Cafe Racer

[Mishka]

Or low cost cafe???
More postie style

[Sabre Brian]

I found the bike I want for the base for my first Cafe Racer.  It is a Kawasaki GT550.  It is an ugly old pig of a thing, but it is mechanically good, and runs very well.  When I take delivery, I will take a couple of pics.

[Mishka]

Cool man

Your muse

[Sabre Brian]

A little different to how it will end up but that's the general idea

[Speeddog]

What bike is this?

We can get a similar bike here in the States, but it's far more dorky, and many of the parts appear different.

What about Big Red in Black  with 108 bhp

[Mishka]

What bike is this?

We can get a similar bike here in the States, but it's far more dorky, and many of the parts appear different.

Cafe Racer version found while trolling in web, buy one stock and the modifications start just like our monsters.
Super cool if in need of a big bore in line four, if I had more money than sense, I would be sure to have with the many more on the wish list.

 

[ozman]

 i must admit to getting confused these days as to whats a cafe racer

does this qualify ?

[Steve.In.Atlanta]

Honestly, I find most of these things stupidly annoying going through my neighborhood. It's a like a group of weedeaters trying to go fast. Most of them have slapped on pipes and not much more. Therefore, they look a bit ridiculous as loud as they are struggling up a slight incline.

On the other hand, there are a few running around town that are fast as shit for what they are and those are what I appreciate. They are the new cafe racers. No longer can you pick up a CBXXX cheap because people know they're great bases for a cafe style bike. The mopeds on the other hand can be had for practically free. So the indigent hipsters pick them up and do what the cafe racers of yore did, take a piece of shit and make it faster than it was ever intended to be. Though I won't own one, the spirit is alive and I suspect this will be the gateway to motorcycles for a lot them. Of course, that's if they don't get maimed in their skinny jean/t-shirt outfits with flip flops and an open face helmet. While it's just a moped, hitting the road at 40mph is the same as doing it on a superbike, you're gonna get tore up.

[Sabre Brian]

CBs are worth a fortune now.  A stock 1973 one was on ebay for $12k last week.
Zs as well.  Even GSs from the late 70s

The GT550 I bought is a great starting point.  The bike posted by Ozman I guess would qualify as a cafe, but it is
not my style of one.  I believe there are some variations in the rule of what a cafe racer is, and I guess everyone is
going to have their own view of what one is.

Mine already has pod filters and the round headlight and an awesome sounding custom exhaust.  I will start with clip
ons, strip it back and give it a new fuel tank and seat.  To me it is a blank canvas and I will style it the way I like. 

[Betty]

OK so not having a clear definition for cafe racer is one thing ... but I thought moped was much more rigid in definition - I mean when did a moped stop having pedals? Surely a moped without pedals is just a mo?

I suspect that calling small, less powerful bikes 'mopeds' is just a lazy colloquialism that is starting to re-define the type ... but I have to object - the lines are becoming IZ_ enough as it is.

Although these are all motorcycles, I use the following to define type (for what it's worth, which is not much):
- moped (has pedals)
- scooter (has a legshield)
- step-through (umm ... something you can step through the frame)
- motorbike (a general term for everything else that can be broken down further eg. sports bike)

Of course there are exceptions but it is also worth remembering certain truths, such as:
while a Vespa is a scooter, not all scooters are Vespas.

[Raux]

50cc but not a moped

[Sabre Brian]

Betty a postie bike is in a different class of it's own in my opinion.  Yes, in a way it's a stepthrough, in a way it's a motorbike, and in a way it's a scooter, but if you said to me "I have a scooter, stepthrough or motorbike" I would not be thinking of a postie.  A postie bike is a postie bike.  They are a one of a kind in my opinion.  If you call it a postie bike, nobody has any confusion about what you are talking about.  Not in Australia anyway

[ducatiz]

Imo Monsters make the best Cafe racer, there already half done, just lower the head light and clocks  add some clip ons and your done  

I love that -- that rear wheel mudguard is awesome, but then i noticed there is none in the front...

[Mishka]

Cool Vid.

[Sabre Brian]

As promised, a photo of the bike I bought as my Cafe project.  It is a good base bike to build on.  KZ550 - Paid $750 with 2 months rego still on it and it runs great.  Needs a bit of TLC and probably a good tune but nice to ride.