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2007 GS Cafe Fighter

Started by Endopotential, August 24, 2016, 04:25:07 PM

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Endopotential

I really wanted to build my own racer, based on a halfway modern bike.  Thanks to all the amazing resources on this forum, I was able to turn it into a great summer science project.
Turned out to be part cafe racer and part streetfighter, so thus the name.

I was much inspired by this bike.  http://www.bikebound.com/2016/03/30/suzuki-gs500-cafe-racer/  Thanks Clive and Jay for your pointers!

Much credit goes to Jason Lisica  http://www.blackfoxfabrication.com/ in Pacifica, CA for the hard work of fabrication and wiring.

So without further ado...





Rebuilt front forks with Sonic Springs
Stainless exhaust, clip ons, brake reservoirs all easily sourced off of Ebay
SV650 rear shock, 'cuz a yellow spring just looks cool
CBR900RR rear set

Got rid of the PAIR / air injection system along with the petcock, to avoid any potential sources of vacuum leak

Cleaned and rebuilt the carbs, with a K&N lunchbox air filter.  Went with 20/60/147.5 jets
Total beginner's luck, but think I got it spot on.  Thanks for the good advice Buddha!  Cool...







Went with 5" LED headlights, originally meant for a Harley I think
Shaved off the ignition core; went with an ignition button mounted to left side of the frame
Trail Tech Vapor gauge, got rid of the top handlebar triple tree





Of course, the hardest part of the project was cutting off the tail subframe and welding up a new one.
Got a tiny lithium battery and tidied up the wiring






http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=70953.0

2007 GS500F Cafe Fighter - cut off the tail, K&N lunchbox, short exhaust, 20/60/140 jets, R6 shock, all sorts of other random bits...

Atesz792

'04 GS500F with 50k miles updated July 2022.
Ride it like a 2 stroke:
1: Rev high
2: Add oil
3: Repeat

ShowBizWolf

That exhaust looks neat!!

And you did a spiffy job cleaning up the wiring/tail section. Not everybody does that !! Very clean  8)
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

TheGreenWeenie

Might be a weird question, But do you have more pictures of your seat? How'd you attach it to the frame there? My seat has me having to think. Which i've never been good at.

1996 GS 500E
2016 XSR900

Torstein

dang, looks great. that exhaust is sick!

Endopotential

Quote from: TheGreenWeenie on August 30, 2016, 06:19:25 PM
Might be a weird question, But do you have more pictures of your seat? How'd you attach it to the frame there? My seat has me having to think. Which i've never been good at.

Thanks everyone!

GreenWeenie - hilarious name, BTW - here's the seat I got.
http://4into1.com/the-brisbane-cafe-seat-black/
It comes with plastic hook on the front.  If you look at my last picture, there's a metal slat welded up front. The plastic hook catches on that.  On the back, remounted the stock seat latch.
Good luck!
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=70953.0

2007 GS500F Cafe Fighter - cut off the tail, K&N lunchbox, short exhaust, 20/60/140 jets, R6 shock, all sorts of other random bits...

iamhiding

super clean looking build  :thumb: love it! have fun dude :thumb:
current project list:
//cbr 600 f3 fighter
//gsxr 1100 mental oldskool supersport
//gs500 daily rat tracker cafe fighter that changes every couple of month... cafe fighter?

Endopotential

#7
Quote from: iamhiding on September 02, 2016, 08:06:00 AM
super clean looking build  :thumb: love it! have fun dude :thumb:

Thanks man! 

You did a great super thorough write-up on your own project.  This forum is a great place to learn from other builders.
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=70953.0

2007 GS500F Cafe Fighter - cut off the tail, K&N lunchbox, short exhaust, 20/60/140 jets, R6 shock, all sorts of other random bits...

halffttime

noice. here's my cafe racer. http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=67200.0 i've done some minor changes here and there since then.

i'm just curious, how in the world did you get you wiring so tidy? did you cut and re splice them or something? i have my wiring all hidden under the seat too... but mine is just a bunch of wiring all scrunched up together. not as nice and tidy as yours.

also, where do you get those rear sets?

