Masei 610 Bronze Chrome Color Helmet for Harley Davidson & Cafe Racer Bikers
September 14, 2012
History of Café Racer & Its Culture
A Cafe Racer (/ˈkæff reɪsər/kaff racer) is a term used for a type of motorcycle, as well as the motorcyclists who ride them. Both meanings have their roots in the 1960s British Rocker or Ton-up boy subculture, although the type of motorcycles were also common in Italy, France and other European countries. The term, which originally arose as an insult from motorcycle enthusiasts towards riders who they thought were playing at being a road racer but merely parked outside cafes, refers to a style of motorcycles that were and are used for fast rides from one transport cafe or coffee bar to another.
Typical configuration
The cafe racer is a motorcycle that has been modified for speed and handling rather than comfort. Cafe racers' bodywork and control layout typically mimicked the style of contemporary Grand Prix roadracers featuring an elongated fuel tank, often with dents to allow the riders knees to grip the tank, low slung racing handlebars, and a single, rearwardly mounted, humped seat.
One signature trait were low, narrow handlebars that allowed the rider to "tuck in" to reduce wind resistance and offered better control when in that posture. These are referred to as either "clip-ons" (two-piece bars that bolt directly to each fork tube) or "clubmans" or "ace bars" (one piece bars that attach to the stock mounting location but drop down and forward). The ergonomics resulting from low bars and the rearward seat often required "rearsets", or rear-set footrests and foot controls, again typical of racing motorcycles of the era. Distinctive half or full race-style fairings were sometimes mounted to the forks or frame.
The bikes had a raw, utilitarian and stripped-down appearance while the engines were tuned for maximum speed. These motorcycles were lean, light and handled road surfaces well. The most defining machine of its heyday was the homemade Norton Featherbed framed and Triumph Bonneville engined machine called "The Triton". It used the most common and fastest racing engine combined with the best handling frame of its day, the Featherbed frame by Norton Motorcycles. Those with less money could opt for a "Tribsa" - the Triumph engine in a BSA frame. Other combinations existed such as "Norvins", a Vincent V-Twin engine in a Featherbed frame and racing frames by Rickman or Seeley were also adopted for road use.
Cafe racers and choppers
The cafe racer has something in common with the chopper or bobber scene in the USA where riders rejected the large transportation-oriented motorcycles of the time. Both took factory produced motorcycles, removed parts deemed unnecessary and made them loud by removing muffler baffles for freer exhaust flow and perhaps to draw a little attention to themselves as well. Both looked to make the standard factory motorcycles faster and lighter, although the difference between the nature of the US and European motorcycles and road systems led to somewhat different results. While the Americans favored a long and low cruiser style of motorcycle for straight line comfort, the Europeans preferred a higher, more nimble and better handling motorcycle suited to the more twisting roads of their nations.
Evolution
1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR
Cafe racer styling evolved throughout the time of their popularity. By the mid-1970s, 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.
In the mid-1970s, riders continued to modify standard production motorcycles into so-called "cafe racers" by simply equipping them with clubman bars and a small fairing around the headlight. A number of European manufacturers, including Benelli, BMW, Bultaco and Derbi produced factory "cafe" variants of their standard motorcycles in this manner, without any modifications made to make them faster or more powerful. Eventually the cafe racer style became just a styling exercise that served no functional purpose and simply made the bike less comfortable to ride; so 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.
Rockers on cafe Racers at cafe, UK.
Rockers were a young and rebellious Rock and Roll counterculture who wanted a fast, personalised and distinctive bike to travel between transport cafes along the newly built arterial motorways in and around British towns and cities.[citation needed] The goal of many was to be able to reach 100 miles per hour (160 km/h)—called simply "the ton"—along such a route where the rider would leave from a cafe, race to a predetermined point and back to the cafe before a single song could play on the jukebox, called record-racing. They are remembered as being especially fond of Rockabilly music and their image is now embedded in today's rockabilly culture.
The term cafe racer is still used to describe motorcycles of a certain style and some motorcyclists still use this term in self-description. The sub-culture continues to evolve with modern cafe racers taking style elements of the American Greaser, the British Rocker and modern motorcycle rider to create a style all their own. Although slow to catch on there, the trend has grown in North America.
Present day
Suzuki S40 customised in a cafe racer style
Honda CB 400 Four cafe racer
Classic cafe racer style has made a comeback recently, thanks largely to the increased interest in vintage motorcycles in general. The baby boomers were responsible for a surge in motorcycle sales in the late 1960s and 1970s, and many of this generation now find themselves with the time and discretionary income to recreate the bikes they had—or wished to have—in their younger years.
