If you are thinking of building your very own café racer, this is most definitely a great idea as this is a more affordable way of owning a motorcycle. Buying a brand new motorcycle is an investment wherein you lose money as it depreciates every day and in five years, your bike will go as below as 50% off its initial value.
When you convert an existing bike into a café racer, its value will most likely increase as the years go by. Café racers are a timeless type of motorcycle that you can actually build from scratch using very affordable parts. Here are some tips that aid you in building one for yourself while saving a considerable amount of money on your savings account.
Tip 1 – Finding the Right Body.
Making a café racer is a journey that you must have a well-planned strategy for in order to make your dreams into a reality. This is why if you are looking to build a bike of your own, you must know which parts you will be using. The most important of these parts is the body. Since you can purchase second hand bikes form practically anywhere, finding the right body should not be that difficult. You simply have to choose between a classic body and a modern body.
The problem with classic bikes is that they have some limitations in terms of their usage and capabilities. They also require specific maintenance such as tuning valve clearance, carburetor, contact brakes, and spark timing to name a few. This is why these bikes are normally recommended as café racers for bikers who plan to only use them for short distance rides or limited use only.
Choosing a modern body should make things much easier as you will be able to go on long distance trips. You will also be able to use it much more frequently on a daily basis and you will not have to perform a lot of maintenance as compared to a classic body.
Tip 2 – What Engine Should You Use?
When choosing what kind of engine to install on your café racer, you must determine how powerful you want your motorcycle to be. Keep in mind that if you have chosen a classic body to make into a café racer, you may want to carefully consider between a powerful engine and a not-so-powerful engine because with an older body, it may not be capable of supporting a lot of power and because of this may break down easily. It would also be a major health risk on your end to choose a powerful engine as you may get into an accident while on the road.
If you have chosen a modern body, you have numerous options of engine such as a powerful 6-cylinder engine, a formidable 4-cylinder engine or a 2-cylinder engine. To determine this, you will need to consider a few important factors such as:
- What kind of roads you will be driving on
- What speed average you will be travelling on
- Frequency of usage
If you plan on travelling mostly inside the city and sometimes on the highway, a small engine is suitable for your needs. You can get an engine between 125cc and 350cc. This should provide you with more than enough power in your travels.
If you plan on travelling on main roads and major highways, a medium bike is most suitable for your needs. You can get an engine between 350cc and 750cc, which are engines that are capable of maintaining up to 120kph without much effort.
If you plan on going on long highway trips across cities or states, a big engine is most suitable for your needs. A great recommendation will be to get engines with 750cc and beyond as these engines are the most powerful types that will swiftly transport you from city to city effortlessly.
Tip 3 – How to Choose the Right Accessories:
Another crucial factor that you need to consider when building your very own café racer is where to find the right accessories that you can buy at an affordable cost. This is a very tricky activity because you must find various parts and accessories that are still in mint condition.
Many times, café racers break easily because their owners failed to do their due diligence in making sure that the used parts that they bought were not defective. To avoid buying defective parts, it is recommended that you invest in brand new parts and accessories. You have already found the right body and engine for your café racer; therefore, it is best that you spend a little bit on parts and accessories so that your machine operates optimally.
You should spend on brand new parts such as pistons, connecting rods, spark plugs, bearings, and all the valves required. Buying new parts will also work to give you peace of mind that your racer will not break down unexpectedly.
Tip 4 – To Build by Yourself or with a Mechanic?
Building your own café racer is a truly fun project to take on as you get a sense of fulfillment as you complete building it. The only problem with building your racer by yourself is whether or not you did everything right. Assuming that you are not a professional mechanic and you only have a working knowledge of how to build a motorcycle, you will have certain problems such as a poor sounding engine, or a faulty speedometer.
These problems occur because it takes an expert to build a motorcycle from scratch. It takes a person with substantial experience to avoid committing any mistakes on the slightest of detail. This is why if you are not a professional mechanic, it is suggested that you at the very least consult when building your own café racer. One of the most frustrating occurrences that can happen to you is to start the entire building process again because of a simple uncalculated error.
With a licensed mechanic by your side, you will avoid these little errors and your entire building process will be accomplished in lesser time than you had predicted.
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