BMW Cafe Racers - post a pic?

[pommie john]

Originally Posted by relayda

...although I can't imagine an ancient bike dusting a new sportbike. Try turning into a corner to scrub speed on an old Norton...I'm sure you will experience the limitations of the featherbed frame.

I was at the Moto GP at Phillip Island a couple of weeks ago.
There were some national level support races, one for superbikes, one for historic bikes ( up to 1980) and at least 7 of the historic bikes posted qualifying times that would have put them on the superbike grid!

[relayda]

Originally Posted by pommie john

I was at the Moto GP at Phillip Island a couple of weeks ago.
There were some national level support races, one for superbikes, one for historic bikes ( up to 1980) and at least 7 of the historic bikes posted qualifying times that would have put them on the superbike grid!

...yes I too have witnessed some amazing riding by others on old machines. ...but I'm still amazed that people think that technology plays an insignificant factor...the advances in rubber alone should be enough to convince most people.

[Wirespokes]

Originally Posted by pommie john

...at least 7 of the historic bikes posted qualifying times that would have put them on the superbike grid!

No ifs, ands, or buts... This says it all. If the newer technology makes a significant difference, it would show in the lap times.

That's not to say the newer technology isn't a good thing, the question is 'just how much of a difference does it really make?'

[streetfighter2]

I ride a ducati monster S2R 2005 and an airhead R80ST 1983, switching back and forth, every other days - albeit, comparatively speaking, not apple to apple... I must say, technologies play a very small factor(for my application, which is commuting, and street riding)...definitely not big enough for me to stop riding my R80ST. As the matter fact, my wife prefer to ride on the back of my airhead over the duck, due to the comfort factor...I love them both, depend on my mood...one day is the blond, next day is the brunette....only if I can figure out how to ride both of them at the same time...

[Bulldust]

Originally Posted by streetfighter2

I ride a ducati monster S2R 2005 and an airhead R80ST 1983, switching back and forth, every other days - albeit, comparatively speaking, not apple to apple... I must say, technologies play a very small factor(for my application, which is commuting, and street riding)...definitely not big enough for me to stop riding my R80ST. As the matter fact, my wife prefer to ride on the back of my airhead over the duck, due to the comfort factor...I love them both, depend on my mood...one day is the blond, next day is the brunette....only if I can figure out how to ride both of them at the same time...

"I love them both, depend on my mood...one day is the blond, next day is the brunette....only if I can figure out how to ride both of them at the same time..."

We are still talking about bikes?

Bulldust

[relayda]

Originally Posted by Wirespokes

No ifs, ands, or buts... This says it all. If the newer technology makes a significant difference, it would show in the lap times.

That's not to say the newer technology isn't a good thing, the question is 'just how much of a difference does it really make?'

Are you talking from actual experience or just observation?

I am 46 years old, have ridden quite a few different bikes over the last 37 years, and have tried different types of riding, motocross, flat track road bikes etc... In my experience, I felt that I reached my prime in terms of riding ability during my late teens thru mid thirties. Although injuries over the years hampered me during the later years, I also experienced in improvement in riding ability, which I attribute not to experience but to better technology.

I have probably owned 50 different rode bikes in my lifetime and ridden maybe 100; including an 75 KR750 Kawasaki race bike, an 89 Bimota YB6 and the typical Norton Commando production racer to name a few. Currently I own 4 road bikes. The oldest being a 69 CB750 the newest a 05 GSXR1000. If I recall the H2R, it was a pretty fast and nimble bike. In comparison to the GSXR1000, although there is a significant horsepower, powerband and weight difference the KR750 has the same top speed as my GSXR1000. However it’s requires a completely different style of riding. If you can’t break the rear wheel loose in a corner, then you can’t ride it to it’s limits. The problem here is obvious as it is more prone to high siding. I don’t care how good of a rider you are; once you are high siding your chances of recovery are very low…although it can be done. I can personally attest to that.

