Drugs and drinking ? No. Not at all. The 'ton up boys' only drank coffee. In the 60's leather jacket and motorcycles were not welcome in pubs. So they would hang around in cafes. . . . . hence the name "cafe racer".
+Finn Chverch is there something wrong with you mother young man I am sure your real father doesn't give a shit probably because of your 12 years of existence
I’m 52 and just started riding about 6 months ago. The one guy said it so true, ‘you have to ride a bike to know what it’s about.’ No one can tell you and it’s not gonna be for everyone. But if you got on that bike and now you can’t imagine life without it........well that’s it, right there, that’s riding!
my dad was one of the originals back in the mid 50s to the mid 60s he used to build bikes for other people as well as his own i grew up with British bikes . we lost my dad in 1979 he was on his way home after a late shift he was hit by a drunk driver early hours of the morning after all the bike he rode the day he died he was on a 90cc step thru i still miss my dad so much if he was alive today he would be in his 70s he would still be riding a British bike
I was a 20 years old when I first discovered the café racer world and I knew that was going to be a part of my life now 5 years later I got my first motorcycle and I couldn't be happier.
In the 1960’s I watched the ton-up boys race from Johnson’s Café on the A20 in Kent - they raced from the café, past Brands Hatch race track and down Death Hill to the roundabout at the bottom and back up the hill to the café. There were BSA Gold Stars, Rocket Gold Stars Triumph Bonnevilles and even a Vincent. The sounds were fantastic. Some riders didn’t bother with helmets; just a leather jacket, jeans and shades for eye protection. I was too young to join in then, but it’s amazing to see that the British café racer style and culture has spread worldwide over 50 years on - Great Stuff!
i totally agree, i've only just turned 17 and got onto the road but i been following the cafe racer scene since i was 10 and i'm building my own at the moment! its not about where your from or what year the whole point of a cafe racer was to show theres no limits and enjoy the freedom of the open road
The true spirit of the original cafe racers is embodied far more by the working class guys riding modern streetfighters & tricked up sports bikes than by the middle class hipsters of the current 'scene' Thats not me hating hipsters, just a statement of fact. The only guys I've ever met at a proper greasy spoon cafe to go tearing up the countryside at twice the speed limit were all the former, not the latter
I love those 'trendy' cafe racers/brat style Rob, 'and' I was born on a council estate. Let's not let the middle class hipsters have all the stylish fun!
+Mr C I like some of the bikes I just dont like the pretence they are carrying on a tradition, when in fact they are just aping a style. When you look at the whole new skool bike scene there's a lot off elitist aestheticism that is totally at odds with what the original cafe racers were about & I just don't buy into it all - nothing wrong with the bikes.
This was a really good watch. I just bought a vintage "72 Honda CL350 and I'm tearing into it. Really fun project, and I can't wait to ride it. It was made the same year I was born. My first street bike.
I came across Deus some years ago and loved the bikes. While working in L.A. I one day drove past the store in L.A. and had to take a look. Pulled up into the parking lot expecting a motorcycle shop, smell of grease and oil and motorcycles that are being built. The joy of finding this place by chance was short lived. First thing I can see is a large table at witch a bunch of people are sitting. All men and all looked like they came out of the same mold. Big beard long hair tied to a bun, all staring at the screen of a macbook and most probably drinking non fat, decaf, extra foam latte with a triple shot. I doubt that any of them actually have or ride a Bike. The shop is a boutique for all sorts of clothes and hipster wear. Two or three bikes that are pure props for the merchandise and lifestyle bullocks, are placed in the showroom. All walls are covered in shelves filled with wearables and so are the tables in the middle of the room. : ( The actual bikeshop is added on to the rear end of the building and does not look like it is the main theme of at least this store. I am a petrolhead and love motorcycles and building them, but this was a monster of a disappointment. My hat comes of for the marketing of this brand, that successfully latched on to the motorbike world of custom build motos to sell s*!t that none of us riders need. Well done deus, but nothing worth looking at if you are really interested in their really nice builds, that no doubt Deus dose build somewhere. Fazit: Love the bikes you build, but will not visit a store again. I think they even had avocado toast on the menu.
