Cafe Racer Project Advice needed please.

[twostroketit]

Ok here is my project,a Suzuki SB200

https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/2007bikepics001.jpg

This bike was bought from a local breaker 2 years ago and was a one owner from new 1980 model,unfortunately she hadn't been started for 14 years so had seized.She freed off when she was pushed forward gently in gear.When i stripped the engine down the top end was fine,there was no damage to the pistons or to the bores. The carb slides were seized as well but freed off easily enough,the inside of the carbs were in a right mess and took two weeks to clean out, a bloody nightmare.When i tried to take the back mudguard off it was rotted right through and fell to pieces.After trying to get another one for months and failing i took the decision to junk the seat,the mudguard and the rear light and turn it into a little cafe racer.I was keeping the bike round a friends house but that meant i couldn't get there to work on it very often, so i've now brought it back to mine and i'll work on it here.Not ideal because my shed is full so i'll have to work in the garden but never mind. I only took the one picture when i bought it so i will go out tommorow and take some more. The sb200 is a very close relation to the GT200X5.They share the same engine and frame,the major difference being the SB has a four speed gearbox instead of five,the carbs are smaller and it hasn't got electric start. The X5 also makes about 2 more horsepower and the compression ratio is higher on the X5,i've yet to find out how. The X5 has a disc brake and cast wheels and more racey bodywork. So my intention is to get it up and runing as a cafe racer and then as funds allow to add X5 carbs and get it faster.
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

[Thom]

i'll tell you why this has had a limited response.

It's a PIG to read!

Paragraphing was an amazingly useful innovation, wasn't it?

Nice bike though, whats gone on with the red kicker?
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Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[nowhere.elysium]

Looks like fun, dude. Any chance of more current photos?
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[twostroketit]

[Thom]

to tell the truth im after a small capacity project myself and would kill for a similar project!
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Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[twostroketit]

I made a start today,first things first... I've did some spending on ebay a year ago and bought these goodies
https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1722.jpg

The tank is off an X7 and has been extended a few inches. somebody else can take the credit for that,they've done a good job.The seat unit is Yamaha TZ i think,loks just right i think.
The Microns are a bit of a gamble as they are not for a Sb200 or even a GT200,but they are in new condition.
I pulled the old exhaust off and trial fitted one of the Microns,it's the right diameter for the downpipe but the rear brackets don't meet up,so i'll have to do some work there.
https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1726.jpg
I got all excited then and started balancing the bodywork and the microns on.I think it looks great,but then i would wouldn't i?

https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1730.jpg

https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1731.jpg

Started stripping the frame down ready for painting,one thing that's not going to get changed is this blue tape and sticker on the clocks. It just seems evocative and it's a link to the only other owner of this bike,so it's staying on

https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1732.jpg

I finished off by dropping the engine out of the frame and taking off the front footrest bar. I am getting quite a pile off unwanted Sb200 bits,so i might be able to raise some capital there.
I've still got to get some proper little clip ons, sort out some rearsets and fit the bodywork so there's a long way to go yet.Oh yeah,and i've made up my mind,she is definately going to be painted white and blue.My second favourite colour scheme after Yamaha's yellow and black.


One job i did manage to when it was round my mates was to ditch the fork shrouds so it's now got exposed springs for that authentic 1970s race look.

https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1736.jpg
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

[BenR]

Looks the nuts, shame about the push bike tyres but I doubt there's nothing you can do there. Are going to change the drums for discs?
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Current bikes: suzuki RG125UN wolf. Yamaha MT-07

[simk2]

Looking good so far

keep up the good work
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I Really Need Parts For My Bike

[McGee]

Needs clip ons
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◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[twostroketit]

I know what you mean about the pushbike tyres,but that's just what bikes were like in the bad old days.
I could put the X5 forks and cast wheels in then i would have a disc on the front,but that might detract from the olde worlde feel and they're the same width.
I honestly can't make up my mind about whether to have a disc or not,drums can actually work quite well.
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

[twostroketit]

[Mudskipper]

Old skool kool, made even cooler.

Keep up the good work
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CBR125|||GSXR400|||CBR400|||CBR400|||CB250RS|||GSXR750|||CB250RS
"You're clumsy, you eat too much and you behave like a 12 year old boy. But you know what? Every once in a while, you find a thumb."

