The Kneeslider

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Cafe Rouge Norton 850 Custom Cafe Racer

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Cafe Rouge Norton 850 powered custom

Larry Houghton entered the AMD World Championship and attacked from a different angle, he brought Cafe Rouge, powered by a 1976 Norton 850. Since Larry’s Lamb Precision Engineering Ltd hails from the U.K., it makes sense.

As I was browsing through the winners of this year’s championship, I was struck by how quickly the style had changed from years past into the board track theme and a lot of competitors had some derivation of the same thing; nice bikes, well built, but falling into line on this trend like the stretched choppers of a couple years back. Then I saw Cafe Rouge and it stood out instantly.

Larry’s hand built frame has a cantilever shock working the rear swingarm with an upside down Suzuki fork. Wheels are 21 inch front and 23 inch rear with a 130 width tire out back. Everything is adjustable, rake from 25 to 38 deg, seat height and rear ride height. The tank is machined from 2 blocks of acrylic. The engine is tilted 40 degrees delivering power through a 4 speed transmission.

Cafe Rouge placed 11th after a tie break. Yes, it’s a show bike, no, it’s not really practical but it does show some outside the box thinking compared to many of the other bikes in the competition. Interesting.

More photos below:

Cafe Rouge Norton 850 powered custom

Cafe Rouge Norton 850 powered custom

Link: AMD World Championship

Comments

  4. It’s not particularly pretty, true, but it does represent some seriously original thinking. I’m seriously getting tired or choppers, and have been for some time.

  6. This thing is the motorcycle equivalent of jelly stripper heels. Gag me, although I’d be more willing to put up with it if it came with a matching jelly-heel-wearing stripper.

    cl

  8. The Commando engine is one of the most beautiful engines ever made, sacrilege, that bike looks like c##p. Now, where did that Rickman chassis go?

  10. Love it – hope it continues to give the “Style/Technology peaked back in 19xx” set a sorely needed poke in the eye.

    Besides, nothing’s better than parts made from drillium.

  11. FYI, the last year of the Norton was 1975. Other than a very few that might have been built in semi-prototype form in 76-77. Not really sold though. But I still love your site.

  12. It’s kind of cool, notexactly my taste, but what I DO like is:

    “Everything is adjustable, rake from 25 to 38 deg, seat height and rear ride height.”

    Thats some great thinking!!

  13. Dirk, you stated “FYI, the last year of the Norton was 1975. Other than a very few that might have been built in semi-prototype form in 76-77.”

    I’m sorry to tell you, but the LAST Commando rolled off the line in 1976. that would be PRODUCTION not proto, since they closed up shop in ’76 according to the website. (http://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/company/history.asp)

    Other than that, its a great looking bike, I don’t think the silver-blue background does it justice though. Its hard to make out the actual lines with the aluminum and clear pieces blending in so well to the background.
    I LOVE the kicked forward engine, it gives a much lower CG, a lower seat height, and a much more modern look.
    I had kicked around a clear gas tank before, the problem with that idea is as soon as you add gas it would more than likely yellow and crackle.

  14. Having actually seen this bike at the Ace Cafe in July, can I just say that it looked even better than the pictures–incredibly narrow and detail/finish is excellent.

  16. Last night at the local bike night, four immaculate ’70s Norton Commandos showed up. They were about a million times more beautiful than this thing.