[What's left of the Rebel 450 DCC and Porkey's Choppers built in 36 hours at Timonium for Spike [photographer of photo] last month. Stay tuned for the full report on the build!]

One of the most common questions we receive via email and the phone is “What is the best way to install my Cafe Racer seat without welding or fabrication?” Well, until now, there really wasn’t a good answer or solution. Like all the other problems you guys present to us, we prevailed on this one too though! We hooked up with our newest Boutique Manufacturer, Legendary Motorcycles who builds some of the best Cafe Racer seats and fuel tanks on the market and put together this How-to for installing a fiberglass, ABS plastic or sheet metal seat pan.

The FAQ is brand agnostic and although every install will be a little different, it gives you the idea of what you need to do to get the job done! It requires no major tools and the kit is available through Dime City care of Legendary. How easy is that? Just [CLICK HERE] to purchase the kit and read the instructions below and you’ll be off chasing the TON in no time, bub!

Figure 1: Test the baseplate in the kit for general fitment. If you need to trim the sides to fit your frame rails better or the curve in the back, now is the time to mark and cut those areas.

Figure 2: Once you’ve trimmed (if needed) your base plate fit your actual Cafe Racer seat on top to ensure everything fits and lines up accordingly. If you need to trim the overhang or make any modifications to the actual seat, do so now.

Figure 3: Keeping them slightly loose so you can move them around, position the clamping blocks on the frame rails. Take note that the large block needs to be on the top side of the frame rails. Position the mounting base plate where it looks and fits best (ignoring the height.)

Figures 4 and 4-2: This is where you will set the actual height and pitch of the seat. Measure the space between the bottom edge of the seat pan and the top of your frame rails. This is the distance you will be cutting out of the clamping blocks in the following steps.

Figure 5: After placing the top clamping block in a vice and using a straight edge to mark a clean line, use a saw of your choice to trim the block. In this case, because the blocks cut so easy, it’s best to use a hand saw. Using a cut-off wheel on a grinder is an option, however it will kick hot plastic back which isn’t fun when it hits you in the arm!

Figures 6 and 7: Position the upper and lower clamping blocks together around your frame rails and measure the distance between the bottom of the rail and lowest portion in the valley of the lower clamping block. Divide this number by 2 and take that amount off of both sides of the peaks on the upper and lower clamping blocks. This will ensure a tight and secure fit.

Figure 8: Now that we’ve trimmed the mounting clamps we’ll need to trim the mounting bolts to eliminate the excess. Place the bolt through a finished and trimmed set of mounting blocks, add the washer and thread the nut on until threads come through the nut. We like to leave 1 thread showing above the head of the nut.

Figure 9 and 9-2: After taking the measurement of excess between to head of the bolt and the top of the top mounting block, mark it with a sharpie (taking it off of the bottom of the bolt) and then cut the excess off. In this case, an angle grinder with a cut-off wheel does work best. Once you’ve cut off the excess, roll the bolt on a belt sander to help clean off the burrs. If a belt sander isn’t available a file or hand sand paper will work as well.

Figure 10 and 10-2: In order to allow you to adjust the upper clamp blocks to fit into the seat you will need to trim them. Place the upper clamp blocks and the mounting base plate on to the frame rails and then mark any excess that needs to be trimmed away.

Figure 11: Trim the upper clamp blocks making sure you don’t cut off any of the surface where the upper and lower blocks meet.

Figure 12: With the blocks now trimmed properly and fitting inside the seat you’ll need to mark and drill the holes in the mounting base plate. Label each block for front and back with left and right designations to keep things lined up.

Figure 13: Using a 3″ piece of masking tape placed sticky side away from the upper clamp blocks adhering one edge to the side of the block, loop the tape over the block with the sticky side out.

Figure 14: Fold the edge under and adhear it to the other side of the block.

Figures 15 and 15-2: Tighten the loop flat against block and then mark the postion of the hole on the sticky side of the tape.

