Cutting & Grinding

I bit the bullet and got the angle grinder out, chopped the lugs off the tank so it fitted over the frame better, turns out after removing the lugs I now don't have to chop the rear frame so much.

I moved the shock mount down but I may make some new mounts for these later on when I have finished the rear frame, from the picture above i think it all need to tip up at the front a bit and down at the rear, the line along the tank and seat are right.

I placed a riser piece under the seat just top get the height but i'll make a new subframe for it.

I could remodel the shock mount here but to keep it clean I may cut it all off and re weld new ones on.

Metal for the new subframe, just needs a bit of a weld.

Once I've welded the new seat frame in place I can then start on the rest.

More to come, onwards and upwards.

Wheelie Good

Ok been a bit quite of late, other things getting in the way but I purchased the wheels I needed, they are from an Aprilia RS125, so basically a straight in to the forks.

The rear is a bit trickier, it goes in fine, but I can't use the Aprilia spindle so I used the Honda one, I will need to open the hole in the swing arm to use the Aprilia one but thats in the future, I'll also need some spacers making.

Next up is the frame, so it'll be out with the grinder.

Front end time

Had a spare half hour or so last night so I thought I'd swap the front end over and see whats what.



Initial impressions are good, looks ok and fits with minimal hassle




I will need to change the bearings and cap the top one off somehow




Test fitted some clip ons I had floating around they are too big hence the masking tape but overall not bad.




Then the tank and seat unit, still need to sort the rear frame out yet.











Now the big problem I have is the rear frame is much wider that the seat unit I have, options then, cut the hell out of the frame and remake and re weld to fit or cut the seat unit in half and re fibreglass it bigger, the second option may be better as I am not sure the rear is wide enough based on the size of the tank.









If I move the seat back its a bit better, still wide tho.







maybe not so much cutting and re welding but still a bit, think I need to sit down and have a good old head scratch about this one, need to get the tank to sit right first then i can see where that leaves me with the seat, now where did I put that angle grinder?

Things that get in the way…

well progress has been somewhat slow on the bike, the wife decided she wanted a summerhouse in the garden, so this



became this


to end up like this


Took me about 4 days to build it, but the main thing is I can get all her garden shit out of my man cave next door and out of my way and in to her girlie summerhouse, I have been buying bits for the bike tho, bought a tank.

A test fit


Needs to sit lower so removed the lugs from the frame but the lugs on the tank get in the way now.



and so do the rear frame rails, these will need amending




Not gonna do anything to the frame yet until I get the seat unit, which i've ordered then i can see what needs cutting and changing.

Stay tuned for more soon.

Tanks a lot!

Bought this beauty off evilbay the other night.

The seller said it was damaged but if this is what he calls damaged I'd hate to actually see a damaged one, don't think its ever been used absolutely pristine condition, how much I hear you ask well it was a tad expensive at £35, ha not really its a bloody bargain.

Just need a cap and a fuel tap but that can wait, a quick offer up to the bike and it looks like some re modelling of the rear frame but I'll check when I do some proper measurements.

Forking hell!

well the forks have arrived...

I'll remove the mudguard and the mounts, the bottoms will be powder coated at a later date anyway.

I need to decide if I am to grind away some of the metal from the top yoke, I'm planning to fit clip ons under the yoke anyway.

Will removing the material for the Aprilia tubes reduce the structural strength? to be fair, even if I do and it does, I'm sure theres an after market top yoke out there with out them anyway.

Purchased a tank last night so the look is starting to come together.

not much new

well I say that, bought some forks just waiting on delivery, and ignition and a starter button as I'm thinking or making my own loom for it, it can be exactly as I need it then and I know the wire, also it will make it to hide in the frame if need be.

Got out bid on a tank on evilbay last night by a pound, a bloody pound!

More drawings have taken place…

Might have to make a seat/hump, all the ones I have found on line are to small for the frame with, or failing that I'll buy a seat and cut it in half and fibreglass the gap to suit, still none of this can happen until I get a tank and can see the lines.

Stay tuned for the forks in place...

The Look.

So how do I want it to look then, well cool cafe racer, I've now stripped off all the parts I don't want on it.

Now comes the fun bit (I hope), to start getting parts, I'll need…

In no particular order

Tank

Seat unit

Wheels

Forks

Engine parts

Lights

Brakes

Clocks (speedo)

I'm pretty sure of the seat unit and tank I want plus the forks and wheels, yes I'm looking at you Aprilia RS4 125 for these, it fits with my plan of modern and updated and hopefully different.

A very rough photoshop produced this.

I then need to think about the placement of essential items such as where do I put the battery, coil and reg/rec obviously whilst still going for the minimal look, do I feed the cables through the frame etc, all things to consider.

It'll be sometime before the engine gets looked at and it will stay in the frame until the overall look is sorted.

Oh and I've ordered a Haynes book of lies.

It begins….

So I picked it up at the weekend and surprisingly it fitted in the boot of the car all I had to remove was the front wheel.

Got it home and reassembled it.

Generally its in OK condition, it's straight no welds that should't be there but, its missing many engine parts, starter motor, starter solenoid, coil and HT leads, the looms not in the best condition so that will need to be made or replaced.

The main thing is the parts that I wanted are in place, I'll strip the engine down and see whats what but first i need to get it looking how i want it to.

Too many ideas! 

Not enough Money.

I have been all over the net looking for ideas, I kinda know what I want to do, I know I want to modernise it, well use more modern motorbike parts for areas, I think I know the tank I want and the seat unit but the overall look is still floating round my head, time to play in photoshop.

Off the original bike I think the only remaining original parts will be the frame, swing arm and engine, pretty sure everything else will go or be changed.

Right I'm off to do some photoshoppery.

Stay tuned, this will be a on going blog and report on the conversion of my Honda CB250N to full on cool cafe racer.