Duke Blackwood

I’m in the process of making a plan for my first Café racer build. This IS an appeal to the members of Oldschool, what are your thoughts…

I want to do something that’s quite traditional, but with improved performance. I’m not interested in making too many compromises for ride-ability or practicality and I’m not too worried about chopping up an original bike. The 400 isn’t that collectible anyway and if me making it the way I like saves it from the wreckers than that’s got to be a good outcome. So…

Confident future Mods:

- Underbelly exhaust (Header wrapped, like the one picture below)

- Aftermarket Seat Cowl (Purchased)

- Pod Filter (like the one picture below)

- New rear shocks

- Rear mudguard removed

- Engine painted black

- Original seat, tank and bars

Desired Mods:

- An XR600 engine transplant (To give it more mumbo, although I am concerned about having to kick-start a 600 single… I’m a useless kick-starterer)

- Fatter rubber…?

Discussable Mods:

- Paint scheme

- Modern sport bike front end (Way down the track)

- Dash cluster/headlight

- Front mudguard?

- Remove side panels?

At this stage I’m tossing up between three paint options:

Ron Burgundy – A dark, sparkly, burgundy tank and cowl, with the rest black.

Red & Black – Left side black, right side red, separated by an off centre chequered stripe down the tank and cowl. The right side of the tank and cowl would have a racing number.

Carbon Copy – A dark carbon fibre fluid coating on the tank, cowl and headlight, with gold stripes around the edges mimicking that new Norton Commando pictured above.

http://www.fluidcoatings.co.nz/

I’m really keen to hear any suggestions for alternative styling themes, Mods or colours.

Of course before touching any of this I need to restore the original tired components…

- Electric starter repair

- Sort out the wiring so that indicating right doesn’t result in every single light on the bike blinking

- Make the brakes work, seriously, they don’t work

- New battery

- New Rubber

That should see it rocking and rolling, legally.

This is my 1986 Honda GB400 Café Racer project bike.

The GB is an ideal candidate for a Café Racer because it has the styling right from the factory. My GB features the distinctive raised leather bubble tail seat, kick-start, spoked 18” wheels, large individual headlight and two into one exhaust. The bike is riddled with character, from the megaphone style muffler to the dry sump and wire braided oil lines; all tacked onto the simple air cooled single cylinder engine.

As it stands however my bike is a bit rough, and a lot illegal…

So the plan is to get it cleaned up and road legal before transforming it into the penultimate, un-compromising Café Racer.

As everyone knows, no bike project is ever ‘finished’. I’ve decided however to put a timeframe on the bulk of my modifications: the bike has to be ready by February next year in time for the ‘Bikes, Blues & Hot Cars’ show in New Plymouth. This event will serve as the showdown between my GB and my brother, anglia4s’ CB650. He has had a major head start, so expect to see developments rolling out of the Blackwood shed in the near future.

Good work Mr 4, that tail is looking awesome, way better than Mark I. Going narrower with the seat will make a big difference too; the standard width rivals most Waka's.

Steel will be way better than fibreglass aswell (If you can make it work) mine's fibreglass and it's gay...

Keep up the good work but don't get your hopes up about that trophy, it's mine.

I'll try to start a post of your competition soon...

Name: Steve

Location: New Plymouth

Cars you own: A 1990 Ford Mustang GT Fox Body 5.0, a Honda Civic runaround, a dirty old four door Hondamatic Civic and a share in a 1974 Morris Mini (Big block, 1,100cc)

Mods to them: The stang has a free flowing exhaust and may have hot cams (?) sitting on 15' minilites, they're cool.

How you found out about oldschool: My brother is a regular, anglia4

Anything else you want to add: I'm more of a two wheel man, i contribute for Kiwirider magazine and currently own two road bikes.

I have a 1997 Honda Shadow 750 American Classic and a 1986 Honda GB400 Cafe racer project... this is the one you'll hear about.