A new generation of motorcycle designers and builders are using the style as a fresh alternative to the custom chopper scene. Furthermore, in many parts of the United States, there are large numbers of stock 1970s and 1980s era Japanese motorcycles available for relatively small amounts of money – in many areas a running motorcycle can be had for well under US$1,000 USD. There is a strong appeal to younger and less wealthy motorcyclists to build a cafe racer from one of these bikes and end up with a stylish personalised motorcycle at a fraction of the cost of a newer bike.
September 13, 2012
HD Preview: 2013 Harley-Davidson CVO Breakout
All new for 2013, Harley-Davidson has released a limited-production Softail - the CVO Breakout.
The Custom Vehicle Operations model features the Twin Cam 110B engine combined with new custom styling that displays "muscle in motion."
Kirk Rasmussen (Harley-Davidson Styling Manager) says: "We begin by stripping the bike down to the bones and building up from there," said Rasmussen. "Stylist Mark Daniels penned a tough-looking hot rod concept and we were off to the races.
"To create a compact, muscular profile we've chopped the fenders to the legal limit so more tire rubber is revealed at both ends of the bike. The same principle is applied to the console, where we shaved it down and used braided steel lines for vent tubes. This gives us a larger canvas for paint and finishes, an essential element of the CVO formula."
The CVO Breakout story begins with its Twin Cam 110B engine, a 110-cid V-Twin that pumps out 112 ft. lbs. of peak torque to give the CVO Breakout the best power-to-weight ratio of any current CVO model. The CVO Breakout takes production motorcycle paint to a new level of true customization. Two paint schemes feature hand-polished steel sections on the fuel tank and fenders. A third paint option incorporates hand-laid lace stenciling. The amount of manual finishing required to create these painted parts makes each set of bodywork unique.
New polished chrome Turbine wheels are another styling highlight to debut on the CVO Breakout. "We gave the Turbine wheel a good deal of drama by pulling the spoke ridges all the way through to the rim, which help make the wheel diameter look larger," said Rasmussen. "The front wheel has 21 spokes. I think the ridges on the rear wheel look a little scary. The dramatic diameter of the 21-inch front wheel with a 130mm tire and the 18-inch rear wheel with a 240mm tire give the bike a strong proportional foundation."
Other custom details introduced on the CVO Breakout include a wide front end with a mini headlamp nacelle, and a chromed cast-aluminum oil tank. The Softail® chassis mimics the clean lines of a vintage hardtail frame, but utilizes rear suspension control provided by coil-over shock absorbers mounted horizontally and out of sight within the frame rails. Electronic cruise control, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), keyless ignition, and the Harley-Davidson® Smart Security System are standard equipment on the CVO Breakout.
The Era Of Cafe Racer - British-Style Self-Expressing Riders
A cafe racer is a type of motorcycle and a type of motorcyclist. Both have their roots in the 1960s British counterculture group the Rockers, or the Ton-up boys. In most places the term refers to the specific cycles that were, and still are, used for short, sharp, high-speed trips from one pub or coffee bar to another. And the ton is 100 mph, not what you weigh in at after eating those chips at the transport station.
Rockers were a young and rebellious Rock and Roll counterculture that wanted a fast, personalised and distinctive bike to travel between transport cafés along the newly built arterial motorways in and around British towns and cities. The goal of many was to be able to reach 100 miles per hour (called simply “the ton”) along such a route where the rider would leave from a cafe, race to a predetermined point and back to the cafe before a single song could play on the jukebox, this was called record-racing.
The term Cafe racer is still used to describe motorcycles of a certain style and some motorcyclists still use this term in self-description. A cafe racer is a motorcycle that has been modified for speed and good handling rather than comfort; single racing seats, low handle bars such as ace bars or even one-sided “clip-ons” mounted directly onto the front forks for control and aerodynamics, half or full race fairings, large racing petrol tanks often left unpainted, swept back exhausts and rearset footpegs in order to give better clearance whilst cornering at speed.
These motorcycles were lean, light and handled road surfaces well. The most defining machine of the Rocker heyday was the homemade Norton Featherbed framed and Triumph Bonneville engined machine called ” The Triton “. It used the most common and fastest racing engine combined with the best handling frame of its day. Worthy of mentioning here is that an entire new sub-culture has evolved since the heyday of the Rockers. The ‘Cafe Racers’, a term that existed in the 1950s and 1960s to refer to bike riders of the race track, but is used now to describe motorcycle riders who choose classic/vintage British, Italian or Japanese motorbikes from the 50′s-to late 1970s as their bike of choice, over Harleys or new Japanese bikes.
