750 cafe project

[beergood]

I am doing all of the work on my roommate's new brick patio that we built in time for a Memorial Day BBQ. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to work on it for fear of staining it. However, it was the only spot on the back yard that had any shade. And I did spend a whole day digging, grading and building it, so I figured I have a fair claim to it. Luckily no fluids were spilled.

The new panels are much more flush and considerably more 'sporty', at least in my opinion.

Here is a youtube video of me revving the engine. I still have some fine tuning to do, but you kind of get an idea of what the bike sounds like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQdjxS8EEV4

The list of projects is still large, but it is steadily getting smaller.

Tomorrow my replacement taillight arrives. I am a little annoyed that I bought it last Monday night and it won't get here till tomorrow. The ebay guy might have a good excuse, and I don't want to be a jerk about it, but a 9-10 day wait for something is getting a little bit long in this day and age.

 

[Zooks]

Hey Dude,
I love the fact that you resurrected this thread. The bike looks as cool as ever and with faithful assistants like that you are truly blessed my friend.

Keep us posted, I enjoy reading your posts.

 

[PreppyR6]

I absolutely love your bike and its inspiration for my current 550 cafe project

http://www.monkeyriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2058

 

[beergood]

Hooray! Taillight finally came in. It is off an L model (I think) so the bracket wouldn't work with what I had. I was at the hardware store with the intention of buying some steel or something to fab a mount. Then I saw the joist brackets on the end of an aisle. I love when 'nature' provides what I need mostly ready made.

I torqued the living hell out of these bolts, used lock washers and locking nuts. This thing had better not be going anywhere.

 

[gustovh]

There is a bit of blue smoke coming out of the exhaust when you revv. What's with that?
V

 

[Commodus]

Looks great man.

You should look into picking up the MC from a Katana. The angle would be right for those bars.

 

[mriddle]

Nice job ..

Mike

 

[Smokinapankake]

Beergood,

I just finished reading the entire thread (29 pages!) and I gotta say- You are absolutely the salt of the earth my good man. Nowhere else have I read something with such candor, wit and well written quality outside Bike Magazine's Mike Ferrentino, circa early 90's. I quit reading Bike in 98 or 99 when Surfer Publications sold them to Peterson, I think. Anyway, you are truly an artisan of the highest order. And by the way, I love your bike. Very Very Very well done.
I too am a bicycle guy, have been for many years, but since my 82 Katana came back into my life I have lost most of my bike (bicycle) lust. And this just a couple of years after I built a Curtlo Epic Mountaineer. Not really lost it as I've misplaced it. All I want to do now is ride and screw around with my motorcycle. But don't worry, the passion is still there, just hiding.
Again, well done and kudos to you.

 

[beergood]

Wow, all 29 pages. I feel like I owe you a lunch or something. Thanks for all the compliments.

To be honest, writing about the work was actually a very enjoyable part of the process. It was a definite good thing to get all the feedback and encouragement, especially when the project was in its most daunting phases (i.e. boxes o' parts scattered around a garage).

I am in no big hurry for this years riding season to end, although I am growing more and more excited about tearing back into the girl and remaking her for next year.

I have a couple motor issues (oil seepage, pretty sure the stator is starting to fail, etc.) that will most likely require a partial rebuild. I am keeping my eyes open for an 850 head, but lazily.

I did just win what the seller claims to be a good working engine, no leaks or rattles, on ebay. He has a ton of good feedback, so I am prepared to believe his claims. It came off a bike that he was parting out rather than restoring. It was local pickup only, but he lives about 30 mins from my GF's family, which I will be conveniently visiting in a couple weeks. Two birds with one stone. I have no problems with my lady's folks, but turning the 6+ hour round trip into a bike related venture paints a huge smile on my face. Oh yeah, the best part? The motor cost $45. A used stator usually fetches $50-75.

Right now I am thinking about partially blackening the engine (probably just the head, it's a pain keeping those fins clean), painting the frame blue and the tins white with blue accents. I am also hoping to pick up a couple spoked wheels. I have reached out to the guy that I bought the motor from, he says that he will be parting out the rest soon. From the year that he listed, I am pretty sure he has wire wheels. It would be nice to place two rims in the trunk while grabbing that engine. Just waiting to hear back.

I also think that I am going to make a new tail section. I want to do something a little simpler/smaller/lighter, while retaining the ducktail design.

530 conversion is the next main project. Rearsets are still sitting on the horizon, but they are getting closer. As are suspension components.

As for the pedal powered two wheel hobby, two summers ago I logged around 1500-2000 miles. This last summer I did maybe 10% of that. Which really has me bummed when I think about it. But it was just too damn hard not to hop on the Suzuki whenever the weather was nice. The motorcycle is great, but it doesn't really do much for the old mid-section. And with a handle like Beergood, you can imagine that I have a couple extra calories to be burning. I have made a resolution to ride the bikes more next year. Really. Honestly. I will. I promise.

*Has anyone else noticed how easy it is to write a long reply when they are avoiding doing actual work?

 

[TheCafeKid]

Beer, that thing is the cats a$$ my friend! I REALLY like the knee inserts. Im wanting to do it to mine ( i have put a 4.8 gal "GL" tank on mine, lil fatter and taller) but ima have to practice on an old cruster first as im scared hehe. If i can ever find the damn cord to my cam ill get some pics of my 750 cafe up here... Gorgeous bike man!!

-TCK

 

[LeeGS550E]

Beergood,
I thought of you on our group ride this weekend.

