77 GS400 to Cafe Project

[pete]

Cool, just thought I'd throw the 450E/S tank in there

Those cans should look good and yeah, glad to hear you're using an impact driver, beats the hell out of chewed out philips head screws!

As I said in Raids thread looking at my 79 frame going Hmmmmm what to do.I will be interested to see how this goes!

Dont hold your breath.......this is a longer term project

Mark

As I said in Raids thread looking at my 79 frame going Hmmmmm what to do.I will be interested to see how this goes!

Pete

I already had the GS550 tank on the way. Reasonable condition and price GS450E tanks appear a rare as rocking horse pooh. I do have 450E side covers already that will need a little modification to fit the 400 to make the squared off look im looking for.

I also have picked up some cans for the shorter, kicked up look to put on the headers.

Only the motor to go on the dismantle. Right now the impact driver is my best friend!




Mark

[pete]

Mark, I'm in! When I initially wanted to cafe my 450E before my wrist buggered up, a Laverda 750SFC was my inspiration when I watched one race at Queensland Raceway, that was a sweet lookin' machine! Looked identical to this minus headlight etc.:



Anyways, try a 450E/S tank for style, doesn't look too far from the Laverda and you shouldn't have to bash it, but you may need to adjust the mounting for your frame.



Ignore the masking tape stripes and stuck on paper, I was just playing with some paint ideas, but you can see the general shape of the tank there, just thinking it may be more straight forward than bashing a 550 tank instead.

I acquired my 1978 GS400 about a month ago with the idea of doing a cafe racer to keep me busy for a few months. Bike rides and runs OK. Motor appears sound, but the rest of the little GS has had a hard life. After trolling the net and this board for a while for ideas and after many changes of mind, I have decided to do somethinmg a little different to the mainstram Cafe thing



So the idea is to take this basically stock GS400 and using the styling of my favorite bike that got away, make it look something like this


　


Some of you may not of seen or heard of the Laverda Montjuic 500. It was perhaps one of the original factory cafe/Hooligan bikes and something I would dearly love to own but beyond my reach since my move to the USA. In the late 70's back in the UK, this was fairly exotic and expensive compaired to its Jap rivals, but for me one that I now regret missing. I appreciate this project may not be to all tastes, but this is the plan.

• Overhaul/Replace; brakes, bearings, carbs, add Pods and paint or polish all metal surfaces, hex bolt almost everything........all normal resto stuff
• Shocks and Forks upgrade
• GS550 Gas tank to be beaten into a shap resembling the Lav tank
• GS450ET side covers
• Airtech Laverda Seat (I admire the guys here doing their own glass work, but not for me)
• Custom Rearsets + 2into2 exhaust - stock headers aftermarket mufflers mods to frame to accomodate all this.
• Acewell digital all in one spedo/tach (Mine are beaten up)
• Laverda or Jota Bars (Adjustable any which way)
• ....and Im sure lots more as I get into the restoration.

Progress expected to be very slow but will post progress and hang-ups here.

Mark.