what makes a bike a streetfighter?
- Thread starter topscrt
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session101
Been Around the Block
street fighter to me is a crotch rocket jap bike stripped down to be nekid and sort of a new-age cafe bike, but if you have an old bike = cafe and if you have a new bike its street fighter
i figure most people "street-fighter" out a bike because they dropped it and the plastics are all wrecked and they don't want to spend a 1/4 of the bikes cost to get new painted plastics, so the cheap alternative is to just "street fighter" it out
i figure most people "street-fighter" out a bike because they dropped it and the plastics are all wrecked and they don't want to spend a 1/4 of the bikes cost to get new painted plastics, so the cheap alternative is to just "street fighter" it out
AgentX
Over 1,000 Posts
I'd think that's a cafe racer with a monoshock...
My understanding of streetfighters, from when I first saw some in San Francisco in the late 80s or early 90s, was that the term applied to modern faired sportbikes which were stripped of plastic after they were damaged, sometimes with cheap bucket headlamps mounted to replace the busted stock lights (or sometimes with the stock lamps sticking out awkwardly without their fairing surrounds), generally crudely painted (flat black rattlecan, mostly) to protect what needed protecting or subduing, and converted to more urban hooligan- and stunt- friendly gearing and ergos, with a tubular MX bar mounted on top of the triple clamp.
Now it seems they've generally morphed into a much more refined sort of design. My first thread reading about fighters on this forum, a builder of a really trick bike was saying how he hated the fact that some fighter builders just pulled the plastic off a bike and left things rough-looking; he gave me the e-eyeroll when I said I thought that was the origin of the style. So maybe I'm way off-base. I've never built one, so what do I know?
My understanding of streetfighters, from when I first saw some in San Francisco in the late 80s or early 90s, was that the term applied to modern faired sportbikes which were stripped of plastic after they were damaged, sometimes with cheap bucket headlamps mounted to replace the busted stock lights (or sometimes with the stock lamps sticking out awkwardly without their fairing surrounds), generally crudely painted (flat black rattlecan, mostly) to protect what needed protecting or subduing, and converted to more urban hooligan- and stunt- friendly gearing and ergos, with a tubular MX bar mounted on top of the triple clamp.
Now it seems they've generally morphed into a much more refined sort of design. My first thread reading about fighters on this forum, a builder of a really trick bike was saying how he hated the fact that some fighter builders just pulled the plastic off a bike and left things rough-looking; he gave me the e-eyeroll when I said I thought that was the origin of the style. So maybe I'm way off-base. I've never built one, so what do I know?
I'd agree with that ................ to me your 360 is a "Special" in the nod to a Cafe Racer, NOT a Streetfighter.
miltola
SD Cafes...
I read a post were someone wrote that a streetfighter is a modern cafe racer.....and it made complete sense to me....
cafe racer bikes started as actual era bikes but customized to certain style.... what is exactly what a streetfigther is.... a modern chassis bike customized to a specific style....
cafe racer bikes started as actual era bikes but customized to certain style.... what is exactly what a streetfigther is.... a modern chassis bike customized to a specific style....
hallin222 said:
Hmmmmm .......you don't get "Streetfighters" magazine in your neck of the woods ..................?
While I can appreciate the well implemented fighters out there, they are few and far between. The two above seem to have been well thought out and finished cleanly, but the vast majority I actually see on the streets are crashed, primered beaters with a dual sport headlight / number plate zip-tied to the forks. They always appear 'built' out of necessity rather than love and/or desire.beachcomber said:
hallin222 said:
AgentX
Over 1,000 Posts
The question hinges on how what is called a "streetfighter" now is related to the origins of the style.
It seems that the style evolved from a practical/financial necessity, with little regard to aesthetics (other than the consequential rough, home-spun look) to the opposite.
So is a crashed bike, stripped of plastics and covered in flat-black rattlecan paint, with two car headlights bolted to the front and MX bars grafted to the top of the trees, still a "streetfighter?" It seems this, the origin of the style, is the object of disdain among many devotees.
Or is the modern, polished "streetfighter" the aberration?
