Cafes, Bobbers, Scramblers and Flat-Trackers and Ratbikes:

Jim's Guide To Upradin C!eap "ld Rice Rides#

By Jim March draft 1.0, May 3
rd
2013
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Front end mods: 1
Rear end mods: 2
T!e Book "f Rims 3
"4erall ri!t !ei!t notes 5 front and rear as t!e6 interact 7
*RG"%",$CS ,"0S 8
*%G$%* ,"0S )%0 S*.*CT$"% 9
*nine ,odifications 9
-ipe ,ods 9
Carb "ptions )nd Tunin ::
Carb Rebuildin: C; Carbs :<
Carb Rebuildin 5 Roundslide carbs :<
Carb Tunin :1
'()T B$=* T" ST)RT '$T(/ :1
S"URC*S (list of suppliers online) :7
("' T" -$."T ) C)F* R)C*R :8
I !"# I$% &'I( #()#*, consider tippin+ the author (,- or ...) at my /epay account0
https011///./epay.com1donations1cafe23uilder2s2+uide2donation24ar
&he listed manufacturers and sellers did $"& pay me to +et in here, nor /ill I e5er char+e for listin+s.
If any3ody has more tips of any sort includin+ cool suppliers, drop me a line01.4im.march6+mail.com
If I ma7e a 3it on this thin+ I /ill 3e more li7ely to 7eep it up to date 0). But honestly, this started out
as my o/n notes for my o/n upcomin+ ne8t 3uild and that /ill remain part of the thin+ as I pro+ress.
$%TR"
&his is for some3ody /ho /ants somethin+ different. Instead of 3uyin+ a fairly modern 3e+inner
sport3i7e li7e a (u9u7i (:;-0, you /ant to ta7e somethin+ older and up+rade it to personal taste. "r
you<5e already +ot somethin+ older and /ant to tune it up on a 3ud+et.
I<m /ritin+ this to +i5e you a +uide to ho/ to it safely and /ith a minimum of mis2steps.
&his +uide /ill use the =>afe ?acer loo7@ as a startin+ point, and the info in that /ill 5alua3le to
any3ody +oin+ a different direction such as a Bo33er or (cram3ler1lat2trac7er (the latter t/o more or
less the same thin+).
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=(uccess@ in 3uildin+ a rat2cafe (=on the cheap@) means 3uildin+ a 3i7e that is li+ht, fast2handlin+ and
on a &IA'& t/isty mountain road can 7eep up /ith more or less anythin+ on the planet, /ith a +ood
enou+h pilot at the /heel.
"n a 5ery ti+ht road the horsepo/er ad5anta+e the other +uy on some modern sport3i7e can<t 3e used
a+ainst you 5ery /ell. !ou<ll ha5e one ad5anta+e, and it<s not a 3i+ one0 your li+hter 3i7e /ith li+hter
rims and tires /ill 3e a3le to flop o5er into a full 3attle lean faster than anythin+ this side of a
hi+h23uc7s %ucati or the li7e. It<s not a hu+e ad5anta+e 3ut on the ri+ht road it<s enou+h to em3arrass
the hell out of some ne/3ie sBuid 0). Cnd you don<t need to pass <em on a rat cafe, 4ust 7eep up and
dri5e <em 3on7ers. 'u+e fun.
'ere<s /hat success loo7s li7e0
Drice0 under ,3,000 ma8. If you<re spendin+ more than that you<re doin+ it /ron+ in my opinion.
?ims are as li+ht as you can +et <em. &his is crucial to a really +ood performin+ canyon racer cafe ride.
Ee<ll tal7 a3out those in their o/n chapter.
>ar3s should 3e either /ell2tuned factory type (usually >: althou+h /e<re +oin+ to do a /hole chapter
on car3sF) or 3etter yet some sort of roundslide or flatslide.
or smaller to a5era+e si9e riders, most fol7s /ill 3e happy /ith a t/in of 3-02-00cc or a -00 to ;-0
sin+le cylinder, and around 3- to -0hp. Bi++er pilots mi+ht /ant to +et up to the ;-2G-hp ran+e in
either one of the 3i++er t/ins or possi3ly a H23an+er motor of ;-0 or G-0cc (meanin+ a classic
air2cooled four as opposed to a modern /ater2cooled =supersport@ motor).
>osmetically, on the ne8t pa+e there are some classic <;0s Brit3i7es that most cafe 3uilders are
3asically aimin+ at, or chec7 out this 5ideo for more info on the cafe scene in +eneral0
http011///.youtu3e.com1/atch.5I5mCa:+#9$hJ
Most of what's on that video, and what we're talking about in this guide, is fakes of those early
British cafe racers made out of 197s!"s!9s!whatever #a$anese bikes%%%or whatever other weird stuff
you can scrounge u$% &' (on't assume there's rules here%%%
&hey all ha5e certain thin+s in common0 they<re t/ins (althou+h British sin+les /ere popular too +o
do a +oo+le ima+e search for a 'onda AB-00 as it<s a pretty close Buasi2replica) and they ha5e lar+e
li+ht rims in5ol5in+ aluminum2hoops2o5er2spo7e in a distincti5e ='2pattern@ that loo7s =flat2faced@ on
the outside ed+e (also 7no/n as =shouldered@ 2 all of these rims pictured a3o5e are of that sort. &hese
rims are li+ht and stiff and remain the li+htest street rims and tires you can run /ithout +oin+ to car3on
fi3er ,-72a2piece monsters.
Dut another /ay, there are fi5e aspects to a lo/23uc7s cafe 3uild0
1) *oo7s (/hich I<m not e5en +oin+ to tal7 a3out, that<s on youF)
2) )n+ine performance.
3) (uspension and handlin+ and /e<ll file =dumpin+ e8cess /ei+ht@ in there too as 3ein+ -
th
K+rinL.
H) )r+onomics seat, handle3ar and footpet positionin+.
"f these I consider suspension and handlin+ the most important, er+onomics second, en+ine third,
loo7s in dead last 0). But that<s me. (ome thin+s affect more than one issue e8haust mods can
increase cornerin+ clearance (handlin+ issue) /hile droppin+ total /ei+ht (sometimes 3y a lot) and can
also increase performance /hen done ri+ht.
I<m +oin+ to ta7e you throu+h moddin+ each area before /e tal7 a3out 3i7es, so that you ha5e a +ood
feel for the theory as to /hy you /ould /ant any one particular 3i7e as a startin+ point.
()%0.$%G T(*"R+ )%0 -R)CT$C*
In a corner your tires are +oin+ to 3ounce o5er small 3umps. !ou do not /ant the tires =catchin+ air@ in
any fashion durin+ those mid2corner 3umps 3ecause /hen that happens you tend to =chatter side/ays@.
&he tires lift, +et thro/n sides/ays (in mid2corner remem3er), and on landin+ there<s a ris7 they /on<t
hoo7 3ac7 up a+ain in /hich case you and the 3i7e could 3e seriously dented.
irst 7ey to pre5entin+ this seBuence is lo/ rim /ei+ht. It is impossi3le to o5erstate ho/ 5ital this is.
*i+ht rims and tires /ill not ha5e as much up/ard momentum on those mid2corner 3umps, and it /ill
3e easier for the suspension to push the tires 3ac7 do/n onto the road /hen they try and lift. )n other
words, lighter rims and tires will allow cra$$ier sus$ension $arts to still work *+% &herefore droppin+
the rim /ei+ht and runnin+ narro/2ish tires is a =uni5ersal up+rade@ to the entire suspension process.