They met at Cafes not raced between Cafes - the ultimate would prob be a Triton - with parts from Dunstall or Dresden - a Triumph Bonnie engine in a Slim Line Norton Featherbed Frame - Vent 2 or 4 leading shoe brake - Chrome Headlight - Clip ons - Aoloy tank- rear sets - single seat
+Trev S Correct Trev, how could they win a bet if they ended up at a completely different cafe from the one they'd put the record on the jukebox at. Indeed they raced to the nearest (traffic) roundabout so they could maintain the speed and get back before the record finished.....and rock & roll records where very short in those days.
I currently riding a 2014 Cafe/Bobber style Iron 883. I am definitely going to get another cafe modified to my liking, I just love the vibe and style of Cafe Racing.
Yeah,back just before the Japanese bikes hit the market I was riding European and/or English machines.The "cafe" bikes were pretty much any bike you lightened up and added a bit of horsepower to.Man,we had a ball with those things!I still have my old Commando and give a ride once in a while,and it's still fun even after the years have passed.I'm not getting any younger and either is that bike but neither of us is dead yet so ....
This literally explained how I feel about my bike even though life force me to live in my van for a little while I’m not giving up on my bike it’s my hope
I grew up on late 1960 and early 1970s bikes and they pretty cool. I'm glad so new riders are now enjoying those bikes because the simplicity of those bikes is appealing. That said it hurts my knees and back to crawl around working on them these days so the modern retro are my bike of choice. I still love the look, smell and feel of the late 1960s bikes but enough to still ride them.
buy a heap of an old bike... Do it up, customise it, make it your own and don't give a toss what other people think... Its yours and an extension of your personality.. Its about the culture of the ton up boys not what bike it is or what you look like.. Its about getting the most power and handling out of a machine.... I think people look into things to much . Ps.... Its all about lane splitting... I feel sorry for most of you in the US... Stupid fookin laws
Most Americans who drive cars could not stand seeing motorbikes lane-splitting. They would get angry because we are moving, and they are not. Especially certain citizens of certain states. Maryland-ers would lose their minds. Floridians and the tourists already cannot drive, so it would be way dangerous down there. However, Commiefornia legalised lane-splitting a handful of years ago. That is the only place it was has been accepted as folks with good weather all year 'round see bikes everywhere and know that air-cooled have to keep going and cannot sit in the traffic jams that snag their interstates for hours on end. In the United States, they will literally give anyone a license and it has been that way for decades. Plus, nowadays most folks (unfortunately) are lazy and drive automatics. Boring, too. Stupid laws? No, more like Driving While Stupid. Thank goodness for motorcycles and all the beautiful brands and dealerships we have in the U.S. Not to mention, beautiful scenery from sea to shining sea. Vast. Immense. Incredible. Diverse. Hope you get to ride a bike cross-country sometime.
Cool machines, but there is nothing "over-engineered" in today's sport bikes. Everything that it's there has a purpose, either being faster, easier, or safer. And if you take a modern bike and "go cafe" with her, you'll probably just make her slower.
Back in the day, the available sport bikes were rare and expensive. You built sport bikes out of standard, available bikes. Performance came from removing heavy bits, shaving many pounds. Engines were warmed up, suspensions tuned, rearsets and low handlebars installed. That was the essence of the cafe racer. A modern sportbike's performance is beyond the ability of most riders and even beyond the capabilities of many roadrace bikes of the 60's and 70's. These new cafe bikes are styling exercises. They can't begin to compete with the performance of a modern showroom stock sportbike. There are riders that can really go on their cafe bikes, however.
@@phlodel At the time, it was all about improving speed and handling, but by the time the '80's rolled around, the stock factory bikes were faster and handled just as well. The only problem with the stock '80's bikes, was that they were bland and you needed a track to use them to their full potential. There is something about riding a bike flat out, than on 3/4 throttle, and a sixties to seventies café racer is something you can still use all of it's performance, while wishing you had just a little more.
@@carljones8334 Gotta admit, it's cool to unscrew the throttle to the stop and kick a few gears. I don't want to go back to spending hours and hours modifying my bikes. I like to ride, not tinker. So I ride less than the top sport bikes. My current bike is a KTM 690 Duke.
Nowadays... Cafe Racer and all "tribes" are 5% true enthusiasts and 95% POSERS who wants to wear long beards, open helmets and look like rebels. Most of them spends on the barber the value of a Vespa per month. And rides 100.000$ custom bikes... yeah... the true spirit of a Cafe Racer.