Or do we just call them old-school and new-school streetfighters? This seems to me the best approach.
It seems that the style evolved from a practical/financial necessity, with little regard to aesthetics (other than the consequential rough, home-spun look) to the opposite.
So is a crashed bike, stripped of plastics and covered in flat-black rattlecan paint, with two car headlights bolted to the front and MX bars grafted to the top of the trees, still a "streetfighter?" It seems this, the origin of the style, is the object of disdain among many devotees.
Or is the modern, polished "streetfighter" the aberration?
Or do we just call them old-school and new-school streetfighters? This seems to me the best approach.
Label them however you want, but I stand by my comments regarding of most 'streetfighters' actually seen on the road are NOT built to anywhere near the level of quality as those shown above. Of course there are exceptions, but I personally do not witness them often.
I understand that not everyone (myself included) has the financial ability to fund a show bike like those seem above, but quality construction and taste don't cost anything (of course the latter is subjective anyway).
I understand that not everyone (myself included) has the financial ability to fund a show bike like those seem above, but quality construction and taste don't cost anything (of course the latter is subjective anyway).
thebronze
Coast to Coast
crazypj
Split personality, I fake being smart
AgentX said:
Nope, your right.
It started in Europe in the mid 80's
Also right about damaged fairing, it was often high enough cost to replace them so perfectly good bikes were written off as uneconomic repair
Originally it was just fit some MX bars and maybe change headlight
Easiest way to describe most of them now is 'stunt' bikes
Reallly need to look at European sites to see streetfighters, US builds are usually too overchromed or otherwise 'blinged' out (many of the German ones are OTT as well)
BC, I used to subscribe to Streetfighters and BSH magazines when I lived in Britain
Crazy - BSH and Streetfighters are still excellent magazines and crammed full of excellent machines - not all of which are high dollar bling machines.
I think the bikes referred to by Hallin [ before he quit the debate
] would be labelled as RAT bikes. Poorly finished if not poorly constructed, and generally with not a lot of thought going into them.
Both BSH and SF have amore than fair sprinkling of Cafe Racers [ as we know them Jim ] and BSH has a healthy selection of Boardtrackers and even Sidecars !
In the beginning Fighters did evolve here in Europe / UK from damaged rice rockets that were unneconomical insurance repairs. Guys would get paid out [ usually good money ] for their bike and be able to buy the salvage from the insurance company for a fraction of the real value. That's all changed now BTW - the insurance companies have cottoned on ! But back then that often meant they had a donor bike for fuck all [ $200 'ish ] and plenty to spend on it - turbos, big wheels, etc., etc.
Nowadays people will set out deliberately to build a Streetfighter [ as my BMW K100 ]. That was an everyday rider complete with fairings, panniers, top box, heated grips , etc., etc. I paid $1400 for it with 6 months road tax and 9 months MOT and ran it around standard for a while.
The parts I didn't want were sold off for a total of $1800, giving me a free donor and $200 in the pot towards bits. ;D Still only 90% completed - it won't be blinged to death, but it will be painted and detailed properly with as much individualism as I can cram into it.
Sure as shit won't see another one on the road !! [ maybe ] 8)
Pictured here in early mock up last Summer to fit my one off side panels and modified seat and scooter headlamp fairing. Bike has since been fitted with larger K1100 forks and 4 pot Brembos and BMW K1200S 5 spoke wheels. I've also done a Mk2 underseat stainless exhaust as opposed to thesimply upswept one shown.
It's all being stripped down this winter for detailing and painting.
I think the bikes referred to by Hallin [ before he quit the debate
] would be labelled as RAT bikes. Poorly finished if not poorly constructed, and generally with not a lot of thought going into them.Both BSH and SF have amore than fair sprinkling of Cafe Racers [ as we know them Jim ] and BSH has a healthy selection of Boardtrackers and even Sidecars !
In the beginning Fighters did evolve here in Europe / UK from damaged rice rockets that were unneconomical insurance repairs. Guys would get paid out [ usually good money ] for their bike and be able to buy the salvage from the insurance company for a fraction of the real value. That's all changed now BTW - the insurance companies have cottoned on ! But back then that often meant they had a donor bike for fuck all [ $200 'ish ] and plenty to spend on it - turbos, big wheels, etc., etc.