(econd ad5anta+e /ith li+ht rims is that there<s less +yroscopic effect holdin+ you upri+ht. &his means
you can flop the 3i7e o5er faster into a corner, perhaps out2di5in+ some3ody in a much 3i++er, more
po/erful 3i7e (/ith hea5ier /ider rims). It<s hard for some3ody in a supersport to use their massi5e
po/er ad5anta+e if surpriseF 2 you already ha5e the inside line on their dum3 3utts 0).
Ehen /e +et to specific 3i7e options /e<ll tal7 a3out possi3le rim choices for those 3i7es. (&id3it
thou+h0 'onda =>omstar@ rims roc7 hard...they loo7 li7e crap 3ut they<re stiff and li+ht, the 3est rims
of the late 1MG0s throu+h early <J0s.)
Front end mods:
Eell one option is to s/ap out the /hole front end, triple trees, for7s, 3ra7es, rims, the /or7s.
Jun7yard 3its (or some3ody<s total scrap =dead en+ine@ parts 3i7e) can often 3e had cheap /ith
effecti5e scroun+in+. )3ay is often /orth loo7in+ at. C total front end s/ap is often /orth thin7in+
a3out if your ori+inal for7s are fairly thin, esp. in the 3-mm /idth ran+e or less. Ct 3Gmm or 3Mmm
you<re doin+ 3etter.
&o do ran7en3i7e front ends, first you need to 7no/ a3out the for7 diameters of 5arious 3i7es to
fi+ure out /hich 3i7es are an up+rade from the diameter your ha5e no/. &here<s data at0
http011///.dotheton.com1forum1inde8.php.topicI20M-0.0
If you /ant to 7eep your ori+inal rims (instead of 7eepin+ the one from the donor source) you need to
7no/ a3out a8le diameters0
http011///.dotheton.com1forum1inde8.php.topicI20M-2.0
Cnd then there<s these +uys, /ho sell =adapter steerin+ head 3earin+s@ for s/aps0
http011///.all3allsracin+.com1inde8.php1for7con5ersion
'ere<s the 7ic7er0 you punch in /hat your core 3i7e is (meanin+ the frame) 3y ma7e1model1year and it
/ill list /hich potential front2end donor 3i7es they ha5e adapter 7its for, alon+ /ith their adapter part
num3er. &his eliminates a lot of +uess/or7F
"ther possi3le mods to the front end are0
N or7 3races. T!ese can be do>nri!t 4ital if 6ou pull off t!e front fender, because t!e
oriinal steel front fender on t6pical cafe con4ersion bikes act as factor6 fork braces#
(uper3race is the top source0 http011///.super3race.com1 2 these sta3ili9e the entire front end,
reducin+ =headsha7e@ tendencies 3y 7eepin+ e5erythin+ properly ali+ned. 'i+hly
recommended.
N >artrid+e )mulators. "O...stoc7 cafe2pro4ect front ends usually use old2school for7 dampin+.
&here<s a plate that mo5es up and do/n /ith the for7s /ith holes in it, /hich is +oin+ up and
do/n in a pool of oil. &he a3ility for oil to flo/ throu+h those holes is /hat slo/s do/n the
for7<s mo5ement e5en more than the sprin+s. Eith modern =cartrid+e@ sport3i7e for7s, there<s
still holes 3ut they ha5e little flapper =sprin+ plates@ o5er them. &his lets them pass less oil on a
small 3ump 3ut more on a 3i+ 3ump in other /ords, 5aria3le dampin+. ?emem3er that
mid2corner 3ump pro3lem. !eah, /ell this is a 3i+ part fo a complete solution to that issue.
>artrid+e emulators are replacement =hole assem3ly@ units that scre/ into classic for7s and
adds modern 5aria3le dampin+. &he result is in5isi3le so if you<re +oin+ for the =classic loo7@
(instead of +raftin+ on A(P? for7s or /hate5er) they roc7. ?acetech is the top name 3ut there<s
others +oo+le =cartrid+e emulators@ for more0
http011///.racetech.com1'&M*QI*)(1)M#*C&"?A:.'&M*
,ro ti$& if you're looking for a front end swa$, you might check here to see if your donor bike
forks are su$$orted by racetech or other makes of cartridge emulator kits%
N Dro+ressi5e sprin+s0 another up+rade for classic for7 tu3es, pro+ressi5e sprin+s ha5e an area
of =/ide sprin+s@ for stiffness and ti+hter2/ound for handlin+ small 3umps. Just +oo+le
=pro+ressi5e for7 sprin+s@ for your 3i7e...they are /idely a5aila3le.
N )l >heapo or7 Dreload Mods0 increasin+ the sprin+ stiffness in your front end can help under
some circumstances, if it =feels too soft@ out there. "O, fine ta7e the /ei+ht off the front end,
frame on a mil7 crate /ill do, or han+ the handle3ars /ith ropes. &a7e the top caps off each
for7 tu3e and cram 1@ lon+ sections of the appropriate /idth hea5y D:> pipe from any +ood
hard/are store do/n in there, re2cap. &ry it out, 5ary the preload as needed /ith different
len+ths of D:> pipe. %irt cheap and in5isi3le mod. Ma7e sure you clean up any plastic
fra+ments that mi+ht fla7e off in thereFFF
Rear end mods:
N Ma7e sure the s/in+arm is not looseFFF Aet the /ei+ht off the rear, pull the rear rim,
disconnect the shoc7s so that the s/in+arm is only on there 5ia the front. $o/ /i++le it. &here
should 3e minimal side to side yet smooth up and do/n. If it feels at all /on7y s/ap the
3ushin+s. *isten carefully here0 sta3ility at that s/in+arm 4oint is 3eyond =5ital@. Insta3ility
here is seriously, radically unsafe.
N &he main up+rade a5aila3le at the rear end is shoc7s. Most of
these 3i7es /ill 3e dual2shoc7 and that can /or7 "O. !ou /ant, yet
a+ain, pro+ressi5e sprin+s in this case it usually means there<s t/o
actual sprin+s, one /ound ti+hter than the other. Dictured is an
e8ample of a 5ery +ood rear shoc7 pro+ressi5e /indin+ (note the
dual2rate sin+le sprin+) and an e8ternal oil reser5oir more oil
a5aila3le means the oil stays cooler lon+er. (?eally only 5ital in
race applications or if you<re a ma4or canyon racer.) (hoc7s can 3e
ordered =o5er2len+th@ if you /ant to =4ac7 up@ the rear so as to
increase cornerin+ clearance. But there<s another, e5en more 5ital
feature not immediately 5isi3le0 the best shocks can be ordered set
u$ for your s$ecific bike and $ilot weight% Ct that point you<re
spendin+ ,;00 or more from Eor7s Derformance or the li7e, 3ut the
results.../ell, they can 3e do/nri+ht a/esome. "n a 3ud+et. &he
cheaper non2reser5oir rear shoc7s from %ime >ity >ycles or the li7e
that are still pro+ressi5ely /ound (often usin+ t/o different actual sprin+s stac7ed one on top of
the other) for under ,200 can /or7 5ery /ell if you ad4ust the preload properly and run li+ht
rims. ((ee =sources@ at the end for %ime >ity<s /e3site and much more.)
N or those /ith access to a /elder and +uts, con5ersions to monoshoc7 can 3e damned
interestin+ 3ecause you can then sometimes use 4un7yard rear shoc7 units from modern
sport3i7es, /hich can 3e surprisin+ly cheap for /hat you<re +ettin+. C fe/ potential cafe
pro4ects start out as monoshoc7 already, mainly the early !amaha :ira+os and the 'onda
A*;-0.
