# What is a Cafe Racer?



## Lucky13 (Jan 7, 2011)

Well, 

I know what a cafe racer is, something built of BSA, Norton, Truimph or anything else British, Norton Featherbed (?) frame with Triumph engine etc., etc...from the '50's and '60's.
Do your best to hit the 'Ton' I think that it was called 100 mph or the race during the 3 minute tune...
Now, nowadays paople are building 'cafe racers' with those Japs contraptions etc...



Does that make it less of a cafe racer, _what_ is a cafe racer to you?

8)


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## Torch (Jan 7, 2011)

I think some of the custom cafe's are cool, since so many of the older brands are so rare I don't mind seeing older Honda's etc being converted, it was all about the spirit of it also. Plus with the bennies of new suspension,brakes etc the newer ones are way more reliable. I think the Triumph Thruxton kinda got it kick started here....


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## mikewint (Jan 7, 2011)

Lucky, You have almost all of it. The Cafe (Kaff) racer craze started in the 1960s with the British counterculture group the Rockers and quickly spread to Italy and Germany. The goal of the group was to race from one coffee bar to another during the time it took to play 1 recorded song. Since most songs took about 2 minutes the roughly 3 mi trip required the bike to reach about 100mph or a "ton"
The bikes were highly modified and stripped down for speed and handling rather than comfort. They tended to have long fuel tanks and a small rearward mounted seat. Probably the most identifiable feature was their low, narrow "clip-on" or "clubman" handle bars which allowed the rider to assume a tucked in position.
The bikes tended to be the featherbed framed Norton or the Triumph Bonneville "Triton" (Norton frame Triumph engine) or the less expensive "Tribsa" (Triumph engine BSA frame)


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## Airframes (Jan 7, 2011)

Ah, memories! No helmet, but an Irvin jacket picked up for a pittance in the local Army Navy store, and leather flying boots and white silk scarf - all ex-RAF items worth a fortune today!
Nearest I got, in the late '60's, was an AJS. Seemed big and powerful back then!


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## Airframes (Jan 7, 2011)

Ah, memories! No helmet, but an Irvin jacket picked up for a pittance in the local Army Navy store, and leather flying boots and white silk scarf - all ex-RAF items worth a fortune today!
Nearest I got, in the late '60's, was an AJS. Seemed big and powerful back then!


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## mikewint (Jan 7, 2011)

Airframes. you motorcycle devil you, an old AJ Stevens bike or just the AJS name applied to a bike made (by that time) by Villers which had split from Norton?
As I recall most of those Villers bikes were meant for Off-Road rather than racing


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## Lucky13 (Jan 7, 2011)

AJS 7R or and Manx Norton....mmmmmmm!


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## mikewint (Jan 7, 2011)

My first motorcycle about 1954 or so was a 200cc Triumph Tiger Mountain cub. You could climb trees with that sucker


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## Lucky13 (Jan 7, 2011)

A couple of my friends at my old work in Sweden, was going to help me build a racer. I had already decided for a Norton Fetherbed frame, was going to buy a new built one, I still hadn't decided for either a single 500cc or a parallel 650cc engine...

Was to be a Manx lookalike with megafones.... 8)

But then me and few others lost our jobs, which in the end got back again, a or two before we were supposed to leave!


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## mikewint (Jan 7, 2011)

Lucky, the single piston engines are usually called "thumpers" which is exactly what they do. the twins can move one piston down while the other moves up so the action is much smoother. So decide on how you want to ride. the Cafes are uncomfortable from go so you're not going to cover +700km per day in any case. The cafes are "look cool in front of the bar" bikes not tourers
Norton Manx


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## bobbysocks (Jan 7, 2011)

mike....the older triumphs both pistons moved in unison. they werent 180 degrees to each other...which give you a tad bit of vibration. i am in the midst of putting together a 76 750 bonne that i bought in a basket. was actually clearing off the work bench to start breaking the engine down. the big club in the uk for cafe racers was club 59( started in 1959). i believe it was started by a clergyman who was trying cool things to keep the kids out of trouble. club 59 is still in existence and is quite large. 

as for rice burners as cafe racers...some of their frames and engines lend themselves to that kind of customizing. an old honda or yamaha looks good that way. but nothing beats an old snort'n norton. <<< my next big project.


