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Some pics of my continuing Cafe project

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  • #1

    Some pics of my continuing Cafe project

    Hi all,
    I have been working this thing over since I can't find the necessary tire chains to ride it. Some of you have seen some of these changes, and it has changed alot since the picture taken for the #4 calendar (November). I took some neat pics tonight and thought I would share them:









    I am now thinking about clip ons. I would like to push the forks through the top tree to give a little lower front profile. I decided against pursuing a cafe seat for now. I think the XS looks a little too short front to back to remove the rear fender. The stock fender with that light and mount makes it look a little more balanced.
    I did find out that you can lower the headlight 2-3" just by pulling the headlight mount tubes off the forks and switching them side for side. Then you can flatten the gauges by bending the gauge mounts to lower the "peaky" look of a stock setup. I am still going to do the clip ons to help this a little more. I am also reworking the aluminum rear peg mounts. I have them off and am going to make much smaller ones that are alot less obtrusive on the frame and bottom frame profile to make the bike look like it has a little more clearance in the middle. You can see in the pic of the LH side I have the peg mount off, and it looks SWEET! But the wife does need a place to put her feet...
    Anyway, that is where the project is at. I am not JUST snowmobiling...
    Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

    Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Looks bad as hell!!

    Looking to start working on my beast a little more in the next few weeks...(hopefully).

    Just been aquiring parts....LED lights for guages, fixed the wiring on the signals and lights....still working on moving the ignition box down and forward on the rear fender to fit a 79 seat/cowl on 'Sunshine. Working on trying to french a taillight into the cowl. I agree with you about not loosing the rear fender....but i am 'trimming it down' to expose a bit more of the rear tire.....

    i am hoping with the new handlebars (i havent purchased yet) i will be able to do the same....slide the tubes higher in the triple tree to lower the front end an extra 1"-3".

    sadly, i still havent gotten the front brakes to bleed. i havent touched them in over a month, but i may just pop for rebuild kits for both calipers....ive already replaced the M/C and went with SS lines, so why not right?????

    Anyway....looks AWESOME!!!
    '81H (my first XS ) "Grey Ghost"
    Stock Pilots/ 110 mains (to change)
    4:1 Jardine w/ headerwrap
    Windjammer(wiring issues)
    SonyMarine unit for Ipod/Polk Speakers
    New paint/brakes to come!!
    ===============
    '80G FrankenBike (parts bike)
    ===============
    '80G to fix "BlackSunshine"
    Stock Pilots/125 mains
    Pod filters; 4:1 Kerker??
    SS Brake lines w/ new M/C's
    LED Brake Lite
    Needs paint....

    It is better to be thought a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt....

    Comment

    • #3
      Beware. Dropping the front end through the TT's far enough to install clip-ons in going to give you very little ground clearance at the header pipes.
      '81 XS1100 SH

      Melted to the ground during The Valley Fire

      Sep. 12th 2015

      RIP

      Comment

      • #4
        81,
        I had kind of figured on that. But it looks pretty darn cool. I may not go as far as I would like, but I would like to drop it some. Thanks for the heads up, though!
        Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

        Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

        Comment

        • #5
          As for clipons, I have a set on mine, and they only pushed the forks up about one inch... Which, with some much needed heavier fork oil, should not be enough to worry about the header pipe clearance... I used 15w instead of the recomended 10w in my 650 forks and difference was almost un-noticeable, so I think when I rebuild the 11's forks I'm going to use 20w.
          BARE BONES CHOPPERS: If it don't make it go faster, you don't need it!
          80 XS1100SG(cafe in progress *slowly)

          Comment

          • #6
            t71ford, That thing is badass!
            79 XS11 Special (Lazarus)
            80 XS850 Special (Old Faithful)
            80 XS11 Standard sorta stock (Beatrice)
            79 DT 100

            Comment

            • #7
              Thats a headturner, cool bike. Like the combo of black with the chrome & flames - hell I really like it all - Dan
              '81 XS1100 LH - Midnight Special - been lookin' a long time for this one.
              1179 big bore kit, 80SG motor
              Rebuilt head, valves
              TC Bros Forward Controls (Brass Pegs)
              Tkat Fork Brace
              T.C. Spade Fuse Box
              Dyna Coils & wires
              Mikesxs shocks,controls,& bars (special)
              ISO grips with stelleto ends
              4 into 1 black Bassani exhaust
              Bridgestone Spitfires
              Tuned by Tinman905
              & a will to keep it.

