Chad Alvarez

15 posts

Honda Cafe Racer Final Report Part 2: Moving Forward

April 27, 2016

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Overall I am extremely pleased with my final design for this class. Building a bike is extremely time consuming though, especially without the proper tools and garage, so I wasn’t able to finish it to my final desire. This was expected though and I believe I did enough to change the overall aesthetic of the…

Honda cb750 Cafe Racer – Final Report

April 19, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Brat Bike, Built Not Bought, Cafe Racer

Overall I am extremely happy with the way my project bike turned out. I started this project with zero experience with bikes but a burning passion to learn the in’s and out’s and fulfill my dream of redesigning my own 80’s sportster into a cafe racer/brat bike. Although the bike is not 100% completed, and…

Cafe Racer Update April 13

April 13, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Student Work, Update Weds April 13 2016, ZZ 2016

Unfortunately I still have some work to do but luckily I still have a week to get it done. I have been shopping around Boulder and found a few shops that sell tan grips similar to my tan seat. I also found some nice leather wraps that I can wrap the bars in myself if…

Cafe Racer Update April 6

April 6, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Student Work, Update Weds April 6 2016, ZZ 2016

I haven’t made any building progress since the last update. Due to some weather and weekend events I have been unable to work on my bike over the last week. However, I have come up with a few ideas to improve my design in order to minimize work. I plan on reshaping my seat in…

Cafe Racer Update/20th Century Design Timeline

March 31, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Impact of 20th Century design movements plus update Weds March 30 2016, Student Work

I would classify my cafe racer/brat bike in the post-moderism era around the late 1970’s to early 1980’s. This is pretty simple since I am re-designing my stock bike the way custom sport bikes used to look in that era. During our aesthetics game we were to design a hairdyer in the post moderism era.…

Cafe Racer Update

March 16, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Student Work, Update Weds March 16, 2016, ZZ 2016

So far my cafe racer project is off to a good start. I have completely stripped the bike including the electrical system. Since the above picture was taken, I have also taken off the carbs, stock airbox, and hack-sawed part the back frame off. I also bought some sweet renthal ultralow handle bars and placed…

Cafe Racer Constraints

March 8, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Student Work, Top 5 Constraints 2016, ZZ 2016

I spent a couple hours today tearing down my newly purchased bike to see exactly what I’m working with. Luckily the engine is sound and will only need some basic maintenance before riding season this summer. After some work and research I have summed up my 5 biggest constraints. Time: Time is the biggest factor…

Cafe Racer Final Project – Redesign

March 8, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Main Project Design Review 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

I posted earlier how I was going to make a dynamic dart board but was still looking for a bike to build a cafe racer. Well… somehow at the last minute I was able to pick up a good running bike within my budget and now have the perfect platform to begin a dream project…

Chad’s Final Project Design Review

March 2, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Main Project Design Review 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

So my final project depends on a craigslist purchase in the works currently. In my inspiration post I talked about two ideas for my final project: a dynamic dart board and a cafe racer. After some further research I was able to find an affordable running bike within my budget that I can convert into…

Final Project Inspirations – Chad

February 24, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Main Project Inspirations 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

My overall project inspirations were two things; something I will actually use, and something that is important to me. This lead me down two roads, one which will be more likely and reasonable, and one that I will eventually do regardless of this class but am restricted by resources and time. The first idea is…

Aspirations – Chad Alvarez

February 16, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Other 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

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As a senior in mechanical engineering I have finished all of my technical classes. I am enrolled in mainly writing and leadership classes (with the exception of senior design) and hope to improve my skills in these categories in preparation for the professional world. I am extremely interested in my leadership and professional classes since…

Skills of Chad Alvarez

February 9, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Skill Sets 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

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I am a Mechanical Engineering Senior and have taken all of my required and technical classes similar to most ME students in the class. Most of my strengths are in the leadership and team building department. I have a good knowledge of flight physics including aerodynamics as well. I am average with advanced manufacturing techniques…

Shotgun Shell Lights Final Project

February 3, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Student Work, Upcycle Project Report 2016, ZZ 2016

After some exploration and creative thinking, I ended up creating a string of shotgun shell lights. I based my project strictly around using empty shotgun shells. I initially thought of creating art for art’s sake and using the shells as the border or outline. I also thought about using the brass to make drink coasters…

Shotgun Shell Upcycle

January 27, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Student Work, Upcycle Progress 2016, ZZ 2016

One of my hobbies is to go clay shooting with my friends. I started shooting at a young age with my dad being in law enforcement. When I left for college my dad gifted me his old shotgun as a going away present. When the weather is good, me and my friends enjoy a short…

Surf Inspired Snowboards

January 19, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Aesthetic Explorations 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

As a California Native growing up with access to both the coast and the mountains, I was drawn to thrills of surfing and snowboarding. In recent years, the two sports have collided and are bringing inspiration to each other. After living in Colorado these last few years, I have noticed how the surfing industry has…