I had a Kawasaki Mach 3, 3 cylinder two stroke back in the day. Crazy fast with a light blue cloud of exhaust... no engine compression braking, just freewheeling with the 2 stroke....touch of 2 stroke oil on my leathers.
I saw this video when they first uploaded it. And now a month later I'm buying my first motet cycle and it's a cafe bike :) I can honestly say, I contribute 90% of my reasoning of buying that bike, on this video :) its a 1979 Honda cx500 :) very custom :)
I have a custom electric Cafe Racer even tho it ain't gas and can't top 80kph still has a charm and where i live 32kph is the legal limit for electric bikes so in away i'm a new generation rebel in the E-bike community
Great to see all you Americans enjoying and keeping the Cafe racer thing going! it's a real compliment to the UK. Remember,,,,,"Turn from the future, put your back to the present and face the past!" It's way more interesting!
This is generally a load of bollocks. That whole "racing while the record played" - bullshit. And that guy who alludes to taking drugs and partying - also bullshit, for the most part, tonups didn't take drugs (no money for one thing) and didn't go to (or got thrown out of) pubs. Transport cafes were cheap, roomy meeting places with a parking lot. Somewhere to meet your mates, not spend a lot of money you didn't have to spend, and with space to park your bike. Simple! Watch (or read) "Up the Junction" or "Some People" to get an idea of how gritty and impoverished things really were in those days. FWIW I am old enough to remember, and I still have a Triumph 650 in the garage.
Not necessarily... I've ridden a Guzzi Le Mans, a colourful factory cafe with the cafe handlebars, from Southern Spain to Belgium and back several times. Or gone from Seville to Barcelona in one straight on a 250 Bultaco Metralla that I used to road-race.
I have a CB250 in the shed that a mate wants me to Caff Race for him ! It's early 70's and looks like the red one at the start of this vid. I'm enjoying watching and getting inspiration . This Honda will be more show than go - my mate owns a Cafe and this will be a great accessory !
My Dad rode (with my mom) through Austria after WWII (around 1949-52) on a BSA 250 armybike with fixed rear axle-no suspension). We still have some inch sized tools(wrenches) from that time (we use cm here). ;-)
I am 71 yrs old I used to go to the Ace in the 50s 60s,it was not the only café guys used to hand around There was Teds, The Green Tiles ,Johnsons and some others I cant remember the names of.There were gus on 7Rs a Manx with a 1000 Vincent motor in it.and too many more to mention.I had a BSA super rocket and T110 BACK THEN.We never had $10 to put on the table for a bet.We only used to bet a couple of Bob.I have to smile at some of these young guys talking B/S about the old days I remember .
If I have one classic it’s got to be BSA or Norton, I’ve got Ducati 749 for 14 years, it’s my life gonna keep him for ever, it’s helping me in anything I’m stressed I’m sad I’m sick I’m be okay even just open the cover and start cleaning him , good day to you guys,big hugs ❤️🙏🇬🇧🇹🇭
@@DarkAristocrat what he's trying to say is that if you yourself didn't put any elbow grease into your bike, than it's not a cafe. Which makes sense. I see the argument. Back then you couldn't just take your bike to a shop and have it finished in a week. Mainly because most cafe owners couldn't afford such luxury's, not that that's a bad thing, it's just the way things were. Now today some people just appreciate the general style of a cafe racer however they lack the technical know how or tools too do it themselves. Or let's face it, they're lazy. Modern amenities spoil everything. That's why when I pick up my 1978 Honda cb 750f (hopefully tomorrow) I'll try my best to do the majority of the work myself, even though I seldomly touch a wrench.
19, finally free from compulsory education, about to start my gap year... started learning how to ride last Thursday and am now saving up for my first bike... CANT FUCKING WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD
Ex member of the 59 club in Hackney. My brother took me out on his bikes...Douglas, BSA. The Tudor cafe at Alexandra Palace was a big hangout in the 60's too.
Not until you mentioned it !. Dangerous that. Left turn OOH! dear me. Now where is my 59 T110 with E3134`s etc. ?. Remember the white lettering at the ACE CAFE ?. The Canal behind and the 59 club ?. Is it still there ?. The best days of this planets existence. Pure Halcyon times.
@@crobulari2328 It's still there, catering to the hipsters. The only Halcyon times now are my goggles, which are still as useful as they were back in the day.
I don't have any use for café bikes myself but I would be proud to ride anyone of those bikes unmolested. I do enjoy the history of the café bikes though.