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## GrauGeist (Jan 7, 2011)

Back in the 80's, I had a full race Katana 1100...it was virtually unbeatable...

One day, blasting through Turnbull Canyon (Southern California) I saw something closing in my mirrors, so I stepped it up a bit, and this bike kept closing on me. We got into a series of real tight corners and this bike caught me and held with me for a few more corners before i backed out of it and let them get ahead...

At a turnout at the top of the canyon, we stopped and BS'd for a bit...turns out that one of the few bikes that could match me was a vintage Norton Commando!

Still have alot of respect for that bike and the guy that rode it.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 8, 2011)

Well, when I was at it back then, I was going to buy a new Featherbed frame from these guys, among other things....

Welcome To Unity Equipe


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## bobbysocks (Jan 8, 2011)

dunstall was a big cafe racer parts manufacturer and had some great norton stuff. a couple of these are for sale....


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## Lucky13 (Jan 8, 2011)

Aaahh.....remember the Dunstall Nortons, weren't they the fastest bikes in the world at some point?


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## mikewint (Jan 8, 2011)

Bobby, at the time i'd have given my left nut for a Bonnie but it was never to be. My next bike was a brand new 1970 Suzuki T-500 III which I still have by the way and it runs like a champ. My son and I did some major cosmetic rebuilding on it about 5 years ago.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 8, 2011)

Btw, wasn't it the Honda CB750F that 'killed' the British motorcycle industry...?

Nice.....eeerrrmmmmm.....'bike' mike!


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## cocky pilot (Jan 8, 2011)

Lucky13 said:


> Well,
> 
> I know what a cafe racer is, something built of BSA, Norton, Truimph or anything else British, Norton Featherbed (?) frame with Triumph engine etc., etc...from the '50's and '60's.
> Do your best to hit the 'Ton' I think that it was called 100 mph or the race during the 3 minute tune...
> ...



The origins of the cafe racer are buried in 1950s culture, the world was emerging from the depression of the second world war, young people were getting increasing amounts of money and the motorcycle was changing from a cheap means of transport for the poor to a means of showing off for the new young rich. The pill had not been invented and so the cafe racer was a representation of youth rebellion and contraception.

The Youth rebellion on both sides of the Atlantic took different but similar routes. In the UK which is a small Island they developed a motorcycle which could not be ridden for more than 3 minutes without severe cramps or injury but endowed it with a 6 gallon tank which is sufficient to travel the length of the Island. In America which is almost a continent they developed a motorcycle which could cruise comfortably from state to state then put a 2 pint tank on it so the looks would not be spoiled.

The essence of a cafe racer is therefore as follows.

1 It must crush the riders gonads as much as possible in as many was as possible so that condoms arn’t necessary, therefore making the rider extremely attractive to the opposite or maybe even the same sex.

2 It must annoy as many people as possible in as many ways as possible before it breaks down or blows up and has to be rebuilt. 

There were many aspects to the perfect cafe racer and these are detailed briefly below, performance was not important but being cool was everything therefore the design parameters of the perfect cafe racer differed from the normal racer in many ways.

1. ENGINE
This of course should be noisy in every way. The job of the engine is three fold 
1.1 to put the maximum amount of unburned fuel into the exhaust to produce backfires.
1.2 to transfer oil from the sump to the combustion chamber in order to produce smoke
1.3 to produce some residual power for forward motion approximately once per month.

The Engine had many parts all of which had potential "cool" value which can be explained below.

