How to build an XV750 Cafe Racer
I am going to log the progress of my XV750 café build so every one knows how to do it.
This is how my bike looked when I got it. Pretty nice a shame to chop it up.
The first job is to stock the fridge.
Next set you bike up. I use a bike lift to make things a bit easier on my back.
Now before the questions come rolling in, I have already built myself some wire wheels. I will get to that one later.
Also I have played around with the muffler
Ok time to start ripping it down. Tank, seat, side covers and battery are first for me.
Start to un plug the wiring at the back of the bike. Make sure you label everything even if you think you can remember the most basic things like + & – to the battery label it anyway, in a few months time when it comes to putting it back together you will be glad you did. and it will save you a trip to the auto elec. Take lots of photos as well.
Foot pegs, brake and clutch peddles are next to go.
Next I removed the handle bars and the whole back sub-frame.
Next to go was the gauges and headlight, there are a lot of wires in the headlight so label, label, label.
If you haven’t had a beer yet then its time to crack one, you deserve it.
After all this you should end up with a big pile of stuff to sell.
Next I removed the exhaust, rear wheel and swing arm
And the shock
Time to get the frame and front end off all in one
Remove the forks and she’s all in bits.
Now its time to clean, polish and paint. This is the most boring job but also the most important to get good.
Cut corners here and the finished bike will look good but not perfect.
I have taken the forks apart for a paint and some new seals.
Got the fork legs back together last night. New seals and a good clean up
I am working on making a manifold to fit up some Mikuni VM34 carbs to get the thing running a whole lot better.
The prototype is looking good.
I soda blasted the engine and now its ready to paint.
The motor is all painted and ready to go
All the frame parts have now been sandblasted and painted.
Time to start the re assembly
Frame and swing arm are now on
Now the forks, front wheel and subframe.
Headlight and bars are now on
Rear wheel was next (Now we are rolling)
A bit of beer bling
Well I’ve done a bit of work on the right side of the bike.
Hooked up the exhaust, polished up the engine cover, replaced all the bolts with stainless steel and got the rear brake set up.
Got the bendex spring fixed, a new clutch cable fitted and the gear shift sorted. Now the shift is upside down race style. That will take a bit of getting used to. Still have some polishing to do.
I have fitted up a carbon front guard of a busted R1
I have repainted the brake components.
Now its time to fit these up and start work on the front of the bike
I have now rebuilt the brake calliper and fitted the brake lines which I need to get a shorter one as it is way to long, you get that when changing from cruiser bars to clip-ons.
I have also fitted up the throttle cables I used the right hand switch block and cables from an XS650 purchased from Mikes XS http://www.mikesxs.net/ a great place to get late 70’s early 80’s Yamaha parts.
A few more bits n pieces to do then its time to get stuck into the wiring nightmare.
So the bars are now fully loaded just need to bleed the brake
Now its time for the wiring nightmare
Got the wire roughed in so I fired it up with a makeshift tank.
Di you know you can use a coke bottle to fill your oil, funny they have the same thread just screw it in.
Well after a serious headache I finally have the wires sorted and all I need now is a tank and I’m done.
Ok so I went nuts and made myself a carbon fiber tank pleas don’t ask for one as this is a one off. If your after one you will have to make a decent offer on the whole bike.
Well its all done and I am very happy with the result. Cheers Twig
Nick made a short YouTube of the finished bike check it out.
TRX850 Cafe Racer 
February 7, 2015 at 10:14 pm
Interesting build, looking good so far, currently building an “82” 750 Virago in a Cafe racer/ flat tracker style, regards Doc Cox
February 8, 2015 at 8:42 pm
That sounds good Doc would love to pic’s of the outcome Cheers
February 25, 2015 at 7:25 pm
No problem will put some phot,s up,
April 23, 2015 at 11:33 am
Hey, nice work but hope to see more picture 🙂
May 31, 2015 at 5:02 pm
hey still wondering about if you guys could get me some pics of your sub frame and seat with stock tank
thanks justin
May 31, 2015 at 8:47 pm
I don’t have any stock tanks but I should be able to get on this week. Regards
May 31, 2015 at 7:20 pm
Looks really good!
Have anymore pictures, I’d love to see the steps to the finished project!!