T!e Book "f Rims
or 3est results as a cafe you /ant a 1M@ front rim, 1J@ rear. &hat<s =optimal@. !ou also /ant the front
and rear diameters of each to 3e a fairly close match 1M@ front and 1;@ rear is not ad5isa3le. 1J@
front /ith an 1J@ or 1G@ rear can /or7 or a 1G@ rear 1M@ front if you can fit a 1H02J011G on it. -ou also
want the rims to be as light as $ossible% &he 3est possi3le setup is aluminum hoops o5er spo7es.
&hese /ill 3e much li+hter than any modern sport3i7e rim this side of e8pensi5e car3on fi3er or the
li7e, and /ith less +yroscopic effect you<ll 3e a3le to flop it o5er into a corner faster than anythin+ else
on the street. (teel hoops o5er spo7es /ill 3e "O and you can up+rade later Mi7e<s P( has
aluminum rims in stoc7 /ith spo7es in 3;spo7e and HJspo7e. &here /as a factory option on some
1MG0s2era !amaha P(;-0s 2 ='2pattern@ (or =shouldered@) factory aluminum2o5er2spo7e hoops.
&hey<re hard to find 3ut if you see them snatch them up. &his is also the preferred type if 3uyin+
replacement hoops from Mi7es...see this pa+e for e8amples0
http011///.mi7es8s.net1products2-;.htmlRproducts
Ehere possi3le a5oid the =Buasi2cruiser@ 5ariants of these 3i7es, usually /ith 1;@ rear rims. Clso0
most factory =ma+@ rims of the pre21MJ- period /ere dis+ustin+ly hea5y, esp. !amaha 3ut also Oa/i
and (u9u7i. 'onda ho/e5er +ot it ri+ht /ith the =>omstar@ aluminum rims they /ere 5ery li+ht and
ri+id, e8cellent rims from the =narro/ rim@ period. 'onda mostly used these from 1MGJ21MJ2. &he
early 'onda Aold/in+s (A*1000) from 1MG-2GM had t/o rim options0 >omstars 3y 1MGJ for/ard and
3efore that (and as an option all years) e8cellent ='2pattern@ (also 7no/n as =shouldered@)
aluminum2o5er2spo7e rims front and rear. &hey /ere 1G@ rear, 1M@ front althou+h you could of course
lace up different rims. I am told there ha5e 3een some successes +raftin+ this rear rim1hu3 (alon+ /ith
a dis7 3ra7e up+rade) to the >P1A*-001;-0 t/in series, in particular the A*;-0 that I 7no/ of.
Cpparantly that early Aold/in+ rim (and possi3ly the Aold/in+ rear dri5e unit on the A*;-0
s/in+arm.) can 3olt ri+ht in /ith minimal mods. I ha5e not personally tried it yet 3ut the +uys on the
>P-00 forums are sayin+ it<s a =+o@.
!ou can do "O /ith 1;@ rear rims 3ut you<ll /ant an 1J@ or 1M@ front. (maller 1;@ fronts from the
earliest period (nota3ly the !amaha ?adian;00, earliest Oa/i )P1$in4a -00 and some others) had
sBuirrelly handlin+.
If you<re 3uyin+ a 3i7e /ith steel hoops o5er spo7es and plannin+ on s/appin+ to aluminum hoops
later, yeah, that<s doa3le...fi+ure you<ll ha5e to replace the =nuts@ at the end of each spo7e 3ut usually
you can recycle the ori+inal spo7es, /hich /ill 3e an easy /ay to match up your hu3s to the ne/
aluminum hoops of the same diameter. B#&F Ao count your spo7es and ma7e sure either Mi7e<s P(
or %ime >ity >ycles (see lin7s section, end of this document) has aluminum hoops in your spo7e
count, other/ise you<ll 3e payin+ 3i++er 3uc7s at Buchannon<s (po7es for aluminum rims /ith
custom2drilled hole counts to match a particular 3i7e<s odd3all hu3 pattern. ortunately Buchannon<s
can also sell you the correct spo7e len+ths for your hu3 /ith /hate5er si9e rim you /ant.
http011///.3uchananspo7es.net
&here are also a 3unch of +ood +uides on ho/ to lace up a custom rim and hu3 all o5er youtu3e if you
search on terms li7e =lacin+ rims custom@ or the li7e.
>'CI$ %?I:) BIO)( "$*!0 s/appin+ rims 3et/een 5ery different models or e5en 3rands is often
/or7a3le, so lon+ as the a8le diameter is ri+ht, the chain type matches the sproc7ets front and rear and
you mi+ht ha5e to t/ea7 the /idth of one of the spacers on a +rinder. C list of /hich 3i7es use /hich
a8le diameters is at0 http011///.dotheton.com1forum1inde8.php.topicI20M-2.0 ma7e sure you +ra3
the a8les, a8le nuts and spacers from the donor 3i7e to ensure an easy hac7 4o3, "O. Clso, s/aps are
easier on drum rear 3ra7e setups, in +eneral.
"4erall ri!t !ei!t notes 5 front and rear as t!e6 interact
Jac7ed up is +ood, /ithin limits. &here are ho/e5er thin+s you need to 7no/.
(C)&! EC?$I$A0 &he closer the for7s point to strai+ht
do/n, the less sta3le they<ll 3e. Aot that. $o/, that can 3e
"O if you<5e also done =sta3ility enhancement mods@ to the
front such as a for7 3race and1or thic7er for7 tu3es...plus
ma7e sure the s/in+arm pi5ot point isn<t sloppy as that /ill
affect ?"$& end sta3ility. (o. If you<5e ta7en steps to
sta3ili9e the front, you can then ris7 4ac7in+ up the rear to
+ain cornerin+ clearance, or if you<re a smaller rider and
don<t need as much clearance, you can drop the for7s in the
for7 tu3es to lo/er the front end and point the for7s closer
to strai+ht do/n. Dictured is a set of for7 tu3es slid up
/ithin the triple trees, droppin+ the 3i7e and speedin+ up the steerin+...he loosened the t/o nuts sho/n
plus t/o more li7e them 3elo/, slid the for7 tu3es a3out an inch, ti+htened it all do/n. )5en half an
inch can ha5e ma4or effects on the steerin+ feel and front end sta3ility.
)ither /ay, steeper for7 an+les ma7e the steerin+ Buic7er (=t/itchier@) /hich can 3e a +ood thin+ in
capa3le hands. T!is kind of mod is not for ne>bie pilots??? >apische. !ou can ho/e5er /or7 your
/ay up to this point as you mod the 3i7e if you<re ne/ to motorcycles in +eneral.
"35iously, front for7 complete s/aps can also affect the len+th of the front end and hence the an+le of
the for7 tu3es ta7e all that into consideration /hen s/appin+ front end. If the donor for7s are lon+er
than stoc7, o35iously mo5in+ them up the triple trees some to restore the stoc7 an+les is safe.
%o not learn that your front end is unsta3le in a speed2/o33le that 7ills you.
!ou ha5e 3een /arnedF M<7ay.
Cnd for Aod<s sa7e, at the first si+n of a speed2/o33le that you pull out of,
plan your ne8t set of mods to sta3ili9e the front some more fast.
*r take off that swoo$y long rear shock you .ust bolted in and $ut the shorter stock
units back on until your shiny new fork brace or other nice front end mods come in%
Ehate5er you do as a 3i7e modder, listen ?)C* E)** to /hat the 3i7e tells you.
