[banjoprat]

I was planing to sell my H-D sportster to get some money to start a new Cafe Racer project,but I think that I could turn the sportster into a Cafe Racer,I've seen some cool Cafe sportster on the NET, Is it more expencive, dificult... to make it with a Sporster than with other Brands and models?

 

[Swagger]

Ya know....just about anything can be converted all it takes is some imagination and effort.

Get rid of the cheesy front forks, convert to something (more) modern even some nice USD units from a sportbike.
Nab yourself some longer, more performance oriented rear shock and a steering damper.
Strip off everything that isn't essential to stop, turn and go.
Rear sets and clip-ons, perhaps a more visually suitable tank swap, a nice flat or bumstop seat.

Shit yeah man...go to it! You've already got the bike...why not? Be unique....

 

[CBGP]

 

[Pinche Chingadera]

I park next to a 08 sportster ever day at work and I always picture what it would look like with half the shit ripped off.

 

[Wanker]

Of course you can caffe a Sportster .

Benjie from BCR is even doing a Caffed Sportster .

As for costs you'll pay but what's good is that parts for Sporties are plentiful and the limits are as deep as your wallet . IMO you'd pay as much to caffe out an HD as you might a Brit or Euro bike .

 

[thunderzy]

check this out gentleman. entire forum dedicated to cafe sportsters

http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=5

 

[bmartin]

Sell your bike and get a Buell and go from there. The earlier ones with a tube frame look pretty nice.

 

[Swagger]

'Nuff said.....
http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/09/harleydavidson-italy-evaluatin.html#more

 

[HackAsaw]

yeah and you can even shoe horn one in a featherbed

guess I have a few of them

 

[banjoprat]

Wanker I love the look of the fuel tank of the first pic that you have posted!

 

[JackC]

check out an XLCR sportster from the late 70's

 

[gggilera]

inverted buell forks on a sportster is the first step

 

[texmawby]

as built by the great lance weil, raced and won in england in the 60's too!


texy

 

[Imlost]

Do Not use a harley frame they look funny as a cafe.

Use some thing else for a frame.

Norton Featherbed Frame. This one was featured in Classic Bike Guide magazine Sept06. Awesome bike. I have the issue.

 

[HackAsaw]

do you like the rear treatment and what do you think of the foot peg location? (yes I know most fbed specials put them there but have you ever ridden one like that or imagined it?) like the rear wheel? (pretty sure it's atlas or commando.... either I'd consider to be a third world hub at best)

quote:Originally posted by Imlost

Do Not use a harley frame they look funny as a cafe.

Use some thing else for a frame.

Norton Featherbed Frame. This one was featured in Classic Bike Guide magazine Sept06. Awesome bike. I have the issue.

 

[MarkB]

that looks like the Dresda harley: http://www.dresda.co.uk/bikes.asp
they make some neat shit.

 

[HackAsaw]

heck I don't care if it's the pope's

da butt looks very thrown together and the foot pegs need to be back at least 4" or put some mini apes on it

 

[MarkB]

dude, it's more than just the ass. i think the whole bike is ugly...its a neat idea...just ugly. maybe i should have said it this way: "other than that, they make some neat shit"

 

[Judeyramone]

It works for me (other than the Milwaukee lump - that's debatable) until the back end of the frame.

 

[DesmoDog]

IMHO a Sportster could make an awesome cafe racer. "Better" than a lot of the bikes I see here... A Sportster engine in a featherbed frame is on my list of projects to do "someday". I looked for a donor for a while this summer but ended up buying a Ducati 900ss instead... for the money I think they're the best Duc out there right now, but I digress..

Look back at the history of sportsters and I think it becomes obvious that yeah, there's potential there. From the XL sight listed earlier: