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GB400 Café Racer Project


Duke Blackwood

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  • 3 months later...
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I have delayed making this post for as long as possible because I have been MAD at my little GB.


 


I had the bike running and road legal before the Bikes, Blues & Hot cars show which would showcase the results of the half-assed biker build off Anglia4 and I were participating in. It took so much work and money just to get my bike road legal that it was still slmost completely standard.


 


Anglia4's bike was looking awesome but even on the morning of the show it was in a thousand pieces after being painted. I was riding the GB to Anglia4's place early on the morning of the show to help him assemble his bike. This was only about the third time i'd ever ridden the GB and I was loving it. The bike was developing funny quirks the further I rode and I realised something was not right. The horn stopped working and the headlight, then the guage backlights and the gaues themselves. By the time I arrived, functioing the indicators or brake lights caused a drop in revs which would nearly stall the bike. The GB had a charging issue which later turned out to be a fucked alternator. I could not repair it in time for the show ad had to take my Shadow 750 American Classic instead.


 


I am lucky to have a 2nd bike to fall back on and I was glad that Anglia4's CB pulled it together for a fun day's ride, but the GB broke my heart.


 


I let it sit for a month or so while I sulked and worked on other projects but then I got stuck in. I bought a spare engine and robbed it's alternator. The bike's now running, but I still haven't ridden it as I had the entire rear end stripped off for customisation. I made mini indicator brackets, a side mount number plate bracket, an aftermarket tail light, ditched the guard and grab rail and I'm now ready to re-assemble...


 


But plans have changed, I advertised My Shadow American Classic for sale and a guy offered to trade a Kawasaki W650 with a bit of cash his way. I accepted. The W650 will satisfy my need for a slow vintage styled bike and wont be the money hole that the GB has turned into. So, with only the fun jobs left to do and $1,000 of aftermarket parts which I now have nothing to do with... I think I'm going to sell my GB. I'll take a huge loss on it after all the money I spent vinning ($700) and rebuilding the brakes ($800), fabricating custom made swingarm bushings ($250) and getting two top of the line spanking new tyres ($500). I'll sell it with the spare engine but I think I'll keep all my aftermarket parts for other bikes and sell custom parts separately (Like my refurbished seat pan).


 


If anybody is interested in the bike feel free to enquire, I've only started thinking about this today so i'm not set on a price yet, maybe $2,500? I'll make parts available too once I've decided what i'm going to keep.


 


I'm sorry we might not get to see this bike finished on OS, I'm dissapointed too but it wouldn't be sensible to keep it. You can look forward to two new projects coming out of the Blackwood Stable soon... Pics to come.


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Thats a real bugger about your GB dude. But when a better opportunity presents itself ya just gotta go for it.!

Looking forward to seeing what you do to the W650. They such sweet bikes and can look great when done properly.

Good luck with the sale

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Took the GB for a blat today with Anglia4… I might not sell it! It’s so much fun to ride; perilously slow, fantastic handling and shit brakes! It was awesome fun, we were genuinely Café Racing and my license was safe because I top out at 110kmh haha (post a pic bro)

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Yeah that was a fun ride.

 

I was ticking along at 105km/h on a big long straight, had looked in the mirror and could barely see his headlight, then a few minutes later (I hadn't looked in the mirror again for ages) he went creeping past in a full GP tuck, and from there to home was two shitbox old honda's GP racing. It was a blast.

 

Pic for fred

 

null_zps9f8e8690.jpg

 

Don't sell it, we will mod it more!

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Your bike is definetly faster, but the GB is more nimble than your old Waka even with it's Battle tread. I know it's the internet but you can't just lie haha.

We need to get more people in New Plymouth riding Cafe Racers, it's not fair that we have all this fun to ourselves!

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  • 1 month later...

It was a fine day in Tumbleweed yesterday, spent some time in the shed working on my GB's booty...

 

DSCF6657.jpg

 

Stripped off the factory crap and then threw together some simple brackets to mount my new lamps and plate (& installed bar end mirrors)

 

image_zpsedcb0036.jpg

 

All the brackets are adjustable to accomodate two different size seats and visibility for warrants (The tail light reccesses to just a glow from beneath the seat) the space on the bracket beneath the plate is for the all so important rear reflector.

 

image_zps17feba08.jpg

 

That light was only $9 from eBay. The second hole in the bracket is so it can reach out when I put the larger passenger seat on.

 

image_zps00246808.jpg

 

It looks better, but still a bit rough, any ideas how I can clean it up or improve it? The other seat is 'deeper' so the sides come lower and conceal those rear frame rails better. Once the tail is done i'll do my front indicators and then i'll book in a day with Brother Blackwood and his fancy new welder and we'll make it noisy...

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  • 1 month later...
  • 8 months later...

duke, congrats on the build.

 

i really like the style of seat you show in the photo when you got it back from the upholsterer.

 

do you have any pics of that seat on the bike?

 

i love my original single seat w/hump on my gb500, but looking to have an optional seat that can sit two-up, while still looking good when i'm on it solo.

 

would love to see shots of the construction, angles, and underside of the seat as well as on the bike.

 

it's a lot to ask i know! any info is appreciated.

 

thanks in advance.

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Duke is my brother and he isn't on here often so I'll try and answer for you.

 

I think when they sold these bikes new you could get both the single seat and a flat seat for riding 2 up. Duke had both come with his bike but didn't like the look of the standard seat so got it re-upholstered with nicer stiching.

 

This is what they look like with the standard dual seat:

GB400TT-8.jpg

 

and while I was searching for that, stumbled across this link which might help you out:

http://www.caferacer.net/forum/general/14090-honda-gb500-dual-saddle.html

 

Where abouts in New York are you? I was there a couple of weeks ago,didn't seem very bike friendly!! :)

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anglia4, I'm in downtown manhattan... city riding not so much, but being able to get out of town is the whole point! twisties upstate.

 

Yes, I've seen the original dual seat... don't like the clunky rear so much. 

 

Definitely looking for shape more streamlined like the nice reupholstered one.

 

Thanks for the other link, will look in to it.

 

Would still love to see a photo with that seat on the bike if possible....... ?

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  • 4 weeks later...

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