&his is the most important thin+ I<5e said in this entire document.
*RG"%",$CS ,"0S
&his is a 5ery personal area so I<m not +oin+ to say much. ?un the handle3ars you /ant, standard or
clip2on type. Eorst case you<ll ma7e the comfort stin7 for lon+ distance, if so s/ap around. I /ould
recommend startin+ /ith lo/ =flat trac7@ type 3ars a5aila3le at any 3i7e 4un7yard for ,10...run those,
see if you li7e <em, s/ap later once the 3i7e is closer to =done@ (haF).
(eat is the same deal0 run /hate5er you li7e, don<t 3e afraid to roll your o/n. "n a 3ud+et. ?olls of
closed2cell campin+ mattress foam, some contact cement to tac7 it do/n, a 7nife to sha5e the stac7 to
shape and a ,1- duffel 3a+ from a sportin+ +oods store can 3uild you a surprisin+ly +ood seat. !eah.
%uffel 3a+...I said it 0). :ery minimal stitchin+ needed to turn that into an a/esome seat co5er.
"ne thin+ on seats and handle3ars that may 3e of interest to fol7s dri5in+ lon+ distances0 learn to set
your =free/ay float@. Ehile leanin+ for/ard at, say, G-mph, you can ad4ust your seatin+ position and
esp. handle3ars so that there<s almost no /ei+ht on your arms as the /ind literally holds you up
you<re =floatin+@. "n a for/ard2lean 3i7e (cafe or sport3i7e) /ith no /indscreen, this is a top secret of
a comforta3le lon+2distance ride. &hat and a full2face helmet. 0)
Eith rearset footpe+s...there<s somethin+ interestin+ there0
LL&he closer you can mount them to the rear s/in+arm pi5ot point, the 3etter.KK
Because that<s the part of the 3i7e you /ant to sta3ili9e /ith your feet.
%ime >ity, Mi7e<s P( and *ossa ha5e rearsets all are listed under =(uppliers@ at the end of this
article. 'ard/are stores ha5e +ood selections of threaded rod and 5arious 3its to ma7e lin7a+es out of.
*%G$%* ,"0S )%0 S*.*CT$"%
*et<s start /ith selection of the core 3i7e /ith motor.
!ou should care a3out horsepo/er. $o Buestion. But you should also care a3out =ho/ it ma7es the
po/er@. !ou should $"& care much a3out >>s (cu3ic centimeters of displacement, /hich is /here /e
+et =-00cc@ or the li7e) as a motor si9e as it 3orders on meanin+less.
C motor can 3e =pea7y and e8plosi5e@ /ith ma4or horsepo/er for it<s si9e, or it can 3e =torBuey and
controlla3le@ for it<s si9e. "r some/here in 3et/een.
&he factors that ma7e a 3i7e put out 3i+ po/er in a less controlled fashion0
1) More cylinders for the si9e...a ;00cc H2cylinder modern sport3i7e motor (>B?;00?? or the
li7e) could easily put out 110hp stoc7. C (u9u7i =(a5a+e@ (a7a =(H0@) is a ;-0cc sin+le
cylinder, =3i++er@ than the 'onda 3y -0cc, 3ut it<s only puttin+ out a3out 3-hp.
2) Cir2cooled /ill mean less pea7 po/er than /ater2cooled, all else 3ein+ eBual. It<s not
definiti5e 3ut air2coolin+ is a si+n of a less =frantic@ motor.
3) More 5al5es per cylinder means 3i+ pea7y po/er, all else 3ein+ eBual.
H) 'i+h redline means 3i+ po/er.
-) &/o2stro7e motors /ill put out more po/er for their displacement than a four2stro7e. &hey
are also less relia3le. #nless you really 7no/ /hat you<re +ettin+ into, a5oid t/o2stro7e motors
li7e the pla+ue. (&he 3reed is no/ 3asically e8tinct 3ecause they put out se5ere pollution...3ut
3ac7 in the 1MG0s they /ere still a thin+...)
!ou can of course plan out a cafe for a serious, e8perienced rider. !ou can start /ith a 3i7e that has a
supersport2class modern motor if you /ant. &here<s no rules here. But a ne/3ie rider should consider
a t/in /ith a ma8 of -02;-hp (the latter for a lar+e rider) as opposed to a H23an+er hypersport /ith
100S ponies on tap, unless you ()?I"#(*! mod the frame and suspension to fully modern standards.
*nine ,odifications
&he only mods a 3e+innin+ cafe 3uilder should need or /ant is mods to the inta7e and e8haust. %one
ri+ht these /on<t 7ill the en+ine. #sin+ the e8tra po/er you +et (if you do it ri+ht) /ith hea5y2handed
throttle can of course /ear the motor out faster.
-ipe mods
Aenerally you /ant to run the stoc7 inside /idth on your pipes, and do a =mer+e pipe@ on t/ins, triples
or fours. (EC?$I$A0 a lot of stoc7 pipes are dou3le2/alled so if you measure the outside diameter,
the inside diameter (that matters in terms of the /idth of ne/ pipe you<re doin+) /ill 3e /ay off.
C =mer+ed pipe@ means all the outputs mer+e to one point at a set point do/nran+e, and then you run
one muffler. &his 3oth increases performances and sa5es /ei+ht (one muffler is li+hter than 2 to H).
'ere<s /hy there<s a performance 3oost0
&a7e the case of a t/in (t/o2cylinder). (et up ri+ht, /hen the e8haust pulse from one cylinder hits the
mer+e point, the pulse from the other cylinder is 4ust startin+. "nce past the mer+e point the first
cylinder<s pulse literally pulls the pulse from the other cylinder. Cnd /hen that one clears the mer+e,
the cycle starts a+ain. (ame /ith triples and four23an+ers.
If you are doin+ a fully custom e8haust you can find out /here the proper mer+e point is 3y ta7in+
measurements of the mer+e 4unction distance from the heads on a professionally 3uilt aftermar7et pipe
and then copyin+ that distance.
"ther factors0 if you run fatter2than2stoc7 pipes, your lo/2?DM po/er /ill suffer 3ut your upper2?DM
po/er can increase if you do e5erythin+ else ri+ht. 'o/e5er, you pro3a3ly need a seriously impro5ed
motor to ta7e full effect of fat pipes 3i++er pistons in 3i++er cylinder 3ores, head/or7, hot cam, the
sort of thin+s that are 3eyond the scope of this +uide and ha5e to 3e specific for your motor.
%oin+ a full custom e8haust on a t/o2cylinder 3i7e isn<t as difficult as you mi+ht thin7. )5en on a
four23an+er it can 3e done for reasona3ly cheap. %ime >ity and Mi7es< P( ha5e =+eneric pipe 7its@
/ith 5arious 3ends and strai+ht 3its that can 3e /elded up0
http011///.mi7es8s.net1product11M20H20.html
http011///.dimecitycycles.com15inta+e2cafe2racer2caferacer23o33er23rat2chopper2custom2motorcycle2
parts23ilt/ell2uni5ersal2e8haust27it2e82aa2r/20020.html
&hese 7inds of 7its should /or7 fine /ith most 1MG0s2era t/ins from 3-0cc up throu+h G-02J00 plus
many of the 3i++er sin+les (-002;-0). !ou can use stu3s of the e8istin+ stoc7 pipes at the heads as a
startin+ point. *ocal auto muffler shops are often /illin+ to help for surprisin+ly cheap a5oid the
national chains, +o /ith a little mom<n<pop local type, they<re often 5ery cool.
or a mer+e point, one option is to cruise 3i7e
4un7yards loo7in+ for a +ood mer+e point from
an other/ise /rec7ed set of pipes. ,10 and it<s
yours, cut out the mer+e point, use it in your
other/ise custom setup.
