Quote:
Originally Posted by strohw
Quote:
Originally Posted by colorado.e9x
. Then there's the other bracketry, how to convert the front end of a newer bike to it etc. If anyone knows how to mount a GSXR front end onto a XV lmk!  |
Steering stem and bearing changes is all you need to physically get nearly any front end on another bike. Then you'll often have to fabricate new steering stops because they'll be all wrong. Depending on the bike and tank you choose you may have issues with the forks/triples/bars hitting the tank well before you get adequate steering travel.
If you decide to build a cafe you need to lay out a plan on what you want to do and figure out if you can accomplish the fabrication needed, how much you're willing to pay and hopefully have resources on what works best for different parts. People will do things like put a modern front end on a bike because it looks cool and it doesn't mean it's going to work right and could possibly make the bike handle worse.
That's why I feel cafe bikes are just fun around town bikes. They often have poor ergonomics, hit or miss handling and low everyday usability. Cafe bikes are very much form over function. |
That's what I've been reading. I saw this video of this guy who cut the stem in half, threaded the inside of the two halves, and added a rod with a nut to act as a spacer. Effectively lengthening it to the size he needed to clear the stock head tube. That's a really good point on the bars hitting the tank. I did see they have clip on bars which I think would aid clearance to the tank. Definitely trying to form a plan before I do anything, as well as basing it off as much tried and true options as possible. Wasn't going for performance either so its good you said that! If I was I'd go for a crotch rocket, which tbh in my area there's no use for it.