'82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

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GW Hobo
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#61

Post by GW Hobo »

I was able to get the CRG clutch lever on the other day, but realized the brake lever was for a wrong Yamaha model. I ordered the right one from Rocky Mountain ATV this past summer and didn't get around to putting them on until now. Rocky Mountain checked their shipping records, realized they sent the wrong thing, and is mailing a new lever as I FedEx the old one back to them. So while they sent me the wrong thing, they also didn't try to duck the situation even though it was 7 months between when they shipped it to when I'm reporting it. That's pretty solid customer service.

Some photos of the clutch install in-progress The old Goldwing cable fit perfectly into the CRG lever and even the GW rubber housing protection slipped over well. I used a grip I had lying around to give a sense for where I'll drill the holes for the motogadget buttons. Also, the CRG's are adjustable and the shorty's are a better fit for a café racer, I think. But I gotta admit, a hydraulic clutch might be in my future someday.

Last, I rebuilt the rear master cylinder. No pictures to show because, well, that's not a sexy piece of gear (until you gotta, you know, stop...) but I did find a hack I used from a Youtube video. I couldn't get the piston out of the cylinder to replace it with the new one from the rebuild kit, so I drilled a hole in the piston, screwed a sheet metal screw down there, and pried it up in my vice. I'll post a photo of the piston but 15 years of sitting turned all the oil to a dry powder. Now, with an entirely rebuilt rear-brake system, I don't anticipate ever doing that again.
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
GW Hobo
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#62

Post by GW Hobo »

codyjames707 wrote:Loving this build! Cant wait to see more progress!
Thanks Cody, your BOTM is sick buddy. How loud are your pipes? The video of you pulling into the garage was good but is it crazy loud when its wide open? I'm wrapping the pipes too - that's a good look.
1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#63

Post by JamesPal »

I really like where this one is going. The blacked out look is cool. what are the final color? I curious about the cables you made. Where did you get the parts? I think I see a future Bike of the Month in the making.
"If everything is under control you are not going fast enough" - Mairo Andretti

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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#64

Post by sunnbobb »

keep on rockin.
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#65

Post by codyjames707 »

GW Hobo wrote:
codyjames707 wrote:Loving this build! Cant wait to see more progress!
Thanks Cody, your BOTM is sick buddy. How loud are your pipes? The video of you pulling into the garage was good but is it crazy loud when its wide open? I'm wrapping the pipes too - that's a good look.
Thank you! And the pipes are decently loud but not overwhelming, surely not as quiet as the stock ones,but I follow the rule that I'd rather have them hear me and be "annoyed" then not at all!!! :crosso
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GW Hobo
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#66

Post by GW Hobo »

JamesPal wrote:I really like where this one is going. The blacked out look is cool. what are the final color? I curious about the cables you made. Where did you get the parts? I think I see a future Bike of the Month in the making.
The cable kit was from Revival Cycles.com. They've also got a good video on how to build clutch/brake cables using their kits...they show a cheap hack way, a better way, and the best way (solder pot), so there's something for everyone's budget and abilities.

I'd like to keep the colors mostly black, dark Navy blue accents, and the gray that is part of the engine and carbs. I've got a couple thoughts for a tank design with an American flag in all blue/black but I've only got a few draft drawings of it. I need to take it to a real artist.

Thanks for checking this out. Any critical comments or suggestions would be great; nothing's set in stone.
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#67

Post by GW Hobo »

Was able to make some progress this weekend now that the polar vortex and some of the snow has abated. New Rage turn signals went on easy - like in under 5 minutes from the time I opened the box to done and had the wiring set up for final wiring.
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
GW Hobo
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#68

Post by GW Hobo »

There's something visceral about drilling into brand new handlebars. You sit there and think long and hard about why you want to put the hole 'right there' and try to imagine what you're missing. At some point tho, you have to move forward, and just say heck with it and spin the bit. I think I placed this in a good spot but I'm sure I'm find out otherwise well down the road... Marked with tape, then a pilot starter hole, then the Motogadget unit called for a 6mm hole for the outbound lines.
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
GW Hobo
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#69

Post by GW Hobo »

Added a rubber grommet (I'll still wrap the wires near the hole) after I shaved off all the shards I could reach. A crap of plastic line should be wide enough for both hand controls coming out of the bars.
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#70

Post by GW Hobo »

The clutch cable for the 1100 didn't fit the R1 clutch adjuster, which threads into the R1 clutch lever. And the 1100 adjuster (which fit the 1100 clutch cable) was too small to thread into the R1 clutch lever. Clear as mud?

So I had to drill out the R1 adjuster slightly. So in the last photo, you can see that the GL1100 cable now fits into the R1 clutch adjuster. Not rocket surgery but I didn't have a drill press so it added a level of difficulty (4th photo coming out of the vice, protecting the threads). Mistakes on stuff like this have set me back while I wait for a replacement part, only to have to try to drill it again. Bottom line, another example that when doing a fork swap, using the hand controls that came with the forks can add adaptability issues on the host bike.
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#71

Post by GW Hobo »

I bought a drill bit from Revival Cycles and they actually warned me that I wouldn't need it. Measure careful and tap it, they said. Do a pilot hole, they said. Save your money, they said. But this is my first build, right? And I want to do a pro job, right? Wrong. The motogadget controls take a 5mm hole at the accessory and the bit is only a 3mm or 4mm at best. Should have listened and/or made sure it would work with my bit.

In the end I marked the dot of the hole with a silver sharpie, drilled a pilot hole, and drilled out the 5mm entrance hole for the wiring. Also, note the shoe strings that I ran through in order to help me fish out the wiring. Great idea, just do it after you drill the hole or else the drill bit will tear up the string and rip it in half. Ask me how I know. (Never been accuse of being the sharpest crayon...) Fishing it out was the hardest part of this. I'm sure someone out there has got this figured out and I just need to do some research.
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#72

Post by GW Hobo »

Final shots on the brake controls for now - I may mess with the placemet. Grips are Motogadget Soft, great grip at a really good price (esp for motogadget). Controls are all toggle. Start/stop will be the bottom, Hi/Lo/Off will be the middle, and I may put some aux lights on, for the upper toggle (on/off). I've got bar-end mirrors that'll go on towards the end.
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#73

Post by GW Hobo »

Recently I posted on a youtube hack on removing the master cylinder after it was buggered up but good. Here's the photo I mentioned.
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#74

Post by ericheath »

Pretty clean looking front end. Throttle cables look pretty low, but it looks like they can be rotated if they don’t clear the false tank.
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77 WING, 1200 engine with 77 heads, cams, gl1100 foot pegs, Magna V65 front end, 764A carbs, [-gone Suzuki M109 monoshock--, replaced with gl1100 shocks] gl 1200 swing arm, gl1500 final drive, wheel and rear brakes Valkyrie seat, Meanstreak tank, Sportster pipes, Power Arc ignition off crank.
77 Wing. black
83 Wing, in pieces
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#75

Post by sunnbobb »

Looking good.
I found the end of the internet

---- Bradshaw Bikes custom polishing for your wing. Visit us on facebook!

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1985 Aspencade..pondering.
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