[GunnersMate]

Hello all,
Just checking in, and to start things off I was wondering what the difference is between a Cafe Racer and Street Fighter? I'm a longtime rider of American Big Twins, and have just bought a Sportster 1200 to do a frame-up rebuild on. The plan was to make it into a Cafe Racer, but when I started researching design ideas I found out about the Street Fighters. Now I'm not sure what I'm building.
My plan for the bike is pretty stright forward, big bore kit, bigger carb, racing cam, and heads, bigger tires, high flow intake, pipes, racing ignition, loose/bob the tins, ect.... The goal is at least 150mph (I read someplace that this is called the "Mega-Ton"?)
Alyway that's what I'm doing, I'll post some pictures when it's finished.

 

[Geeto67]

without getting into the 100 page history of them this is the basic idea:

cafe racers are standard bikes (usually vintage) that are built to resemble race bikes (race replicas) for the street.

Streetfighters in their basic essence are (mostly) production repli-racers (or naked bikes) that have been stripped of anything that is not purely functional and are setup to race from stoplight to stoplight and stunt.Most of them started life as plastic sportbikes and the bike was crashed and the plastics removed. These are usually modern bikes but some bikes sit on the fence as both (kz1000, gs1100, cb900f/1100f).

Basically one morphed into the other, when the factorys were building standards, motorheads built cafe racers and repli-racers, when the factories started building repli-racers and cafe bikes, motorheads went the other way.

With a sporty you can go either way. HD made the XLCR back in the day and that is an awsome cafe platform, at the same time one need only look at the countless hd flattrackers there are and see the beginnings of a wheelie and stoplight stomping machine.

personally who cares what category your bike fits in, just build the fuckin thing as you see fit and let all styles influence you.


Edited by - Geeto67 on Apr 27 2007 1:40:04 PM

 

[fuzzybutt]

gunners mate, check out ******* engineerings mutant sportster/buell. these frame kits allow you to use the stock rearwheel/brake, stock forks/front wheel and tank. basically all you need is a new oil tank and battery box. i built one for a friend 2 years ago when the mutant was fairly new and it went together in a week including paint and a custom wiring harness i did though you can use the factory one.http://www.redneckengineering.com/mutant1.htm

some people are like slinkies, basically useless but they still make me smile when i push them down the stairs

 

[Psyco Diver 69]

quote:
personally who cares what category your bike fits in, just build the fuckin thing as you see fit and let all styles influence you.

I couldn't agree more with this statement

22/m
1980 Honda CB750
1972 Oldsmobile 442

 

[ProTeal55]

I classify my CB750 as a holligan/cafe/streetfighter -->

I built it becasue I like it, not to put it in a certain "class"..
Build it for yourself - and no one else...


Edited by - ProTeal55 on Apr 28 2007 12:34:22 AM