Cafe Racer Discussion

What a beautiful machine. I wonder how it stops with those rotors. Haha.

What exactly is that?

 

That's a Z1000J from 1982/3. Commonly known as the Eddie Lawson replica (ELR) as it was Kawasaki's tribute to Eddie Lawson's superbike efforts from a few years earlier.

 

Methinks this blew up in your face a bit, and now you're backpedaling :?

 

I have to say I personally hate the cafe and street fighter look. But then alot of people hate the cruiser look I love. It's all about what you like and don't like and doing what YOU want with YOUR bike. I'd be happy to never see another cafe bike but have you thought of all the people that ride them. It's like me telling you to ride only crotch rockets, you'd probably stay off bikes for the rest of your life. And of all the bullshit I've heard in the last couple weeks "there aren't many xj's left" made me laugh the hardest. Does the name "pipe dreams" refer to a little bit to much weed this week?

 

I don't think the one in the pic is quite bone-stock. It appears to be set up for track work, I don't think those front brakes are stock even for the racer-replica. Nice piece. I never noticed how similar the Kawi's KZ tail section was to the Seca 550s.

 

That would be a replica of Eddie lawson's Kawasaki, but not a Kawasaki Eddie Lawson Replica





This would be the Lawson Replica Kawi-

 

For Comparison.




Z1000R



1980 Suzi GS 550


My favorite duck tail was on the Honda CB750F (900F, too), however-

 

Of course, this one is modified for racing...my bad....

And the tail? Well, what did you think Yamaha was modelling the Seca on?? :lol:

 

That is a beauty of a bike is that yours?

 

Well, let me think... considering that particular style Yamaha bodywork first appeared on the original 1979 XJ400 (4-cyl) which would have been designed in '78, I don't think Yamaha copied anyone, I think maybe it was the other way around?

 

LoL

I was waiting for that...

 

Nope my bike is bigger my girl taller, and my mustache smaller.

 

LOL - now that's REALLY funny. Yamaha make a 4 cyl air-cooled DOHC in 1979 and they're not copying anyone...... :lol:

 

LOL - now that's REALLY funny. Yamaha make a 4 cyl air-cooled DOHC in 1979 and they're not copying anyone...... :lol:

 

try 76 GS 750 Suzuki

 

My personal opinion....



To each his/her own. If a person wants to make a streetfighter or cruiser, or chopper or what ever out of whichever bike that they want to make it out of then by all means let them. And if you don't like what they are doing then just don't look.

Smiles and cordials

 

This discussion is kind of like why does someone pay $20,000 for a Harley and spend another $10,000 to buy parts to customize.


The Answer,

Because they can!! In America we can express individuality even though some would like to stifle it and make everyone robots.

Are XJ's nice looking bikes yeah but they are not rare.

Personally, I'm not a cafe racer or a rat bike guy, but if thats what someone wants to make their bike into then god bless em and have at it!!

Hell, you might not like the looks of your buddy's wife, but in his eyes she might just be the next beauty queen.

There's some pretty ingenious people on this site and that type of thinking needs to be encouraged as long as its done safely.

Just remember its better to be ridin two wheels with the breeze between your knees and not on your back on four wheels turning into worm food.

 

People will customize their bikes the way they want, and good for them! A lot of bikes that you may think are just hideous have given me plenty of inspiration on parts and pieces to fit together.

Even if I don't like what a person is doing to their bike, I can appreciate the huge amount of work that went in to doing anything remotely new or custom.

 

I like this discussion. I too appreciate the work that goes into making anything "different".

With all the work I've been doing to my bike I get alot of comments when it's rolled outside to free up space in the shop. Some are the "oh damn what the heck is that thing" others love the look I'm after.

love it, hate it, I really don't care what people think. It's mine, I built it for me, with my hands, my tools and with my money so the only opinion that counts in the end is mine.

