Topic: Who has the oldest "cafe'd" bike here? When was it converted?

[TwoTired]

I have one (a 77 550F) languishing in my backyard awaiting a restore.  But, it hasn't run in probably twenty years.

Lets hear the stories (maybe pics) of the ones, preferably SOHC4s, still in long lasting service.

Cheers,

[scunny]

they probably get saved and converted back to stock 

[HondanutRider]

Well, here's my CB77 with a picture from just over 30 years ago and a more recent one of it.  It isn't quite a cafe but it does have some drop bars on it.  The megaphones have been replaced back to a more standard style and the colour has changed over the years - but it still runs!

[BlindJoe]

is that a wing trunk?

[benly- ben]

is that a wing trunk?

it looks like a mini rear end from a merc.    it looks good!
Benny

[Ecosse]

Yer right BB! Kudos to you HondanutRider and the rest for holding onto your bikes for so long. Regret is a b!tch and I regret selling some old iron.

Nice thread TT!

[TwoTired]

they probably get saved and converted back to stock 

Not sure about that.    I expect they were likely discarded or sold to people that couldn't make one themselves and when it developed some problem, simply abandoned.  Mine has a similar story behind it.  Back in the day, it became uncompetitive with the canyon carvers, parked and replaced with a newer, faster bike.

I'm not converting mine back to stock.  It's got aluminum wheels, fork brace, lower bars than stock, pod filters (blech), and a four into one with a stubby muffler that was described by the PO as "quite loud". 
It will still be custom and not stock when I'm done with it.  I'm not going to bother with engine internals so long as they're still good.  But, this was a bona fide cafe racer in the early eighties, carving up Highway 9 locally.

I'm tempted to "restore" it closer to what it was (a street racer) and running well, rather than make it a more "modern" cafe style (track bike emulator) with the bars down by the tires.

If my back can't take it, then I'll sell it, I suppose.

Cheers,

[jh_molleck]

my future father-in-law has his original BSA from when he was over in england back when he was in the air force - he's got clubman bars and a custom seat on it... and it only has about 4,000 original miles... it's just sitting in the back of his garage collecting dust... pretty cool bike though

[HondanutRider]

is that a wing trunk?

Good eye!  Close, but not quite.  It's an item I got off fleeBay a few years ago.  Its about 2/3 the size of the GL1800 trunk and is fully functional with a lock, brake lights, and even flashing spoiler lights.  I added the HONDA script to the back.  Some might think it looks ugly or out of place on the old Wing, but it is functional and matches my main ride.  (I guess you could call it my cafe tailpiece. )

[TwoTired]

Well, here's my CB77 with a picture from just over 30 years ago and a more recent one of it.  It isn't quite a cafe but it does have some drop bars on it.  The megaphones have been replaced back to a more standard style and the colour has changed over the years - but it still runs!

I had two of those Superhawks (one at a time) prior to the 70's.  I didn't cafe them, but I sure ran the p*ss out of them and drove them like cafe racers.  I used standard bars and learned to drive with the elbows on the tank sides and feet on the rear pegs.   Could do 98 indicated on the flat roads.  97 with two on in the crouch.  Dang near rear ended a slower car at night back in 67 when I misjudged the closing speed.  Passed it with mere inches to spare.  Although I wouldn't admit it at the time, scared myself pretty good on that bike.  Not sure why I'm alive today.  

Cheers,

[Ecosse]

Love that side by side! Nice subject for art piece.

TT that story gave a good laugh, thanks.

BTW: I think there's something to what a Cafe traditionally is and how replica racers can fall still into the category. Unfortunately some may feel they don't have a "proper" Cafe unless it's got clubmans, rearsets, and a 'glass bumstop.

Coming from a hot rod background I feel there's room for all within a definition- no need to get snobbish. I see plenty of that on some Brit bike sites.

[HondanutRider]

Yer right BB! Kudos to you HondanutRider and the rest for holding onto your bikes for so long. Regret is a b!tch and I regret selling some old iron.

Nice thread TT!

Maybe this should be a new thread!

Regrets...I have only one that got away.  It was my first ride (the Super Hawk was my second) which was a little blue 55cc Super Cub.  The other year I got hold of a basket case and fixed it all up pretty in red, to add to my collection.  I learned from listening to my dad sob as he told about his first car that he wished he had kept - a '29 Terriplane with big wood-spoked wheels.  So I kept mine...a 1965 Austin Healey 3000, and the Hawk (and the gal that sat on it shortly after when I first had it).

[Ecosse]

Sorry for the brief divergence TT. Very cool helmet and jacket 'Rider. Question: is the arm patch like this one? Just curious.

[HondanutRider]

Sorry for the brief divergence TT. Very cool helmet and jacket 'Rider. Question: is the arm patch like this one? Just curious.

Nope, that's not the patch.  I still got the jacket and it's a university one with the school crest on that side showing.  The other side is better as it has my year on it along with the engineering faculty motto in Latin: "QUIS DOLOR CUI DOLIUM" - which translates liberally as: "What the hell, as long as the beer is free".

[bwaller]

Rider, I still have my first helmet which by the way is the same as your passengers. It was better than nothing......well actually no, it was about as bad as having nothing at all. 

[TwoTired]

So, with the limited responses, I reworded the question.
Who has the oldest "cafe'd" bike here? When was it converted?

Further, how long has anyone kept their converted cafe bike before selling it off?

Cheers,

[billybobobrain]

Yer right BB! Kudos to you HondanutRider and the rest for holding onto your bikes for so long. Regret is a b!tch and I regret selling some old iron.

Nice thread TT!

DITO!

[mrbreeze]

Back around 1977-78.....my good friend Harley got a totally awesome 74' 900 Kawi Z1 from his older brother that was a San Jose police sargent.This guy always had fancy and exotic cars......had an old Shelby 500 when I was in high school....an old Ferrari.....others also.
So anyways....he sells this Z bike to Harley. Nobody had cafe'd bikes in the Bay Area at that time and this bike was cafe'd to the hilt except for seat and tank.It had rear-sets,clip-on bars,real cool lookin' bullit faring.The exhaust was a real cool 4 to 1 that collected on the right side and exited on the left (don't remember who made that pipe).Harley sells it to my friend Robin and Robin lays it down on the off ramp from 101 south going onto 17 north.......wiped out the right side rear set,the faring, and the exhaust.I ended up buying it and switching back to stock.....handle bars,longer cables,stock pegs,Jardine 4 to 2 pipes........loved that bike and wish I had some pics of it when it was cafe'd.I only have one pic of it....I think it still had the rear-sets...will have to look.

[lrutt]

My 76k was cafe'd back in the late 70's / early 80's. Had oil cooler, 4-1, bars, 1/4 fairing. I've since put it all back stock. Oddly enough no pics of it all cafe'd. I have one of it with some aftermarket pipes on it but that's it.

Now my 77 Guzzi Lemans, factory cafe. That is sweet.

[tsflstb]

Some of you guys were doing vintage roadracing back before it was vintage.

I started messing with my 400F in 2003.  I just wanted a simple, lightweight machine that handled well.  I don't depend on motorcycles for daily transportation, so it's easier to live with the compromises.

Most of the long term survivors are probably the featherbed Nortons, Triton, Vincents, etc. that were built and owned by more "mature" riders.  The more accessible Japanese bikes that were cafe'd or club raced in the 80's probably suffered some sort of mechanical issues from hard use if they weren't tossed in a ditch first.  Their owners then moved on to newer technology and repeated the process.  I guess this is the reason you don't see many nice 10 year old GSXR's around.