![]() ![]() 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. 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. Racers were originally about lightweight speed and handling but these days it's more of a styling exercise to cash in on the demand for modern retro bikes.Ĭheck out the other types of motorbikes.What is a cafe racer and what is cafe racer style? Lowering the handlebars creates a more aggressive low riding position to keep wind drag down to a minimum but it does mean they aren't the most comfortable of bikes for long distances. What Is A Cafe Racer?Ĭafe racers tend to take a retro styled naked bike then add a seat hump where the pillion would sit, low clip-on handlebars and a small screen / fairing around the single headlight up front. We looked at all the best cafe racers you can buy and picked the top contenders, taking into account style, power, technology and value for money. Head over to the Choose & Compare Tool to see them all. The attention to detail is impressive from the leather seat, to the bar end mirrors, upside down fork and wavy discs. So you are basically getting oodles of Italian styling, an engine design from the Aprilia RS125 and it all built to a competitive price point. The A1 licence friendly Hipster 125 is designed in Italy and built by Zongshen in China, with final quality checks in Italy. Many Thruxton owners have their eye on one! It's a similar concept but uses the High Torque engine with a more relaxed riding position and less overall weight. If you like the Thruxton then check out the 2019 Triumph Speed Twin. Triumph updated it in 2020 to the Thruxton RS with more power, less weight, better brakes and some blacked out bits. It looks amazing but is quite pricey and quite heavy. It has the seat hump and low clip on bars you would expect from a cafe racer but the headlight cowl isn't standard and needs be added from the accessories catalogue. Based on the Bonneville T120 the Triumph Thruxton features the High Power version of Triumph's 1,200cc engine, so it's geared more towards top speed than every day low down torque like many of the others listed here. ![]()
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