the cafe project

[mike]

well, I got asked by a couple of folks to post up what went on in my garage. well, here's the scoop.
I had this nice K1100RS, which, after I moved, was languishing in my cellar:



This is not a bike to be parked, so I traded it for this:



then chased down this... a 1983 R80RT that had been crashed, stripped and left to rot on the side of a house.



so I bought it for cheap, brought it home and began removing everything I could and started cleaning things up:



first thing was to remove the huge rear fender assembly



then I elminated the airbox and flip/flopped the bars



then, I did some finishing work on the wheels, engine components, and had Corbin build a custom saddle.



I've still got aways to go, but all in all, it's been a fun, fun project. Next up: elimination of the instrument pod, a better taillight solution, and a chrome front fender

[mike]

here's a couple more angles

[Skins]

Well done, Mike! Looks like it should handle pretty good. Reminds me of my youth ..

[Tamburinifan]

Looks cool! Really nice exhaust!

Suggestions: Keep the painted fender, reroute front brake hoses along forks &
angle out lisc plate, it might hit the wheel in the first deep road bump.

[mike]

the brake hose situation is a tough one because the bike was an RT so the plumbing is all built like that to route the lines out the lower fairing. I'll have to do some parts swapping. Since that photo was taken the plate has been relocated and I've got another taillight/tag bracket in the works that will further improve the rearend.

[persempre907]

Very, very nice.

I would like to do the same with a Guzzi .

I wonder....

Ciao

[redpaso]

Thanks for the pics Mike, that is really nice & very much along the lines of what I am wanting to do in the future (hopefully not too distant).
I really like what you have done with the seat, these BM's were just made for cafe` conversions. It is hard to part with a good K series but it looks like you have put the revenue to good use.
Keep us updates as you upgrade guages etc.
So as your paso is stting on display in your house (I assume it is still there) is the BM your regular ride nowdays?

[mike]

Thanks for the pics Mike, that is really nice & very much along the lines of what I am wanting to do in the future (hopefully not too distant).
I really like what you have done with the seat, these BM's were just made for cafe` conversions. It is hard to part with a good K series but it looks like you have put the revenue to good use.
Keep us updates as you upgrade guages etc.
So as your paso is stting on display in your house (I assume it is still there) is the BM your regular ride nowdays?

yes, I ride the BMW when I can. with the neuro problems I experience these days in my hands, combined with the colder climate here in OR I don't ride even 50% of what I did in northern CA. I'm investigating electric gloves, and perhaps some form of tidy heated grip retrofit.

btw: the seat is almost a 'one off' from Corbin. Let me know if/when you get ready to buy one as they don't advertise this particular model in the catalog.

[Fraser]

Mike,

Here's a link to the Ace Cafe site in London, where there are pictures of more BMW cafe racers that you can poke a stick at.

http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/postcard ... ?cat_id=19


Fraser.

[persempre907]

Mike,

Here's a link to the Ace Cafe site in London, where there are pictures of more BMW cafe racers that you can poke a stick at.

http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/postcard ... ?cat_id=19


Fraser.

Very nice bikes in that historical (web)site .

I also saw some cute Guzzis there...

Ciao

[mike]

Oh yeah I perused that site and cafeboxer.com before I decided to jump in and do this project in the first place. good stuff mate.

btw, you're the only person I know that has tintin as an avatar. I read those books with verve when I was a child.

[Fraser]

Yep, have had a long term relationship with Tintin (of a plutonic nature), starting as a school boy where the books were in French. It seems that a new movie is being made about his adventures, Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and Steven Speilberg are the producers, so bound to have some spectacular effects (looking forward to a Captain Haddock drunken tirade).

Fraser.