A cafe 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. In Italy, the term refers to the specific motorcycles that were and are used for short, sharp speed trips from one Cafe to another.
The cafe racer is a motorcycle that has been modified for speed and handling rather than comfort. Cafe racer’s bodywork and control layout typically mimicked the style of contemporary Grand Prix road racers, featuring an elongated fuel tank and small, rearward mounted, humped seat. A signature trait were low, narrow handlebars that allowed the rider to “tuck in” to reduce wind resistance and offered better control when in that posture. These are referred to as either “clip-ons” (two-piece bars that bolt directly to each fork tube) or “clubmans” or “ace bars” (one piece bars that attach to the stock mounting location but drop down and forward). The ergonomics resulting from low bars and the rearward seat often required “rearsets”, or rear-set footrests and foot controls, again typical of racing motorcycles of the era. Distinctive half or full race-style fairings were sometimes mounted to the forks or frame.
Cafe racer styling evolved throughout the time of their popularity. By the mid-1970s, Japanese bikes had overtaken British bikes in the marketplace, and the look of real Grand Prix racing bikes had changed. The hand-made, frequently unpainted aluminum racing gas tanks of the 1960s had evolved into square, narrow, fiberglass tanks. More and more, three and four cylinder Hondas and Kawasakis were the basis for café racer conversions. By 1977, a number of manufacturers had taken notice of the cafe racer boom and were producing factory cafe racers, most notably the Harley-Davidson XLCR, the Ducati SuperSport models and the
Kawasaki Z1R. In 1979, Suzuki offered the café-style GS1000S.
The term cafe racer is still used to describe motorcycles of a certain style and some motorcyclists still use this term in self description. Worthy of mentioning here is that an entire new sub-culture has evolved since the heyday of the Rockers. The ‘cafe racers’, a term that existed in the 1950s and 1960s to refer to bike riders emulating the racers, but is used now to describe motorcycle riders who choose classic/vintage British, German, Italian, or Japanese motorbikes from the 1950′s to late 1970′s as their bike of choice, over other styles of bikes.
Classic cafe racer style has made a comeback recently, thanks largely to the increased interest in vintage motorcycles in general. A new generation of motorcycle designers and builders are using the style as a fresh alternative to the custom chopper scene. Furthermore, in many parts of the United States, there are large numbers of stock 1970′s and 1980′s era Japanese motorcycles available for relatively small amounts of money , in many areas a running motorcycle can be had for well under $1,000 . There is a strong appeal to younger and less wealthy motorcyclists to build a cafe racer from one of these bikes and end up with a stylish personalized motorcycle at a fraction of the cost of a newer bike.
Currently Norton is back and producing cafe style motorcycles, with a touch of modern technology. Now the average consumer can purchase a cafe bike straight from the dealership, all you need is a leather jacket and a pudding bowl helmet…
Triumph was one of the original British manufacturer’s used when the cafe movement started, the most recognized model has been the Bonneville, and today it still retains that classic look from the early years. But Triumph knew there was a market for the original cafe style, so the “Thruxton” was introduced along side the classic Bonneville.
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