Rear sets, when did they "arrive"

Bellicose

Bellicose

Active Member
Hi all,

Was perusing the forum today and a thought came to me, when did rear sets start turning up on cafe racers?


I've studied 100s no no 1000s of old cafe racer pic's and the older bikes don't have them. Seems someone saw a set on a race bike at some stage and thought "they'd look cool on the 'cafe' i'm building"


My personnal opinion is i think cafe racers look better when pegs are in stock position.


Can someone enlighten me on this?

cheeRS.
 
Problem on my bike is It wasn't a cruiser but it haD taller bars on it and the tank is laid back just a tad....So after Clip-on handlebars & Changing the tank & seat Height, I'm not thinking the stock locations will be where my feet want to be (since my arms will be further forward i'll be in a kinked position w/stock locations).....But after you've swapped the forks & swing arm out and upgraded everything else it would look funny if you left the big Rubber Loafs on there
 
My personal opinion is that rearsets are pretty much an ergonomic necessity if you're running low bars on most bikes.

I know many did not and do not, but that doesn't change how I feel about it. When I see a bike with clubmans or clip-ons without rearsets, I tend to think they saw the bars on another bike or in a pic and thought "they'd look cool on the 'cafe' I'm building," and didn't think past that.

Not that your bike needs clubmans or clip-ons to be awesome...
 
AgentX said:
I tend to think they saw the bars on another bike or in a pic and thought "they'd look cool on the 'cafe' I'm building," and didn't think past that.
Click to expand...



Lends itself to the "chicken & egg" arguement don't it lol
 
Bellicose said:
Hi all,

Was perusing the forum today and a thought came to me, when did rear sets start turning up on cafe racers?

Can someone enlighten me on this?

cheeRS.
Click to expand...

My edit ....

Simples, rear sets started when Cafe Racers started. Cafe Racers were originally taken from the style of Race bikes - mid to late 50's - and have continued ever since. Once you fit clip-ons / drop bars you have to move the footpeg position back to get a decent ergonomic posture. Unless you are less than 5 feet tall.
 
I think cafes look lame and unfinished without rearsets. Getting rearsets to function well and look good on your bike says "you have arrived".
 
If you want to take this to its logical conclusion you could go back to the 30s to find the answer. But they've been around a long time on the street. Like BC said at the start of cafe racers.

Pearce and Nicholls ad from the Motorcycle 1966. Goodies for your Suzuki.

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By weslake at 2009-04-06

Check out Stanley Woods' Husqvarna at the 1938 TT.

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By weslake at 2008-05-11
 
The way the pegs/controls "look" doesnt really matter. The rearsets serve a purpose. They allow you to sit in a correct "race" position as well as provide ground clearance for cornering. People need to stop building effin' fashion accesories, and remember the purpose of a cafe RACER. Function over form and whatnot. It sucks to see people buy a bike, spend a fortune on paint, a fancy new helmet, a $500 vintage leather jacket and $400 boots, a bunch of bolt on crap, and declare their "racer" complete. Sure it runs like shit, the new "vintage" tires barely function, and the owner cant tell a spark plug from a wheel bearing but thats ok, it "looks" cool for the photoshoot and thats all that matters. All the hipsters love it, so its gotta be good right?
 
get over it yinzer you sound like a turd. You want performance buy an R1. you want to look cool buy an xs
 
axeugene27 said:
get over it yinzer you sound like a turd. You want performance buy an R1. you want to look cool buy an xs
Click to expand...

If you want performance buy the "Ack Attack". Top speed at Bonneville 394 mph. Anything else is non performance. However you are missing the point of a cafe. Cafes go beyond sheer performance. If performance was the only criteria we'd all be on turbo'ed Hayabusas. With a fancy paint job to look cool.
 
axeugene27 said:
get over it yinzer you sound like a turd. You want performance buy an R1. you want to look cool buy an xs
Click to expand...

Youre right. Performance doesnt matter. All thats important is having a pretty bike so all the trendy assholes tell you youre special.

Actually building a bike that outperforms a stock bike isnt cool.
 
Hoofhearted said:
If you want performance buy the "Ack Attack". Top speed at Bonneville 394 mph. Anything else is non performance. However you are missing the point of a cafe. Cafes go beyond sheer performance. If performance was the only criteria we'd all be on turbo'ed Hayabusas. With a fancy paint job to look cool.
Click to expand...

I didnt say that the look of the bike doesnt matter. Its just secondary. If looks were all that mattered why build a cafe at all?
 
Is my bike a cafe? Its got a full seat and fenders and upright bars big stock tail light and a lolly pop mirror amd its not a cb. But it has rearsets
a6b50384-a79d-105a.jpg
 
yeah guys, really. all you old folks talking about your "performance"? whats that anyway. All I know is that my frame looks really cool when I chop out that ugly bit in front of the swingarm and inbetween the carbs, and the speed holes and clubmans let all the cool hispter chicks know that I am totally in tune with pop. culture without being into pop culture, since cafe racers are totally hip and not mainstream and they will be really impressed when I tell them all about how Carpy invented cafe racers.


hey bradj, its ok... I can hook that bike up real quick. first of all you need to get rid of the fenders and mirrors, attach clubmans, and put on an awesome bump stop. also some really beefy firestone 4.5" tires will fit perfectly, even if they rub a little it wont matter because you will be so busy picking up hot hipster chicks that you wont have time to ride.
 
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