Custom DF250RTB build up

**BellaCorse** · 07-21-2011, 03:17 AM

Here's the bike ready for this weekend's vintage races at Mid-Ohio. Rattle can paint job, handmade SS parcel rack, front fender reproportioned 50/50, Matchless style handlebars. I have a Lycett seat cover, 7" headlight, mini winkers and a few other trinkets to tart-up the 'ol bird once I get back.

I still have to sort-out the mid controls and a new exhaust. And a proper paint job.

/Mike

DSCF0590x800.jpg DSCF0589x800.jpg

**Gardo** · 07-21-2011, 03:56 AM

bella looks really good man

**barnone** · 07-21-2011, 11:56 AM

Mike,
The DF is looking old school good.
You are gonna cause some head scratching at the Vintage Days swap meet when people are trying to figure out your bike.

A Harley guy asked me if mine was an Indian the other day. Hopefully the people at the swap meet will be more knowledgeable.

Can't quite make out what is on the pedestrian slicer.

**BellaCorse** · 07-23-2011, 11:55 PM

Just back from my first outing with the reworked bike. My little retro pitbike drew rave reviews and tons of compliments at the vintage bike races & swap meet at Mid-Ohio. Every time I stopped, it drew a crowd.
midohio.jpg

One of my vendors dubbed it "La Cuca-Roach-a." As I was tooling around the track grounds drawing glares and dumbfounded looks, I was thinking how perfect the low gearing is for crawling parade speeds. That's gotta go!

Also, my clutch was giving me fits. My fault, as I removed the clutch cable when I was working with re-routing cables and wires for the new lower bars and obviously buggered-up the adjustment. Not having a 10mm wrench in my pocket, I just puttered along in 1st at almost walking pace.

So now it all comes apart again for paint, bodywork and frontend rework. And new sprockets.

/Mike

PS: And the 90°F+ temps had me baked within minutes of getting to the track. After unloading, I tried starting the bike and it wouldn't fire. I'm sort of concerned that I was going to run the battery flat. And you can not bump-start a bike on large gravel. Thinking I had about 30 seconds of battery life left, I realized the ignition kill switch was engaged. DOI!

**BellaCorse** · 07-29-2011, 03:30 PM

The Lycett seat cover did not work. The DF seat has no structure in it's center section, just a perimeter frame. The vinyl seat cover has nothing to support it and I did not want to cut-up the stock rubber seat cover. Oh well, looks like an entire seat swap is the way to go.

/Mike

**MJH** · 07-31-2011, 05:06 AM

I am still struggling with the ergonomics of the seat and moving the controls back, I can only find a few hard tail images that raises the seat up to a more horizontal line on the bike.

Some tubular steal and some integrated springs, maybe?

**barnone** · 07-31-2011, 12:48 PM

Mike,
I am not a fan of forward controls so I am still thinking about the mid controls and what to do with the exhaust pipe and muffler. I tried tucking the pipe under the bike but the stock one won't fit. Another advantage of moving the pipe is then a kick starter could be installed if desired.

Some bobber photos at http://motorcyclephotooftheday.com/category/bobber/

**BellaCorse** · 07-31-2011, 02:14 PM

Bing-go: http://motorcyclephotooftheday.files...lessg80rr2.jpg

Bang-go: http://motorcyclephotooftheday.files...lley_100_2.jpg

The Honda really speaks to me. I love the Brat Bike vibe.

Too damn hot to be working on bikes, so I haven't torn into my RTB yet. The entire exhaust pipe must go being that it has a catalytic converter inside of it, so DF claims! There's tons of ground clearance, so I'm thinking I'll run a new pipe a little lower than stock, maybe sweeping down across the engine and looping undewr relocated foot controls. There's a spot on the frame a few inches back from stock where I'll weld-in a set of new mounts positioned above the lower frame rail. I might need to splay them out a smidge so my heels are not resting on the engine covers.

/Mike