Details: stripped sportsbikes as the new café racers
Yesterday’s Ducati Monstersedici RR got us thinking. While we liked the idea of a naked bike powered by a 200bhp MotoGP-inspired v4, the highly advanced engine didn’t look at home in the Monster’s svelte lines. In fact, contemporary roadsters like the Monster, Honda 919, Triumph Street Triple and Yamaha FZ6 all look a little over-styled and limp wristed next to the sportsbikes that donated their engines. What’s missing is a strong technical element to the look, something that isn’t provided by the sharply creased plastic and weird exhaust cans of bikes like the Kawasaki Z1000 and Suzuki B-King. That look is surprisingly easy to achieve. Strip the fairing from most current sportsbikes and what you’re left with is a perfectly functional motorcycle, just one whose style is provided by its mechanical components, not plastics. Motorcycle design’s mantra has always been form follows function, it should be: function is form. Click through to see the three bikes we think are best suited to this treatment. 
Ducati Desmosedici RR:Strip the carbon fiber fairing off Ducati’s MotoGP replica and you’re left with a bike that exudes mechanical aggression, not race pedigree. Ride this to a bar and no one’s going to mistake you for a balding stockbroker living out a mid-life crisis. It’s easy too; the fairing will bolt right off; all the necessary lights and oily bits stay attached. We’d add some crash damage and worn out slicks to complete the look.
Kawasaki Concours 14:Think the 2009 Yamaha VMAX is an over styled, overweight let down? Here’s the performance cruiser for you. A small single seat unit might be a worthwhile addition, as would some Confederate Hellcat headlights.
2008 Honda CBR1000RR:Already our favorite liter bike of 2008, the CBR1000RR looks even better minus its handsome fairing. All we’d add would be a sheet metal undertray for the seat unit, some foam to sit on and some so-small-you-can’t-see-them LED lights. Bonus points for leaving the stock exhaust on; quiet is the new loud.
Wes Siler. July 09, 2008 — Permalink
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the Kwaker for sure. put a new school tractor seat on it, and i will ride it.
The Concourse FTW. That thing could be just so Metal.
I am big fan of the Cafe Racers. I love this idea... my next new sports bike will become a Cafe Racers, just like the old days!
Put a round headlight on that CBR and it would be perfect.
I wouldn't label any of these as Cafe Racers. They're called Streetfighters. Good lookin' bikes, too!
Streetfighters to me are crazy german bikes with bad-taste paintjobs. A cafe racer was always a bike paired down to a minimum. It's time we found a modern way to do that.
I just stripped my TL1000S and I love it. I also love the MX Renthals that replaced the clip-ons.
The UK gave us Street fighters....not the germans
Streetfighters are(used to be) spots bikes without plastic with an MX bar and some lights.
But what are Bobbers...also fast bikes with all bits removed that make the bike heavy.
So..nothing new. Just forgotten where it came from.
But not by all.
B-art
Ahh, the soothing sound of bickering whenever a niche is defined...
I too have had that image of the stripped GTR since it came out, it needs very little to make it look bad-ass. I pilfered this image from a forum somewhere of someone interpretation of what it could be:
http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/1107/c14choppy9.jpg
I was thinking the very same thing a few weeks back. I was in Melbourne and saw a 929 Fireblade parked in a bike bay.
Unremarkable any other time but stripped of its fairing and wearing only an ohlins shock and a pair of blued and feathered super corsas. I was shocked at how beutiful it was.
I've modified my '03 Speed Triple with clip-ons, next addition a single headlight and relocated clocks - new century cafe racer !
Cheers
Barry
If you are looking for a new generation Cafe Racer I would look at Philippe Starcks Voxan Cafe Racer or the Wakan 1640. Both are the pure essence of a modern cafe racer although the Wakan still somewhat retro. Bikes like the Benelli cafe racer are just well pure pants quite frankly.