Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Café racer" in English language version.
Throttle Roll promotor, Mark Hawwa, says the partnership between rock 'n' roll and motorbikes is an important one: 'The reason I brought in rock 'n' roll to the actual event is that back in the '60s, that was the music that these guys were listening to. The roots of the Cafe Racer comes back to rock 'n' roll music. Young guys on motorbikes, the pin-up girls, and the guys with their slicked back hair-dos. It's all just a whole lot of fun.'
From their origins on the streets of 1950s England, the cafe racer has become one of the world's most desirable and distinctive motorcycles.
The American 'Cafe Racer' rides with 'ape' type handlebars as high as possible in order to attract attention whereas, in direct contrast his British brother rides with the handlebars as low as possible in a feeble attempt to emulate racer John Surtees. One thing they do have in common is the making of excessive noise.
The American trend toward cafe racers caught most of the world's bikemakers by surprise and, at this writing, only Triumph has anything that approaches a cafe racer—a new model called the Hurricane that has a seat-molded-into-the-gas-tank one-piece unit designed by American fairing designer Craig Vetter.
The café racer movement may have been born in London in the 1950s, but it has developed into a subculture encompassing a desire for speed, a love of rock and roll, and ultimately an enduring love for a motorcycle that's being revived worldwide.
The sinister Le Mans was an immediate hit when launched in 1976.
Lenny Paterson, 61, who was a Rocker back in the Sixties and remains one at heart recalls the sense of being outcasts and rebels. 'Often you wouldn't be allowed into cafes or bars with a leather jacket,' says the father of three who lives in Wallington, near Croydon, where he runs his own spare parts business.
What about the so-called café racer – that low-profile vintage motorcycle rider who looks as if he just rode away from the Marquee Club circa '62? His motorcycle is minimal and slim-lined, unlike the mainstream Harleys and those angular sport bikes you're used to seeing on the road.
The Harley-Davidson XLCR was Willie G. Davidson's one and only brush with the cafe racer set, and it created a classic for all time
Ducati, Triumph, Guzzi and others have enjoyed considerable success with repli-bikes in recent years, so maybe the Honda was just 10 years ahead of its time. 'Simplicity and grace are never out of style,' wrote Peter Egan in Cycle World's 1989 review of the GB500, 'and the GB is a simple, handsome bike.'
Built in the 1930s on the busy North Circular Road, the open-all-night Ace [Cafe] was a haven for truckers and other nighthawks, serving up tea, coffee and the usual 30-weight diner fare. By the 1950s, Ace regulars began to include a new breed of motorcyclist, mostly young, looking for a place to gather with their mates. They would listen to the jukebox rock 'n' roll and explore their machines' speed potential on the surrounding roads.
As grim as those days were in terms of performance, it was an era that produced two of the Sportsters considered most unusual and sought-after by collectors, the 1977-78 XLCR Cafe Racer and the 1983-85 XR1000. Both of these racebike-inspired models were risky departures for Harley, and both originally languished unsold in showrooms long after production concluded.
Take a look around the hippest neighborhoods across the country and you'll see motorcycles that look like something out of an old Steve McQueen movie—retro, minimalist, and tough.
'The cafe racer culture is a phenomenon, not just in Australia, but around the world,' says motorcycle adventurer Rennie Scaysbrook, editor of Australia's Free Wheeling magazine, who spent 10 days last year riding an Enfield across the mountains of Nepal.
Mr Travis has noticed a rise in cafe-racer culture in the past few years - the motorcycle scene that grew out of rockabilly.
Those were the days of the 'rockers', and Ray learned to ride fast on the north London roads around the Ace Cafe and the Busy Bee where fellow bikers used to hold impromptu races.
Originally, cost was a major influence. In 1965, a good engine from the ill-handling Triumph Tiger 110 cost £30. Another £30 bought a rough Norton Model 50 or ES2, which provided not only the frame, but also the gearbox, clutch, suspension, and brakes.
Café racers are an odd phenomenon. They're popular enough to inspire endless shed-built specials and even dedicated websites, magazines and TV shows, but when it comes to strolling into a showroom and buying one, the options are surprisingly thin on the ground.
The American 'Cafe Racer' rides with 'ape' type handlebars as high as possible in order to attract attention whereas, in direct contrast his British brother rides with the handlebars as low as possible in a feeble attempt to emulate racer John Surtees. One thing they do have in common is the making of excessive noise.
Now aged 89, Father Bill, as he was known in east London, was one of the founders of the world famous 59 Club – the home of hordes of tearaway rockers, the hoodies of the day, who used to scream around London's North Circular on their Triumphs, Nortons and BSAs, terrifying the populace and causing retired majors to splutter into their sherry.
Throttle Roll promotor, Mark Hawwa, says the partnership between rock 'n' roll and motorbikes is an important one: 'The reason I brought in rock 'n' roll to the actual event is that back in the '60s, that was the music that these guys were listening to. The roots of the Cafe Racer comes back to rock 'n' roll music. Young guys on motorbikes, the pin-up girls, and the guys with their slicked back hair-dos. It's all just a whole lot of fun.'
Now aged 89, Father Bill, as he was known in east London, was one of the founders of the world famous 59 Club – the home of hordes of tearaway rockers, the hoodies of the day, who used to scream around London's North Circular on their Triumphs, Nortons and BSAs, terrifying the populace and causing retired majors to splutter into their sherry.
His road-race-styled Café Racer built from 1977 to 1979 was a departure and a famous flop. However, the sleek bikes are now coveted by collectors.
The Cafe is based on the V7 Classic that came out about a year ago. The differences are cosmetic, but significant. The cafe's exhaust pipes are swept upwards and its it handlebars are low, "clip-on" style that give it the look of a vintage racer.
Its low, compact shape, racy down-turned handlebars and spoke wheels give it the look of a vintage Grand Prix bike while jewel-like details from the engine to the foot pegs suggest a hand-built custom machine. But it is really a dressed-up version of the Italian company's earlier mass-market V7 Classic.
