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1982 CB900F Cafe fighter long term project..

49K views 65 replies 23 participants last post by  Fozzy45  
#1 ·
1982 CB900F Cafe fighter project "Ceramic Apples"

Hey guys,

2 weeks ago I had no bikes, now I have 2...picked up a Buell X1 to ride, and my old boss gave me this nice cb900 for free as long as I could pick it up. It hasn't run since 97, needs a starter, battery, a tank flush/repair, carb rebuild, and more, but its going to run again and soon.
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my plan is a for something Cafe styled, lowered headlight, Buell X1 flyscreen(my x1 came with an extra set of plastics), acewell gauge, some kind of euro/cafe inspired exhaust and some seat work. I found this little sketch over on another board and am borrowing it since its very close to the look i'm going for. Its just me on this build, with limited tools and skills, but what better way to learn right?
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anyway, this will be long term with few updates at first since i'm in the process of moving into the house with the nice sized garage the honda is currently sitting in.

Thanks

Gray
 
#4 ·
Thanks guys..I have big plans, but thankfully most of them are easily attainable, I just hope that once I get the fueling system redone, starter replaced and a new battery put in that the motor isn't junk.... Anyway, I've gotten a starter for it, and this nifty little part came in yesterday..

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picked up these bars off ebay for 35 shipped, they look pretty good, plans are for some bar end mirrors and a set of new controls/grips from an '04 CBR 600 to round things out.

Gray

oh yeah, I'm hoping this bike isn't nearly as temperamental as my Buell is to ride..lol yesterday I put off brand gas in the Buell and it hasn't run right since...I mean damn..
 
#5 ·
Were those bars made in a way that you can run wires though them? I found some in the swap meet section of the Vintage bike races at Road America a few weeks ago but wasn't sure if I wanted to run them on the CL360. Looking back on it, I wish I would have bought them.

Why those specific controls?
 
#6 ·
not sure about the wires thru the bars, there are no holes drilled into them though, but they are hollow. The controls I stated can be used because their wiring plug matches that of my honda's plugs with only a few crossing of wires needed. Its been done before by a few 750/900/1100f people. Plus that gives me the option of picking up some nice levers, grips, etc. that can't be used with the c/a '82 parts. I'm also thinking of a USD fork swap from a GSXR750/1100 for some updated brakes and stuff on the front. Not sure though cause I know I can get some stuff for the stock forks to make the bike handle a little better.
 
#12 ·
well its officially started....
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though not very much so..lol, and since these pics were taken I did get the old handlebar taken off after cutting the left grip to get the clutch controls off. Basically just put the clubman bars on and tightened everything back down. I will need those cbr600 controls since these bars are not as wide as stock, and the stock controls are bunched up a bit as it sits now. I will need to get rid of the air lines on top of the forks to be able to raise them up in the triples, but even then i'll get an inch at the most before they hit the bars. I'm sticking with stock forks with racetech gold valve emulators and stiffer springs/oil. Not sure what i'll do for the back since I don't have 1200 dollars to buy a set of their g3 race shocks.

Anyway, gotta have a yard sale to clear out the garage, once its clear I can start to take this bike apart and clean it, and get it running....something tells me this will be a less finicky bike than my Buell..lol

thanks for all the positive comments guys..l

Gray
 
#49 ·
I and a friend have a cb900f one is 80 one is 82 model and I wanted to put the clubman type bars on. The two piece setup looks like you need a fork bridge plate to clamp them down centrally or from your pictures is there a clamp option under that black plate in the middle of the bars to lock the single piece bars down? do I need a bridging plate?

any help appreciated. Also the controls have to be changed because cables are too long?.. sorry I am new to this stuff and hope these questions dont offend.:sven:
 
#13 ·
Check out my thread about my 750f. I also put on clubmans. To lower the rear end I just cut the shock coils with a dremel, works fine. To lower the front I bought a drag strap for like 25 bucks and strapped it down. Kind of a stiff ride, but it was a cheap quick way to lower the front. I will probably do something else in the future, but it works for now. My goal was to "cafe / rat out" the bike with minimal investment. Spent 25 buck on the bars, 15 bucks on the rear signals and 10 bucks on spray paint. Cut the rear end of the bike off with a sawsall and cut the seat in half.


