1971 BMW R60 with R90 Motor

No matter how many times I rant and rave about bikes missing some key cafe racer feature, I always manage to find these bikes again and again. Here we have a 1971 BMW R60 that’s been cafe’d out… almost. Everything is there except the bars. I know, I know, the bars are more comfortable than clip-ons or clubmans. But they just don’t work with the rear-sets. And having your feet behind you doesn’t work so well if your hands are up high.

However, if you want a BMW cafe racer, this is a perfect bike for you to finish up by selecting your perfect set of bars or clip-ons that fit you perfectly. The price is relatively low at $1,800 with 2 days left and a fair number of bidders. I expect it will close higher, but not sure how much. It’s a clean bike with most of the cafe mods done already…

1984 BMW R100 Cafe Racer

BMW’s have not been a regular part of this blog as a rule, mostly because not too many of them are converted into cafe racers. However, I’m going to say that this R100 (superbike bars and all) is one of the cleanest, most aesthetically pleasing bikes I’ve posted to date. To be truthful, if it weren’t for the cafe-style seat, this wouldn’t even really be close to a cafe racer.

I’ll get this out of the way first: the Napolean bar-end mirrors should be replaced with something else, or at least mounted under the bars. Other than that, the builder of this bike has really gone all out in creating a beautiful piece of art. Everything looks well done, and it shows as if it just rolled out of the dealer in 1984. And even though the “cafe” conversion is basically just a seat, I’m sure that this R100 would be a blast on a winding road while still being a very comfortable ride.

There’s lots of interest in the bike on eBay. Currently, the price is at $4,250 with 21 bids and over 2 days left in the auction. However, reserve hasn’t been met, and I can’t even guess what the seller might set it at for a bike like this. It will be interesting to see what price the auction ends at…

1982 BMW R65LS

If Teutonic styling is more your thing, this is an interesting semi-cafe right from the BMW factory. Straight from Wikipedia, here’s a blurb about the LS model…

In 1982 in an effort to enhance the R65’s image the Hans Muth designed R65LS was introduced. 6,389 R65LS bikes were produced, which featured a triangular shaped pod fairing and instrument housing versus the standard naked front end of the R65. Furthermore a different rear seat featured pillion grab handles similar in style to the soon-to-be-introduced K Series BMWs. Different model transfers were used and the only colours were hennarot (red) and polaris (silver). Much of the chrome work of the R65 was replaced by black painted or black chrome features (exhaust piping, mufflers). Other features included:

Twin disc front brakes in-lieu of single disc
Lower front handlebars for a slightly more sporty seating position
Different alloy wheel pattern – on red models painted white
Different rear drum brake size
Black chrome mufflers and black painted exhaust pipes

1956/1966 BMW R-Series Hybrid Cafe Racer

This is an interesting and beautiful bike: the chassis is from 1956 and the engine is from 1966. The 1966 R69S motor was taken out of another bike owned by the builder (according to the eBay listing), and the current state of the bike has stayed the same since it was originally put together. The current seller has done nothing to it, so I don’t know if they got a smoking deal or what, but this thing isn’t going cheap. Current price is over $7K, and Buy-It-Now is over $10K, with about 14 hours left.

Seller claims it runs, but I mostly just posted this bike because of the looks. Definitely not your standard everyday cafe racer…

1976 BMW R75/6 Cafe Racer

While not a full conversion, enough has been done to this BMW R75/6 listed on eBay to qualify as a nice, comfortable to ride cafe racer. No rear-sets and drag bars make this a fairly mild build-up, but the overall look is quite nice. It’s got the seat, the black paint, the black twin megaphone exhaust, and the Black Rain fairing. Yes, they could have gone further, but this would actually be a comfortable bike to ride all day. And it looks the part!

There are almost two days left int he auction, and the seller has zero bids with a starting price of $1,800. I think that eBay’s new zero-up-front-fees pricing structure is bringing more bikes out of storage and on to the market. Maybe we will start to see even nicer bikes appearing soon…

Raask Rearsets for 1970-1984 BMW Boxers

Got a BMW airhead you’re trying to modify into a cafe racer? Here’s just the ticket for getting your feet into the right position. Some used Raask rearsets have come up for auction on eBay, and they are ending soon. The controls are at $272 with 7 hours left, and they appear to be in good condition.

The seller claims these will fit the BMW R (Airhead) models from 1970-1984. I’m no expert on BMW bikes in general, but I did a little research and these should fit (at a minimum) the /5, /6, and /7 R series. The Raask website is really no help, but it does cut off the fitment at 1980. Perhaps the frames are similar up until 1984 and they’ll fit. If anyone knows for sure, chime in and let us know.

Why are they all Hondas?

I know, I know. This is something of a rhetorical question. But looking back through the posts over the last couple of months, most of the bikes I’ve written about have been from Honda. The CB750, CB550, CB350, and the CB350T have all been featured multiple times in various states of cafe build or disrepair.

I suppose it’s because so many Hondas were sold in the 1970s that they have become the ubiquitous cafe racer starting point in the United States. And so we have lots of aftermarket manufacturers supporting these bikes. Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy…

I say bring on the other makes and models of bikes. Let’s see more Suzukis, Yamahas, and Kawasakis! Don’t keep that old Norton in your garage stock! And bring on the Beezers, Triumphs, and other older British marques! And while we’re at it, let’s build more Beemers and Ducks into classic cafe racers!

Sorry for the rant. It’s probably time for my meds…

BMW R-Series Cafe Racer Seat

For your perusal, a fiberglass cafe racer seat for BMW R-Series models. The bikes pictured below are pretty sweet, an that is a good looking cafe seat on them. These bikes are generally as reliable as can be, and they build up into really nice cafe racers. The bikes can be bought for a reasonable sum, and there are lots of them still around.

The listing claims fitment for 1973-1984 R90/6 and R100/7 models, plus fitment to some other beemers, Hondas, and Yamahas that may require some fiberglass trimming. The price ($155 + $20 shipping) seems mostly reasonable compared to the other offerings out there, and the feedback for these seats has been good. If you have one of these seats on your bike, send me a pic and a description and I’ll post it!

Goin’ Old School On Ya… 1965 BMW R60/2 Café Racer

So here’s a really nice bike. This bike has some nice kit on it. I like the Tomaselli clip-ons. But mostly I just like the overall package. Very clean, nice restoration, great period cafe racer. Buy it and ride it…

I will have to research Black Kat Motorwerks. If this is a good example of what they can do, then I am very impressed. Maybe in an upcoming post I will tell you what I learn.