Anyone build a cafe racer out of there Vol? Or does anyone have any pics of cafe bars on there bikes? Thinking of a new project.
Your Vol version looks good but the tank is huge... Cafe racers usually have small tanks 2 to 3 gal. and the seat would only allow long legged riders. I do like the idea of a vl800 cafe but I don't see it happening without some frame modifacation. The cowl that you drew is awsome and goes with the flow of the rest of the bike, reduce and lower the tank maybe lower the seat a bit. keep up the ideas.KalvinKlein . . . a Vol cafe racer? Funny you should mention it; you're the only person I've come across yet who, that I know of, apart from myself, might have had such a thought. The VL800 appeals to the cruiser market and the bobber/chopper variants and I've yet to see a cafe racer version even though I've been on the lookout for a while just out of interest. It so happens that I butchered some images in photoshop a little while ago before your post to see what such an animal might look like, it's only rough but it might give you some ideas. Also thrown in, a pic of an HD café, not a Vol, but a similar configuration of motorcycle not usually a candidate for café style, for further thought food.
The VL800 might not be considered a suitable candidate for such a variant, perhaps a little on the heavy side and down some on power, but there's no doubt that even the stocker certainly goes spritely enough to get out of it's own way, and even with "bagger lard" hung on, I'm surprised how nimble and responsive the VL800 can feel on the road most of the time once you've got some speed up to get the steering geometry working.
First essential; ditch the stock "fat" fuel tank and get something way slimmer to get room for the lower handlebars to work. A steering damper will help a lot just to smooth things out with shorter handlebar leverage. I've found out from nasty experiences that the VL800 has a lot more inherent stability than you might think initially, and will not put you down on your butt without good reason, but in fast sweepers can feel a bit wiggly in the front end. Pirelli or Bridgestone Battlax front tyres are available in 16" for the Vol rim size for a sportier profile.
And the forward footrests have to go, some rearsets would have to be devised, you certainly need more cornering clearance.
I, for one, offer you full encouragement to embark on such a project, the outcome could be interesting, and I feel that a well-executed Vol/50 café racer could attract some attention both on and outside of VR.