May 31, 2015 at 8:51 pm
I am still working on the build but have made some good progress last week check page for more pics or go to https://www.facebook.com/twigtt to get the latest
September 27, 2015 at 12:17 pm
Great work I really like what you’ve done with the rear sets, most builds base there’s around the original mounts. Is this something you’ve manufactured your self, really want to change mine out when I get the build under way
October 1, 2015 at 1:26 am
We are in the process of getting these done I have some prototypes that have worked well. (Watch this space)
October 9, 2015 at 5:25 am
Very nice pictorial! Yes would like more information on the rear sets you used and mounting brackets! I thought for a moment they looked too high – however second look and I really like where they are mounted.
October 11, 2015 at 7:51 pm
I am just about to release the rear set mounting plates keep an eye out here and on facebook https://www.facebook.com/twigtt
October 12, 2015 at 6:15 am
Love this, thanks so much for sharing !!! any chance you have the updated pictures ?
Just wondering regarding the additional parts / Tyres etc what was the approx additional spend?
I’m thinking of selling my caferacer to do the same project, really appreciate it.
October 12, 2015 at 11:52 pm
I haven’t added it all up but with everything my guess the total cost of the finished bike to be around 5-6000. But you don’t add these projects do you
December 9, 2015 at 2:05 pm
so that’s the stock sub frame? also where’d you purchase the seat?
December 14, 2015 at 4:01 am
This its the subframe we make and the seat is from http://www.motolanna.com/ourshop/prod_1910098-Seat-Cafe-Racer-v30.html
December 9, 2015 at 2:16 pm
Hello, Have started on similar project. What, where did you get, what looks like the new red monoshock
Thanks
December 14, 2015 at 4:00 am
I just spent the time masking up the original and re painting it
January 8, 2016 at 11:52 pm
Any updates on those rearset mount brackets yet? I will be starting a rebuild of an ’82 920, and don’t like the heavy stock brackets. Thanks!
April 12, 2016 at 10:36 pm
Can you tell me what air cleaner element you used.
April 12, 2016 at 11:05 pm
K&N YA-1550
April 13, 2016 at 12:46 am
Thanks heaps
June 8, 2016 at 3:55 am
what is the seat heigh of the bike after build ?
June 8, 2016 at 6:26 am
This all depends on if your using the stock front end or the R6 and how much your pushing through the fork legs.
I will measure up and get back to you.
June 9, 2016 at 5:18 am
Thank for your reply. I want to purchase the basic kit from your to build my 82 Virago 920. Im a short guy( 5’4″ with 28.5 inseam), so seat height will be the biggest problem for me. Also, will the R6 front will lower the seat height? How hard to put the R6 front end to the Virago?
June 14, 2016 at 4:15 am
Hi Quoc,
I measured up the stock seat height and with the R6 forks.
The seat height is 780mm this does not change with the front end swap. With the R6 front end the bike at the front is lower than the the standard forks, this makes the whole bike feel lower but the seat height remains the same. it is quite simple to do the front end swap a small amount of machining is required to the R6 steer tube and then its a bearing swap. Cheers Twig
June 26, 2016 at 3:52 pm
Do these type of bike have a general name ?
Btw congrats , it looks beautiful!
June 26, 2016 at 10:20 pm
They start out as a Yamaha XV750 Virago and end up as a XV Cafe racer
July 19, 2016 at 1:36 am
Looks great ! I am also building one of these. What jetting did you use in your carbs ? How many turns out on the air screw ? I’m having problems in the mid to upper throttle……
July 21, 2016 at 12:28 am
I just got a set of carbs and sent the bike to someone who knows how to tune. This is something I need to learn.
July 31, 2016 at 7:48 pm
Dig the tank. Well done . Wheels give it that proper look.
82′ xv750 cafe racer
July 31, 2016 at 8:42 pm
Cheers mate
September 26, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Hi, great bike i am in the process of getting the information I need before I start. One of the biggies is stay with Std alloys easy or a world of pain to get spoked wheels? So just wondering were did you get your from/of?
September 26, 2016 at 9:41 pm
You can find the wheel info here
https://trx850caferacer.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/wire-wheel-conversion-for-yamaha-xv750.docx
November 18, 2016 at 1:55 am
Beautiful work.
Is that a Cooper’s Pale? Where are you based?
November 24, 2016 at 8:01 pm
Sure is we are in Melbourne Aus
December 13, 2016 at 12:26 pm
Hi Twig, love your work, Im just starting my XV, a question about the forks, I’ve lowered the forks through the triple clamps by 50mm, and need to firm them up,. how long a packer did you add to stiffen the springs, and what oil weight and quantity did you use?
December 13, 2016 at 10:18 pm
Hi Neil, I used 3mm on the top. Keep in mind I weigh around 70kg. This would also depend on the condition of your springs. I used the standard recommended oil. If you relly want to get this right I sugest you see a suspension expert.
