Seats

With the longer frame the old Ducati cafe seat looks kind of silly.

 

I'm thinking something a little more boardtrack racer inspired, maybe a Puch saddle seat?

If I go with the saddle seat I'm thinking some boardtrack bars (read cruiser bike bars) instead of the clubmans

This picture from the amazing garage fabricator at Boardtrack Replica.

The Days of the Puchavus

Over Christmas in Richmond the Puchavus ran like a dream. Solid speed, power and scream. A little sparking at the points, but with those rpm's points just aren't going to last too long.

There is nothing like blasting in a city.

Out in Motion Left country 55mph just isn't that fast, but in the city you can rip by people and are easily the fastest thing around. Riding is especially good in Richmond, where mopeds are a common site, and scooters and self-conscious track bikers are everywhere. Cars know how to respond to two wheels. In Indiana all they think of with two wheels are HD's and Hyabusas.

Here is the Puchavus posed by the James River.

Another reason Richmond is infinitely preferable to Northern Indiana is its temperate climate. On this January afternoon I could ride without gloves. Compare this wiping out on a sheet of ice and then being hit by a sliding car (true story). I choose Richmond, plus it's my favorite city in the world, which says a lot seeing as I am writing this in Rome.

I'm thinking of Bilbo Baggins's teapot on the fire right now, and I'm sure it's not going to be for the last time...

Rain and petcocks...

So Puchavus has been running fine since Whiskey Business. She doens't really like the rain at all, but some different kind of carb filter might help... Alao the rear brake is barely working so I guess I need to either take it apart and see whats wrong or just salvage one off a batavus in the back of the shop. Also there is some curious metalic dust gathering on the chain... I can't see in places where it's rubbing though.

I started her up tonight to ride to the studio and spent a good 15 minutes trying to figure out if I was grounding out somewhere, then checked my fuel switch- it was off... I love and hate that feeling.

The velocity stack (bicycle horn) should be in by now so I can rig that up Sunday as we prepare for our rally, cleaning the shop, getting the firepit ready, marking the road for the quarter mile races, reviewing the ride, etc.

My targeted 42mph was a bit of a stretch on this stock cylinder, although I really can't complain (35ish maybe a little more isn't bad), but plans are now to throw on a 74cc Metra kit whenever Benji gets some back in stock... Rippin'!!!! I figure a Metra kit is my best bet as I want a kit with a bit more endurance than a sprint kit like a Polini since I'll be riding 12 miles to work at the shop over the summer. Mid 50's would be awsome, but I don't know how realiable it would be if I did a lot of porting. Heck, I'll probably do it anyway...
So that means a new carb (21mm?). And even more importantly, a SEAT. That piece of metal is about as comfortable as it looks: not at all, but then Burt Munro would be proud.

On the downside I definitely won't have her kitted by Motion What?, but she's plenty fast for a midwest rally.

The Puchavus: 50cc Cafe Racer

I am building a bike to compete in our planned 50cc Cafe Races. The Puchavus will be rather unusual. Well, it will be a Batuvus with a two speed Puch engine... weird, I know.

A lot of people have built or are building what they call a "cafe racer." I beg to differ with them. A cafe racer is more than a set of drop bars, more than a quarter fairing, more than a stripped down, polished and kitted out Magnum.

So what is a cafe racer then? What is it that those crazy Brits came up with? and why?

Born out of the poverty of Post War Europe. The cafe racer was the precursor to the widely popular sportbikes of today. In the 1950s, motorcycles were primarily used for everyday transportation. The only fast bikes available were Grand Prix, or expensive race bikes. But then came rock and roll and the rebellious youth that took claim of this new musical style. They needed a special type of bike, a bike that could go AND look fast, and that didn’t cost too much. Stock motorcycles were no good for these groups; they didn’t handle well enough, as well as the fact that the new bikes were far too expensive for the teenagers and 20-somethings that were the groups’ primary members. Most work was done by the rider, or under his direction. The bikes were customized not only to reflect the individual style of the rider, but also to be agile and aerodynamic along Europe’s newly built twisting arterial motorways. Standard handlebars were replaced by super low ace bars or one-sided clip-ons. Next came racing style petrol/gas tanks and seats. The aluminum gas tanks were large and hand-made and most often left unpainted. Lastly was the paint job, though the Rockers and Ton Up boys were distinctively black clad, from their leather jackets and down to their jackboots, they often painted their bikes in fast’ or racing’ colors, like yellow, blue, or silver/chrome. Before the blanket 70 mph speed limit was laid upon the masses, the goal of many of these racers was to reach the coveted ton’ or a speed of 100mph while traveling from one transport caf to another. The need for speed, to look cool, and to be different were the primary reasons for a bike’s conversion to a cafe racer.

The Bike:
Batuvus Starflight frame, tank and wheels
Puch Za50 engine
Moto-Matic "San Francisco" Exhaust
Amal 17mm carborator
Custom intake
Vintage Cosmo "Bumstop" seat
Boost bottle
Drop bars (eventually clip-ons)
Motorcycle headlight
Tear-drop trailer tail light
Speedo mount off headset

The defining mark of this bike will be its stripped and polished tank and "bumstop" seat.


Updated October 19th, 2009:
For the record, this is the original "Puchavus." I am aware of a certain Buffalo Boy's Batavus/Puch combination (possibly even completed before the Puchavus) called the "Batapuch." That the name of this bike changed to Puchavus when it was up for sale at the beginning of the year is kind of weak, since the overall stability, much less panache, of the bike is not in the least comparable to that of the Puchavus. There is only one Puchavus.