I was thinking of getting some new gloves with knuckle protectors but now I've decided I want to look cool like Brad Pitt instead. I will have a soft cotton top instead of ballistic armour fitted into a Kevlar jacket. I also intend to remove the ugly front mudguard and a wing mirror from my bike so they wont get in between me and the lens and I can look like I love myself when the photographers gather around me, passing me compliments on my looks. Later, I will get off my 1950's replica cafe racer and back into my Hummer where I feel safe - LA can be a dangerous place!
You can look cool like me, I have been using riggers gloves for many years as they are cheaper and stronger than most motorcycle gloves They are not as comfortable as the kid gloves I wore when racing, but they last longer I will
>have a soft cotton top instead of ballistic armour fitted into a >Kevlar jacket. I also intend to remove the ugly front mudguard and a >wing mirror from my bike
The "missing wing mirror" is there, on the left hand side as they tend to use the right hand side of the road over there
>so they wont get in between me and the lens >and I can look like I love myself when the photographers gather around >me, passing me compliments on my looks. Later, I will get off my >1950's replica cafe racer
There were no cafe racers in the 1950's they didn't come into vogue till the early 1970's when the Japanese bikes hit the market
>> He might wear rigger's gloves, but he can't ride for shit.
>> He dropped it in spectacualr fashion recently when trying >> unsuccessfully to lane-split.
>> Of course you won't be reading this becasue being the control freak >> you are, you have me killfiled. Arsehole. >You seem to think fatboy plonking as a bad thing ?
Watch the video, it's more like fat boy plonking fatboy.
And why is that fat boys seem to like fatboys?
Do they think a fat bike will make them looks slimmer?
So many questions... So few bullets...
Peace, love, and mung bean rissoles, and then... =================
In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:27:22 GMT George W. Frost <georgewfr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> There were no cafe racers in the 1950's > they didn't come into vogue till the early 1970's when the Japanese bikes > hit the market
Umm... eh?
The term is late 50s early 60s in the UK (hint, why cafe?), and the import of the lighter faster Brit bikes were what prompted HD to create the Sportster in the early 50s.
I dunno if the US riders used the clipon style when they customised their bikes, I bet a few did. Most I think tended to the more US style of street racing so tended towards higher wider bars for drags and desert racing.
I think one of the first "factory cafe racers" was the Enfield Continental GT which was a 250 from the mid 60s. As the name notes though it was more about emulating the Italian sportbikes than the Brit ton-up boys.
> In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:27:22 GMT > George W. Frost <georgewfr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> There were no cafe racers in the 1950's >> they didn't come into vogue till the early 1970's when the Japanese bikes >> hit the market
> Umm... eh?
> The term is late 50s early 60s in the UK (hint, why cafe?), and the > import of the lighter faster Brit bikes were what prompted HD to > create the Sportster in the early 50s.
> I dunno if the US riders used the clipon style when they customised > their bikes, I bet a few did. Most I think tended to the more US > style of street racing so tended towards higher wider bars for drags > and desert racing.
> I think one of the first "factory cafe racers" was the Enfield > Continental GT which was a 250 from the mid 60s. As the name notes > though it was more about emulating the Italian sportbikes than the > Brit ton-up boys.
> Zebee
I think the first "factory cafe racer" I saw was a Ducati 350 around 1968 then the British came out with a cafe racer Triumph, BSA and others followed Thought the Enfield had more of an upright position with their bars Clip-ons were popular here, but not in the USA, they went more for the high-rise ape hangers popular here from around 1958 on
> >I was thinking of getting some new gloves with knuckle protectors but > >now I've decided I want to look cool like Brad Pitt instead.
> You can look cool like me, > I have been using riggers gloves for many years as they are cheaper and > stronger than most motorcycle gloves > They are not as comfortable as the kid gloves I wore when racing, but they > last longer I will
> >have a soft cotton top instead of ballistic armour fitted into a > >Kevlar jacket. I also intend to remove the ugly front mudguard and a > >wing mirror from my bike
> The "missing wing mirror" is there, > on the left hand side as they tend to use the right hand side of the road > over there
> >so they wont get in between me and the lens > >and I can look like I love myself when the photographers gather around > >me, passing me compliments on my looks. Later, I will get off my > >1950's replica cafe racer
> There were no cafe racers in the 1950's > they didn't come into vogue till the early 1970's when the Japanese bikes > hit the market
> >and back into my Hummer where I feel safe - > >LA can be a dangerous place!
