Topic: I'm new to the Honda CB750 scene - so I ask this question.....

[Objectionableone]

When is a bike officially a cafe racer, a bobber or a chopper? Some of the bikes are obvious (for example, a 7' long girder front end is a chopper), but is there one thing (or more) that cause a bike to be defined as one or the other. 

The CB750 is such a universal bike that people do seem to do everything with them.  My other bikes (GSXR's & Yamaha RD's) really don't lend themselves to different categories as easily.

Ben

[Lumbee]

...yea, its pretty subjective. Its seems to me CB750 folks fall into 3 camps:

Purists-these folks believe the bike should be left as it came off the show room floor.  In the event of a restore the restorer should make every effort to restore the bike to its original parts.  If parts cannot be obtained it should be restored to the true "spirit" in which the bike was built.

Cafe-These guys are most concerned with performance, and any modifications are made in the name of allowing the bike to reach its peak performance in a track or race setting.  This applies to engine mods as well as changing the body.

Chopper Hedz-These are the mavricks.  They will bastardize, chop, weld, glue, tape...whatever to acheive the look THEY want.  Their are some good looking chops out there, and then we'v all seen the the straight getto/redneck chop.  Either way its an expression of the rider.

So what makes a cafe/bobber or chopper?  Look at the bike and ask yourself which of the above applies, then you have your answer.

[Japbikemike]

...yea, its pretty subjective. Its seems to me CB750 folks fall into 3 camps:

I agree to the big three.  Cafe need not be entirely performance driven, they look cool too.

[dusterdude]

...yea, its pretty subjective. Its seems to me CB750 folks fall into 3 camps:

Purists-these folks believe the bike should be left as it came off the show room floor.  In the event of a restore the restorer should make every effort to restore the bike to its original parts.  If parts cannot be obtained it should be restored to the true "spirit" in which the bike was built.

Cafe-These guys are most concerned with performance, and any modifications are made in the name of allowing the bike to reach its peak performance in a track or race setting.  This applies to engine mods as well as changing the body.

Chopper Hedz-These are the mavricks.  They will bastardize, chop, weld, glue, tape...whatever to acheive the look THEY want.  Their are some good looking chops out there, and then we'v all seen the the straight getto/redneck chop.  Either way its an expression of the rider.

So what makes a cafe/bobber or chopper?  Look at the bike and ask yourself which of the above applies, then you have your answer.

redneck?,hmmmm wonder if i should be offended 

[cbjunkie]

DD,
hey - i thought they call'em hillbilly's where y'all are from...

 

[dusterdude]

junkie,im live in VIRGINIA not WEST VIRGINIA

[cbjunkie]

aaa! dude, i am really sorry man - everybody knows the VA redneck is second only to the MS redneck... 

[dusterdude]

man you`re hopeless 

[grumburg]

Does it mean I am a purist if I want to paint my nuts yellow?

[ProTeal55]

I am kinda going for a Cafe/Bobber/Streetfighter look on my CB.

All CB's are cool , they are just another way to express yourself.
It is YOUR bike, you should make it how YOU want.....

[Bob Wessner]

[Does it mean I am a purist if I want to paint my nuts yellow?

I don't know about purest, but certainly strange. 

[TwoTired]

I'm thinkin' there is at least one more category...

Cafe- poser. 
These are bikes made to LOOK like a cafe racer.  But, the mods are primarily for it looking good parked, instead of operational performance.

[Teach]

It's all in what you want to call it...when explaining what I'm doing to my CB750F to folks that are unwashed I usually use the word "custom" instead of "cafe".  For no other reason than I don't want to have to explain what a cafe racer is; I tried it at first but most folks eyes start to glaze over after just a sentence or two.

To paraphrase a common biker mantra, "It's not what kind of SOHC4 you ride, it's that you ride a SOHC4."

[Quail "Owner of the comfortable k8"]

Does it mean I am a purist if I want to paint my nuts yellow?

Thats funny I have had the desire to paint my nuts yellow too?   It makes you think don't it!  Has your ass been sore and you seem to pick up radio waves?  I have been humming a tune I call "alien rectal probe".    The answer is out there!!!!!

[mutters]

Use iodine. Paint em once and paint em good!!

[74cb750]

Seeing as my main ride, 75 cb750 has mostly rust colors, mostly caused by rust, I would call mine not a cafe, but a
"Rust-a-bout". Get it? Get it?

[Terry in Australia]

Seeing as my main ride, 75 cb750 has mostly rust colors, mostly caused by rust, I would call mine not a cafe, but a
"Rust-a-bout". Get it? Get it?

That was truly awful Michel...............

I'm thinkin' there is at least one more category...

Cafe- poser.
These are bikes made to LOOK like a cafe racer. But, the mods are primarily for it looking good parked, instead of operational performance.

In actual fact, a real "Cafe Racer" was never more than just that, a "pose bike". They were certainly never anything like the CR750 race bikes or the brilliant Mike Rieck's creations, they were basically a stock bike with a set of ace bars and a loud pipe.

If you look closely at Carpy's Cafe racer website, you'll see that his bikes are pretty true to this genre, as he was actually there when Cafe Racers were born. They are "tarted up" with trick paint jobs and sometimes fibreglass tank/seat units, but apart from the obvious aesthetic changes, there are no real "performance" mods to speak of, in a lot of cases they even run standard rear suspension!

You need to remember that the original "Cafe Racers" were mostly greasy haired English kids riding whatever they could get their hands on in a time not too long after WW2 when Britain's economy was still recovering, so a "performance" mod back then might have been something as simple as a better tire or a home made exhaust. A "Cafe Racer" should never be confused with some of the beautiful factory racers (and replica's) that some of our fellow CB'ers have committed so much blood, sweat and tears to create and maintain. Credit where it's due............. Cheers, Terry.      

[cbjunkie]

"greasy haired English kids riding whatever they could get their hands on..."

thank goodness for'em, too...truth is there's not much more to me! cept i'm not English...

one day, when i must, i'll be a mechanic, too...and i look forward to it.

[Raul CB750K1]

I think I fall in a fourth category: I don't like to make any modification to my CB, nor chopper not cafe style, but don't care about as-showroom condition. For me, the bikes are built to be ridden, and that's what they're gonna do, one of these days these bikes are gonna run.....ops, I'm digressing.


If I have to replace a broken or worn out part, then so be it. If I find an original part, then great. If it is so expensive or unobtainable, then let's go for a substitute. If you spend a lot of time and money in a restoration then you won't ride the bike, and though I find it worth of pride to sit back and admire your resto job, but then it's better to restore furniture.


Raul

[eldar]

I go with raul on this one. I dont do resto, cafe, or chop.

[dusterdude]

I go with raul on this one. I dont do resto, cafe, or chop.

yea,who would resto,cafe,or chop a k8

[Uncle Ernie]

It's my understanding that the British "cafe racer" is the equivalent of the American "bobber". Both were wishful thinking, but to an extent, less weight does equal more speed.  I think it would be difficult to have a new bobber, as it basically applied to older, heavier American bikes.
I'm a poser. However, riding in that position FEELS faster.  If I ever get it together, I want to do a poser job on my 400.  The dang carbs are so screwed up, I'm scared to death to try any mods.

[heffay]

I'm thinkin' there is at least one more category...

Cafe- poser. 
These are bikes made to LOOK like a cafe racer.  But, the mods are primarily for it looking good parked, instead of operational performance.

all right... two tired... you've said many things that, honestly, piss me off.  but, really... think of the term, cafe?  what does it mean?  it sits in front of the cafe and looks damn good!

btw... take my remarks w/ a grain of salt.