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TARmx's 1981 XS400 Cafe Racer


TARmx
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Hey,

If anyone is interested you can view my cafe racer blog http://www.tarmx.com/cafe-racer/ Should have some new pictures and information up later this week. Let me know what you think! As always, if you have any questions, please send them to [email protected].

-TARmx crew

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Love the the cafe racers. :)

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I do as well, It's interesting that I had been around dirt bikes my entire life and never heard of them. Fortunately for me, I read Hunter S. Thompson's "Sound of the Sausage Creature"....now I'm hooked.

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The final measure of any rider’s skill is the inverse ratio of his preferred Traveling Speed to the number of bad scars on his body. -Hunter S. Thompson

Sacha, what do you think of my build so far?

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TBH I was a little bit confused by the blog at first... but don't take that the wrong way... I'm easily confused. :P From what I gather the very top picture is the project bike at the start. Then the next picture

mms95picture-300x225.jpg

is the "mock-up" of what you're going for as far as structure and shape. If that's right... I love it! I like this tank better than the original one for sure. And that original seat was fugly (IMHO of course)... it's probably comfortable I'll give it that. :)

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I appreciate the help, this is my first blog (I hate that word). We are a dirt bike shop, so having a streetbike around is a bit different. But to answer your question 'Yes' the picture with the red tank is our 'mock up'. My original plan was to do the seatpan and tail section from aluminum, but decided on the carbon fiber instead. I'm stoked to update the site with the new pictures, and I can't believe during the process of building them, I never took any pictures.....must have been the epoxy fumes.

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...I can't believe during the process of building them, I never took any pictures.....must have been the epoxy fumes.

:biglaugha:

I'll stay tuned to the project to see how it turns out.

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Posted some new pictures and info to the blog...check it out.

Thanks,

Matt

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I like it.... Ive been pondering for a while as to what I want to build next,that my son can realy help alot with.This look like the way to go.

When laying out your carbon fiber what are you using for a release agent, to remove it from the mock up?

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All of my molds are made of aluminum, I use multiple coats of Meguiars mold release wax. I try not to use PVA if I can help it. Once the mold is "broke in", the carbon will pop out pretty easy. My next build will be a RD400 (grew up racing 2-strokes), or taking a KTM 505, and doing something similar to what Roland Sands did to the KTM530, except I want to build the tank out of fiber. Good luck to your and your son on your build!

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What does the Pontiac GTO orange look like? I like the orange on s-price13's bike But anytime I see orange I always want to add some brown and white with it, but that wouldn't go well with the carbon fiber on yours. So, once again, not much help at all. :lol:

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1969_Pontiac_GTO_Judge_large.jpg

This is what I had in mind, I am going to have #28 in white on the numberplates...

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Nice color that. :)

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Thank ya. Hopefully it will be done soon. My goal is by the end of Aug. to be completely done and plated.

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Until then, I'll have to ride the KTM.... which is orange as well ha

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Thanks for the tip now just to find it in Canada.Meguires makes the best wax and i love polishing my bike with it smells like bubble gum.

What is PVA? Might have to go that route.

Hey I think in the early 70's yams came in a similar orange kinda burnt on the rd350's with black and white stripes on the tank around the yamaha plate

HAHAHA this is a edit just looked at sachas link that waht i was talking about

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Also I was thinking of doing a clay or plaster mold to keep cost down then laying out the fiber on top any suggestions? As I was thinking of doing a complete body tank to tail, hidding the gas tank under the body 100% custom shape.

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DTS, PVA is polyvinyl alcohol. It acts like a thin coat of rubber between the part and the fiber. The main problem if that the part will always will never turn out perfect with it. I originally had plans to build a carbon fiber gas tank, just haven't had enough time to spend on it. I make all my molds out of aluminum. I haven't had much experience with clay. Roland Sands did something very similar with a KTM 530, where he kept the stock tank, and made a cover to fit over it. TARmx would be happy to make a tank cover and tail section for you, as well as other carbon pieces. The main thing to keep in mind with carbon, is that "playing" around with it can get quite costly. With my brother being a factory mechanic, I am fortunate to have access to many one off pieces that most do not get to see. Tarmx will be debuting a few carbon parts for select riders at the Redbull Loretta Lynn's Amateur National motocross in a few days. Let us know any way we can help you. I appreciate you keeping up with our build.

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