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1994 GSXR750 Cafe Racer

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TH427
Renault 5 Driver



Joined: 09 Dec 2011
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PostPosted: 00:17 - 17 Sep 2014    Post subject: 1994 GSXR750 Cafe Racer Reply with quote

Hi everyone! Been a while since I've posted here but I have a nice little project going on at the moment. I was looking to do a cafe build and was originally trying to find a Honda CX500, however the more I thought about it the more I thought the performance would be dull, so then I moved onto the idea of a Suzuki GSX750, and then decided I wanted sports bike performance but retro looks. So.... a couple of weeks ago I picked up a 1994 GSXR750...
https://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/TH427/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpscc89ab5f.jpg
The pictures flatter it's condition a little bit!

Anyway since then I've done a bit of stripping down and rebuilding...
https://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/TH427/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps3dbb5906.jpg
And now it's sitting like this...
https://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/TH427/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps190fad1b.jpg
All that's left to do is some wiring, painting of the seat unit, tank and front mudguard, getting a proper seat pad, relocation of a few brackets etc, proper fitment of exhaust and general fiddling to tidy the looks up.

Thanks!
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Diggs
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PostPosted: 07:14 - 17 Sep 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can see that in British Racing Green, wire wheels and an old Egli-Vincent style single headlamp fairing...
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almostthere
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PostPosted: 21:03 - 17 Sep 2014    Post subject: gsxr Reply with quote

Nice bike I like those old gixxers a lot of bike for a little money
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steveh
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PostPosted: 09:34 - 18 Sep 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe im old fashioned, but a cafe racer (in my eyes) is a non "sporty" bike, made sporty and sleek, lightweight and made faster..

Youve taken the aero dynamics away and made it slower?

Each to there own i suppose, if you like it thats all that matters, but you'd be faster cafe to cafe with the standard bike, youve made a good job of cleaning it up, motor looks good and the silencer suits the bike.

Get rid of all the clocks ect at the front end, plain single headlamp, wider clipons, single and simple speedo, and if you want to be really clever.. dual exhausts (that silencer would look nice either side)

but then again im probably biased as ive got a cafe racer.


steve.
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TH427
Renault 5 Driver



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PostPosted: 14:54 - 18 Sep 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lots of bike for the money! I got a few spares and a couple carbon exhausts with it too which I’ll make some money back on hopefully.

Wire wheels may come later one! I’ve seem some conversions done with supermoto wheels or wheels from a Ducati sport classic, British racing green did cross my mind! going to leave it without a fairing though.

You’re right Steve, it’s not a cafe racer in the traditional sense. I’ve had 4 different bikes each with different elements that I wanted to combine. I liked the retro look of my Suzuki GN125 I had, the character from the older engine and components in my GPZ600R, the naked styling from the XJ6N I had, and the sporty riding position and engine performance from the Daytona 600. For me this is the outcome!

Removing the fairing and making the bike stripped down for me increases the riding excitement, more exposed to the environment you’re in and making you more aware of the speed you’re travelling due to wind etc.

Twin exhaust would look good! Although that’d be something to do further down the line along with some spoked wheels.

Wiring all the lights in and painting is next on the list of things to do.
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P.
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PostPosted: 15:21 - 18 Sep 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

But... thats like castrating your main bull Shocked

Why not buy a crashed one and ruin it Sad

However, am watching with interest... some things do end up looking quite good Surprised
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TH427
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PostPosted: 15:34 - 18 Sep 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Forgot to mention it's been dropped before! Fairing is smashed on one side and fairing support was snapped, (which I only realised when stripping it down, thought the fairing moved around quite a lot when riding it 80 miles home, just thought that's the way the bike was haha)
Thing is the price I paid for this one and the money I'll get from the bits taken off and from the exhausts etc that came with it works out less than a properly crashed one, plus less bits to replace and don't have to worry about chassis damage etc.
Hopefully it won't turn out rubbish!
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rideslikean00...
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PostPosted: 17:37 - 18 Sep 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

TH427 wrote:
thought the fairing moved around quite a lot when riding it 80 miles home,


