Streetfighter
Encyclopedia
A streetfighter is a sport bike
that is customized
by removing the fairing
, and making other changes that result in an overall more aggressive look. Beyond simply removing fairings, specific changes that exemplify the streetfighter look are a pair of large, round headlights, tall, upright handlebars such as those on a motocross
bike, and short, loud, lightweight mufflers. Streetfighters is also the name of a UK motorcycle magazine.
Later streetfighters used custom-built frames intended to overcome the weakness of the tubular steel frames of the early 4-cylinder superbikes of the 1970s and 80's. Many of these frames turned out to be "beautifully crafted pieces of metallurgical art," perhaps only unintentionally. Many were also originally racing machines.
Made popular by European riders, this type of custom motorcycle gained popularity all over the world, and motorcycle manufacturers began responding in the late 1990s by adopting the terminology and producing factory built streetfighters, beginning with the 1994 Triumph Speed Triple
and the 1999 Honda X11
, up through the 2009 Ducati Streetfighter
.
culture of the 1950s and 1960s, the streetfighter is very much inspired by the new Japanese bikes of the late 1970s and early 1980s, possibly from young riders in the UK who couldn't afford to replace damaged fairings after repeated crashes. Later, more appropriate headlights were added, then high handlebars to aid in wheelies and other stunts.
The first sighting of the streetfighter design template was seen in Bike magazine in 1983 when the editor commissioned Andy Sparrow to draw a comic strip to replace Ogri
. It was titled 'Bloodrunners' and featured dispatch riders, delivering blood and live human organs for transplant operations in which bikers rode enormous Japanese inline fours with turbos, with no extraneous parts. Fairings, mirrors, pillion seats & rear footpegs etc. were all binned in favour of lightness and handling ability. Under-seat exhausts, dual headlights and the widest sport tyres were de-rigueur.
Actor Huggy Leaver
is credited with being inspired to build such customized motorcycles in this style and there was a proliferation of 'ratted
' streetfighters in London around the late 1980s. The term streetfighter was first applied to a custom street bike by a British photojournalist and bike builder to a Harley-Davidson
customized sports-bike, and later extended to the Japanese four-cylinder customs being created at the time.
Sport bike
A sport bike, also written as sportbike, is a motorcycle optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads, typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy in comparison to less specialized motorcycles...
that is customized
Custom motorcycle
A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle that is highly stylized or which treats aspects such as frame geometry, engine design, or paintwork in an unusual way compared to standard manufacturing. Custom motorcycles are unique or individually produced in a very limited quantity, as opposed to "stock"...
by removing the fairing
Motorcycle fairing
A motorcycle fairing is a shell placed over the frame of some motorcycles, especially racing motorcycles and sport bikes, with the primary purpose to reduce air drag. The secondary functions are the protection of the rider from airborne hazards and wind-induced hypothermia and of the engine...
, and making other changes that result in an overall more aggressive look. Beyond simply removing fairings, specific changes that exemplify the streetfighter look are a pair of large, round headlights, tall, upright handlebars such as those on a motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
bike, and short, loud, lightweight mufflers. Streetfighters is also the name of a UK motorcycle magazine.
Later streetfighters used custom-built frames intended to overcome the weakness of the tubular steel frames of the early 4-cylinder superbikes of the 1970s and 80's. Many of these frames turned out to be "beautifully crafted pieces of metallurgical art," perhaps only unintentionally. Many were also originally racing machines.
Made popular by European riders, this type of custom motorcycle gained popularity all over the world, and motorcycle manufacturers began responding in the late 1990s by adopting the terminology and producing factory built streetfighters, beginning with the 1994 Triumph Speed Triple
Triumph Speed Triple
The Speed Triple is a series of motorcycles produced by Triumph Motorcycles. In 1994 the reborn Triumph became one of the earliest adopters of a new style of motorcycle referred to as a Streetfighter. This new class of bike was essentially a modern sport bike or race replica motorcycle but...
and the 1999 Honda X11
Honda X11
The Honda X11, or CB1100SF, is a sports bike with a liquid cooled engine with a 1990s style cooling unit at its fore end.Honda took features the rest of its fleet and incorporated them into the X-11...
, up through the 2009 Ducati Streetfighter
Ducati Streetfighter
The Ducati Streetfighter is a streetfighter-style motorcycle produced by Ducati Motor Holding.The design of Streetfighter is the work of designer Damien Basset from the Ducati design team....
.
History
Though it has its styling roots in the café racerCafé racer
A café racer is a type of motorcycle as well as a type of motorcyclist. Both meanings have their roots in the 1960s British counterculture group the Rockers, or the Ton-up boys, although they were also common in Italy, Germany, and other European countries...
culture of the 1950s and 1960s, the streetfighter is very much inspired by the new Japanese bikes of the late 1970s and early 1980s, possibly from young riders in the UK who couldn't afford to replace damaged fairings after repeated crashes. Later, more appropriate headlights were added, then high handlebars to aid in wheelies and other stunts.
The first sighting of the streetfighter design template was seen in Bike magazine in 1983 when the editor commissioned Andy Sparrow to draw a comic strip to replace Ogri
Ogri
Ogri is a cartoon character of a British rocker-style biker created by English cartoonist and illustrator Paul Sample in the 1970s for Bike magazine in the UK until January 2009, when it was dropped but quickly taken up by Back Street Heroes, the custom motorcycle magazine. Four book collections of...
. It was titled 'Bloodrunners' and featured dispatch riders, delivering blood and live human organs for transplant operations in which bikers rode enormous Japanese inline fours with turbos, with no extraneous parts. Fairings, mirrors, pillion seats & rear footpegs etc. were all binned in favour of lightness and handling ability. Under-seat exhausts, dual headlights and the widest sport tyres were de-rigueur.
Actor Huggy Leaver
Huggy Leaver
Huggy Leaver , sometimes credited as Huggy Lever, is a British actor and former vocalist of The Plastix, a early UK Punk band....
is credited with being inspired to build such customized motorcycles in this style and there was a proliferation of 'ratted
Rat bike
Rat bikes are motorcycles that have fallen apart over time but been kept on the road and maintained for little or no cost by employing kludge fixes...
' streetfighters in London around the late 1980s. The term streetfighter was first applied to a custom street bike by a British photojournalist and bike builder to a Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
customized sports-bike, and later extended to the Japanese four-cylinder customs being created at the time.
See also
- Outline of motorcycles and motorcyclingOutline of motorcycles and motorcyclingThe following outline is provided as an overview of motorcycles and motorcycling:Motorcycle – single-track, engine-powered, two-wheeled motor vehicle...