Building from the Ground Up

RoyNC

RoyNC

Street Tracker
I want to build a cafe Racer from the ground up. Instead of trying to transform my Bonneville into a racer. I like my Bonnie and the way it looks and it is my commuter bike.

When I am done, I am hoping to have a sweet Thruxton.

My question for everyone is...... where can I get a good price on a Thruxton Frame, Engine and Transmission?

I have looked at a couple of salvaged bikes and some older bikes on auction sites and message boards. I don't want to spend $2k to $4k on a bike that I am going to strip down and not use a good portion of the parts. I know I can try to resell the parts, but I don't want to get into the business of parts redistribution. I just want to have fun and build.

Any input is greatly appreciated.
 
em_dot

em_dot

Street Tracker
If you are still interested, there's a red Thruxton with a Salvage title in Durham, NC.

Listed on Craigslist/Raleigh.
 
sweatmachine

sweatmachine

moped
If it were me, I'd bite the bullet and get a decent used bike. Use the parts you need, sell the rest, and not have to deal with title BS.
 
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dbacher06

Scooter
If you truly want to build a cafe racer from the ground up I would recommend finding a Norton Featherbed frame and starting there as that is the most sought after cafe racer frame and it happens to be badass. You can then use a Triumph running gear or anything else you like.
 
AceT100

AceT100

Rocker
dbacher06 said:
If you truly want to build a cafe racer from the ground up I would recommend finding a Norton Featherbed frame and starting there as that is the most sought after cafe racer frame and it happens to be badass.
Click to expand...

Cos you can get those everywhere right..... :eeek:
 
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dbacher06

Scooter
You're right, they are not just laying around everywhere, but you can definitely find one if you look. I had my hands on one a few months ago. I bet someone on this forum knows someone that has one that is willing to get rid of it. It wont be cheap either, probably $1000 to $2000 just for the frame. I'm just saying if you want to do it right, that is that way to go. In the long run it will pay off.
 
Hamr Mark

Hamr Mark

TT Racer
Now, I am all for keeping my collection of bikes British. But, if you want to start a project, and you would like to start with something a bit more simple, why not try an old Yamaha XS400/650 or the like? Parts are readily available just about anywhere, the bikes themselves are a dime a dozen, and it would be easy on the pocketbook. Not knowing your budget, or mechanical abilities, tearing down a XS would be a good place to learn about the cafe build, and could probably be flipped (sold) if done properly to help fund the Brit bike build. I was this close to doing this this winter, but ended up with another Triumph to work on. Maybe next summer I will hack away at one...

Just an idea.

Either way, check out:

www.dotheton.com
www.caferacer.ca

Hope this helps.
 
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