My First Build - 1983 K100 Cafe Racer

[colly]

Hi All,

Firstly  thanks to all of you who've given me loads of help already. This is my first ever custom build but I'm really enjoying it already. I bought a 1983 K100 that has been of the road for a while, but got a great deal on it. This is all new to me but learning loads already - I have some friends helping me and really excited about the end result!

So here is the bike as is:



And last nigth we started stripping her off!



Tomorrow we are giving it a service and trying to get it started. I'm buying an Odyssey battery, oil oil filter, and still trying to find a fuel filter. May needs plugs and probably need to change the other fluids. But I'll try to get it started and see whats what then. Hopefully there wont be any major surprises but  I'm sure I'll have lots of work replacing old parts.

After that here is the rough plan:

Clip on bars for the cafe racer look & Lower the front forks. May think about lowering the rear as I'm short - but I'll see after I put a seat on it.
I need to take the big horrible footpegs off and replace with rearsets. Not sure which ones to buy yet
I'll need to chop off the end of the subframe and get a new seat and rear cowl. I may mount the battery underneath it as I want to expose the frame triangle as much as I can.
Chop off the exhaust and get a custom exhaust made rerouting to the right hand side.
I'll probably move the sidestand to the other side to expose the single sided swingarm and the better looking side of the engine.
All new screws and bolts, many are rusted. Ordered this, hope it works ok.
New Speedo - no idea what yet
Then Paint etc - still thinking about colours etc


So that's the general idea but I'm only at the very beginning so this may all change.
Any pointers greatly appreciated. I have a lot of decisions to make on exactly what bits I buy so let me know any recommendations!
I'll keep you updated with pics and progress!
Colly

[Laitch]

Pretty spooky first image there, Colly. Thanks for starting the thread though.

[colly]

Opps - fixed the image there :)

[voyager]

You can go for the Daytona speedo, but it will need a signal amplifier to work as all this is in the old speedo casing. You will also need to find a way for the neutral light to work otherwise you will only be able to start with the clutch. I don't see how you can move the exhaust to the other side, maybe it will be easier to have a scrambler type raised exhaust.
 Good luck and keep us posted

[colly]

Time for a little update on the project I suppose! As you may have seen in the other thread I had great fun troubleshooting why the bike was not starting. I changed the fuel and fuel filter, oil and oil filter, hoses and battery, she would crank but not start. I cleaned all the points and contacts and then the injectors. Turned out it was a bad fuel pump, got a new one and she fired right up! She was running a little rough tough and it turned out to be an air leak - one of the hoses was not on properly. Fixed that and now she purrs like a kitten! Took her for her first spin and she rose really well, you would not believe it was a 33 year old bike!

I ordered some parts and now the fun part of the build starts. Tonight I'm going to fit the new clip on bars and lower the forks in the clamp a little - the frist part of the cafe conversion. Then we have to chop the frame and fit a new seat - that's the big job which will be happening in the next few weeks. Really enjoying it so far and can't wait to get stuck in!

[shaner3721]

any updates on your conversion? Would love to see how it turned out!

[colly]

Very little had happened for the last few months but finally I got some progress. New rear subframe fitted and the seat mounted. Will post pix later.
Things should speed up significantly now :)

[thor0864]

Good start! I also started mine in April, see 1986 K100 build. Regarding rear height: If you plan on changing rear shocks, you can buy a 'short' version which effectively lowers the rear end. 
Stein