Nowadays people will set out deliberately to build a Streetfighter [ as my BMW K100 ]. That was an everyday rider complete with fairings, panniers, top box, heated grips , etc., etc. I paid $1400 for it with 6 months road tax and 9 months MOT and ran it around standard for a while.
The parts I didn't want were sold off for a total of $1800, giving me a free donor and $200 in the pot towards bits. ;D Still only 90% completed - it won't be blinged to death, but it will be painted and detailed properly with as much individualism as I can cram into it.
Sure as shit won't see another one on the road !! [ maybe ] 8)
Pictured here in early mock up last Summer to fit my one off side panels and modified seat and scooter headlamp fairing. Bike has since been fitted with larger K1100 forks and 4 pot Brembos and BMW K1200S 5 spoke wheels. I've also done a Mk2 underseat stainless exhaust as opposed to thesimply upswept one shown.
It's all being stripped down this winter for detailing and painting.
To Hallin's point, most cafe racers are not to the same standard as those chosen for magazines and neither are streetfighters. There s absolutely no point in trying to compare the best of one style against the worst of the other.
I tend to think of fighters as having modern bike basics with modern engines frames and suspension customized in a particular way with high bars. Not all fit that mold though. there are some crazy German fighters with a ton of bling and tons of CNC parts and the craziest of headlight covers.
If you did something similar to say an old twin, we'd probably call it a Street Tracker.
they are just another style and one that best suits modern bikes. Just as Cafe Racer style loks natural on air cooled motors because they look right, and they look right because frames are simple and they look like they came from that era.
You could make a cafe racer out of say a 2010 GSXR1000 but it wouldn't look "right". And that's because the basic lines of frame, tank etc look out of place and if you manage to make the tank look right, the frame and forks and motor all look out of place.
Let's face it. a modern bike in Sport bike shape is the natural successor to a cafe Racer. So if it starts out as a cafe racer look (race rep) backdating it is less likely to be successful.
In all cases,, they are just a style which happens to look right on bikes of a certain era. that's why to many of us, an 80's bike like a CB900F looks naturally at home in a Superbike suit and looks a little awkward in a cafe racer kids costume. It's not that it can't be made to look good, but its natural habitat is Superbike territory rather than cafe racer.
They are allcustomized bikes though so in teh final analysis, who give a hoot what people call them.
I tend to think of fighters as having modern bike basics with modern engines frames and suspension customized in a particular way with high bars. Not all fit that mold though. there are some crazy German fighters with a ton of bling and tons of CNC parts and the craziest of headlight covers.
If you did something similar to say an old twin, we'd probably call it a Street Tracker.
they are just another style and one that best suits modern bikes. Just as Cafe Racer style loks natural on air cooled motors because they look right, and they look right because frames are simple and they look like they came from that era.
You could make a cafe racer out of say a 2010 GSXR1000 but it wouldn't look "right". And that's because the basic lines of frame, tank etc look out of place and if you manage to make the tank look right, the frame and forks and motor all look out of place.
Let's face it. a modern bike in Sport bike shape is the natural successor to a cafe Racer. So if it starts out as a cafe racer look (race rep) backdating it is less likely to be successful.
In all cases,, they are just a style which happens to look right on bikes of a certain era. that's why to many of us, an 80's bike like a CB900F looks naturally at home in a Superbike suit and looks a little awkward in a cafe racer kids costume. It's not that it can't be made to look good, but its natural habitat is Superbike territory rather than cafe racer.
They are allcustomized bikes though so in teh final analysis, who give a hoot what people call them.
Oooh, juicy argument I'll just shove an oar in
When I started riding, other than going through the momentary madness of liking choppers for a month or two, the first style of bike that appealed to me was the streetfighter.
