Why do people build cafe racers destroying great original bikes?

[Chaos]

If I may add, rarely do bricks make good looking customs.  That big chunky engine and clunky gas tank don't lend themselves to the desired look without an awful lot of expertise.  Ironically, the bricks greatest asset it it's versatility, and making it a narrow focus custom or cafe or chopper pretty much destroys it's reason for being. 

[kris]

I have seen, online, some gorgeous work done to Bricks by way of custom modifications. The central theme of this bike, in my opinion, is that industrial chunk of engine sitting so beautifully down low.  Stripping away all the bits really showcases this feature. And, yes, a naked stock brick is fine, too. But life is short, folks. And none of us knows what tomorrow brings. So, if you choose to drive a pink Cadillac.....go for it! If you choose to tastefully customize some piece of machinery you own....go for it. There is enough room for the purists and modifiers alike.

[K75Slark]

I'm a young guy (30's) and see no reason to café a K. You aren't going to actually improve the acceleration or handling, nor find a better finish. You just want something that looks good.

My naked K75 is a beater, thrown down the road c. 2002, brought back to life in 2013, and has the rough paint and cracked instrument trim to prove it. Many would say it's a great café candidate.

But you know what? It goes like hell, stops on a quarter, and doesn't give me any cramps. I can't ask for much more from any street bike.


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[Chaos]

You could ask it to stop on a dime  :neener:

[K75Slark]

You could ask it to stop on a dime  :neener:

I'd need twin front discs for that to happen!

[Laitch]

You could ask it to stop on a dime  :neener:

I'd need twin front discs for that to happen!

It would still be a nickel too long unless you pumped the brakes.

[Filmcamera]

Yeah on the K's the back brake is worth at a penny at best!

[racket]

You aren't going to actually improve the acceleration or handling

Removing most of the body pieces will drastically reduce weight and will improve the acceleration and handling

[K75Slark]

Removing most of the body pieces will drastically reduce weight and will improve the acceleration and handling

Unless you have a late naked K75, there isn't much to remove beyond the fenders and side panels!  :2thumbup:

[K1300S]

Removing most of the body pieces will drastically reduce weight and will improve the acceleration and handling

not sure i would call 20lbs, maybe, of plastic off a 500+ pound bike (plus rider) a drastic reduction.  all the weight of a K is the overbuilt metal parts.

even if you took 100lbs off the bike, and another 50 off an overweight rider, a K is never going to be fast.  70 or 100hp on skinny tires just aint gonna cut it compare to newer rides.  a K is just not a sports bike.  and unless you are running on a track looking to drop lap times, it doesn't matter in street use.


my brother and i had a good laugh the other day.  i was on my 94K75s, he was on my 09K1300s.   at a deserted section of road I punched it.  i wrung the K75 out to the limit..redline in first and second.   yee ha! ........ the K1300s never broke 4k rpm or even half throttle keeping up....  big yawn...

old K's are so enjoyable because they are slow and have character.  the old saying that it is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow is so true.

[Filmcamera]

No they are not sportsbikes by today's standards or even close. 

However yesterday I was at the lights with a Subaru Impreza STi and the guy was revving his engine and shit so I thought 'what the heck let's see what the old girls has got'. He beat me off the line because I am still a little  nervous of my new clutch and gearbox but after that I had no trouble keeping pace with him and left him cold as soon as I felt like it.

It may be a slow bike but not many cars can keep up...

[The Mighty Gryphon]

In my opinion, classic K bikes were the first step in Motorad going from the boxer mentality to the modern "state of the art superbikes" they sell now.

At the time, the K's represented higher performance, but combined with the legendary reliability and long distance ergonomics of the classic boxers.  Nice middle of the road bikes, sort of like an 80's Buick LeSabre.  Doing cafe chops on these bikes is kind of like trying to make one of those old LeSabres into a dune buggy.

[Chaos]

 it is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow is so true.

Story of my life! 40hhp VW bugs, Spitfires, bonny, Fiat 850, Citroen, flathead Ford pu, R65, K75s and a Ural.  Havin' a ball!

[Laitch]

However yesterday I was at the lights with a Subaru Impreza STi . . .

BATTLE OF THE TITANS
Track-side seats are being sold at a premium for the upcoming rematch. Get yours today!

