The two big projects left undecided - thoughts?

[jester3681]

I have quite a few projects left on the cafe, but I have two big ones that are left undecided and I want your thoughts.

First is the intake manifold - it is a popular conversion to go from two carbs on the Virago to one carb using a custom intake manifold. Some guys on the Virago forums are making their own - pretty simple construction, but they are also available as a cast aluminum piece from KJS... for $600. That's about what I paid for the bike - yikes! Build my own, or shell out the $$$?

The other big unknown is my front wheel - do I use the Virago front wheel (18") or the Virago rear wheel (16")? If I use the front wheel, it would look a bit skinny (widest tire I could run would be a 100) in my fat front end. A lot of guys are using the rear wheel up front to give a fatter stance (I'd run a 120 in the front and a 130 in the rear). Either way, I'd have to have some spacers made up - and if I used the rear, I'd have to turn some of the wheel down. I'm not terribly concerned with the plusses and minusses from a steering and handling standpoint - I know it won't be unsafe, and I'm not looking to race this bike, despite the "cafe racer" name. Thoughts?

Also just throwing it out there, kind of wishy washy about the rear brake - have a setup from a 1982 XJ1100 - bolt on, but the rotor is huge. Thinking I may want to use something newer?

Thanks for your thoughts!

[max power]

Why one carb? What are the advantages?

Can you run a non virago front?

[Bad324]

1) make your own if you posses those skills

2) go with the rear a 120 will look much better imo

[joshfz.2008]

What about a front end swap, I think all balls has a conversion chart for the bearing. I do like the idea of the single carb swap, if you are able to make it yourself 600 bucks is hard to justify for that to me.

[jester3681]

Why one carb? What are the advantages?

Can you run a non virago front?

The one carb setup gives you better tuning, better feedback and better economy. In some cases, it can give you better power too. Just makes life easier, plus you can point it the other way (instead of front and rear, you can point the carb out the side).

I can run a non-Virago front, sure, but I like the way the wheels look. I'd just as soon keep them. And I'm anal about having them match - Virago rear = Virago front.

[jester3681]

What about a front end swap, I think all balls has a conversion chart for the bearing.

I am swapping a new style, inverted fork front end on, but I'd like to keep the wheel so it matches the rear - the Virago being a shafty limits my choices for rear wheel. Thanks for the conversion chart lead though - I will need that for sure.

[redkow97]

I am not a fan of the stock virago wheels, so I'll just get that out there before I go any further.

But I'm in the camp that thinks the fatter front tire will look better. How are the 16" rubber options? I've not looked, so that's my biggest concern.

Do you have any indication how much this bike will weigh when you're done? I assume it's getting lighter, because it's a cafe racer, so 1 disk should be all you need. I just get concerned when people start adding un-sprung weight by putting on wider rims.

As for the carb, $600 is too much to spend on a $600 bike. Either build your own, or find a single carb from another bike that you can buy cheap and modify to work with this one.

/$.02

good luck!

[jester3681]

Took some pics in the garage today. Here's the carb setup on the Virago - essentially a mirror image on the other side. The custom manifolds basically link the two ports and have one carb on one side or the other, ala Harley. Take a peek:

Also got my XJ100 rear wheel for the disc swap and will likely use another of these for the front - the layout is better for what I need to do.

Edited August 30, 2011 by jester3681