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Just watch, learn and ask. Before you know it, you are building your own beauty’s.
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In this post we show you some tips on How to Save Weight on a Cafe Racer!
Note: Reducing weight is a good way to Ton Up! However, be smart and keep it save. Use the advice of experts when you think you need it!
Let’s start with the….
Frame
The frame is next to the engine the most heavy part of your potential Cafe Racer and this is why there is also a lot of room to save weight.
NOTE: Take care that you do not weaken thestructural integrity doing so. Little mounts can be removed, but when you grind your way into the (sub)frame, keep in mind that some points are there for a structural reason. If you can weld and build and bend entire frames by yourself, you can take it to the next level. If not, please use the advice of others. There is no shame in being save!
There are also DIY tubes, to help you out. Tubes like these.
Fenders
I guess fenders aren’t the most heavy parts on your Cafe Racer, but hé, you can save weight here as well.
There are some options:
1. Removing them. Sometimes they just don’t fit your design 🙂
2. Replace them by a polyester or carbon fiber fender. Carbon is especially light and this will reduce the weight quite a lot (for a fender that is)
3. Make them shorter by cutting of a part of the fender. (See below)
Fuel Tank
Like for fenders, there is also a option to go for a polyester or carbon fiber fuel tank. A nice aftermarket Cafe Racer tank could really do some magic for the looks and weight of your Cafe Racer. An aluminium fuel tank as well. Al these options do weight a lot less compared to a stock fuel tank.
NOTE: There is a create variety in quality when it comes to polyester fuel tanks. There are crappy tanks that will leak within certain amount of time. So do you research!
Seat
An OEM seat is also quite heavy and there way too much foam and metal on it. You can replace all by an aftermarket polyester or aluminium Cafe Racer seat within a few hours.
Next to that, the hollow seat could also store your battery! Win – Win.
Battery
Since we are talking about batteries. Wow, those things weigh a ton. You can search for a smaller one or a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. They are a bit pricy, but they only weigh about 8lbs!
Wheels
Weight can be saved here, but not always. If you switch from some good ol’ cast iron rims, to spoke rims, you will shave off a bit, but that’s it.
Perhaps you can make the switch form steel to alumium rims (when you have spokes), but that’s up to you.
There is always a choice to go for carbon fiber rims, but these will double your Cafe Racer budget.
Engine
The engine is the most heavy “part”of the bike. You can fiddle a bit with some covers, but I guess there isn’t so much to win here. Just clean it, make it look sharp and enjoy it’s power! Your power to weight ratio is already improving as we speak……
Exhaust
We all want to save lives and loud pipes will help us doing so. OEM pipes are heavy, bloody heavy. Some open slashcut, dunstall or other home improvement pipes will shave off many many many pounds. In return you get a beautiful sound and a faster Cafe Racer. You could also choose for a titanium exhaust system, but this is a quite expensive option…
Another option is to shorten the exhaust system, like they did with this BMW Cafe Racer.
Other stuff
There are sooooo many parts on a Cafe Racer that can use some enlightenment 😉
Drilling holes works great, but also a titanium set of nuts and bolds (but, they expensive)
Some other examples
More can be seen in this project or in the entire project corner!
We hope this gave you some ideas and if it didn’t, you should think about increasing horse power!
Have some great tips yourself? Share it in the comments.
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