Mak's step-by-step guide to building a not unique, but fun, cafe bike.
Step 1: Familiar to all builders of AR15's, model trains, gaming computers, and furniture, step 1 is accidentally finding a leftover part and wondering what you can do with it.
Step 2: Make a cursory glance at facebook/craigslist/etc, find a wreck/beater/pos/abandonment/etc and strike up a deal with the owner before thinking too heavily on the matter.
Step 3: Build your missus a new set of raised planters she's been asking for since August, a new flower bed in front because she deserves something pretty, and also a chicken coop because she thinks she wants chickens and even though you've been saying "no" for years you can't go buy eggs right now and you can't live without eggs so whatever.
*NOTE: Step 3 can be omitted assuming you do not have a "missus", are the "missus", have that kind of relationship, have that kind of relationship, are are generally not concerned with the feelings of others but it should be noted that this path has greater opportunity to unpleasant discourse as events progress.
Step 4: Acquire bike...
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Step 5: Remember four hours after taking delivery of the bike that you should ALWAYS run the vin at www.nicb.org/vincheck BEFORE BUYING THE BIKE.
...to be continued...
Step 2: Make a cursory glance at facebook/craigslist/etc, find a wreck/beater/pos/abandonment/etc and strike up a deal with the owner before thinking too heavily on the matter.
Step 3: Build your missus a new set of raised planters she's been asking for since August, a new flower bed in front because she deserves something pretty, and also a chicken coop because she thinks she wants chickens and even though you've been saying "no" for years you can't go buy eggs right now and you can't live without eggs so whatever.
*NOTE: Step 3 can be omitted assuming you do not have a "missus", are the "missus", have that kind of relationship, have that kind of relationship, are are generally not concerned with the feelings of others but it should be noted that this path has greater opportunity to unpleasant discourse as events progress.
Step 4: Acquire bike...
Step 5: Remember four hours after taking delivery of the bike that you should ALWAYS run the vin at www.nicb.org/vincheck BEFORE BUYING THE BIKE.
...to be continued...
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Step 6: See if it'll even run...
Right off the bat, both spark plugs were out...and who knows how long they've been out. The threads in the holes were filthy and the tops of the pistons were covered in rubbish and grime. Also both boots are broken so I had to make some boots I had laying around work. I will be looking for new wires, boots, and plugs at the very least.
Right off the bat the engine wouldn't turn over. It would reach the top of a stroke and stop. I dropped some 8w oil into both spark holes and jumped the terminals...then put it in gear and rolled it back...five or six times before it freed up and went round and round.
Then I went to the ignition...no key included but I remember the magic wires from my last CX. I made the jumps and everything lights up but no starter. So I got back to jumping the terminals. I have huge bright blue spark straight away! Put the old plugs back in, dump some gas into the throttles...and, well...
(if that link doesn't work give it a few minutes...it was still uploading when I hit the post button)
I did go back and check out the start solenoid and it was shot...had 12v down there with the switch but no action even after I hit it with a wrench like six times. So I replaced it with one I had off some chinese thing and now the button works again.
Tomorrow I'm going to pull the carbs off and see if there's anything I can do with them. I put fuel in the bowls but it wasn't feeding it. Then I'll check out the cooling system. And then it's time to start cutting!
I didn't get very many pictures...mostly just the broken plug :/
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Right off the bat, both spark plugs were out...and who knows how long they've been out. The threads in the holes were filthy and the tops of the pistons were covered in rubbish and grime. Also both boots are broken so I had to make some boots I had laying around work. I will be looking for new wires, boots, and plugs at the very least.
Right off the bat the engine wouldn't turn over. It would reach the top of a stroke and stop. I dropped some 8w oil into both spark holes and jumped the terminals...then put it in gear and rolled it back...five or six times before it freed up and went round and round.
Then I went to the ignition...no key included but I remember the magic wires from my last CX. I made the jumps and everything lights up but no starter. So I got back to jumping the terminals. I have huge bright blue spark straight away! Put the old plugs back in, dump some gas into the throttles...and, well...
(if that link doesn't work give it a few minutes...it was still uploading when I hit the post button)
I did go back and check out the start solenoid and it was shot...had 12v down there with the switch but no action even after I hit it with a wrench like six times. So I replaced it with one I had off some chinese thing and now the button works again.
Tomorrow I'm going to pull the carbs off and see if there's anything I can do with them. I put fuel in the bowls but it wasn't feeding it. Then I'll check out the cooling system. And then it's time to start cutting!
I didn't get very many pictures...mostly just the broken plug :/
also yes I'm aware 
but I'm pretty sure if the engine is sticking hitting that bolt will loosen it.
but I'm pretty sure if the engine is sticking hitting that bolt will loosen it.
One would not hit the bolt, just turn it in a clockwise direction, as though you were tightening the bolt.
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At the end of the black line.
Just giving you a hard time over the silly kind of typo we all make
Step 7: Strip it down and start cutting the extra bits off! And obviously I needed to test fit my new forks. Bearings to mount it properly should be here on Monday.
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This is the shock I'm planning on using. It's a CBR954RR shock. I measured travel at the braced section of the arm to be roughly 2" full sweep and the 954RR Showa has roughly 2.4" of travel. I also have a stock spring (14.9kg/mm) as well as a couple of aftermarket springs of lighter and heavier weights. There's also a LOT of aftermarket options for springs and even shocks themselves. Also it's one of only two eye-eye shocks I had on hand, with the other being an R6 variant that was just too long.
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This is the shock I'm planning on using. It's a CBR954RR shock. I measured travel at the braced section of the arm to be roughly 2" full sweep and the 954RR Showa has roughly 2.4" of travel. I also have a stock spring (14.9kg/mm) as well as a couple of aftermarket springs of lighter and heavier weights. There's also a LOT of aftermarket options for springs and even shocks themselves. Also it's one of only two eye-eye shocks I had on hand, with the other being an R6 variant that was just too long.
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Playing with the shock mounting. It's definitely a little soft for this...but the stroke is spot on.
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