Building a scrambler/flat track/cafe racer?????

Before I start, I know it’s the motorcycling equivalent of fat bikes or enduro, but humour me if you will.

With my current projects coming to a close (rally car & 2 mtb builds), I find my mind wandering, and random internet surfing keeps leading me to motorbikes, and one type in particular, the retro ‘street’ scrambler.

Like this:

http://www.autofabrica.com/#/type-3/

So, if one were going to attempt to build/bastardise/modify a bike to resemble such a thing what would be an ideal, and possibly good value for money platform?

Yam SR500 dunno what they go for now, or honda 400 of some sort would work.

Nice! My 65 year old Father in law rides one of these and rides it like a boss too! Good luck with the build, should keep you busy over winter. Pics please as you go?

http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-british-motorcycles/metisse-triumph-steve-mcqueen-replica.aspx#axzz3ID2KBpkG

The one linked to above is an SR250 I think, but they seem pretty rare!

The GO 550 one in the first liNK is ugly as sin.
A lot of these bikes have no rear mudguard and bell mouths I can’t see this is an ideal combination.

So, if one were going to attempt to build/bastardise/modify a bike to resemble such a thing what would be an ideal, and possibly good value for money platform?

Can’t you just start with anything? 😀

Never built one, thought about it occasionally as a fun thing to do though. Maybe a Yamaha XV250? Or an SR250? I’d probably go with what I could find cheap locally…

A lot of these bikes have no rear mudguard and bell mouths I can’t see this is an ideal combination.

I just assume you only take it out when it’s dry.

“I just assume you only take it out when it’s dry. ” LOL, yeah, what day is summer on next year? Might ride my Yeti that day too 😆

“I just assume you only take it out when it’s dry. ” LOL, yeah, what day is summer on next year? Might ride my Yeti that day too

I didn’t say you’d get to ride it often 🙂

I used to know a bloke in Dingwall that didn’t even have a headlight. He got some kind of magic daytime MOT and only went out on sunny days.

Core, as is popular on here, I’ll recommend the one I have! Currently building a “street tracker” based on a Honda dominator. Can be picked up cheaply, bombproof motors and so simple to maintain.

There was a cafe racer thread on here a while back ,and someone suggested a Honda CX as a donor.
I had never thought of using something like that before ,but now I am looking around for one ( once I finish my TL125 ).

That pic looks more like a Guzzi donor than a Honda.

LOL, yeah, what day is summer on next year?

❓ Do you live in a cave/another country/denial?

My two fave custom bikes, both zed thou’s…

So how much do you end up keeping of the donor vehicle?

Just saw a few on here btw – no idea whether 1month ago means they’ll all be sold:
http://www.usedmotors4sale.co.uk/search?query=Yamaha+Sr250

I have no idea of this type of thing but I do enjoy watching the TV show whenever it appears on cable

Home

Here’s one we built based on an SR250, quick and dirty-

It’s too high, it could do with lowering overall by around 50mm but it was built on a budget with stuff we had left over from other bikes.

Grey import hen’s tooth, a Yam SRV250-

and finally an XJ550 that never got finished-

Honda 650 singles are a good base (Dominator, SLR etc).

Check out Suzuki Savage.

They seem to be the current darlings of the ‘custom’ bike set. I say custom, they are factory custards originally but I have seen some lovely bobbers, flat tracker etc built from them. They are new bikes compared to SR500’s and the like too and still cheap to pick up as stock so an ideal donor bike.

Dudes, you simply must google SANCTUARY bikes in Japan. There is some divine metal there.

My moto guzzi v50 is in the process of being converted to a Brat tracker….and I’ve got an Sp 400 waiting to be next …IMHO. .anything will work you just need a little imagination ….but try and get something with wire wheels if you can..They look soo much better

Also if you’re on Facebook ..look up Iron and Air

I’m sorry, but there’s sick in my mouth after seeing this:

I’ve never seen an ugly motorbike before… (The CX500 struggled enough as it was, without being turned into some sort of pug! 🙂 )

A lick of paint on this and it’ll be right:

(Suzuki TS185)

250 Jap choppers are the best value. +Looking at this sort of thing myself for something to ride on a 50th birthday trip around Scotland. MZ’s and CZ’s are getting expensive and I resent spending the best part of a grand on a barn find CL Honda. Actually searching for CL images gives some nice ideas.
Now has anyone got something odd to sell me. Bigger than a C70 and below 500cc. Weird and obscure or projects are good.

I bought a Dommie 650 a while back with the intention of doing one of these

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Then a nice XR650r supermoto came up local and I bought that and sold the dommie.

Anyone want to buy an XR650r?

Some nice looking bikes there, I even like the CX a bit too. 🙂

So totally misses the point of the cafe racer thing but I don’t care, I love this:

You can do pretty marvellous things even with modern watercooled bikes. And being realistic here, cafe racers were supposed to be about going fast and being cool, my grandad had a badass looking triton (er, I think, I know nothing about old bikes) but if he could have got a GSXR to start with he would have

If you can find the appropriate donor, this is a café racer!

Or this:

I saw a Moto Guzzi V7 Racer in the flesh at the weekend – was absolutely beautiful!!

Rachel

got to admit that cx thing is a wasted opportunity and looks hideous

i am not a harley fan but . . . .

Harley-Davidson Street 750 Tracker

Bedmaker , how much do you want for the XR 650?

It really wouldn’t take much to fix that CX, wheels tyres and brakes basically. They’ve gone to a lot of effort to screw it up!

Ok, maybe leaving the rear frame and shocks is a better idea.

The Honda CB bikes are pretty good for modding.
Anything like the CB450 500 550 or 750 would be good. Depends if you want twin cylinder or 4 cylinder – although the 750 could possibly be a bit big or heavy.

Here’s my CB550K

fasthaggis – Member

Ok, maybe leaving the rear frame and shocks is a better idea.

This and the OP’s get my vote. I didn’t even know this scrambler thing was a ‘thing’. Really nice.
Bumped into the classic trials event at Kinlochleven when we were doing the Devil’s Staircase and I thought some of those were lovely too.

I really like the black CX.
Fail to see how you could fit a top box though.

Here’s a couple of contrasting approaches…

Only it’s mum could love it:

Ratbike/cafe racer:

The mighty C90:

Or maybe this one:

I also like the old twinshock trials bikes, an ex colleage/current friend has recently built a bantam up (new frame the lot), and restored his TY175, both are stunning bikes, I’ll try and get some photo’s up. I used to have a TY250, but sold it on as it was a bit of a dog and was uneconomical to make usable when compared to modern stuff.

How do you ride that without searing your leg on the exhaust?

heat shield innit – seen a few triumphs with a similar set up. Owners say – keeps the legs warm in winter.

I LOVE that yamaha and im not its mother.