Topic: WTF

[Bankerdanny]

Seriously, I am watching Cafe Racer and the lead off with some asshat hotrodder who has decided he wants to build cafe bikes cutting up a perfectly running, 95% intact, 1-owner K0. And the one owner stood by and watched.

I can't recall the last time I saw something on TV that pissed me off more. It's almost enough to get me to stop watching the show.

[alfego]

It didn't seem right to me either.  Especially when they showed another guy who said he had 7 or 8 old CB750's that he would have given the hacker had he known he was gonna do that.  That was a beautiful bike he cut up.
I don't get it.  There are plenty of junkers out there that would have made a bit more since to hack up.

Alfego

[Popwood]

With TV, it's all about entertainment value. Has nothing to do with anything close to a moral question or right thing/wrong thing to do. Mourn the loss but that's the culture we live in. In mass culture, there's little value placed on vintage unless someone declares it "cool."
Stop watching? You register your protest that way but it likely won't be counted; but at least you'll feel better. Seems these days we all need to take stands on one thing or another.

[Bankerdanny]

I couldn't watch, I fast forwarded through it.

[alfego]

Show #2 and the hacker has cut the beautiful CB750 down to almost nothing!  Is that the same guy who is on Speed's Two Guys Garage, or does he just resemble one of the guys on that show?  Whatever, I don't think I could have witnessed that hack job in person had I been the original owner.  Hell, I take stands on things in all segments of my life anymore, that's because the way I was brought up doesn't much exist anymore, except for a bunch of other old farts I know that are experiencing the same feelings.  The older I get, the less I know. 

Keep riding,
Alfego

[Bankerdanny]

I sent the magazine a nasty e-mail. Ratty 750's are a dime a dozen. Abetting the destruction of that bike was unconscionable.

[Nortstudio]

I read this thread before watching the episode, and wondered if I would have the same reaction.  I'm not a total purist, possibly because the bike I started with didn't resemble the beauty it once had. 

But then I watched the segment with the 750, and I have to say, I was about as appalled as I can be about bikes.  I find it hard to believe that the builder would have done that to a mint car, that may often be used for hot-rod doner.  Just choose the one next to it, rusting a waiting for a new life.

Cheap trick on the part of the show too.  They knew what he was up to, and to have the PO there was strictly for shock value. The builder said it himself, "wasn't sure if he would run up and say, no!". in my mind, that means you should have chosen a different bike.  What a tit.

Poor play.

On a brighter note, I just met one of the other builders featured this year (they showed him in the upcoming clips.  He ended up building a bike for under $1000 using an ATC engine.  Kudos for not chopping someone would cherish.

[Tews19]

I DVR'd the show and at first I was watching it with my wife and told her I think that may be a Sandcast.. I explained the bike to her and she was questioning me as to why would they cut up a bike that rare and valuable.... I told her I have no clue... Maybe because they wanted to make a point of the high miles, great shape and utter sadness in the PO reaction as he watched his beauty be destroyed... I recently got my CB and there is no way I would hack her up... Let alone one that is as rare and valuable as the 750... Sick, I hope the show gets better as the segment of the older gentleman was good but to see the end of the 750 was an act of pure illness.

[Bankerdanny]

I'm going to guess that it was a regular K0 rather than a sandcast, which was really only a small number of the '69 bikes.

But I will admit that the thought crossed my mind. But it sounded like the original owner is a bike collector and likely would have known not to sell a sandcast to someone who might cut it up.

[Tews19]

Let's all be honest with ourselves... While we all had our living rooms packed with CB fellow friends... As the bike was being taken apart we, and all of your living rooms/media rooms/trailer park living room resembled the end of Braveheart.. When Mel Gibson is being torn to pieces and the crowd started to cry and yell mercy... I know the kids and wife were doing the same affect and then had to leave the room as the bike was cut up...

[SohRon]

Really was bothered by the total lack of respect for the old parts, such as when he hacked off the instruments and tossed the KO guages in the dumper. I didn't really care for the total destruction some believe is required for cafe racer conversions, anyway, and this show just pisses me off even more.

Of course, if you check the project page of this site, you'll notice that 99.5% of the projects there are cafe conversions... although, thankfully, most aren't based on rare bikes in great condition.

[72 yellow]

Show #2 and the hacker has cut the beautiful CB750 down to almost nothing!  Is that the same guy who is on Speed's Two Guys Garage, or does he just resemble one of the guys on that show?  Whatever, I don't think I could have witnessed that hack job in person had I been the original owner.  Hell, I take stands on things in all segments of my life anymore, that's because the way I was brought up doesn't much exist anymore, except for a bunch of other old farts I know that are experiencing the same feelings.  The older I get, the less I know. 

Keep riding,
Alfego

Bryan Fuller's website advertises that he will be on the August 3rd episode.  He is one of the hosts of 2 Guys Garage.  They built a CB550 cafe on that show a while back.  I only have basic cable so I can't view the show.

[wardenerd]

What channel is this show on?

[Nortstudio]

HD Theater is the channel is airs on with Direct TV.

[toytuff]

Vent here.

 

http://www.caferacertv.com/blog/

tt

[Nortstudio]

I commented here: http://motopreserve.wordpress.com/

Gotta run, need to get down to the garage to slice up a Picasso

[mrjack55]

I stopped watching these types of shows all together.  There is no reason to watch someone hack up a perfectly good classic car, truck or motorcycle in order to boost their ego.  On Overhaulin, Chip Foose butchers classic cars that were design masterpieces, because "he" sees something else.  Jessie James started it with Monster Garage.  Cut it up and make something else.  He often remarked about how he's going to, "get hate mail for this".  At least when he had West Coast Chopper, he built custom bikes from scratch.  Same deal with the the boys at OCC, mostly scratch built customs.  The show is still pretty much unwatchable, but that just my opinion.

