PROJECT CAFE RACER

[caferacer]

Just got a 400/4 rat for a winter project. My aim is to change to stock bike to a cafe racer on a budget, Ebay and my own fabrication. im gonna start by getting the thing running. Once thats completed im going to upgrade the suspension and brakes, by taking parts from other bikes. I want it to handle like its on rails and thats it, im not gonna try to get more speed out if it. Its gonna be a pure handling bike (i hope).
If any one knows of a good suspension and brake set up from another bike that would fit the little rat would be really helpful.Any comments or thoughts are welcome.
thanks

[PatM]

My comment

Dont!

Go and do it to another bike- a Super Fours a better bike to paly around with and spares are more available

400/4's are plentiful to those who cherish them and easily destroyed by those who dont! Which makes the restorers job a litle more difficult, as parts are swapped- especially carb-jets by the go-faster-types or yore. A wrong set of jets can make it so difficult to overcome a running problem when you have innocently brought a set of carbs of Ebay and not realised someones frigged around with them afore..
Camchains, and valve-gear was ok 35 years ago, but not ideal for a throttle-happy-chappie nowdays.

If you want to go fast,  get an R1.

My 400/4s for a bit of nostalgia and when I pass it on, Ill not have ruined it.

[caferacer]

im too young,deadly and stupid for a R1

[UK Pete]

Hi caferacer, welcome to the site, good luck with your project, try posting some pictures as we love to see these projects before during and after the build
Pete

[florence]

Well done young man, I always approve of people adapting bikes to their own needs.  There are plenty of standard 400/4's out there and if it's ratty already why not.

[Bryanj]

The 400 is the "oddball" of the fours and very little from other bikes will fit without a lot of modding.

E.G. wheels and hubs are different, as are disc fixings

      forks are a smaller diameter

Etc Etc

the 400 was the biggest small bike as against the 500 being the smallest big bike if that makes sense

[Yoshi823]

Hi caferacer...

Perfy Bike mag tried just the same thing with a 400/4 many years ago, & had a problem sourcing the right parts for the job. If you're on a budget you may well find having special parts made for the bike a bit costly.

I would start by making a list of what you would like to see on the bike, what you can afford, & what you would like the bike to look like at the end of your customising.

Things like drop bars, suspension, rear sets, better brakes, reducing the weight, getting the engine 100% (not much point in doing the chassis if the engine dosn't work properly).

Do you need to use the bike as daily transport? Do have have workshop space? Do you have any mechanical skills? Do you have a picture in your mind of what you want it to look like?

I must admit that I didn't realise just how much it would end up costing, or how much time it would take, when I first started to modify my 750F2. But in the end I could never have been able to sell the bike for anything like what I had spent on it. And nowadays, the bike would have sold for far more if I had kept it standard.
Anyway, here are some ideas...

[caferacer]

The engines a gem its a runner, its a bit lumpy but its works. All i did was changed the battery and spark plugs, i think i got lucky. But im Still gonna work on the engine til it runs like new, then i'll start chopping metal  WOOOO HOOOO!!!!!!

[SteveD CB500K0]

This is one of the sweetest CB400 Cafes I've seen over the years. This was taken at the Ace Cafe in July 2006 - the owner is/was a member here (Andy something?) and had ridden it down from Harrogate for the event.

[rigwit]

400 superdream front end and back will drop in with no mods, gives comstar wheels and double front disks  but drop stanchions about 3/4 inch ie  3/4 sticking up from top yolk as  19in front wheel....... but they far n few between to get now....

im doing one myself and have just got cbr 600 front n back with forks n yolks, got a box section swing arm off a tdr 125 thats gonna be slightly modified as im monoshocking mine frames alreadybeen sorted for that one..... and 600 are 17 front and rear and rear spindle and spacers from the 400 will fit but spacers need altering as rear calliper on 600 run of a spacer spigot   also apart from a slightly larger bottom bearing (easy sorted) the 600 yolks have same headstock otherwise yolks give a different rake and trail but with longer forks with a 17 Ive put it in a rake trail converter and its negligible,   and go for it the comment about keeping it a standard 400/4 is OK if you want 30+ year old break and handling results, i first did the 400-4 with 400 superdream set up in 79 made it a far superior bike.

good luck

[470four]

So.

Any update on this?  

Im afraid Im going to have to stand on the modified side of the fence, mine has been tweaked and abused for 22 years now & it still gives me the same smiles & giggles... Yes - my CBR400 has better suspension, brakes and engine but nothing beats riding around on something a lot more basic - and OMG - the NOISE!

There are too many overpolished unridden standard 400's out there, Im glad somebody has got the savvy to mod one to their spec.



Keep your eye on ebay for some bargains etc?

[dave400]

Not my cup of tea, but a nice 400 anyways.

Cheers

Dave