Topic: Cafe bike owner's age poll

[xtalon]

This is my first poll, so I hope I set it up correctly.

I was curious as to the age of cafe bike owners, so if you currently own, are creating or even planning a cafe bike, what is your current age range?  I'm curious to see if this is only a younger generation thing or if it is spread throughout the age range.

Thanks for participating in this socio-logical experiment!   

--xTalon

[forwheeldrift]

born 1972 a few months after my cb500 was born.

I think the majority will be close to the 30 year mark?

[kslrr]

Born in '61.  Riding since '74.  First bike was a '64 Yamiaha 80cc.

Is this just to satisfy your curiousity or do you realy want to know how many 'old guys' there are like you and I and a few others?

[xtalon]

Is this just to satisfy your curiousity or do you realy want to know how many 'old guys' there are like you and I and a few others?

Mainly my own curiousity and I'm sure a few other people.  It came up in the July Bike of the Month nomination thread that cafe owners are of the younger set.  I tend to agree, but it would be interesting to see some actual numbers.

However, what is younger?  50 is obviously younger than 60.  When I say younger, I think  around earlly-mid 20's (and definitely below 30), but I'm 41, so someone else's definition could be 40 and below.

Granted, I feel age is just a number and it's more about mindset, so I don't know if this poll will really tell us anything, but it still should be interesting.   

Thanks for particiapating.

--xTalon

[kslrr]

You are right, age is just a number.  Heck, my mind still thinks I'm 18, while my body says 'you can't do that anymore'.

You are as young as you feel.  And as you get older you add experience and wisdom to the mix (well, for most that is).

[Rhonda750F]

I'm the same model year as my bike 78, one more year and we're officialy classics.

[CrisPDuk]

I'm 1970 model, the bikes a '78

Not sure whether it would be classed as cafed yet, but that is the way it'll be headed

[bill440cars]

        Hey CrisP,
                Nice pipes there. Bike looks really good with them too!

                Now, to get to the subject at hand. I've always liked the cafe style bikes. I also like to see a nicely restored bike. I've got a cafe style bike in the planning and "barely started stage". It's a CB550K and was in very poor condition when I got it. Some folks wouldn't have given it a 2nd look & some folks would restore it, no matter what shape it was in. I can't afford to do that, and then do any more bikes. Thing is, I'm 60 and don't know if I'll be able to ride this thing very much or very far. I've always wanted one and now, I'm gonna build one, although I may have to deviate from the cafe theme slightly in some areas like handlebars. I tried the clip-ons back in my 20's and didn't like them cause you don't have much leverage with them. BTW, looks like I'm the 1st "older" member to like the cafe and wonder if I'll be the only one?
                                                    Later on, Bill

[CrisPDuk]

Hey Bill, thanks, I'm glad everyone's liking the pipes, they cost me a fortune

Funnily enough them clubmans bars are the fourth set the bikes had in the six months I've owned it, I couldn't get on with the factory ape hangers because they held my body upright and the buffeting at speed wasn't nice.
So I tried a set of clip-ons a mate had lying around, they put my body into a lower position, which was surprisingly comfortable, especially at speed, but I didn't like how narrow they were and how much more leverage I had to put in at low speeds.
I then went to a set of bars from mid eighties CB450 twin that my neighbour had in his garage, these only have a tw oinch lift compared to the stock 5" and are as wide, these were good and recommended if you don't want ot go the whole cafe route
I would have been happy with them if I hadn't found the clubmans on ebay for the bargain price of £5. These to me give the low leaning comfort at speed of the clip-ons, married to the width and leverage of the stock bars They have the added bonus of putting my mirrors of choice (80s CB750 DOHC) into the best position of any bike I've yet ridden

If it makes you feel any better, I don't think even at my age that I'd be able to ride a full on crotch rocket style cafe for very far or long either   That's why I'm still undecided on the rearsets question

[ProTeal55]

Born in 1980 (so that makes me 27)
I like the vintage/cafe style mainly becasue the bikes get crazy attention, and they are cheap to build 

[xtalon]

Well... it's 'Mid-Life Crisis' (12) leading 'Past His Prime' (6) by two lengths.  Further back, 'Young Whipersnappers' (2) leads 'Old but Wise' (1) by a nose... as they come down the home stretch!!!!   'Just Off the Teat' (0) is still in the gate.

 

--xTalon

[Bob Wessner]

Starting to look like your typical, lounging bell curve.

[griff6-5-zero]

Born 05/16/79, the 70's were off the hook. diggin the cafe style just don't know if my 80 650 has what it takes..Definitely not stock though..

[333]

You forgot one answer.  "With my back the way it is-No effin way"

[scunny]

older but certainly not wiser, born in 1959 and have customised every bike I've had, but I leave the frame alone so I can change them back to stock if the whim takes me

[edbikerii]

What about a resto-mod with a road-racer seat?  I took off my clip-ons and put on low-rise GP bars and stock pegs for riding comfort.  I put my gauges, etc. back on.  My bike certainly wasn't inspired by the Britsh bikes of the '50s and '60s, but rather the vastly superior Honda road-racers of the '70s.

