How did you get into this scene?

I just had an epiphany regarding why I like vintage race bikes and cafe's. Let me hear the reasons why you choose these types of bikes, whether its a stock vintage, cafe, bobber, chop, streetfighter etc. What got you interested in these types of bikes? Do you see a growing popularity in the vintage scene and is it perhaps a "fad". Let's have it.

Bought my CB750 as a "to and from work" bike.
Found Carpy's cafe site, and started messing with it (damn internet !)..
Got involved with the guys from the Chicago chapter of the Ton-Up club and the rest
is history...

For me, I pretty much enjoy all things vintage. I live in a vintage house built in a Frank Lloyd Wright style(designed by one of his students). I enjoy studying history and am fascinated by engineering and design developments in history. When it comes to bikes, I remember seeing die-cast models of vintage honda bikes a while ago. I wish I would've bought some of them at the time. But I remember falling in love with the design of the bikes. I knew that I had to have one(or three) some day. I found a bunch of CB / Vintage junkies on www.sohc4.us and here. After finding that there is a huge community of like minded people out there, I found that owning these older machines was not as scary as I initially thought because there is a wealth of information out there regarding servicing and maintaining these bikes. I believe I've been bit by the bug pretty badly. I think that the vintage scene is pretty scarce in Cleveland. I mainly see Crotch Rockets and Harleys on the road, but I'm sure that the vintage people out there. I think that interest in the vintage scene due to a growing global scene and the fact that parts and resources are readily available and somewhat cheap. I don't think that the vintage scene is a fad. Fad implys that something will go out of style. These bikes by definition have been around for awhile, and so has the interest. I believe that Vintage = Style ;D

I'm told a gosling will follow the first thing that it sees. When I was 2 or 3, the first bike I saw was an Indian. When I was around 11 or 12, a friends father took me for a ride on his R60/2. I'm just hooked on pretty bikes.

I like vintage because I am vintage.

I believe most of the vintage scene is driven by the baby boomers who now have the disposable cash to buy the toys they wanted when younger. Look at all the vintage racing events, then look at the average age of the guys. The younger guys and women have only recently caught on to the fact that sometimes older stuff is cool. And you can buy 3 bikes for the price of one new one ;D

I'd love to run a 'Busa or Gixxer at 180kph and pop a wheelie as I shift into third (probably kill myself too). I mena, anyone can buy a new bike and take it to the dealer for service right? Where's the fun in that? And there is nothing like the sound of an old twin or 2-stroke (or the smell). There is a certain Zen quality to riding a motorcycle, your thoughts are taken away from the daily grind of life and you have to concentrate on the task at hand.

The only problem I have found with vintage is the dreaded MBS, Multiple Bike Syndrome. One is never enough.

I didn't like Harleys

"The only problem I have found with vintage is the dreaded MBS, Multiple Bike Syndrome. One is never enough."

Somebody stop me before I buy again ! Maybe we should start a prayer group.

MR915 said:

I didn't like Harleys

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it's funny, I don't like modern Harleys so much, but I'd love to get an old 1940s thru 1960s Harley. Old tractor-style seat, suicide shift, beautiful looking machines.

If it's old I like it. Except for women, no vintage women please (well maybe Christie Brinkley, but she goes thru husbands too frequently).

Uncle Ernie said:

"The only problem I have found with vintage is the dreaded MBS, Multiple Bike Syndrome. One is never enough."

Somebody stop me before I buy again ! Maybe we should start a prayer group.

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Uncle Ernie, I need to pray with you. Going to look at another bike today. It just keeps calling me.

I’m just a kid at 21 but I’ve always loved old cars and I’ll probably never buy a new vehicle in my life. There’s just too much classic stuff out there that I want my hands on. I feel like i'm in another time period when i’m in my 66' willys jeep or on my cb750. I like to think of myself as a preserver of history and keeping old stuff running is a joy!

Not to mention working on old motorcycles and cars is much easier when you don’t have to plug into a computer.

Kuyarico said:

Uncle Ernie said:

"The only problem I have found with vintage is the dreaded MBS, Multiple Bike Syndrome. One is never enough."
Somebody stop me before I buy again ! Maybe we should start a prayer group.

Click to expand...

Uncle Ernie, I need to pray with you. Going to look at another bike today. It just keeps calling me.

Click to expand...

is it prayer you need... or an intervention!

I did not get into this scene.
All my bikes just became vintage.
Paul

Hell yes!!! This is what I'm talking about. Real enthusiasts from the begining.
Great responses fellas. I'm glad this isn't another forum devoted to the latest trend.
;D ;D ;D

I just think they are beautiful bikes.

My dirtbike got stolen when I was trying to sell it to buy a newer bike... that completely ruined my budget...

One of my Dad's co-workers put an 82 seca up for sale and, as soon as I saw the tank indents, thought "I could definately make this thing cool."

I rode it for a couple weeks... I was suprised how quick the little shaft drive beast was... But I found a hole in the case, and decided I wasn't going to put any money into a broken bike... so I gave it back to him (obviously hadn't paid for it yet) and hoped for something to come up.

In the meantime I started searching for info on old (cheap) bikes and found out what a "cafe racer" was. Suited me just fine.
The next week I had the opportunity to buy an 83 seca with a 4-1 exhaust, and jumped.

So I guess I'm "in the scene" out of necessity... NEED for a motorcycle (anyone who has been riding since childhood and suddenly find themselves without a bike for a few years can concur), and the need to make it cool (to yourself if noone else).

I hope it is a fad, that way I can buy up the bikes the trend followers throw together when it's over. ;D

I love old stuff, cars, bikes, tools, whatever, I love the smell of oil and gasoline in old machinery and I love the fact that in an old bike you can strip all the electrics down to the contacts... and then put them all together again, I love that before the emmisions nazis went off the deep end you could actually look at every component of a car or bike and with a little logic, understand exactly what it does, why it's there... and if you can grind it off.

I got into it back in college when our shop foreman had what must've been an Enfield or something... it was new but retro, and not knowing anything about bikes at the time I can't now tell you what it was. Walking around Seattle I figured out that handlebars look best tucked in tight and low, bikes look better without fenders, and patina is cool.

My first bike I got a week after we got back from Daytona for bike week... that was LoudBike, and the rest is history.

I don't have a cafe racer, but I d have a Vintage racer. Like Jim said I'm vintage too. Always wanted to race, but in the early years, wife, children, bills, responsibility. Now in my later years, wife (same one) grown children, bills, responsibility, though now I don't give a flying fuck!!!! Hell, I'll be 50 in a couple of days and I'll be damned if I aint gonna make the most of it.
Anyway, a couple of years ago I went to a VRRA Vintage Festival at Mosport, saw a bunch of guys my age having a hell of a lot of fun, talked to some of the guys in the pits and found that Vintage racing can be as cheap or expensive as you want.
Then they announced that they were having parade laps at lunch, $25.00, bike passes tech, and out you go around Mosport for about 1/2 an hour!!!
I'd only had my 1200 Bandit for a few months and thought "what the hell" so I get out there and after a few laps I was hooked, I mean I was getting up to the 240-250km/h on the Andretti straight. Well one thing lead to another, I got my racing licence that August at FAST, went on the VRRA website found, looked at and bought my 350. Went to the winter shows and bought all my stuff, put on a new set of tires, showed up at the test and tune in April of 05...and the rest my friends is (my) racing history.