Cafe Racer
- Thread starter blkrover
- Start date
I watched that show. Been looking for a 1968-72 CB350 worthy of cafe'ing for a long time now. I imagined there was probably only one person in the world with that tattoo. He did seem a bit douchy.
Sweet looking cafe racer. Not looking to buy currently, just browsing. Like the look of it though.
http://fredericksburg.craigslist.org/mcy/2101549874.html
http://fredericksburg.craigslist.org/mcy/2101549874.html
Its what they did in the 50s and 60s. It was the origins of the sport bike. They took Triumphs, Nortons, BSA's, etc..., stripped them to the bare essentials and would race eachother to the next cafe or gathering place. Their goal was to do the "ton" (100 mph). It caught on and motorcycle racing picked up from there. No more gay than Nascar starting as shine running or NHRA starting from drag racing on the streets.
I had a '65 BSA that I cafe'd. It was a sweet looking bike. Rode like shit and was hard to steer but it was fun.
I had a '65 BSA that I cafe'd. It was a sweet looking bike. Rode like shit and was hard to steer but it was fun.
I saw part of that, not sure I understood the concept. Is it to recreate an older looking bike, or just strip one down to the simplest essentials?
Viggen said:
The only difference was these guys only worked with what they could make or had laying in their garage. Many of todays racers, like Jason Michael's stuff, if just bolt on bullshit. It's a little too Orange County Choppers... Junk.
Viggen said:
Just to add to this....
British bikes were slow and heavy, cheapest way to improve performance and handling was to remove as much weight as possible and then buy a Japanese bike once they became available
The juke box and rock and roll was an all part of the culture. A popular pass time was to put a song on the jukebox and then attempt to make a run to a know landmark such as a roundabout fast enough to return before the record stopped, which to be successful would require hitting the ton.
Cafe racers were the British equivalent of the American Hot Rod culture, cars were just too expensive.
True to some extent IMO, but there is a difference between building something that looks good, sounds good like a car, bike, truck which is functional as opposed to building something that is purely for show. I personally like the Cafe Racer look. It doesn't have to have some latest and greatest/trendiest stuff on it, just a bare bones looking bike type deal.jhmover said:
D90DC said:
I have not seen the bike referred to by the OP, but as a former owner of a couple of Brit & a CB750 cafe racers, if he has hung a bunch of extraneous sh!t on it, its not a cafe bike. Minimalist equipment only to enhance performance is the key here.