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…

1976 Honda CB400F Super Sport

There have been bikes I have posted before where I have implored everyone who might possibly buy the bike not to modify the bike. This is another one of those motorcycles. I don’t know if the 298.7 miles that the odometer shows are the true miles, but it is either true or the restoration job is masterful. Check out the pictures as there isn’t much to say about this bike given its stock condition.

There are about 17 hours left in the auction, and the price is approaching $5K with 22 bidders. This is a nice bike that could very easily end up in someone’s never-ridden collection, but I hope I see it up at Alice’s Restaurant or the Rock Store some time…

1975 Honda CB750

As in the past, I don’t advocate tearing this bike to pieces. I also believe that the ending price on the auction might dictate that the buyer won’t be looking to convert this bike to a cafe racer. But…

If you spend the coin on this bike, it appears to be a great basis for a really nice cafe racer. It only has about 14.3K miles on the odometer, the seller claims it runs perfectly, and it only has a few cosmetic blemishes (cracked side covers.

On the other hand, the paint is not original, nor is it done in an original Honda color/scheme. So it’s value as a true collectible has been minimized. I guess that means that it could go one of three ways. Buyer wins auction and rides the bike as is for many more thousands of miles before reselling it as a slightly rattier bike. Or the buyer wins the auction, strips it down to the frame, and restores it into a concours winning bike. Lastly, you could win the auction, strip off all the extraneous stuff, through on some clip-ons, a nice Giuliari seat, a set of alloy rear-sets, beef up the suspension, and you’d have a great, reliable cafe racer that would be at home on Mulholland riding to Rock Store, or going up Deal’s Gap during a crisscrossing ride of the Smoky Mountains.

Bidding is currently under $900, but there is still over 6 days left in the auction. Good luck!

Pristine 1975 Yamaha XS650

As you may know, I often vacillate between wanting to keep older classic bikes in one piece, and saying to rip them to shreds in the quest to build great cafe racers. In this case, I am unsure which way to go…

What a clean restoration of an early XS650. And what a great platform for a cafe racer build! Go for it, I say! And build a beautiful bike! Think about the finished product. No rust. No dings. A fresh motor. Almost like building a cafe racer back in 1975. Sweet!!!

Interesting Norton on eBay Right Now

I found this Norton on eBay this afternoon, and it is quite an interesting bike (or amalgamation of parts to be more accurate). The listing says that it is a 1971 Norton Dunstall 810cc, which, I am assuming, means it started life as a 1971 Norton Commando 750, and morphed into the bike shown below. I find the integrated brakes/forks quite fascinating.

There is a bunch of detail (and more photos) in the listing if you want to check it out. Currently, it is at $6K with zero bids…

Ducati Monza 250 Cafe Racer

Up for auction right now is this nice conversion of a stock 1968 Ducati Monza 250 into a cafe racer with the simple addition of clubman bars. It has undergone a partial restoration, but is mostly original and includes the stock bars with purchase.

I do have to say that there is something about the bars from an aesthetic standpoint that strikes me as odd. Maybe it is the angle at which they are mounted, or maybe it is the width. Not sure, but I would swap them out for clip-ons if I bought the bike.

1966 Ducati Monza 250 (Project Bike?)

This bike is cosmetically clean, although some parts are not original. The seller has a very low starting price ($500), but an unknown reserve. And the bike doesn’t currently run.

I think this would make a good starting point for a cafe build, especially because it isn’t necessarily original. There will be less angst when tearing it apart that way. But the Nighthawk shocks might actually be good on there (certainly better than 40 y.o. shocks).

Zero bids so far, and over 6 days left in the auction. It will be interesting to see what this bike ends up selling for…

1972 Triumph Tiger 650

For your perusal, a Triumph Tiger that would make either a great frame-up restoration, or the beginnings of a great cafe racer project. It is relatively clean with (claimed) numbers matching.

Since this is mostly a stock bike (that exhaust looks very JCW), there isn’t a lot to say about what has been done to it. Cosmetically, it is a clean starting point for anything that might be done to it. I look at it as kind of a blank slate; what you do with it is up to you…

(Click on the photos to go to eBay and see more pictures and the full description)