Cafe Racing was invented by English 60's youth ... the Motorways had layby Cafe's ... the anecdote at the beginning is stolen from what English kids did - the money was in Pounds not Dollars. Let's keep the History straight folks ... my Great Uncle died as a pillion on the back of a Cafe Bike in early 60's London.
Worked with an Ex-Rocker that used to frequent the Ace Cafe back in 63 by the name of Chris , Superb fella and had some good stories to tell about the Mods and rockers of the time. i went to The Ace back in 2004 on my CBR600 for a mass ride out to the center of London , Great day and hope to purchase (Off my Son) his CB650 Cafe racer and go back again next year :) i live about 50 miles away from the Ace so shouldn't be a problem
We used to hang out at the Busy Bee they were great days one lad rode his bike in to the cafe gave it a real fist full Fun times We rode to the Ace and used to Frizz be plates at the Modes. We were told in 99% of pubs no bikers .We one time after a land lord told us to clear off went back in our Sunday best there where over twenty of us ordered a bar full of beer there it was all glassed up we said do you serve bikers he said no their scum and oil up my yard We said we are bikers so we better leave.
Finding inspiration for my CB550F build. I built my first bike from the frame and engine before I rode it, a CB360T. Then traded that for a CB750K6 that I still own, same process with some minor fabrication. Now... this 550. 30k miles on nothing but classic Honda's, and all of them with great smiles per gallon. You'll find a cork pad on my tank to rest my helmet on just like the 'ol NSU's!
Can't get enough. I hope every kind of caffe or naked racer can get made and modded and re-tuned and stripped down, classic styling in top of street fighting performance. It means people are buying them up to ride them even when collecting instead of rotting in a field or a showcase garage. Watching the Meccum Auto Auctions to see what's available to make an awesome Cafe racer out of. Something to ride hard, in and out of alleys but also down long smooth curved outer-subburb roads and look crazy with class doing it.
I have had many Motorcycles over the years. My Norton 1971 850 commando with broken mufflers, just header pipes, doing wheel stand while power shifting 1st-2nd still brings back wonderful memories. My dumb brother sold the Norton for a Honda CB750 to say the least I was pissed. Now, Shifting a GSXR 750 at 14000rpm 1st-2nd is ahh just as wonderful. I still have my Triumph T150V, I have not started it lately.
3:30 Julian is right. It is therapeutic. Funny thing is I’m a therapist and I must say, commuting to work on my Bolt is my therapy before I provide therapy to my clients!
Motor Trend please separate your Channels so it's easier to find and enjoy The Downshift and Ignition etc ?? !! The Aussie guy from Deus is talking bollox, they didn't do drugs and alcohol, it was tea and coffee and Coca-Cola as they were hanging out at Roadside Cafés, the British equivalent of a Truck Stop / Diner !!!
I had a 77 cb 550 cafe racer in '88. No front fender, Kerker 4 into 1, telefix clip ons, Raask's rearsets and a tail for an RZ 350. It was a rat with shot steering head bearings and it put oil on your left ankle and brake fluid on your right arm. Fun though, at least on a smooth road.
A lot of Honda CX500's - like mine - have been converted. But generally, old Brit bikes, or early Honda inline 4's are good. The classic is probably the Honda CB750.
When I was a kid I used to hang out at the Triumph/BSA dealer down the street from my house, sweeping the floor, cleaning parts, anything just to be around those beautiful English bikes. Great memories.....
Bought a new 1975 Yamaha RD 350, put low bars,chrome chambers,rear set pegs,use to ride from San Jose,California up hwy 9 to Skyline to Alice's Restaurant down to hwy 1 to Santa Cruz,California back to San Jose on hwy 17,the 350 ran best when it was bored .50 and dyno tuned
No English and I used to go to transport cafes on my bike(A 1961 Matchless 650) Costa is a Café, the Ace in London is a Cafe. I still ride a bike and visit cafes and tea huts but these days it is on a Hayabusa. Cheers;)
ugh..a few years ago before this all became such a hipster poser trend I was excited by companies like Deus, and that this style of bike was making a come back. But like everything that becomes mainstream it has lost my respect. There's so much BS marketing in programs like this it's a total turn off, retro beards and fist bumps, gourmet coffee and that tool with goggles on his helmet while wearing sunglasses..Fuuuuck get me outta here!
