TOPIC:

I'm new to these forums so bear with me. So I bought a running 1982 Kawasaki 550 ltd that I want to clean up and convert into a cafe style bike. I've done a lot of research into the conversion and it seems like I have a hefty project on my hands. I was looking for some suggestions from people who have more experience in this than I do. Any help would be appreciated.

Hello, Riskywhiskey, and WELCOME to KZrider!

A photo would help by letting us know what you're starting with.



Good Fortune!

Giving this thread a bump, but also to upload of pictures of my bike.

You forgot to click the "insert" button for the photos.

Regarding building a cafe, it seems like a damn shame to hack up that bike. There is nothing "cool" about replacing the seat with a wood plank with some foam on it and hacking up the frame.

Go research some "real" cafe racers from the early 1960's and you won't find any with shorty seats and stink bug looking back ends.

Stink bug; perfect.
Nice little bike, it deserves better than that. Who's who in the pics?
Steve

Nessism wrote: You forgot to click the "insert" button for the photos.

Regarding building a cafe, it seems like a damn shame to hack up that bike. There is nothing "cool" about replacing the seat with a wood plank with some foam on it and hacking up the frame.

Go research some "real" cafe racers from the early 1960's and you won't find any with shorty seats and stink bug looking back ends.

In some areas UJM's are increasing in value because of this. It is most apparent with twins, but the bob/cafe crowd is using fours as well (because they have already bobbed/cafed all the cheap twins)

I can find a bobbed (usually unfinished) KZ440 far easier than a stock KZ440. I used to get angry about it, but I now encourage this to increase the value of my unmolested KZ.

That is me in the bottom pic.

The_Proletariat wrote:

Nessism wrote: You forgot to click the "insert" button for the photos.

Regarding building a cafe, it seems like a damn shame to hack up that bike. There is nothing "cool" about replacing the seat with a wood plank with some foam on it and hacking up the frame.

Go research some "real" cafe racers from the early 1960's and you won't find any with shorty seats and stink bug looking back ends.

In some areas UJM's are increasing in value because of this. It is most apparent with twins, but the bob/cafe crowd is using fours as well (because they have already bobbed/cafed all the cheap twins)

I can find a bobbed (usually unfinished) KZ440 far easier than a stock KZ440. I used to get angry about it, but I now encourage this to increase the value of my unmolested KZ.

I toyed around with the idea of keeping this bike original and cleaning it up, but there are actually a good amount of these bikes in my area. If I wanted another one, i could get another. I wanted to start on a cafe racer style bike because I love the style and culture of it. I also love tinkering with things. taking them apart and rebuilding them. I figured something like this has a big following and so far I haven't run into any gate keepers of information.

a quick search for "cafe project" turned this up. Theres lots more



www.kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/600764...project?limitstart=0

mjg15 wrote: a quick search for "cafe project" turned this up. Theres lots more



www.kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/600764...project?limitstart=0

I saw this bike awhile back when I was doing some research. I want a more aggressive stance in the bike, So I was thinking of lowering the front and increasing the size of the back tire in order to level it out.

Use an 18" wheel from a KZ550a (80-83), which is probably a bolt-on, and shorten the forks and inch or so. You can buy GPz550 cables to sort out the cable problem that you have from the handlebar swap.

mjg15 wrote: Use an 18" wheel from a KZ550a (80-83), which is probably a bolt-on, and shorten the forks and inch or so. You can buy GPz550 cables to sort out the cable problem that you have from the handlebar swap.

So far as I've been looking, all the front wheels that I've seen are 19" wheels. Is there anywhere I can find 18" wheels?