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What happened to the cafe racer fad?

WTF happened to the cafe racer fad?

  • Hipsters moved on to the next "hip" thing.

    Votes: 29 29.0%

  • OEM took the ball away and changed the game.

    Votes: 14 14.0%

  • People realized that old bikes suck ass no matter how much $$$$ you dump into them.

    Votes: 38 38.0%

  • I just paid $7K for a '74 CB550 that leaks oil, hurts my back, and has 32hp.

    Votes: 19 19.0%
  • Total voters
    100
Zerox said:
The new fad for 2017 is the Incredible Floating Seat.
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Not sure I would own one, but I kinda dig the hardtail styling and throwback to the pre-war bikes. Fun seeing so many new bikes coming out that are something different. Some are silly, some are cool, but I like that stuff is being tried.
 
still going strong,but the bikes are factory instead of home built.-thruxton,nine-t-nine,guzzi v7 racer, the new cb 1100,yamaha xsr,and bolt c,cleveland motor works etc.i love the look,but if used to sportbike performance prepare to be disappointed.i thought my modded n-250 was a better bike and more fun than my 2010 thruxton.except i was mobbed by :afm199 every time i parked anywhere.
 
augustiron said:
CAFE was replaced by BRATS.
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Those make a lot more sense to me.

Building a cafe racer from a 70s standard bike is taking an comfortable, practical, ill-handling bike and making it uncomfortable and impractical. Turning it into a brat only makes it impractical.
 
I remember getting ripped on here a few years back for crapping on the cafe bike fad like I just wasn't cool enough to understand.
Those old twin rear shock tubular steel frame inline 4's handled like shit. You could manage to get the recipe right but you had to be a damn alchemist.
 
They're on to Scramblers now, tho that will likely fade soon.

Most beautiful bike ever made is the Norton Manx. People tried to emulate that with piece of shit KZ400's and such, but you have to be pretty blind and clueless to not know the difference.

Café racers have always been cool, but what has been passed off as "café racers" recently are just hacked up turds, for the most part. The sooner the hipsters fuck off to something else, the better.
 
E. You used to be able to pay $700 for an old 70s or 80s bike and there's no way in hell I'm going to pay 10x that.
 
Whammy said:
When I think of café racer I picture a frenchy guy riding his "racer" to the local coffee place where he poses with his leather jacket ,goggles, and a long scarf. They sip their crapachino/machiatos with their pinky in the air...
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The term Cafe Racer was sort of a put-down. It meant that you were a youngster not old enough to ride Pub to Pub.
 
Lol they rode cafe to cafe?

Welllll guess i did that to in northbays sumday bakery run
 
russ69 said:
The term Cafe Racer was sort of a put-down. It meant that you were a youngster not old enough to ride Pub to Pub.
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Interesting. The first time I've heard café racer, pronounced "caf" racer, was in Germany in the mid-80s. If I'm not mistaken, the drinking age (for beer) is 16, same for a 125cc motorbike license. So while one can legally drink (by itself) on its 16th birthday, it can take weeks or even months to earn the 125cc license. Meaning, by the time Germans can ride pub to pub, they can already drink.

But perhaps you meant America or another country, which then would make your statement totally plausible, though "pubs" and "cafés" aren't very American landmarks. How long does café racer go back in America?
 
Marcoose said:
Interesting. The first time I've heard café racer, pronounced "caf" racer, was in Germany in the mid-80s. If I'm not mistaken, the drinking age (for beer) is 16, same for a 125cc motorbike license. So while one can legally drink (by itself) on its 16th birthday, it can take weeks or even months to earn the 125cc license. Meaning, by the time Germans can ride pub to pub, they can already drink.

But perhaps you meant America or another country, which then would make your statement totally plausible, though "pubs" and "cafés" aren't very American landmarks. How long does café racer go back in America?
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Afaik cafe racer was because motorcyclists don't drink booze, so instead they drink coffee.
I may need to get on that wagon soon at the rate I've been punishing my liver since I'm away from the bike.
ALL THE SINGLE MALTz!
 
KittenMeat said:
Afaik cafe racer was because motorcyclists don't drink booze, so instead they drink coffee.
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That's possible, plausible, etc. On the other side of the pond, generally, people can drink before they can drive. Exceptions here and there, naturally.

/thread, I reduced the booze intake considerably and feel much better.
 
Are cafe bikes where you cut the tail section of the frame and ride it bent prostrate? Add to it the unpadded seat and hunched riding position and I think they will beat your balls black and blue. City hipster bikes. I remember watching some dork with a lame duc cafe bike trying to get it started, kicking and dicking with idle mixture, I'm not cool enough for that scene.

I thought Europe had very strict Dui laws so drinking and riding is no joke.
 
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Custom Flat Tracker is the new hipster cafe racer craze.

I want them to find a hobby that doesn't involve ruining a perfectly good motorcycle.
 
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