2.1 Pistons. Pistons had to be of high compression crowned type with massive valve cut outs. The high compression and cut outs were not a performance feature they were to induce pre ignition so that the engine ran on after the owner turned off the ignition and walked away.
2.2 Pistons.... had to be fitted with worn rings and all oil scraper rings were removed to allow maximum transfer of oil from the sump to the exhaust.
2.3 Valves..... Valves should be big enough to allow small coins to pass straight through.
2.4 Rockers..... At least one rocker should be lightened with a grinder showing a knife edge for high rev performance. To view this, the relevant rocker box cover was omitted which allowed people to view and oil to be thrown everywhere.
2.5 Cams....Cams should be as wild as possible, this is not a performance feature but to fill the exhaust with fuel and then ignite it on the over run (more later)
2.6 Timing.....some cafe racers experimented with electronic ignition but this proved reliable and reduced backfires and so was rarely used. Timing covers were always of the alloy finned type to dissipate the massive heat generated on a 3 minute blast.
2.6 Clutch....The clutch was rarely used but was fitted with springs from a WW2 truck suspension the object was to pull the wrist tendons of any none owner who tried to use it.
2.7 Gearbox. A Quaife close ratio 5 speed with high ratio rear sprocket was the minimum but not for performance. Cafe racers had to leave a cafe and get to thye next set of lights /roundabout in 1 gear so the noise slowly increases to agonising levels. On arrival at a cafe the cafe racer must change gear as many times as possible in a few seconds deafening and blinding customers with backfires and sheets of flame from the exhaust.
2.8 tuning .........All cafe racers were tuned to maximise their annoyance, sometimes this reduced performance but it was a price worth paying.
2.8.1 Carburettors, all joints were loosened to leak petrol over everything. The idle jet was blocked so the owner had to rev the engine constantly.
2.8.2 Carburettors were fitted with velocity stacks or bell mouths on extended inlet stubs this was nothing to do with gas flow but to collect loose coins and keys from the rider and suck in the gonads of anyone foolish enough to hang off the seat. Extended inlet stubs showed off the carbs and made seating difficult they were 100% cool.
2.8.3 Machining ....all joined surfaces were machined to ensure they leaked, a leaking engine was known to be "tuned" The Cylinder head had to be machined to induce pre ignition, cause a leak and ensure the tappets could never be correctly adjusted.
2.8.4 Sump plug. The sump plug never leaked, ever. Oil was removed from the engine past the gaskets and piston rings, removing the sump plug as a last resort brought ridicule to the owner.
2.9 Exhaust
The exhaust was the most important part of a cafe racer It had to produce massive noise, collect unburned fuel for backfires, leak at every joint to give the owner a smokescreen at traffic lights. A correctly adjusted exhaust would allow the police to follow a cafe racer without actually moving.
2.9.1 Lubrication.... Cafe racers had to run on Castrol "R" because its stinks and leaves a blue cloud. Parking at a traffic light would fill the car behind with a blue haze for the deafened owners to sit in. Castrol R was the final back up in case police couldn’t find the bike by noise or vibration.

3 Brakes
3.1 Front brake ... must be as big as possible but the only important part of the front brake was the scoop, this had to be big enough to fill the drum with grit and ensure an annoying squeal if ever it was used. In wet weather the scoop should fill the drum with water to allow steam to come out when the bike stops.
3.2 Front brakes had to be 4 leading shoe so the rider had something to adjust outside the cafe. The lever had to be adjusted so that only a baboon with 7inch thumbs could operate it (to compensate for brake fade)
3.3 Rear brakes had to as small as possible and modified by machining to lock whenever used, this proved the rider was on the "edge". 
4.3 Petrol tank. This was the key part of a cafe racer. It had many functions.
4.3.1 To stretch the rider out so that all his weight was on his gonads.
4.3.2 To provide a barrier ensuring every time the brake is pressed the riders gonads are crushed.
4.3.3 To hold a weeks wages in petrol (cafe racers were very active but little known traders on the energy exchanges) All cafe racers had the tank secured with a leather strap to allow the rider to rescue his weeks wages if it fell over. If a cafe racer could be picked up with the tank still on it had been badly put together.
4.3.4 Alloy tanks were heavier than standard but allowed the owner to admire the blonde birds chest without being slapped.
4.3.5 fibreglass tanks were light and really cool, knowing you could be engulfed in flames at any time marked you as a danger man.
4.3.6 All tanks were there to minimise steering lock, this was to make everybody move away while you did a 60 point turn to get out of the car park. The ultimate cafe racers could not negotiate small roundabouts they were the true rocket ships.
5.1
Electrics
5.1.all electrical connections were badly soldered so they broke after a few minutes
5.1.1 Headlight, the headlight must have a massive dish, cafe racers were patriotic and carried a searchlight about in case a Heinkel 111 tries a sneak attack. The bulb was only ever fitted for the MOT test. In actual use the headlight had a Christmas fairy light, anything brighter meant you were frightened of the dark and couldn’t remember your way around town which wasn’t cool at all.
5.2 The rear light was never connected to any switches, all cafe racers had the ignition wired into the rear brake switch in some way this could mean boiling the battery or shorting the capacitors. The rear running light however was on all the time and operated as a red strobe flashing at engine speed.

