Topic: XR and WR Cafe bikes at NYC Javett Center Moto show

[flipprboi]

Yes these were Dirt bikes/trail bikes/Enduros/dual purpose.

Honda XR400


Yamaha WR450


I bet you these bikes handles great. I have a XR400 converted to a supermotard and just love how light, quick and easy it is to  handle especially on tight turns. I have a feeling that soon dirt bikes will be the new platform for cafe racers especially how old  bikes are becoming hard to get by. Might have to lower the bike a little bit more but it has a lot of potential. What do you guys think? 

Benjie

- thanks to
Nathan Coutts of
Tallulah Motorcycling Brooklyn, NY

for sharing me the pics

[Industrial Rat400f Killer]

I saw those here in Seattle when the show came through. I've been looking for a cheap XR650L to do something similar.

[my78k]

The WR has some promise but I would say either ditch the seat/bag combo or the painted caliper/rotor. They don't compliment eachother at all....

Dennis

[rbmgf7]

yeah, i'm in the market for a dual sport bike since i like to be in the dirt as much as i do on the street. check out the TW200. now those would make some sweet cafe-motard bikes with that 200+ size tire on the back.

[sparty]

yeah, i'm in the market for a dual sport bike since i like to be in the dirt as much as i do on the street. check out the TW200. now those would make some sweet cafe-motard bikes with that 200+ size tire on the back.

A TW200 would be a nice bike to cafe, but would take big $$$ to get that engine to run a ton. Stock they just click over 70MPH.  All cafe's IMO must hit a ton easily or you just have a cafe' look-a-like.

[fuzzybutt]

i'm in love with that xr400. wonder how cheaply i can acquire one around here..........

[ProTeal55]

I def. agree that the whole dirtbike/motard/cafe thing is def. starting to catch on with the builds I have seen as of late..

[flipprboi]

more info bout the bikes:   

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/12/smoking-seagulls-single-out-im.html#more

[Geeto67]

they look pretty but that is what they were designed to do, as bikes they are garbage. I had the chance to "get intimate" with Roland's bike (missing from those pics because we were at a gallery a couple of blocks away with it and did not return it till sat) and all I can tell you is they are built to be stared at. The riding position was awful, part of that was to be expected since I am a foot taller (at least) than roland, but others closer in height to him said the same.

As for handeling I can't say, but the benelli and ducati 250 GP racebikes we had that night had better turning radiuses than that thing and race bikes are not supposed to have good turning radiuses.

The build quality on it was kinda thrown together but I imagine that is probably from being carted around from city to city. 

[Geeto67]

oh you can read about the gallery show here:

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2009/01/function-through-form-brings-m.html

BTW, Roland is a really nice guy.

As for the party, one of the cooler things I can show you guys soon is the sketch JT Nesbit came up with for my next CB750 SOHC project - it is pretty cool and I just may do it.....I'll see if I can find a scanner to scan it in to the computermachine.

[Industrial Rat400f Killer]

I think they are supposed to look thrown together aren't they? Maybe I'm wrong but I thought they were a variation of the rat rod. Neat looking, but thrown together with whatever is laying around.

[Geeto67]

I think they are supposed to look thrown together aren't they? Maybe I'm wrong but I thought they were a variation of the rat rod. Neat looking, but thrown together with whatever is laying around.

yeah except that most of the stuff on them is handmade metal (one of them has a cb400 tank though). RSD's bike has all handmade bodywork but it rattles and clanks when you push the bike around - it isn't really bolted down. The kickstarter hits the exhaust in several places. Plus instead of a tread they used racing slicks and just carved pithy phrases into the center of the tire. These are not functional motorcycles they are design studies meant to be gawked at.

[Industrial Rat400f Killer]

I got the impresion they were more for looking at too and they do cross the line between thrown together and impressive craftsmanship.  I mean the custom leather is definitely not something just laying around, but the cb400 tank seemed like it might have been something laying around. When I looked at them up close it was obvious they weren't really for riding. I think what I like most about them is the idea of blending dirt with cafe. If I get enough money together to do something similar riding will come first but looks will play some part in the design.

[Retro Rocket]

There was a guy in Australia that raced something like these bikes in the Aus road racing championships, can't remember his name, Terry may know, and he took out the championship a couple of times. I think the bike was a KTM 495, it beat plenty of 1000cc FZR's and such, it was amazing in the corners, he used to ride around the outside of most of the bigger bikes.

Mick

[Geeto67]

dirt bike motors as the basis for road racers are not a new concept, there are plenty here in the states. RSD is pitching a whole road racing class built around a converted 450 single.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/16/221/Motorcycle-Article/2008-RSD-450-SuperSingles-First-Ride.aspx

the problem with converting a dirtbike to a cafe bike is that dirt bikes are not always road legal.

[Industrial Rat400f Killer]

Thanks for the link. I really like the way they look without the fairing. That's pretty close to what I want to do but with a more traditional cafe tank, seat and rear fender.
I am also looking to get an dual purpose bike that already has plates so the road legal thing would be a non-issue.
Right know the XR650L is what I have in mind but when the time comes I might go for something different. I haven't researched the suspension yet so I might be way off base on what I think will work.
I want to shorten the rear so the swing sits a little straighter and then put shorter forks on it too. If I knew how to photo shop I'd mock up a pic.

[MikeB]

Hey I Love that Idea !
was going to sell my xr after i get the cb650 running
but always loved the way it handled in the canyons around here