Is that 80 miles back home, at 80mph back home or perhaps a mixture of both? Wink

Interesting idea. Would not expect to see an older version of my dream bike being used as a cafe racer project but I'm sure it would generate a fair bit of interest with people trying to work out what is is/was. Very Happy
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TH427
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PostPosted: 19:20 - 18 Sep 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well had just purchased the most powerful bike I have ever owned, I'll let you assume how fast I got home and at what speed I travelled on the 80 mile ride home!
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beardface
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PostPosted: 22:48 - 02 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice, would look ace with wire wheels in BRG Thumbs Up
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TH427
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PostPosted: 13:30 - 14 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Small update, all wiring has been rerouted and is working, forks have been vinyl wrapped in gloss back, wheels have been painted, exhaust bracket made up, discs refurbished, clocks mounted and the tank, seat and front mudguard have gone to a friends to be painted. Not the best quality photos but should have the bodywork back Sunday and fitted so I'll take some better pictures then.
https://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/TH427/A39F7A0C-C47F-4F7C-A001-602A1B1BB876_zpsyddkjhxj.jpg
https://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/TH427/525971D2-662D-4952-8003-02AB8531BAE4_zpssmgltizf.jpg
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TH427
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PostPosted: 15:09 - 14 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can see that side of the coin! I'm just enjoying what I'm doing with it and how it is turning out.
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beardface
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PostPosted: 15:43 - 14 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can't wait to see it finished, good work Thumbs Up
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TH427
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PostPosted: 18:08 - 20 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some important bits of progress made!
https://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/TH427/Mobile%20Uploads/86284B2F-F722-4E8B-A5D9-2B0E51D5FF9D_zpsuexgdnes.jpg

I now to cover the seat, check all the torques, change the coolant reservoir, give it a service, and some other bits of general fiddling and mucking about.

Come Christmas I will be fabricating a new subframe as the current hacked up version of the existing one is a bit scrappy.
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2000 Suzuki GN125 (Sold) - 1989 Kawasaki GPZ600R (Sold) - 2010 Yamaha XJ6N (Sold) - 2004 Triumph Daytona 600 (Sold) - 1994 GSXR750 Cafe Racer
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stevo as b4
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PostPosted: 18:56 - 20 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

It looks a bit better now!

I can see both Steveh's and Iain's views on this though. The fact that the bike looked better in the before pics than you say it was probably is a factor too.

Personally I see that If it was kept as a tidy late water cooled beam frame GSXR and maybe smartened up and re-painted in a single colour less shellsuit, it could have been good too. But It's not a desirable variant of the 750, so they are cheap and a bit more unloved than an Oil boiler or SRAD, so I don't see a problem with chopping one around either.

The idea that a non sporty bike is the ideal base for a café racer is very sound too, but I think where you have ended up is way better (exhaust excepted) than it would have been as a sportsbike with the fairing ripped off and renthals fitted for the scabby streetfighter look.

I think the cradle frame reminds me a little of a Norton featherbed, and is aesthetically better for a café racer than a modern big beam frame bike would be.

But I do think that overall the only style of modding that really suits big GSXR's is the stretched out extended back end lowered look with a Drag pipe, big bottle of Nitrous and straight bars. It's kind of the law for big GSXR's IMO! Laughing
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TH427
Renault 5 Driver



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PostPosted: 19:36 - 20 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers, the bike was quite a state before being taken apart yes, and I can see why some think it should be restored to former spec.

It was never a desirable model and I doubt it will ever be against a oil cooled bike. Cradle frame design and engine were outdated, fairly lardy weight also, I think Suzuki tried to cover those facts with large brakes, braced swing arm and USD forks etc.
The good thing about the water cooled bike though is the bolted on subframe as opposed to the welded unit on the oil cooled bikes. Means everything can be returned to stock, only parts that I'd need would be a new subframe, mudguard/battery holder, the broken fairing/clock mount, and the tail panels which are beyond repair on one side. However just a restoration paint job would cost maybe twice what the total build has cost so far!
Big GSXR's do look good with a drag look, think that's down to the muscle appearance of the frame, tank and engine etc, love the cradle frame.

