Most of these brands still continue to produce cafe racer variants of their motorcycle models, including manufacturers like Ducati, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Husqvarna. Most of these featured the common cafe racer styling, without any increase to performance over their standard motorcycle counterparts. During the latter half of the ’70s, BMW, Honda, Moto Guzzi, and even Harley-Davidson built factory cafe racer models. As the motorcycle market expanded globally, Japanese motorcycles began their takeover of the factory cafe segment in the 1970s. It was common to see multiple bikes parked outside of cafes like the Busy Bee and Ace Cafe in London.ĭuring the 1960s, the cafe racer was almost exclusively a British-made motorcycle: Norton, Triumph, and BSA. Wallace Wyss, the famed American automotive writer and advertising consultant, stated that the term cafe racer should be attributed to a "motorcyclist who played at being an Isle of Man road racer" but was actually "someone who owned a racy machine but merely parked it near his table at the local outdoor cafe.” He was not entirely wrong because the Rockers of 1960 London used these modded motorcycles to race on England’s burgeoning highway system, to get from cafe to cafe as fast as they could. If you own a cafe racer, call 03 for a swift no obligation quote - 79.5% of all customers receiving an online quote in July 2020 could have obtained a cheaper quote over the phone, based on the information they provided.Pictured: One of the factory cafe racer models that Ducati has made, this being a 2001 MH900e. If you have a cafe racer that stands out from the crowd, you’ll be looking for stand out insurance too, so it’s good to know the team at Bikesure can help find custom motorcycle cover that meets your precise circumstances and needs. Outstanding insurance for your standout cafe racer The cafe racer is still minimalist and remains a symbol of cool and a reminder of the past, but with today’s tech and riding assistance gear, they are bikes very much for today. Expect them to be wearing vintage leather jackets, riding their bike at the weekend, and driving the family saloon during the week. Today, those who own cafe racers are likely to be somewhat more mature riders, perhaps reliving memories and aspirations from their youth. They were associated with mutinous young riders, rockers and ton-up boys” with a need for speed. What is cafe racer style?Ĭafe racers have developed one of the most devoted followings of any custom bike genre, so when people ask “what is the cafe racer style” there are many influences to consider.īack in the fifties and sixties, the fast stripped-back cafe racers were symbols of rebellion. Read this blog to find out more about classic cafe racers. For example, the Super Soco TC is commonly referred to as a cafe racer. The cafe racer influence is even apparent in the design of some electric motorcycles. Modern cafe racers from motorcycle manufacturers include: Today, cafe racers are popular around the world and many manufacturers produce ready-to-ride factory models in the style of the original machines. Manufacturers now offer ready-to-ride cafe racers Occasionally the standard dual seat would be replaced by a solo saddle. Some bikes had swept-back pipes, TT100 Dunlop tires, and larger carburetors.
CAFE RACER MOTORCYCLE FULL
Occasionally, cafe racers would be fitted with half or even full race-style fairings. Non-essential features such as side panels, rear chain enclosures and mudguards were replaced by lighter items, or ditched completely.
Minimalist in style, the cafe racer would typically have low-mounted clip-on or “Ace” handlebars, with rear-set footrests which enabled the rider to “tuck in”, reducing wind resistance and improving control. You can read a brief history of the Ace Café in this blog. One famous route for cafe racers was the Ace Café on London’s North Circular road to the Busy Bee on the A41 in Watford. The Ace Café to the Busy BeeĬafe racers were mostly ridden and shown off on rides from biker café to biker café. People often ask, “what makes a motorcycle a cafe racer?” A cafe racer is a sports motorbike that originated in London in the late fifties and early sixties.īack then, cafe racers were standard production bikes which had been modified by their owners and optimised for speed and handling for quick rides over short distances.
What is a cafe racer and what is cafe racer style?
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