1987 Honda CBX250 Project

Front suspension:
Old bikes arnt going to have the greatest suspension ,even when new, compared to a modern adjustable setup.
First thing to do is check the fork oil ....chances are its hasnt been changed for yonks and isnt at the correct level.
Then as risky suggests , use thicker oil than spec.
The other cheap trick is to put in spacers to compress the spring a little to make it firmer from scratch.
You can of course get new springs but finding them to suit your bike could be another story.
If u pull out the springs take notice which way they are ...... they will have closer wound coils one end.

http://www.gstwin.com/making_fork_spacers.htm

Indicators:
Use anything that takes your fancy .......... theres a zillion of them on ebay
If u use leds u may need these .... I put cheap Chinese leds on the front of the FZR and they worked straight up
Led globes are + - sensitive .... if they dont work u turn them around.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-Motorc...orcycle_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27c8d67f6d

Pod Filters :
This will open a big can of worms
The stock airbox is designed to run with the stock carby setup yada yada yada
Heres a random page I found on the subject ........

http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55888

By all means try it but keep the stock airbox on hand ..... and buy some cheap Chinese pods to experiment with ..... which is wat Im going to do with the GSX pub racer

Exhaust :
The header should be fine to use ..... just change the muffler.... theres a million aftermarket mufflers out there.
Pull off the header pipe and clean it up (inside as well) and give it a coat of heat proof paint.
I cant quite tell from your pics if its all 1 piece or the muffler is bracketed on?

Consumables like sprockets/chain should be a reasonable price from the Honda shop but Id ask for a price first.

 

Your bike is a good canditate for a cafe racer ... in my opinion anyway

I think the important thing with making changes is to do what u think looks best / works best for you ..... of course if money was no object then anything is possible but doing it on a budget and doing what u can yourself is half the fun.

On that subject though I would seriously consider getting a price on having the frame powdercoated .... its what I aim to do with the GSX ....... so much fiddly sanding and what not ..... I had the subframe on the Fizzer done and it was only about $40
If I use rattle cans (I do have a spray gun which I must get into use) I always use caliper paint, engine enamel or something like 'metal' paint ..... they seem to give u a more enduring finish .... and being heatproof is obviously useful in alot of situations.

Anyway , to me the idea of a 'cafe' is to dump all the excess junk on the bike .... fairings,oversize indicators and instruments ...big fat lights and guards etc ...... and have the race/cafe style single seat , drop bars and maybe a slimmer tank if the original is fat and ugly.......and hide the electronics etc under the seat and tank...... a minimalistic look.

Theres alot of "cafe" bits and whatnot on ebay (if you look at my GSX cafe thread theres some pix of things I may use on mine...and alot are ebay ..... some from China/Hong kong , but who cares ... the equivalent 'expensive' version would be from there anyway)

These guys have some good stuff .....

This one is in Qld
http://mostynindustries.com.au/

and he is a member on this forum ..... some good reading here but a little quiet

http://www.caferaceraustralia.com.au/forum/search.php?search_id=active_topics

these guys are good to deal with ... Ive bought from them before ..... their headlight and tailight selection is pretty cool.

http://www.thirdgear.com.au/


Heres a CBX on its way ... sadly ,as always seems to happen, theres no follow up to completion....

http://www.perthstreetbikes.com/forum/f61/honda-cbx-250-cafe-project-111209/

I like the direction it was heading .... notice he has cut the fairing tabs off the tank

 

Not sure what the tank is ... looks like it could be a B before the 250 ...... but it sits nicely on the bike




When u strip down the bike take photos of how things go together , label things like the wiring/plugs and put nuts, bolts and wateva in plastic bags or boxes with labels (I save all the plastic trays that meat and others foods are packaged in from the supermarket)...... its surprising how much stuff u will have if you go back to the frame.

When u remove say the rear wheel, then put the axle and the spacers etc back in the wheel in the correct order .

You will find it so much easier when its time to rebuild .... especially if its been a few days since pulling it apart.

 

I agree ..... especially if you have damage from battery acid .... my Fizzer subframe was damaged from acid

Other things to consider ....
Original coatings from the factory are mighty hard to remove ..... I used paint stripper a couple of times on my subframe and it did nothing.
If u paint yourself you really cant just start bolting everything back on a day later ..... paint needs decent time to cure and harden .... different if its just a cover or something but obviously its the frame to which everything 'hangs' off.

That fork leg I sprayed gold in my GSX thread had been outside hanging for about 2 days .... rain was pending so I grabbed it and layed it on an old towel inside .... when I picked it up next day it had the pattern of the material down the side it was laying on ..... not impressed!

You may find the time while waiting for the frame will be well used cleaning up things before they go back on.
Things like cleaning the sprockets/chain , grease /clean the wheels bearings ..... cleaning/degreasing the motor ....cleaning up the wheels even? ....painting the header pipe? ...... all so much easier when they are off the bike.

Having 2 guys will make things quicker and easier ..... but tearing down is easy and quick..... putting it back together is much more time consuming and harder .....