Not sure I am happy with plain black, might try use some vinyl to create some subtle Barry Sheene colours.
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2000 Suzuki GN125 (Sold) - 1989 Kawasaki GPZ600R (Sold) - 2010 Yamaha XJ6N (Sold) - 2004 Triumph Daytona 600 (Sold) - 1994 GSXR750 Cafe Racer
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Supermoto_Fan
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PostPosted: 19:43 - 20 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

I liked it.

I still like it.

Spoked wheels, gold. With a British racing green finish would be superb
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 19:59 - 20 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

stevo as b4 wrote:
It looks a bit better now!

I can see both Steveh's and Iain's views on this though. The fact that the bike looked better in the before pics than you say it was probably is a factor too.

Personally I see that If it was kept as a tidy late water cooled beam frame GSXR and maybe smartened up and re-painted in a single colour less shellsuit, it could have been good too. But It's not a desirable variant of the 750, so they are cheap and a bit more unloved than an Oil boiler or SRAD, so I don't see a problem with chopping one around either.

The idea that a non sporty bike is the ideal base for a café racer is very sound too, but I think where you have ended up is way better (exhaust excepted) than it would have been as a sportsbike with the fairing ripped off and renthals fitted for the scabby streetfighter look.

I think the cradle frame reminds me a little of a Norton featherbed, and is aesthetically better for a café racer than a modern big beam frame bike would be.

But I do think that overall the only style of modding that really suits big GSXR's is the stretched out extended back end lowered look with a Drag pipe, big bottle of Nitrous and straight bars. It's kind of the law for big GSXR's IMO! Laughing


Surely it's up to the owner to decide what they want to do with their bike? Some may not like it if certain models are chopped and changed to suit an individual's taste, but you do what you like, let others do what they like. I quite like the result achieved here Thumbs Up

I wholeheartedly agree with you stevo about original "fight in a paintshop" colours of some of these GSXRs, and a few Yams too of that era - colour schemes best eradicated where found and forgotten about Laughing

As to drag strip bikes, nah, I'd have to start that with an 11 lump; all about extremes init Wink And personally, I like the first gen bikes for that look Smile

I've always loved the early GS and Z bikes of the 70s myself, the old, heavy air cooled stuff. Been eyeing up a nice condition GS1000E lately, and that got me to thinking; on the one hand it would be a real shame to change it from standard. But another (perhaps stronger) part of me says I'd have to do the kind of mods that were done back in the day: 4-1 pipe, 2/4 style seat etc. I love the look of a good Wes Cooley replica, Eddie Lawson Kwak etc. There's a race series in Japan where they update and modify these kinds of bikes, and some of the results are stunning. It'd be a shame if it was the last of it's kind, but I also think as long as there are a handful of pristine, bog-stock machines in a museum or collection that can be viewed by Joe Public somewhere, why not?
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Bikeless
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PostPosted: 22:20 - 20 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the gixxer up and over frame ruins the lines a bit,tried photo shopping it black?
Good work though,I like it.
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Matt B
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PostPosted: 10:37 - 21 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

No Blade wrote:
I think the gixxer up and over frame ruins the lines a bit,tried photo shopping it black?


Agree - makes it look like a GS500 Shocked could be better with a black frame...
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TH427
Renault 5 Driver



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PostPosted: 12:15 - 21 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the big aluminium cradle frame looks awesome, the most defining feature of this era of GSXR's I think. I wouldn't have chose any other sports bike to do these kind of modifications to, I don't think any sports bike with a beam frame of a similar age looks particularly good naked, or suits this kind of modification. Especially bikes within my budget. Of course this is all just my opinion!
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nowhere.elysium
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PostPosted: 13:07 - 21 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

chickenstrip wrote:
Been eyeing up a nice condition GS1000E lately
https://www.quickmeme.com/img/e6/e6fea896cac0c47d842509af713c5f34720dd73f414f56d144ea6037d8a4464a.jpg

BCF needs more oil boilers.
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almostthere
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PostPosted: 20:42 - 21 Oct 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the frame looks great looks good in black too [/img]
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