I'd really love a road-race replica because of the looks, and performance, but it is simply not practical to ride something like that on the street.

Is my bike a cafe?  Who knows?  Who cares?

I don't care, as long as it is ready for a nice long, relaxing ride whenever I am.

[cafe75-550]

Born in '79, a full 4 years after my bike and after the original cafe craze.

But I would contend that I was born far to late for my tastes, the 50's and early 60's were it when it comes to cars, bikes, aircraft and spaceflight. Just a certain style to everything back then, and people just DID stuff, no computer models or financial studies or all the BS of today. If it worked it worked, if not try again.



and my new one, still a cafe at heart

[nickjtc]

BTW, looks like I'm the 1st "older" member to like the cafe and wonder if I'll be the only one?
Later on, Bill

Fret not, Bill. I'm with you.

As to whether I would ever 'cafe'....that is up for debate. I find the 'clip-ons below the triple clamps' riding posture too hard on the old neck.

[Shenanigans]

I guess I fall under the younger category at 18. The main reason why I likes these bikes is that all the new ones look like sh!t. Its also cheap transportation and If I'm gonna be riding around allot why not make it to my liking? And I guess my liking just happens to be bike from around that era. Plus its cheap most of the time.

[nickjtc]

Its also cheap transportation and If I'm gonna be riding around allot why not make it to my liking? And I guess my liking just happens to be bike from around that era. Plus its cheap most of the time.

That's the proverbial hammer hitting the nail on the head.

These bikes can be made into anything a person wants for relatively little $. If you figure that a modern sportbike/standard is going to cost the best part of $10,000, and then end up disappearing in the crowd of look-alike machines, then for a fraction of that you can get a bike that will turn heads wherever it goes.

Sandcast K0's excepted, of course.

[bill440cars]

BTW, looks like I'm the 1st "older" member to like the cafe and wonder if I'll be the only one?
Later on, Bill

Fret not, Bill. I'm with you.

As to whether I would ever 'cafe'....that is up for debate. I find the 'clip-ons below the triple clamps' riding posture too hard on the old neck.

         Hey Nick, Good to know that I'm not the only one, in that age group.   As I said, I'm attempting a build on one because I've always wanted one and after I make my first ride, I may be making some changes.   Time will tell.   If I could turn out out, that looked as good as "Sophie", I'd be tickled!
                                                        Later on, Bill

[kuyarico]

So back to the discussion started (or instigated rather) by Ilbikes here: http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=22688.30 . We have a majority of cafe owners in the 30 - 39 range(17 so far), followed by the 40 - 49 range(10 so far). I guess the cafe preference really can't be attributed to adolescence. I am assuming that 27 members in the two age ranges listed above have reached a maturity level respective to their ages.  Was the point of this poll to prove that the cafe 'fad' exists within an immature set of owners who don't love their bikes? What does this poll tell us so far?

[xtalon]

So back to the discussion started (or instigated rather) by Ilbikes here: http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=22688.30 . We have a majority of cafe owners in the 30 - 39 range(17 so far), followed by the 40 - 49 range(10 so far). I guess the cafe preference really can't be attributed to adolescence. I am assuming that 27 members in the two age ranges listed above have reached a maturity level respective to their ages.  Was the point of this poll to prove that the cafe 'fad' exists within an immature set of owners who don't love their bikes? What does this poll tell us so far?

Kuyarico, I don't think the poll tells us anything except that of the sample of people who responded, the majority are between the ages of 30-49 years old... and that is it.

I don't recall anyone mentioning maturity levels, but even so, I don't think we could judge that from this poll.  From my experience, I don't think maturity age and chronological age can go hand in hand.  I'm 41, but if I was to guess my maturity age, I would guess more around 30... or maybe lower.     I'm sure there are 30 year olds out there that act 40 or older.

I set this poll up because in the discussion you referenced, it was mentioned that cafe owners are from the 'younger set'.  I tended to agree, but I thought the data would also be surprising.... and to me, it has been.  However, the problem comes that we never defined what 'younger' is.

Since Ilbikes initially made the 'younger' comment, maybe he will jump in here and tell us what he considers 'younger'.  In his eyes, this data may prove his comment correct.

But regardless of what criteria we use, I do agree 100% with you that, 'cafe preference can't be attributed to adolescence'.  In fact, from this data you could conclude that it isn't attributed to age at all.  I think if everyone stated the reason they built or are building a cafe, I'm willing to bet that all of the answers would be different... regardless of age.

--xTalon

[kslrr]

One commonality amongst builders, whether it be cafe, retro, custom or full restore, and no mater the make, model or year of the bike, we all want to express who we are and what we like thru our creations.  Also, I tend to think that it takes a higher level of maturity to work on these older bikes because it requires more patience.

[xtalon]

One commonality amongst builders, whether it be cafe, retro, custom or full restore, and no mater the make, model or year of the bike, we all want to express who we are and what we like thru our creations.  Also, I tend to think that it takes a higher level of maturity to work on these older bikes because it requires more patience.

Well said, KSLRR!!!

--xTalon