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Message started by SavageRichie on 08/08/14 at 19:25:14

Title: savage cafe build general questions
Post by SavageRichie on 08/08/14 at 19:25:14

Team

It has been a while since I posted. I have been spending a lot of time on the 2 stroke forum for my RD 350 cafe build. The bike turned out so good that so one bought it when I take it for a ride hence no more RD. Any way ibuilt a great bobber with my 99 savage and I really need to get some pics of it up here for you all. I love this darn savage so much that I have decided to build a cafe racer off another donor bike. I will start the cl search to find another clean low mile bike.

Anyway, I have a few questions for those tho have built a savage cafe already to save me a little time:

Is there any premade 18 inch rear wheel that I can use that will fit the savage hub and pully so I do not have to get a new rim, spokes and pay a shop to lace it? Anyone do that yet? Or if I need the new rim, cheapest place to order rim and spokes?

Does the swing have to be mod'd to fit the new tire. What is the max size I can run on a stock swing arm or is that an issue.
?

Best place to order rear sets, speedo and cable, clamp ones
?

Decompression lever? You running a separate lever?

Fork lowering kit, best place to acquire.

Thanks team once I start on the bike I through up some pics.

Richie

Title: Re: savage cafe build general questions
Post by Dave on 08/09/14 at 04:50:18

You need to go to the top of RSD section, and open up the Sticky for Bike Builds....there are plenty of Cafe' builds to review and get ideas.

I have been living with my build for a couple of years and 4,000 miles, and I have learnt' a few things.

REAR WHEEL. Unless you try switching to cast wheels (which is a project in itself), you are going to have to have a rim laced on to your wheel. An aluminum rim needs to have the proper spoke angle, and if you just buy a random one off eBay the chances are the angle will be wrong. Buchannon Wheel and rim will punch the rear rim for the Savage Hub, provide stainless spokes, and lace it up. I would count on about $ 400 for the swap. Several of us have laced up our own wheels, and saved $ 100 a wheel. It is not all that hard - but does take 3-5 hours each when you are learning how to lace and true. You need to figure out what rim width you want....see below.

TIRES The tradition is to run a 100/90 front tire and a 130/70 rear wheel. The problem with that is that we all were using a 2.50 wide rear rim, and a 130/70 tire is made to fit on a 3.50 wide rim. The 130 tire is therefore rolled and pinched too narrow and there is too tight of an arc at the tread. It wear the center of the tread out too soon, and it rolls tread over onto the sidewall where it is not useable. Currently I am running a 110/80 rear tire and it is plenty of tire on a 2.50 rim, and it is plenty of tire for this bike, and I am running a 90/front tire. If you want a 130/70 rear tire - then get a 3.50 wide rear rim.

SWING ARM - You don't need to modify it if you are not running the vintage Firestones or some other really tall tire. If you switch to a Kawasaki front pulley to change gearing - you will have to modify the swingarm for clearance if you have an 18" rear wheel.

PARTS - I got my rear sets, shift/brake linkage ball ends, and a few other parts from Dime City. I got the seat, seat base, side panels, kick stand mount, and rear set mounts from RYCA. My speedometer is a Trail Tech Vapor - also the Acewell is a recent newcomer that appears to be a nice one. For a headlight I would look on eBay for a nice one from an older bike - the headlight from a 70's street bike would be a good fit.

There are several threads going on right now about fork lowering, shocks, etc.

Dave

Title: Re: savage cafe build general questions
Post by Colxjon on 08/09/14 at 12:34:59

On my voodoo hardtail build I'm using a 18 inch off a gs550 suzuki. Don't know how this will work with the stock swing arm... But I picked the wheel up for only 35 dollars off ebay so I'd say it's worth a shot.

Title: Re: savage cafe build general questions
Post by SavageRichie on 08/09/14 at 23:02:56

Thank you both for responding.

I have looked over the build section in the past. I have plenty of ideas on my own as well however my questions were specific for a reason, Thanks for addressing them

do you recall what year the GS550 rim set worked (so the brake hub fitted on the right and the rear pulley fitted on the left just fine?)

I can make spacers if needed.

Yea Voodoo vintage rules they have great stuff at a solid price. If I build another hard tail, I will go with their Weld on, no doubt!

RYCA is overpriced and anyone here can do better. That tinker toy gas tank of theirs is what $650 plus shipping and paint. How about that $400 seat and $250 unpainted side covers. Come on, the builds with the GT550 tanks and number plates have it down, I used Benelli tanks on my RD builds and they are great too. The fact they come in chrome is ever better, I am not knocking RYCA, if you want to spend $8000 on a savage build (used) or $10,000 for a new one, that is of course your choice. They make good stuff. Way over priced.

I build all my bikes for under $1500 and sell them between $3000 and $6000, when I sell them So I may go $3000 on this build. So $400 for a rim is out of the budget.

Thanks for the tip on the GS550. Let me know about the year.

Dave thanks for the tire info. I am running 110 front and 150 rear on my current savage bobber.

On my RD I ran 120/80 s yea way fat, great ride and stance.

Got to find a cheap running donor bike first

Title: Re: savage cafe build general questions
Post by verslagen1 on 08/09/14 at 23:10:59

796A7D7C636E686A613E0F0 wrote:

[quote author=455641405F5254565D02330 link=1396824429/15#15 date=1396925348]The rear wheel was a '80 '83 gs550. I didn't have any issues with it at all.
stock spacers, brake hub and pulley fit like they were made for it.

On the front, I have a gs650 wheel with the gs450 disc cut down to 10.25"
those are 5mm thick like the savage and have a 6 hole pattern for mounting. space the disc off the hub by .25" and with new pads I had to space the caliper out by 1 washer (in between caliper and fork).

a 90/90-19 is probably the correct tire for the front, but 100/90 fits just fine.
the rear likes a 130/90-16. Any bigger and you'll have issues with clearance and the swingarm.

don't know the year of the front.
and no other parts that I can recall.[/quote]

I doubled checked... the rear was an '83

Title: Re: savage cafe build general questions
Post by SavageRichie on 08/10/14 at 16:37:04

Thanks brother using the rear wheel off the 83 gs 550 is a huge cost saver. We can build these great bikes for a song. I look forward to the build.

Title: Re: savage cafe build general questions
Post by splash07 on 08/11/14 at 08:52:17

keep in mind the one that is a direct swap is not a 18" rim. The only 18" GS550 wheels i have found are disc brake. The '83 is a direct swap as far as I have been able to tell but again it is only a 16" still up an inch form stock though. Corrections anyone?