Hi Everyone

Jason_W · Full Member Joined: Jan 12, 2009 Posts: 20

My name is Jason and I am currently looking for an XS as a cafe project.

I got started in these bikes when I was little because my Dad owned several. He had one with a sidecar that he used to take me for rides in. When he passed away, my Mom needed to get it out of her garage to sell her house. It had been sitting for a few years and hadn't even been touched in several years. I was in college still and didn't have the resources to keep it unfortunately, so I bought a parts bike to fix it up and sell it. After riding the 'parts bike' for a few days to 'clean it out and charge it up' I fell in love and ended up restoring both of them to roadworthy condition using eBay parts. I used the money from selling them to help my Mom and for my school, but I never got those old bikes out of my system. So now I am back and looking for a 77-79 Standard for a Cafe project.

I have always been into going fast so the Cafe route seems right for me. I am working as a brake engineer for Nissin currently. We design brakes for Honda Auto products as well as many motorcycles. So don't be surprised if I show up with some ridiculous brakes at some point.

If anyone has any info about a possible bike for sale to start this project, please let me know. I am located in Columbus Ohio, but travel to the Detroit area frequently. I will be keeping an eye on Craigslist and eBay in the meantime.

Anyway thanks for all the good info that I have found here in the last couple of weeks, and I look forward to joining you all on the road sometime soon!

Barbara · Posted: January 12, 2009, 12:18 am Post subject: Re: Hi Everyone

Hi Jason,

Welcome! You touched my past with your post---with my '77 "D", and my first sidecar, I used to pick up my son Bob from pre-school and kindergarten. That was many years ago--I've owned the bike since 1978, but it brought it back. Now I have the same bike and a new and nicer sidecar, and he still rides in it now and then.

I wish you best of luck finding a good bike, and I'm sure you will do your dad proud by rebuilding and riding it.

Again, welcome!

Jason_W · Full Member Joined: Jan 12, 2009 Posts: 20

Here's a picture of the sidecar rig right before I sold it. It's an '83 and it had about 30,000mi on it then. I'm hoping someone is still having fun with it somewhere!

Jason_W · Full Member Joined: Jan 12, 2009 Posts: 20

And just for fun, here was the 'parts bike'. My neighbor 2 houses down pushed it to the end of her driveway 2 weeks after I started work on the 83. The 'parts bike' was mine for $600 and it only took me about a day to get it running. I rode it all summer and sold it for almost $1200. Best money I ever made!

Barbara · Posted: January 12, 2009, 11:24 pm Post subject: Re: Hi Everyone

Sweet! I love the sidecar, and the "parts bike" looks nicer than lots of "riders" I'd like to have that sidecar to hang on my '79---one can never have too many chairs!

Jason_W · Full Member Joined: Jan 12, 2009 Posts: 20

Yeah, you can see why I couldn't sacrifice it for parts. That's after an entire summer of cleaning and polishing though. It was a filthy mess when I found it and hadn't run in years. Some days I wish I hadn't sold it, it had less than 5,000 miles on it and was near perfect by the end of the summer. I know there are more diamonds in rough out there though, I'll find the right one eventually.

And the sidecar was a Ride-by-Side brand which was originally from a small Michigan company. I haven't seen another like it before or since.

metalredneck · Full Member Joined: Aug 04, 2008 Posts: 308

Lotsa good cafe experience here. Where are you from?

Jason_W · Full Member Joined: Jan 12, 2009 Posts: 20

I'm from Southeast Michigan, but I am currently living in Central Ohio.

pumps · Posted: January 13, 2009, 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: Hi Everyone

Welcome brother. Someone in your area will have one for sale. I found mine on craigslist here locally. Something I found that helped me was a site called craigshelper. Put in the relevant info and distance and it searches the various craigslist locales for you.

Jason_W · Full Member Joined: Jan 12, 2009 Posts: 20

Yeah, I've been using craigshelper and I found a couple of possibilities. I am looking for something pretty specific though, so it's been a little tough. I want something I can clean up and ride to work this summer then do a frame up cafe build over next winter. So probably under 10,000 miles, minimum frame rust and the more original the better.
The good news is that I don't really care about the condition of the tank, seat, and much of the suspension. I've already gone through a couple of these bikes and cleaned them up, so I at least know what I'm getting into.

Pure-Pork · Posted: January 14, 2009, 2:55 pm Post subject: Re: Hi Everyone

Welcome to the site, I know what fun these bikes are. I got my first 2, that were sitting under a tree in a guy's front yard for several years and they were in bad shape. Took several years to get another one, a 78 Special that didn't look like a "rat" bike.

Jason_W · Full Member Joined: Jan 12, 2009 Posts: 20

Well, I found my project, and a project it will be. Here's a partial list:

The Bad:
Tank is shot, internal rust
Seat is shot, pan is good
A little frame rust from battery acid spills
Rust on the triple trees
Little bits of rust here and there
ufflers bulging from the inside and will have to go
Corrosion on the headers
Chain is rusted and totally shot, along with both sprockets
No battery
Possibly some PO hacked wiring
Controls and bar switches losing paint and look like hell, will be replaced
No starter button, harness cut to allow electric starting by grounding a wire
Tires dry rotted
Front brake caliper paint is peeling, looks like hell
Both levers loose with paint peeling, bent, will be replaced
Throttle cable
Clutch cable out of adjustment and rusted, stretched
Some rusted engine bolts and corrosion on engine
Cut up front fender with nasty mudflap screwed on by PO
No side covers
Beat up, old pod filters
Head light out
Sidestand broken off

The Good:
Under 9000 Miles
Engine runs good and started on the second kick - in 20*F weather
No leaks
Blinkers all work
Frame is straight and no evidence of the bike ever being down
Wheels are straight, and should polish up nicely

I paid $800 for it, with a clean title. A little higher than what I wanted to pay, but I needed to get started on something so I could finish it before the end of summer. I didn't think it was a completely unreasonable price for a Standard with the 35mm front suspension. Nothing wrong with it can't be fixed with time and money. I figure about another $1500-$2000 in order to completely finish it, which I should be able to do in the next year and a half or so.

Jason_W · Full Member Joined: Jan 12, 2009 Posts: 20

So, I am looking for some sidecovers for a 77 standard if someone has a set laying around. I'm looking at a couple on eBay too, but I figured I would check with the people here. Surface rust, bad knobs, bad paint and stickers are fine. No holes or broken mounting areas though.

And I may have some of the old parts available for trade or sale soon. At least the tank (it will definitely need Kreem) and the seat (from a special, it will need to be recovered at least).

nj1639 · Posted: February 1, 2009, 10:46 am Post subject: Re: Hi Everyone

Congrats on your find. The price doesn't seem too outrageous considering what I've been seeing lately and better to find one in the condition you've described than to get a nice stocker to change.
Keep us posted and let us know what you're looking for specifically, someone just might be able to help out.

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