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  1. #1

    My Yamaha Virago Cafe Racer Inspired Build

    I got the bike for free. It's not the best platform to build a Cafe but it's been done and done well.

    Being my first bike and first time working on a bike for my first part I'm doing a more mild build.

    Bike looked like this to start.


    Got it all stripped down.


    Put the rear subframe and stock seat back on when my original plans changed. I kinda liked the look of this but wasn't happy with how chunky and swoopey the seat was. It's very un-Cafe. Lowered the front 3"


    Rook vinyl off the seat and started carving the seat down. I just painted it brown so it was easier to see in pics.


    It still wasn't quit the shape I wanted so I used a better tool and kept carving away and got the final shape.

    [IMG]

    That's where I'm at right now. More to come soon.
    Last edited by Exitspeed; 05-15-2009 at 08:24 AM.

  2. #2
    Ol' School -stew-'s Avatar
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    FUCKING NICE!!!

    I've seen some cafe'd Viragos. Pure sex. Your bike will be cooler that 98% of the bikes on the road. Awesome choice for a starting point. Can't wait to see it finished.

  3. #3
    Obsessed loud91rs's Avatar
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    That thing looks completely rad! Can't wait to see it done as well!
    12 Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo
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  4. #4
    WHO'S CUP IS THIS?! Deggy's Avatar
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    That is a nice looking bike!
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    98 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4x2 - Still ready for some snow drags.

  5. #5
    Ol' School pOrk's Avatar
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    It has a really cool profile with the sub frame removed, if you don't plan on taking passengers ditch the sub frame and fab a solo seat, then install a fender hugging the rear tire and attach to swing arm so its RIGHT on the tire. Would look tits.
    iPedal : AIM:BMXpORK : Milwaukee, Wi : SUICIDEDOORS


    "You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves." -Abraham Lincoln

  6. #6
    I wanna go fast... $title Champion Crawlin's Avatar
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    that's fucking awesome!!!

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by pOrk View Post
    It has a really cool profile with the sub frame removed, if you don't plan on taking passengers ditch the sub frame and fab a solo seat, then install a fender hugging the rear tire and attach to swing arm so its RIGHT on the tire. Would look tits.
    I was going to go full custom rear subframe (new one welded up) and a single seat but my wife laid a guilt trip on me about not being able to ride on it with me. So I decided to go the two seater route.

    Glad you guys like how it's coming along. I'm working on it as often as I can.

    Once the clip ons are installed the bike is going to transform.

    I'm gonna do some real low key front and rear LED turn signals too.

    Oh and color scheme is gonna be sick...satin black and gloss black combo.

    Exhaust is getting heat tape wrapped too.

  8. #8
    Bike looks sick! you really chopped the gay out. Nice work

  9. #9
    sick

    Money Comes and Money Goes,
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    "There isn't a man living who isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can." Henry Ford

  10. #10
    Some more work done over the last few days.

    First thing is I had to fill in the area on the tank where the Yamaha emblem was. There was a clipy thing that the emblem screwed on to.

    First I mixed up some Mar-Glass which I've never used before. Some pretty interesting stuff. It's like hard candy before it gets hard.




    A couple layers of it. I'm new ot bodu work so I was just kinda winging it.






    Random cool pic.


    Got the tank sanded down nice and smooth. Needs some more work but it's about 80% there.


    Then those lights dangling were bothering me as well as the two big ol horns and front turn signals. Removed those.



    That's where I'm at now. Gonna finish the tank over the weekend hopefully.

  11. #11
    Moar progress.

    I'm getting close to being finished filling in the area on the tank. Needs a little more work but it's getting there. It's primered gray in the pic. I hung it from a tree to make it easier to paint.



    Worked at the seat moar. I think the main problem was how the bottom of it swepted downward. It really threw it off. So I chopped that up and made it straight. There's some more finishing work to make it perfect though. And once the vinyl is over it you won't see anything. I'm not worried about the space between the frame. I'll either leave it or fill it with something minimal.



    Here's the tank and seat together as a whole.

  12. #12
    Disappointment 2006wrxtr's Avatar
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    I was planning something like this because I could do it in my dinning room.
    Now I have another bike on the list that will work.

    Disappointing women since 1970.
    Love you Mom

  13. #13
    Post whore BoosTT's Avatar
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    Nice work. That is going to be an awesome bike for very cheap! Cool.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by 2006wrxtr View Post
    I was planning something like this because I could do it in my dinning room.
    Now I have another bike on the list that will work.
    The Virago is not the best frame to start with. That's what everyone told me at least. If you go searching around forum after forum will discourage people from using this kinda bike for a Cafe project. While it may not be the most ideal bike obviously with some work and imagination it's not a bad choice.

    Quote Originally Posted by BoosTT View Post
    Nice work. That is going to be an awesome bike for very cheap! Cool.
    Indeed cheap. So far I've only spent money on registering it and a few bucks on sand paper and primer. In another week I'll be spending the money on the expensive stuff, but even after that I'm looking at far less then $1000 on the whole bike.
    Last edited by Exitspeed; 05-17-2009 at 07:49 PM.

  15. #15
    Vette Girl dsireme's Avatar
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    What year is it?

    It's going to look nice.

    Burning up the miles, there's a full moon out tonight, I've got a high-heel Venus, doing twice the speed of light
    Crank it up through the gears, see what she can do, Women and cars, everything they say is true
    78 Vette, 05 T&C, 06 Trail Blazer, 83 Virago, 87 Intruder 1400

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by dsireme View Post
    What year is it?

    It's going to look nice.
    It's an 81.

    I hope so.

  17. #17
    Vette Girl dsireme's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Exitspeed View Post
    It's an 81.

    I hope so.
    So it's a 750 then?

    Burning up the miles, there's a full moon out tonight, I've got a high-heel Venus, doing twice the speed of light
    Crank it up through the gears, see what she can do, Women and cars, everything they say is true
    78 Vette, 05 T&C, 06 Trail Blazer, 83 Virago, 87 Intruder 1400

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by dsireme View Post
    So it's a 750 then?
    Yep. Big enough for me.

  19. #19
    Vette Girl dsireme's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Exitspeed View Post
    Yep. Big enough for me.
    I think my year was the only year they came out with a 500.

    Burning up the miles, there's a full moon out tonight, I've got a high-heel Venus, doing twice the speed of light
    Crank it up through the gears, see what she can do, Women and cars, everything they say is true
    78 Vette, 05 T&C, 06 Trail Blazer, 83 Virago, 87 Intruder 1400

  20. #20
    Cars are stupid VroomPshhTsi's Avatar
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    hah, i just rode one of those (250) today for my MSF class
    Daily Driver: 2009 Camry
    Weekend Car: 2006 Corvette

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