KZ250 / CSR250 Cafe Build advice needed..

I recently bought a 1982 CSR250 / KZ250 with somewhat low milage and want to turn it into my project bike turning into a cafe style bike.
I've never dealt with modifying a stock bike before, so i'm not familiar with where i should start.

Any tips on the first few things i should replace or mod, and even where to buy the parts/body pieces from?

Here are the current photos of the bike:

Where do you want to go with it, design wise? The term cafe is thrown at everything from a completely stock bike with clubman handle bars to a bike with gsxr suspension swapped on and custom body work. Very open to interpretation.

For my 0.02 I'd say start with the bars and footpegs that give you the riding position you want and go from there.

I've got straight bars with a slight swoop coming...
Just wondering what i should start on next, start swapping out slightly worn parts for new, things like shocks and such?
Get a new exhaust made that's far shorter and have it taped?

go into the 250 gallery section and look for a green kz250 cafe' bike i'm sure you can get ideas from that it is one of the nicest cafe conversions i have ever seen done to a small bike it is impressive

timebomb33 wrote:

go into the 250 gallery section and look for a green kz250 cafe' bike i'm sure you can get ideas from that it is one of the nicest cafe conversions i have ever seen done to a small bike it is impressive

I'm the guy who built and owns that bike. My bike is built from a KZ250a which has a lot in common with your csr but has major differences that are going to make your life hard. The biggest prob with cafeing your bike is the shape of the frame, it is too low through the rear section and would need a lot of work to make it look right plus you'd need a new tank, seat unit, shorter forks etc. What are you trying to achieve? Have you cosidered making a bobber out of it? Flat bars, rigid rear conversion, modify the stock seat and guard and your on the road. Just a thought...

Look for a larger tank, probably a 650 or 900 tank should do. That may push your seat back enough to help with the shape of the frame.

Anything is possible with a welder.