Endopotential

I have to give Jason Lisica credit for the wiring job.  Don't think we eliminated any electrical stuff, just anything related to vacuum lines.  The rectifier, a fuse box, and the computer harness are tucked underneath the tail metal.  Seems like the rectifier likes having some open air flow, given its fins?

The rear sets are from a Honda CBR900RR.  Got them for like $90 on Ebay.  There's a post on the forum about them.  Just need to make some very minor Dremel time to make them fit.  One of the mounting holes needs to be ovalized to get the rear brake cylinder to fit.
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=70953.0

2007 GS500F Cafe Fighter - cut off the tail, K&N lunchbox, short exhaust, 20/60/140 jets, R6 shock, all sorts of other random bits...

TheGreenWeenie

Quote from: Endopotential on August 31, 2016, 10:52:35 AM
Quote from: TheGreenWeenie on August 30, 2016, 06:19:25 PM
Might be a weird question, But do you have more pictures of your seat? How'd you attach it to the frame there? My seat has me having to think. Which i've never been good at.

Thanks everyone!

GreenWeenie - hilarious name, BTW - here's the seat I got.
http://4into1.com/the-brisbane-cafe-seat-black/
It comes with plastic hook on the front.  If you look at my last picture, there's a metal slat welded up front. The plastic hook catches on that.  On the back, remounted the stock seat latch.
Good luck!

Much appreciated. I think i like these seats a little better than my fiberglass one. at least those should bolt right on. And i don't have to worry about upholstering anything.

1996 GS 500E
2016 XSR900

Mr. BIGGZ

This is a great build! Very original ideas - love the headlights, rearsets, tail and how you cleaned everything up. Your exhaust and seat are  :woohoo:

I live in the East Bay and rarely see anyone on a GS in the Bay.

Question, can you post pics of your engine bay? I want to know how you cleaned up the vacuum hoses. Specifically, the PAIR system and CA Evap system.

:cheers:

mr72

Absolutely fabulous looking build! I usually am not into the "cafe" style mods to 90s era motorcycles but this one has just exactly the right balance and hangs with any show bike build I have seen.

It's this kind of thing that reaffirms my choice to keep my own GS and not flip it in favor of something newer as I have recently contemplated. Mine will never turn out nearly as nice as yours but I'm pretty stoked to see the kind of potential these bikes have. Kudos man, really.

Endopotential

#13
Quote from: mr72 on October 13, 2016, 05:01:07 AM
Absolutely fabulous looking build! I usually am not into the "cafe" style mods to 90s era motorcycles but this one has just exactly the right balance and hangs with any show bike build I have seen.

Thanks for the support guys!  I'm glad there are other folks out there who share the same aesthetics as me. 

I spent months cruising around the web looking for "cafe racer" build ideas.  When I came across the build by the So-Low guys from England, I knew I found the one!
The top line of the rear subframe comes up at a nice rake, and gives the bike a speedy looking racing stance once all that tail plastic is removed.

Josh - after reading about all the love you've lavished on the carbs on your bike, I'm sure your build will be equally cool.  Need pics on that red tank!!! :cheers:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=70953.0

2007 GS500F Cafe Fighter - cut off the tail, K&N lunchbox, short exhaust, 20/60/140 jets, R6 shock, all sorts of other random bits...

mr72

#14
Quote from: Endopotential on October 17, 2016, 07:14:39 PM
Josh - after reading about all the love you've lavished on the carbs on your bike, I'm sure your build will be equally cool.  Need pics on that red tank!!! :cheers:

That's funny. I'm repainting them right now! Thanks man, I'll be thrilled if mine turns out 1/4 as nice as yours! It'll be a year before I get all of the seals done and all of the random bits repainted and cleaned and looking nice.... if ever. But the tank and side plastics are going to look nice, that's for sure.

moto.raton

Greeeat mods on the bike, although I have some questions, where did you buy the whole front, lights speedometer and bars. I want to do the same with mine.
I have a gs500f 09 :cool:

Endopotential

I found most of it from good ol' eBay, usually for a pretty good price.  Shipping from China to SF, CA is almost as fast as shipping between states.