In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:09:23 GMT George W. Frost <georgewfr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I think the first "factory cafe racer" I saw was a Ducati 350 around 1968 > then the British came out with a cafe racer Triumph, BSA and others followed > Thought the Enfield had more of an upright position with their bars > Clip-ons were popular here, but not in the USA, they went more for the > high-rise ape hangers > popular here from around 1958 on
> I was thinking of getting some new gloves with knuckle protectors but > now I've decided I want to look cool like Brad Pitt instead. I will > have a soft cotton top instead of ballistic armour fitted into a > Kevlar jacket. I also intend to remove the ugly front mudguard and a > wing mirror from my bike so they wont get in between me and the lens > and I can look like I love myself when the photographers gather around > me, passing me compliments on my looks. Later, I will get off my > 1950's replica cafe racer and back into my Hummer where I feel safe - > LA can be a dangerous place!
More like an "American-Stupid" interpretation of 1950s racer! I can't understand this passion for dumb-looking, barely functional, barely rideable "show bikes". He's lucky he didn't crash it at any higher speed too; you can only imagine what those spring-thingies would've done to his guts (or nuts!) not to mention all the exposed whirring things (chains, cogs, tyres, clutch etc) that would act like mincers. -- Clem
On Oct 28, 9:31 am, Zebee Johnstone <zeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:27:22 GMT > George W. Frost <georgewfr...@gmail.com> wrote: > > There were no cafe racers in the 1950's > > they didn't come into vogue till the early 1970's when the Japanese bikes > > hit the market
> Umm... eh?
That was my reaction.
> The term is late 50s early 60s in the UK (hint, why cafe?), and the > import of the lighter faster Brit bikes were what prompted HD to > create the Sportster in the early 50s.
> I dunno if the US riders used the clipon style when they customised > their bikes, I bet a few did. Most I think tended to the more US > style of street racing so tended towards higher wider bars for drags > and desert racing.
> I think one of the first "factory cafe racers" was the Enfield > Continental GT which was a 250 from the mid 60s. As the name notes > though it was more about emulating the Italian sportbikes than the > Brit ton-up boys.
It would indeed be very difficult to emulate ton-up boys on a 250 Enfield. :-)
theo wrote: > On Oct 28, 9:31 am, Zebee Johnstone <zeb...@gmail.com> wrote: >> In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:27:22 GMT >> George W. Frost <georgewfr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> There were no cafe racers in the 1950's >>> they didn't come into vogue till the early 1970's when the Japanese bikes >>> hit the market >> Umm... eh?
> That was my reaction.
>> The term is late 50s early 60s in the UK (hint, why cafe?), and the >> import of the lighter faster Brit bikes were what prompted HD to >> create the Sportster in the early 50s.
>> I dunno if the US riders used the clipon style when they customised >> their bikes, I bet a few did. Most I think tended to the more US >> style of street racing so tended towards higher wider bars for drags >> and desert racing.
>> I think one of the first "factory cafe racers" was the Enfield >> Continental GT which was a 250 from the mid 60s. As the name notes >> though it was more about emulating the Italian sportbikes than the >> Brit ton-up boys.
> It would indeed be very difficult to emulate ton-up boys on a 250 > Enfield. :-)
> Theo
But the 500 might have a chance and the 650 4 sure
>>>>> He dropped it in spectacualr fashion recently when trying >>>>> unsuccessfully to lane-split.
>>>>> Of course you won't be reading this becasue being the control freak >>>>> you are, you have me killfiled. Arsehole. >>>> You seem to think fatboy plonking as a bad thing ?
>> AH was refering to fatboiclem
> D'oh... [deem stupid look included]
accepted > And yes, of course being plonked by fatboy is a bad thing. It's > always a bad thing when people don't read my gems of wisdom. [g]
Zebee Johnstone wrote: > In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:04:05 +1000 > atec 7 7 <"atec 77"@hotmail.com> wrote: >> theo wrote: >>> It would indeed be very difficult to emulate ton-up boys on a 250 >>> Enfield. :-)
>> But the 500 might have a chance and the 650 4 sure
> dunno.. I don't think they got much in the way of boy racer till the > constellation.
> Zebee
I had a 59 Meteor in the late 60's which was ridden to high school on the dry days ( owned a 49 Mercury at the same time for the wet) The meteor was the prettiest thing with a cut down clipper fairing on black frame , chrome fork covers and tank with a deep red laquer applied as a central colour over chrome , with higher compression and cams with a tweaked carb it made a genuine 100 mph plus although throwing me once shattering my right collar bone and a major shoulder dislocation destroying it's self in the process which was quite a loss at the time . I has saved for years working after school and only owned it perhaps nine months , bloody nice bike and with dropped end bars and Dunlop tyres corned well , only good thing out of the smash was I bought my first Triumph speed twin and discovered real performance and going "fast" :)
> In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:27:22 GMT > George W. Frost <georgewfr...@gmail.com> wrote: > > There were no cafe racers in the 1950's > > they didn't come into vogue till the early 1970's when the Japanese > > bikes > > hit the market
> Umm... eh?