Regards
Ian
May 28, 2017 at 11:22 pm
Where did u get the wheels ? I want spoke ones for my virago and not the old boring one . Info will be great and thanks
May 28, 2017 at 11:30 pm
I made these up myself here is the link to what I did
https://trx850caferacer.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/wire-wheel-conversion-for-yamaha-xv750.docx
June 2, 2017 at 4:42 am
Nice work on the Virago. Where did you find the sub frame or did you make it? I have been looking for one without any luck. I am currently building a 500 and picking up a 900 tomorrow. Really like the tank.
Gary
June 2, 2017 at 5:20 am
Hi Gary, We make the subframe and many other parts these can all be purchased from our online store https://twig-tt.myshopify.com
June 2, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Thank you for getting back to me . I just want to make sure the subframe will fit a 1983 virago 500. Please let me know. Thank you
July 1, 2017 at 3:54 pm
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge! The pictures are GREAT! I’d like to know the size of your rims/tires. It looks like you used the stock forks…..right? Best of luck, GREAT looking bike!
July 2, 2017 at 10:00 pm
Correct I am using the stock forks. You can find all the details for building the wheels on this page
https://trx850caferacer.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/wire-wheel-conversion-for-yamaha-xv750.docx
July 3, 2017 at 1:41 am
Thank you VERY much for your response and input. The whole wheel exchange sounds rather daunting! I’m not sure I’m up to that task, but the information you provided is invaluable! Thanks so much. PS: is it possible to access more of the details of your build on line like the page you sent about the wheels? Thanks in advance…….
July 3, 2017 at 2:10 am
Everything that i have documented is on the site. If your after something not on the site then I did not document it and all is lost. Cheers Twig
July 3, 2017 at 2:17 am
Thanks Twig………all the best!
July 3, 2017 at 5:58 am
Hi! Nice work. I have a question about the wheels.
Do you also use XS650 front wheel axle?
And does the XVS650 rear hub from 2007 year VStar model will fit?
July 3, 2017 at 6:09 am
I use the standard XV front axle and swap the bearings to match.
I believe that all the XVS hubs are the same. Keep in mind that there is a little machining to do on the hub.
Cheers Twig
July 3, 2017 at 7:05 am
You mean to machine down 6mm of rear axle width and replace the drive gear from XV1100? Or there is something else?
July 3, 2017 at 10:02 pm
Correct there is a little machining to fit the drive gear as well. Just need to remove some material from the corner of the hub. This will be obvious when you see the parts.
July 6, 2017 at 11:04 pm
The next question(S)…….please be patient, there may be more…:) The wiring……did you just modify the existing or replace the entire harness? The electrical bits……relays and such, mostly hidden under the tank? OH, and the battery? Where the heck did you hide that? Thanks in advance!
July 9, 2017 at 10:06 pm
I modified the stock harness hiding all the relays and crap under the tank. This is the not fun part of the build. the battery is hanging under the seat in a battery box we can supply you can purchase all our parts at our online store https://twig-tt.myshopify.com/
July 9, 2017 at 11:26 pm
Thanks again for the inside scoop on your build…….and for the info on your online store. The serious building on my bike will not take place till the cool weather sets in…..and then, I’m pretty sure I will be buying your offerings. Best regards……..P
July 19, 2017 at 8:31 am
Hello Twig!
Where did you get the rear spokes on 17″ rim?
Regards,
Peter.
July 20, 2017 at 10:04 pm
Hi Peter,
I had them custom made from http://fastlinespokes.com.au/
July 21, 2017 at 9:28 pm
Hi there,that is a great looking bike and it has inspired my to take on a similar build of my own. I have a 1981 xv 750 and have been working on the rear wheel. I have followed your example by using an xvs v star 650 hub,1100 clutch and have had 6 mm taken off of the axle pin, plus changed the bearings to 17 mm from 15 mm. I just need to machine a spacer for the hub that goes between the bearings as the xv 750 one is too short. everything is looking good but my main question is. I have an off set of around 10 mm on the centre of the wheel. Did you have this issue and if so is there a way around it.
Cheers Pete.
July 24, 2017 at 3:10 am
Yes you can adjust the spokes to offset the rim to be more central. You may not get it perfect but pretty close.
July 24, 2017 at 5:17 am
Thanks for that, I checked it weekend and I only need 7mm.
