Project Cheap Racer

Hi Everyone,
This is a couple of first for me. One, this is my very first post on this website and two, this is my very FIRST bike and third, this is my very first bike project.
After searching for months for a bike that my wife would let me get (had to be no more than 500 bucks) I finally found this 83 Seca 750r for $600. After some dealing I got my first bike for $500.
So the plan is to make this thing a cafe racer but on a very tight budget (aka less than 200 bucks).
Nuff blah blah here is the before pics:


First thing first gotta get rid of the front fairing

Then I took the handlebars and flipped and reversed them

Next I took the exhaust, seat, tank and shocks off and hacked off the rear subframe and sat the bike down on a tire (which is exactly where I the height)

This is exactly how I wanted the riding position to be (I'm 5'11")

Well after all that I cleaned it up and painted the wheels, frame and engine satin black

(I know I missed a spot on the back wheel but its dark out)
So thats where I am with it now (ran out of sunlight). Oh did I mention I just got it last night and started work on it this afternoon?
I've got to find some shorter shocks for the bike, a round headlight, tail light, and signals and put it all back together.
I'm using the stock seat and going to chop it up to make a cafe seat out of it.
Let me know what you guys think. As this is my first project I am happy in the direction its going so far but seeing that I'm new to this any C&C's are welcomed.

 

Hey, was it running when you got it? Did you cutt up the airbox? If not I am sure you could sell it to offset some of the money. Save parts you do ot need and sell them. I am pretty sure people are always looking for stock airboxes.

 

Yeah it runs. I took the battery to the shop to get it charged but other than that it runs.
I am saving all the parts if anyone is interested (i.e. front fairing, headlights, rear tail light and cowl, turn signal)
I have the airbox but it looks like someone before me started to cut it out but gave up on it (i guess).

 

alright I could wait. I rattled up the tank and mounted it

 

good luck man, i absolutely love the look of a seca cafe racer. i want this to be my next bike i will be tuning into this thread often.

 

looks like a great start to a project, and I LOVE your Motorcycle Lift you got there.

 

:lol: like i said this is a tight budget and I gotta use what I got. just got lucky that its just the right size

 

just a lil update.
got a new headlight and just waiting on the foam so I can shape up my rear cowl and lay down fiberglass and paint.
here's how it looks now



hope to get the seat done by this weekend (fingers crossed)

 

I think that you hold the record for fastest build so far! I am 6 months into mine and I think you are further than me.

Looks good so far, I think that the seat will really help finish off the look. Pretty extreme position for those bars, it would be interesting to see a side view with someone sitting on it.

 

Just a bit of a hijack. Does anyone know why I can't see photos posted directly on the site as opposed to via a service such as photobucket?

I wanna see the pictures too!

Loren

 

Yeah its going by pretty quick and smoothly. I think whats making this so quick is that I'm doing this cheap and reusing a lot on the bike and things that I have sitting around and small stuff I find cheap at the store. So far with paint and everything else that I have bought for this thing cost is bout 50 bucks.
I will try to hook you up with some side pics tomorrow when I get off work.

 

looks great keep up the work!

 

not worried about the decreased lean angles caused by lowering the bike?

looks like you're off to a good start. i forsee alot of peg dragging in your future if you like the twisty's though.

 

His pics are not on this site. They're too big and not in those little boxes. Maybe where ever he's hosted them is blocked to you.

Good looking build. Where abouts in AZ?

 

Im down in Yuma. Its perfect riding weather all winter long. Where in Maryland are you from? I lived in Columbia for like a year. Froze my a** off one winter and thats all it took lol

 

Looks good so far, but invest $25.00 on a set of clubmans, any length of time riding with those stck bars flipped and your back will be killing you. :cry: Also, on the shorter shocks have an eye on rear tire clearance. Low may look cool until you hit a pot hole, bottom out, and you get a new tire mark on you butt cheeks. 8O

 

update:
got a lil farther with the seat and cowl. still a lot more shaping to do but she's coming along.




its coming along. i like how its turning out. its a great thing when whats in your head actually turns out. what do you guys think?

 

Looks great ! You are gonna have a lot of fun tearing around on this.

 

Are you going to finalize it into a cafe racer type? Fun looking project!

 

billb:yeah i cant wait to fire her up and blast down the road. im dying to hear what shes going to sound like with my setup. probably going to have to do some tuning when i get to that point though.

compress: yeah this is my take on a cafe racer. im loving the look with the short rear cowl.