Gazman

Trouble is I have loads of ideas and I need to stick to one.The forks are fooked as far as the chrome is concerned, done a bit of investigating and compared prices etc, my gut feeling is to get these rechromed, that way it's an original Honda part, which I like the idea of. Tanks in pretty good nick and I am really beginning to like the colour and decals, thinking of having it all done back in that colour/ style and adapting the decals to do the seat unit to match, although I do have another couple of colour schemes in mind as well, As far as the frame is concerned, if I use the original Honda colour scheme/ decal idea, I will have the frame black but one of my other ideas involves lots of silver, probably liquid chrome paint on anything that is not polished. Will have to see what I fancy when the time comes. What about yours, got any ideas yet. I've got to say its a nice size bike, will probably pull well when it's going, does it run ? Gaz

You've gone quiet Mark. Are you plotting and planning the new project ?, tell us more mate. Gaz

Nice one Dave. There's quite a buzz at the moment with different projects. I only ever really used the projects section on BF, I guess it's just what each individual finds interesting and I just love complete builds since my bandit project. Keep up the good work. Gaz

I know, what a state to let a bike get into. No point in cleaning it though, It will all come off with the blasting, just before powdercoat.

Few fresh pics of the slight modification to the rear peg mounts. before with captive nut in place after removing captive nut Right side rear set and brake peddle mounted Left side rear set mounted and gear shift linkage Start the new seat unit tomorrow and squeeze in a little polishing, I't would be rude not too. Gaz

Thanks Lee, Just starting the polishing process tonight, removed the seized rear hub and freed everything up, coated it in nitromores and tomorrow I will be sanding and polishing, just for fun. It all needs doing at some point and it's nice to slot it in amongst other jobs to break it up a little. I was surprized to find that the alloy bits back then were polished and laquered not painted straight out the casting like more recent bikes. All the same though the laquer has corroded off and is just as big a mess as if it were old paint. Gaz

Cheers for that mark, like the look of the wrap but I am hopping to go stainless or chrome if funds will allow, you know what I'm like for a bit of bling, can't help myself. I think the black wrap looks good with black powder coated wheels but I'm hopping to stretch to new stainless rims and stainless spokes, only coz they bling. Made a few adjustments to the rear pillion peg mountings tonight and then mounted the new rear sets in the existing rear pillion peg mountings, it simplifies the whole set up and saves a little bit of weight. Just need to sort out the rear brake linkage now and that's the first mod done. Bought a universal brake/ clutch cable today to swap out the metal bar linkage, just need to figure out a neat way of routing it to the brake peddle. I'll sort out some pictures later tonight to show you. Let us know your plans for your XS850 once you've had time to decide. Nice project you got there mate. Gaz

, good shout Fr499y, with cafe racers at the top, in bold and underlined perhaps. Being serious for a second, I think a project section would work well. I know that's all I'm gonna be doing for the next " god knows how long" and what a diverse range of makes and styles it would attract.

The race is on, looks cool mate, can't wait to see what you do with it Mark. Do you think we should ask Dave for a cafe racer section on here ?

Yes now, Well done Mark, well pleased for you mate. I've had that saved in my watch list for days and was very interested, pre a brace of cb250's. Check out http://www.dotheton.com/ forum, loads of good stuff on there if cafe's or classic japanese is your thing. Like you would say, and do regularly, pics please, lots of. Gaz

You got anything for me stue ? I love surprizes. If you need any ideas, there's alloy tanks, clip on's, exhaust wrap. Anything cafe racer mate.

First time I've seen your bandit Dave, very nice too, looks brand new. Gaz

Tell you what then, I'll make a start on it and if it looks like it's gonna work out I will post some pics.

Got a really neat idea for the seat unit as well. I won't reveal anything yet, in case it doesn't work out as planned, in which case I won't mention it again.

Grabbed a nice little bargain off evilbay today. Spotted these rar sets for a FZR1000. They were in Oxford. went to see if they were suitable for my cafe racer project and they are ideal, gave the guy 20 quid and came home with them. Just need a couple of mods and they will work a treat. Mainly painted alloy, so just need to get the nitromores on them, a bit of sanding and a couple of hours on the buffing wheels, sweet as a nut, will go perfectly with the rest of the polished bits. Hope to get these ready for the welder along with starting my new seat unit, this weekend. I will post more pics as it happens. Gaz First of many parts (FZR1000)rear sets

