Triumphrat

dogtired

I was tempted to resurrect any number of cafe racer threads where the thread turns into a bun fight over what exactly a cafe racer is.

It has to have this configuration blah blah blah.

I have been thinking about this for a while, and my conclusion is that a cafe racer is the person sitting on the bike. The bike brand is not relevant.

To my way of thinking the original cafe racers in merry old England were some sort of a cross between a squid and a redneck. A good old fashioned poor arsed hoon with insufficient money to buy a decent bike, so he and his mates would cobble together any old crap they could get their hands on and ride the piss out of it.

Cafe is a mindset, not a particular type of bike.
Am I close?

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I'd do me...

Deuteronomy 25:11-12

LoVel

I think you are spot on. The bike is just the vehicle. It's the maniac behind the bars that makes it a cafe racer.

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I'm an individual, just like everyone else.

Previously owned 2006 Sprint, 2007 VFR.

spank86

I think you're spot on with how it was and pretty damn close with how it is although some people would argue that only a retro form of bike could be considered "cafe style" nowadays.

Personally I've never been able to put my finger on it and have a hard enough time defining my S4 without worrying about other peoples choice of "style"

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leftarmlogan

Cafe Racer: it's a state of mind.

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La strada davanti è senza limiti.

"It's a great day for hockey" - "Badger" Bob Johnson

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Sayantsi

So what makes a hardcore cafe racer?

mikeg15

They drink tea

RonL

They ride very fast from Panera to Starbucks, then to Tim Hortons, then to .....

Junipero

Spot on Dog. And it seems to be the Dog Institute for Higher Stuff is back in business after sabbatical.

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"The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my employer's position or opinion."

JOHNTBS

They drink coffee and listen to good old rock and roll and ride any old bike as you said... Fast !

Sent from my ADR6300

gripperod

My thoughts confirmed by wikipedia.............

"The term, which originally arose as an insult from motorcycle enthusiasts towards riders who they thought were playing at being a road racer but merely parked outside cafes"

didnt stop me building one though.......................................