TOPIC:

Thanks to a few of you guys over on the electrical board, I can move forward on my project 440. I've been hauling this thing around for probably 15 years now. Now that I have the space and $, it's time to get it on the road.

I'd like to do a cafe style conversion, but might turn in to more like a sport bike. When I think of cafes, I tend to think small displacement, like 350 or less, straight back frames and stripped down. So we'll let this be an organic transformation.

I've started with a '78 KZ650 tail piece and some dirt bike bars that I cut the brace between off and flipped, kind of like superbike bars. I used some nice soft foam grips on them... Again, not sure how cafe like the grips are. The current seat pan was cut down from stock and the tail piece bolted to it. Might trim it more or remove it altogether.

*Fixed images so attachments now show in the post also...

Got some gas in the tank, but won't fire. Thought gas was filling the carbs, but looks like only a little. Tore the carbs apart again just to make sure everything was clean. Fires on carb cleaner for a second. Hopefully once I get these carbs all cleaned it'll finally fire. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Got it running! Smoked pretty good since I had some Marvel Mystery in the top end since it had been frozen from sitting outside... Anyway, it burned off and the idle came down but wouldn't rev. It just wanted to die every twist. It doesn't have any filters, so that may be why. Choke was also off.

There's a good exhaust leak. Not surprised since it had been sitting outside. Want a Mac 2 into 1.

The seat is just a mock up. Will most likely get some carpet pad and carve to fit. Need to get my old Singer industrial going for the cover.

All lights will be converted to LED. Styling will be fluid and can change from day to day. Thanks for looking.

I got pods installed on the ends of about 3" worth of silicone intake runners. Might get some Uni foam filters instead if the plugs aren't too happy. Starts up pretty much right away. Now I need a Mac 2-1 exhaust. This one leaks like a sieve.

Added the taillight and rear turn signals tonight. Was debating on using the taillight, as it's a Honda Shadow piece. Feels like blasphemy using anything non-Kawasaki. But it fits well and I had it. The turn signals are ZX600 ones. Fronts will go on tomorrow hopefully.

Still need to get the seat padding and cover done.

Got the front turn signals on. Had to splice the wiring. Matching front set from a ZX600. Need pics yet... Got a license plate bracket mounted and pulled the original taillight wiring. The bracket isn't pretty, but it's functional.

Swapped out the tracker bars for drag bars. Popped on an early Shadow 500 front fender and the mirrors from my CB125S. Still need to pad the seat.

You have made lots of progress. Did you get it to run above idle? Dying when you throttle up usually points to a carb rebuild.

I can get it to throttle up. Need to get some pipes on it to quiet it down.

Got paint on the tank, side cover and tail. Need to find the right side cover yet. I'm thinking of painting the front fender black also. Seat cover will also be black. Cleaned up the rest of the bike some too.

Not feeling the two tone. Going to repaint the tank red and most likely the front fender also.

Seat padding done. Pulled the tank since it's leaking a little. Needs to be sealed and repainted. Tail piece also mounted to the frame instead of the seatpan. Needed to trim the sides a little. Might fill the pan in a little so it doesn't look so haphazard around the turn signal...