need ideas about classic looking bike project

[Val]

Hi all,

need some ideas about cafe racer classic looking bike project - good oldish IL4 bike that can be transformed in good looking cafe racer classic bike.

Prefer inline 4, need to have decent suspension and handling 250-400, light.

So far looking at Yamaha XJR 400.

Any other models you would recommend? May go for two stroke, but good ones look expensive. Buying budget (without restoration/mods) bike only £1000-£2000.
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[stinkwheel]

I don't see how an inline 4 can make a cafe racer?

A chop yes but cafe racers are traditionally aircooled singles or twins.

You looking to hardtail it? Or stick with softail? Or just looking at bolt-ons?

Mono/twinshock?

For the "look" you'd be best with something that copes well with pod filters. And something aircooled.

To be fair. You could do worse than a bandit as a starting point for that kind of chop. Parts availability is good.

Trouble you'll have is anything with good handling and suspension will also have a minimalist alloy frame these days. Which makes radical alterations much trickier. Modern stuff with a cradle frame will be more road orientated then you need rearsets to give you a decent riding position if you're fitting clipons.

For less modern handling etc, a GSX400 or something like a GPz550 would probably work well.

A bike I think has a lot of potential as a cafe racer with razor-sharp handling and sufficient power (but questionable styling) is the SZR660. A TZR250 chassis rocking a 660 single lump. Practically the definition of a cafe racer before you even start but not an inline 4.

You can do some VERY pretty things customising a TRX850 and the handling should be great. But it's a twin and an 850...
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Val]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Aargh! My first bike was an XJR400. They're lovely looking bikes and yet they seem to be near the top of the list when it comes to butchering into a "cafe racer." Please don't!

[Undinist]

Some bikes have inflated values because they are too popular with the cafe racer crowd. My approach would be to start by looking on ebay for cheapies which don't get much bidding, then just let your imagination run riot.
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Current bike: K1100RS. Previous: CD200, GSX250, GT550, VFR750, K100LT, K1100LT, R1100GS, R1150GS, ZZR1100, Hayabusa, RSV Mille, MV F4 750S, R1, ZX-10, KTM Adventure 950S

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Kawasaki GT550 (I realise this isnt a 400). Proven reliability, shaft drive so easy maintenance (and look good on modified bikes I find), cheap as and they have twin shocks.

That or a CX500, similar to above, remove the subframe/rear section of the frame and it looks very minial as well.
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[almostthere]

cx500 are you fucking serious they were shite when they came and they haven't improved with age why the feck would you want to make a cafe racer out of some piece of shit courier hack
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[.Chris.]

What is it with café racers at the moment? It's actually getting quite hard (and therefore expensive) to find some formerly common and cheap old bikes now because they're all being chopped up to make these contraptions .

I wouldn't have thought a GT550 or CX500 would be a very good choice, on account of weight and shaft drive.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[Rogerborg]

Can you find and show us a picture of the sort of bike that you want to end up with?
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[stevo as b4]

I'm visualising something like a Rickman Z1000 with a half fairing, but it could be a tad out of budget?

I don't see a problem with an air cooled IL4 cafe racer build, but water cooled engines look crap in this application. What I do have a real problem with is people thinking any bike with a single seat and hump, is a cafe racer.

If it don't have clip on bars, it's just a naked bike, but it ain't no cafe racer IMO.

[Val]

[c_dug]

They pretty much make that sort of thing from factories:

https://img1.aeplcdn.com/bikewaleimg/ec/648/img/l/royal-enfield-classic-350-side-7993.jpg?20141405200742

https://images.mcn.bauercdn.com/upload/782/images/[email protected]

https://www.bonnefication.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2011-triumph-bonneville-1.jpg
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Suntan Sid]

Getting away from IL4's, you could look for one of these:-

https://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i189/boardthis/86SRX600originalstorebrochure0003.jpg

Comes in a 400cc version as well.
Just needs tarting up, rather than major chopping and changing, to get the look you're talking about.
The hardest part would be finding one.
Don't bother if you're over 6ft, they're tiny!
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[STONEY!]

You want to look at late 70's to early 90's bikes I'd look at suzuki's because the Honda/Kawasaki/Yamaha offerings just seem to fetch an unreasonably higher premium.

Gs250/400/425/450 twins all have potential as do the gs550/750 fours

[stinkwheel]