[Enfield]

I feel a little bit like someone stepped on my toes :-) as I am about to build a K100 Scrambler... I will totally agree that it is a no go to do it to a showroom K100.... but there is plenty around that is in ok condition but not in a State where they will ever be collectibles...I dont feel wrong about cutting in Them. I bought 2 that had been for sale for more than 4 months without anyone grabbing Them ...they went for the prize of one...
 And about the worth of a K100 Scrambler... well for me it is just the right Bike .... been driving a 500 cc bullet for Four years but it feels like a moped.. I am 2 meters and around 108 kilos... I dont see a K100 Scrambler as heavy, I think it is just perfect :-)

 



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[Laitch]

.... been driving a 500 cc bullet for Four years but it feels like a moped.. I am 2 meters and around 108 kilos... I dont see a K100 Scrambler as heavy, I think it is just perfect :-)

No surprise there. :giggles

It will be great if it isn't over-scrambled. The rear suspension doesn't have much travel, especially with 108 kilos stacked on it.
Good luck with your project!

[Enfield]

No surprise there. :giggles

It will be great if it isn't over-scrambled. The rear suspension doesn't have much travel, especially with 108 kilos stacked on it.
Good luck with your project!

Did add a YSS adjustable shock... hope it Can add a bit to the travel :-)


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[JPaganel]

Weird how Tapatalk just will not let this thread go for me...

I am with the original sentiment  - it would be kind of nice if the Hacksaw Brigade took at least a look around for a beater before ripping up something usable.

In fact, I will make this a standing offer -  if you have a K with RS or smaller fairings and you want a chopper/bobber/coffeemaker/sewingmachineonwheels and live within a day's drive of Minneapolis, I'll trade ya.  I'll even get to fixing the electrical problem before I do.

[Martin]

This is why you can increase the price of your brick up to 4 times. An instant get rich quick scheme, and you can sell all the left overs. now where did I leave my angle grinder. https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/southport/motorcycles/cafe-racer-bmw-k100/1157854602
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/norman-park/motorcycles/1987-bmw-k100rs-cafe-racer-custom-eoi/1154561402
Regards Martin.
Cafe one.png.jpg (54.51 kB . 768x510 - viewed 350 times)
Cafe Two.png.jpg (56.37 kB . 768x432 - viewed 405 times)

[johnny]

greetings...

20k invested... will let go for 12.5k.... my loss is yourn gain... pony up the dough and go getts you some yeeeehaaaaa...

j o

[JPaganel]

greetings...

20k invested... will let go for 12.5k.... my loss is yourn gain... pony up the dough and go getts you some yeeeehaaaaa...

j o

You forgot "one of a kind"  :neener:

[Motorhobo]

I feel sorry for anyone's ass who has to rest on those 'seats'. That looks even less padded than the stock one. After after a 5-day 1200 mile weekend on the stock seat back in '02 everything from my abdomen down was on fire and I found myself going waaaay too fast just to get the ride over with. The next week I got a custom seat molded to my butt, just had it recovered with a gel pack. I'll sit comfy till my riding days are over, be the ride 20 miles or 2000.

Just from a practical perspective, I don't see much sense any bike that's isn't useful for anything but a trip to the second-nearest Starbucks. I guess IMHO every cafe'd out K-bike is like an Ironman who had his power armor replaced with a day-glo speedo.

But that's just me -- not that there's anything wrong with that :-)

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Between the dearth of padding on the seat and the forward lean caused by strapon bars and rearset pegs I suspect that the riders of these bikes have limited blood supply to crucial parts of the anatomy coupled with severe nerve damage.   At least they will have lower odds of sending more hackers out into the future to chop up whatever the next cappuccino donor will be. 

On the other hand, it seems these bikes are built to be photographed in front of graffiti defaced walls in sleazy urban environments rather than being used to actually ride somewhere.  Therefore, the physical damage to the owner should be minimal.  The photos and bikes are so cliche'd that they remind me of the rock and roll hall of douche bags photos of "brickwallers" ie bands with photos in front of brick walls. 

http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com/hall/index.php

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Waiting for a cappuccino racer...

Image deleted...

[jwilcox1030]

If you don't get it your to old.lol

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