Cafe style: Clipons? Seat?

I was considering converting my maxim X to a cafe type racer.

My brother's Maxim 650 has straight bars, which I do like better than the original bars. However, they are not aggressive enough for my tastes. Has anyone ever tried clipons? My local shop said they would help me fit them on... What problems would I have with things like brakes/mirrors?

Also - my maxim seat is the bicycle style - triangle. And it is heavily padded and low. I would like to raise the seat - which I imagine would look something more like my brothers 650 seat, except it would be a single with a plastic cover over the passenger part. Any thoughts on this? Has anyone done this? If so, how?

Thanks all!

 

Wow, whatever you do, be sure to keep us updated, I'm going for the same type look for my 650. Another option rather than true clip-on's is the "fake" clip-ons, or "clubman bars" as they are commonly called. They give the look of clip-ons, but still mount in the original place. Do a search on ebaymotors for "clubman bars" and you'll see what I'm talking about. I know the last set of clip-on's I saw was in the $150 range, rather than about $30 for these bars. Here's a pic:



As far as the seat goes, what I'm planning on doing is using a Seca rear fairing (which I already have), moving it foward on the rear chassis and building a custom solo seat. I'd also like to raise the seat up, not sure how I'm going to go about all that quite yet.

Also, I'm 6'3", so I probably won't go with the Clubman's, but rather with a set of drag bars like these:

I think the Clubman's might make me lean over just a bit farther than what would be comfortable for me.

 

Can you fill me in on how you did the custom seat? Also - how are you going to do a rear Seca fairing?

Or, has this already been discussed?

Clubman's might be a good option!

 

I know oldbikebarn.com has been doing write ups on there monthly newsletter “Old Iron” about café racer. I think they did it to a Honda CB750. I would recommend joining this news letter they have a few different write up every month. But anyways they sell a few different café racer kits for the XJ’s and other bikes. Or if you only want café racer handle bars they have them as well.

Clubman Sport / Race Bars
$39.95

Super Bar Clip-on Handle Bars 38mm
$79.95
Oh yeah when searching for parts make sure to hit the “Include Universal Items?” option
I may get the Daytona Tour Sport / Race Bars. They seem to be a bit more sporty than the stock bars but not all out sport like the Clubman.

 

I actually haven't done the seat or the rear fairing yet. It'll take some custom brackets and chopping of the frame to get the Seca fairing to work, and it'll probably take a custom seat pan. I might use the front half of a stock seat, so it'll still tuck under the gas tank like stock, and then just modify the stock seat pan. The way I'm looking to do it will shorten the seat enough so that the stock latch won't be functional, so I'll have to figure some way of mounting the rear of the seat.

I also plan on switching to a Seca gas tank, has a sportier look with the scallops for your legs.

I might take some time this afternoon to mock it up again on my spare frame to give you an idea of how it'd look. Don't have a Seca tank yet though, so you'll have to use your imagination!

BTW, good link for the clip-on's ctsommers! I have to remember to start checking oldbikebarn.com more often...

 

Thanks for the link and ideas. My local bike has some clipons that will fit that they can't get rid of! They were going to sell them to me cheap.

Does anyone have a Viper fairing like the Old Bike Barn? Any idea if it will fit on my Maxim X?

Good idea on the the rear Seca fairing. Please keep me updated!

 

I've got almost the exact same fairing I plan on putting on mine. Got it for $30 off of Ebay. :lol:

Do the Maxim X's still have the 7" headlight? If so, it should fit fine. It won't clear the stock Maxim handlebars (the big ugly curved ones), but the Maxim X had Seca style bars IIRC anyway. It'll look perfect with Clip-on's or drag bars.

Here's my bike (with stock handlebars pushed down out of the way):

 

Also, not sure if you had seen this one or not, but I had tossed around the idea of doing it fenderless with an XS750 Special taillight, but had too many people tell me it looked like a dirtbike...

 

Not sure if it had a 7" light or not. I will have to check when I get home.

That is almost exactly what I want! I don't think it looks like a dirtbike, but I think that if you take out the padding at the passenger pillion, and put a fairing on instead - a real smooth one - you would have an awesome cafe racer! That settles it, that is what I am doing!

Thanks for the great pics.

 

You may want to try something on the lines of what this guy has done to his seat.





http://www.armbell.com/forum/viewtopic. ... orum=kz400

 

That's basically what I want to do with the Seca fairing and a custom solo seat, but I want the seat height a bit higher than the one pictured. The stock seat is plenty low enough for me (I'm 6'3"), if anything, I'd like to go higher...

 

Alright, now you're REALLY gonna have to use your imagination here, but here's the Seca rear fender. Will look better with a Seca tank, and an actual halfways complete bike... :wink:





Just enough room for a good solo seat, and really gives it a much sportier look IMHO. The front fairing is the $30 ebay special I got, and the front fender is a stock Seca Turbo piece (the frame is also a Seca turbo).

The frame is actually a friend of mine's, here's the look he's going for:

 

I'm liking the Seca thing Joel, looks cool. Turbo rims are a nice touch. If you've any leftovers from the Seca, I'm needing some odds and ends (like that nice brake light lens your picture has, mine's cracked).

 

Well, the only real Seca stuff I have is a couple odds and ends I won off of ebay in a large box of junk. Main reason I bid on it was for the good fairing and taillight. The turbo bike was just a bare frame, fenders, suspension, and wheels. He's going to keep the turbo wheels, so I'll be on the swirlies, which is OK with me, it's a 130 instead of 120 in the rear, and the 16" tires are easier to find. :wink:

Thanks for the comments though. All that stuff is actually going on my '81 Midnight Max (you can see it in the corner of the pics, beside the Venture 1200). Hoping the black/gold color combo will still look good cafe style.

