Ideas for motorcycle project need opinions

[yamablaster24]

well guys as gas prices increase and my truck's getting more and more miles on it i need to get my motorcycle back into business. I rode the crap out of this thing last year and its showing its age (1981) While it does run good it does not have front brakes or turning signals or brake light. The panels are falling off and some other random stuff. I want to make this thing a head turner and turn it from a crappy little 185cc scooter ( thats what everyone at school called it ) to a grown mans chopper. I do not plan on using the stock fenders or seat or anything. I plan on making some nice lowering struts, and a crazy paint-PC job. Most likely will be painting everythign because I have a 450r to throw money into. Now for the questions. What color frame should i go with? Gas tank and other msc? Anyway i can graft a longer-hydro front brake front end on to this frame? IM going to be tearing it apart tonight. Im not touching anything inside the motor for i feel its too late for anything, besides changing the oil im gonna run it till she blows up and trash it. But i want her last summer of riding ( me being in my prime 16-17) for her to get her use and show her off and maybe get some tail from the girls at school haah

[Hon300ex]

no offense, but i dont think your going to be able to make that into a chopper. i would probably just sell it or leave it how it is.

[yamablaster24]

well if i put a longer front end on it from a full size bike then that will do the trick. Most of the other stuff will be just some welding and fabbing of a seat pan and rear fender, pegs, and exhaust.

[Hon300ex]

but the forks wouldnt be at the right angle because the frame is different and probably wouldnt fit the new forks. you cant just slap some longer forks on there and go. youd have to also get longer brake cable lines.

[quadrcr161]

just restore it, would be cool to have something that old and orginal looking. ive got a 1973 honda 175 motorcycle im thinking of rebuilding just for somehting to do.

[yamablaster24]

nah i bought it for 100 bucks. Its small and looks goofy with me riding it but i figure if i make it unique it will make me look less dorky, Im looking to not spend any money, maybe a couple hundred because whenever it does break wether it blows up or what not im just gonna trash it back in the woods.

[pastfast125]

well, if you wanna stay real cheap, junkyard is the way to go...Depending on the route you wanna go, I'd say find some nice forks, they could even be dirtbike forks, they just gotta be longer, rake it out a bit..Then Find a cool old sportster tank or some sorta tank you like, you could work with that and leave it how it is, or start messing with the tank and stretch it, etc. Get rid of that ugly seat. Fab up or go to the junkyard or motorcycle salvage place, just find a do able fender...O I should prob ask, do you have a welder and are you any good at welding? You could prob pick out any fender you like, and if it's too wide narrow it, or vice versa. so that takes care of all of that for pretty cheap. Then the motor. Not really sure how cheap you could get a different motor for if that's waht you're looking to do. I'm sure you could find a good deal on a used one. For all of that, and a few hundred, and some time spent fabbing, you'd have a pretty sweet bike...I wouldn't have any idea what paint scheme to do, untill it was built or drawn out.

If you have your own machine shop, that's where it can get really cool. Another route your could co, is if you wanna go with a different style, dont get longer forks, chop the ones you got shorter, and get a peanut tank, and some ape hanger bars, and make it a cool old school bike like indian larry rode ( RIP)

[pastfast125]

actually revise that, you wouldn't even have to cut those forks, They'd work fine just the way it is without changing the rake at all. Just slap on a penut tank, do all your fender and seat stuff..maybe a sissy bar and some ape hangers, and u'll be good to go

O, and Get rid of the stocker oil pan, buy one or fab up a nicer smaller one that tucks under the frame more, that ones ugly..What would look good is the old school style, where they take a cylinder under the seat to use for the oil tank, if you know what I mean

[yamablaster24]

yeah i know exactly what your sayin. I do have a crappy arc welder. I have access to Mig tho. Im thinkin about just leaving the front end as it is. I am going to make a seat pan from sheet metal and a sissy bar that comes to a point. Does anyone know if you need a speedo in Ohio? front turn signals? I think im going to remove the front cluster and just put a light on.