That was my reaction.
************************
There were the few boy racers around before this, but the majority of cafe racers didn't eventuate till later on
In the 1950's, it was the Triumph, BSA, AJS, and others with standard bars which were on the road then the japs came in around 1967 with cheaper and better lasting bikes, then the urge to change the styling of them started, with the bars changed along with other things. If you could get a Harley, it was usually a Sporty, because the Glides were too expensive, then if you got a Gilde, the first things to go were the garbage bags and standard bars, replaced with ape hangers
I thought you were old enough to remember those things Theo
> The term is late 50s early 60s in the UK (hint, why cafe?), and the > import of the lighter faster Brit bikes were what prompted HD to > create the Sportster in the early 50s.
> I dunno if the US riders used the clipon style when they customised > their bikes, I bet a few did. Most I think tended to the more US > style of street racing so tended towards higher wider bars for drags > and desert racing.
> I think one of the first "factory cafe racers" was the Enfield > Continental GT which was a 250 from the mid 60s. As the name notes > though it was more about emulating the Italian sportbikes than the > Brit ton-up boys.
It would indeed be very difficult to emulate ton-up boys on a 250 Enfield. :-)
Theo
**************************
It would be very difficult to really find someone who actually wanted to buy an Enfield
>>>>>> He dropped it in spectacualr fashion recently when trying >>>>>> unsuccessfully to lane-split.
>>>>>> Of course you won't be reading this becasue being the control freak >>>>>> you are, you have me killfiled. Arsehole. >>>>> You seem to think fatboy plonking as a bad thing ?
>>> AH was refering to fatboiclem
>> D'oh... [deem stupid look included]
> accepted >> And yes, of course being plonked by fatboy is a bad thing. It's >> always a bad thing when people don't read my gems of wisdom. [g]
> mmmm > irony ?
Yeah, ironic, innit? But I can't stay and chat, or I'll be reported to fatboy and Infarct Kneetrembler, by theyr little toadies, for hiacking this thread for my egomanic attention seeking motives.
Before the racer, there was the British motorway system, and the coffee. In the '50s fast motorways were built, and there was a boom in roadside coffee shops. The Italians had recently invented the method of making espresso using mechanical pressure rather than steam. The British firm Cona also had their own system based on vacuum. These machines created a increase in coffee consumption in the UK, previously more keen on tea. The practice of meeting your buddies at one layby, then riding up to the next along the motorway naturally led to the "cafe racer".
> You can look cool like me, > I have been using riggers gloves for many years as they are cheaper and > stronger than most motorcycle gloves > They are not as comfortable as the kid gloves I wore when racing, but they > last longer I will
> >have a soft cotton top instead of ballistic armour fitted into a > >Kevlar jacket. I also intend to remove the ugly front mudguard and a > >wing mirror from my bike
> The "missing wing mirror" is there, > on the left hand side as they tend to use the right hand side of the road > over there
> >so they wont get in between me and the lens > >and I can look like I love myself when the photographers gather around > >me, passing me compliments on my looks. Later, I will get off my > >1950's replica cafe racer
> There were no cafe racers in the 1950's > they didn't come into vogue till the early 1970's when the Japanese bikes > hit the market
> >and back into my Hummer where I feel safe - > >LA can be a dangerous place!
I know the expression 'café racer' was first used in the 1950's and a big part of the cafe racer style is derived from post-war lack of money (hand made parts etc). I agree that the term was in use for over a decade and probably was more popular in the 60's, by which time the financial effects of WWII must have faded.
Also, I spotted the handlebar mounter mirror - that's why I said "removed a mirror." However, I feel you are missing my point a bit, George.
It was not intended to be a serious post, so I didn't expect the details to be disected to the extent they have been. If I had realised that was going to happen, I would have taken more care over the minutiae and probably not posted anything at all.
At least Brad's gloves are new... your's were probably new in 1928 - you old goat!
Perhaps this is what I should've put: Cotton top $75 by Giovanni, Tracey Ross Clothing Boutique, 8595 Sunset Blvd. (www.traceyross.com) Shoes $270 from Carwashkim: Vintage & Designer Rigger's gloves $19 from Mitre 10 Plastic surgery $47K by the same guy that did Michael Jackson
|
