of days....I just put it back on last night...so I don't want to take it off again....lol....sorry

What I did was make 3 mounting tabs out of 3/8" flat steele....I welded one on the center bar in front of the battery/airbox....and 2 on the inside rails on the back.....I drilled 1/4 holes in the metal tabs and used that as a guid to drill some holes in my seat pan. I use 1/4" grade 5 bolts and nuts with lock washers to hold it down,

I was thinking about making a tank out of another stock tank.....not all out of glass....just the rear....and to build up some leg inserts....I dont think that I'll be doing that to this project....I think I'll save it for the next project.....I am looking at re-doing a CB750...or a Harley sportster.

[pozzi]

I will take some pics of how I mounted the seat in the next couple of days....I just put it back on last night...so I don't want to take it off again....lol....sorry

What I did was make 3 mounting tabs out of 3/8" flat steele....I welded one on the center bar in front of the battery/airbox....and 2 on the inside rails on the back.....I drilled 1/4 holes in the metal tabs and used that as a guid to drill some holes in my seat pan. I use 1/4" grade 5 bolts and nuts with lock washers to hold it down,

I was thinking about making a tank out of another stock tank.....not all out of glass....just the rear....and to build up some leg inserts....I dont think that I'll be doing that to this project....I think I'll save it for the next project.....I am looking at re-doing a CB750...or a Harley sportster.

my vote is for the CB!

those make great cafe bikes.

bike looks great all cleaned up.

[bhppy101]

my vote is for the CB!

those make great cafe bikes.

bike looks great all cleaned up.

I know...there's a guy here in Cali that makes them out of CB750's!...I would love to mak one like one of his!



But my ultimate goal...is to mak one of these out of a harley twin motor!

[pozzi]

I know...there's a guy here in Cali that makes them out of CB750's!...I would love to mak one like one of his!



But my ultimate goal...is to mak one of these out of a harley twin motor!

yep, Carpy! that guy is KING of cafe's! seriously. he's got skillz!

within 1-2 visits to his site I fell in love w/ cafe bikes...
honestly, that's what made me want to build a project bike rather than plop $2500-$3000 on a Bandit 400 or Hawk GT650.

would love to eventually have Carpy build something for me, but who knows, if it turns out to be enough fun, maybe i'll continue to build bikes on my own!

i've seen the American Cafe Racer bike before.
looks mean! but the big ol' belt drive just doesn't fit IMO.
old harleys (aermmacchi) are the only ones that hold true to that cafe blood...
if harley still made a frame/engine design as sexy as the Aermmacchis i'd consider one of those as well...
just look:



but alas...the've long forsaken their Italian bastard children and gone on to ape hangers and springer forks...:barf:

[hp1000s]

There's some guys in the UK, www.thetankshop.com that make the most beautiful hand-hammered Cafe tank/seat combos for Sportsters. Check-em out.

[bhppy101]

Finally got my gauges worked out for now..... I took some gauges from an 80 GS and fabbed a mounting bracket....My plan was to get rid of the idiot light cluster but keep my neutral light......I endd up buying a green LED light assembly from Radio Shack and mounted it in thee cress member of my gauge bracket. It works perfectly!!:-D

[bhppy101]

Here are the gauges from the front...they are alot lower than they were with the original bracket......I also painted them black...including the chrome backs....I left the front rings kind of a brushed aluminum look.

[bhppy101]

Ok....She's up for grabs....Time to move on to another project. :shock: I thought I'd give everyone on the forum a chance at it so here it is on Ebay with NO RESERVE!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230041855972&rd=1&rd=1

[pozzi]

Ok....She's up for grabs....Time to move on to another project. :shock: I thought I'd give everyone on the forum a chance at it so here it is on Ebay with NO RESERVE!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230041855972&rd=1&rd=1

WOW! selling her already, eh?

what else you got on the plate?
looks clean.