Open-face lids, goggles, silk scarves, leathers and big boots. All mean grimaced and ready to roll. Bikes are Norton, BSA and Triumph are the ride to rumble on of course. I’m sure when this quintet crack open their throttle mechanical music ensues.
Those clip-ons are a low-low-low custom geometry for speed runs up and down the Great North Road. “where we going for the Sunday morning ride lads? Brighton?”
When you’re talking about the Cafe culture one moto in particular defines that look: the Triton, take a rolling chassis from a Norton with featherbed frame and slot in a pre-unit Triumph engine: A hybrid speed machine of unified beauty. Especially in black and white. This one belongs to Larry Fletcher who incidently is the organiser of the Mods vs Rockers rally, which began as a small gathering of devotees of a modern cafe scene in 2005.
Looking’ forward to the Saturday event and peering over a number of classic bikes and chatting to their owners. Music and food on offer too.
This summer sees several events for the Chicago Cafe, Mods and Rocker scene. Based through Ace Motorcycle & Scooter down in the City, there are gatherings, evening meets at some pubs and general moto-antics. This coming weekend sees a biker reunion and bike show at Ace; however I don’t think the old Bonnie will be ready for a trip.
Today on Craigslist is this sublime late nineties Triumph Adventurer tweaked with Sport model upgrades to create a superb cafe creation. Those double single-side mufflers would shout the triples rumble with baritone noise. $4200 obo and she’s yours!
On my lunch break today whilst going for my regular swim I noticed a little two-wheeled jewel. Upon closer inspection I came upon this cafe’d-out Honda. And sorted to the n’th degree it was too; though not over the top but with care and deliberation to all the details. And What Details!
Taking a CB550 as the donor bike the owner has started with an overall vision that brings a holistic design that nigh-on looks like some lost production prototype fabricated to take on the rocker boys on their Triumphs, Beezas and Nortons in the sixties. Red frame and bulbous alloy tank give this moto a foundation worthy of a Brighton run. Under the surface you see the care taken to upgrade the rear swingarm from a pair of standard twin shocks to a Vincent-like double setup under the manx bumstop seat. A nicely painted Honda Motors winged logo adds to the timelessness.
Even the rear view ain’t bad either, the twin reverse cone muffler pipes must give off a good bark from the inline four; filigree openings on the rear drum both artistically lighten and cool proceedings, however this bike has a pair of discs up front to give a good anchor-like stop when needing to sharply reduce velocity. The tail light fits perfectly on the alloy hump. You can just about see the twin rear shock absorbers in this view, as well as the perfect cafe seating stance: clip-ons and rearsets here sonny!
Plenty of ‘Food for Thought’ to any future project methinks…
Fettling a bike is getting it set-up to ride ‘just right’ for speed, roadhandling, stopping and enjoyment whilst riding it. Here are a few examples of such machines that have been truly fettled.
First off: a pre-unit engined cafe trimmed for a streamline repose with nice adjustable bars, ‘way-back’ rearsets (including a handy-bendy kick start lever to clear those pedals) and well padded bum-stop seat. Fast flashes of blue over white complete the look.
A Trident is the marriage of a well tuned Triumph ‘gin, most typically in pre-unit spec, and the well handling Norton featherbed frame. Here’s a superb example fettled for the track. Wired fasteners an’ all. The seat is upholstered like a 50’s diner stool. And that big, big, big tank ideal for crouching over and laying chin on for the straights.
A couple of proud garage hands with #72. An OIF 650 (just like mine) straight through pipes will give this one a raucous sound and a bit more (Tri) oomph. Flat bars, low saddle for bobber stance, a and trimmed or omitted tins lighten the load.
Lisbeth Salander the hardened protagonist of the Stieg Larsson novel “Girl with a Dragon Tattoo” played with surgical method by Mara Rooney (nominated for an Oscar for her role this year), is given a choice vehicle to scoot about on during her escapades in the movie of the same name. A sweet little black cafe racer number.
The cafe’d Honda is a CL 350 (thanks Gogglesdown for clarification); a scrambler style moto from the late sixites -early-seventies. It’s distinctive high pipes a desired look by the kids of the day. For the movie it was given a nice rough cafe treatment, knobbly front tire for the cobbled streets of Stockholm, and slick rear boot for a speedy rort along the country roads. Ace bars, flat black trim finish the goth appearance fit for Lisbeth.
One of the nicest looking bikes available just now is the Triumph Thruxton – here is one on offer for $6,000 on Chicago Craigslist. Big, bad, black and I’m sure a beast on the twisties. It just LOOKS right!
A young Jane Asher layed over the bars of a cafe’d bike (Triumph or BSA). She was Paul McCartney’s muse during the mid-sixites, before Linda Eastman came along (Macca being sidetracked by Frannie Schwartz before Linda). A nice image evocative of the times.
British Iron of the toughest sort: the BSA Goldstar, a big 500cc single with bellowing sound. The only way it should be set-up: rear-sets, clip-ons, siamese pipe and that big polished panel tank. The Union Flag offers backdrop to make any British bikers heart thump. Whether cafe bound, or to Brighton over the Downs this is your steed of choice!
Seen on Craigslist today: ’95 Triumph Speed Triple (885 cc). $2,950.00. A storming naked muscle-bike from the nineties. In black…
Shiny, shiny cafe’d oil-in-frame Bonnie. Red framed and chrome tanked as well as a comfy Corbin seat. Nicely detailed and crafted to be a real head turner!
Would make a great upper arm tat; but alas my better ‘alf would kill me!
geordiebiker.com 