Hi Mike, I really am not Proficient at this restoring lark at all. I tend to make a plan of action and stick to it rigidly, only change direction if it's essential and put the hours in, even when you don't feel like it, always do something. Theres always a small job you can do sat in a chair, clean a clock or assemble something. Give it a go mate, you really dont have to spend a fortune, although it is fun buying nice parts. Gaz

Hi Mark, no everything came off a treat, little squirt of WD40 on some nuts/ bolts. with regard to the rust, although both bikes are rustier than the bandit was, I still only need to do the exact same processes, with the exception of getting the wheels made and fitting new saddle and rear sets and possibly tank, can't decide whether to change the tank or not, I have 2x CB250 tanks and it's tempting to use one as the tank is going to be painted. I'll decide that when I have finished trawling through Evilbay. Not too many photo's was it ? Gaz

OK, so I've spent a couple of days researching CB250's and tracking down people to carry out various parts of the project. I was recommended a company in Coleshill, called Central wheels, who will supply new stainless or alloy rims and rebuild onto the hubs I have, once polished of course, with stainless spokes, that's a must, I'm thinking stainless all the way, save polishing too often. Also found some bits on ebay, just waiting for auctions to end etc. Then today, I couldn't contain myself any more and set about stripping the frame. Got everything off but leaving a rolling chassis for a while, until new tank and seat combo are fitted and rear sets and linkages etc. I want everything fitted nicely with new mounts before I remove the surplus mounts and lugs, then sand blasting and powdercoat. Got loads to do now though, I can fill my time stripping, sanding and polishing various items that will be reused, lovely aluminium handle bar controls will polish up a treat and engine cases, brake and clutch leavers, top yolk etc. any way hears a few pics, I know you all love pics, tell me if it's too many though and I will cut back a bit. I have more pictures of the strip down but something has happened on photbucket and they are not appearing on there, I will sort the rest out tomorrow. Gaz

Mark, Your bike is absolutely mint, Looks different without being in your face, top quality. By the photo's I'd say it was jacked up about 50mm ish. Only because it seems to have the same stance as mine now it's jack up and that went up by 55mm at the rear spindle. What you doing next mate and are you going to the Brackley bike day, a week Sunday ?

Yes mate.... live nr wantage, work in witney Your the closest member I've found to date. I live in Minster Lovell, two miles from Witney, may have passed you out on the road. Think Rose lives in Abingdon i`m ususally in a tin can (lift share), but head out minster lovell way coz i work along Range Road ... when i ride in its mainly on my bronze bandit 12, but have occasionally been known to terrorise nearby oxfordshire villages on my 750Turbo I'll keep an eye out for you mate, You don't see many bronze ones, but I really like them, especially as they are less common. I take it you know Froudy, he had a bronze one but wrote it off a couple of months ago, car pulled out in front of him I think.

IIRC the cam runs on an oil film (no bearings) so oil pressure is v.important...centrifugal filter fils up and stops oil flow.... thats how i siezed the top end of my 250 G5 Oh that's worth knowing, thanks mate, I'll bare that in mind. I see your Oxford'ish area, anywhere clost to Witney by any chance ? Gaz Yes mate.... live nr wantage, work in witney Your the closest member I've found to date. I live in Minster Lovell, two miles from Witney, may have passed you out on the road.

IIRC the cam runs on an oil film (no bearings) so oil pressure is v.important...centrifugal filter fils up and stops oil flow.... thats how i siezed the top end of my 250 G5 Oh that's worth knowing, thanks mate, I'll bare that in mind. I see your Oxford'ish area, anywhere clost to Witney by any chance ? Gaz

definetly going, never been before, sounds like a really good day out. My missus want's to go though, they don't have shoe stores there do they ?

Cheers for that Mark. Goes to prove these forums are a god send when you need info. I will ring them tomorrow, can't see me getting much work done this week, too busy withthe project.

You're Right about the cafe tank, got a spare one with the bikes though and it's got a good condition chrome filler cap with the little locking mechanism intact, result. The cafe is seized solid at the moment but the resto turns over nicely. gonna take the engine out of the cafe fairly soon in the project to try and sort it out. Thing is, I really need to construct the cafe bike fully before I paint, polish or chrome anything as there are a few modifications to the frame and other bits that will need to be done before any finishes are applied. afraid that means lots of work with not a lot to show to start with. Once it's all working and constructed, I will strip it for paint and chrome etc. I do need new rims, spokes, shockers, stanchions and header pipes for both bikes, hense do one at a time, the resto will be put away and forgotten about for a few months while I concentrate on the cafe