What makes a bike a "cafe" style bike? I know they have the lowered handlebars or clip ons but what else about a bike makes it a cafe style? I'm thinking of taking my 12' sportster this route.

 

Well, from what I've seen on these forums, it has to be at least 70% made by Roland Sands...start here: http://www.rolandsands.com/categories/cafe-sportster

But seriously, it seems to be mostly bars and seat that I notice the most.

 

One story I heard was that in Europe (France and England) motorcyclists would meet at local cafés or coffee shops. They would start a song on the Jukebox and a few of the riders had to run a course around town and be back to the café before the song was over.
I believe it evolved into racing from café to café, but don't know the full truth.

Here's Wiki explanation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_racer

 

Dude you just need a sport bike. You already have a girls bike. lol

 

goggle image "Ace Cafe"...I was there in '08; some serious riders over there...long history of going fast and handling well...and see their Ace Cafe Sportster...

 

Sporty Cafe Racer...hmmm. Like this?

 

Besides the bars and banana seat, you have to remove everything that isn't necessary to be able to legally ride the bike even the fenders.

The cafe crowd is pretty anti-Harley though. They only seem to think cafe racers can only come from Japanese or European bikes. The look they're going for is an old enfield or triumph bonneville.

 

They would start a song on the Jukebox and a few of the riders had to run a course around town and be back to the café before the song was over.

 

There's a difference between a Cafe' look and Cafe' performance. From a performance standpoint Harley Sportsters fight the weight issue. The old Triumph/BSA bikes were considerably lighter. Power/weight ratio is more important than raw power. High RPM HP not torque also figures in.
The magical "ton" was an average if 100 mph from the Cafe to downtown London and back.

 

Think he going for a good look'n bike with style so probably not interested in a crotch rocket......LOL