&he results /ill loo7 li7e crap 3ut run +reat
than7 the diety of your choice for the pipe
/rap tape loo7 K+rinL.
$o/, one reason to do all this is that it is
sometimes the only /ay to +et the pipes fully
and completely out of the /ay of your lean an+le. Cnd for handlin+ issues, that matters. In the pipe
sho/n here, the pipes interfere /ith ma8 lean an+le on a ri+ht2hand turn, /hich isn<t +ood. If the
footpe+s /ere up hi+her and further 3ac7 (=rearsets@) the difference in a5aila3le cornerin+ clearance
/ould 3e e5en more o35ious. &hat pipe should 3e tuc7ed in under the en+ine li7e )ric Buell lo5es to
do instead of han+in+ off of one side. &he other /ay to +et pipes out of the /ay is to run them hi+h and
off the side in =(cram3ler fashion@ or if you<5e dumped the ori+inal car3 air3o8, lose the side co5ers
too and run the pipes out the underside of the seat for a 5ery effecti5e and cool loo7.
Cs to the muffler0 I am a hu+e fan of usin+ +eneric2catalo+ (upertrapp e8hausts. 'ere<s /hy0 /ith the
a3ility to add and remo5e 3affle dis7s you +et the chance to tune e8actly ho/ much air the pipe is
flo/in+. &his is e8tremely useful /hen doin+ performance tunin+, in lar+e part 3ecause instead of
re24ettin+ the car3s to e8actly match the pipe, you can +et the car3s close and then match the pipe to the
car3s. It is impossi3le to o5erstate ho/ much easier this can 3e.
(ummit ?acin+ is a >C? supply place that has a ton of a5aila3le (upertrapp muffler ends for 5arious
diameter e8haust pipes0
http011///.summitracin+.com1search13rand1supertrapp1product2line1supertrapp2s2c2standard2mufflers.
auto5ie/I(O# as you can see, this series +oes all the /ay do/n to a 2@ inlet si9e. If your outlet is
smaller than that, no pro3lem, any muffler shop should ha5e tu3e e8panders to ta7e the end of a 1.G-@
or /hate5er pipe up to 2@ in seconds. If this lin7 stops /or7in+ 4ust search =supertrapp@ no Buotes on
the (ummit /e3site li7e so0
http011///.summitracin+.com1search13rand1supertrapp they ha5e cool little =shorty@ units and
/hate5er else you /ant. Clso a fair num3er of han+er 3rac7ets.
!ou can also +o to %ime >ity, *ossa or the li7e and +et all 7inds of different 3i7e mufflers. "?
4un7yards are your friends of courseF But I<m tellin+ you no/, the (upertrapp option completely roc7s
if you ha5e the cash a5aila3le.
Carb "ptions )nd Tunin
"O. &his is the 3i+ issue, in my 3oo7.
Bi7e car3s of the 1M;0s and early <G0s /ere all =roundslide@ type direct2actuation car3s /ith a fe/ rare
e8ceptions...BME for e8ample /ent to >:2type car3s early on. >: car3s, in my opinion, stin7.
&hey<re delicate, hard to tune and cannot produce as much po/er as a +ood direct2actuation roundslide
or flatslide. *et me sho/ you /hat I mean.
&here<s some 3its left out the secondary pilot 4et, the lo/2speed idle 4et and the system for droppin+
ne/ +as into the reser5oir. I<5e also left out the small air passa+es that forces the >: slide to rise.
(&here are also some 5ariations on e8actly ho/ the slide is controlled in some roundslide and flatslide
desi+ns 3ut this doesn<t affect ho/ they perform.)
But this simplified 5ie/ is enou+h to understand /hy these car3s are different.
&he >: car3 has tiny ad5anta+es /here fuel economy is concerned and a modest decrease in pollution
that allo/ed the Jap ma7ers to a5oid ha5in+ to +o to catalytic e8hausts.
&o 3e fair, the >: car3 does ha5e one performance ad5anta+e0 as the en+ine speed rises it al/ays +i5es
the en+ine 4ust the amount of +as it needs ne5er too much. &his /ould 3e +reat e8cept it doesn<t do
so 5ery Buic7lyF Cnd since there<s t/o different thin+s in the car3<s 3ore +ettin+ in the /ay of airflo/
(the 3utterfly 5al5e and the main slide) there<s less total airflo/, /hich is /hy you can replace a 3Jmm
3ore >: car3 /ith a 3Hmm roundslide and still +et a performance increase.
"n the roundslide (and racin+ flatslides) you +et direct no2B( control o5er the main slide. !ou /ant it
up. !essir, ri+ht frac7in< no/, here /e +o, han+ on ti+ht.
$o/, that means that if the car3 is a 3it on the 3i+ side, you can =3o+@ the motor feedin+ it too much
+as. But e5en if that<s an issue, you can still learn to =ride the throttle@ on the /ay up the ?DM scale.
C really properly tuned roundslide /on<t do that so lon+ as you didn<t pic7 too 3i+ a car3. I made a
mista7e many moons a+o /ith my P(;-0, /ent for 3;mm roundslides /hen 3Hmm is the 3etter ans/er
and I ran into that 3o+ situation...3ut e5en then it /as a short learnin+ cur5e and the top end po/er /as
completely 7ic72ass a/esome so I didn<t /orry a3out it.
$o/. "ne more difference the roundslide (and flatslide) doesn<t care much a3out the incomin+ air
flo/ Buality. It 4ust suc7s it all up and 3e+s for more. "35iously, obstructed airflo/ is no +ood and
some of the cheaper =pod air filters@ do that. Cnd 5elocity stac7s of some sort do help. But o5erall the
roundslide1flatslide types don<t care much a3out the type of air filter setup you run or no filter at all
and they<ll still /or7 "O.
>: car3s are e8tremely pic7y. &hat incomin+ airflo/ has to 3e correct and strai+ht, plus for reasons I
still don<t understand they need some sort of =air 3o8@ on multi2cylinder multi2car3 3i7es. (o /hen
you see =pod filters@ of any sort on >: car3s, /ell...flat2out, that ain<t ri+ht. !ou >C$ sometimes
ma7e <em =mostly /or7@, sometimes if you<re a real master at tunin+ them you can +et them almost
runnin+ as +ood as stoc7.
Clmost.
More li7ely you<ll ha5e all 7inds of stum3les in the po/er output as it clim3s and top end po/er /ill 3e
limited.
(o, assumin+ you<re not yet ready to desi+n a ne/ roundslide or flatslide car3 setup for a +i5en 3i7e,
ho/ do you do the con5ersion. Eell you find out if any3ody has a pre23uilt 7it, "? you loo7 for a
3i7e old enou+h that it used roundslides as the ori+inal factory car3s. "r if there<s no pac7a+ed up+rade
7it, search around that 3i7e<s forums and see if any3ody has successfully added 3etter car3s and if they
left decent notes on mountin+ options, 4ettin+ recipes, etc. Mi7uni :M (usually :M3H) car3 7its for
the P(;-0 are easy to +et from (udco and http011///.;-0central.com1 2 the latter for a3out ,H-0 /hich
is reasona3le. #ser Murray on the >P-00 forums has a :M3H 7it for the >P1A* -00 and ;-0
motors, /ith fully custom manifolds needed for those 3i7es0 http011c8-00forum.com Mi7e<s P( has a
cheap flatslide 7it for the P(;-0 (at ,300) 3ut I<5e heard the Buality is iffy as the car3s are out of >hina
instead of Japan and the castin+s are...meh. *ossa has you co5ered for 'onda t/ins, (udco supports
the )P-00 mini2sport3i7e and the :ulcan -00 is similar enou+h they should fit there too.
