 Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,738
Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,738 |
Anyone know anything about these bikes? Looks more like what I would call a street fighter than a cafe racer.  However I do find it somewhat attractive with a slight aroma of bellissimo.
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,836 Likes: 5
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,836 Likes: 5 |
Me thinks that the 'cafe racer' terminology is intended to ride the tide of what seems to be one of the latest and faster growing trendy cycle fads - IMO, It's a good thing, too, as I just love the 'cafe' thing. And wish I had an old bike to modify. Anyway, the terms Cafe Racer or Street Fighter seem to be synonymous from my perspective - Only separated by a generation or two. Just my 2 cents...
2004 Triumph Speedmaster (J Lo) 2006 Yamaha Stratoliner (Adele)
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,546
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,546 |
Cafe Racers are lovingly made by riders from old and new stuff. They don't roll off an assembly line.
if life gives you lemons keep them because hey,free lemons.
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531 |
Quote:
Cafe Racers are lovingly made by riders from old and new stuff. They don't roll off an assembly line.
Yes, the best cafe racers and choppers/bobbers I've seen were one ofs that came out of some guys garage with parts and ideas that only made sense to him... many have tried to capitalize on this (i.e. OCC , etc.) but the real essence is to take something and literally make it your own... and purposed for your style or styles of riding...that being said, my first bike was a Benelli and I'll always have a severe soft spot for them.... 
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Quote:
Anyone know anything about these bikes?
Yeah Steve, I know a little somethin' about this bike.
It's the love child of a Triumph Speed Triple and a Suzuki B-King!
(...got any other questions for me today, ol' buddy?!) 
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Quote:
...that being said, my first bike was a Benelli and I'll always have a severe soft spot for them....
So Daniel, which "Monkey" Ward's Benelli model did you purchase back in the day?
Mine was a red 360cc version of the 4-cycle bike seen on the left here....
However, right after I bought that one, Wards started selling this Scrambler version of it called the Mojave, in both 250cc and 360cc form, and which looked a whole lot like a Rickman Metisse, and boy did I want one of these instead...
And, speaking of Benelli Cafe Racers...while I was lookin' for the above pics on the Net, I found this cafed-out Montgomery Ward Benelli Riverside 360(like the one I had) that I think looks pretty cool...
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531 |
Well Dwight.. it was the hot & happening Benelli Banshee , purchased from an OTASCO store in 1974.... oh baby, I can still feel the power  In high school I traded it to a friend for a 20 gauge , bolt action shot gun.(by then I had graduated to a Suzuki 125 enduro purchased after a Summer of hauling hay)... I still have the shot gun but the beloved Banshee is alas, no more....
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Oh okay, a dirtbike, kinda like this one here, huh?!  Good lookin' little bike! It kinda reminds me of one of my all time favorite dirtbikes, the Yamaha DT-1. (...and yeah, that would've been a few years later and after Montgomery Ward had stopped selling motorcycles)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531 |
Heart be still, there she is...... we didn't have any Monkey Wards in our part of the country.... just the first WalMarts (which took over from Gipsons) and OTASCO (Oklahoma Tire And Service Co)
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Quote:
Heart be still, there she is...
Yeah! We never forget our First  , do we?!
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,060 Likes: 6
Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,060 Likes: 6 |
So, I don't know. Were the Benille's good bikes or just entry level cheap Italian stuff?
Fidelis et Fortis
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 467
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 467 |
They are very quick. Not as refined as say a Speedtriple. One of my friends went and test rode a couple them. He just could not see making those large payments. He later bought a GT1000 Ducati. I rode his Ducati,nice bike,really easy to go fast through the turns,faster than you realize. I still like my Speedmaster better actually. He has since sold the Ducati.
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
And Rich, regarding the older Benellis...I remember mine as pretty well engineered, with nice engine castings, better than average components bolted to it, such as Borrani alloy rims(similar to Akront rims), but with the usual Italian electrical bugaboos of that era, but no more in this regard than what Mr. Lucas saddled all britbikes with back then.
In general, a nicely crafted little motorcycle.
(...oh, there was one other little bugaboo I almost forgot to mention here...the kickstarter design used a bolt as the kick pedal's pivot swing anchor instead of it being part of the kickstarter's arm, and as I recall that bolt broke off at least 3 or 4 times during my ownership)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,028 Likes: 8
New Tires
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New Tires
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,028 Likes: 8 |
Quote:
Cafe Racers are lovingly made by riders from old and new stuff. They don't roll off an assembly line.
What would you call 04 Thruxtons, rear sets, single seat, and clip=ons ? 
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken
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Re: Benelli 1130 cafe racer
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531 |
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Trumps don't coun't , because everyone know they are intrinsically cool ! and a B-snitchi'n ride to boot