 

Wow! Lots of strong opinions regarding labels like 'cafe racer', 'street fighter', 'stock', 'bobber' etc. I've never paid much attention to any of them, and just wrenched/chopped my bike as the occasion required or as I desired. Stock exhaust rotted? Find a 4 into 1 that'll fit and rejet. Uncomfy riding position? Change the bars and pegs til it works for you. Too much junk sticking up/out? Chop it down/move it around. Ugly paint? Splash it. Too breezy? Add a windshield or fairing. At the end of the day, the only way you're gonna be happy with your bike is if it works well for you. XJs are solid performers in just about any configuration, so go ahead and make it your own!
No need to worry about historical significance or saving pristine examples for posterity - these bikes were/are so popular that they seem to be stored in the collective memory of cycle enthusiasts around the world. Besides, I'm sure that there's a spanking-new, never uncrated example of each model just waiting to be posted next week on e-bay.

 

Words to live by.

This is a good conversation, and I don't think the OP meant any offense to anyone, but I know how people can get riled up (especially about things like their rides.) I also agree with Rick that "cafe" is just a label on a style of bike, and just about anything can be made to look "cafe," but necessarily race like a cafe.

And to feed the fire, this is an awesome modern interpretation of a cafe http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22420 (that's more or less the final product, his build thread is even more incredible.)

 

two thumbs WAAAAAY up for lodollardave

 

Anyone that says you cant modify an XJ is just being a snob.
'oooo its not a 60s or 70s cb750... its not an original... you cant dooo that... :cry: ' boo f***in hoo.
I thought this was America, not a communist country. I'll do what I waunt!

 

Well, since I OWN a cafe'd 650 Maxim, I'll chime in:

I bought it originally planning to bob it BUT I started to really get into cafe racers and realized that it was a much better style for me. I really dislike these in stock form, don't like the whole cruiser, bagger or chopper things either, plus there were so many bobbed Maxims, I hardly saw anything original in building another. Plus I enjoy a challenge. Don't think for one second that a shaft bike can't be a cafe. Simple bullshit. In fact, a couple have shown up on Cafe Racer TV, built by pros and amateurs.
When it comes down to it, it's MY bike, it's what I like. I built it for me, not for you. If you like it, fine. If you don't, fine. But dont be disrespectful toward what I as wellI as othersI may like (cause contrary to what you THINK, you've been precisely that from the first post) and NOT expect me to tell you to f@#* off.

 

Read this with interest as I bought my xj550 specifically to cafe. Chain drive, air cooled motor and easy to lose loads of weight from.

I had the conversation about chopping up and changing a standard bike with the guy who built my rear wheel (an older dude with a love of brit bikes and cafes) and we both agreed that the japanese bikes are so numerous that a few being customised is absolutley fine. If it were a super rare machine maybe i'd consider a resto but it aint so I've chucked away a tonne of stuff from mine and had sorted some spoked wheels and when it's done I'll happily call it a cafe racer all day long.

To me the performance upgrades I made to my 2007 zx10r are cafe racer inspired. Its all about more performance from a std machine. What bike you start with is neither here nor there.

 

this reminds me of

http://www.customfighters.com/forums/sh ... hp?t=59258

 

All very interesting and good points of view....on both side of the fence.

This leaves me in a bit of a dilemma.....as I no longer really know where I fit in as In essence, I am a bit of a purist and like my bike as original as possible.

I have three XJ750 Secas. 2x1981 and 1 1982. All matching frame and engine numbers.

1 x 1981 (Red) is just back from getting the frame sandblasted and painted and is waiting for full original resto.

1 x 1982 (black originally silver) is being strpped and being sent to sand blaster and powdercoated and will be rebuilt almost original...withe the exception that i would like it to have a round light and a different set of guages (still standard Yamaha stuff possibly XV750 or XJ 650 style). Rest of bike as original.

1x1981, I bought simply for parts. when the other two are finished, i am not sure what I want to do with the third spare bike, but I dont want to spend the same sort of money as the others on it. So I thought I might turn it into a bad ass of sorts. I dont see the value of having three of the same...all be it in different colors.

I also have an RD350 LC being restore to Original.

After reading the different views....all valid, I am in two minds about what to do with the 3rd bike

 

I know theres Guy's with an Official Check list that's supposed to Dictate what is and is not a Cafe Racer. I Personally feel like that directly Contradicts what Cafe Racer's are about. The Guy's who Invented these Bike's had 2 objective in Mind, Handling better and going Faster. And under that Context the XJ Series has many qualifying factor's...