6.1 Riding position had to be agonising at all times, body weight could only be carried on the gonads and wrists, the neck should be bent so far that forward vision was restricted to 30 seconds every 5 minutes. Footrests were adjusted to cut off blood supply to the feet and make sure brakes and gears couldn’t be operated without pressing gonads into the oil filler cap.

To summarise, the perfect cafe racer should render parenthood impossible after 3 minutes, annoy everyone within 3 miles of the rider, leave a trail of oil smoke petrol and rubber to allow the police to stop the rider. If a cafe racer is not stopped by the police within 3 minutes and the rider asked "who do you think you are Geoff Duke" it has been badly constructed. If a cafe racer is still running on both cylinders and hasn’t crashed after 4 minutes it is not a cafe racer at all.


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## mikewint (Jan 8, 2011)

Cocky pilot, absolutely excellent. I well remember buying my brand-new triumph, riding it home, parking it, coming out the next morning and finding a large oil spot under it. My dad called the dealer about the oil leak. A proper british mechanic replied "Sir, it IS a motorcycle" Also who can forget those Lucas "Lord of the Dark" electrics


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## cocky pilot (Jan 8, 2011)

mikewint said:


> Cocky pilot, absolutely excellent. I well remember buying my brand-new triumph, riding it home, parking it, coming out the next morning and finding a large oil spot under it. My dad called the dealer about the oil leak. A proper british mechanic replied "Sir, it IS a motorcycle" Also who can forget those Lucas "Lord of the Dark" electrics



I have just been surfing the net and found an article which says the whole "cafe racer" thing, that is racing against a record was a myth invented by a reporter for the daily mirror, after he published his myth people tried it and a few were killed so it became a reality. Ill try to find it in the history.

To look at the 500 triumph pre unit in a slim line featherbed frame were the neatest but the best of breed was the rickman matisse triumph, weslake 8 valve head, quaife box nickel plated reynolds frame and the first bike ever with discs front and rear as standard


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## Lucky13 (Jan 9, 2011)

Bl**dy love it Cocky Pilot, bl**dy love it!


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

mikewint said:


> Lucky, the single piston engines are usually called "thumpers" which is exactly what they do. the twins can move one piston down while the other moves up so the action is much smoother. So decide on how you want to ride. the Cafes are uncomfortable from go so you're not going to cover +700km per day in any case. The cafes are "look cool in front of the bar" bikes not tourers
> Norton Manx




Mike

Like many things vibration is not as simple as you think initially. Almost all British twins had a 360 crank which seems completely out of balance. Part of the vibration is the changing of direction of the pistons which is 2 x engine speed, the explosion in the combustion chamber also produces a vibration which is engine speed, 2 sparks in two revolutions. There is also a vibration from the rotation of the crank/ big ends .

A 180 degree crank appears to be much better and in some ways is but the alternate pistons produce a vibration as it tries to rock from side to side while the big ends produce a vibration as they move front to back relative to the piston. Unfortunately the peak of these forces are at different times in the cycle and you get two different vibrations at 2 x engine speed which all together is a really annoying buzz. My sister had 2 honda twins and a yamaha twin they all buzzed like crazy. Trimphs and Nortons made your eyes shake on a motorway but werent unpleasant at all around town.

A 180 crank means the firing is uneven the 2 cylinders fire for one revolution and then nothing for the next revolution which makes the engine seem a bit "flat" and certainly sound uneven.

Thats my simplified understanding, people write books and devote careers to studying vibration, in an engine anything that oscilates or rotates produces some. Honda 4s were notorious for unbalanced carburettors making the cam chain rattle 

Brit 360 twins did not have a centre main bearing but a 180 crank has to. For the original twins this wasnt a problem they were 200/350cc but the later models like the Norton 850 had so much crank flexing and unequal loads you could wear out the main bearings in 2000 miles.