Figures 16 and 16-2: Set the clamping blocks loosely on the frame with the tape facing up.

Figure 17: Position the base plate on top of the tape and press so the tape and the blocks stick to one another then lift it off slowly ensuring the blocks stay in position.

Figure 18: Peel the tape from the blocks while leaving it adhered to the mounting base plate. This will transfer the position of the holes which need to be drilled into the base plate.

Figures 19, 20, 20-2: Drill the newly marked holes and trim the blocks accordingly using a scroll saw if one is available. If one is not, you could use a jig saw, Dremel or grinding wheel flap disk.

Figures 21, 22 and 22-2: Assemble the front and back clamps and the mounting base and tap the bolt heads with a hammer to seat them into the mounting base plate. Make a mental note for when tightening the bolts, be sure not to over tighten then. They are carriage bolts but given the softer nature of the mounting blocks, they could strip out the anchor point created when hammering them into the base plate.

Figures 23, 24 and 24-2: Tighten the mounting bolts and drill pilot holes for the mounting screws to ensure accurate fitment.

Figures 25 and 25-2: In most cases you’re going to want to cut an access hole to get to your battery, wiring or anything else you might have stashed under your seat. Simply mark the area you need to cut for the window drilling four holes, one at each corner and then use a jig saw (take the mounting base back off the bike before cutting) to cut out the window.

Figure 26: Position your seat pan on top of the newly mounted base, drill pilot holes and then screw the pan to the mounting base plate and viola, you’re done! Install your foam and cover if using a snap style or, use industrial strength velcro if you’ve created a secondary pan with a custom cushion and that’s it!

We’d like to thank our good friends over at Legendary Motorcycles for taking to the time to work on this install with us and know that whether you’re using a Legend’s, Roccity, other or custom built seat there isn’t an easier way to install it with the universal seat kit. And the best part, there’s no welding or cutting the bike which is great should you ever want or need to go back to a stock style seat.

Ride Fast. Live Well.

The DCC Crew

[Mark Wilsmore on a DCC CB750 Resto-mod leaving the Cafe Racer paddock area at Barbers Vintage Festival. Photo by: Erick Runyon of www.choppershotz.com]

Classic Cafe Racer and Rocker jackets by Mike Woulfe. Uncomplicated, functional and unique- just like their owners and their bikes.

Recognizing the importance of both authentic cafe racer aesthetic and the desires of American culture to be unique, Mike Woulfe from Woulfe Leathers creates a modern rendition of the classic petrol fueled life-living leathers of yesteryear. He perfectly blends classic cafe style with modern imagery and patch designs putting a new spin on something old.

Mike begins all his custom jackets with the highest quality available- soft, supple and thick American Cowhide naked leather. Once the jacket has been selected he carefully goes through his collection of hand collected patches, choosing just the right ones for the project at hand. Some old and authentic, some reproductions and some just plain wild from the creative minds of today. Each one is meticulously chosen and placed upon the jacket with a propensity to detail that rivals that of the most OCD individuals.

Heritage is important to Mike, the roots of Rocker culture, and the meaning of a cafe racer and what it stands for are paramount in his jacket creation process. Taking hues from authentic images of the 60′s and 70′s and spending countless hours at swap meets haggling with riders and collectors of yesteryear bartering for their gems allows him to create the most “authentic” new cafe inspired leathers available.

All of Woulfe’s Leathers come in standard sizes and offer a limited warranty on the actual leather itself and accoutrements. Combine that with an action back zipper, zippered cuffs, leather line outside zippered pockets and a snap-down collar and you’ve got something going for you aside from your chucks and Raybans.

On the inside you’ve got one (or two) internal pistol pockets (approx. 9″ deep) which are perfect for most small 9MM’s or a smart phone. How great is that? And last but certainly not least, you have a nice thick Thinsulate Liner with a Poly Twill Shell for extra warmth on those cold days when your facing the wind.

And if all that wasn’t enough, all Woulfe Leathers purchased from Dime City Cycles sport not only the mark of speed and individuality, the Wing’d Piston patch, but also the DCC life motto “Nil Satis Nisi Optimum” aka: Nothing but the best is good enough banded around the neck along with a unique Mercury Dime concho in a special place on each jacket. Digg it, man.

You can’t go wrong folks… Hand-built jackets for riders who build their bikes with their own two hands. There couldn’t be a more perfect match! And did we mention he makes women’s jackets as well?

To take a closer look at Mike’s custom one-off Rocker and Cafe Racer jackets [CLICK HERE] you won’t be disappointed!

For those of you who aren’t aware of Lowside Magazine, you should most definitely stop what you’re doing right now and check it out! http://www.lowsidesyn.com/ It’s a grass-roots revival magazine that knows no bounds and supports and thrives on anything that’s related two (and four) wheels. That’s right, cool old-school choppers, bobbers and especially Cafe Racers with occasional classic hot rods thrown in for good measure.

The crew from Lowside including, to name a few, Big n Rich, Tiny “Skinny Jeans” Tim, Dan “The Man”, Roughneck Deb and Q-Ball will be featured in Episode 13 of Cafe Racer TV where they brought down and helped us tear apart, the CB400F The DCC Crew built for Season 2 of the series. In addition to doing some serious tear-down they also helped us pull-off one of the best grand opening events ever. The perfect mixture of old-school choppers and cafe bikes showed despite the rain and created which is quite possibly one of the most eclectic gathers the South has ever seen. The result, what we like to call our generations cult of “vintage speed machines.”

Right about now you’re saying “What’s the news in this post guys?” Well, we’ll tell you…

The news is, that all bets are off. Whether you ride a cafe bike, a vintage harley, a custom XS650 or anything else that goes fast and makes noise that you built by your hands then you’re in the right place. There’s no more tough-guy bullshit lathered in leather in chrome. This is our time for motorcycling and it’s a great time. A time to appreciate the aesthetic beauty that is “custom garage built motorcycles” put together via a wide-spread creative collective that knows no bounds.

Expect to see a lot more from the likes of Dime City Cycles, Lowside, Loaded Gun and a handful of others who recognize this and want to support you and your nasty little wrench turning habits. It’s about you, your machine and your right to exercise individuality and spit in the face of homogeny.

And to wet your appetite just a bit, issue #6 of Lowside is being released right around the corner. In it, you’ll get a tasty look inside the dark corners of Dime City where we detail the build of “The Four Hundred” our best Vintage Speed Machine yet. Keep an eye out, we promise we’ll make you proud.

Dime City has had the good fortune to be able to send some parts to a handful of US Military APO forwarding boxing in the past 6 months and after tracking the guys down and trading some emails we got word from a couple of the guys over there running a crew that they’d gotten a hold of some local 125CC commuter bikes and have managed to make some fun customs to bump around town on whilst doing their tours of duty. Take a look at the photos below.

It’s nice to see guys are still exercising their right to customize bikes with whatever they have at their disposal despite their surroundings.  Here’s a quick look at what these little thumpers start life as.

It’s also kind of funny to think that someone might see an American on a motorcycle sporting an assult rifle for the first time with a DCC shirt on. Ho ho…

Keep it up guys, we appreciate everything you do!

As the garage revival continues to tighten it’s grip on the motorcycle industry and the DIY every-man-can cafe racer mentality pushes Westward (and around the globe in every other direction) the crew at Dime City Cycles thinks it’s would be a good idea if all of us came together in one place to share in the differences that make our flavors of cafe so unique and tasty in their own right.

Whether you and your brothers like piloting old Honda’s down a dry lakebed in your boxers or you prefer grabin’ a spot of tea on your Thruxton dressed in pressed in Lewis’s best, at The Ace, you’re part of this grassroots movement and you know what its all about. Twisting the throttle on barebones, stripped down vintage speed machines that allow a man to still be a man. You’re a wrench turning aficionado of all things old and fast and chances are there’s a few more of your friends hanging around that are just like you.

Our thought is, why not create one place where all the cafe racer clubs can get together to share information about their clubs (to promote membership and geographic awareness) and provide easy access, for everyone, to where all the “cafe racer” type events are being held around the globe. History about the 59 Club, features on old clubs from all over the world and the places they gathered, the possibilities are quite endless with the right mix of folks contributing.

A melting pot, if you will, of vintage appreciators sharing about their clubs, events and passions that most importantly gives new-comers a way to connect with the old guys bridging the gap and helping secure a right and true future for diy-real-deal-get-it-done-and-have-fun motorcycle culture.

Lets say you get relocated because of work; wouldn’t it be great to know that you could connect with some like minded folks as soon as the boxes are unpacked in your new town? Or, how great would it be to know that next month, when you’re traveling to LA that a local club is putting on a bike night at a local pub 10 mins from your hotel? The chance to break bread (or bones) with another group of members of this world-wide cult of speed and have a damn good time really is quite a rad thing.

Because after all, “having a good time” is why we do what we do with these old mo’chines. Isn’t it?

In the coming months you will see a new website launched called, www.caferacerclubs.com along with a new Facebook page which you can LIKE right now by clicking here. We’re asking all of you to keep this image and BLOG link moving through the social sphere so the database can begin to build. Send it to your friends via email, post it out to your Facebook and Twitter walls, hell, if you’ve got a carrier pigeon- print it out, tie it to his little pigeon feet and send him packin!

Bottom line, it won’t happen if you guys don’t help us spread the word. The Crew at Dime City is willing to fabricate the frame, but it’s up to you guys. The ones riding off into the night hitting the cafe’s and wrenching together in your garages every weekend to help us with the rest of the build. We can’t do it alone.

Digg it.

….and if anyone out there is as good with a keyboard as they are with a spanner please let us know! This will be no easy task and we will welcome any help we can get!

*Special thanks to Eric Wheatley from The Lowside Syndicate for helping up us out with the bitching flyer design!

Thanks to our good friend Alan Bernard at Santiago Choppers we had a chance to meet with a good friend of his, Jerome Guiselin from France, on his most recent trip to Florida.  Jerome aka: Jean Claude Van Damme is a free lance journalist who spent some time swilling PBR and talking stories of Cafe Racers with us at Dime City.  He was kind enough to submit some of the photos and a story line to Mondo Biker which recently published the work!

A big thanks to our friends at Lowside for making the PDF available for viewing on line.  Check it out and if anyone can tell us what it reads we’d really appreciate it!

http://www.lowsidemag.com/dimeCityCycles_StarbucksRacers.html

In our eyes the only thing that comes close to a gorgeous bespoke motorcycle is classic, tasteful pin-up art. And like a photograph in the workshop of a one-off vintage speed machine artisan left to inspire the creator daily, the definition of a pin up girl is just that, something alluring and visually stimulating that you would “pin up” on your wall. The term “pin up” was officially introduced in 1941 and has been a staple of hot-rod and motorcycle culture since that time. And boy are we thankful.

In the spirit of tradition Dime City Cycles will be hosting the first annual Miss Dime City, USA Pin Up pageant at our grand opening this May. And like everything we do at Dime City, the Miss Dime City, USA pageant will revolve around and place great emphasis on the beauty that is found in period correct classic art forms. Whether it be a Vincent Blackshadow or a Vanessa, we take pride in right and tasteful aesthetic and much like the classic pin up models who helped bring excitement and renewed interest to World War II GI’s, Miss Dime City USA will be charged with the task to bring motorcycle culture back to it’s roots. Classic beauty.

And with that, we introduce to you, Retro Lovely- a one of a kind publication paying homage to the classic pin up model. Not so much magazine, rather a photo essay, Retro Lovely is an amalgamation of art forged by the passion of the many photographers and staff that produce it in all it’s splendor. Like the Cafe Racer, Retro Lovely is in a class all its own and Dime City Cycles is more than excited to make note of their partnership in The Miss Dime City, USA pageant.

With that, we are pleased to announce that Retro Lovely will be publishing Miss Dime City USA in an upcoming issue of Retro Lovely Magazine. That’s right ladies, you could be within the pages of Retro Lovely in addition to taking home your portion of the $1000 total purse (provided by St. Pete Powersports) at The Miss Dime City, USA Pageant. And let’s not forget the opportunity to be seen on Discovery HD Theaters Cafe Racer TV…

So get your red lipstick, best Betty dress and heels and head down to Dime City on May 14th for your chance to become the pin up girl for the American Cafe Racer movement!

And please be so kind to take a moment and visit Retro Lovely’s website. If you’re an appreciator of classic pin-up art, pickup a copy or two. They’re already coveted and unlike most things in your workshop, they will actually raise in value over the years.

Models, read below please:

What do you get when you combine one part infamous Smoke Out style chopper rally, one part Mods vs. Rockers right from London, and good ol’ fashion sweet-tea sipping Southern Hospitality?  The grand opening of Dime City Cycles vintage speed shop in sunny Largo, FL!  That’s what!

Presented by Preachers Motorcycle Promotions in partnership with Winters, Yonkers and Brothers Powdercoating- come join the crews from Dime City Cycles and Cafe Racer TV for the best and most unique grand opening celebration the South has seen!  Enjoy live music by The Dive Bar Stalkers, get your vote in for the official Miss Dime City USA Pin Up pageant, and enter your awesome garage built and legit vintage speed machine in the ride-in bike show for a shot at $250 and tons of other prizes!

In addition, Dime City will have vendors on-site from the likes of Rusty Knuckles showing off their kick-ass southern clothing label, pinstriping onsite by Liza (aka: Von Dutchs’ Daughter) so bring your stuff, and The Ace Cafe right from London.  Yep that’s right folks, the Ace Cafe is coming to Dime City, so all you Rockers better drag those old Norton’s and BSA’s out for some fresh air!  And if that isn’t enough for ton chasin’ mayhem havin’ self, the entire crew from the Lowside Syndicate out of Baltimore, MD will be here celebrating their issue #5 release party featuring the CB400F project bike Dime City will be building for season 2 of Cafe Racer on HD Theater.

New bikes, old bikes, choppers, bobbers, brats or cafes- they’re all welcome, so come partake in this rip riot, ground-pounding, two wheeled extravaganza that’s bringin’ vintage back and puttin’ Tampa Bay on the Map!

Go go Cafe Racer!

For more information and updates get plugged into Dime City Cycles on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138537119547198

Fine Print:

Bike Show Rules – Harley Davidson’s must be pre-1985 and all Metric bikes MUST be air cooled, no discrimination on year.  Be at Dime City Cycles to register your bike beginning at 3PM.  $10 registration fee applies.

Pin Up Pageant – Models will NOT be accepted the day of the show.  If you wish to participate please submit a full body photo in Pin Up attire to preacherscycles@aol.com prior to May 1st.

Free Beer & Food – Is completely first come first served.  Additional beer and food will be provided by onsite concessions for a nominal fee.

Sponsors & Partnership links:

Preachers Motorcycle Promotions – http://www.preachersmotorcyclepromotions.com
Winters & Yonkers – http://www.wintersandyonker.com
Brothers Powdercoating – http://www.brotherspowdercoating.com
Lowside Syndicate – http://www.lowsidesyn.com
Dive Bar Stalkers – http://www.myspace.com/divebarstalkers
Cafe Racer TV – http://www.caferacertv.com
Ace Cafe London – http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/
Rusty Knuckles – http://rustyknuckles.blogspot.com/
7 Imaging – http://www.7imaging.com/

*Do your kids a favor, pass this on and help save the world of motorcycling!