              Comment

              • #8
                That's a SICK ride!
                1980 XS1100SG
                In the process of making her look pretty!
                P.S., TomRodgers has the best avatar icon ever!

                Comment

                • #9
                  Thanks, guys! I knew I could get a little appreciation here
                  Tomorrow, I am going to cut the rear footpeg mounts into a more eye appealing shape. I am also going to try to get some clip ons here locally
                  This is definately a work in progress. I am finding it kind of difficult to cafe this bike in the purest sense. The lines are kind of wrong. But, I will keep working on it for sure. One thing, doing the "ton" is not very hard!

                  Are there any pictures of bikes on here with clip-ons installed?
                  Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                  Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    IMHO, cafe style calls for clip-ons and bar-end mirrors as a starting point. Then, you've got to go to rear-set controls and drilled rotors. Some custom mandrel-bent tubing to make a four into on 1 exhaust into a carbon fibre can is just icing on the cake. I still say Denny Zander's bike Vyger is one of the prettiest examples I've ever seen of cafe style.






                    I've got another shot somewhere of Denny's rear-set shifter linkage, but damned if I can find it right now...
                    Ken Talbot

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      That looks pretty cool, for sure! Has anybody put the clip ons under the trees? I really like the look of that, since the XS is already so"peaky on top. Cutting down this very prominent profile is kind of hard to do. The XS11 is not really everyone's first choice for a cafe bike, so I am kind of enjoying the challenge of working it up, a little at a time.
                      I want to go to rear sets and really want to do a stretched tank and short cafe seat, but I need to build my wife a bike first. Then she can ride her own and I won't need a passenger seat anymore. I am looking for another bike right now...
                      Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                      Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by t71ford View Post
                        but I need to build my wife a bike first. Then she can ride her own and I won't need a passenger seat anymore. I am looking for another bike right now...
                        im in the same boat....but my wife dont want a clutch she wans an auto matic.....so im looking for a biger scooter or mabe a honamatic or somthin around those lines....
                        _____________________________________________ 1979 XS 1100 Special "The judge" mods- K&N air pods, 4-1 mac, 147.5 pilots, 57.5 mains, LED turn signal, cafe bars, HEL translucent yellow stainless steel brake line, dyna coil (dc2-1), raptor 660 mc, r6 controls..(sold)

                        1982 gs1100e "all business" cafe project
                        1980 gs1000g "stock"
                        1982 honda express "stretched 10 inch(my daughters scooter)
                        2008 jmstar 150cc Chinese scooter ( wife's bike)

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          My wife was the same way, at first. She has warmed to the idea of a small, manageable bike. It just took some very patient clutch/ bike training, but she is ready, now. I am letting her pic all the colors and accessories for her bike (with some gentle guidance), so she is having fun with the process.
                          Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                          Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            cool.......she says as long it automatic and purple she dosent care...lol so im looking into getting her a rebel but i really want to find a xs400 or xs650. but once again im in iowa and all we got here is harleys and and goldwing.not saying it is bad) just not alot of classic bikes......ohh well i might get lucky who knows.....good luck with finding you wife a bike....oh and great job on your bike but i have 1 question....what kind of seat is that? stock one re apolister!
                            _____________________________________________ 1979 XS 1100 Special "The judge" mods- K&N air pods, 4-1 mac, 147.5 pilots, 57.5 mains, LED turn signal, cafe bars, HEL translucent yellow stainless steel brake line, dyna coil (dc2-1), raptor 660 mc, r6 controls..(sold)

                            1982 gs1100e "all business" cafe project
                            1980 gs1000g "stock"
                            1982 honda express "stretched 10 inch(my daughters scooter)
                            2008 jmstar 150cc Chinese scooter ( wife's bike)

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              We have the same problem here. There are classic bikes to be found, but they are expensive or really junky. I am just going to search for a while. I would really like to come up with an XS650 as well.
                              The seat is a stock 80 G seat that I had re-upholstered at Anthony's Custom Cycles in Florida. I can't say enough good about this shop. They did a really good job, and it took them 2 days! When I got it back, I templated and cut out the rear filler plate for it, since I added the taillight lower down.
                              At Anthony's, you just draw them a concept of what you want, and they build it exactly. I marked with paint pen on the old seat where I wanted the lines changed, etc, and it came back exactly as I had planned. I think it cost around $250.

                              Good luck in you search! I will be curious to see what you come up with.
                              Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

                              Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

                              Comment

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