Ive just read about the latest triumph thunderbird twin which has a 170 degree crank in a 1.7 litre engine probably so the pistons dont reach TDC/BDC at the same moment. That has balance shafts and only produces 95 ponies while it weighs 750 pounds, its a car with two wheels missing.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 9, 2011)

How good was the Vincent V-Twin then?


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

The vincent was superb and the chassis was way ahead of its time but it was heavy complicated and therefore expensive. They sound great.


this is a norvin a dream cafe racer if you could afford it, look at all the tubes and casings!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/2558746619_e5009665dc.jpg?v=0


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## BikerBabe (Jan 9, 2011)

mikewint said:


> Cocky pilot, absolutely excellent. I well remember buying my brand-new triumph, riding it home, parking it, coming out the next morning and finding a large oil spot under it. My dad called the dealer about the oil leak. A proper british mechanic replied "Sir, it IS a motorcycle" Also who can forget those Lucas "Lord of the Dark" electrics



Allow me to correct you...it wasn't leaking oil; brit motorcycles don't "leak", they "mark their territory".


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

BikerBabe said:


> Allow me to correct you...it wasn't leaking oil; brit motorcycles don't "leak", they "mark their territory".



Thats a fact, if you see one without a leak it doesnt look right.


in fairness the early ones were good but they kept increasing capacity and performance without increasing much else like cylinder head bolts. Most leaks were caused by them not being put together properly, even on new ones. If you put one together without a torque wrench something always leaks.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 9, 2011)

D****mn! What a beauty! Me want one!  Here's another Norvin! Does she look right or does she look _riiight_ 
Imagine the sound with those megafones or like in some of the pics I saw, straight pipes, no silencers! 8)


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## mikewint (Jan 9, 2011)

BikerBabe, you've been spending too much time around Harleys.
CockyPilot- all true since all parts are produced with various tolerances no two moving anythings will have the same mass. However vibrations can be reduced in a number of ways such as rubber mounts and keeping piston mass down and moving them in opposite direction. My touring motorcycle is a Honda Goldwing. 6 cylinders in a 180 degree opposition like the BMWs. At any RPM you can balance a nickel on the engine and it will not fall or move. The British motorcycle makers of the 50s-60s took a take it or leave it attitude quality suffered. along came the high quality afforadable Japanese bikes. People made the decision: Leave 'em
Lucky, yes it is very nice looking but the riding is another story. short hops, bar to bar, and pose out front excellent. Now take it for a 500km ride. when you can hear and move again we'll talk


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## Lucky13 (Jan 9, 2011)

On something like this, _who_ want to hear _or_ move?  

Modern bikes _maaayy_ have their good sides, but do they have style etc..? Nope!


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## bobbysocks (Jan 9, 2011)

mikewint said:


> " Also who can forget those Lucas "Lord of the Dark" electrics



ahhh the lucas jokes....remember them well

someone actually came out ( as a joke ) with a can of smoke for recharging lucas electical systems. 

i like that old style of bike. just like the one you have mike. the mechanic i took my 79 honda to said that style is making a comeback. its comfortable to ride. honda and the other jap scooters inteh 60s and 70s modeled themselves after the brit bikes....norton, triumphs, bsa, etc. when those bikes quit coming to the us....the japs changed stayed with that style for a time but later fashioned them after harleys. 

as i understood caferacing...it was just that. they would race to the next cafe sit and drink a tea or coffee then head to the next town...etc. 

now if you REALLY want a bike..a vincent black shadow or lightening....in 1948 one of them did 150mph. the norvins CP refered to were nortons with vincent powerplants.


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## bobbysocks (Jan 9, 2011)

BikerBabe said:


> Allow me to correct you...it wasn't leaking oil; brit motorcycles don't "leak", they "mark their territory".




Did you hear about the man whose brit bike didn't leak oil? The factory took it back and worked on it until it did.