http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33942
 
#14 ·
Actually I did see it, just haven't commented yet..looking at your clubmans, I see I think mine might not be right in their placement. Your bike does look pretty cool, nice to see what can be done with minimal investment, dunno if I'm gonna go that low, but thanks for the info... I'll keep checking your thread too

Gray
 
#15 ·
Be careful if you lower the rear of the bike by cutting the springs. Don't put a whole lot of heat into them otherwise they will get soft on you and you will bottom out a lot easier. Even though motorcycle springs are thinner diameter then the car springs I'm used to dealing with I still think you should at least do 2 passes before you cut all the way through each spring.
 
#17 ·
As far as the placement of the clubman bars I dont know if there is a "right" or "wrong" way to bolt them. I just figured they should be all the way down, but I guess you can put them any way you want them or feel most comfortable. When they are all the way down like I have them there is not a whole lot of turning radius before they hit the tank. Makes turning around in driveways and other places a pain in the ass. I like the riding position and look when they are all the way down.
 
#18 ·
yeah I turned mine down, and they hit the tank, and I didn't like the way they looked, so I put them back to how I had them..

well, time for some more pic whoring...

amazing what a little spray with water and a wipe down will do...
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also broke out some old zymol (from my days of import cars/before fatherhood) and hit the left side of the tank with it, and wow..there is some pretty paint under there..lol

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I also started to delve into the wiring and figuring out where everything goes..its gonna need to be cleaned up some. Those turn signals and horns are going bye bye too. I'm prolly gonna keep the stock light, just lower it some with those nifty universal brackets you can get.

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sitting with the Buell...which is sidelined until this friday when I can get the trans worked on...damn Harley shift detent plate design...

Yard sale is this coming weekend...then I shall have room to strip it down...


Gray
 
#21 ·
Thanks! though at this point I think the Honda needs less than the Buell could use work wise


Are you just gonna toss the horns? If so I'll take them off your hands.
Not sure yet...I'm thinking it would be a good idea to hold on to them and relocate...i'll let you know.
 
#22 ·
Can't wait to see this thing finished. I have a cb900f freshly pc'd frame w/title and shitload of parts waiting to be worked on. I'm thinking of using a '91 gsxr 750 USD front end, hardtail, with gsxr 1100 wheels. Hoping for a fat, badass, mean looking bastard. I have 900 and 750f motors and will go with whichever needs the least work.

I have to finish up the current '83 XJ750 project first though. Just doing minor things to it. Not going to look like the Seca it started out as, but minimal fab work needed. 15" apes, forward controls, shorter shocks, and a bunch of other small stuff.
 
#23 ·
Been a couple months. Any updates.:confused:
 
#24 ·
unfortunately no..:( I've been having issues with the Buell and have been dealing with them. Plus I have a 4 year old and a needy/bossy wifey so when I'm home time is limited...I'll get started on it soon...I'm going to pick up a cb1100f swinger for the back end, and I'm gonna go ahead and do usd forks for the front...then i'll work on making it look old schoolish
 
#25 ·
#28 ·
aww man... where were you before I lost my job..lol

Yeah I got laid off a few weeks ago, fixed the Buell, and now am working again with a 30k a year pay cut...

How much you want for the cb1100 swinger and what all does it come with? I've been thinking of just extending the stock swinger 2" and adding some bracing, then going with f2 wheels front and back....but I keep going back and forth on that and a cb1100 swinger and gsxr front end...

Let me know man

Gray
 
#30 ·
Well got some time to remove more stuff, mocked the seat up in its shorter location, I may cut down the plastic and smooth it out. Or i'll do a full on cafe seat. ALso the forks will be lowered a bit and I'm gonna run with clip-ons. Thats if I don't swap in a gsxr front end.. anyway enjoy the pics

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