I used to have this idea that you should like whatever you like. who cares what others think, who cares if it's hipsterish or mainstream, all that matters is you enjoy it. there comes a point though, where a certain image is paired with a certain view, in this case you got it spot on, and I really wish you were wrong.
Well despite my cynical opinion, I'm very happy that motorcycles are so popular now. The fact is that regardless of the painfully lame mainstream marketing, I'm sure most people who get into riding will stay in once the trend dies out.
Hey Rudeboy, don't listen to those pricks, Vespas and Lambrettas are 2 wheel cadillacs, it's not about speed it's about how you ride. Mods had more class than rockers. But Café Racers look great too.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Drugs and drinking ? No. Not at all. The 'ton up boys' only drank coffee. In the 60's leather jacket and motorcycles were not welcome in pubs. So they would hang around in cafes. . . . . hence the name "cafe racer".
None of this US stuff good old british bikes good old british cafes
Yea, i know! "as fast as their lives were" it was just good legal fun..... I don't think they know how it really was, mixing mods with rockers...!
Good to hear, have a cafe racer myself and now I feel more connected because I dont do drugs I do coffee :P
hmmm. I would have raided the fuck out of the pub with my leather-jacket-dressed motorcycle crew for not welcoming us. Motherfucking pricks
T0BBi94 sorry to tell you bro.. Coffee is a drug lol
"You never see a motorbike in front of a psychiatry office" - I like that.
unless its court ordered XD
"Psychiatrist's office"
Ratty RatStuff Ha ha
Yep. The low hits, so I ride the country roads of Dorset. Cheaper than therapy
me, a psychiatrist that drives a motorbike to work would disagree.
bikes are just one of the best inventions on the history of the planet earth
shit head
+Finn Chverch is there something wrong with you mother young man I am sure your real father doesn't give a shit probably because of your 12 years of existence
NOPE, Not the Bikes, but Wheels. :P
The greatest invention was the wheel. 2nd greatest was ice cream
I aggred with u man also l think still apocalypt future the bike will be more important transportation way
I’m 52 and just started riding about 6 months ago. The one guy said it so true, ‘you have to ride a bike to know what it’s about.’ No one can tell you and it’s not gonna be for everyone. But if you got on that bike and now you can’t imagine life without it........well that’s it, right there, that’s riding!
that's pretty much it. Mainlining freedom.
I'm 17 and always drea.ed of riding now that I am riding have 2 bikes, I'm currently building a cafe racer it's an amazing feeling
my dad was one of the originals back in the mid 50s to the mid 60s he used to build bikes for other people
as well as his own i grew up with British bikes . we lost my dad in 1979 he was on his way home after a late shift
he was hit by a drunk driver early hours of the morning after all the bike he rode the day he died he was on a 90cc step thru
i still miss my dad so much if he was alive today he would be in his 70s he would still be riding a British bike
+subseatiger So what? You missed the point.
Andy Coakes carry on the tradition my friend get a trumpet
Andy & amandas art dogs & V logs m
Thanks for sharing, sorry about your dad ....ignore the morons and their comments
Sorry to here this about your dad xxxden
I was a 20 years old when I first discovered the café racer world and I knew that was going to be a part of my life now 5 years later I got my first motorcycle and I couldn't be happier.
th-cam.com/video/AIw9cgSyVWo/w-d-xo.html
I'm a 66 year old Watford boy, our Cafe was the Busy Bee on the A41 not a long ride from the Ace, guess what, I still have my Triton.
In the 1960’s I watched the ton-up boys race from Johnson’s Café on the A20 in Kent - they raced from the café, past Brands Hatch race track and down Death Hill to the roundabout at the bottom and back up the hill to the café. There were BSA Gold Stars, Rocket Gold Stars Triumph Bonnevilles and even a Vincent. The sounds were fantastic. Some riders didn’t bother with helmets; just a leather jacket, jeans and shades for eye protection. I was too young to join in then, but it’s amazing to see that the British café racer style and culture has spread worldwide over 50 years on - Great Stuff!
