To cafe or not to Cafe..

Hi Guys,

Im continuing with my project. Currently stripping the carbs down and cleaning them out.

Anyway..

Just wanted to know your opinions of cafe racer xj's?

I've seen quite a few and some of them look ok but i can help thinking that a lot of what people have done hasn't improved the bike and has actually made it handle poorly, not 1 mph faster and just very uncomfortable etc.. There's assuming cafe racer is still a performance genre?

I know there's the style element to it.

Im not having a go, each to their own. Just was considering it for my bike but thinking about it as I'm looking to use it as my daily ride i think ill stick with stock and just maybe a few light mods.

Mr Torakusu and the guys at Yamaha spent a lot of time and money perfecting these bikes and I'm sure it's better than anything i can do in my shed.

To my mind if its not broke then don't fix it.

 

Guess it's just me then..

 

Don't know what bike you are discussing. Some of the XJ's lend themselves to easy mods for the cafe look (Seca), others do not due to frame configuration and bodywork (XJ700).
Personally, I don't think an inline four looks right as a cafe, although as an early 80's superbike replica or a demi-endurance racer they work really well.

 

Project,

Have you checked out the café bikes on this site? There are some really nice ones that IMO stuck to the history of café racing. Like Shank said, the Seca's café best whereas the Maxim's bob best. Thing with mod bikes is should you ever want to sell it there will be no manual(s) for it. Stock bikes are nice too. My bike is mostly stock.

Gary

 

Hank - I'm not really talking about any bike in particular just cafe projects in general. Although yeah I think the superbike replicas are kool and I can see why some work better as cafe and some as bobbers.

Gary - Yeah I've seen some and they look kool. I'm not knocking peoples workmanship. There's some real talent making these bikes. To my mind though to cafe a bike should be to improve it dynamically, to make it a better bike. Its not just a look. The look comes second.

Each to their own I guess.

Project.

 

To that point, I have no problem if the machine is mechanically improved, handling, braking, engine performance, suspension etc. If it is only an appearance package, then to me it is a waste.
At the same time, I think it should remain "period correct". I don't care for a SOHC CB750 with an upside down fork and dual Brembos up front and a single sided swing arm in the rear.