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Difference between revisions of "Cafe racer"
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→Evolution of cafe racer style
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==Evolution of cafe racer style== | ==Evolution of cafe racer style== | ||
[[Image:Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer 1978.jpg|thumb|300px|1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR]] | [[Image:Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer 1978.jpg|thumb|300px|1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR]] | ||
Cafe racer styling evolved throughout the time of their popularity. By the mid-70's, Japanese bikes had overtaken British bikes in the marketplace, and the look of real Grand Prix racing bikes had changed. The hand-made, frequently unpainted aluminum racing petrol/gas tanks of the 1960s had evolved into square, narrow, fiberglass tanks. More and more, three- and four-cylinder Hondas and Kawasakis were the basis for cafe racer conversions. By 1977, a number of manufacturers had taken notice of the cafe racer boom and were producing factory cafe racers, most notably the [[Harley-Davidson]] XLCR<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-review/harley-davidson-xlcr.aspx|title=Harley-Davidson XLCR|publisher=Motorcycle Classics|accessdate=2009-08-24|date=Premier Issue|author=Roland Brown}}</ref>, the [[Ducati]] Super Sport models and the [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries|Kawasaki]] Z1R. In 1979, [[Suzuki]] offered the cafe-style GS1000S. | Cafe racer styling evolved throughout the time of their popularity. By the mid-70's, Japanese bikes had overtaken British bikes in the marketplace, and the look of real Grand Prix racing bikes had changed. The hand-made, frequently unpainted aluminum racing petrol/gas tanks of the 1960s had evolved into square, narrow, fiberglass tanks. More and more, three- and four-cylinder Hondas and Kawasakis were the basis for cafe racer conversions. By 1977, a number of manufacturers had taken notice of the cafe racer boom and were producing factory cafe racers, most notably the [[Harley-Davidson]] [[Harley-Davidson XLCR|XLCR]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-review/harley-davidson-xlcr.aspx|title=Harley-Davidson XLCR|publisher=Motorcycle Classics|accessdate=2009-08-24|date=Premier Issue|author=Roland Brown}}</ref>, the [[Ducati]] Super Sport models and the [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries|Kawasaki]] [[Kawasaki Z1|Z1R]]. In 1979, [[Suzuki]] offered the cafe-style [[Suzuki GS1000S|GS1000S]]. | ||
While the first cafe racer conversions amounted to a nearly complete re-engineering of the motorcycle, by the mid-70s riders began modifying standard production motorcycles into so-called "cafe racers" by simply equipping them with clubman bars and a small "bubble" quarter fairing around the headlight. A number of European manufacturers, including [[Aspes]], [[Benelli (motorcycles)|Benelli]], [[BMW]], [[Bultaco]] & [[Derbi]] produced factory "cafe" variants of their standard motorcycles in this manner, without any modifications made to make them faster or more powerful. Once cafe racer styling became just that--a styling exercise that served no functional purpose and simply made bike less comfortable to ride--the trend quickly waned in popularity. Soon afterward, most new sport bikes began featuring integral bodywork from the factory, negating the need or ability to retrofit an aftermarket cafe fairing. | While the first cafe racer conversions amounted to a nearly complete re-engineering of the motorcycle, by the mid-70s riders began modifying standard production motorcycles into so-called "cafe racers" by simply equipping them with clubman bars and a small "bubble" quarter fairing around the headlight. A number of European manufacturers, including [[Aspes]], [[Benelli (motorcycles)|Benelli]], [[BMW]], [[Bultaco]] & [[Derbi]] produced factory "cafe" variants of their standard motorcycles in this manner, without any modifications made to make them faster or more powerful. Once cafe racer styling became just that--a styling exercise that served no functional purpose and simply made bike less comfortable to ride--the trend quickly waned in popularity. Soon afterward, most new sport bikes began featuring integral bodywork from the factory, negating the need or ability to retrofit an aftermarket cafe fairing. | ||