CB750 cafe racer build

[Conquiztador]

But if U can do it, so can I!!!

Thanks for inspiration!!!

[kneescraper]

Thats pure sex mate, youve done real well. I was unsure about the top triple tree but it looks real good fitted to the bike.

Why do you shorten the travel lengh of the steering?

[jonbuoy]

I had to shorten the steering lock as the clip ons would touch the tank on full lock, it means I have to do an Austin Powers style 20 point turn to turn the bike around - I can live with that. Its all in bits again - dropping it into the powder coaters tomorrow. I've ground a fair few brackets off the frame that weren't needed. Left the centre stand bracket on for making up a paddock stand at a later date.

I stripped the oil tank and instruments covers myself as they were thin steel, I wanted to fill in some of the bumps and dinks in the tank with liquid steel myself. Should be able to handle the powdercoating temps. I'm going for aluminum ceramic coating on the swingarm, instrument covers and oil tank. The rest will all be black.

Looking forward to seeing it come back and what this ally ceramic coating will look like. In the meantime I'm putting the top end back together on the motor and touching up other bits. Carbies have been stripped and re-assembled- the only bits out of the service kits I needed were the gaskets and the float bowl springs. Inlet rubbers are rock hard - I'm hoping a good boil up in ATF will soften them enough to put them back on.

I've stopped keeping receipts now... Hope to have her on the road for Spring I'll have to start having a look around for my Leather jacket, pudding bowl helmet, draggin jeans (with turnups) and some Biggles goggles

[jonbuoy]

I was thinking of not having idiot lights but they are handy, I made these from some LED's from Jaycar - only a couple of bucks each, they even had a decent bright blue one for high beam.
As the tail light I'm using is pretty old school and doesn't have a reflector I've put one of Jaycars LED stop/tail lamps in the tail light - its bloody bright and should last a while which is just as well as the bulb is a bit of prick to change. The bike came with an aftermarket oil cooler but its an ugly bit of kit I don't ride in stop start traffic very often and the motor is stock so I think I'll be OK to ditch it.

[kneescraper]

Awesome mate, call me stupid (well, dont) but whats liquid steel. Is it like a bog for metal or someting. I was looking for something to fill my rather deep scraps on my engine casing after the fall. Maybe this "liquid steel" would do the trick?

Looking forward to the completion of this bike, cant wait to see the end result!!

[psyguy]

hi jonbuoy
always a pleasure to read your updates and see the bits you fabricate yourself!

[jonbuoy]

hi jonbuoy
always a pleasure to read your updates and see the bits you fabricate yourself!

Cheers mate.

[jonbuoy]

Awesome mate, call me stupid (well, dont) but whats liquid steel. Is it like a bog for metal or someting. I was looking for something to fill my rather deep scraps on my engine casing after the fall. Maybe this "liquid steel" would do the trick?

Looking forward to the completion of this bike, cant wait to see the end result!!

Its a two part metal epoxy - good for up to 200 degrees I got it from supercheap auto, good as a filler.

[deanohit]

Only just found this thread and read through the whole thing over breakfast. Ya bike is looking awesome mate, always loved the look of a Cafe Racer and your one is starting to look real sweet.

[jonbuoy]

Only just found this thread and read through the whole thing over breakfast. Ya bike is looking awesome mate, always loved the look of a Cafe Racer and your one is starting to look real sweet.

Thanks mate.

[jonbuoy]

HPC get a 15 out of ten for service. I didn't think the frame would come up as well as it did. The pictures don't do the finish any justice. Aluminum ceramic finish on the swingarm arm and clocks is perfect - it looks like polished/lacquered aluminum, you can tell it isn't when you get really close up, I prefer the look over chrome and its a fraction of the cost. The black powdercoat was done in satin finish -looks better than when it rolled of the Honda line. They masked off all the bearing surfaces, everything was bubble wrapped and protected when I picked it up, I even got a free notebook.

HPC - http://www.hpcoatings.co.nz/

[jonbuoy]

More bling.... If I hadn't have just put the top end on the motor I would be tempted to get the whole engine done in it too. Maybe in a couple of years if I ever do a big bore upgrade.

[Conquiztador]

HPC get a 15 out of ten for service. I didn't think the frame would come up as well as it did. The pictures don't do the finish any justice. Aluminum ceramic finish on the swingarm arm and clocks is perfect - it looks like polished/lacquered aluminum, you can tell it isn't when you get really close up, I prefer the look over chrome and its a fraction of the cost. The black powdercoat was done in satin finish -looks better than when it rolled of the Honda line. They masked off all the bearing surfaces, everything was bubble wrapped and protected when I picked it up, I even got a free notebook.

HPC - http://www.hpcoatings.co.nz/

HPC is good. While U at it, get the internals of the motor done too. Piston, head, valves and springs. U won't regret it!

[psyguy]

i can definitely tell that's going to be one mean cafe racer, mate!

[jonbuoy]

Engine is done new:
gaskets
rings
hone/skim
valve's and seats re-faced
new cam chain & tensioner and runners
Dyna Electronic Ignition,
finned covers.

I replaced the standard rubber o rings in the head gasket kit with some Viton O rings (a staggering $25 for 8 O rings). Should last a lot longer than the standard ones and keep the leaks at bay. Cases polished or sprayed with supercheap auto engine enamel (big mistake, its shite I went for this when I still had a budget in mind for the build). Should have used VHT, bit late now though. Next step is to shoe horn this mother into the frame without damaging the powder coat.

I impulse bought another CB750 today as well, this one isn't road registered - I think its been raced in post classics. It was on trade me a while ago and I missed out on it - 2nd time lucky. Its got proper spoked wheels, twin drilled discs and some other trick looking bits on it. I'm thinking I'll swap the alloys for the spokes on the cafe racer, the alloys have been bugging me for a while - they don't look quite right, not wrong just not right. I'll make the other one into a CR750 replica for track days or have a go at the post classic racing myself, haven't decided yet.