Here's the exhaust
http://www.ebay.com/itm/51mm-Stainless-Steel-GP-Exhaust-Muffler-W-DB-Killer-Silencer-Motard-Motor-Bike-/231901044383?hash=item35fe611e9f:g:aj0AAOSwGYVXASk1&vxp=mtr

Else 37mm clip ons; Trail Tech Vapor gauge; CBR900RR rearsets ; SV650 rear shock; 5" LED headlights I all found off of eBay. 

You'll have to make the headlight mounts yourself.  Fairly simple - bending a small plate of aluminum or steel.  There are convenient bolt holes under the bottom triple clamp that you can use as anchor points.

Good luck!
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=70953.0

2007 GS500F Cafe Fighter - cut off the tail, K&N lunchbox, short exhaust, 20/60/140 jets, R6 shock, all sorts of other random bits...

The Buddha

Without a rear fender/hugger and no airbox, you're gonna be splattering your carbs and filter with road crap.
Also is there a reason why you had to lose the airbox ? Looks like it had plenty of room to leave it in place.

Looks damn good, even though I am not a fan on perimeter frame -> café conversions.

Cool.
Buddha.
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I run a business based on other people's junk.
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Bluesmudge

#18
Really clean build. Well done! I like that you fully completed the build. A lot of builds like this won't get the final details, like the longer kick stand.
You should find out what the final curb weight is. Find two bathroom scales or go visit your nearest truck scales.

I'm not a big fan of the "dominator" style dual headlights. But I guess you wanted some of the street fighter look, not just cafe. I would have preferred to see a round headlight, maybe with a mesh guard on it.

I would like to hear more about the PAIR system delete. Nobody on the forum has fully covered it. On my bike I installed the blockoff plates and removed everything attached to the front of the engine, but I have been afraid to touch all the other associated vacuum lines on the back of the carbs. Did you remove all of it and cap off wherever they attach to the carbs? Did you do anything to the throttle position sensor? I remember reading another member who did the PAIR delete also unplugged the TPS.

Endopotential

Quote from: The Buddha on November 02, 2016, 08:59:07 AM
Looks damn good, even though I am not a fan on perimeter frame -> café conversions.
Cool.
Buddha.

Woohoo!  Blessings from the Buddha!  :bowdown:   Now I know I've made it to the big times!!!

I've put on about 1000 miles on the bike since the build completed (though as Biggz noted, is any build ever complete...)
No chainguard and no rear fender, but the innards are still relatively clean.  The roads along the SF coast must be better than the mud, snow and salt that others face.

I wanted to maximize the empty space at the rear of the bike, so that's why I got rid of the stock airbox.  Just love how the tail hangs out in open space.

Thanks too, to our veteran Bluesmudge.  Yeah, I'm a sucker for the bug-eyed look.  Every other cafe racer out there has a single headlight, so wanted something different.

About the PAIR - yes, got rid of just about every vacuum line, including the ones to the petcock and the white discs that control the slides on 2004+ bikes.  Shiny blockoff plates from member W201028.  I left the TPS as is.  Curious about advancing the timing as others have done, but after reading about carving up my own pickup plates, decided that was above my tolerance for tinkering.  So far so good, fingers crossed, but so far the bike rides awesome.
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=70953.0

2007 GS500F Cafe Fighter - cut off the tail, K&N lunchbox, short exhaust, 20/60/140 jets, R6 shock, all sorts of other random bits...

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