Topic: the "Cafe" look-a-like craze

[Uncle Ernie]

Had an SR500; couldn't start it.
Had 2 GB500's; just too small
DPs are too tall.

I'd give my left nut for someone to make a cross between an SR500 and the Geeb.  Maybe even a 600 single.  What is the big deal? 

God help me; I'm thinking about a Royal Enfield Bullet...
(I hate admitting that in public)
Anyone with any experience of these, please checkl the "Other Bikes" department.

[KARamsay]

I have two SR's and love em when they are running. 

As for that SR cross around 600 - A group in Georgia was making a Manx type reproduction slimline with a tricked out 650 Suzuki Savage motor.  They called it the Snorton.  I'd have traded my first born to get my hands on one. 

[kghost]

Had an SR500; couldn't start it.
Had 2 GB500's; just too small
DPs are too tall.

I'd give my left nut for someone to make a cross between an SR500 and the Geeb.  Maybe even a 600 single.  What is the big deal? 

God help me; I'm thinking about a Royal Enfield Bullet...
(I hate admitting that in public)
Anyone with any experience of these, please checkl the "Other Bikes" department.

Didn't the XL650 jug bolt on the geeb?

If anyone wants the nude gif of her jumping around shoot me an email

OOHH and this thread is crap.. WTF are you (people hating) doing wasting your time thinking about how someone else spends their money and time. Do you feel this will lower the value of your bike? Are you part of some special club that you have had a member card in your wallet since the 50's? Clear indication you are not working, riding or thinking about your own bike(s).

People never fail to amaze me and to be honest I really never expected to see this type of thread on this forum.

I dunno that most of us are banging on cafe style....I know I like cafes and am building one...

[gerhed]

Cafe's are the british version of what americans used to call bobbers/Choppers.....before choppers got all twisted...

Here's what I call a bobber--It's no"cafe"

[Ecosse]

Cafe's are the british version of what americans used to call bobbers/Choppers.....before choppers got all twisted...

Here's what I call a bobber--It's no"cafe"

I'll go out on a limb and agree with you.   I won't speak for Kghost but my understanding is the bobber/ cafe are different interpretations of the same general idea. That is to strip something down to make it faster. We have big (for the most part) wide open roads hence an emphasis on straight line performance; the UK and Europe has more small and twisting roads resulting in machines that suit that. I don't think that's too far from true.

I call 'em hot rods.   

[kghost]

Pretty much it Ecosse.

[jhasewhite]

wow, I would think the people on this forum would have thicker skin. You do actually ride vintage Honda's, don't you? You people, including Mr. Minnesota Drunk Dude, obviously don't appreciate my sense of SARCASM. Didn't anyone catch on when I finished my stupid rant with "I hope I pissed someone off" ?.   I enjoy anyone who is into motorcycling, no matter what their so called "poser" factor might be. And I love the fact that people are getting into caf bikes more and more.


oh yeah, What oil should I use?

Harleys suck.

Mr. San Fran out.

[Ecosse]

wow, I would think the people on this forum would have thicker skin. You do actually ride vintage Honda's, don't you? You people, including Mr. Minnesota Drunk Dude, obviously don't appreciate my sense of SARCASM. Didn't anyone catch on when I finished my stupid rant with "I hope I pissed someone off" ?.   I enjoy anyone who is into motorcycling, no matter what their so called "poser" factor might be. And I love the fact that people are getting into caf bikes more and more.


oh yeah, What oil should I use?

Harleys suck.

Mr. San Fran out.

  you funny!

[Really?]

I built this bike as a Cafe style daily rider... it's designed to scoot around town and look semi cool... it's not any more powerful or radically modified in any way over a stock bike... just pipes and dyno tuning... but I dig it... and ultimately WHO else do I care about?



Keith

I think some one is infatuated with the same color bike, lol.

[heffay]

I built this bike as a Cafe style daily rider... it's designed to scoot around town and look semi cool... it's not any more powerful or radically modified in any way over a stock bike... just pipes and dyno tuning... but I dig it... and ultimately WHO else do I care about?



Keith

I think some one is infatuated with the same color bike, lol.

i just wonder how many are a shade of green on the top... every brown tank like that i've seen is discolored to green.

[754]

Lets see...
 choppers have run the course... again...

 road racer replica... wait.. oh everyone (almost) is doing them..

..lets see, that leaves bobbers and cafe,s.. and supermotos.. & boardtrackers...


 well our fours arent too suited to the last two...
 so whaddayagonnado...??





..btw that Snorton thing could suffer abuse (outside a bar) by tippling "real britbike riders'.. me thinks..

[HavocTurbo]

Lets see...
 choppers have run the course... again...

 road racer replica... wait.. oh everyone (almost) is doing them..

..lets see, that leaves bobbers and cafe,s.. and supermotos.. & boardtrackers...


 well our fours arent too suited to the last two...
 so whaddayagonnado...??





..btw that Snorton thing could suffer abuse (outside a bar) by tippling "real britbike riders'.. me thinks..

754 you find me a set of 750 or 550 cases.... I'll build you a boardtracker.... or die trying.... 

