Rant on Mojave Tanks

sohospeedshop

sohospeedshop

SOuthern HOosier Speed Shop
Look I like the Mojave tank, but every time I look up I see another one on a Cafe bike, and frankly I think they are played out. The price on them has gone through the roof and they just don't seem to be rare anymore...This is just my opinion of course but is anyone else feeling the same way?
 
We should build a virtual bike with every part that's jumped the shark. Mojave tank, Firestone tires... what else?
 
I guess I just like bikes that are creative and use parts that are made not bought...granted you can't make every part yourself, but you can look for stuff that is different...that's why I got into Cafe Racers was to have something different now they just seem to be going the way most things so...plug and play...sad
 
Tim said:
We should build a virtual bike with every part that's jumped the shark. Mojave tank, Firestone tires... what else?
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Don't forget the clubmans and pipe wrap! :p
 
I think the Mojave tank is beautiful. You know what's fucking played out? Converse All-Stars. And mine are goddamned comfortable.
 
DTT should build a "played out" bike from donated member parts, then sell it and use the money to help the site along
 
I get tired of people saying things are played out. Every hobby I've had has had its design fads. There will always be people who have been in that hobby for years and have seen it all. But then there are the newer people and even old hobbiests that either are just discovering or have nostalgia for the design. They like it because to them it holds the image in their mind for that subject. You can say "Cafe Racer" to hundreds of people and get hundreds of different bikes, but they're all low handlebar slick skinny machines.

Me? Im new here and still have the sparkle when I see someone whose spent time making their bike their own.
 
I have to say that people like the Majave tanks on bikes. People come in to the salvage shop looking for that kind of tank, anything with knee dents. I build the bike I like to ride played out parts or not who cares. But the all stars ya played out but comfy as hell
 
Now I am thinking of building a bike with all of the "played out parts" and calling it played out. So what would I start with bike wise?
 
CB350 or CB750.

The biggest decision you'll have to make will be which knockoff Lucas taillight to use
 
The truth of the matter is there is no formula for these bikes even though many purist would say other wise....i see bikes as kinetic art...like a painting there are elements that make it a painting...canvas, paint etc...but how many copies of the Mona Lisa do you need to see before you want to see something else...same with the plug and play I'm seeing in bikes today...I just scored a XS650 and I was shocked at the huge aftermarket....there
Is no challenge on building one....with a credit card I could build a beauty of a Cafe Racer but it would look like every other one out there...
 
So you're complaining that enough people like cafe racers that there's huge aftermarket support for the most popular vintage bikes?

I love these threads. "Stop liking the things that I like" :)
 
Rich Ard said:
So you're complaining that enough people like cafe racers that there's huge aftermarket support for the most popular vintage bikes?

I love these threads. "Stop liking the things that I like" :)
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Yessir...

The real question is... If someone doesn't like the fact that a style or trend they call their own (which reall, get over yourself) has become to diluted or popular, why don't they get off their asses and try to do something different? That's too difficult is my guess. Way easier to just bash others who are new to the whole thing.

As far as the Benelli tanks, yeah... I think they've run their course. Not because they aren't good looking or functional (Firestones anyone?) But because I enjoy seeing boundries pushed. Not everyone has the drive or capability to do so though.

So, in the end... Lets stop beating folks up because they're doing something you think sucks and maybe try to help them expand their horizons a tad.
 
I like the Mojave tanks and I'm not beating up on anyone, I just wanted to spur a discussion that would get people thinking and digging around to find something different...in fact I love Benelli bikes and the parts that have off them, in fact the tank I am putting on my current build is a Benelli, but it is from some odd ball model that I cant even find a modern photo of...and its plastic! It looks a bit like Mojave but just different enough to turn a few head....
Check it out at...

http://sohospeedshop.blogspot.com/
 
Not pushing shit ....can't figure out how to post picks from my computer...works fine from my phone...
 
Jason at SOHO Speed Shop said:
Not pushing shit ....can't figure out how to post picks from my computer...works fine from my phone...
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Start a Photobucket account (its free). Once you upload the pics to Photobucket, copy and paste the IMG link.
 
If something works, then it works. I'm old enough to remember when you couldn't give away a Japanese parallel twin. 20 years ago you couldn't give away a 2 stroke street bike of any displacement or cylinder configuration.

I get a lot of parts when they go "out of fashion". My Savage barhopper has a cast off flat track tank and a cast off FLH one piece rear fender. My 100% made of cast offs street track/TT hybrid CL72 (250) has a cast off chassis and engine, cast off CB77 (305) twin leading shoe drum rear wheel, cast off T500 Suzuki Titan front wheel with twin leading shoe brakes, cast off Ceriani rear shocks and fork, cast off exercise machine seat that fits the chassis like it was custom designed for it, cast off CB 72/77 low pipes and CB77 carb set... couldn't give me the donor bikes as 100% stockers, but the mish mash of parts works well as a whole. Only things I've changed on it are the seat, bars and front wheel, the rest was done in the late 60s or early 70s to make it more competitive on the local tracks.

When the sheeple move on to another hobby, you'll have a ready assortment of bikes and parts to pick from. Let them do the legwork, what's cool today is tomorrow's cast offs. Doesn't change whether or not it looks good, just out of tune with the "fashionistas". Shop I worked at out west had hundreds of aftermarket Sporty and coffin tanks from 1970-74, couldn't give them away. I put one on a KZ440 and one on a 450 Rebel and all of a sudden we couldn't unpack them fast enough... they'd become "cool" again.

Bike trends are on a roughly 25-30 year circuit, we're in the mid stage of Japanese twins being popular. Give it a few years.
 
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