Cafe Racer Conversion - Phase 1
I completed Phase 1 of the cafe racer conversion on the CB this weekend. A little flash and a little dash.
First up, the bikini fairing gives it that cool hipster look that all the kids are raving about, dontcha think? It was a simple, straightforward proposition, with a bolt-on kit from Emgo which I purchased at a local speed shop for a paltry 75 clams. Is it as good as the aluminum bikini? Probably not, but it saved me 500 dollars. Something to be said for cheap hookers, you know.
Sechs-aahh.
Next I got rid of that hideous muffler that was sticking off the side like a half-dead limb hanging from a tree. When I finally got it loose, first I thing I noticed is that the bloody thing was heavy. Like, ridiculously heavy. And ugly. And now it's lying on the floor of the garage where it belongs. Since the bike is new to the American market, nobody is producing a slip-on at reasonable prices; $800 is about the average. Screw that noise.
Fortunately, forum member Fuzzy has concocted a cheap shorty conversion. So I hied myself off to AutoZone where I bought an exhaust extender, a 2" turnout, and a can of hi-temp black paint for $8.00. Then it was over to Steel Supply for a bracket (the center stand is held down by a bracket attached to the exhaust). A couple hours in the shop and VOILA!
Eez LOWD.
Now she sounds like a muscle bike instead of a little girl's electric toy car. Sends tingles up your spine when you tug on the throttle and scares Maw-Maw when you zip by her as she toddles around on her morning walk. Actually, it's quite tame at low revs. You can baby it around at 2500 rpm and it just bubbles along. There's plenty of torque to ride like a normal person, if for some reason you want to do so. A downshift and a twist, however, and you're announcing your presence quite forcefully. The only thing between the turnout and those lovely quadruple explosions is the cat, and it don't get much in the way.
Phase 2 will be to pry off all the bicycle-ish plastic reflectors and get rid of that ugly-ass taillight and license plate tree that's growing from the rear fender like a federally-mandated wart. I've got some ideas on that, but I need to think on it some more and do a bit of exploratory disassembly. Phase 3 is the seat. This bike just screams for a gunfighter humpback. Unfortunately, that's not something I can easily fabricate. I'm just going to have to wait and keep my fingers crossed the aftermarket does something about it at a reasonable price point. Phase 4 is low bars, but I'm still undecided if I'll actually do that. My brain says "Yes yes yes!" while my back is making frowny-face and clucking at me. Bars are cheap, so I may give it a try regardless. We'll see.
“Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” ― Hunter S. Thompson
First up, the bikini fairing gives it that cool hipster look that all the kids are raving about, dontcha think? It was a simple, straightforward proposition, with a bolt-on kit from Emgo which I purchased at a local speed shop for a paltry 75 clams. Is it as good as the aluminum bikini? Probably not, but it saved me 500 dollars. Something to be said for cheap hookers, you know.
Next I got rid of that hideous muffler that was sticking off the side like a half-dead limb hanging from a tree. When I finally got it loose, first I thing I noticed is that the bloody thing was heavy. Like, ridiculously heavy. And ugly. And now it's lying on the floor of the garage where it belongs. Since the bike is new to the American market, nobody is producing a slip-on at reasonable prices; $800 is about the average. Screw that noise.
Fortunately, forum member Fuzzy has concocted a cheap shorty conversion. So I hied myself off to AutoZone where I bought an exhaust extender, a 2" turnout, and a can of hi-temp black paint for $8.00. Then it was over to Steel Supply for a bracket (the center stand is held down by a bracket attached to the exhaust). A couple hours in the shop and VOILA!
Now she sounds like a muscle bike instead of a little girl's electric toy car. Sends tingles up your spine when you tug on the throttle and scares Maw-Maw when you zip by her as she toddles around on her morning walk. Actually, it's quite tame at low revs. You can baby it around at 2500 rpm and it just bubbles along. There's plenty of torque to ride like a normal person, if for some reason you want to do so. A downshift and a twist, however, and you're announcing your presence quite forcefully. The only thing between the turnout and those lovely quadruple explosions is the cat, and it don't get much in the way.
Phase 2 will be to pry off all the bicycle-ish plastic reflectors and get rid of that ugly-ass taillight and license plate tree that's growing from the rear fender like a federally-mandated wart. I've got some ideas on that, but I need to think on it some more and do a bit of exploratory disassembly. Phase 3 is the seat. This bike just screams for a gunfighter humpback. Unfortunately, that's not something I can easily fabricate. I'm just going to have to wait and keep my fingers crossed the aftermarket does something about it at a reasonable price point. Phase 4 is low bars, but I'm still undecided if I'll actually do that. My brain says "Yes yes yes!" while my back is making frowny-face and clucking at me. Bars are cheap, so I may give it a try regardless. We'll see.
“Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” ― Hunter S. Thompson
posted by Jar(egg)head at 10:12
3 Comments:
looking good.
Nice. Looking better. Next time I make it out to TX, we definitely need to go for a ride. By the way, I am still half-deaf from my last trip out. Vance Hines pipes are the way to go. Muffler? We don't need no steenkin muffler.
Alright! Looks great!
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