For those looking for the songs playing in the video, They're "Esmae", "Outta my mind", "Sheila", all of them by The Black Tibetans :)
m8 you are THE dudu that now what up with mousic and motorbike.Thanks for the name of the bands .RIDE ONE
Thanks for the heads up with songs to avoid :)
Cool. I was trying to find out who it was.
i totally agree, i've only just turned 17 and got onto the road but i been following the cafe racer scene since i was 10 and i'm building my own at the moment! its not about where your from or what year the whole point of a cafe racer was to show theres no limits and enjoy the freedom of the open road
you're 27 now! wow
The true spirit of the original cafe racers is embodied far more by the working class guys riding modern streetfighters & tricked up sports bikes than by the middle class hipsters of the current 'scene'
Thats not me hating hipsters, just a statement of fact. The only guys I've ever met at a proper greasy spoon cafe to go tearing up the countryside at twice the speed limit were all the former, not the latter
I love those 'trendy' cafe racers/brat style Rob, 'and' I was born on a council estate. Let's not let the middle class hipsters have all the stylish fun!
+Mr C I like some of the bikes I just dont like the pretence they are carrying on a tradition, when in fact they are just aping a style.
When you look at the whole new skool bike scene there's a lot off elitist aestheticism that is totally at odds with what the original cafe racers were about & I just don't buy into it all - nothing wrong with the bikes.
Exactly
Many of these hipsters buy their machines off the peg and bolt stuff on.
Well I hate hipsters. What a bunch of posers they are
Watching this video after more than 5 years and finally I am able to customise my own bike into a cafe racer.
It keeps inspiring me till date
This was a really good watch. I just bought a vintage "72 Honda CL350 and I'm tearing into it. Really fun project, and I can't wait to ride it. It was made the same year I was born. My first street bike.
definantly not a good thing to watch while waiting for parts....
Hahahahha dat feel
0:13 side stand down, hope he's okay
metubeusercom made me cringe!
jackknife - still it better than what I did, taking off with disc lock on........
and Me last year in a car park what a pick (I would never do that ha ha ) :)
Pepeminati i
*tapping at the shoulder* We all did that at some point in life my friend ^^
I came across Deus some years ago and loved the bikes. While working in L.A. I one day drove past the store in L.A. and had to take a look. Pulled up into the parking lot expecting a motorcycle shop, smell of grease and oil and motorcycles that are being built. The joy of finding this place by chance was short lived. First thing I can see is a large table at witch a bunch of people are sitting. All men and all looked like they came out of the same mold. Big beard long hair tied to a bun, all staring at the screen of a macbook and most probably drinking non fat, decaf, extra foam latte with a triple shot. I doubt that any of them actually have or ride a Bike. The shop is a boutique for all sorts of clothes and hipster wear. Two or three bikes that are pure props for the merchandise and lifestyle bullocks, are placed in the showroom. All walls are covered in shelves filled with wearables and so are the tables in the middle of the room. : ( The actual bikeshop is added on to the rear end of the building and does not look like it is the main theme of at least this store. I am a petrolhead and love motorcycles and building them, but this was a monster of a disappointment.
My hat comes of for the marketing of this brand, that successfully latched on to the motorbike world of custom build motos to sell s*!t that none of us riders need. Well done deus, but nothing worth looking at if you are really interested in their really nice builds, that no doubt Deus dose build somewhere.
Fazit: Love the bikes you build, but will not visit a store again. I think they even had avocado toast on the menu.
My dad and my uncles were cafe racers back in the 60's I hope one day I'll be able to join that tradition ☺
Did you make it?
@@heroicpadde unfortunately not not enough time or money
@@daviddelano-oakes1082 sorry to hear that :/
Hope you make it 🤘
They met at Cafes not raced between Cafes - the ultimate would prob be a Triton - with parts from Dunstall or Dresden - a Triumph Bonnie engine in a Slim Line Norton Featherbed Frame - Vent 2 or 4 leading shoe brake - Chrome Headlight - Clip ons - Aoloy tank- rear sets - single seat
+Trev S build it
EJtoch Nah we have an MZ Skorpion
+Trev S Correct Trev, how could they win a bet if they ended up at a completely different cafe from the one they'd put the record on the jukebox at. Indeed they raced to the nearest (traffic) roundabout so they could maintain the speed and get back before the record finished.....and rock & roll records where very short in those days.
mcgeechan6600 We knew our Grandpa would know this stuff
+Trev S Don't forget the Rickman Matisse 750 head
I currently riding a 2014 Cafe/Bobber style Iron 883. I am definitely going to get another cafe modified to my liking, I just love the vibe and style of Cafe Racing.