[a person]

i might sound like and idoit
but where are you putting the clip ons
in that pic off the head light the gap doesnt look that big
nice work on the build so far
be waiting for the reassembly (thats the best pat)

[nowhere.elysium]

That's looking fantastic, mate. Spurred me on to carry on with my project now, although it is quite definitely nowhere near as cool as this.

Good call on those exhausts, too: I'm really liking the long upswept look.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[twostroketit]

I did some work on her yesterday.All i've got to get off now is the airbox and the swinging arm.Unfortunatly one of the screws holding the airbox on turned to mush when i got a screwdriver on it.
As it was near the end of the day i gave up and had a cup of tea instead I'll have to borrow an impact driver though.
I also dropped one of the ball bearings when i took the bottom yoke off. Despite spending two twenty five minute sessions looking for it it remains lost.
The clip ons will go on the fork legs just underneath the top yoke,but that will mean junking the standard headlight brackets and finding some new ones.
____________________
sup up your beer and collect your fags

[twostroketit]

I managed to get out and do some work on her today. First of all i had to tackle the knackered screw holding the airbox on.

https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1757.jpg

Because i was unable to borrow an impact driver i decided to cut a slot in the screw with a chisel. After a couple of gentle taps so that the chisel could start to bite i gave it a good hard hit.The shock was too much for the airbox housing which promptly broke!

IMG]https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1769.jpg[/IMG]

Fortunately the screw also loosened so i was able to unscrew it by hand,unbelievable!
Next up i stripped the swinging arm and the mainstand and brake pedal off the frame.
The frame is quite rusty in some places,so is the swinging arm. In an ideal world they would be blasted and powder coated but that aint going to happen.

https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1762.jpg

I've got some primer in the shed so i spent about two hours cleaning the arm and sanding it down ready for priming. Unfortunately i picked up a tin of ford terracotta red instead of the red oxide primer,i only noticed after i put the first coat on
It was a little bit gloomy in the shed

https://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww175/twostroketit/DSCF1764.jpg

So tommorow i'll go out and scuff it down again,this time i'll use the primer.
Has anyone got any tips for using smoothrite with a brush? Is it possible to get a good finish this way?
I also spent a good hour trying to clean the rust off the chainguard,but i didn't take any photo's. All in all a lot of effort for not a lot of reward today.
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

[twostroketit]

Has anybody got any advice for painting with Smoothrite?
I cant seem to get a satisfactory finish.
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

[nowhere.elysium]

I'm not so hot on spraying myself, but I found that lots and lots of thin coats got the best finish I could manage.

I love the idea of a terracotta orange cafe racer!
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[twostroketit]

Unfortunately you cant put lots of coats of Smoothrite on,it's pretty much a first time affair. The bloody stuff is like tar!
I have discovered that it goes on verticle surfaces better than horizontal surfaces.
The swinging arm isn't terracota anymore i painted that black with some Halfords marracas,but i cant afford to buy enough to do a whole frame.
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

[Raf]

What happened to the project?
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CBR1100xx - BMW K1100 - BMW K100 - Triumph Sprint ST 955i - Suzuki GSX-R 600 - Suzuki DR 350 - Yamaha XV 750 - Honda CBR 600 FM - Yamaha XT 600 - Yamaha Rs 200 - Honda NSR 125

[nightshaddow]

looks a nice project
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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 100 MPH THATS IMPOSSIBLE Its chinese OFFICER."
Current rides CB 125 TDE(the next project) NS125RK ( now on the road ) CB125TDC (soon to be project 17) melody ( the nephews )

[Herbalrick]

Hows this ome coming along?
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Current Bike: 98 XJ600S Diversion
Previous Rides: Piaggio Zip 50cc - Various 125cc Honda Wave/Innova things in Thailand - Yamaha YBR 125

[twostroketit]

Watch this space...
I have booked a week off work in may and i am going to get stuck in and do a shit load of work on this.
I think i have been guilty of neglecting the old girl,due to financial reasons.
But now i have got a steady job and i have moved house and have a bigger shed.
I am starting to get me mojo back.
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

[twostroketit]

Does anybody know of any difference between the cylinder heads on the SB200 and the GT200?
The compression ratio is higher on the GT and i don't know how Suzuki achieved this.
I thought the only differences regarding performance, where the carbs and gears.
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

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