I suggest turning off the TV and turning a wrench.  I've learned way more about these bikes and other  classic beauties that way. 

[KingCustomCycles.com]

+1 mrjack55 !  Get out of the chair and into the garage, make your own way, build your own vision, and let the TV buffoons play their games. I used to get "The Horse" magazine for ideas.  I cancelled that subscription also.  Comcast made a mistake and is beaming me full service cable for free or I wouldn't even know these shows existed.

[bamabiker]

This guy is a car buff.  I wonder if he would have looked so smug if the TV producers got him to slice up a pristine 58 Corvette to make a hot rod mud buggy.  That was the last Cafe show for me.

[Rgconner]

It is almost as bad as this gratuitous destruction of a couple of decent bikes on Son's of Guns.

Granted, they don't know the value of such things, so they can be forgiven out of ignorance.

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/sons-of-guns-biker-shoot-fest.html

[jaguar]

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=90502.25


wonder what everyone thinks now?


I still maintain that is less of a bike then they started with in every aspect other then the "striking" look.

Rear cafes improve a bike as a bike....not as something just to bench race and talk about

[Duanob]

I sent the magazine a nasty e-mail. Ratty 750's are a dime a dozen. Abetting the destruction of that bike was unconscionable.

Post an email address so we can all voice our opinions!

[Duanob]

It is almost as bad as this gratuitous destruction of a couple of decent bikes on Son's of Guns.

Granted, they don't know the value of such things, so they can be forgiven out of ignorance.

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/sons-of-guns-biker-shoot-fest.html

What ignorance? Two of those guys are from OC Choppers! Oh wait, I just answered my own question.

[greenjeans]

Disclaimer:  This is not a paid advertisement.

Wow.... you guys are pissed.   I'm going to take up for that builder (Bryan Fuller) because he is a very close friend of mine.  We went to college together, played ball etc etc.   After he graduated, he knew that he wouldn't be satisfied.  He went back to school at Wyoming Tech, graduated as pretty much their top student and sent applications off to the hot rod builders that he admired.  Started off at SoCal speed shop, worked for Foose as his metal guy before striking off on his own.  He really does have an astounding set of skills.  His design skills (self-taught) are very, very strong.

First off, it's not a sand cast.  Didn't have the original pipes - the seat currently resides on my 75 CB750.  Don't worry, the guages in the trash was just for show - those are headed my way as well.  Tank isn't/wasn't a wrinkle tank.    The original owner knows Bryan as well.  He knew damn well what was going to happen to that bike.  It is a pretty bad-ass machine in it's present state.   Wait until episode 3 & 4.  The previous owner (a former racer) even gets to ride it on an empty track at the Barber Motorsports museum.  Bryan paid the PO $4000 for that bike.  He didn't have to sell it.  It was collecting dust and he felt bad not seeing it on the road.  He knew that Bryan was going to hack it up, but he also knew that Bryan isn't your normal hacker.  He is a world class builder and fabricator.  It will get ridden.  And he did justice to that particular bike.  He's not just a car guy.  He likes, and will pretty much build anything that has wheels and a motor - as long as it's his design. 

Now, I get the "why would you hack up a perfectly good bike ?"   I get it.  It's not like he bought a mint 1969 sandcast.   He bought a good looking, good running bike.  He paid good money for it.  It's his - he can do what he wants to it.

Jaguar....  as far as your comments, I'd have to disagree whole heartedly.   They shaved just over 150 pounds off the original bike.   The brakes are light years ahead of the original.  The suspension is better, especially the rear.    Modern tires.  The motor has an 836 kit and a mild upgrade of the cam.  CR carbs.  I can't see how you'd say that what he's ended up with is less of a bike in every aspect other than looks Really ?    That bike in it's present state is a monster.

I can appreciate that not everyone likes the "cafe" style - heck, truth be told, I'm not particularly a fan of the style, but I can appreciate the cafes that are really well thought out and designed.   

Bamabiker - 58 corvette into a mudbuggy ??     c'mon you can do better than that.    Bryan is one of those guys that only builds what he wants to out of customers cars/bikes etc.   He will build pretty much anything, but you gotta give him carte blanche.

He was actually building that bike before the show got to him.   TV tricks.


I guess all that I can really end with is - "To each their own."     As the show goes on, and you see more of that bike, I think you guys could all agree that it is very well done and would be fun as hell to own and ride.      All 3 of his 'cafe" bikes will be at the  Barber Vintage Festival  this year.   Stop by, introduce yourself - you'll find that when it gets down to it, he is a very gracious and good-hearted guy.   Say hi to me as well - I'll be there with him baby sitting the cooler    

Give the guy a chance.

[crazypj]

I've ridden a lot of bikes, (worked for Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and others)
 Without a fork brace, that thing WILL be dangerous (if you actually ride it instead of posing around)
 Fuller may have 'mad skillz' but he doesn't know what he's doing with bikes.
 Just making a frame 'strong with the wheels in line'  isn't enough to make it handle. 
You know 'they' have no clue when they try and hammer out side stand pivot bolt, can't get much simpler than removing parts properly, little bit of though may have helped?.
Throwing a #$%* ton of money at it hasn't made it 'Koo-wul' (except to a bunch of know nothing  retarded wannabee's)