Most of the 'onda =("'>@ ((in+le "5er'ead >am) -00, --0 and G-0 motors had roundslide car3s. I
ha5e heard of some successes +raftin+ used sets of those onto later %"'> (1MGM for/ard) >BG-0s 3ut
I don<t 7no/ the details.
Carb Rebuildin: C; Carbs
&he main do/nside to older >: car3s (esp. 20S years old) is that the =diaphra+m@ on top can easily
crystali9e and de5elop crac7s or tears. "nce that happens the car3s /ill turn useless. &o chec7, pull off
the =mushroom cap@ thin+ on top >C?)#**! and chec7 those ru33er sheets. If you need ne/
diaphra+ms this outfit may ha5e you co5ered0 http01143mindustries.com note the lin7 at the top ri+ht.
"nce you ha5e the top of the car3 open and ha5e chec7ed or replaced the diaphra+m, carefully ma7e
sure the central slide mo5es up and do/n smoothly. "nce it does re2cap the =mushroom top@ to protect
the diaphra+m and only then flip it o5er and chec71clean the 3ottom end.
&he rest of the car3s are easier. "nce you 7no/ that the top end is "O,
scre/ it 3ac7 do/n, turn it o5er and start ta7in+ it apart and cleanin+ it
from the 3ottom. Dull the fuel reser5ior 3o/ls, ta7e e5erythin+ apart, 3last
out all the little passa+es and remo5a3le 3rass +as2flo/ inserts (=4ets@)
/ith compressed air. $o air compressor. ine, +o to an office supply
place and +et a couple of ,- or less cans of =compressed air for computer
cleanin+@ li7e /hat<s sho/n here. !ou /ant those little plastic no99le
e8tenders, they completely roc7 for cleanin+ car3s. I thin7 they actually
/or7 3etter than an air compressor and seem to clean old +as off /ith
nothin+ else in the /ay of sol5ents neededF
Ma7e sure you +et the +un7 out of the reser5oir (a7a =float 3o/l@) and /hate5er you do, /rite do/n
the num3ers stamped on each of the little 3rass inserts that meter the +as, 7no/n as =4ets@. Ehen you
tune the 4ettin+ later (if you need to) you<ll need to 7no/ /hich 4et si9es to order to +o up or do/n from
/here you<re at no/ on the main and pilot 4ets.
(urprisin+ly, the rest of the insides of the car3s /ill usually 3e "O. &hey<ll need cleanin+ 3ut
other/ise you don<t usually need the sort of =car3 re3uild 7it@ that comes /ith ne/ +as7ets, ne/ small
ru33er 3its, etc.
%o one car3 at a timeFFF &hat /ay you don<t mi8 up =innards@ from multiple car3s 0).
Carb Rebuildin 5 Roundslide carbs
(ame as the >: rules a3o5e e8cept you don<t need to chec7 the diaphra+ms 3ecause there ain<t none.
Carb Tunin
&here are t/o issues here0 4ettin+ and synchroni9ation.
!ou =sync the car3s@ 3y ma7in+ sure they flo/ the same amount of air, each. &here<s a couple of /ays.
Eith roundslide car3s you can set the amount of =startin+ point hei+ht@ of each slide 3y +ently
measurin+ to ma7e sure all the openin+s are the same /idth /ith the blunt ends of drill 3its. %rill 3its
come in pac7s that are 5ery precisely measured, so /ith the car3s in the 3i7e or 3etter yet off (=3ench
synchroni9ation@) you match up the slide hei+hts 3y measurin+ the +aps 3elo/ the slides /ith drill 3its.
Match them all up to the lo/est one, try it out, too lo/, match them all up to the ne8t si9e up 3it.
It is more precise to measure the flo/ from each car3 /ith a suction tester /hile the en+ine is runnin+.
&here are numerous youtu3e 5ideos on ho/ to do this for each motorcycle...search on the ma7e1model
of your 3i7e alon+ /ith =sync@ or =synchroni9e@ and =car3s@. !ou can also find plans on ma7in+ a
home3re/ synchroni9ation meter or you can 3uy meters for t/o2cylinder 3i7es for less than ,-0 at
%ime >ity or else/here.
Jettin+ is more comple8. %o a spar7 plu+ chec7 /ith 3rand ne/ plu+s to see /here you<re at0
http011///.Hstro7es.com1tech1spar7pl+.asp
Ehen you cleaned1re3uilt your car3s you /rote do/n your 4ets, ri+ht. (o you can no/ order the ne8t
si9e (or t/o si9es) up and do/n in each direction on the main and pilot 4ets pretty cheap, and start
testin+ them. Jets are a5aila3le at a 3unch of sources onlineT you<ll need to 7no/ either the ma7e1model
of car3 you<5e +ot "? if you 7no/ your car3s are stoc7 for your 3i7e, the ma7e1model of 3i7e. C lot of
motorcycle shops ha5e trays full of 4ets layin+ around for ,32,- a pop.
inally, if you /ent /ith my (upertrapp e8haust su++estion you can =re24et@ 3y addin+ 3affle dis7s
(leanin+ the 3i7e out) or remo5in+ some (ma7in+ it richer and Buieter). &his can let you +et it runnin+
ri+ht no/, then +o score 3i++er 4ets later, s/ap and add some dis7s to match up for more oomph.
'()T B$=* T" ST)RT '$T(/
?ule one0 don<t do a 22stro7e. "O. (eriously. %on<t. $ot real relia3le lon+2term, parts are +ettin+
scarce, and if you mod them /ron+ you<ll +et horri3ly pea7y po/er that only an e8pert pilot should 3e
any/here near. Eith rare e8ceptions (such as the !amaha &U2-013-0 series as >anadian or other such
+rey2mar7et imports after 1MJ0ish) most had horri3le suspensions and frames. Dut another /ay0 if
you<re +ettin+ 5alua3le data from this document, don<t +o 22stro7e. If all this is old hat to you, may3e
you<re ready for the mechanical annoyances 0).
Dast that, you /ant somethin+ fairly common and then ma7e it uncommon yourself. !ou /ant
somethin+ /ith a ton of 4un7yard parts a5aila3le and if possi3le some aftermar7et support. Aoin+ /ith
somethin+ o3scure /ill hurt you unless you<re /illin+ to really di+ around for parts. (B#&, )3ay is
ma7in+ findin+ o3scure parts easier so...if you thin7 you 7no/ /hat you<re doin+...).
I<5e already discussed '"E different en+ines ma7e po/er. (o let<s assume /e<re +oin+ =classic@, /ith
a 3i7e that started life in the 1MG0s or <J0s (or at least, is that 7ind of tech le5el).
