3G Cafe Racer build.

[Leroy]

I dunno if it qualifies as a build, it's certainly not going to be ratty, but I hope some of you might enjoy following my grand scheme for my new cruiser.

Can't find the camera as yet, but when I do I'll post a photo of the real thing.

Here's a stock photo of what I'm starting with.

Hard to see but it's a really cool pewter/gunmetal colour.

Then these two bikes are what I'm shooting to rip off.

I'm going to mount a two tone black banana seat right down on the back wheel, using a sprung sissy bar with the top cut off so the posts run up under the seat instead of outside and around. Then triple clamp forks up the front, trimmed right down so the front of the bike crouches right over the front wheel and fender.

Then I'm going to get the rims, (former) sissybar, and the fork tubes powdercoated red, possibly track down a red chain as well. Then a checkerboard stripe down the middle of the two fenders.

Three speed hub with suicide shifter. Felt thick brick whitewalls, I'm still not sure what sort of brakes I'll run.

Needless to say though, I'm excited.

 

[user 135]

Sounds like a good plan. Are you basing it on a 3G bike.

 

[Leroy]

It's all getting added onto a 3G primal which I bought last thursday, which is the same as the Puck http://www.3gbikes.com/bikes/puck_mens.html, only with fenders and a two speed kickback hub.

I liek the way the frame rakes up towards the front, so even when I drop the seat and the bars down close to the frame, it'll still be fairly upright, rather than smelling the headset the way I imagine you'd have to on all those board trackers (Sweet looking as they are).

 

[Hammond Eggz]

...definitely looking forward to this one.
Have been a big cafe-racer fan and rider since the late '70s. Would love to have that Honda!

 

[Pinche]

Once I finish my BSA Goldie fixie build my Norton Manx build will be starting. It'll be basically the same style. You could do a disc brake up front as they do have the chopper triple tree style forks with disc tabs on them. I was planning the using that style fork but running a drum front hub as the Manx's didn't have disc or any bikes during that time period(46-53). I was almost thinking of tossing on my Bridgestone 175DT fork/triples I have but it's a bit heavy and would be kind of a pain putting a bicycle wheel in it. Not to mention fitting a 26" wheel into something made to fit a 18" wheel. Should be a cool build.

 

[Leroy]

Finally found the camera and took some pictures. I might get a chance to take some better ones next week.
Payday is tomorrow so I'll start ordering parts.

 

[Leroy]

So I've been riding this bike everyday for a while now, slowly making little changes like upside down bars, white walls, a couple of stickers, beartraps, and my favourite part is the sprocket.

Finally got the next stage together, which is the wheels of a felt red baron, shimano click stick shifter for the nexus, layback seatpost and a set of triple clamps. I need to find a shim for the seatpost, a threadless headset and stem, and sus out mounting the shifter a little better (it's mounted on a gaff tape shim at the moment).

Anyway here's a progress shot. Perhaps a little more bobber than cafe racer.