'82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

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meico
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#46

Post by meico »

Wow, that is going to look amazing when its put on. I'm wondering if this is something that I can accomplish in an apartment parking lot...
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#47

Post by BOBCAT »

Hobo,
I just registered tonight seeking wisdom and inspiration from folks like you to build my 82 GL1100.
Hope you're well and look forward to learning more.
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#48

Post by GW Hobo »

Sorry this hasn't been updated in a while. I have about $800 worth of parts to put on it and haven't had the time with my real job. Just finished the 2 month assignment I was on and will be jumping on this again tomorrow. I'll post some pics this week.
1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
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5speed
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#49

Post by 5speed »

your tardiness has been noted. :mrgreen:
1982 1100 standard. (sold)
1986 Yamaha FJ1200
2000 Yamaha Roadstar
1976 GoldWing. running but not on the road
1978 Goldwing. future cafe project.
2019 Can-Am ryker (boss's new ride)

2002 Shadow American Classic(sold)
1983 Shadow 500. (sold)
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#50

Post by GW Hobo »

It's been a while since I've posted and not that many folks read this, but it is cathartic. So let the healing begin...

First, thanks to my buddy John who comes with more great ideas than I can keep up with. Makes this build twice as fun.

Most of the summer was spent dealing with powder coaters (one good and one bad). Don't take your stuff to a guy that does lawn furniture usually and bike parts sometimes. Repeat after me: “that's bad.” But then you find Federal Moto on Fulton just west of Damen in Chicago and realize that motorcycle gods do exist, they just don’t have as good a union.

It you dig Bike EXIF like I do, you saw their latest incantation today of the Honda CX650. Crazy cool builds. They also do some great powdercoating. On bike parts. Yeah, that’s key.

I started the summer with silver parts and now I have black satin. Federal moto did some blue accent parts I’m trying out. Lemme know if you like them. I’m trying to reduce the chrome look and build more of a dark blue/black beast. Here’s some picks of the before (silver and kinda nasty) and after (black and blue).
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#51

Post by GW Hobo »

I'm working with a couple shades of blue. But I don't know they're dark enough for me. Too much powder blue and not enough Navy blue (Honor Courage and Commitment). So I may have these re-painted darker blue. But they're good for now.

The triple came back great but I ended up pitching the top triple from the R1. Fun fact: the press bolts on the 2001 R1 are on the inside and were banging into the tank before the stops hit. Vs. GSXR which face outward. So I either modified the tank or bought a new top triple. Cognito Moto makes one, so that was hitting the easy (expensive) button. And their press bolts are small and sit inside the triple itself - slick. The one pic below still has the blue tape on the cover with a black circle where the old top was hitting.

The handlebars and risers are Pro Taper. Another good idea from my buddy, the beefy handlebars look great on Goldwings. I love the thickness in the middle and they work with the forks. Once the grips and hand controls are on, it'll look great.
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#52

Post by GW Hobo »

So let's talk electrical. It sucks. Harder than house wiring which I'm good at. The wiring itself isn't hard, but getting the lengths correct and being able to package them so they're hidden is an art.

Again, the cycle gods led me to Revival Cycles. The motogadget stuff they have is great but pricey. But it's also idiot-proof. Plug and play. First issue was mounting the m-unit blue. I'm not a fabricator but I noticed that an old metal clamp where the fuse box ran through was sitting idle. So I cut this off and fitted it for the m-unit with a conduit clamp right to the frame. With the cover on, it fits right next to the air filter. Plus it's far enough away from the spark plug wiring that there's no chance for interference. And it provides a great ground for the m-unit wiring.
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#53

Post by GW Hobo »

I had intended to use the R1 hand controls. Then I started thinking how crappy they looked and how bad they looked against the brand new handlebars and the new top triple and...yeah...credit card took a beating. Motogadget and Revival had what I needed. But before I could install any hand controls, I had to get my throttle and clutch cables right. The throws on the Goldwing and the R1 didn't seem night and day so I'm going to note that as a possible mod for later. Then I bought a cable kit, a solder pot, and went to work. Here's a couple photos - everybody knows throttle cables are about as exciting as wiring. But I think I've got this headed in the right direction and I'll post some photos once the hand controls are installed.

This is a cheap headlight I bought on ebay. I like the look though I don't know it's big enough (6.5" diameter). But I like the grill. I kinda like a double light too but couldn't find one with the grills. That's a Koso instrument cluster on the left handlebar - I just wanted it mounted someplace on the bars so I could work on the wiring. But with the ProTaper handlebars, it doesn't mount with the thicker diameter bar. So I need to fabricate something. Otherwise, it has everything but the tachometer, which I'm going to forgo. Any suggestions on how to cover the hole the tach cable ran out of from the fuel pump assembly?

This is my workspace in the winter. Got 2 heaters going. And a carbon monoxide detector. Gotta finish this bike and start riding in 2019. I already have my eye on bulding an early 80s CB650 next, but two years into this build and the wife's giving me sideways looks on this "in-progress" project. If you work fast, you can usually still feel your fingers after an hour.
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1982 GL1100 Cafe - Born Naked
2020 October BOM
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Track T 2411
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#54

Post by Track T 2411 »

Looking great!
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Current Rides:
'Grumpy' - '81 Standard, now fully dressed.
'Layla' - '81 Standard w/dealer installed fairing and Hondaline bags.
'Scarlett' '76 'Survivor' nekkid as a j-bird!

Under Construction:
The 'Jalopy' '78-'79 Mash-up
'Quikie' '81 gl1100I back on the lift, project with the step-son!

In The Shed:
'81 gl1100I barn find aka "Josie, the farmer's daughter." (almost comatose build)
'77 gl1000, roller parts bike.
'82 gl1100I, 'Old Crusty' titled roller parts bike (free!)
'82 gl1100I, My first 'Wing, and an expensive lesson!
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Sugs
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#55

Post by Sugs »

Love the blacked out parts. Looks great!
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#56

Post by OCR »

Have you heard of SpeedMotoCo?
They are a vendor on CX500Forum and do offer discounts on items.
They have some really slick headlight assemblies or just the individual buckets.
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#57

Post by Hanslehoff »

Looks amazing, coming along really nice
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x_wing
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#58

Post by x_wing »

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the completed build! Looks great so far, and I'll be digging into my wiring on my 1980 build. All the connectors look corroded, and a lot of covers and brackets are missing. Keep up the good work!
1980 GL1100 (X-Wing build)
1982 GL1100 (restoration project?)
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#59

Post by GW Hobo »

OCR wrote:Have you heard of SpeedMotoCo?
They are a vendor on CX500Forum and do offer discounts on items.
They have some really slick headlight assemblies or just the individual buckets.
Thanks OCR - good call. Really good customer service and they found a nice headlight bracket for me for the tapered forks on the R1.
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codyjames707
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Re: '82 Cafe Racer Build - GL1100 born naked and will be again

#60

Post by codyjames707 »

Loving this build! Cant wait to see more progress!
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