Good Choice for a Cafe Build?

[dardoonk]

Good one like where your heads at! I had been looking into doing what Dardoonk and 8Track did with rearsets, but refuse to give up my kickstarter.

I am working on figuring that out. I WILL end up with a kicker when it's all said & done.

[TheCafeKid]

hehe. well when you figure it out, share. But i think i may have an idea. Just not entirely sure how to impliment it yet. Also, as an aside, the battery relocation will happen, but not untill next winter ive decided. I want to get it done for the spring, and i've a bunch of stuff to do, i dont need another thing on the plate right now.

[Zooks]

Good one like where your heads at! I had been looking into doing what Dardoonk and 8Track did with rearsets, but refuse to give up my kickstarter.

Remake the kick starter so that it clears the rear sets or make the brake pedal fold up. A lot of old Pommie bikes had a folding brake pedal so that the starter would clear it.

I agree about the Honda thing too - nice bikes but overdone. That's why I bought an XS500. They are quite a rare little beasty.

I think heaps of bikes from the 80's would lend themselves to Cafe style - Honda CB, CX, VF, VT, Yamaha FJ, XS, XJ, XV, SR, Kawasaki GPZ and of course Suzuki GS.

[Mark M]

BAH! It is pretty indeed. But im sick of the SOHC Hondas being all anyone ever does.

<snip>

Ok Rant over..sorry...

Don't hold back, tell us what you really think!:shock::-D

I agree on the Hondas. Actually, any Honda. They just don't speak to me. What I like about Carpy's cafes is the work, not the platform. The CR is an exception because of the history that model has. That's why I am on a GS site instead of a Honda site...

That said, a GS built like Carpy's CB cafe bikes would awesome. I will keep thinking about it and eventually the right bike will come up for sale when I have cash in hand to buy it.

My other option is to build a custom chassis for an RD400 engine I have access to and make a super light 2 smoke cafe special out of it. That would definitely get the full USD forks/17" wheel/radial tires/big brake treatment. At least it would have a kickstarter...:-D

Either way, it's a lot of work. Very satisfying as well, though.

Mark

[hampshirehog]

having said that a kick start is essential, one of the best cafe racers i've ever seen is a........BMW. Pig ugly and clonky engine but when you see what this guy's done. Real minimalist and aggressive. I've got a R100RT shed awaiting this treatment (been waiting about 5 years but I'll get round to it).

[Ed Vrolijk]

Beemer

If you guys like to know more about that wonderfull BMW, this is the site:

http://www.teamincomplete.com/Boxer/boxerhome.html

Amazing what they have done.
Greetings from the other side of the ocean,
Ed

[Pete Logan]

Just looking through that site brings up a subject we've seen before about tubeless tires on spoked wheels.

They use household silicon to seal the inside of the rim and then run without tubes. Apparently a common classic racer practice, and he says he's been running the bike like that for three years without problems.

Interesting - or it would be if I had any spokes :-D

[Hap Call]

... Everyone and their mother has a CB cafe....

And my mother kicks my arse with her CB750 cafe everytime we have a track day together!!!!


It's kind of embarassing!


Hap

[darkbane]

I'm a fan of Carpy's CB's. He does a great job. I like the look of a well done CB750 Cafe, but it is great to see what people can come up with on other bikes, whether it's a classic British bike or a newer Jap bike.

That's one of the reasons why I try to do as much as I can on my GS650, because people never know what it is, they're not expecting a Suzuki. Granted mine isn't the greatest platform for a Cafe Bike with the shaft drive and no option of spoke wheels, electric start, etc. It's unique and I think a lot of people, especially those in the scene, appreciate that more, because they've seen a nicely done CB a hundred times, but barely ever see a GS done up. So I try to keep that as my inspiration to keep working on mine.

I don't have a problem with pre-made parts for cafe bikes. Some people don't have the option, tools, or the know-how to fabricate. I just think it's all in how you use those parts and combine them for an over all look. If you're just going to take a stock bike, throw some clubman bars and a bullet fairing on it, then no, you're not really trying....you're just buying accessories, but if you going threw the whole bike striping off whats not needed, taking a minimalists approach and making a lean and mean machine, then use what resources and parts you have to accomplish your concept. I have respect for that.
I don't have a brain full of Motorcycle Knowledge, but I do what I can with what I know.

Cheers

[TheCafeKid]

My point was more of one that everyone makes bolt on parts for CBs. Im not knocking those who dont have the know how as i said. Ive had a couple CBs. Ive used bolt on parts. But this GS has been a better, more fulfilling experience for me, simply because, ONE im NOT a fabricator really. I had to learn or have someone show me ways of doing just about everything ive done to it. TWO, I did everything to it. Its been a b!tch sometimes, and frustrating as well. But i think i will get more satisfaction out of it in the end than i did with the CBs. again, this is all just my opinion.

And Hap..tell your mom we'll go for pinks, her Honda and my GS any day of the week*:-D

[pntrdave]

Ok so I'm ready for a little education.... Can you guys please list the differences between Cafe Racer and street fighter. Possibly with pictures.

[darkbane]

Here's a little Wikipedia action:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafe_racer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetfighter

The way I look at it is that a Streetfighter is today (on more modern bikes), what Cafe Racers where back in the 50's (on what are now classic bikes). Cafe Racers/Streetfighters are stripped down to bare minimum and modified engines to get the best performance and power to weight ratio.

Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvWBXHRIauA

Cafe Racers seem to have an overall culture along with it, to where a Street Fighter doesn't seem to have that, at least I've never really seen a Street Fighter culture around Chicago.

[TheCafeKid]

Cafe racers and street fighters. Well, to start there is ALOT of history, and culture as darkbane said behind the cafe racer, but if you want to get down to the bare bones of it, as far as a bike goes, IMO

Cafe Racer: Stripped, modded, lightened and nothing on it that doesnt make it go stop or turn faster, using PERIOD parts, or at least building period parts, with period tech. You'll find no turbos, big diameter USD forks, monoshocks or any such modern acutrements on a cafe racer.

Street Fighter: Same as above, except using modern components on an old school bike, or a modern bike. You'll often see those USD forks, monoshocks, wider rims and modern rubber, as well as anything that can be converted to aluminum for weight savings. Usually, if its a more modern bike, all the plastic will be stripped off.

There are some amazing bikes produced by both sides. But i think one of the draws for me to the cafe scene was the history, culture and attitude behind it. After all, alot of the bikes you see today may not have been ever built if it wasnt for the Ton Up Boys way back when.

[Commodus]

I'm getting more and more captivated with the cafe specials I have seen lately and am starting to think I need one of my own. I am not going to chop up my 1100E for this and want to buy a rat bike solely for the purpose of chopping it up. Many of the bikes on cb750cafe.com are where I want to end up, they are amazing pieces of work.

Question is - are there some models/years that are better than others for this? I am partial to the 80-82 750E's as a starting point, any reason not to go there? I am in no hurry, if it takes 6 months to find a bike, no problem.

Thoughts/opinions/choices/etc.?

Thanks,
Mark

I'd do a 550 with 650 jugs. Get the earlier, VM carbs for easy jetting when you inevitably ditch the airbox. Chain drive, so you can run whatever wheels you want - spoked, inevitably.

The 750s are easier to hop up, mostly because you can buy the flat-slides for 'em. But I think a 550 would be truer to the look, lighter too.

[darkbane]

Does the 80-82 have a kick start? My 83 650 doesn't. Kick start gives the bike a much cooler look. Plus you look cool kicking your bike.