 

thoughts...pleasant pleasant thoughts...

 

Well, I finally got to ride my bike today...

I was so cramped. I am 6'1", and the pegs and handlebars just seemed so close to me. I just might have to go with clipons just so I can stretch out. If the seat were a couple of inches higher, that would help too.

On the other hand, I could just get an old Yamaha FZ. That is pretty much what I am talking about making my bike into. :lol:

 

well at least it looks cool. maxims are so tiny already, and clipping it i'm sure didnt help matters. I don't know if us tall guys are meant to have street fighters.

 

Just came across this conversion of a XJ650 maxim into a café racer on the old bike barn newsletter. Thought this could help you guys with some ideas.

Before



After




http://www.oldbikebarn.com/newsletter/2 ... corner.php

 

Interesting Cafe look

Hope this isn't a repost.

http://www.oldbikebarn.com/newsletter/2 ... corner.php

Regards,
Furyus

 

Re: Interesting Cafe look

Hehehe, REPOST!!!

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... rt=15.html

Actually it didn't have it's own thread, it was just mentioned in the one above. :wink:

Once my friend gets his 100% done, I'll be posting some pictures. His is kind of a mild cafe-racer look, not all-out like the one above. It's an '82 650 Maxim that we put some Seca bars on, dropped the guages, dropped the headlight, shortened the rear fender, and blacked out most of the chrome-work. Looks pretty nasty, was done on the cheap, and is still a comfortable bike. Still working out some wiring kinks, but hopefully will be done this upcoming weekend!

 

Done yet? huh?huh? leaning that way myself on my '83 Maxim 650, and I'm keen to see.

PLUS: anyone have a closeup pic of the shift linkage. Mine doesn't look right, so I'm working to get it back.

 

Should have some pics tomorrow or Friday. If I get a chance today, I'll stick the headlight back in and roll it outside. Carbs are currently off for a rebuild, and we're still tracking down some wiring gremlins. Unfortunately of the 3 harnesses we had to choose from for this bike, the choices were hacked, really hacked, and EXTREMELY hacked. Oh well. Have everything working except for the brakelight and signal lights.

 

thought i'd bring this thread back up to see how it went.

sounds similar to what i am in the middle of building. ordered my clip ons today.

 

I put the exact same fairing on my Seca and it looks very much like it belongs there. Now I just need to do a full clean/paint over the winter to make it all match. (Silver bike, black fairing, not too bad but not great either.)

One word about using that fairing on the XJ650R - you'll have to either re-locate the turn signals or, as I did, cut notches in the lower edge of the fairing for them. Other than that it just takes time and patience and that fairing will look right even with the ENOURMOUS 8" headlight like I've got.

Changing bulbs is going to be a pain though... :roll:

I wish someone made an LED version of the headlight bulbs but they just can't seem to get them bright enough yet.

 

I know I just posted them in the other thread, but here's my bike how it was a few months ago. Now it's much more completed, and I've been riding it for about 2.5 months. Just figured I'd post them here in case this thread gets brought back from the dead again. :lol: :wink:

 

Looks good. I read somewhere that the brake master is designed to be kept level, which it isn't on the clipons - any trouble with yours?

 

Nope, only problem I see is when I get ready to fill it, which I haven't had to do yet. But, with new front brake lines going on soon, I'm gonna have to sooner or later. Thinking I'm gonna have to get some help and tilt the bike over, fill it, and then screw the lid back on. Or maybe I should just pony up and get a Seca 550 master. Don't want to go to the big 1100 or Seca 650/750 MC until I do the dual front disc swap...

 

Nice bike I like that seat is it a cover were did you get it ? Joe

 

If you are going to do clip-on bars, you may as well go for complete sets with the brake handle, master cylinder and forward controls along with the clutch side. You will just have to find a place to mount your mirrors, which you can put one on the end of your bar on the clutch side.

 

When I had clubmans, the stock master cylinder was perfectly level if I turned all the way lock to the left. So filling it / bleeding was no problem at all.

The clipons I have don't work with the stock MC.

 

PS, what headlight is that?

 

richard06,
You said your brother had different bars on his maxim. Any chance of a picture? I'm looking for some new ideas for my 650J.

 

Anyone know what bars are on this bike? I really like the look. They look almost exactly like my renthal Dirt bike bars.

 

Yep, they're dirtbike or "superbike" bars.

 

Also called "euro" bars in some circles. I had some on my bike long ago.

 

I like what your doing I am watching to see how it turns out I have another xj 750 that I'm looking to do something wiht along your ideas. I hope this pick shows up. I tool the grab handle and cut it off even with the plastic fairing I think it turned out ok

 

clubmans fit the bike really well on the 550, ive gone from clips to clubs and it makes a huge difference. im 6 foot and my "seat" is on the rails of the frame and i have no prob driving it around for a while. google airtech-streamlining.com the cb 750 seat pans and rear cowls fit really well after you cut it back a little. ive had seats from other places and these are by-far the best, cost a little bit more but definatly worth it

 

don't buy the cheap clubmans what ever you do

like these


mine started rusting after 1 week

 

You'll want this style:


Still very inexpensive. Just sronger / better.

 

I wish I could ride an XJ with clubmans on it. I'm about to get a 650H that is almost mint. That'll satisfy my 'stock' desires. I'm going to do something to the 650J, I'm just not sure. I love the chopped rear end, and it seems it should have something like the clubmans on it, but I'm just not sure I'll like the ride.