Bi++er rider recipe is to aim for a3out ;0 to G0hp and under H00l3s under 3-0 preferred. )asiest
startin+ points are a 'onda >B--0 H23an+er or the eBui5alent (u9u7i or Oa/asa7i --0s, ;-0 ma8
althou+h most are +oin+ to 3e too hea5y, !amaha P(;-0, a /ell2tuned !amaha :ira+o G-0 or M20
(early era monoshoc7 typesF) and possi3ly the earliest 'onda (hado/. &here<s also the !amaha (eca
--0 and a 3it later the ?adian ;00, althou+h the handlin+ on the latter is 7inda sBuirrelly it can 3e fi8ed
if you can find a cherry specimen cheap enou+h. &he P(;-0s are unfortunately all ate up 3y people
doin+ cafes, 3o33ers etc. 3ecause the en+ine is 3oth 5ery +ood and a 5ery close cosmetic replica of a
classic 1M;0s British t/in...and unmolested e8amples are 3i+ money. &he ?adian;00 motor /as later
3olted into the (eca22;00...the only 1MM0s2era H23an+er ;00 that /as still =ne/3ie friendly@ /ell into
the 1MM0s and as they<re turnin+ up cheap enou+h, a possi3le candidate for a =modern loo7in+ cafe@.
(maller riders can ha5e a lot of fun in the H02H-hp ran+e and 3-0l3s, 300 preferred. !ou can +et there
/ith one of the 'onda H00 or e5en 3-0 four23an+ers if you can find one, the 5arious
'onda1(u9u7i1Oa/asa7i H-0 t/ins of the 1MG0s throu+h mid2J0s, or some people ha5e a lot of fun
ta7in+ the 3i++est sin+le2cylinder street1dirt enduros they can find and con5ertin+ them to a
cafe1supermotard mutant hy3rid. !amaha actually did a factory 5ersion at one point called the (?P;00
and 'onda had the AB-00 3oth are rare and /orth 3i+ money 3ut sho/ /hat can 3e done /ith an
early 1MJ0s 3i+ sin+le dirt3i7e such as the !amaha P&-001--0 and 'onda P*-002;00 types. Eeirdest
of all is the (u9u7i =(a5a+e@ ;-0 sin+le /hich 3elie5e it or not can 3e ri++ed as a >afe e5en /ithout a
pre23uilt =7it@ /hich is a5aila3le0 http011///.youtu3e.com1/atch.5I%-r;rhVi&27
(ome people li7e the 'onda >P-00 as a startin+ point...honestly, it has issues /ith 3ein+ top2hea5y
and does a little 3it of /eird =rollin+@ /hen you hammer the throttle in mid2corner so...hmmm...for a
really serious effort, not a top choice althou+h it can 3e a lot of fun for a less +on9o effort. &here is
also the >P;-01A*;-0 5ariants made in one year only, 1MJ3, that put out a3out 1-hp more than the
-00 stoc7 and has potential as a =3i++er +uy@ 5ariant. !ou can also shoehorn the ;-0 motors into -00
frames, and a lot of people are doin+ that. &here<s a user 3y the name of Murray on the forums at
http011c8-00forum.com /ho has de5eloped a complete 7it to 3olt a pair of Mi7uni :M3H car3s onto all
of these 3i7es, -00 and ;-0. 'e also sells pre2fa33ed front motor mount han+ars to allo/ droppin+ the
;-0 motors cleanly into -00 frames and is other/ise &') +o2to +uy on these 3i7es. &he :M3H 7it
/ith ne/ inta7e runners, throttle ca3les and e5erythin+ else needed is ,-00 I thin7. !ou can order them
for a -00 motor and he<ll sell you 4ettin+ later for ,20 if you up+rade motors (or s/itch entire 3i7es).
It<s hi+h for a dual2:M3H 7it 3ut considerin+ he had to desi+n all2ne/ inta7es to a5oid the car3s hittin+
the +as tan7s on these thin+s it<s fair...and there<s lots of reports that he has the 4ettin+ recipe e8tremely
/ell de5eloped. &here is also a +uy sellin+ parts to con5ert >P2series >omstar rims to spo7es0
http011motosynthesis.3lo+spot.com1p1shoppin+2cart.html at the prices he char+es I /ould do the rear
only, match it to a spo7e front rim from a 'onda A*1000 (early Aold/in+). I<m also told the early
Aold/in+ rear 1G@ stoc7 rims can 3e +rafted onto the A*1>P ;-0 shaft dri5e units 3ut ha5e not
confirmed this personally.
Oa/asa7i had a G-0 t/in to compete /ith the P(;-0 3ut it has the dra/3ac7 of 3ein+ 5ery rare plus
the Oa/i /as hea5ier and /orse handlin+. Oa/i frames throu+hout most of the 1MG0s had the /orst
rep for fle8. &he Oa/i --02H3an+er /asn<t terri3le 3ut it needed up+rades to the suspension.
&he Oa/asa7i, (u9u7i and 'onda ;-0 and G-0 four23an+ers of the late 1MG0s throu+h early 1MJ0s are
/orth loo7in+ at for the 3i++est riders, mostly. &hey<re +oin+ to 3e harder to +et +ood handlin+ out of
for pure /ei+ht reasons. I<m ;<H@ and 300l3s, and I had a lot of fun many years a+o on a tric7ed2out
!amaha P(;-0 t/in. $o/ I<m +oin+ to loo7 for somethin+ a hair 3i++er, 3ut not to a G-0 Hcylinder.
I am $"& a fan of the P(G-01J-0 triples for a num3er of reasons. &he po/er to /ei+ht ratio is iffy, the
shaft unit is hea5y and the options for a li+ht/ei+ht rear rim are non2e8istant.
&here is a rare 5ariant of the early !amaha :ira+o M20s that you mi+ht /ant to 7eep an eye out for0 the
P:M20J /ith a chain dri5e, also 7no/n as the =)urosport (pecial@. C/esome cafe startin+ point.
"5erall, the !amaha P(;-0 has the most +oin+ for it for a num3er of reasons. &he po/er output for
this era of frame tech is a near2perfect match. It loo7s a lot li7e a late21M;0s Brit3i7e. Cftermar7et
support is a/esome includin+ 3i+23ore en+ine 7its of G-0 or more if you /ant to +o nuts.
&he usual ad5ice is =a5oid shaft dri5e@ 3ut...that<s not al/ays the case. &he 5ery earliest
first2+eneration !amaha :ira+o G-01M20 ha5e a lot of interestin+ potential. )5en the 2
nd
+en /ith more
chrome can 3e stripped do/n the easy /ay to I% these early ones is the monoshoc7. &here<s no
frame under the motor at all the motor I( the lo/er frame. Cctually ma7es it damned easy to /or7
on 0). indin+ or 3uildin+ li+ht/ei+ht rims for the :ira+os can 3e a pain. &he stoc7 cast rims /ere
hea5y. !ou can ho/e5er s/ap in spo7e rims from later ='arley loo7in+@ :ira+o 5ariants and re2spo7e
those hu3s on aluminum rims. Cnd the >P1A* -001;-0 'ondas are desi+ned from the +round up as
shafties /ith the motor pointin+ the po/er the ri+ht /ay so there<s less =shaft dri5e po/er loss@.
Cnythin+ 3i++er than G-0 from the early 1MJ0s or prior is +oin+ to 3e a +iant pi+ of a 3i7e 0). &his
includes the !amaha shaft2dri5e 1100s, the early Aold/in+s, etc. &he only possi3le e8ception is the
'onda >BM00 and >BM00 try and a5oid the >BM00c (=>ustom@) despite it<s 3i9arre 102+ear
dou3le2tranny setup. Cnd past a3out G-hp, you really need a more modern frame and suspensionF
&here are also some early Japanese :2t/in =>ruisers@ that may ha5e potential as cafes. &he earliest
'onda (hado/ G-0 and J00 motors had ;;S horsepo/er and /ere fairly li+ht and narro/. (u9u7i<s
Intruder G00, G-0 and J00 (ori+inal, not =:olusia@) and the Oa/i :ulcan G-0 /ere similar. &he
Intruder already comes /ith li+ht aluminum rims 3ut the rear of the shaft dri5e unit is particularly
hea5y. *i+ht rims on the (hado/s are possi3le if you can find a (hado/ J00 (1MJJ) spo7e rear rim and
re2spo7e it to a 1G@ or 1J@ aluminum2o5er2spo7e rim setup. &he Oa/i has the /orst rim options and
the motor is a /ee 3it delicate for my tastes. &here is also the Oa/i :ulcan -00 or earlier *&%H-H
t/ins that ha5e potential as cafesT they share en+ine similarities /ith the )P-00 small t/in sport3i7es.
