NC30 Cafe Racer

[Foxy400]

It gets a big thumbs up from me. Still not sure about the height of the rear hump in the side-on view though. If you follow the curve of the tank as it dips down towards the seat and continued it into the rear hump it would drop the height by a couple of inches... But I guess aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder.

Technically it sounds like a big challenge but you obviously know what you're doing. So far it looks pretty well put together. Looking forward to the next instalment.

[RickOliver]

It`s a late `60s /early `70s GP bike look -



- and as somebody said earlier I guess you do have to be of a certain age to get it...

[Swingarm]

So cafe racers were based on race bikes but the race bikes had fairings and the road bikes didn't?

[RickOliver]

That`s a bit of a sweeping generalisation but there is some truth in it - down at the Ace Cafe in 1961 your road going Triton would have essentially been the same bike that your mate raced at Brands Hatch but with lights and a horn fitted.

I built this Yoshimura Honda CB400F cafe racer in 1980 -



- but by that time even the quicker club and national racers were on 100bhp 4-cylinder two stroke RG500s and TZ750s so the road/race connection was pretty much completely lost...

[CMSMJ1]

That is cool Rick.

The cooler setup is neat. Glad you are tinkering with it. I ride a 400 Bros for commuting these days..a V4 version of that style would be excellent

[RickOliver]

Hi, Mark - Now you`ve mentioned it, I guess this could end up as a bit of a `V-4 Bros`...

Not made much progress since my last post - the custom rad and oil cooler are ordered but they will be a few weeks, next major hurdle is getting the exhaust fabricated, I really need to get that done before I add too many more bits to the build.

I`ve sorted the front end clearance issues with a change of tyre and mods the the mudguard - not entirely happy with the look of the mudguard but it will do for the moment, problem is that it`s impossible to find a classic styled guard which actually fits a 17" wheel, they are all designed for 18/19".



I have rebuilt and refurbished a VTR1000 clutch master cylinder and had a HEL hose made to fit, also built the gear linkage and made a new heel guard plate for the rearset which echoes the shape of the front sprocket cover as the original looked completely wrong -





Next challenge will be getting the chain run right - laser alignment tool shows where the centre line of the 525 chain sits at the moment - happily there is plenty of tyre clearance and enough meat on the XJR sprocket carrier to allow me to machine maybe 8mm off the mounting face and move everything over to the right a bit.

[CMSMJ1]

It's oh so clean :)

Loving this Rick - it's going to be great.

What are your plans with the coils and all the wiring in gubbins related to that and the genny wiring?

I don't think I've actually set eyes on you or your bikes for about 15 years. Think everyone is getting old and these bikes not getting any younger either

[RickOliver]

Only 15 years? I`m thinking the last time we met in the flesh was a Cadwell track day, probably 25+ years ago - you remember, that time you checked your engine oil then spanked your NC up and down the paddock with the filler cap off and came back wearing most of it...

As mentioned a few posts back, the ignition system will use four CBR6 stick coils and all the other components will be hidden either behind the battery or under the seat hump. Wiring will run out of sight on the inside of the frame & subframe rails.

I`ve reached a bit of a hiatus at the moment, waiting for the rads and oil cooler, also for my local exhaust fabricator to have a free slot to make me a 4-2 system with an NC24-style down pipe layout.

One big issue I have to fix is with the chain - I hadn`t really registered until I started measuring things just how far out the chain sits on that XJR1300 rear wheel. I needed to move the rear sprocket over to the right by around 20mm to align with the front and there`s simply not that much metal available on the carrier to machine away. Plan `B` will involve a spare ZX-6R wheel that I found in my loft - it`s a 5.0" instead of the XJR`s 5.5" rim, which is better, and the hub is much narrower though it will need a bit of bearing/spacer juggling to accommodate the 28mm rear wheel spindle.

[Swingarm]

Nice to see people still doing this stuff, coming up against unforeseen obstacles and figuring a way through them (with sensible, well thought out solutions).

[CMSMJ1]

Only 15 years? I`m thinking the last time we met in the flesh was a Cadwell track day, probably 25+ years ago - you remember, that time you checked your engine oil then spanked your NC up and down the paddock with the filler cap off and came back wearing most of it...

25 years ago Man..I only bought my bike in 2003 and probably started annoying you for bits and bobs within weeks of that I first met you at Cadwell and you were in the MR2... I think I was young then too

however, the other - oh no, that Cadwell one wasn't me (I think) :) It was Tim Kilmurray - was a user on here with IFTNFS as his username and a really nice lad. I'm not in direct rough these days with him but aware of his coming and goings. Last time I had a good chat with him was when I broke the 2nd engine at a Relentless sponsored TD at Donington - he loaned me his trackbike to ride home on... A wooden fablon cobered VFR750 thing.. very cool

Old times!

Anyways! Coils seem to be a good call - probably need to look at that for my bike. It's nearly ready for MOT. Need to find my rear seat and lock gubbins and the right hand front indicator mini loom.. Then thhe first MOT for ten years!