quote:How could it be naked when their was nothing to take off it?
When you were born the Dr. slapped your ass and he didn't take any clothes off of you first because you were already naked.
would "factory built street fighter" be a more accurate term?
Has any manufacturer ever built and sold to the public a full on sport bike without its plastic?
Say a ZX9R without the body work, but every other part still being the same? Same engine, frame, wheeels, brakes, exhaust, etc?
I can't remember any. Ducati probably comes closest.
Aprilia Tuono is the closest to that - just rip of the cowling. Well in fact theyt do have a little different mapping for a little bit better midrange but the difference is only couple HP:s. Triumph has also come pretty close but their usually lowered the topend much more, ie like 10-15 hp like in Speedtriple and Speedfour. Those come closest and the Tuono really is like its cowled counterpart with different handlebar.
posted March 03, 2005 09:01 AM
Edited By: k bryant on 17 Mar 2005 20:46
IMHO -
Naked - Semi-Sportbike. Purpose built from factory/OEM. Upright seating position, standard foot controls, wide wheels, good brakes/suspension, good hp/tq, upper mini fairing = ZRX1200, GSF1200 Bandit, FZ1, 919, etc.
Standard - Upright seating postion, standard controls. No fairings. Low hp/tq. Boring = Nighthawk 750, etc.
Streetfighter - Pure sportbike - made into upright seating, no clip-ons, remove bodywork/fairings, big hp/tq, etc. This bike had/has a sportbike type engine. If you put full bodywork on it, it would turn into a GSXR1000, ZX10, CBR954, etc. Triumph has one that comes close. But for the most part, Streetfighers are made from pure sportbikes, after they are bought. I think the "Extreme" type stunt riders come the closest with their bikes to being Streetfighters. In Europe, it's big business in the aftermarket with companies like MIZU in Germany.
Naked - Semi-Sportbike. Purpose built from factory/OEM. Upright seating position, standard foot controls, wide wheels, good brakes/suspension, good hp/tq, upper mini fairing = ZXR1200, GSF1200 Bandit, FZ1, 919, etc.
Standard - Upright seating postion, standard controls. No fairings. Low hp/tq. Boring = Nighthawk 750, etc.
Streetfighter - Pure sportbike - made into upright seating, no clip-ons, remove bodywork/fairings, big hp/tq, etc. This bike had/has a sportbike type engine. If you put full bodywork on it, it would turn into a GSXR1000, ZX10, CBR954, etc. Triumph has one that comes close. But for the most part, Streetfighers are made from pure sportbikes, after they are bought. I think the "Extreme" type stunt riders come the closest with their bikes to being Streetfighters. In Europe, it's big business in the aftermarket with companies like MIZU in Germany.
posted March 03, 2005 06:56 PM
Edited By: k bryant on 3 Mar 2005 18:57
Yep, Holigan is almost another catagory in itself. But really close to Streetfighters.
V-Max = Hotrod. Stoplight to stoplight. Since 1985, many bikes are still trying to capture the essence of the Max. Great bike.
posted March 05, 2005 08:23 AM
kb... I agree with your definitions... now, when did the OEMs take to making "production" streetfighters? (saving all of us the trouble of shoveling our sportbikes into trees and having to turn them into streetfighters ourselves )
____________ What business is it of yours where I'm from, Friendo?
posted March 05, 2005 01:02 PM
Hmm...... Is it a Streetfighter or Holigan? Letz say for sake of argument, they are one in the same from the OEM.
Buell comes to mind as an early one. Ducati with the Monster series. Aprilla Tuono. Triumph Speed Triple/Four. Guzzi Naked Series. I think the Buells and Euro bikes were the first true Streetfighers, before the Japanese. But I've been dynoing this morning with a local racer and the VP and fumes may be affecting my thinking......
Ok, I think Buell gets credit. I started working with Eric in 1987 on his RR1000 series. I made 50 exhaust systems for him as a favor to get him going (we knew each other from Roadracing, when he was still and engineer with H-D. Eric was really a good racer). I think when he came out with the S1 Lightning in 1996, that was the first true Hooligan or Streetfighter. I believe he won best bike of the year in one of the magazines as well in that catagory. So 1996 may have been the first true "Streetfighter" from an OEM.
posted March 21, 2005 11:44 AM
Lots of little classifications, I want to know what the heck a 'cafe rider' is. Maybe the question shouldn't be which bike was first, but which naked bike is best oem.
posted March 21, 2005 02:11 PM
"Cafe Racer" was an early name for today's Sportbike. Essentially, it was a bike with Clip-On or Clubman bars, along with anywhere from a bikini fairing, semi or full fairing, and rear sets. You essentially "raced them from cafe to cafe" (hence the name Cafe Racer). In the 70's, a Rickman Honda 750 or Kaw Z1 and/or John Player Norton were considered standard cafe racers. Anything with Tracy body work was another. Other than those, it was up to your own interpetation for whatever bike you owned. I rode with some wickedly fast guys on Triumphs, BSA Rocket 3's, H1/H2, Z1, CB750 SOHC, R5/RD350 and GT750's.
quote:Ah, so would my Ninja 10 be considered a "cafe racer" as well?
Nope, too new. Subtract ~10 years or so....
hey kerry, my first "group" Cafe' ride was a bunch of guys on h1/h2's & Water Buffalo's. Talk about a screaming ride...lots of blue smoke, screaming 2-strokes, & stampeding cattle.....LOL
____________
Enjoy the ride!
02' ZRX1200
00' ZX12R sold
posted March 25, 2005 08:24 PM
Bronson with the all seeing eye on the tank? I believe that was an iron head 900 Sportster. I don't think that would be considered a "Naked Sportbike", though it was H-D's "Sporty".
All times are America/Va [ This thread is 2 pages long: 12 ]
HOME
NEW TOPIC
posted March 01, 2005 06:53 AM
Edited By: 
)
