| Author | Message | ||
     Buellfart |
Why do American Cafe Racer Buells look so crappy?Why doesn`t anyone make parts like VD classics in France in the U.S.?I think we all need a little bit of V.D. in this country.I think VD is a good thing.H.D.is so heavy and graceless,so billet,cheap and plastic. | ||
| Kyrocket |
VD is a good thing? France can keep the VD  Going hunting with an umbrella is like going into battle with France. Off post I know, sorry just thought it was funny. | ||
| Nocompromise |
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.htm l  | ||
| Ratbuell |
To quote Eddie Izzard..."cheese-eating surrender-monkeys". LOL. | ||
| Tattoodnscrewd |
I think the main reason is because Buell's are streetfighters more than anything else .. Cafe racers typically have cradle frames (which allows for cafe style tanks and seat sections) and standard suspension, .. a Buell is a difficult bike to properly cafe out .. Most Buell's that are given a cafe treatment are Blast's .. and they don't quite make it as far as a true cafe bike goes .. Another thing to remember when asking why no cafe parts for Buell - there are no parts for Buell (generally speaking - I know there are some things out there, but no where near what we'd like to see )... first lets just get a decent assortment of general parts/accessories from the aftermarket for Buell before we go off on another tangent all together ... I really dig cafe racers .. plan to build an american cafe bike one of these days .. but I can pretty much guarantee that with the exception of possibly the motor and forks .. I won't be using a Buell for anything else ... streetfighter bikes just don't make good cafe bikes (in the classic definition) ... just my opinion ... That said - this is an absolutely badass American cafe bike ... one of my favorite cafe's !!   | ||
| Mikej |
While there are quite a few cafe'd bikes in the States, the cafe racer styling isn't as fully linked into the American culture as much as it is "over there". Now if I could come across a decent flat track frame for a Buell/Sportster engine my M2 just might get morphed.....  | ||
| Kyrocket |
Did you mean: french military defeats Hahaha that's funny, I don't care who you are. | ||
| Yo_barry |
What do you think? Not a Buell, but has the genes..  | ||
| Crashbuell |
Who's bike is this? Are there more pics? This is what a Sportster should be. | ||
| Zenfrogmaster |
Brian and Mike are absolutely right, which is why I built a cafe racer, even though it doesn't outhandle or outbrake my Buell. It is faster in a straight line, though:  | ||
| Jayvee |
Hey I been looking for fork boots, are those off a Nightster? or something else? Those are both real nice Sportsters. I think I would rather work on a Sportster like that than an XB Buell. (Message edited by jayvee on September 11, 2007) | ||
| Zenfrogmaster |
I paid way too much for the fork boots from some catalog, but you can get similar ones at any off-road store for less than $10. The larger "all-brand" web vendors also carry them. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I'm eventually going to roll my own as well...  | ||
| Yo_barry |
It's mine -- 99 XL1200S. Bought it new, now has 83K miles. Here are a couple more pics.  | ||
| Djkaplan |
Oooh... a Sportster S. Cool! | ||
| Aesquire |
Built my Cafe bike in 1985 with a GS750B. J.C. Whitney fairing & drag bars. It did not look as pretty as the above pictures. I think the classic vertical twin, or single, make the best Cafe bikes, because that's what they were, in the day. A CBX may be just as "cool" but it's not the same "cool". | ||
| Buellfart |
OK,good answers,especially Tattood`s.Although I don`t think a cradle frame is exactly what is required,or even necessary or desirable here.The buell frame,with a little,(lot of?)modification and engine have the makings of an excellent cafe racer:the tank needs to be lower,kind of wrapping around the upper frame;the whole seat and suspension arrangement needs to be dropped substantially,insofar as possible both front and back,but before you drag the engine on a tight turn put much larger diameter flat track wire wheels on it-I know this would elliminate a lot of Buell parts-make it so the rear wheel practically bottoms out under the rear cafe tail section,same travel,or close to.Paint the thing gloss black and nickle plate the frame and there you have it--kick-ass Buell cafe.Show that Eurotrash a thing or two(Just kidding here).Now,was that so hard? | ||
