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Ducbsa
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 06:05 am: | 
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http://www.classic-motorrad.de/galerie/albums/user pics/10014/Harley.jpg
Can anyone tell about the motor? Is that an oil tank / crankcase volume adder in front? And what about all those pipes in back of the rear cylinder? |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 06:17 am: |
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I see the general formula here.
You take a perfectly good motorcycle and make it as uncomfortable as you can. |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 06:22 am: |
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Looks like an Evo XL with a custom finned oil tank. I reckon all that pipe mess is to establish a tuned length.
Those bikes have been modified into a "sporting configuration."
A lot of the ones I posted are actual race machines. As far as comfort that's an individual preference. |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 06:37 am: |
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>>A lot of the ones I posted are actual race machines.<<
That's a race bike then. Cafe racers are street bikes. Spawned from the golden age of British motorcycling.
Thruxton test snip:
Derek Peters, a career ‘Bobby’ doing his National Service during the first Thruxton era used to call in to the Ace Cafe.
His recollections began: ‘There, strategically situated, sat the Ace Café. A rather dowdy trucker’s cafe that stayed open 24 hours a day.
The cafe was a natural meeting spot for motorcyclists to slowly drink their beverage or soft drink and meet up with their female company.
The blare of the Juke Box, knocking out the music of the day, added to the atmosphere.
It was not a particularly attractive place and could never be described as comfortable, but the tea and hot food was consumed in the main by truckers and was therefore wholesome, to say the least.’ Was the picture Derek painted.
He continued: ‘I witnessed motorcyclists travelling at ‘highish’ speeds around the North Circular in an irresponsible manner, just like the modern sports bike riders.
I saw bikes leave the Ace Cafe driven by obvious idiots, but I can't honestly say that I ever saw riders trying to cover a given distance before a record ended. I think this is very much a myth thought up at a later date.’
‘The Cafe was a useful acquisition in its day and certainly provided a meeting place for motorcyclists, but a lot of the glamour has been added since by people looking through those rose tinted spectacles.’
At this point an unnamed source online chimed in with a positive ’07 perspective: ‘Two redeeming features of the Ace cafe: The Slovakian or possibly Polish bird behind the counter and the cheese omelettes.’
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Danger_dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 06:51 am: |
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Fact is I've just gone completely off this style of bike in favour of Motard style machines.
I liked them once, but since I've had access to the big Katooms and even the Uly - being crouched up in a racing ball, lower than the traffic, with all weight over the front, knees bent - is the worst ergonomic for a street/road bike there is. |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 06:55 am: |
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Pretty things though.
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Danger_dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 06:59 am: |
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Lemonchili_x1
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 07:51 am: |
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"You take a perfectly good motorcycle and make it as uncomfortable as you can."
Well, um... yeah, that's generally it  I love the style, probably more so because that whole era was well and truly over before I got into motorcycles. Several of my bikes have received clip-ons and uncomfortable seats 
"I liked them once, but since I've had access to the big Katooms and even the Uly - being crouched up in a racing ball, lower than the traffic, with all weight over the front, knees bent - is the worst ergonomic for a street/road bike there is."
Yep, I can agree with that in some ways, and it's part of the reason I love the X1... but I've got an RGV250 downstairs waiting to get a 4-stroke single squeezed into it, and the clip-ons are staying 
The Thruxton is a pretty thing, very tasty.
Then of course there is always factory-standard uncomfortable:
I love it!
cheers,
chili |
Ducbsa
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 10:49 am: |
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Didn't some Brit finish an Iron Butt Rally in the maybe early '90's on a LeMans? |
Djkaplan
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 02:33 pm: |
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"Then of course there is always factory-standard uncomfortable."
I recently sat on a Moto Guzzi LeMans for the first time, the only one I've ever seen in person (the same guy had a LeMans III too). I was always a huge fan of the old LeMans, so I was surprised to see two at the same time. It amazed me how small the bike was and how the seating position was almost identical to my M2 with Crossroads bars and peg risers. I was also surprised that my knees hit the cylinder heads when I sat forward on the seat.
I'd still love to have one. |
Buellinachinashop
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 02:46 pm: |
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What's the dif between a cafe racer and a street fighter? Riding position? |
Glitch
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 02:59 pm: |
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IMHO
Cafe Racer is closer to a standard bike made into a more racing bike.
Street Fighter is a race replica made to be more of a street bike.
With regards to the uncomfortableness, Kdan built a 750Four into a Cafe Racer. Last I saw him at a bike night he was cussing about how uncomfortable it was now, and asked Who's big idea was it to make a Cafe Racer!?" |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 03:41 pm: |
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I rode my S1 with clip-ons and raised pegs over 3 days for almost 1500 miles a few years ago. It actually wasn't bad for the first couple days...the last day was a different story, though.
The classic racers are cafe racers in my eyes minus the lights.
DD, I guess you won't like this...Honda XR600 turned into a cafe racer
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Cityxslicker
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 04:03 pm: |
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Come'on Dave, we know you had a great time pushin that Tri-umph Scrambler around the dirty back hills Lets see those photos. Who sez cafe cant be dining on dirt? |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 04:41 pm: |
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Regardless, spending a lot of time near the 'ton' on an unfaired standard, or even just highway use, really sucks. Clip-ons make it tolerable, and rearsets make ground clearance a non-issue.
I do dig the motards as well, and one will be my next bike. |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 04:54 pm: |
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>>Regardless, spending a lot of time near the 'ton' on an unfaired standard, or even just highway use, really sucks. <<
Hmmm - I can count the times I've done 100mph (on my bikes - test bikes may or may not be a different story) on the road without using toes - even when it wasn't such a big bust.
Now you simply cannot do it here any more.
The advanced technology that makes the bikes go so fast, so easy, is the same technology that the cops use to catch you.
Nowadays I see blokes on R1s and GSXRs on the road and actually feel sorry for them.
(Message edited by danger_dave on September 17, 2008) |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 04:57 pm: |
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>>DD, I guess you won't like this...Honda XR600 turned into a cafe racer <<
Pretty thing it is too.
I'd need one for each buttock. |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 07:50 pm: |
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>>Lets see those photos. <<
Been looking - on a DVD in the pile - when I find them. |
Brumbear
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 08:20 pm: |
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to be honest my KZ is not really a cafe racer but it is fast as hell and quite comfortable I have done 250 mile days with it. The clubmans are a little hard on the wrists but overall a really fun bike to ride. Except when the CDI blows the main fuse in the fast lane at 75mph a little pucker can get going |
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