Streetfighter

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For other uses, see Street Fight.

The term Streetfighter is used for a Superbike that is customized by removing the fairing and other changes, resulting in a more aggressive look. Made popular by European riders, streetfighters are gaining popularity in the United States. However, many riders in the United States are concerned with the glamorous appearance of stock superbikes, limiting the popularity. These bikes offer a "minimalist" look, they tend to be loud, fast and nasty. Those not familiar with the Streetfighter style may ask, "It is broken?" when they see a motocycle of this style.

1 History
2 Modifications commonly made to custom Streetfighters:
3 Hand made frames
4 Controversy
5 External links

[edit] History

The term 'Streetfighter' appears to have been originally coined by two drag racers, Odgie and Lil' Mark, whilst they worked at BSH (Back Street Heroes - a UK custom bike magazine) in the early 1990's.^{[verification needed]} They applied the term to motorcycles which were modified to enhance their performance and handling, as opposed to the custom scene which preferred style over outright ability. The term has since been diluted somewhat, and is now regularly applied to any bike with motocross style handlebars, no fairings or other typical customizations. In recent years, the term has also come to be applied to motorcycles manufactured without fairings in this style, usually based on the same engine/frame combination as an equivalent fully-faired motorcycle in the manufacturer's product line-up.

It's unclear when and who built the first of the modern Streetfighter. Though it has it's roots in the Café racer culture of the 1950s and 1960s, there is a substantial gap between then and the modern Streetfighter scene. The current trend in naked sportbikes seems to have started in Italy in the late 1980's, where owners of crashed superbikes started opting to leave off the damaged plastic as the plastic fairing is quite expensive to replace. This is what often gives Streetfighters an unfinished or haphazard look. For good advice and top tips on building quality Streetfighters, http://www.streetfighters-mcc.co.uk is a handy website to use,

Currently, (Race Replicas), like the Suzuki GSX-R Series and the Honda CBR series, that have been damaged in accidents or through hooliganism are generally the starting basis for a Street Fighter. The GSX-R 750 was initially often favored, due to its light weight and flexible engine. A side effect of the use of the [1980]'s GSX-R was the retention of the dual headlights in the subsequent Streetfighter. This feature is now a common trait in both custom bikes and factory Streetfighters like the Triumph Speed Triple.

In 1993 Ducati introduced a new naked sportbike called the Monster. Since that time it has been a perennial favorite amongst Streetfighter enthusiasts. In 1994 however, Triumph Motorcycles introduced the Speed Triple, based on its Daytona sportbike. This was an immediate success and rapidly eclipsed the Monster in sales. The Triumph is now the current favorite among factory Streetfighters due to excellent performance, low ownership cost, and high reliability.

In the intervening years both bikes have been substantially improved, and have been joined by a rapidly growing group of other manufactures producing naked sportbikes. These include: Benelli, Aprilia, Bimota, BMW, Moto Guzzi, and Buell, a subsidiary of Harley Davidson. Even the big four Japanese motorcycle manufactures have tried to enter this market, but with limited success to date. However, the Suzuki remains a popular base for custom Streetfighters.

[edit] Modifications commonly made to custom Streetfighters:

Clip-on handlebars replaced with motocross-style handlebars
Raised rear subframes
Most fairings removed, modified or replaced
Distinctive paint schemes
Loud aftermarket exhaust systems
Aftermarket headlights to replace often heavy headlight setups
Large rear sprockets to sacrifice top speed for more acceleration
Larger brake discs than stock
Improved brake calipers
Improved springs, shock absorbers and various other parts to improve the chassis
Various performance improvements to the engine: superchargers turbochargers, nitrous oxide injection, etc.

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

[edit] Hand made frames

The most extreme motorcycles are those with hand made frames, the most famous of which are made by

Bakker (NL)
Harris (GB)
Martek (D)
Moko (D)
PSS-Rau (D) central-tube frame like Egli
Spondon(GB) Aluminium frames

[edit] Controversy

Some people associate streetfighters with gross neglect of traffic regulations, and it's true that some streetfighter riders occasionally do perform stunts in traffic, but it's disputed as to whether streetfighter riders cause more problems than riders of stock sportbikes. One explanation to their reputation of "traffic troublemakers" could be their distinctive visual appearance, which makes them more easily noticed in all situations, whether they are breaking the law or not.