Bike Revue
Cafe Racing- Biker Build off Mossel bay
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 '70s, 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 is using the style as a fresh alternative to the custom chopper scene. Furthermore, in many parts of the world there are large numbers of stock 60- 70s and 80s era Japanese and german motorcycles available for relatively small amounts of money -- in many areas a running motorcycle can be had for well under R20 000 There is a strong appeal to younger motorcyclists to build a cafe racer from one of these bikes and end up with a stylish personalized motorcycle at a fraction of the cost of a newer bike.
This is just what Jacques Mostert brought back in 2011, to start of a all new cult of South African Cafe racing.The bike bought and used for this project is a 1979 BMW R100 RT ,believe it or not.
A café racer is a type of motorcycle as well as a type of motorcyclist. Both meanings have their roots in the 1960s British counterculture group the Rockers, or the Ton-up boys, although they were also common in Italy, Germany, and other European countries. In Italy, the term refers to the specific motorcycles that were and are used for short, sharp speed trips from one coffee bar to another.
Rockers were a young and rebellious Rock and Roll counterculture that wanted a fast, personalized 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, called record-racing. They are remembered as being especially fond of Rockabilly music and their image is now embedded in today's rockabilly culture.
A classic example of this was to race from the Ace Cafe on The North Circular road in NW London to the Hanger Lane junction as it then was . The aim was to get back to the Ace Cafe before the record on the jukebox had finished. Given that some of the Eddie Cochran tunes that were in vogue at this time were less than two minutes long, the racers had to make the three-mile round trip at extremely high speed.
The cafe racer is a motorcycle that has been modified for speed and good handling rather than comfort. Cafe racers' bodywork and control layout typically mimicked the style of contemporary Grand Prix roadracers, featuring an elongated fuel tank and small, rearward mounted, humped seat. A 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" (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.
While the first cafe racer conversions amounted to a nearly complete re-engineering of the motorcycle, by the mid-70s riders began modifying standard production motorcycles into so-called "cafe racers" by simply equipping them with clubman bars .
After Many nights of internet study and reviews the old 1979 beast was salvaged from a definate scrapyard future. The first nignt all planning started with paper mock-ups and discussing ideas with close buddies over a pint or two.From the basic middle-line of old fart stories and cool futuristic way-off ideas the grinder was pulled closer in doiing some major back yard surgery.
A total off 64kgs from the original shedder were cut down and dumped as another mans luck.The Rt parts came to rest at a friend who still enjoy the beauty of this old dinosaur and can put it to good use.
Stuck with a motor,frame and wheels the tank was placed in position as this beast was growing some serious attitude.With Eddie Cochran and the Creedence fellows reviving some good old memos from the forgotten past,the team was at work with stripping down to the visious sandblasting and dismantling stage.
All of a sudden Lego's had no age restriction as many a friend dropped by to encourage a buddy in what seemed almost impossible.....a cafe racer born from nothing.
The nostalgic of the older bolder friends pumped the sixties into the veins of the master mind in this frankenstein creature that was about to be reborn.
"Wired wheels...it must have wired wheels" old friend Roy from the south-east of africa, suggested, being a new member to the brainstorm team of yet a master piece to be erected from the greasy oily bench.
My good old Rocker friends, Bradley,Andre,At and all, kept on encouraging through out the operation of what they knew was going to be a hit, a blast from the past.Advise and critics lend a helping hand in gathering info on what goes where in this once a beast and now only a heat off scrap metal to be....
On day 10 of the Frankenstein-Cinderella mayhem a beauty was brought to life.....the first cafe racer in the whole of the southern dungeons of africa.
This beast was about to make the whole society roar for more.........look his from the 60's.....he must be a true rockabilly
What was thought to be a freak show, blew away the breaths of the oh so ever critic plastic super bike bunch ,dreweling at a sexy bumstop,fast and furious bitch with an attitude to make even Elvis think twice of his pink cadilac.
Lets gear-up, the fellow boney lovers screamed ...its time for a pispot and goggles and the old so faithfull number 59 (club 59) on the back.
Now just to find a good hang-out,nostalgic company, a couple of cold pints and a few coppers in blue to speed up the hearts in some serious cafe racing around the blue of the Bay.
As the use to say...."if there is one thing that I like its a burn-up on my bike....a burn-up with a bird-up on my bike...." from the song just for kicks by Mike Sarne.
The Sexy German Bomb took the show at the recent Whale Rally Concourse De Elegance with a first place in the custom class
Jacques Mostert offer this service to fellow rockers to share in the past of cafe racing by creating masterpieces at a reasonable rate known as Park Boulevard Customs on 044 695 1078 or moble 083 7787898.
Type of bike:BMW R100 RT
Powerhouse:1000 cc airhead
Max Speed:200 km/h
Total Weght:152kgs
Fuel consumption:17/litre
Total cost :R50 000 including initial bike
Total time on planning: 5 months
Total time Building: 10 working days
Total time adding detail: 2 months
Total pints of hops: 210 litres
Next month we will unwrap the Jack Daniels Suzuki that pours a single tot on command......
Jacques-Pierre Mostert
www.signworx.co.za
TEL 044 695 1078
044 695 2999
FAX 086 645 6999