| Buellfart |
P.S.-I too liked the valiant effort to make a cafe bike out of what is essentially a chopper engine;sadly this project went belly up.If Mr Buell read about this he probably kept his fingers crossed.It was at least a step in the right direction.Should have used a Buell motor,mighta-made-it? | ||
| Tom_b |
american cafe bikes suck for the same reason euro choppers suck. each are a product of their culture. with a few exceptions this standard seems to hold true. in the 60's the brit outlaws rode cafe bikes, american outlaws rode choppers. different cultures, different bikes. look at the bad guys in "mad max" japanese bikes, but cafe style way cool bike though | ||
| Buellfart |
OK,so...we`re always supposed to follow our,particular popular culture,because if we don`t we might be laughed at,scorned...?Who gives a flying Philli F.?The fact is a lot of people,many of them American,bemoan the lack of tasteful cafe racer design concepts.Look at all the applause railed upon the Ducati`s efforts,etc.Common,there is a huge ready and waiting market out there.Its` time for some marketing guru`s and designers to get together and give a lot,not all by any means,of people what they want-attention(to certain details).OK, I Don`t expect many comments after this rant.P.S.do Euro-choppers really suck? I think they look just about the same,don`t they?They make a lot of noise and attract the wrong kind of women-we`re just use to it. | ||
| 98s1lightning |
Well I went this route insted.   | ||
| Sportyeric |
Or this one.  | ||
| Tom_b |
here is the way I built mine  (Message edited by tom_b on September 12, 2007) | ||
| Tom_b |
nobody said anything about following cultures to avoid looking stupid. Italians build exotic beautiful cars well, germans build precision cars well.Cafe bikes are a british thing and they do it well. Americans build big v-twin crusiers and and big v-8 cars well. choppers and hot rods are american thing, exotic sports cars, cafe bikes are a euro thing. up until the last 10 yrs there really hasn't been much interest in cafe bikes in the states or choppers in europe. Hence why each others copies usually suck. Rant on, you asked the question. lack of interest is probably why american builders haven't shown much interest. | ||
| Buellfart |
OK,then why are so many people BLOWN AWAY by a really competant V-twin cafe build,i.e. the Egli/Vincent?Why can`t We do that with a Buell;I mean the potential is there but I haven`t seen it even approached yet.Don`t take this personally,but there is a shocking gap between desire and realization in the custom build community.Everybody`s got to feed the monkey and build that tired old,fat tire`d crap that passes for custom when it`s really just the same old,tired,grossly overpriced,obnoxiouse,unwieldy •••• and bull that passes for what too many people think that they want until they see what they know,or think they know,they cannot have.Or they swing to the other extreme and design something ultra-light,carbon fiber everywhere-looking,of course,essentially the samefor five grand when in fact the rider would benifit more by simply loosing the beer gut,as if that would make a substantial difference...You know? Do a really nice,REALLY custom build and the world will beat a path to your door.OK,end of rant,now let`s see some originality out there-P.S.I am working on my own project along similar lines but have yet to meet anyone out there in Google-land whose even seriously considering this-Well I guess I must be just plane nuts.If I just had more time and wasn`t such a •••••• welder I guess I have more to show for it-but I ain`t given up yet. | ||
| Rick_a |
 None too shabby, me thinks. | ||
| Xldevil |
 | ||
| Jayvee |
Wow, that's pretty. What is that a Hodaka tank? Work in progress...? | ||
| Djkaplan |
I think I know where the rider went in that pic... | ||
| Mikej |
Buellfart, Post a pic or a link to a pic of what you consider to be the epitome of the V-Twin Cafe build. I'm curious and am starting to get thoughts processing. |