That was in 2002 and I think back then the idea was defined by streetfighters magazine as being a high performance motorcycle stripped of anything that was not absolutely necessary for operation, and then tuned up to make it even more lairy. This is almost exactly how I view cafe racers as well, but I think that a bike must have that nod to history, and a dead flat line from tank to tail, to be cafe racers.
Over the years even streetfighters magazine (and euro publications like bombers) have broadened their views on streefighters, often to accommodate styles from other countries and its these differences that have started to really define what can be called a fighter.
To start with I think the crashed and rebuilt bike is no longer a fighter as it is not built with the intent to make is something special: only the intent to get it back on the road, which is laudable and can produce some amazing machines (check out ratbike.org and search for survivals to see where that philosophy ends up). Repairing crashed bikes maybe where the fighter started, but it has evolved and developed a specific requirement.
In the UK most fighters were originally either sports machines or muscle bikes. Muscle bikes will have engine tuning but that jump to fighter-dom is the changes in chassis and suspension to make those big ladies dance. Traditionally sports based fighters were the direct descendants of cafe racers. focussing on stripping away the lard and also on allowing the tasty performance bits to show, which is why the fairing comes off.
German fighters nearly always had extreme bodywork but under the fancy engineering many of them remain only subtly tuned because of the TUV restrictions. The French used to be the kings of outlandish bodywork and chassis mods but again, often the engines are fairly stock underneath. America, well.... Their history is in drag racing and that shows in their performance customs, as does their love of bling. One thing all of these machines had in common was the aggressive design, something that was earliest and most apparent in the bikes coming out of the UK and Germany.
All of this influence has (with a lot of leeway) given us a profile of a modern fighter as a tuned motorcycle, sometimes modified to improve performance in engine power and handling but always having a modified appearance to make the vehicle look aggressive and unique. Aggression is the key, which really should come as no surprise when they are called streetfighters!
BTW, love the K100 I'm building a custom based on an '86 Kawasaki GTR1000, slow going as its my daily ride but its good to see someone else making something angry looking out of a tourer.
I'll just shove an oar in When I started riding, other than going through the momentary madness of liking choppers for a month or two, the first style of bike that appealed to me was the streetfighter.
That was in 2002 and I think back then the idea was defined by streetfighters magazine as being a high performance motorcycle stripped of anything that was not absolutely necessary for operation, and then tuned up to make it even more lairy. This is almost exactly how I view cafe racers as well, but I think that a bike must have that nod to history, and a dead flat line from tank to tail, to be cafe racers.
Over the years even streetfighters magazine (and euro publications like bombers) have broadened their views on streefighters, often to accommodate styles from other countries and its these differences that have started to really define what can be called a fighter.
To start with I think the crashed and rebuilt bike is no longer a fighter as it is not built with the intent to make is something special: only the intent to get it back on the road, which is laudable and can produce some amazing machines (check out ratbike.org and search for survivals to see where that philosophy ends up). Repairing crashed bikes maybe where the fighter started, but it has evolved and developed a specific requirement.
In the UK most fighters were originally either sports machines or muscle bikes. Muscle bikes will have engine tuning but that jump to fighter-dom is the changes in chassis and suspension to make those big ladies dance. Traditionally sports based fighters were the direct descendants of cafe racers. focussing on stripping away the lard and also on allowing the tasty performance bits to show, which is why the fairing comes off.
German fighters nearly always had extreme bodywork but under the fancy engineering many of them remain only subtly tuned because of the TUV restrictions. The French used to be the kings of outlandish bodywork and chassis mods but again, often the engines are fairly stock underneath. America, well.... Their history is in drag racing and that shows in their performance customs, as does their love of bling. One thing all of these machines had in common was the aggressive design, something that was earliest and most apparent in the bikes coming out of the UK and Germany.
All of this influence has (with a lot of leeway) given us a profile of a modern fighter as a tuned motorcycle, sometimes modified to improve performance in engine power and handling but always having a modified appearance to make the vehicle look aggressive and unique. Aggression is the key, which really should come as no surprise when they are called streetfighters!
BTW, love the K100
I'm building a custom based on an '86 Kawasaki GTR1000, slow going as its my daily ride but its good to see someone else making something angry looking out of a tourer.
