Cafe' Racer XZ550

[Flying Spanner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHpzXo5yVuI

Here's a video of my Cafe Racer running. Gravity feeding the fuel with plenty of head pressure delivered to the carbies proved to be the answer.

The video doesn't really portray how bloody rowdy this thing is. I'm sure my neighbours love me

[Flying Spanner]

So I soldered up my fuel leak (only for it to start leaking again but that's another story) and fitted the fuel tank.

I then give the bike a quick once over and check all important bolt's & nuts for correct tightness last thing I want is an axle comming loose or worse mid ride.

Time to take it for a run!!!!!!

I sit on the XZ and fire her up. My Fiancee' follows me out the drive on her KLX250 Motard.

After a quick stop at the service station to check the tyre pressures. I point the XZ for the open road north west of Chch airport.

The first ride went well and I'm grinning like a teenage boy after his first coital experience.

After getting home and a celebratory beer I write a quick list of points that will need correcting before I'll be totally happy with my bike.

* The exhust is obscenely loud and will need shutting up a little as there is no way it'll get a W.O.F. as it is now.

* I'm leaning forward way too much, as the bars are very low. Even after only this short ride I was starting to feel dis-comfort. I'll sort out a pair of clip-ons as this should raise the bars 50mm or so and move them rearward a little too.

* Standard carbies are shyte! The engine keeps hunting and won't settle down to a proper idle. I think I'll persue a Webber IDF conversion ASAP.

* Speedo is under reading. The standard front tyre size is 90/90/18, currently it's fitted with a 110/90/18 which has a greater circumferance which has put my speedo out a heap. The tyre I've fitted to the front is actually the standard rear tyre size (I was planning a 120/90/18 for the rear) so I'll swap the tyre presently fitted to the front onto the rear and order a new tyre.

So a few things to sort out but I'm still absolutely stoked with how it's turning out!!!

[nudemetalz]

This is quite an interesting project.
The XZ400's were criticized for being horrendously overweight, so how many kg's you shave off it?

[AllanC]

The longer mufflers work well. I've fitted one to the XJ550 that I have bought for my Fiancee' it still has a good sound but is not obscenely loud.[/QUOTE]

Looks like I'll be getting the longer one then (it even sounded loud in your You tube clip!)

[Flying Spanner]

This is quite an interesting project.
The XZ400's were criticized for being horrendously overweight, so how many kg's you shave off it?

Thanks,

Yeah the XZ was a bloody heavy bike. I haven't weighed the bike yet. But it is a lot lighter than the standard machine was. It doesn't feel much heavier to push around my garage then the wee KLX motard now

[Flying Spanner]

Ok so I deliberatly haven't shown you any photo's of the entire bike yet as I was going to save them for when she's finished.

But it's getting pretty close to being done now. Just a few wee things to sort now.

So without further addue, please be upstanding for "Rowdy Sue" My Cafe Racer XZ400

[AllanC]

Looks great, really well done. Give yourself a pat on the back

[Vacquer0]

Very nice. I've been looking for my "winter" project. Wanna build a little racer, too.

[tigertim20]

This is quite an interesting project.
The XZ400's were criticized for being horrendously overweight, so how many kg's you shave off it?

the electrics were the bigger problem, mine was plagued with them.
fun bike still though.

Youve done a fantastic job getting this thing going man, it looks great!! I I dont usually like cafe's!

[Meerkatt]

Good things...
it goes, sort of
you made a seat
you sorted some electrics
you sorted a tank

well done

not so good....
its an xz400
the seat stands way out from the frame looking like a mismatch
comfortable?
needs proper bars and rearsets for rider geometry
gauges look naff - maybe source a single or pair of good rounds?
WOF any time soon?

but still ... well done

[Flying Spanner]

Well the Cafe Racer hasn't had a lot of work of late.

But I have fitted a pair of clip on bars off a FZR250 to it. This lifted the bars up almost 2 inches and rearward about half an inch. This has made the bike much more comfortable to ride.

In this bikes usual way solving one problem created three others. So now the key has been mounted on the frame under the tank. Also I had had to make new mounts for the bar end mirrors to work with the FZR's threaded bar ends.

[AllanC]

So where are the pics?

[RAJAH1]

I think it looks cool. Great job. Underated bike, mainly cos of its nasty looks in standard trim ! Robert Holden won a production race on one of these!!!! rider ability no doubt helped but not sure he would have done the same on a CX500 or a few other contempory 500/600 twins :-) Had thought of an NV400/500 Cafe Racer project at times.