S"URC*S
%ime >ity is the 3i++est =+eneral merchant@ of >afe parts online. Aood fol7s0
http011///.dimecitycycles.com
*ossa is a smaller 5ersion 3ut ha5e some neat pre2desi+ned14etted complete car3 setups for the 'onda
t/o2cylinder 3i7es of the 1MG0s and early <J0s, plus +eneral +oodies0
http011///.lossaen+ineerin+.com
Mi7e<s and ;-0>entral started as !amaha P(;-0 shops 3ut are 3ranchin+ out into other !amahas and
cafes in +eneral. If you<re doin+ a car3 s/ap I recommend ;-0>entral<s :M3H23ased 7it /hile Mi7e<s
has a 3etter =+eneral cafe parts selection@ 3eyond !amahas includin+ some a/esome deals on
aluminum hoop rims if they match your spo7e counts0
http011///.;-0central.com http011///.mi7es8s.net
#ser Murray on the >P-00 forums is &') top +uy any/here on the >P-001;-0 and A*-001;-0
motors and 3i7es. 'e<s the smallest =shop@ I<m mentionin+ a cool curmud+eon in a +ara+e /ho does
on2site tuneups in $orth >arolina and sells car3 7its, en+ine adapters (;-0 in a -00 frame) and more0
http011c8-00forum.com
&he other tiny shop I<m mentionin+ has the 3its needed to turn 'onda >omstar rims into spo7e hu3s
you 4ust ha5e to i+nore the /ords =%o $ot %issassem3le@ 'onda stamped into these rims(F)0
http011motosynthesis.3lo+spot.com
or custom rims /ith unlimited hole pattern possi3ilities and matchin+ spo7es, Buchannon<s are the
people to see0
http011///.3uchananspo7es.net
(udco is a hu+e +eneral motorcycle parts outlet /ell 7no/n for complete car3 7its and can offer
custom24etted solutions for most 3i7es. &hey ha5e pre24etted complete 7its for the P(;-0 and others
loo7 in the =5inta+e 3i7es@ portion of their catalo+0
http011///.sudco.com
CllBalls?acin+ are the top people in the /orld for adaptin+ for7s off of one 3i7e to another. &o use this
pa+e put in your frame<s data and it /ill tell you /hich donor for7s (entire front end /ith triple trees
and such) can 3e adapted to your 3i7e /ith the adapter 3earin+s they sell, listed 3y part num3er. !ou
need the donor<s 3i7e main 3olt and nut that +oes throu+h the steerin+ head0
http011///.all3allsracin+.com1inde8.php1for7con5ersion
(ummit ?acin+ has the complete line of (upertrapp muffler ends do/n to 2@ inlet si9es that can 3e
used on 3i7es0
http011///.summitracin+.com
&he top cafe modder<s +eneral forum seems to 3e0
http011///.dotheton.com1forum
-ou should look u$ whatever forum is s$ecific to the ty$e of bike you buy/ &here<s also the ?eddit
http011reddit.com1r1caferacers and http011reddit.com1r1motorcycles forums /here I post as user
=JimMarch@.
("' T" -$."T ) C)F* R)C*R
C lot of this is my opinion. Arains of salt possi3ly needed, "O.
Ao 3ac7 and /atch ="n Cny (unday@. &here<s a /hole section on )uropean =AD@ sport3i7e racin+ of
the early 1MG0s...runnin+ rim si9es, types and tire si9es 5ery similar to /hat /e<re tal7in+ a3out here.
Ehat you<ll see is these +uys maintainin+ a full tuc7 and ma8imum possi3le cornerin+ speed, /hile
$"& e5er 3rea7in+ traction at the rear.
Ehat they<re sho/in+ you is /hat the race +uys /ere doin+ 3efore a +loriously insane Cmerican name
of Oenny ?o3erts came alon+.
Oenny /as a dirt2trac7 racer for &eam !amaha, chasin+ (and often 3eatin+) 'arleys on the lo/ly little
P(;-0 modded 3alls2to2the2/all. !amaha 3uilt a top street race 3i7e (the &UG-0 t/o2stro7e triple) and
as7ed Oenny to pilot the thin+ a+ainst the )uro2dominated AD circuit.
Eho /ere still ridin+ around /ith the tires loc7ed do/n li7e they /ere on rails, the poor 3astards.
Oenny came alon+ and said =/ell scre/ that@ and started slidin+ the rear end out. "n concrete. Ee
soon learned the translations in rench, Italian, Aerman and /hae5er else for the phrase =/hat the
fuc7.@. Ehat Oenny fi+ured out is that 3y the late 1MG0s these 3i+ t/o2stro7es had so much po/er that
instead of maintainin+ hi+h cornerin+ speed, you could /restle <em round the turn in u+ly fashion,
point them do/nran+e as Buic7ly as possi3le (5ia slidin+ the rear end) and then =pull the tri++er@,
3lastin+ out of the corner. Oenny traded hi+h cornerin+ speed for hi+h corner )PI& speed and 7ic7ed
e5ery3ody<s asses for years.
I no/ thin7 the reason the =fat rear tire era@ started in the race and then street /orlds soon after Oenny
came alon+ had a lot to do /ith that rear2slide techniBue.
B#&, and here<s /here some people are +oin+ to scream and yell at me, I ha5e to as7 /hether or not
slidin+ the rear end around (deli3erately) on the street is a +ood idea. #mmm...yeah, no...it isn<t.
$o/, /hen I /as youn+ and dum3 2- years a+o 4ust startin+ out, I mi+ht ha5e said =hell yeah@. But
I<m HG and ha5en<t o/ned a car in o5er 2- years and I<m still here...and I<m sayin+ no.
I<m still for ha5in+ some 3ac72road fun no/ and a+ain, don<t +et me /ron+. But I thin7 the +ameplan
ou+ht to center around +oin+ 3ac7 to the pre2Oenny days and 7eepin+ the dan+ tires planted.
Cnd if you<re +oin+ to do that, +oin+ 3ac7 to the pre2Oenny2era tires (actually the same 3asic stuff
Oenny himself started on) ma7es sense.
(ee, the fat tires are $"& needed for traction. I only recently learned this myself...there<s a funny
counter2intuiti5e thin+ +oin+ on /ith traction. If you ta7e a 3ric7 and measure ho/ much force it ta7es
to dra+ it across a par7in+ lot, you<ll +et e8actly the same measurement /hether you lay it
3road2side2do/n or on2end. ?eally. It<s the /ei+ht and the materials that matter. (o a +ood narro/ tire
(emphasis on +ood C5on seems to ha5e the 3est cafe2si9e ru33er, %ime >ity has the full line) can
hang right in there with the modern fat0rear0tire boys. Cnd that, fol7s, can ma7e chasin+ sBuids on
rat3i7es a seriously comical ho33y.