CRF450R powered cafe build

Now I have a place to post this build since it really didn't fit in any other forum category.

Anyway the bike started out as a piece of junk 93 nighthawk 250 trainer bike that didn't run, water had gotten into the motor. The nighthawk 250 looks like this but mine was much uglier, hey I cant complain I got it for free, kind of.


I also had a crf450r motor laying around after the kick starter exploded and JB weld up the hole. Then later deciding to uses some of the crf450r parts on other bikes and projects and parting out the rest of it.


So I thought hey lets try and put that 450 motor in a street bike. So far here is the progress. The down tube was cut and a new mount was welded in and I was able to use a modified 450 front aluminum mounts to mount the front of the engine. The rear mounts needed new tabs welded in to extend the stock mounts. The swing arm was shorten by 3 inches. New mounting brackets were welded up for the fiberglass seat pan. The tank is off some 60's yamaha 2 stroke street bike I found in a parts yard. The exhaust is off a CRF250 twin pipe. The front end is off a CB125T MSF trainer bike to get rid of the drum brakes and to lower the front end by 1.5 inches. The pegs are off a CB125T as well. The bars which need to still be shorten are off a XR650L turned up side down and the cross bar cut off. The kick-starter, rear break lever and shift lever all needed to be modified to work. About a foot was cut off the rear sub-frame and more still needs to be cut off. And new mounts for the two crf450 radiators. Can you find were the second radiator is? Still needs a bunch of work but it's getting there.





Any thoughts on what colors to paint it? As well as going to a 17inch rear wheel over the 16inch?

awesome!! I have been wanting to do this for a long time!!Are you going to use the flywheel from the x?

Yeah I think I'll have to run a crf450x flywheel and stator if I want a head light and tail light.

Hehehe.
That'll bruise some ego's.....

In the off chance you haven't considered it, might I suggest a fluted cover for the radiator under the seat? Crap thrown off the back wheel WILL hole the thing.

Yeah a radiator guard is another thing on the list to do.

Now this is a nice way to do it

This looks awesome True to the cafe spirit

Yer gona need bigger brakes...or a louder horn.

Some weekend progress.


Shifter is a bit stiff, haven't decided if I'm going to change it or not.


Fabricating up the exhaust with a bunch of U bends. Since this was my first time fabricating an exhaust system I thought it was going to be hard. Well it didn't turn out as hard as I thought,never the less I still made some mistakes, o well live and learn.

Great project. In for updates.

Can't wait to see how this turns out. Very cool. Except for the seat, that will be HOT!

I like your style.


but why a 1-2 exhaust?

Yer gonna kill yerself.

To keep with the theme of the bike, Also I had them laying around and they fit the look of the bike.

Some more update pictures. Unfortunately I wont get a chance to work on it for another month, so no more updates for awhile. Hopefully I'll be done with the bike towards the end of Sept.

Also, I ended up weighing the bike and it's 230lbs.





I'm going to get rid of the right side gauge and replace the inners with a temp sensor.

It's ugly but I bet it will outrun a telephone call.

Very cool stuff.

Ugly hell! I think it looks bad ass! I can't wait to see what you do next.

230lbs?!?!?!
HAHA! HAHA! HAHA.......HEE!HEE!

I love how it looks, but I would keep an eye on the engine mounting and frame. That's a torquey motor there, and only supported at two (?) points. Add in that the down tube is not tied back into the rear portion of the frame - well, just keep an eye on it I guess. I can envision some flex, vibration, and/or fatigue issues developing.