Café Racer: two words that encapsulate a world.

It is difficult to give a precise description, but the origin of the term is sure and takes us to England at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s.

In particular, the Café that gave rise to this definition is the Ace Café built on London’s North Circular Road to cater to a clientele of travellers.

The catalysts for bikers were the location, the 24-hour non-stop opening and the fact that the café was the place to listen to rock and roll. 

While young people across the Atlantic race down the roads of California as depicted in the now legendary Thunder Road from Grease, in England young people have to settle with motorbikes, which they process as much as ‘ grease lightning’ to compete in speed races.

These are the boys of The Ton generation: that is, the boys who want to reach 100 miles per hour.

To reach The Ton and win the challenges, the motorbikes are lightened to make them faster.

These particular motorbikes parked outside the Ace Café become Café Racer’s motorbikes.

Since then, the evolution has been multifaceted and ranges like the firmament, so much so that it does not fit into any precise definition.

Many motorbike manufacturers produce models in expressly Café Racer versions.

Did you have a chance to visit the EICMA in recent days?

For example, the following were presented:

Triumph Thruxton café racer par excellence final edition hand-painted trim and top-level equipment.

1100 Sport Pro Ducati Scrambler®, café racer style in the retro on-off segment, state-of-the-art electronics.

Continental GT 650 Royal Enfield dynamic stance and collected riding position, hallmarks of a traditional café racer. 

And more

Honda CB1000R
BMW Nine T Racer
Moto Guzzi V7

do you want to go on?

Are you a biker?

What is your favourite bike?

I look forward to your stories, in the meantime here is a ride in the places I often like to tell you about. 

This is the café racer according to my husband: The Bat.