Depends on the builder......I either love em or hate em. The originals were built for pure speed 1st & style a distant 2nd if at all. Seems to me most of the ones I've seen built since the craze took off again are the opposite. If you want to spend a boatload of time and cash to build something to ride to the bar and admire, buy a Harley. It's all about essence.
I love to see all the guys rebuilding CB400/500/550's with nice skinny light weight wheels and upgraded suspension and racing the hell out of them, granted there "slow" but I'm thinking of joining that crowd! Rather have an RD though!
I love them if they're done right. I have a partially built CB cafe bike in my office. I walked away from the project about a year ago with the best of intentions. Now it's just a cool conversation piece.
I don't know if it's "bringing" or "asking". I've seen one sitting on eBay around $21,000 for some time, while another just hit at $35,000. Not sure what it all really means.
Might have to scratch the Thruxton R..................... Something red caught my eye yesterday.
Someone says "Cafe" my 1st thoughts are lightweight & simple, nothing that could remotely be attributed to a Goldwing of any vintage. But to each his own.
It also really bothers me when modern builders keep those awful standard telescoping forks, steep rake and don't move the headlight down to the level of the tank. Those are my biggest "cafe" pet peeves.
This is one of my all time favorite Monster builds and epitomizes "cafe racer" imho...
Compared to my own effort at a mild custom Monster he took me to school, and at probably 1/10th of the cost. Light flywheel and FCR's for motor performance upgrades, which in reality achieve 90% of what I did, the final 10% being insane money for not very much additional power...took a slim budget which forced him to choose the right mods the first time and knocked it out of the damn park. I've never seen a Monster I keep going back to look at over and over that really had barely been changed. Visuals are pretty much a Cycle Cat yoke and clip ons, Motogadget tach, custom seat, tail chop and thats...****ing...it! Why is it so amazing? Is it magic? I had to throw crazy money around to pull off a bike 1/10th as cool.
My 2nd favorite Monster build, Duc Stu/Flight Cycles M900 "SS2R" (FAR from a "budget" build but features a ton of skilled fabrication, namely the SSSA conversion;
This bike was a contract build for someone who apparently got bored with it a couple years later. It ended up in some non bike persons hands 2000 miles across the country who sold it on eBay for $6700. I wanted to cry. This was in the early 2000's when there was SO much bad ass aftermarket for the 1st gen Monster. Motocreations and Cycle Cat weren't going out of business and ripping people off, Roadracing Italia, Gia.Ca.Moto and Di Pretti Moto existed...wish I could go back in time and stock up on parts.
Personally I don't find the new gen monster fit the "cafe" style that well because of the hump of a gas tank and low seat. My "cafe" image has more straight lines and boxy shapes. But that black and gold bike reminded me of this one that you posted on Mtewes7's thread about exhaust... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrlv098i4JI&feature=youtu.be
I really had to look at those in a speechless manner. There's nothing left that can be removed really....
This is what I picture when I think "cafe racer"
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