Alan F.
Vetter Aficionado
A while back I bought a titled basket case CB250 Nighthawk US model with spoked wheels and started a custom build.
A few months later I picked up two more rolling parts bikes and the creative juices began to flow. I'm thinking big fuel tank, very comfortable seat, storage room, and of course a Windjammer and maybe a set of lowers.
The bike starts out stock dry at just under 300 lbs. I fully expect to finish this one under 400 lbs. Wheelbase of the bike stock is 56.2" small but not too small for a solo bike.
Any modifications will require fabrication, I'm no stranger to that, personally I prefer bolt-ons so a bike can be returned to stock.
Years ago a friend was a fiend for Kawasaki's ZG1000 Concours, I think he had four or five of them at one point. I was always in awe of that 7.5 gallon fuel tank and imagined the range it could afford on a little bike. Well after casually browsing eBay for a few years I finally found a rust free example with just a few small dents for a price I couldn't pass up.
With a little more research I found that a GPZ900 (Top Gun bike) seat will mate up to the tank flawlessly, the GPZ 5.8 gallon tank and the ZG 7.5 gallon tanks are apparently interchangeable. The stock Nighthawk tank holds 4.5 gallons, the additional fuel should add less than 20 pounds.
Later that week I found an amazing deal on a well loved Corbin seat for the GPZ900, it arrived the other day but I have yet to mock them up on a Nighthawk frame.
I have a complete front end from a 78 CB400T, simple 33mm damper rod forks with a 180mm TLS front drum brake and 19 x 1.85 front wheel. I'll swap steering stems with a NH triple and bolt this front end up with tapered roller bearings of stock sizes. And I'll find some nice 13" shocks for the rear.
The rear drum hub will be spoked to the Nighthawk's former (front drum hub) 18 x 1.85 rim. I'll spoon on some tubed and narrow touring tires to roll around on.
My plan is to eventually fit this combination with a nice Windjammer 3 which I currently have. I may need to modify the fairing to fit this tank as its 18" at its widest point, my plan there would be similar to the way knee dents can be put into a fuel tank, by cutting out two identical areas then swapping them side to side and welding them back in place. From everything I've read the Hotcha kit will handle this perfectly. I expect to reduce internal fairing storage, but I still expect the pocket openings to remain untouched.
These are my plans, what do you think?
Horsepower is listed at 17 or 19 depending on the source, wheelbase is 56.2".
Mr. Vetter did state that he thought his early fairings would be great on the smaller Japanese bikes, but everyone bought them for bigger and more powerful bikes, and that was that.
What if he was spot on? (Again)
A few months later I picked up two more rolling parts bikes and the creative juices began to flow. I'm thinking big fuel tank, very comfortable seat, storage room, and of course a Windjammer and maybe a set of lowers.
The bike starts out stock dry at just under 300 lbs. I fully expect to finish this one under 400 lbs. Wheelbase of the bike stock is 56.2" small but not too small for a solo bike.
Any modifications will require fabrication, I'm no stranger to that, personally I prefer bolt-ons so a bike can be returned to stock.
Years ago a friend was a fiend for Kawasaki's ZG1000 Concours, I think he had four or five of them at one point. I was always in awe of that 7.5 gallon fuel tank and imagined the range it could afford on a little bike. Well after casually browsing eBay for a few years I finally found a rust free example with just a few small dents for a price I couldn't pass up.
With a little more research I found that a GPZ900 (Top Gun bike) seat will mate up to the tank flawlessly, the GPZ 5.8 gallon tank and the ZG 7.5 gallon tanks are apparently interchangeable. The stock Nighthawk tank holds 4.5 gallons, the additional fuel should add less than 20 pounds.
Later that week I found an amazing deal on a well loved Corbin seat for the GPZ900, it arrived the other day but I have yet to mock them up on a Nighthawk frame.
I have a complete front end from a 78 CB400T, simple 33mm damper rod forks with a 180mm TLS front drum brake and 19 x 1.85 front wheel. I'll swap steering stems with a NH triple and bolt this front end up with tapered roller bearings of stock sizes. And I'll find some nice 13" shocks for the rear.
The rear drum hub will be spoked to the Nighthawk's former (front drum hub) 18 x 1.85 rim. I'll spoon on some tubed and narrow touring tires to roll around on.
My plan is to eventually fit this combination with a nice Windjammer 3 which I currently have. I may need to modify the fairing to fit this tank as its 18" at its widest point, my plan there would be similar to the way knee dents can be put into a fuel tank, by cutting out two identical areas then swapping them side to side and welding them back in place. From everything I've read the Hotcha kit will handle this perfectly. I expect to reduce internal fairing storage, but I still expect the pocket openings to remain untouched.
These are my plans, what do you think?
Horsepower is listed at 17 or 19 depending on the source, wheelbase is 56.2".
Mr. Vetter did state that he thought his early fairings would be great on the smaller Japanese bikes, but everyone bought them for bigger and more powerful bikes, and that was that.
What if he was spot on? (Again)
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