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## mikewint (Jan 9, 2011)

Like everything else in this world it's all a matter of personal taste. I'm a travelin rider. When we ride we average 800 - 1000km per day. I personally want to do that in comfort not on a vibrator that sounds like a 747. For fun I want a powerful quick responsive bike that I can still run 500 - 800km if the mood strikes.
My Goldwing and 750cc Kawi


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## Lucky13 (Jan 9, 2011)

Vincent Black Shadow.....mmmmm! *droool*

_In 2007, The Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club commissioned the VOC Spares Company Limited to build a replica Black Shadow from new parts.[citation needed] Amongst other things, the project was to prove that all the parts were in stock and available from the VOC Spares Company Limited. Having received many glowing reports from the motorcycle press in the UK, the machine was eventually auctioned by Bonhams and now resides with a Member of the Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club in New Zealand._


Btw, didn't they produce only 30 Vincent Black Lightnings during 1949-52.

1950 Vincent Series C Black Shadow


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## BikerBabe (Jan 9, 2011)

I've got nothing to add to this thread as I'm a Beemer addict, but damn, those sure are some nice bikes!


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

BikerBabe said:


> I've got nothing to add to this thread as I'm a Beemer addict, but damn, those sure are some nice bikes!



Beemers are cool too as long as they are boxers. I liked the way they rocked from side to side at the lights and the footpegs wernt in line.


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

mikewint said:


> BikerBabe, you've been spending too much time around Harleys.
> CockyPilot- all true since all parts are produced with various tolerances no two moving anythings will have the same mass. However vibrations can be reduced in a number of ways such as rubber mounts and keeping piston mass down and moving them in opposite direction. My touring motorcycle is a Honda Goldwing. 6 cylinders in a 180 degree opposition like the BMWs. At any RPM you can balance a nickel on the engine and it will not fall or move. The British motorcycle makers of the 50s-60s took a take it or leave it attitude quality suffered. along came the high quality afforadable Japanese bikes. People made the decision: Leave 'em
> Lucky, yes it is very nice looking but the riding is another story. short hops, bar to bar, and pose out front excellent. Now take it for a 500km ride. when you can hear and move again we'll talk



Mike if you are doing 100mph then a low riding position is comfortable and you can hardly hear the exhaust Ive done it on a Moto Guzzi Lemans But on that it wasnt the extremes you see on cafe race custom bikes...Thats just for posers who havnt noticed that a racing bike has a racing frame and therefor lower seat........look at the pic of the dunstal norton posted before.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 9, 2011)

Italians? Then I'm partial to the classic Ducati 900SS.....
Although, there are some nice MV Agusta bikes too...


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

Lucky13 said:


> Italians? Then I'm partial to the classic Ducati 900SS.....
> Although, there are some nice MV Agusta bikes too...



Hi I dont know if youve ridden a ducati but they are a bit strange, loads of noise and uneven firing but actually as smooth as paint when you get going.


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## mikewint (Jan 9, 2011)

Also not a Duck fan, always seemed too fussy and fragile for my type of riding
both my bikes have windshields and backrests. hit 70mph, engage cruise-control, feet on the extended pegs, adjust airflow with vents, nice set of tunes on the stereo and i'm good for 200 miles


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

mikewint said:


> Also not a Duck fan, always seemed too fussy and fragile for my type of riding



hey i liked riding it I didnt say BUY one. They are good bikes now but were worse than triumphs until the 1990s

Does anyone else use desmodromic valves?


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## mikewint (Jan 9, 2011)

Quite a few have now gone to the shim under bucket valves which are very difficult and require a factory set of expensive shims. Then Harleys idea, no clearence under the tank, so drop the entire engine to set the valves


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

mikewint said:


> Quite a few have now gone to the shim under bucket valves which are very difficult and require a factory set of expensive shims. Then Harleys idea, no clearence under the tank, so drop the entire engine to set the valves



Desmos are different they use an actuator to open the valve and another to close it, (no springs) it means you can shut the valves much more quickly and the valves dont float or bounce but you need keep on top of them and know what you are doing. I dont know if youve ever compressed a valve spring but imagine doing it 16000 times a minute, it takes a lot of power

dont harleys have some automatic hydraulic adjustment?

Nice bikes by the way but If I cant pick it up I want to drive it.


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## BikerBabe (Jan 9, 2011)

cocky pilot said:


> Beemers are cool too as long as they are boxers. I liked the way they rocked from side to side at the lights and the footpegs wernt in line.



R-models: Boxers.
K-models: Inline.
F-models: Single cyl.