August 25, 2017 at 4:27 pm
Hey, what a beautiful built. I wonder, is it something hard to do the built or is it possible to do with very basic knowledge ? I’d like to get into a project.
Thanks in advance.
August 27, 2017 at 9:35 pm
There is quite a bit of work involved but nothing to difficult
September 12, 2017 at 7:28 am
Hello!
when you painted your engine, before soda blasting did you disassembled in it in parts? Or just covered it with tape the parts you don’t want to blast?
And what kind of paint did you use?
Regards,
Peter
September 12, 2017 at 9:34 pm
Hi Peter, I just taped it up for blasting. Then used VHT engine enamel
September 22, 2017 at 8:27 am
Hi I was up your way picking up my new project a xv750 when I saw your bike for sale. I cant believe the price seems a little cheap for the amount of work and the Excellent out come . Beautiful looking bike.
September 24, 2017 at 10:09 pm
I think this is a fair price. I think lot of people really over price bikes like this.
November 21, 2017 at 10:02 am
Bike looks amazing. I’m doing an 83 midnight special. All is well except the battery and wiring. Did you use any of the original wiring? I’m struggling to hide everything in the headlight and underneath the seat. Any tips?
February 2, 2018 at 3:20 am
I did use the original wiring and it was a nightmare. I chopped quite a bit out and hid it under the tank.
January 20, 2018 at 8:29 am
The bike looks great. Can I ask where you got the new sub frame from or was it made to suit?
Awesome build mate
January 21, 2018 at 8:50 pm
We make these subframes and plenty of other parts. you can purchase them form our online store.
https://twig-tt.myshopify.com/
January 26, 2018 at 9:04 am
Hi,
really good job it’s perfectly looking good
I have a question witch kind of tank is it??
is it from another existing motorcycle??
thanks
January 28, 2018 at 8:23 pm
This is a tank we make to suit the bike. it can be purchased from our online store https://twig-tt.myshopify.com/
April 19, 2018 at 1:26 pm
This is cool build. Where’d you get the replacement parts? (i.e. tank, seatframe, seat, etc)
April 19, 2018 at 9:17 pm
We make all these parts and they can be purchased from our online store https://twig-tt.myshopify.com/
April 24, 2018 at 12:14 am
What size Front and rear wheels did you use and from what bike ( hubs ) and what type of rear wheel travel did you end up with ? and what type of rear shock ?
Regards
Paul
paulchidgey@yahoo.com.au
April 24, 2018 at 1:14 am
Hi Paul. I used the original shock so no change in travel. How I built the wheels can be found at https://trx850caferacer.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/wire-wheel-conversion-for-yamaha-xv750.docx
June 29, 2018 at 12:12 pm
How did the carburetors works for you and how’s the bike?
July 1, 2018 at 9:33 pm
I Have now sold this bike. the carbs took a fair bit of messing around to gt them to work well.
August 31, 2018 at 11:07 am
Hi! where have you bought front lamp holders?
September 2, 2018 at 9:54 pm
https://www.mikesxs.net/electrical/headlamps-headlamp-brackets-headlamp-parts.html
October 13, 2018 at 2:41 am
That bike is exactly how I would want one. I’d like to buy some of your custom bits. … Pete
October 25, 2018 at 6:16 pm
Great looking bike! Can you use the air filter adapter plate to attach air pods? Also, how did you fix the bendix spring for the starter? Thanks.
October 28, 2018 at 8:59 pm
The air filter plate will not accept pod filters.
I suggest that you consult your local mechanic re the bendix spring.
November 18, 2018 at 12:51 pm
Hi! Where did you hide the rear brake stop light switch?
November 18, 2018 at 9:01 pm
It,s in behind the brake lever (basically its original position).
April 22, 2020 at 1:19 am
Do you have some pictures of your custom intake that you made for the VM34 mikuni carburetor, do you have some mesure? Did you buy it brand new or use? From where? It was on which bike?
Thank you
Jeremy
April 22, 2020 at 6:23 am
We make these you can see here. https://twig-tt.myshopify.com/products/manifolds
August 20, 2020 at 3:13 am
G’day mate I have purchased your rear set adaptors .need to know what rear sets for is gear and brake lever cheers Dave schultz065@gmail.com.au
March 17, 2021 at 10:00 pm
I love the build!! I’m working on a 83 virago bobber project, but have been having issues sorting out the wire harness to find out where everything goes after the cycom and safety relay delete.. in picture 14 there is a wire at the bottom of the engine that has a white tag on it, if you don’t mind me asking, where do this connect at?