[Max Headroom]

Originally Posted by streetfighter2

I ride a ducati monster S2R 2005 and an airhead R80ST 1983, switching back and forth, every other days - albeit, comparatively speaking, not apple to apple... I must say, technologies play a very small factor(for my application, which is commuting, and street riding)...definitely not big enough for me to stop riding my R80ST. As the matter fact, my wife prefer to ride on the back of my airhead over the duck, due to the comfort factor...I love them both, depend on my mood...one day is the blond, next day is the brunette....only if I can figure out how to ride both of them at the same time...

My wife has a Buell XB12S with the factory "race kit". Puts out 50% more power than my R90S. I feel like I grow little red horns on my forehead when I ride it...

Point-to-point though, for longer distances, and around town, I'd much rather ride the R90S. The Buell has a heavier clutch, clunkier gearbox and a less comfortable seat/footpeg relationship compared to the R90S. Admittedly I've replaced the flywheel & clutch assembly in the R90S with the later post '82 items, along with the gearbox internals and "cush" driveshaft, but all the same I prefer the way the BMW does things. Refinement is not one of the Buell's strong suits.

On real roads with ordinary riders the Buell doesn't have the huge edge one might expect with the benefit of 30 years development. On a track, things are different.....

[phactory]

This fairing is very similar to the fairing on my Magni BMW MB2. I was thinking of producing a run of them and it certainly wouldn't cost $1000.00 each! Any interest? I will post a pic as soon as I can.

PhacK

Originally Posted by Warwood

I check the WÜDO site and the price for this fairing is 749.00 Euros.
If you want the link PM me.

Well I guess it's not bad considering what you get, but still it's about 2 or 3 times the cost of a R90S fairing, and you still have to paint it.

[Hawk Medicine]

Originally Posted by KaiWE

Here's mine:



'74 R75/6 ex-Police

Thats a very cute bike! I especially like the Gulf colors and the fairing.

We don't often see those Dunstall style fairings over here, so they tend to be real eye catchers. I've also seen thise police tanks bring big bucks. I dunno why, 'cause all they do is take up gas space but I guess theyre kinda rare here as well.

Hmmm.... Maybe I should try that style for my R-100 project! Uhuh..... Lets see....

[tathambenjamin]

Kaiwe- Can you tell us a little bit about your exhaust system, I love the look of those shorty mufflers. Thanks

[Hawk Medicine]

Those look like the shorty mufflers that JC Witney sells through thier catalog.

[Renner]

Originally Posted by phactory

...thinking of producing a run of them and it certainly wouldn't cost $1000.00 each! Any interest? - PhacK

Dog help me, I have interest.

[Wirespokes]

Originally Posted by relayda

[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=white]Are you talking from actual experience or just observation?

I'm just going on what was said previously. I have ridden newer bikes besides the R11S I've owned since 2001.

Look at the land speed record that Burt Munro set on his 1920s Indian that still stands. But that's straight line stuff. He also won a lot of races on that old Indian before turning it into a Bonneville racer - and that was against new bikes.

I'm not arguing that new technology isn't nice - my R11S does just about everything better than my old airheads, but for the real world riding that I do, I prefer the older technology. On the other hand, the older bikes can be made to perform as well as the newer ones with upgraded brakes, suspension, frame strengthening and all that. The question is how much time and money are you willing to pour into a project like that?

No, all I was saying was that if the vintage bikes were clocking times that would qualify them for the super bike grid, that should be proof enough.

[Uncle Ernie]

Originally Posted by Renner

Dog help me, I have interest.

If you're talking about that Dunstall style of fairing, Airtech and Glass From The Past make them.

[drhach]

Originally Posted by Wirespokes

..
Look at the land speed record that Burt Munro set on his 1920s Indian that still stands. But that's straight line stuff. He also won a lot of races on that old Indian before turning it into a Bonneville racer - and that was against new bikes.

That bike was a shadow of its former self and in no way resembled a 1921 Indian when he got done with it; at least not in terms of the powerplant. Another thing to consider is that although he did it in his shed, most of the stuff that he did, kept pace with what was being done to modern bikes of the day. He was just retrofitting it to an old Indian. He did a ton of redesign to the engine to get it up to snuff. No stock bike of that era ever had a hope of setting the kind of records that he achieved; no matter who the rider was.