My fave is the K-models...dream bike: K75RT. ooOOoo...*drool*


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

BikerBabe said:


> R-models: Boxers.
> K-models: Inline.
> F-models: Single cyl.
> 
> My fave is the K-models...dream bike: K75RT. ooOOoo...*drool*



Well this was always the bike to have for me BMW R90 in two tone yellow

http://fr.academic.ru/pictures/frwiki/66/BMW_R90S_gold_1975_r_TCE.jpg


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## Lucky13 (Jan 9, 2011)

That would explain why the Beemer drivers always travel all over the road with the boxers...they're going with the strokes.....



*giggles and runs to hide*


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

Lucky13 said:


> That would explain why the Beemer drivers always travel all over the road with the boxers...they're going with the strokes.....
> *giggles and runs to hide*



Beemers and guzzis both do its the torque reaction. People used to race them too I dont know how but they did.


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## bobbysocks (Jan 9, 2011)

did they race them with sidecars? which werent actually cars but more like a platform. i just got to thinking about that...do they still race that way? was fun to watch.

mike is that your little pull behind camper for the bike??

if you ride this way let me know...or maybe come out for the Reading airshow this year.


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## cocky pilot (Jan 9, 2011)

bobbysocks said:


> did they race them with sidecars? which werent actually cars but more like a platform. i just got to thinking about that...do they still race that way? was fun to watch.
> 
> mike is that your little pull behind camper for the bike??
> 
> if you ride this way let me know...or maybe come out for the Reading airshow this year.



BMWs were raced as side cars but as normal bikes they won the Barcelona 24 hr race here is a link with a picture

Gus Kuhn Racing 1973


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## BikerBabe (Jan 9, 2011)

Lucky13 said:


> That would explain why the Beemer drivers always travel all over the road with the boxers...they're going with the strokes.....
> 
> *giggles and runs to hide*



  

Nah, we just need the space.







If necessary, we'll make the space ourselves. 

Und if zat fails, ve haff ozher meanz orf distrakting ju! 
Sehr schön, nicht wahr - Herr Lucky?


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## bobbysocks (Jan 9, 2011)

mein gott in himmel! was is das on zat gelb motorgecycle?


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## mikewint (Jan 9, 2011)

Bobby, that's what we stay in when we camp. it's a Combi-Camp. the box is 5ft wide by 7ft long. the entrie top opens up and folds down to the ground making a 5 X 7 floored dressing area and a rear 5 X 7 bed. A detachable awning covers the front


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## Lucky13 (Jan 10, 2011)

How does that bird lie in the air like that!?


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## mikewint (Jan 10, 2011)

Lucky, NOW do you see the motorcycle?


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## Torch (Jan 10, 2011)




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## Lucky13 (Jan 11, 2011)

Dark green Kawasaki Ninja.....


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## mikewint (Jan 11, 2011)

Lucky, excellent, so therefore it is not an eye problem. Most likely your libido getting in the way. But then again high hopes are a good thing


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## Lucky13 (Jan 11, 2011)

They do say that one live on hope....


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## bobbysocks (Jan 11, 2011)

after that i dont think i can ever have sex again...THANKS MIKE!


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## mikewint (Jan 11, 2011)

Yea right Bobby, you copied it, blew it up and it's on your bedroom wall. Probably trying to animate as we speak


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## WARSPITER (Feb 19, 2022)

Hadn't seen this thread till now. There was a firm in Germany who were converting Moto Guzzi Lemans to cafe racers. Pretty expensive but they look really good.
The alloy wheels are replaced with wire and a new tank made among other mods. In our part of Australia we know these as Comeagutzers (slang for falling off something).

The twin from the front or rear looks like a monster without the standard stuff in the way. I think they are called Kaffeemaschines.

Reactions: Winner Winner:
1 | Informative Informative:
1 | Like List reactions


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## Torch (Feb 19, 2022)

WARSPITER said:


> Hadn't seen this thread till now. There was a firm in Germany who were converting Moto Guzzi Lemans to cafe racers. Pretty expensive but they look really good.
> The alloy wheels are replaced with wire and a new tank made among other mods. In our part of Australia we know these as Comeagutzers (slang for falling off something).
> 
> The twin from the front or rear looks like a monster without the standard stuff in the way. I think they are called Kaffeemaschines.
> ...



Always loved that look


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