Re: Cafe Racer thread.
Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:04 pm
He sounds like a good guy.
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He sounds like a good guy.

Great photos RB,very characterful.Rockburner wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 12:42 pm I know I've posted this bike before, but this is the last photo I have of my Dad with his bike. It's taken me a bloody week to track these down!
I really like the colour he had the tank painted.
I am really looking forward to taking this under my wing and riding it (most likely after a thorough nut-and-bolt level reassembly!)
He absolutely did.Skub wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:10 pm
Great photos RB,very characterful.
Even from the pics,your Dad looks like he would have enriched the lives of those he encountered.
That tank symbol is pretty close to the Kawasaki 'river' symbol!
Brilliant.Rockburner wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:22 pmHe absolutely did.Skub wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:10 pm
Great photos RB,very characterful.
Even from the pics,your Dad looks like he would have enriched the lives of those he encountered.
That tank symbol is pretty close to the Kawasaki 'river' symbol!
The tank logo is his initials.![]()
The wall.Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:26 pm Is it just me who's wondering what's keeping that bike upright RB?
It's just you.Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:26 pm Is it just me who's wondering what's keeping that bike upright RB?
Clip-on sidestands on Featherbeds are a bit notorious.Mr. Dazzle wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:28 am Well yeah I can see the wall, I jaut assumed such a nice bike wouldn't be leaning against a brick wall.![]()
You can use other walls.Mr. Dazzle wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:48 am Much more convenient than carrying a wall everywhere you go though.
NONE of my Dad's bike are trailer queens. They're all used and get dirty if it's wet.Mr. Dazzle wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:28 am Well yeah I can see the wall, I jaut assumed such a nice bike wouldn't be leaning against a brick wall.![]()
What is it?Rockburner wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 12:42 pm I know I've posted this bike before, but this is the last photo I have of my Dad with his bike. It's taken me a bloody week to track these down!
I really like the colour he had the tank painted.
I am really looking forward to taking this under my wing and riding it (most likely after a thorough nut-and-bolt level reassembly!)
This.
Rockburner wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 11:41 am
This is my Dad's contribution to the ouvre:
JAP 400cc 'speedway' engine in a (IIRC) Slimline Featherbed.
Custom tank (double chambered),
BTH mag
double Pilgrim pump
Twin leading shoe Grimeca (IIRC)
Norton (I think) gearbox
etc etc
He'd seen someone racing a JAP engined Featherbed in the 50s/60s (when he was racing himself) and always fancied building one, finally managed it after 50 years.... It's more of a race bike than a cafe-racer, but it's all road legal.
Mebbe an Alistair Laurie style lightening hole.JackyJoll wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:22 pm Is the hole in the side stand mainly for weight saving, or is it an aerodynamic feature?
![]()

"Go faster holes" is an ancient idea, there's even an Ogri cartoon about it.demographic wrote: Sun Mar 28, 2021 12:47 pmMebbe an Alistair Laurie style lightening hole.JackyJoll wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:22 pm Is the hole in the side stand mainly for weight saving, or is it an aerodynamic feature?
![]()
I took my KX 500 into a local mechanic to get some maching done on the brake caliper brackets and he got to mentioning about a mate of his who drilled near enough anything that could be drilled to reduce weight.
Turns out he was talking about the bloke who runs the local chroming business.
Alistair Laurie.
Or maybe RBs father the bike well end up being owned by someone who wanted to park it on a hardwood floor and gave it provision for a lump of rubber to go on the sidestand bottom, thats planing ahead for ya.
Might try to make that this year, if we're not still social distancing 50 miles away!Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 4:43 pm Cassington bike night would make more sense...its also 3 miles from my office.
I used to work in Eynsham and I live in MK, so I drove past/through Cassington every day. I commuted by bike often and I went through the bike night several times. Convincing them I didn't want to park and was just passing through was always a challenge.The Spin Doctor wrote: Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:23 pmMight try to make that this year, if we're not still social distancing 50 miles away!Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 4:43 pm Cassington bike night would make more sense...its also 3 miles from my office.