Cafe Racers

[bikesnbones]

Don't wish to come across as a fashion victim, but I am totally in love with the look of café racers.
Of course Brit bikes still rule, but as far as I'm concerned, only BMW and Moto Guzzi come a close second.
Check out these beauty's

[ned1]

Very nice, not sure which I would pick

[cornishflat]

Both lend themselves to the café racer well. The lines of the Guzzi from some angles may have the edge. The BMW,s still have the edge on price but the gap is closing, i,d like to do a café in a year or two but fashion may price me out...maybe a Tonti framed 850 Guzzi hidden in a barn by a kind benefactor...I can but dream

[Corvus]

Both lend themselves to the café racer well. The lines of the Guzzi from some angles may have the edge. The BMW,s still have the edge on price but the gap is closing, i,d like to do a café in a year or two but fashion may price me out...maybe a Tonti framed 850 Guzzi hidden in a barn by a kind benefactor...I can but dream

With the bird in the guzzi photo (other thread), that's not a bad dream.

The black guzzi above looks good. Don't do fairings. Don't do plastic for that matter.

[cornishflat]

Both lend themselves to the café racer well. The lines of the Guzzi from some angles may have the edge. The BMW,s still have the edge on price but the gap is closing, i,d like to do a café in a year or two but fashion may price me out...maybe a Tonti framed 850 Guzzi hidden in a barn by a kind benefactor...I can but dream

With the bird in the guzzi photo (other thread), that's not a bad dream.

The black guzzi above looks good. Don't do fairings. Don't do plastic for that matter.

Mmmmmm

[Grip Fast]

Agree with Bikesnbones on cafe racers. I have toyed with the idea of making a cafe racer out of the R12S, but I won't. It would no longer be a practical bike, and I do tour on it.

So it might have to be a second bike for me, kept in the front room in place of the telly

[bikesnbones]

Agree with Bikesnbones on cafe racers. I have toyed with the idea of making a cafe racer out of the R12S, but I won't. It would no longer be a practical bike, and I do tour on it.

After I first got my bike, I was down at a local coffee stop where bikers meet , and this young guy took a shine to my bike and came over.
He asked
"Is that the café racer version of the GS"
I explained that it wasn't but after I got home I thought, hang on a minute, the young whipper snapper may have a point.
Drop handlebars, top half fairing, (like the endurance fairings that were popular on bikes of the 60's), single seat with hump at the back, and of course an old school air cooled twin engine.
Ever since, I tend to think of my bike as a modern take on a café racer.

[ned1]

bikesnbones,
So what model of air cooled twin have you got, is it a standard bike ?


Here's my old bike,

[conkerman]

Ooooh, Pedants Ahoy!

[Blackal]

That Moto Guzzu is just right.................

The BMW - slightly less so.


Triumph's Thruxton is bloody nice - for a factory bike, too.

Al

[Corvus]

You guys seen the egeland harrier u tube video?

Not your average cafe racer, but still......

[bikesnbones]

Triumph's Thruxton is bloody nice - for a factory bike, too.

Al

Too true.
And don't forget Guzzi's V7 Racer.
This was mine, as seen in the love hate thread.
Out of the box Café Racer that was a complete headache to own.



If I were building one, I might be inclined towards a Harley Sportster as a base.

This is nice.

[Corvus]

Those guys are good. I like the holes.

[dave the german]

I would maybe go for a Yamaha Sr500 - oh hang on I've got one of those

[bikesnbones]

I would maybe go for a Yamaha Sr500 - oh hang on I've got one of those

Was in Japan a couple of years ago and saw a fair few SR500 conversions.