Cafe' Racer Demand?

[JP50515]

I have recently come into a stocked garage with space to build through a friend. We will be doing custom builds throughout the winter and i'm curious about the demand/desire for cafe' racers. I have a 1981 XS that I plan on doing a cafe build on and my goal is obviously to sell it for a profit.

There is a local bike shop that does things like this where I saw a cafe/tracker xs build there that they were selling for almost 7 Grand. Understood that this is completely ridiculous, but i'm curious to know if people truly want to buy cafe's or if they are a bike that people simply build themselves. Bobbers are always head turners and people want them when done right, but I feel as though cafe's take a certain type of person to want them.

Anyway, what do you think a well done cafe would sell for in your region? I'm talking ground up resto on the body and paint.

A good example would be something like these.

 

[Scrambled]

You can make a small fortune building custom XS 650s . Just start with a large fortune and work your way down. Seriously, at least where I live no one seems to get near what a well built custom XS is worth.

 

[JP50515]

He we won't be building just XS's but I have one thats just sitting and I'd like to make some money off of it and spend some time building this winter

 

[willyguzzi53]

Scrambled, you hit that one spot on. We build for the enjoyment knowing that even if you count your time as free, you will still spend more on your build than you can get out of it. Providing you can bear to part with a bike on which you have touched every bolt and modified nearly every part. It's the curse that most of us here live with.

 

[Cafe-Dave]

Doing it for the money, is kind of missing the point. I personally have fun working on things and customizing, the satisfaction I get from that is worth it in mental rewards.

 

[JP50515]

Guys....I think you're forgetting that I have MY build...which is still in progress and probably always will be. I will either take that bike to my grave....or it will take me. Point is, I have another XS that I want to do a cafe build on...because I want to build it. If I just wanted the money I would sell it as is for more than I payed for it since I got it non-running for dirt cheap. However seeing as how I have plenty of bills to pay and a bike that I truly love I do not feel the need to make this one into another heirloom....I'd rather make it cash.

I'm not doing it for the money, the person i'm building it with has a serious amount of experience in metal fabrication, machining, and welding, he gets paid $100,000.00 each year to make 20 ft steel dinosaurs as a side job for science museums, parks and other similar places, he also has his MMI Motorcycle degree and a welding degree so if anything i'd like to gain as much knowledge from him as I can...I am in school for machining and I would like to use this opportunity to learn as much as I can from him, build a badass bike and also make some spare cash in the process.

 

[Scrambled]

The only way to make cash building bikes is if someone supplies you with their own bike and pays up front for parts and pays labor as you go. It usually takes a few years and a few show winners built before you get that kind of customer.

 

[jd750ace]

Some hipster will bite on it that's too lazy to do his own work. All retail business comes with the expense of marketing, and often the hard lesson that what you have to offer for your profitable price is more than the market will bear. Good luck with it. I personally will never buy a motorcycle or automobile heavily altered by anyone else, but that just might be, just me.

 

[JP50515]

Still none of this answers my question...lol....anyone?

 

[Cafe-Dave]

$2500, Midwest

 

[racerdave]

No, no one will buy them at much more than $3500 to $4000 and even those prices are very tough to get. Make up your mind. In your first post you say; "my goal is obviously to sell it for a profit"

In a later post you say "I'm not doing it for the money"

 

[JP50515]

Is the concept of owning two bikes, one that I built from the ground up and am keeping and one that I would like to do another build on and sell, really this complicated? And if so....why? Why do you all so desperately care whether i'm building this thing to keep or to sell? Odds are part of the money made would go towards another build bike anyway...

I am simply taking advantage of an opportunity to learn a lot AND make some money. I'm just trying to get a readout on what people think they are worth since in the end that's all that matters when selling a bike in this market.

Thank you Cafe-Dave, that's what i'm looking for...not criticism from the peanut gallery....

 

[racerdave]

I replied to your question of worth, and stated that I think you are contradicting yourself. I could care less how many bikes you have. Where did that come from?

 

[JP50515]

Do me a favor and leave your criticisms out of this thread man. I think i made it pretty clear what my goal for the bike is in the posts between, so saying i'm contradicting myself does nothing to benefit this thread . Also does me contradicting myself change the answers to my original question? I would hope not. So now in regards to that half of your post, Where did that come from and why?

 

[SINKING78]

 

[Scrambled]

I think JP5 just wants someone to tell him what he wants to hear and not what we know from experience . You can get lots of good advice on here but you probably won't take it.

 

[Makr]

I think if you build the right bike there are plenty of guys with money to spend.

You really need to bring something original to the table. Turning out the same cafe bike aint gonna do it. Look at Falcon motorcycles. Not sure if the guy makes money with all the time he has in a bike, but he gets lots of money for them.

The cafe thing is a fad.

I do think it is good you are in the mode of learning. Take some advice from an old machinist...dont overlook the small things. It is what make you exceptional from merely good. Filing is an art. Guys going through school always think they can skip the basics.

Good luck!

 

[JP50515]

I think JP5 just wants someone to tell him what he wants to hear and not what we know from experience . You can get lots of good advice on here but you probably won't take it.

Again man why? You're right tho I would like someone to tell me what i'd like to hear, which is the answers to my question...that's all I was looking for.

I have gotten plenty of great advice from this forum and truly appreciate what everyone does on here (^^^makr's post is a perfect example), It is because of this forum that I was able to build my hardtail.

However i've gotten almost no advice and whole lot of criticism on this thread for what appears to me as no reason. I understand if you guys don't want to build a cafe racer and sell it, but I do...and I was simply looking to the community for some information, not your opinion on the matter, not your critiques, and certainly not your nonsensical assumptions about me as a person.

With that being said i'm ending this thread.

Thanks for the help from those of you who actually responded with the information I was looking for.....to the rest of you....find a way to contribute to this forum and actually help people or..... f*ck off.

 

[jd750ace]

1500-2800 in Texas, not counting Austin. Hipster central. Nobody buying a 40 year old Japanese bike in Texas cares what you have in it, all they are worried about is what they are willing to pay. Seen my friend do many remarkable Honda "soft" restorations, and people want to give him 1200 bucks for them. He sells them on E-bay, lots of times to overseas dealers, for 3500-6000 dollars. BTW, if your "local garage" GETS 7K, be REALLY impressed. You can ask what you want, like that Japanese guy Shinya whatshisname. He makes pure junk, in these eyes, but he draws attention somehow and sells his crap, which falls apart on Brad Pitt right in front of TMZ's cameras! How do you feel about "rolling art" now, pretty boy?!!
They say making your hobby your job screws it up for ya. From past experience, I tend to agree.

 

[racerdave]

I think JP5 just wants someone to tell him what he wants to hear and not what we know from experience . You can get lots of good advice on here but you probably won't take it.

A big x2. And JP50515 a fuckoff back to you