Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Check out Buell if you haven't already http://www.buell.com/en_us/bikes_gear/l ... /index.asp is what i ride

streetfighters can be any size, liter+ just tends to be preferred.

Im thinking about turning my CX500 into a street fighter or a cafe racer, or some combination of the two.

a true streetfighter is a sportbike that has been stripped of its plastic and anything else it doesn't need, only thing added is a headlight and maybe bars if you dont use the clip ons.


Ask britjoe about his gixxer street fighter he stuffed a gixxer 1000 engine into a 750 frame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Fig ... orcycle%29

Street fighter is the term lent to a style of custom motorcycle which originally had fairings that have since been removed. In more recent years, the term has also come to be applied to motorcycles intentionally built (by the originating firm) without fairings, usually from the same engine/frame combination as a full-faired or partially-faired offering in their product line-up.

Generally Race Reps (Race Replicas), like GSXRs and CBRs that have been damaged in accidents or through hooliganism are the starting basis for a Street Fighter. The plastic fairings are expensive to replace, so many not having the interest or cash to do so opt to leave them off. Replacing damaged components with items from junkyards (or breakers), home made items or parts from other brands/models of motorcycles is also common. Very popular in the UK and Germany it has become a stylistic choice by some, supplanting the original design of the bike with an edgier, rawer look.

Others buy damaged motorcycles as they are cheaper and adopt the street fighter look. These motorcycles generally retain the high performance capabilities of the original design. In fact in the process of part replacement many owners have improved the performance.

Styling hallmarks frequently include: Double round headlights, extreme seating positions highly tilted rear ends (tails) and highly-tilted exhaust systems...

Ironically some examples are so highly customized as to exceed the cost of the original repairs. Chrome frames, expensive engine work and custom paint are also seen.

This transition from function over form to form over function mirrors the US chopper evolution.

notice which production bike picked up the double round headlight part of that equation. Lightning headlights are popular to graft onto 'fighters.

My guess is the double light look started with the 1st gen gixxers since that headlight is NOT attached to the fairing but to the frame, so a 'fightered 1st gen gixxer can retain its stock headlight. I have seen a 'fightered 1st gen gixxer 1100 that still had its stock light attached, from a distance this bike almost looks like a bandit with clip ons and a weird headlight

A popular thing on US 'fighters is replacing the clip ons with motocross bars.

jmillheiser wrote:A popular thing on US 'fighters is replacing the clip ons with motocross bars.

Yanks don't know how to build streetfighters. The Brits and the Germans rule the world in streetfighter style.

Kal wrote:Good as far as it goes but

Streetfighter is a term thats been in use in the UK nearly as long as Cafe Racer...

In fact the style was so popular during the 80's and 90's that we even had a magazine 'Streetfighter'

There have always been production sportsbikes without fairings - the 1971 Z1 being a hallmarked example, the early 80's CBX1000 being another.*

It's fair to say that a large percentage of Streetfighters are crashed sportsbikes sans fairings, however there are still, in this Country at least, a large number of nutters that will take a pristine bike and turn it into the 'fighter of their dreams...

Do I love them, oh yes, oh yes. Some guys get off on Crusiers, Some guys have a yen for plastic-fantastics, I get sexually excited about a good Streetfighter...

Streetfighters are the musclecars of the bike world. Overpowered, impractical, silly amounts of fun.


* These are both bikes I would give my right ball for.

I am starting to seriously worry about you. There have been some drastic changes since you past that test. Suggest you either see a sex therapist or trade Ceegee for something more aggressive.

Heimdall Einherjar wrote: but the "coolness" and liveable riding position of cruisers.

Not quite...you may get the riding position of a standard (Feet directly under you) if your lucky, and many of the streetfighters have their pegs placed ever so gently back...in a more sporty position.

Their great and immensley more liveable than a sporty...but don't go saying they give you the riding position of a cruiser. I can put my legs out and lock my knee while resting my feet on the front edge of the floorboards...something I think you'd be very hard pressed to find on a streetfighter.

But a 450 pound streetfighter will handle like butter compared to my 750 pound beast

Mintbread wrote:

Sevulturus wrote: My own pair make up for what my bike lacks. Why do you need the extra 400cc+?

Your testicles make your bike accelerate faster? Amazing.

Less weight = more speed