At about the midpoint of the ride, the group stopped at a gas station. I had been bringing up the rear most of the ride. We had been riding on a very rough road, with a few sections of gravel. I'm riding on my 550, which is made out of spare parts, and has had every nut and bolt removed and replaced over the last year or so.

So when I came out of the gas station with a Gatorade in hand, what did someone say to me? "Lee, did you lose your tail light?" And my response as I looked over at my bike? "I guess so." Damnit!

I immediately thought of your post. The whole damn tail light unit had rattled out. Luckily, another one of the group members hooked me up with some zip ties and an extra Ni*ja tail light when we stopped by his house. So I made it home through the dark with a legal breaklight and no tickets.

Its a $30 lesson that I need to check my bolts more often.

Cheers,
Lee

 

[beergood]

At least you weren't up front. Dropping a depth charge like that could seriously bum another rider out. Then again, someone might have noticed it happening and you could have recovered it.

Oh well. As I have learned, it's all about the locktite.

 

[t3rmin]

(What Lee doesn't know is that for a joke, we unscrewed his light and gave it to the cliff-jumping CBR600 kid. Funny joke, huh?)

 

[darkbane]

You really need to keep this thread alive. This is a great cafe, with a lot of Originality....I love it.

Beergood>>>do you ever venture over to Chicago? If so, you should let me know. There's a lot of great motorcycle events where your bike would fit right in. My buddies and I have formed a motorcycle club (see sig.) that's going strong. Monday nights and Wednesday nights we have bike nights and a ride once or twice a month, plus attend all of the events in between.

I'd love to check out your bike in person.

Cheers.

DB

 

[darkbane]

Forgot to mention. I love the extra touch of the red Calipers. Looks really cool.

 

[beergood]

Wow, my threads alive again. I am waiting on some workspace to begin my various winter projects, hopefully that will happen after the holidays. Then I will be posting in this thread again, with a vengeance.

I try to make it to Chicago a couple times a year, I love that city and have a lot of friends that have moved there over the years. Have you ever been to Delilah's?

http://www.delilahschicago.com/

I realize that might sound like a stupid question, but many of my friends that live there have never heard of it. Some of my buddies are stuck in a college sports bar state of arrested development that I fear will go on forever. Anyway, I'm a dive kind of guy, so when I was there quite a few years back with my then roommate, and we asked our cabdriver to take us to a dive, he took us to Delilah's. When we walked in they were playing Dead Kennedys on the stereo and serving dollar Pabst. My kind of place.

However, the closest I made it on the bike last year was Jackson, MI (a little over halfway there). I am hoping to ride all the way next year, and I will definitely look you up when I do.

And you gotta paint your calipers. It just brings it all together.

 

[darkbane]

Delilahs is a cool place. That is were they host Mods Vs. Rockers. If you haven't heard of it, I'll show you some pics.

About the only bars I'll step in will have some sort of PBR special. That's the way I like it. I know what you mean about the sports bar friends. I have that same problem.

All next season is going be filled with a bunch of riding, so definitely give me a shout when you're in town.

 

[TheCafeKid]

Hrmm If you would have me DB, im only bout 4 hours away. Wouldnt mind hookin up with you a Proteal55 sometime next summer. Plan on having my butt in the saddle ALOT whence this spring rolls around and my cafe is done. :-D

 

[Perimeter85]

Delilahs is a cool place. That is were they host Mods Vs. Rockers. If you haven't heard of it, I'll show you some pics.

About the only bars I'll step in will have some sort of PBR special. That's the way I like it. I know what you mean about the sports bar friends. I have that same problem.

All next season is going be filled with a bunch of riding, so definitely give me a shout when you're in town.

Yessss. They also have a Smiths/Morrissey night. I haven't been there yet. But have heard great things.

I thought I'd revive this thread cuz I remember looking at it last year when I got my GS450 project and really liking what you did. Cafe all the way.

I am in Indianapolis, assuming I can get this terd of a bike running I will probably be riding to both Detroit and Chicago. I have lots of friends in Chicago and my dad lives in Detroit. So if you guys want to cruise drink the liquid gold that is PBR, I am so down.

DarkBane, have you been to KUMA'S CORNER?? I was looking at the Half Fast site and saw a bunch of guys/bikes I know I have seen at shows up in chicago. Then I recognized Big Black from working at KUMA'S! I told him he had a nice Van. But he was in the middle of kicking some yuppie ******* out. It was entertaining. Hell for all I know you are big black.

CHEERS

 

[darkbane]

First....to The Cafe Kid, I didn't see your post on this thread. You are more than welcome to come down, over, up or whatever. There's is much to be done this spring/summer/fall. We just had our Burning Love Party at the Cobra Lounge and it was a huge success, there were a Ton of people.


Perimeter85...Kuma's Corner kicks my ass. I can't go in there without walking out full as all hell and buzzed from the great selection of beer. I am not Big Black, but I do know him and he's a great guy(with a kick ass van). He also works at The Cobra Lounge on Ashland Ave. That's where we hang out on Wednesdays and on the weekends and after ever Windy City Roller Derby Bout.

We're planning a lot of different events this coming riding season. Besides the rides we plan on having at least once a week, we are planning a block party with the Continental, which is were we always have a good turn out of bikes on Monday Nights in the summer.

The next thing we are planning is a Scavenger Hunt. I don't have full details yet, but we are thinking about start the scavenger hunt in the morning at Kuma's Korner, and ending it at The Cobra Lounge. Again, nothing is official, but I'll definitely post updates when I have all the details, or just beFriend us on our Myspace Profile, we always post bulletins about what's going on and where we're going to be.

All are welcome, just come down, hang out, drink (or not) talk bikes and have a good time.