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Has anyone ever converted to cafe racer?

  • Thread starter Thread starter 46hand
  • Start date Start date
...but I promise you my 850 will leave any twin in the dust in any condition, weight, shaft and all.

Any twin????

SBK-1198SP_2011_Studio_B_C01_%5B1920x1280%5D.mediagallery_output_image_%5B750x423%5D.png




:D;):p
 
Oh I know.
I thought about that after I typed it but thought, F it.
 
As mentioned, getting technical about it, a cafe is built on a parallel twin bike along the lines of the BSA, Triumph, Nortons etc that started it all in the 50 and 60s over in Limeyland. Having said that, anything goes and while some take better to it than others (in my mind that would be almost anything other than an inline 4) all can turn out nicely with a bit of planning and an eye for detail, like Octain's bike.

A few years back I was dead keen on building an XS650 cafe which might be the best known platform used for the resurgence in this style. Once I started it I realised that due to health issues it wouldn't work for me so I converted to the more upright StreetTracker. It was a fun build and a fun bike when finished.

More recently, I've been getting excited about the CX500 or 650 v-twins that look like mini Guzzis when done. The engine is silky smooth and to me sounds like a real bike and I've kind of fallen for them. Despite the style being hard on my body, that might be my next winter project. They too are a shaftie so I wouldn't worry about that.

Do what turns you on but for goodness sake keep it safe. I hate it when I see guys take off front disks or leave off turn signals or put on the smallest brake light just for the looks. Looking too cool can kill you.

Break out the cutting equipment and lets see what you come up with.

Good luck,
Spyug
 
Wow, that is pretty awesome looking. I am toying with the idea as yet, may pull the trigger this winter, or if I get something else to ride in the mean time. If I decide to do this I reserve the right to hit you up for advice ;)
 
Was interested in this thread, and me being from"Limeyland"as one of the posters called it, well we invented the cafe racer...and the style was the type of bike used to race from cafe to cafe: like for example the Ace Cafe on the North Circular in London.

It was not just twins though, one famous racer that was a factory cafe bike was the expensive BSA DBD34 Gold Star, and the Norton International - both 500 singles.

Cafe racers in the 1970s were also very popular, I have an American Magazine that is dedicated to them - I'll post pictures if you like. You can"cafe"anything, but I don't agree that you should...I think the big GS's lend themselves better to the Wes Cooley look.

Always interested in what you guys call things...a headlamp"bucket"is a headlamp shell guys -"two great nations divided by a common language": Winston Churchill:).

Prufrock.
 
Was interested in this thread, and me being from"Limeyland"as one of the posters called it, well we invented the cafe racer...and the style was the type of bike used to race from cafe to cafe: like for example the Ace Cafe on the North Circular in London.

It was not just twins though, one famous racer that was a factory cafe bike was the expensive BSA DBD34 Gold Star, and the Norton International - both 500 singles.

Cafe racers in the 1970s were also very popular, I have an American Magazine that is dedicated to them - I'll post pictures if you like. You can"cafe"anything, but I don't agree that you should...I think the big GS's lend themselves better to the Wes Cooley look.

Always interested in what you guys call things...a headlamp"bucket"is a headlamp shell guys -"two great nations divided by a common language": Winston Churchill:).

Prufrock.
Headlamp shell? I call it a headlight bucket :rolleyes:. Then you guys call fenders mudguards. Etc, etc...

Yup, completely agree with you.
 
Headlamp shell? I call it a headlight bucket :rolleyes:. Then you guys call fenders mudguards. Etc, etc...

Yup, completely agree with you.

Fender = guitar brand over here... mudguard's a mudguard... fuel tap is a fuel tap...

My favourite little gem is petcock... (and I know I've said this before) that's a friendly rooster over here...

Either way, a cafe is a cafe, and they look sweet when well done :D
 
Fender = guitar brand over here... mudguard's a mudguard... fuel tap is a fuel tap...

My favourite little gem is petcock... (and I know I've said this before) that's a friendly rooster over here...

Either way, a cafe is a cafe, and they look sweet when well done :D
You guys also put "u's" in random places when you type.




:p
 
So what do you guys consider the difference between a cafe and a streetfighter? Because to me a cafe is a bare bones twin, and everything else going for the look is a fighter.
 
Streetfighter, a faired bike dumped too many times, so all the plastic removed, and some other crap done to make it look tough or badass. Cafe, small bike made to be as fast as possible, likely on a budget. Nothing there that doesn't help it corner, stop, or go. If it looks nice, that's fine but looks is really secondary to performance.
 
I cafe'd my gs1000, but im afraid to post the build, because I'm sure many will hate me

20110609105109.jpg
 
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Redplastic.

I also hate you. Mostly because I wish my bike looked like that :clap:

Please post up some more pictures. :pray:
 
build thread here..but its on another site...Ill post the build thread later on, only if you promise not to hate me too much.

4757c0dc-a6b5-36f0.jpg

4757c0dc-a6c3-3370.jpg
 
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I skimmed through your thread on DTT.

It's OK everyone... he started with an L :D

Seriously post your build up. I don't think anyone will hate you for fixing an L.

Back to the original poster, I found a street fighter-ed 850G. Here's the link.

http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32359

He mounted up GSXR front end and rear wheel as was able to mate the spline to the rear wheel. He also made a custom mono shock swinger for it. Anything is possible if you have the time / skills.
 
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