These Cafe Racers do not follow the fashion/music subculture of the Rockers, old or new, but dress in a more modern and comfortable appearance with only a hint of likeness to the Rockers style. Common Levi jeans, generic motorcycle jackets, boots and/or shoes with modern helmets being the norm, instead of the very specific brand names, styles and look established by the Rockers. These Cafe Racers have taken elements of the American Greaser, British Rocker and modern motorcycle rider look to create a style all their own. Because the affects of drinking alcohol are detrimental and thus inarguably recklessly dangerous for operating any motor vehicle it is obvious why Cafe Racers choose to stop for drinks of coffee rather than alcohol.
The operating of motorcycles after consuming alcohol is somewhat acceptable to the image of riding choppers or cruisers further making them the antithesis of Cafe Racing. A lighthearted term has arisen for motorcyclists who dare to ride between places where they can consume alcohol, such as a tavern, called “TtT Racing” which is a play of words on TT Racing and an anagram of riding from: “Tavern-to-Tavern”.
Beautiful Kawasaki Z 750 Twin Café Racer
Beautiful Kawasaki Z 750 Twin Café Racer with Masei Cafe Racer 610 Helmet
September 12, 2012
Ducati Superbike 2013: Ducati Streetfighter
Streetfighter S is known for providing astonishing performance stats while the new 848 model with its top-class precision control, guarantees you a pure riding pleasure of your lifetime.
Both models feature ample amount of standard features including an unmatched suspension set-up, racing derivative brakes, incredible muscle of the L-Twin, and a grand rear swing-arm.
Details covering the 2013 S Model
2013 S model is expected to come with a breathtaking L-twin power, big-bore torque, planet stopping monobloc brakes, stunning single sided swingarm, thoroughbred advanced chassis technology, etc.
The new vacural casting procedure is used in this model in order to make the superbike crankcases guarantee precise and consistent wall width, and improved potency from supreme material purity, while dropping the overall weight by an incredible 3-kg 6.5-lb in comparison to the 1098 bike engine.
It has the ability to produce an output power of around 155-hp, and combines fighter attitude with exposed superiority to make a mixture of Desmo adrenaline. It is expected to be released with a starting price of US$18,995.
2013 Streetfighter 848 is expected to come equipped with an engine, which is a masterwork of Desmodromic engineering. It has the potential to deliver a maximum of 132-hp and torque of 69 pound-feet along with providing silky smooth precision control.
It makes use of an innovative cam-timing technology to provide smooth precision control at all times. The base MSRP of the upcoming 848-superbike from Ducati is more likely to start at US$12,995.
September 7, 2012
September 5, 2012
Motorcycle Crash DOT Gold Chrome Helmets for Harley Davidson Riders By Masei Helmets
Motorcycle Crash DOT Gold Chrome Helmets for Harley Davidson Riders By Masei Helmets
Email: sales@maseihelmets.com
September 4, 2012
The popular set, Harley Davidson Flame Rider Fireball twin sheet set includes one flat twin sheet , one fitted twin sheet set and one standard pillowc
The popular set, Harley Davidson Flame Rider Fireball twin sheet set includes one flat twin sheet , one fitted twin sheet set and one standard pillowcase which made from our best quality materials.
September 3, 2012
Masei 610 IceChrome New Pattern DOT Helmets for Harley Davidson Bikers
Masei 610 IceChrome New Pattern DOT Helmets for Helmet Wholesale
Email: sales@maseihelmets.com
Email: sales@maseihelmets.com
September 2, 2012
HD Bike: 2013 Harley-Davidson CVO Road King
Price: $29,999/$30,999 anniversary model
Worldwide Production: 3,620 units including 900 anniversary models
Performance: 118 ft. lbs. @ 3750rpm
Colors:
• Burgundy Blaze with Hot Fusion Graphics
• Crushed Sapphire with Cold Fusion Graphics
• 110th Anniversary Edition Diamond Dust/Obsidian with Palladium Graphics
The new CVO Road King is the first Road King to receive a factory-installed audio system with a 200-watt amplifier. The system features handlebar controls for operating the included 8GB iPod or your personal iPod/iPhone. Sound is pumped through two 5.25-inch speakers mounted in the fairing lowers and two 5x7-inch speakers located in the saddlebag lids. A handy carrying pouch in the saddlebag keeps the iPod/iPhone safe and dry when riding.
The 2013 CVO Road King is distinctive by way of its vented Wind Splitter windshield. The detachable windshield was developed in the Wichita State University’s wind tunnel.
Using computational fluid dynamics, the H-D team was better able to determine the flow of air over and around objects thus significantly reducing wind buffeting to the rider. The vane within the vent is adjustable to match air flow to a rider’s preference. Not a breakthrough technology, the vented windscreen does, however, work as described while its swoopy design distinguishes it from lesser aftermarket options.
Roger Hayden in Daytona 200 with Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team
Roger Hayden in Daytona 200 with Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team
A Custom Bike - Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show
Below are some of the priceless motorcycles built specifically for the Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show, seen exclusively at the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows:
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