E: Engine Comet Mongrel

Chris Launders

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They do indeed look garish, and the weight saving is minimal plus causes weak points, better to mill some of the interior thinner if you're that desperate to save weight.
 

Black Flash

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I love go faster hole's and after all they are period. I doubt a lot of back yard tuners [I don't know the expression used in the 50s and 60s] had a milling machine at hand.
Go on and put some more holes in.
Also wire locking makes a lot of sense and looks cool to.
A cafe racer without go faster holes just isn't the real thing.
Bernd
 

Cyborg

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They do indeed look garish, and the weight saving is minimal plus causes weak points, better to mill some of the interior thinner if you're that desperate to save weight.

Well thats what happens when you start making something without a plan. Although I'm trying to keep the weight of the bike down, I wasn't really worried too much about the rearsets. Its a bit of a cake decorating exercise as I'm trying for some sort of vintage look and I think the new anodized CNC stuff looks out of place. Not concerned about weak spots, the foot pegs are bolted through fairly robust steel tabs welded to the frame. I know its supposed to be form follows function, but this one is somehow going to look the way I want and screw the rules. Having said all that drivel, I may change then to something more like the Harris bike above. They'll stay on there for now and I'll see how they actually function. The lever on the shift shaft is short and I'm wondering about that.
 
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Cyborg

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VOC Member
I like them, But a begger to clean in those holes, I have found !. Cheers Bill.

I knew you would like the holes and yes... as I was drilling them..... these are going to be a pain. However, in order for them to get dirty, I have to actually ride the thing.... so looking forward to it. Plus I can have my lovely apprentice assist me.
Bride at work.jpg
 

Cyborg

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I love go faster hole's and after all they are period. I doubt a lot of back yard tuners [I don't know the expression used in the 50s and 60s] had a milling machine at hand.
Go on and put some more holes in.
Also wire locking makes a lot of sense and looks cool to.
A cafe racer without go faster holes just isn't the real thing.
Bernd

This thing is supposed to look like some sort of Cafe Racer from back in the day, although I'm not really sure what that term means anymore. There are some frightening bikes out there that supposedly fall into that category. To really look the part, I would have to extract the CBX 550 brakes from the wheels and lace them to alloy rims and as much as I would like to do that, the clock is ticking. Plus it will have turn signals, fenders. and DOT approved tires, so that excludes me from the current trend. As for the safety wire.... just getting to the point where I could actually wire something would be wonderful. Assemble, disassemble, fettle, reassemble, repeat.
Safety wire..jpg
 

davidd

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VOC Member
David Tompkins called yesterday and asked me what the racer weighed. I told him 280 lbs. His weight out at 294 lbs. He wanted to know where the 14 lbs was that I got rid of. I had just added more lightness than he did.

David
 
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