Tips / Advice

The tips / advice page, is a new section of HONAHA that is dedicated to helping our readers solve common problems faced by many vintage motorcycle owners. Recently added… tips about fixing rough idles.

In order to make this a success we need to hear your original tips and advice so that we can share them with other vintage motorcycle owners. One of the best ways for new Cafe Racer enthusiasts to learn more about motorcycles is to gain perspective from veteran motorcycle builders. So, please send us your tricks, tips, advice, help, wisdom, and anything else you have to offer fellow rides so we can share it with them. Thanks so much for the help.

Harley Davidson Cafe Racer

I figured it was about time to feature a little American V-twin power on HONAHA. I tend to highlight a lot of Japanese bikes on this site, but lets face it… there are some very nice Harley based cafe racers out there. It is nearly impossible to beat the sound of a Harley v-twin, and with parts becoming more and more available, look for sportsters to become increasingly popular on the cafe racer scene. Keep it tuned for more Harley motorcycles, and parts.

HONAHA CB550 Project Update

Had a little more time to work on the HONAHA cafe racer, and added a nice 4 into 1 exhaust, jetted up the carbs a size, and cleaned it more.  I found the exhaust on craigslist for 20 bucks.  It had a fair amount of surface rust, and a little bit of road rash.  To solve these problems, and still fit it in my budget, I used some fairly abrasive metal polish on a scotch brite pad to brush off all the rust, and grime.  The header looks like really nice now, like a brushed aluminum rather then chrome.  I then added a 5 dollar exhaust tip from Schucks, and am running it straight.  This straight pipe sounds mean, just enough for everyone to hear, but not enough to annoy innocent bystanders.  Here are some new pics, I think it improved the overall look of the bike. Tell me what you think.  For more info and pictures, check out the MY CB550 page.

Honda Goldwing GL 1000 Cafe Racer

Amazingly unique, and surprisingly stylish… Goldwing cafe racers are the real deal. I don’t have much to say about this bike. It pretty much speaks for itself. I never knew you could make one of these old monsters look so good. It’s like a giant CB. Speechless.

Pod Air Filters for Cafe Racers

Just thought I would keep it simple clean for today’s entry.  Pod filters are a great addition to any cafe racer.  They add a little power, and clean up that stock air box.  Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of pods, but be warned, they are more work to install than you may think.  Removal of the stock air box, relocation of breather hoses, possible frame clearance problems, re-jetting of the carbs, difficulty tuning, shorter engine life, and louder intake noise are just some of the downsides that come along with changing to pod filters.  I like them, I just want to encourage readers to think before they impulsively buy pods.  If you have done your research and want to go through with it, I suggest Emgo, uni-filter, or K&N filters.  I have found many sets for around $50.00 on eBay Motors.  Don’t be like HONAHA, think before you tear things apart.  Like my Dad always tells me “the engineers that designed the stock air box are smarter than you.”  Remember that.

Yamaha XV750 Cafe Racer

I know this is a bit of an oddball bike, but look at it.  The styling and craftsmanship on this bike speak for themselves.  When was the last time you heard of a Yamaha XV750, let alone set eyes on one that looks this good.  This bike comes to HONAHA from the Netherlands, and is a wonderful example of how there are other bikes besides cb’s and xs’s that can be amazing cafe racers. Enjoy this v-twin beast.