Yeah,back just before the Japanese bikes hit the market I was riding European and/or English machines.The "cafe" bikes were pretty much any bike you lightened up and added a bit of horsepower to.Man,we had a ball with those things!I still have my old Commando and give a ride once in a while,and it's still fun even after the years have passed.I'm not getting any younger and either is that bike but neither of us is dead yet so ....
This literally explained how I feel about my bike even though life force me to live in my van for a little while I’m not giving up on my bike it’s my hope
I grew up on late 1960 and early 1970s bikes and they pretty cool. I'm glad so new riders are now enjoying those bikes because the simplicity of those bikes is appealing.
That said it hurts my knees and back to crawl around working on them these days so the modern retro are my bike of choice. I still love the look, smell and feel of the late 1960s bikes but enough to still ride them.
buy a heap of an old bike... Do it up, customise it, make it your own and don't give a toss what other people think... Its yours and an extension of your personality.. Its about the culture of the ton up boys not what bike it is or what you look like.. Its about getting the most power and handling out of a machine.... I think people look into things to much
. Ps.... Its all about lane splitting... I feel sorry for most of you in the US... Stupid fookin laws
doin this with 1984 iiron head, ive fallen in love with her
Most Americans who drive cars could not stand seeing motorbikes lane-splitting. They would get angry because we are moving, and they are not. Especially certain citizens of certain states. Maryland-ers would lose their minds. Floridians and the tourists already cannot drive, so it would be way dangerous down there.
However, Commiefornia legalised lane-splitting a handful of years ago. That is the only place it was has been accepted as folks with good weather all year 'round see bikes everywhere and know that air-cooled have to keep going and cannot sit in the traffic jams that snag their interstates for hours on end.
In the United States, they will literally give anyone a license and it has been that way for decades. Plus, nowadays most folks (unfortunately) are lazy and drive automatics. Boring, too. Stupid laws? No, more like Driving While Stupid.
Thank goodness for motorcycles and all the beautiful brands and dealerships we have in the U.S. Not to mention, beautiful scenery from sea to shining sea. Vast. Immense. Incredible. Diverse. Hope you get to ride a bike cross-country sometime.
Cool machines, but there is nothing "over-engineered" in today's sport bikes. Everything that it's there has a purpose, either being faster, easier, or safer. And if you take a modern bike and "go cafe" with her, you'll probably just make her slower.
haha this is too true tbh
Back in the day, the available sport bikes were rare and expensive. You built sport bikes out of standard, available bikes. Performance came from removing heavy bits, shaving many pounds. Engines were warmed up, suspensions tuned, rearsets and low handlebars installed. That was the essence of the cafe racer. A modern sportbike's performance is beyond the ability of most riders and even beyond the capabilities of many roadrace bikes of the 60's and 70's. These new cafe bikes are styling exercises. They can't begin to compete with the performance of a modern showroom stock sportbike. There are riders that can really go on their cafe bikes, however.
cafe racer is all about improving the speed and handling
@@phlodel At the time, it was all about improving speed and handling, but by the time the '80's rolled around, the stock factory bikes were faster and handled just as well. The only problem with the stock '80's bikes, was that they were bland and you needed a track to use them to their full potential.
There is something about riding a bike flat out, than on 3/4 throttle, and a sixties to seventies café racer is something you can still use all of it's performance, while wishing you had just a little more.
@@carljones8334 Gotta admit, it's cool to unscrew the throttle to the stop and kick a few gears. I don't want to go back to spending hours and hours modifying my bikes. I like to ride, not tinker. So I ride less than the top sport bikes. My current bike is a KTM 690 Duke.
Nowadays... Cafe Racer and all "tribes" are 5% true enthusiasts and 95% POSERS who wants to wear long beards, open helmets and look like rebels. Most of them spends on the barber the value of a Vespa per month. And rides 100.000$ custom bikes... yeah... the true spirit of a Cafe Racer.
I had a Kawasaki Mach 3, 3 cylinder two stroke back in the day. Crazy fast with a light blue cloud of exhaust... no engine compression braking, just freewheeling with the 2 stroke....touch of 2 stroke oil on my leathers.
I saw this video when they first uploaded it. And now a month later I'm buying my first motet cycle and it's a cafe bike :) I can honestly say, I contribute 90% of my reasoning of buying that bike, on this video :) its a 1979 Honda cx500 :) very custom :)
It’s been 9 years. Are you still riding?
The cx500 engine looks great in a caff racer.
