Cafe Forum

[Grimly]

I have been contacted by a few other GS Resourse menbers about seeing if it was possible to add a Cafe forum to the already vast group of addicts that are trying to create a "cafe racer" type of bike and introduce themselves as new gs owners get turned off by other members puting them down for cutting up a nice bike. They are just another builder making something that they like and they are still keeping the GS series of bikes alive just in another fashion. So who gets the final say when it come to adding another group the the GS Resource site?

Oh hell, why not? After all, when the factories started producing 'Custom' motorcycles, I just about spit with derision, yet years later ended up owning one (but not left that way for long) and at least the Cafe styling is personal sawzall, not factory. Hey, it's kind of like all those 'chopper' builders back then.

Personally I don't see why there shouldn't be a forum for cafes, there seems to be steady interest in them at least for now, and there's not much to lose by trying. Maybe we could get Ichiban Moto to moderate it.

Jeez, do you want a trail of bodies, as they try to clean out their fuel tanks with matches?

[Allie]

Jeez, do you want a trail of bodies, as they try to clean out their fuel tanks with matches?

I suppose you'd have people blow themselves up when they throw down with their hand drill powered grinding wheels on a tank that still has fuel vapor in it??

[Grimly]

I suppose you'd have people blow themselves up when they throw down with their hand drill powered grinding wheels on a tank that still has fuel vapor in it??

Of course not; that's what the matches are for.

[Allie]

Exactlically.

[jbird7262]

@ GS-cafe... thats how I aquired mine as well, p/o had already had it for 3 years, starting as a original until he hit a deer and that prompted the the re-build, now I continue to update and refresh.

[Lorenzo]

Why don't we try and cater for all the tastes and sensibilities, by for instance, opening a cafe'-racer subforum, but in the same time, setting the bar for access to it, to the agreed understanding (I myself am doing cafe' of the english language ) that the underlaying condition will be that not an ounce of metal can be chopped off the bike, the challenge being to dress the shape of the bike as it is, without par example, having to resort to relocate the registration, in a position all too often seen, i.e. off the longitudinal bisector line of the vehicle --which in countries such us mine, is against the traffic laws -- or employing silly "lights" both front and rear, just because there ain't enough turf or the shape was not thought in advance, or by builidng a pleasing to the eye machine, but an antagonistic to the human ergonomics one.

Couple of weeks ago, I approached a rider/builder at a traffic light, riding an "imperial" bike, you know, the ones with 45° [sic] V engines... and he just looked catawampus, courtesy of a bobber seat (the ones spring supported) made by himself out of metal ( yes he was riding on bare metal ), a too far away buckhorn handlebar and too high footrests... I asked him if he was comfortable in it and, he said, as if he was talking to his inner-self: " well, not quite, I made this too... and that too... ".

After a brief exchange of ideas, we took leave, with him promising to strive and correct the obvious faults of the bike.

So, I think it would be ok to see threads about "tank knee-indenting" but even better, to see ones, about tank building " a' la R. Cowell " or about building rear sets, or playing with a tube-bender, about tig welding, pipe building, rounding a fender by the means of an english weel and soooo on...

...but, the bike as to remain in a reversible state.

So, what do you all think about it ?

[tkent02]

So, what do you all think about it ?

Way too hard.

I just look at pictures anyway.

[Lorenzo]

A trip of a thousand miles, starts with a step...

[GS-cafe]

setting the bar for access to it, to the agreed understanding that the underlaying condition will be that not an ounce of metal can be chopped off the bike,

well, that rules me out

[G-3]

Me too, I love my bike but she had to go on a diet!

[tkent02]

Not an ounce cut off??? That's how cafe's got started, by cutting off every single ounce that didn't help the bike accelerate, brake or corner.

[Allie]

So, what do you all think about it ?

Too specialized. It sounds like micro managing.

[Grimly]

...but, the bike as to remain in a reversible state.

So, what do you all think about it ?

<shrug>
In a nutshell, that's about my take on it. However, somebody's property is theirs to do what they like with and I wouldn't stand in the way of that.
My own philosophy is that I'll not de-lug or cut the frame and prefer leave it in a restorable state if my bike(s) ever fall into the hands of someone who wants to actually restore them. All the bits I take off are put in boxes for future use, unless they're utterly knackered and past restoration entirely. It's not that difficult to create something that retains all or most of the fittings, yet looks quite different.
One thing that weighs with me, is that most of the bikes we're involved with here are slowly diminishing in number, year by year, and while there are many thousands of some models still left, some are already very rare.

[tkent02]

Mostly cafes come from Ls, since there's no other good use for them.

Cut away, the L feel no pain!

[Lorenzo]

Gs-cafe, G-3
my intervention was not designed to divide people but, to possibly find a common ground on which each and everyone outlook on what to do with their own property, would not create frictions with other members;

tkent02
tell me exactly how do you expect to turn a 2,77 power2weight ratio machine, maybe shaft driven, designed and engineered to offer a more than decent transport, in a wide spectrum of possible uses (chasing twists, touring two up etc.) into a rocket, by hacking at some brackets or just tell me what, maybe the pillion footrest, the horn, what?

I did not exactly say, one, cannot install 41mm forks, play with trail, put better shocks, different tires, more gripping brakes, different carbs, rebore the engine, and wathever...

Now that I think better tkent02...

Not an ounce cut off??? That's how cafe's got started, by cutting off every single ounce that didn't help the bike accelerate, brake or corner.

...if the objective of it all, is to play with your stuff, the way you are entitled to, as an act of freedom, or more aptly, as a display of your engineering capabilities or rampant style flair, why then, you get yourself in a jail of tenets, dognas, precepts of how a type of bike (cafe-racer in this instance) should be built to comply with the "standard"??

And you also might understand

That's how cafe's got started,

the position diametrically opposite to yours, of people who righteously so, say "thats how a GS was meant to be.."

nothing personal











from the sohc forum




by the way, as anyone got a spare Giulari?