Typical attire of a Cafe Racer was rolled Levi Jeans, White T-Shirt, Leather Jacket, Leather Boots, 3/4 helmets, Goggles, and Scarf for nose and mouth. Very much as rough and ready as their bikes.

 

In the late 1990’s there was a re-emergence of the Cafe Racer, although this time it was a little different. What was seen was these original Cafe Racers began rebuilding the bikes of their youth. The difference being they built them for the love and romantisism of their youth.

 

Their goals were not to go from cafe to cafe fast, but instead with style and class. A small culture in America also caught this bug and slowly vintage racing and cafe racers fought their way back into the motorcycle scene.

What is a Cafe Racer?

 

Cafe Racer is a term coined back in the early 60’s in Europe, mainly Brittian. This term referred to a sort of counterculture of motorcyclists who wanted fast and personalized motorcycles. They would put a song on the jukebox and race out and back to a specified point, trying to beat the song to its end. (Hence Cafe Racer) Some instances they would race each other from Cafe to Cafe to prove the faster bike.

These machines had to be lean and fast. So all unnecessary parts were removed, giving them a  sort of rough edge look. Then the engines would be fine-tuned honing every hp they could muster. Many times banana seats were replaced with single seats with bum stops. Low slung bars, called clubmans, were added for areo-dynamics while rearsets and upswept exhaust were used for ground clearance. Paint jobs were optional, but aluminum tanks were a must. These machines were the edge of racing each rider pushing his machine toward the ultimate goal of a ton. (The “Ton” is common for 100 mph. If you could get your bike to that point you were in the “Ton-Up” club.) In all actuality these bikes were similar to the bobber/chopper scene in America at that same time. (Sort of a post WWII Veterans thing.)

The bike to have was a mix of the Norton Featherbed frame and a Triumph Bonneville engine. This bike was most often referred to as a Triton. Basically it was the lightest and best frame available coupled with the fastest and most modified engine of its time. They were almost always afixed with  aluminum tanks, clubman bars, and rearsets. It was a very lean machine that was perfect for the roads of that era.

 

(Picture left is a Triton. Notice the single seat, rearsets and low slung clubmans.)

Many people contribute the popularity of the current sportbike market to the early pioneers of Cafe Racing. Fact is their style and influences can still be seen in todays modern sportbikes. (Low slung clip-on bars, rear-set footpegs, undertail exhaust, 130hp, solo cowls)

 

So if you are looking for a certain romantisism then search no further than a Cafe Racer. If you are looking for a bike that will go zero to 60 faster than a Ferrari F40, keep looking. To me Cafe Racers are about a time past, like the current chopper fade here in the U.S.