[heffay]

seems to me that a bike "heavy on the boards" is the way to go... or die trying

[HavocTurbo]

seems to me that a bike "heavy on the boards" is the way to go... or die trying

forgive me.... what do you mean hef?

[heffay]

ok, ok... i'll spell it out.   


my thought process was, maybe heavier bikes will work on slick wooden, heavily angled deathtraps... sure, give it a shot... or die trying like every other board tracker dead-to not tell the story.







i'm trying to bring beauty to the destruction of it all.   

[HavocTurbo]

ok, ok... i'll spell it out.   


my thought process was, maybe heavier bikes will work on slick wooden, heavily angled deathtraps... sure, give it a shot... or die trying like every other board tracker dead-to not tell the story.
i'm trying to bring beauty to the destruction of it all.   

I guess I fail to see your point. Don't get me wrong. I'm not upset.

My great grandfather raced on dirt tracks... then board tracks. and again on dirt after that.

So did many other young men (at the time) who didn't lose their lives. Granted it was an evil ruthless sport.... but it brought attention to the motorcycle. Just like everything else in motorcycling's past.

I see revivals of every era of motorcycling... choppers(real - not $180K billet queens), bobbers, cafe's, "street"-trackers, the list goes on and on....

So given the availability of better quality materials and constructions processes..... wouldn't you think building a board track "replica" (seeing as there are no more actual speedways left) would be actually safer than owning an accurate historical reproduction??

Besides.... you could fall out of bed tomorrow morning and break your neck..... But I'd rather die on a motorcycle doing what I love.

[heffay]

i purposefully left out the living part... because, that is that part that is forgotten... i know nothing of it.

we all know why they were shut down.  we're here to learn about the why they weren't. 

edit:  although, i am mixing up some recent threads, this is a cafe thread that got some boardtrackers mixed in... there are a few boardtrack threads creeping around as of late.   

[HavocTurbo]

Well after everything I have read and listened to...

It is my understanding that the Chicago Motordrome was one of if not the last Motordrome to be torn down.

Given the reaction to everyone who lived in that era (i go to the library a lot) it was a major source of entertainment regardless of the risk factors.

People were afraid of harm, yes, but they went anyway. Pushed further onto the track and packed the stands every weekend.

There are a lot of articles pertaining to the issue, regarding what should replace the Motordrome. In time cars replaced the motorcycle. Less people died, and the rivalry was more widespread as the average person could turn their vehicle into a racer.

Not to say the the average motorcyclist couldn't do the same thing..... there were just less of us then.


Is that what you meant?

[heffay]

yes, most definitely.



yes, this qualifies as one of my 4000+ posts as it responds to a direct kwestion!   

[HavocTurbo]

Re-read the whole thing....

I guess it's way too late for me to be posting.... I got a little serious there.

Sorry Hef. 

[heffay]

just a little banter and post upting.   

[Caaveman82]

wow, I would think the people on this forum would have thicker skin. You do actually ride vintage Honda's, don't you? You people, including Mr. Minnesota Drunk Dude, obviously don't appreciate my sense of SARCASM. Didn't anyone catch on when I finished my stupid rant with "I hope I pissed someone off" ?.   I enjoy anyone who is into motorcycling, no matter what their so called "poser" factor might be. And I love the fact that people are getting into caf bikes more and more.


oh yeah, What oil should I use?

Harleys suck.

Mr. San Fran out.

Lol it's hard to sense someone's intentions when you can't hear bud. If some one says something that I think is horse crap and all I say is "Yeah." That's totally a sarcastic remark, but you would have no idea what I was thinking, you would probably think I was just agreeing. So to answer your question, no, I didn't sense the sarcasim otherwise I wouldn't have said anything! Haha.

[Spikeybike]

Carpy may inadvertently be the OCC of Cafe Racers, and I don't see enough emphasis on performance for him to retain the "racer" part of the moniker. He is the Cafe stylist. And very good at that.

you forgot to mention he's a total D-Bag

he's skilled , and has good taste (sometimes) ...my only problem with him is that he acts like what he is making has never been done before, and he is the best thing since sliced bread

some of his parts are badass but his attitude stinks (i've talked with him on the phone a few times, and didn't really care for the "i'm the shiit and i know it) .. and all his stuff is waaay overpriced

[andy750]

Wow I check back on this thread after a few days and its all gone downhill 

Its funny to read about what is and isnt a cafe racer...I remember the exact same thing about choppers a few years back....who cares? Its just a label. If you have a bike, mod it all you want and ride it....simple as that.

And as occurred during the chopper phase, there are those (such as on this thread), that simply open their cheque book and buy their "cafe racer" bike pre-packaged and ready to go off Ebay  .....all the mods done by someone else....does that make it a product of commercialization of the craze or simply becoming a wannabe to be "cool" like the rest? Do you really need to do the mods and tweaks yourself? Isnt that what cafe-ing your bike is all about? 

Whatever your thoughts on these questions, the main thing is you ride, ride and ride some more...and enjoy it. Simple. And respect others for doing the same 

cheers
Andy

[kghost]

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