George K.
It’s no news you’re quite a sucker for these London-originated bike specialties. The look, the spirit, and the culture around the Cafe Racers can spark up your interest like no other. You’re probably now scanning through a selection of them going back in time to models from the 60s. You must have saved a set by now if that’s the case, and are about to make a choice of one for a good big ride through town.
That’d be great, but before you go on with your purchase and to escape the danger of falling into the trap of buying some unfitting, misleading, and fault-laden brands, take a look at these basics you must know about cafe racers.
Take Note Of The Size
Forget the attractive details and check your size in comparison to its own. You don’t want to use a small body on a giant boneshaker just to fly with your gang. That’d be a dangerous game. As explained by the people behind Timeless 2 Wheels, you have to choose to size and not choose to please. The danger in choosing to please is this: Cafe Racers –especially the older, original models– lack modern upgraded components, like reactive brakes making them much more difficult to control in case of a sudden confrontation with an obstacle or any other reason requiring you stopped the Cafe Racer cycle’s heavy speed. Your bike must be in your physical ability to handle.
Choose One With The Right Mix Of Gears
A Cafe Racer motorcycle is normally customized based on an existing model or one that has been specifically built from scratch to mirror your style and feel. It is normally done to make the bike more lightweight, giving it only the necessary essentials to make it better to handle and a sportier appearance.
It’s quite hard for first-time buyers to tell the difference between the vintage ones and the wacky models. It’s not just about fashion. You could get that too, but you’d sure be feeling bigger with the rugged, rustic ones. The best way to tell the difference is to use a mechanic, one gifted with the knowledge of cafe racers and bikes in general with a lingering thirst for perfection.
Check Bike’s Functionality and Safety
Just like you would do with any other vehicle, run a safety and functionality check on your preferred cafe racer just before you hand the card or make your payment. Perform a scrutiny of the tires, headset bearings, brake pads, and brake linings. These parts are usually the quickest to wear out and the ones that create the problems if overlooked. There is no need for a hurry. Carefully and gradually inspect the bike for any signs of crash damage in the frame. Check the chain and sprockets for wear and tear.
Probe the oil window and look into its color. This check will give you a good idea of how well the bike has been maintained. Rudely black oil or one that isn’t falling within the ‘High-Low’ range should confirm to you the seller’s level of neglect of the bike suggesting it may not be a good pick after all.
Check to see if there has been any past chafing or fraying of the wires near the steering input. Such a characteristic could cause quite a lethal electrical short mid-ride
Cross-examine the rust condition of the exposed surface areas including the fuel tank, exhaust, and mufflers. See if there has been any damage.
Beware Of All The Modifications Done On The Bike
Just as good and as important modifications may be, those done on bikes to enhance their visual appeal can actually affect their ability to perform. When bars fall on the tank or are faired at full lock, they could end up trapping your fingers or thumbs during a ride.
Also, back routing of control cables, clutch, and throttle could affect the functionality of key components like the throttle return. A simple question of what was changed asked the seller would save the day and keep you fully in the know.
Prepare To Maintain Or Prepare To Crash
Before you go ahead to make the purchase of a car racer, find out the materials you’ll be needing for its maintenance. Apart from the right lubrication oil, materials like the Allen wrench set (ranging from 2-12 mm in size), open-end wrenches (6-17 mm), chain brush, chain lube, and cleaner, clean rags, tire levers, tubes (at least a couple spares) and tube patch kit must be purchased.
Finally, you’ll do well to hang around with the right friends: those who’ve similar bikes or some online bike communities, so you can start learning more about your new bike. Cafe Racers aren’t the only good thing when you talk of bikes, but if that’s your choice, you sure should select the best.
