CX 500 Cafe racer

[nisp]

ok, so like the title said this is a cafe racer build.

I know many of you may not think a cx or the effectionatly named 'maggot' will be a good bace. but there are shining examples of these bikes.

I have a plan to follow, well a image. that alot of people dont seem to have when doing builds. so I like to think im 'organised'.

I think the seat is the best place to start as this I noticed this can make or brake a bike.

In the next post I will hopfully have a mild strip down of the rear end and if i can find some polystyrene foam stuff (not as readaly available as you might think) then I can start shaping the important bump stop seat.

first here is what i want the finished artical to look like (hopfully)
https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/bikeproject2.png

And heres what I have to play with.

https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/DSCF1757.jpg

It has a HD sportster rear end can wich sound nice but isn't what im looking for put it that way.

Thanks for managing to get to the end as im not that good at explaning. and if you complitly missed me, im going to turn the bottem picture into the top one.
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Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[Hobgoblin]

looking forward to watching this thread develope!
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Plodding along on my CG

[mysterious_rider]

AWESOME! Mate, rat style cafe racer!!

[nisp]

I suppose if this was a chapter of a book it would be intitled 'The quest for foam'

as I had to go a little off the beaten track, to put it lightly. foam is one of those things where it goes to the shops but never goes on the shelf.



where I got my polly foam from --------VVV

https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/DSCF1657.jpg


and BINGO!!


https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/DSCF1658.jpg


The foam was sized for a base and was build up using the 1/2" free foam from chernobyl and stuck together using expandable foam, expandable foam as glue you say? I found out the hard way it's very sticky and walked aroung the whole day with hands from the living dead. but on the pluss side it dosn't melt the precision cut strips

note the compleat disaster of seat Mk.1 in the photo below

https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/DSCF1765.jpg

I know the pictures arn't exactly the same size :\ but they are smaller than they could be >

I am at the current stage of laying down the last peices of ex-foam to sand into shape.

https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/DSCF1766.jpg

Next time... frame rail bending and finalizing the shaping
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Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[groovylee]

dude! theres snow in your garage!



lokking good so far
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Past - 1988 honda revere 600, 1996 kawasaki gpz500s, 1999 Yamaha R6

Current - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000R & 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R

[Moo.]

Someone got dandruff?

Watching this with interest got the potential to look friggin awesome!!
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A2 Passed 18/6/10

[stevo as b4]

Hey ambitious but interesting project you have got there.
As said a CX500 cafe racer is at best an oddly unusual build, but if it can end up resembling the vision you have in that first picture, then i think it's going to be a very interesting and almost epic bike project.

You certainly couldn't do anything but improve a CX by making it lighter, better suspended and braked and more aerodynamic.

Nice to see something unusual going on too, and i'd much rather see a CX500 transformed into something a million miles from what it started as, instead of another Slabby GXSR streetfighter prject or similar.

[nisp]

right first thing, it's not snow or dandruff.. it's my peeling sunburn

I have slight work to do on the LHS of the rear bit of the seat. but it's getting on and moving.

here is a picture of the seat the way it is, I will get some photos of the bike out side where I took the first photo from.

I have also included a picture of the handel bars im going to use as with clubmans, they look a bit stupit, lets be honest.
and with clipons the old handle bar holder is exposed leaving a great big empty space.

https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/DSCF1776.jpg

https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/DSCF1771.jpg
____________________
Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[mysterious_rider]

So so cool! Keep up the good work.

[Carl_steveo]

Could be pretty sweet!!
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Current: Honda Nsr 125
Live: Sunderland
Luke "cant be arsed to read your post, but suck my balls anyway."

[Frost]

I think the biggest things to make it look more like a racer are clip ons, and longer shocks.

[nisp]

I would like clip ons, but apart from the thing i said before, but have you seen the price? :O

I am going to get some chrome shocks just like those on there, but more shiny. the ones on there are on the lowest setting to accommodate the look of what ever the hell the other owner was going for..

seat in the sun

https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/DSCF1780.jpg

remember there will be a litle wipac light on the end and the numberplate.
it may look a bit big atm but if any one can edit the photo to shear there idea then be my guest. also note there will be a 17" exhaust setup so the seat may look big untill those are on there.
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Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[Whosthedaddy]

It could look really cool, that engine looks really good.
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Frost]

[nisp]

ahh spose.. the ones I were looking at were stupid money.

I have found some 35mm clipons which are about ooooooo. 99p but the postage is £7 so i might just pick them up as they are not far from me.
____________________
Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[nisp]

well I've done some progress on the seat as you can see in the picture it's "a little ruff around the edges" but with some more layers of fibre it should have a little less bumps but with some sanding and some filler it should be good to go and you can see it on the bike in it's solid state. then after I can start stripping.

https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/P1060767.jpg

does any one know if this runs thing on runs on leaded fuel? I have heard mixed results but mostly irrelevant dribble.
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Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[Frost]

Halfrauds do a tissue rather than a weave which is much much finer.
https://www.yzgtbx.com/cp/html/images/1190096312.jpg
You might get a better finish.

[_Iain_]

Regarding foam, check out ebay for some stuff called "oasis foam" if you find a need for some

Other half does a lot of floristry shit, she uses it for bases & it's effing brilliant to work with. Proper easy to shape into whatever...Unsure of price though.
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[beast rider]

An idea on the bars, if you flip them over and then turn upside down it should give you the look and feel of clip ons without the cost.

[Moo.]

Should run on unleaded fuel, I had a 1970 Honda ss50 and even that ran on unleaded, my current super dream is the same era as the c , and that's unleaded too
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A2 Passed 18/6/10

[nisp]

[beast rider]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh i see, your right it does look shit

[nisp]

You'll have to excuse the dust didn't have enough time to breath it all in. but the seat is.... getting there, need to smooth out the high and low spots then cover with another layer of fine glass cloth, then it's onto the mounting...finally
https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g164/Blurredman/P1060796.jpg

because I'm more of a engine man the only way I think of betting more in the way of handling is obviously tyres but I have heard people dropping the front down an inch or two but don't really know what it would do to the characteristics?
Is there any worthwhile tricks to do with the suspension to make the bike act like a Indiana Jones mine cart?
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Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[virus]

lowering the yokes (i.e. more fork sticking out of the top) sharpens the rake angle and makes the bike more quick to turn but less stable at high speeds. then again, its a CX, it needs all the help it can get, I suggest 10mm drop and go from there.


Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Name_goes_here]

Liking the idea
Just seen this on ebay...
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Current: ZZR600

Previous: TDM850, ZX7R, TRX850,TDM850 (seriously underated bike!),XJ600 (owned for 6 hours), BMW K100, XTZ750, TDM850,GSXR600, FZR400 Streetfighter, XJ600 Streetfighter, ZXR750, FZR600 (Killed in the side of a car) And some little crappy things ridden round fields