Yamaha TRX850 Enthusiasts Forum

I'm astounded at the amount of so called Cafe Racer projects that are for sale on ebay ( not confined to TRX850's). I wonder if the realisation has struck home with the vendors realising that they have turned a decent motorcycle into a piece of de-valued crap, then decieded to cut their losses and sell it on? I'm all for upgrades and inprovements but I don't get this Cafe Racer thing, nor the streetfighter fad that preceded it. Fairings were fitted for a reason, to make riding at speed less Arduous. Motorcycles have moved on from the early 1960's. If you want to live in the past buy a Triumph or a BSA, don't destroy decent more modern motorcycles on stupid retro follies.

Couldn't agree more Steve

+1

And me, it BOILS MY PISS!
Brat, bobber custom, classic, found in a barn AND UNDER A PILE OF SHITE! UTTER BULLSHIT BY THOSE WITH AS MUCH BIKE BUILDING SKILLS AND VISION AS STEVIE WONDER!

A PRIME example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-CB250N- ... SwCU1YrdLo

I love my "race" inspired CB450 no cutting or modifying of any original parts...but I loathe Rat bike/cars just a waist of time and an excuse for the hacks to build a piece of crap under a banner

Mincehead wrote:And me, it BOILS MY PISS!
Brat, bobber custom, classic, found in a barn AND UNDER A PILE OF SHITE! UTTER BULLSHIT BY THOSE WITH AS MUCH BIKE BUILDING SKILLS AND VISION AS STEVIE WONDER!

A PRIME example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-CB250N- ... SwCU1YrdLo

What a pile of site! And the price! Must be seriously deluded.

Another ruined bike,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ducati-750ss- ... SwA3dYD5Qd

Why do they do it?

This term brat ferks me off too, the only brat is the brain donor that built it!

There pigs, just because pork is getting a good price on the meat market, that's no reflection to price their pigs on...

Spoiler: there is much shite for sale on Ebay....

However, I actually quite dig the 'Cafe Racer' thing, there are a few bikes that are overwhelming improved by a 'good' build [any bike with Virago in the name] for example. As with just about anything the devil is completely in the detail, just calling a bike a 'cafe racer' consigns it the shite pile that is 'barn find' 'bobber' or any other misnomer of expletives that are deemed acceptable as eBay marketing. But the guys that take their time, consider what they are actually trying to achieve and see the project through do come up with some amazing creations, the fact that every other fucktard decides to cash in and clone the 'cafe racer' title for their own home brew bucket of nails is just unfortunate.

I personally think the bike below is a thing of beauty, despite starting life as a 1982 920 Virago, its not overly practical, but its nice to look at.


Where as this offering from a quick 'cafe racer - scooters and motorcycles' search of eBay, highlights everything that is wrong with the mis-use of 'cafe racer', the owner got smashed on White Lightening and decided to cut the pillion seat off with a chainsaw...

My Norton was cafe'd back in the 70s with Dunstall bits, Ceriani forks and Morris Magnesium wheels. Took me 15 years to undo the worst of his work and bring it to the standard it is in today:



I've never ridden a stock Commando, so have no idea what they're like, but I love riding mine.

As for the modern trend for street fighters (I stacked and busted my fairing) bobbers (is there any function these abortions perform that is better than any other form of bike) and other variations - well, I just don't get it. Someone will have to explain.

davamb wrote:

I just love this photo, it tells a story and is so typical of us bike enthusiasts. All we see is the bike and not the table and gear behind it I ride with a successful commercial photographer and when he takes a "bike" photo it looks amazing, but takes ten minutes to setup, he would have moved the bike to miss the fence, stuck a stone under the side stand to get the right angle, had me "light" the bike with my headlight to remove shadows and then wait 1/2 hour for the right cloud formation whereas most of us just see the bike and snap away But that's his profession and he's pedantic and very successful

Overlord Neil wrote:Spoiler: there is much shite for sale on Ebay....

However, I actually quite dig the 'Cafe Racer' thing, there are a few bikes that are overwhelming improved by a 'good' build [any bike with Virago in the name] for example. As with just about anything the devil is completely in the detail, just calling a bike a 'cafe racer' consigns it the shite pile that is 'barn find' 'bobber' or any other misnomer of expletives that are deemed acceptable as eBay marketing. But the guys that take their time, consider what they are actually trying to achieve and see the project through do come up with some amazing creations, the fact that every other fucktard decides to cash in and clone the 'cafe racer' title for their own home brew bucket of nails is just unfortunate.

I personally think the bike below is a thing of beauty, despite starting life as a 1982 920 Virago, its not overly practical, but its nice to look at.


Where as this offering from a quick 'cafe racer - scooters and motorcycles' search of eBay, highlights everything that is wrong with the mis-use of 'cafe racer', the owner got smashed on White Lightening and decided to cut the pillion seat off with a chainsaw...

A RUINED mk1 Speed triple! Stockers are starting to fetch big money.

It’s different strokes for different folks.

I love the look of a well finished cafe racer. There is a lot of engineering in building a good cafe racer.

Me too. I don't apologise for cafe'ing my TRX. It sat on gumtree for 8 months, no one else wanted to buy it. So it's mine to do with as I please. Kind of gives me the shits when people whine about "another classic destroyed". They could have saved it if they'd cared so much. Meanwhile I have the bike I want. It looks how I like it to, it gets used instead of rotting in a shed somewhere and it makes me happy. And it's fun rounding up faster, newer bikes. FWIW I built my first cafe racer 25 years ago (Ducati pantah) and still have it and ride it regularly. Also have a cx500 cafe racer and built a Suzuki Savage bobber. All to a good standard and from bikes nobody else wanted. The whole hipster movement that people so revile, good on them I say. They've revitalised interest in old crap that was previously worthless and returned loads of old unloved piles back to the road. Sure there are some shockers, but it's for the greater good. Horses for courses.