Nice bike to modify... a good, solid standard, with lots of parts available! One thing about moving the foot controls... you need to be careful about the pivot point. Simply elongating the shift lever (for example) can result in the throw getting way off, and making it hard to shift. So, for example, if you have to tap it 1" up to shift now, if you elongate the shifter that can quickly become a 3" lift to shift, resulting in poor shift performance, and having to take your foot off the peg just to lift up far enough to shift. If you move the pivot point, then you need a bracket, because you can't just drill a new mount point into the engine casing. And the bracket is going to push the shifter out away from the bike a bit, and even 1/2" difference can make the footing and control very different. Not to discourage you at all! But just make sure to keep all the parts you remove, and prototype the replacement and how well it works, before cutting anything down or making other irreparable changes. (On this era Honda, one of the great things to do is take off the side covers, remove the airbox, and put air filters directly on the back of the carbs. This opens up the space under the seat, and lets the frame breathe... makes the bike looked stripped down, and sleeker!)
I will definitely keep that in mind! Thank you for the tip. In regards to the air filters I've seen that done on cb's before but wasn't quite sure how it was done looking at mine haha. So thanks for running through that, I will probably grab trumpets, If I was going more cafe I'd go for the air filters though! Excited that there's a lot of builds I can do in the future for it. It sounds like you're got a bike, or an interest at least?
Avid rider, and have been for more than 40 years. Currently have two old-man bikes in the garage: 1991 Honda ST1100, and 2015 Suzuki C90T. Sportbikes I have had: Katanas, 600/750/1100, Honda CB1, FJ1200 Standards: Yamaha XS 400/600/750/1100, Honda Nighthawk, Kawasaki 440LTD, Suzuki GS500, and a couple others I can't remember right now. My airheads: BMW r-bikes, 75s, 80, 90s, 90/6, 100, 100s, and probably one or two others. So yeah. I ride. :-)
Sounds like you got more experience on different bikes than some journalists I've read hahaha. I will try to keep my "build" update in these pubski threads and would love to hear your opinion, especially mechanically. On the note of beginner questions, do you reccomend a helmet? I have few opportunities to try them on in person. I'm prepared to spend a bit of money for comfort, seems pointless to buy a helmet if I never want to wear it.
First off, you are never going to find the right helmet unless you go somewhere that has a wide selection, and try a bunch of them on. People's heads and faces are all different shapes, and each helmet manufacturer fits differently. To find your correct size, and the right one for your head and face shape, you are going to have to try on a bunch of different brands. That'll help you decide which brand helmet fits your particular head. I'm a Shoei guy, for example. I have tried two different Arai helmets, and neither of them worked out for me. They never "fit right". Second thing to consider is what type of riding do you do? When I rode every single day, rain or shine, on the freeway, in commuter traffic, for more an hour each way, I spent $1000 on a fantastic helmet. If I was gonna crash, it was going to be fast, in traffic, and with many things flying at my head. Nowadays, I mostly run quick errands on my bike. I may do a couple hour leisurely ride on back roads once a month, or so. But mostly I am running down to the hardware store for something, doing some light shopping, or cruising around and sightseeing around town. So I still have my hardcore full-face, high tech helmet, for the long rides. (Last year I rode from Seattle to San Francisco for my 30th high school reunion. Wore the "serious" helmet for that trip.) But most days I wear my 3/4 helmet. Like this one. Integrated flip-down sun visor. Face shield flips up and exposes my face and mouth so I can talk to the cashier at the hardware store. It's more noisy than my full-face helmet, and can buffet pretty badly at freeway speeds, but it's great for around-town riding. Any helmet less than $250 is as effective as wearing a KFC bucket on your head. Anything over $750 is overkill unless you ride professionally, or do 20k miles in a year. Buy your helmet too tight. They stretch after a month or so of wear, and you want this thing to last 5 years. If it makes you look like chipmunk-cheeks for a month, but keeps you safe for 5+ years, that's a completely reasonable tradeoff. Feel free to look at Revzilla and send me links. Ask about helmets. I have Opinions. :-)
My boyfriend has a motorcycle and I feel like a helmet is great for comfort. Besides the whole possible not dying aspect, I feel glasses are not that great on the highway. And without anything you get super watery eyes. And then a bug hits you in the face at 70 mph and it huuurts. A great helmet with a transparent screen in front ofyour eyes is awesome.
Yeah i get that, I'm looking more for a recommendation on something with proper ventilation/padding to remain comfortable for long periods of time. A lot of my friends went cheap on helmets and find them too hot or uncomfortable to wear for more than an hour or so.