This is my last post on this topic. Bash it all you want, I won't read it.
From what I have seen (in person and on the web) Carpy builds relatively authentic cafe racers. What is an authentic cafe racer, you might ask? Let me take you back a few decades (before my time)... ***dreamy music here***
Back in the 1950's or so, some young snap in GB might have bought a beat up stock bike for a song that he couldn't really afford. Let's call him Billy, shall we?
Now Billy loves to ride, but doesn't have much jack. His buddies ride all the time, and some have even made modifications to their bikes. So billy decides he wants his stocker to be more of a rocker, too. What does he do? Well, he does what any poor young sap does with limited resources: he rolls up his sleeves, removes all the dead weight, throws on some clubman bars, and rattles a shiny new coat of black paint on the tank (do the checkers come in a spray can?)
Now that his steed is a bit lighter, brighter and, albeit ever so slightly, more nimble, Billy races off for one of the cafes on the outskirts of his shire to meet up with his buddies (where they will undoubtedly sing camp songs and drink hot chocolate before racing off to the next cafe in the adjacent shire; maybe even hitting that elusive ton!). Perhaps it's drizzling a bit, but Billy doesn't care (as can be seen by the huge grin spread from ear to ear), because he is doing what he loves!
***dreamy music brings us back to the present***
Did you notice all the meticulous detailing Billy put into his cafe racer? How about those symmetrical holes? Did he grind all the welds to a perfect finish? Look at the matching chrome goodies he added! Certainly he would never install a headlight from an old pickup truck on his bike, would he? (hint: the last paragraph was filled with sarcasm)
So here's my nutshell version of what building an authentic cafe racer is all about: getting rid of what isn't necessary in order to make your bike go just a bit faster (and maybe have a bit of fun in the process). And since I am American, not British, I can also impart a bit of US wisdom to help those still struggling:
Did you happen to own a chopped and channeled hot rod in the 50's? Did you ever cut louvers in the hood of your Chevy with a pair of tinsnips because it looked cool (and maybe even helped cool your engine block by half a degree)? Maybe you watched your big brother drag race for pink slips late at night on a deserted road just outside of town when you knew the sheriff was visiting his sister in Tuscaloosa, all the while dreaming of the day when you, too, could build your very own hot rod.
It's the same thing, folks. Cafe racers in Britain, hot rods in the US. Whichever you can relate to, the analogy is the same. The kids all wore the same blue jeans and tee shirts; only their accents were different.
If you want to restore a bike (or hot rod) back to its original glory, then have at it. If you want to build the sweetest chopper Jesse James never dreamed of, then get going. Or if you want to build a fairly realistic cafe racer (as I believe Carpy does - which by definition should NOT be symmetrical and perfect), then start chopping. Whatever your flavor, WHO CARES! Just turn off the computer , jump on your (ride of choice) and meet me at the nearest (establishment) for hot chocolate and camp songs. Who knows, maybe if I cut off the passenger pegs I can do the ton, too! - anybody bring a hack saw?
...and now you are educated. There are no more excuses.
