1981 CB650C Cafe Racer Project

[VII]

Recently joined and thought I would share my progress thus far on my cafe racer cb650c build. Still a long ways to go.

I bought this bike and 3 others from someone local for $150 a couple months ago. The 3 other project bikes have since been sold for over $2000 so I'm making out like a bandit overall.

Modifications so far:
-Swapped the tank for that from a Suzuki
-fiberglass tail
-High density foam seat pad
-pedestrian slicer
-removed stock gauges, pegs, foot controls, handle bars, air box, head light, turn signals, brake light, etc.
-lowered the ignition switch
-Black mini gauges
-New cables
-Cleaned up the carbs
-pod filters
-Nice, unrusted 4-4 exhaust
-Adjustable Rear sets from a GSXR
-Bar end mirrors
-Clip on handle bars
-Headlight from an XS400
-new headlight ears
-AGM battery
-Chopped rear fender
-H4 HID headlight
-Choke relocated to brake switch mount

Still need to:
-Bend top tubes so the frame is flat. Will require a bit of welding.
-Cut rear frame
-Grind down old handle bar clamps
-Finish rearsets
-Install the nice 4-4 exhaust I have
-Gut the 4-4 exhaust
-go through brake system
-Relocate all wiring/battery to tail
-Mount the seat and tank
-Strip it all down and paint the seat, fender and tank oil rubbed bronze, the engine black w/polished bits and the frame burnt metallic copper.
-new tires
-Tail light, turn signal, license plate mount, etc
-Cut front fender short if I decide not to keep the slicer
-Piggyback shocks
-lots more I can't think of at the moment


Still tons to do but it is coming along. Just thought someone else might be interested in seeing it slowly transition. I expect to spend somewhere around $800 on the complete build so it is definately a budget project. I'm about $350 into the build so far.


Here is the bike when I finally got it in my garage.


Pictures of it currently.

[jmuhockeyfan]

Looking niiiiicccceeeee!!! I really love the modifications you did, think they turned out for the better.

Quick question; you said you pulled the gas tank off of a suzuki. I'm looking to replace the gas tank on my '80 cb650, and was wondering if you knew what type of tank I need so that it fits on the frame. Or what type of suzuki you pulled it off of. Oh, and did you do the paint job yourself? Cause I'm loving it!

[VII]

The tank is old rattle can and the seat was sprayed quick with black and looks terrible but I wanted it to match the tank enough that I could get an idea of where I was going with it all. Both will be stripped and painted the oil rubbed bronze color. The checker stripe is just some checker duct tape I had laying around to see what it looks like. It doesn't look half bad and a whole roll is like $4.

The tank is from an early 80s GS450. I had used it on my old xs400 as shown below. It works well on just about any frame. I cannablized several parts from this bike for the cb build.

[Pinhead]

I'm diggin' it. What kind of rims are those?

[Volker_P]

Looks like XS400 stock. The bike on the last picture is not a later stage of the CB650 project above!
But quite close apperance like the CB650 cafe above.
Even I had to stumble on the kickstarter to detect Yamaha written below it then ...

[VII]

The last picture is of my old XS400 project bike. The pictured wheels are stock as Volker pointed out. I posted it just to show the vertisitility of the gs450 tank. The XS and CB series do have a lot in common looks wise, though I suppose a lot of 80s street bikes look similar. The main thing I prefer about the XS series is that the top seat tubes are straight whereas I have to cut, bend and weld the top frame of the CB to be straight so I can mount the seat the way I want.

[Pinhead]

I see now!

I suppose if you would've started with a '79 CB650 you probably wouldn't have had to modify the frame nearly as much to get the "flat" style you wanted.

[VII]

I suppose if you would've started with a '79 CB650 you probably wouldn't have had to modify the frame nearly as much to get the "flat" style you wanted.

We all work within our limitations and for roughly $40 for the bike, I'm not complaining.

[TicoCafe]

VII- Where did you source your black mini gauges...?

I have a 1982 CB650sc (Nighthawk) that I am converting right now. I bought mini gauges (speedo and tach) but I believe its not the correct ratio for my 650... I think the ratio is for a cb750 and the tach reads wrong. I still have not tested the speedo.

Cheers

[VII]

I found them at a local shop. I have a white faced speedo with indicator lights that I might put on it place of the black speedo. I think it will look neat with one black and one white gauge, especially if I do a checker stripe.

I have not yet tested mine to see how they work but from my research the ratios should be correct. 2240:60 for the tach and 4:1 for the speedo.

What ratio gauges did you pick up?

[TicoCafe]

If its a 4-1 ratio for the speedo then I should be ok. I still have not tested it though. . I got tach and speedo from dimecitycycles.

If I had to guess I think it's a 4-1 ratio. I'll check when I get home.


Here is my tach
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-c ... 0033w.html

[TicoCafe]

I also found this info from the SOHC website...

faq section http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=265.0

CB750 Speedo 2240:60 Tach 4:1
CB650 Speedo 2240:60 Tach 4:1
CB550 Speedo 2240:60 Tach 20:3
CB500 Speedo 2240:60 Tach 20:3
CB400 Speedo 2240:60 Tach 20:3
CB350 Speedo 2240:60 Tach 20:3

[BrewCrew102]

How far are you now?

[VII]

Good Question. I have had several other projects come and go so I just haven't give this one the time it deserves. I even picked up two more bikes yesterday ('83 KZ550 and a TT250G) and bought a 4x4 sidekick a week ago. My MG Midget has been distracting as well; hard to find time y'know.

Anyway, I've since...
-cut and bent the top frame rail tubes and welded in extensions but need to cut and refit them
-made a metal seat pan
-cut the rear plastic fender to line up with the seat pan
-bought another front fender, stretched it out and cut it so I can make a rear hugger fender,
-bought and installed new, smaller hand controls
-rewired much of the bike
-installed a HID kit for the headlight
-got it running (I never heard it run until a couple weeks ago)
-removed the exhaust end caps
-Polished the rim of the rear wheel
-Polished the rear sprocket
-Ground off various tabs/welds


Currently I'm cleaning up the rear wheel so I can paint it Burnt Copper within the week and then mount the new Spitfire tire to it shortly after. I had originally planned to just do the frame Copper but I'm now leaning towards the frame and wheels.

Once I've done the rear wheel, I'll have mounting points welded for the rear hugger fender and redo the top frame.

I'll try to get some pics up soon but it's not very exciting right now.

[facefirst]

This thread definitely is pertinent to me, as I'm in the process of tearing down my CB650 to make it a cafe.