Why spend so much money turning a Harley into something it's not? You can get a slightly used jap sportbike for dirt cheap that will out corner and run circles around anything you can build a Sportster into. Strip off the fairing, put some dirtbike bars on and you can have a real cafe racer. Or better yet you can call it a true bobber, unlike all the other flat black wanna-be bad *** bobbers that are slow as pond water and handle like crap. Best part is you'll have a blast riding the wheels off the bike. Sportbikes will change your mind about what motorcycling really is all about.

 

that xr1200 is right up my alley. I LOVE the look of them. I think with a little work to the motor on one of those and I could be pretty happy.

 

I still have my 07 CBR 1000, which I love. But I am looking for something vtwin and fast(ish). I know nothing will ever come close to my rice rocket, but an HD that I could get into a corner with... That would be fun.

 

look up member JRK5892... he has built a few cafe's in his time. he also has a cafe forum that might interest you. here is a link to his street fighter build... its one bad machine https://www.hdforums.com/forum/custo...ter-build.html

 

I love HD's and sport bikes so that is why I have both. Both have there place. You might want to search Hillbilly choppers. They have some sick sets up that you can use a sporty engine on and I have seen one that was awesome! It had a turbo, SV 650 tail and inverted forks, but still looked kinda like an HD.

 

Just get yourself a "Thunder Chicken" or an RC51 if you want a low cost fast VTwin.

 

don't listen to these guys, if you want to costumize the sporty into a cafe or bobber of whatever go ahead and do it, it's cheap, easy, and sporties can and do move with some easy engine work and the proper setup. a "true cafe" or bobber isn't going to be on an old jap bike, they don't even let dudes post on jockey journal with jap bikes.

if all we wanted was performance none of us would be riding harley's there's not one of them that performs anywhere near the top of its class so the argument is better left for a different board.

 

Keep the CBR and the HD and have the best of both worlds. Besides paying for upkeep and having to insure 2 bikes the is what bike to take out LOL! Some days i'm so torn

 

A few years ago I ran around on a 2001 XL with 100hp/88ft lbs. I've ridden Aprilia, BMW and Honda's; sorry; nothing like a 'boomin V-twin; at least for me.....

Bear in mind that the "current" rubber mount Sporties are nearly 600lbs gassed; my current FXDXT with $ome lighweight parts is 607lbs with 1/2 tank of gas...I'd love to do a lightweight 2001-2003 Sporty with an 88" motor...that would be major fun. However; just bought a 68 Bonnie with a bolt-on hardtail that we're gonna turn into a bobber for the son-in-law; but I'll be looking for an 01-03 XL next fall in the southwest...expect to pay less than $3G. XL forum is an excellent resource.

 

How's my old home town? Hey, you might try looking up theft recovered type places that sell chit for insurance companies. I happened upon a site like that and saw some interesting stuff.