Laverda caf'racer

[wulfr]

Hi guys

went in September with my old Hurricane to the Ace Cafe Reunion and the Brighton Burn Up and came back with a new virus: I fell in love with cafe racers!!!  :-*

Do you have any pictures of Laverda cafe racers and/or any good advices to transform a Laverda into a cafe racer?

My first guess would be to use a 750 SF1 as a base motorcycle! What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your input,

cheers,

Wulf

 

[drikko]

Depends on your definition of Cafe Racer I guess, I always though CR meant head down bum up, ie clip ons or equivalent and bump seat If that's the case then a lot of the early triples and certainly the 750 SFC would come into that category. A great place to look at photos is the BoM threads. SF1 would certainly make a great cafe racer but would have the purists reaching for their guns, that's their problem though.

 

[Dale]

Hi Wulf

To me, a Cafe Racer has always been bike to which you have added as much go-fast gear as you can afford (or like), and lightened as much as possible, whilst keeping street legal and practical/reliable.

I'm doing it to my SF2.
1/2 fairing (for some reason full fairings have never fit into that group), lower bars, aloy wheels, drilled discs, some lighter body pannels (courtesy of Boba), 2 into 1 exhaust, up rated ignition.
If I wasn't woried about noise and dust, then I would also put on trumpet air intakes.

It will never be a proper race bike, but it will suit me as I can do the work myself, and it can still be used for touring if I want.

Yes, the puirists will shudder, but all of this stuff is just bolt-on, and can be returned to standard whenever I want.
Meanwhile, it is lots more fun.

Good luck with the project.
Dale

 

[Allan R]

Get one that's been pre fettled, an SF2 in my case. You can then always blame the other guy for any wrong doings. 
But at the end of the day, it's your bike, your the one riding it and enjoying it, so who cares what others may think. Go do it and keep us posted.
Cheers Al.

 

[bimbo]

Just depends how far you want to go  8)

 

[Dellortoman]

That's an odd looking frame. Bit of a plumbing nightmare in the area above the swingarm pivot. Looks like the builder changed his mind half way through the construction. Maybe it works OK but it's one of the ugliest frames I've seen.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[padlock]

That's an odd looking frame. Bit of a plumbing nightmare in the area above the swingarm pivot. Looks like the builder changed his mind half way through the construction. Maybe it works OK but it's one of the ugliest frames I've seen.

Cheers,
Cam

Got to say that i completely disagree. Think the whole bike works really well, maybe I'd do a couple of things different if it were mine but i think it looks great. who needs another completely standard bike that so many others have. Stand out from the crowd i say.

 

[henry]

That's an odd looking frame. Bit of a plumbing nightmare in the area above the swingarm pivot. Looks like the builder changed his mind half way through the construction. Maybe it works OK but it's one of the ugliest frames I've seen.

Cheers,
Cam

Got to say that i completely disagree. Think the whole bike works really well, maybe I'd do a couple of things different if it were mine but i think it looks great. who needs another completely standard bike that so many others have. Stand out from the crowd i say.

agreed, looks very nice and quite unique!

 

[Ludi Boba]

Compared to other makes there are very few Laverdas tastefully transformed into Cafe racers. Perhaps because most of Laverda  models were made as cafe racers by default. Try converting your twin or triple into an ultimate cafe racer and you will eventually end up with SFC 750 look.
Boba

 

[Ernesto]

Some shots of my buddy's cafe-racer, still without the badges.

Ernesto

 

[Jed]

Compared to other makes there are very few Laverdas tastefully transformed into Cafe racers. Perhaps because most of Laverda  models were made as cafe racers by default. Try converting your twin or triple into an ultimate cafe racer and you will eventually end up with SFC 750 look.
Boba

I'm with Ludi, all solo seat S's, SF's SF1, 3's, 3c's & Jota's look like cafe racers to me. Here's my first 750 way back in the early 80's

Each to their own I guess.

 

[Golgother]

Hey All

Is this a cafe racer ?

                  Cheers
                            Matt

 

[bimbo]

Well Matt, according to the font of all truth that is wikipedia

The caf? racer is a motorcycle that has been modified for speed and handling rather than comfort. Caf? 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" 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

 

[Jotally]

To my eye, Matt's Harris is the finest I have ever seen and certainly the very definition of a caff racer. 

I also disagree with the earlier comment that John B's Sidlow frame is ugly. Think it works well too .

Ally

 

[bob]

Matt's going to look like Ogri when he starts tear-arsing around Staffordshire on that thing... in fact I'm told he's already taken out a subscription to BSH

 

[julian]

For me, Without a doubt the two coolest SF 750 cafe racers are these 2
Especially now the orange one has a new front drum!!

Julian

 

[Ernesto]

Wow!
The imprssive 8 leading shoe Dresda drum, isn't it?

Ernesto

 

[bob]

If modified SFs are your thing this one owned by my chum Paul Sharman might float your boat. Almost every aspect of the bike has been re-engineered in some way.
I can't remember what the crank phasing is on this bike, I think it's 270 degrees. I've ridden Paul's other SF with a re-phased crank and was very impressed. If I was building a hot rod SF for the road I reckon twisting the crank would be a worthwhile mod.
Quite a few folks have done a crank conversion on the SF and with its two piece cam the SF is a good candidate for crank re-phasing. I think one of Phil's racers was configured in this way, Tony Winterton had a nice road bike with a re phased crank and Mike Annersleys Dino Racing SF has one. Mike's bike [which is currently featured in this month's BOM] has been developed into a very fast classic racer over a number of seasons and is usually a front runner . The conversion obviously works!

 

[julian]

Hi Bob,
Yes I have seen this one and agree it looks very well engineered!  Personally I don't love the looks as it seems a bit too long and thin for me but that is completely subjective!  The engineering seems very good and it looks very tidy and well thought out!

Cranks, Yes I keep thinking whether to re phase my 1000 SF crank when I eventually get round to making it.  Part of me tells me to go 270/450 and part to stay with the character of the SF and go 360,  I like to make my toys for the art and character as much as the "GO" so am thinking that a re-phase would spoil it!  My pistons weigh as little as you could ever get a non full race piston to weigh, and I will be using Titanium rods so any out of balance weights will be as minimal as possible. OK it doesn't cater for all of the other factors but will certainly help. And it will sound right     Prob 360 for me!  just to be non conformist  

Julian

 

[Scrumpy]

Julian,
Both bikes look great, particularly the red one with the USDs. I was only wondering the other day if anybody had done this mod to a SF1/2/3.
Are they yours?

Scrumpy