I have a custom electric Cafe Racer even tho it ain't gas and can't top 80kph still has a charm and where i live 32kph is the legal limit for electric bikes so in away i'm a new generation rebel in the E-bike community
Gonna buy me a RE continental GT. Gonna take it on all my favourite twisties! It's gonna be a blast!
Did you got it, mate?
Great to see all you Americans enjoying and keeping the Cafe racer thing going! it's a real compliment to the UK.
Remember,,,,,"Turn from the future, put your back to the present and face the past!" It's way more interesting!
Great video, keep the passion alive! You don't have to be a Rocker/Greaser and love Rockabilly/50s Rock'n'Roll to ride a café racer bike.
I just love guys like you who love motorcycle, especially a cafe racer.
0:16, one the cool cafe dudes is riding with his kickstand down
been riding since 15 .. 40 years later . still riding multi countries ! love it
This is generally a load of bollocks.
That whole "racing while the record played" - bullshit.
And that guy who alludes to taking drugs and partying - also bullshit, for the most part, tonups didn't take drugs (no money for one thing) and didn't go to (or got thrown out of) pubs.
Transport cafes were cheap, roomy meeting places with a parking lot. Somewhere to meet your mates, not spend a lot of money you didn't have to spend, and with space to park your bike. Simple!
Watch (or read) "Up the Junction" or "Some People" to get an idea of how gritty and impoverished things really were in those days. FWIW I am old enough to remember, and I still have a Triumph 650 in the garage.
Honda and Kawasaki are here, which makes me happy as a Japanese person.
Love the look of café bikes, but damn, those low bars gotta be hard on the arms and wrists!
gwwayner precisely what i have imagined, very uncomfortable when you drive 2 hours straight
gwwayner and your back too
+gwwayner Hey man! Could you help me by letting me know the motorbike model from minute 1:45 to 1:49? Thanks so much!
if you put your passion on cafe racers, you can ride that like forever with no problems
Not necessarily...
I've ridden a Guzzi Le Mans, a colourful factory cafe with the cafe handlebars, from Southern Spain to Belgium and back several times. Or gone from Seville to Barcelona in one straight on a 250 Bultaco Metralla that I used to road-race.
I have a CB250 in the shed that a mate wants me to Caff Race for him ! It's early 70's and looks like the red one at the start of this vid. I'm enjoying watching and getting inspiration . This Honda will be more show than go - my mate owns a Cafe and this will be a great accessory !
As a cafe racer I like BMW the most cause of the boxer motor. Looks so cool :)
My Dad rode (with my mom) through Austria after WWII (around 1949-52) on a BSA 250 armybike with fixed rear axle-no suspension). We still have some inch sized tools(wrenches) from that time (we use cm here). ;-)
Great video! Cafe racer culture is so cool! I can’t wait to finish my Honda CB650 brat cafe build!
I am 71 yrs old I used to go to the Ace in the 50s 60s,it was not the only café guys used to hand around There was Teds, The Green Tiles ,Johnsons and some others I cant remember the names of.There were gus on 7Rs a Manx with a 1000 Vincent motor in it.and too many more to mention.I had a BSA super rocket and T110 BACK THEN.We never had $10 to put on the table for a bet.We only used to bet a couple of Bob.I have to smile at some of these young guys talking B/S about the old days I remember .
Made the mistake of watching 5 more minutes of this..George Barris and his customization in the 40s and 50s? Try 60s and 70s.
If I have one classic it’s got to be BSA or Norton, I’ve got Ducati 749 for 14 years, it’s my life gonna keep him for ever, it’s helping me in anything I’m stressed I’m sad I’m sick I’m be okay even just open the cover and start cleaning him , good day to you guys,big hugs ❤️🙏🇬🇧🇹🇭
Cafe Racers should be modified by the owner, not getting a custom company to make a cafe style bike then picking it up when it is finished.
ApriliaRSV4F well what if a custom company modifies the bike according to the owner's preference? Does it count?
@@DarkAristocrat what he's trying to say is that if you yourself didn't put any elbow grease into your bike, than it's not a cafe. Which makes sense. I see the argument. Back then you couldn't just take your bike to a shop and have it finished in a week. Mainly because most cafe owners couldn't afford such luxury's, not that that's a bad thing, it's just the way things were. Now today some people just appreciate the general style of a cafe racer however they lack the technical know how or tools too do it themselves. Or let's face it, they're lazy. Modern amenities spoil everything. That's why when I pick up my 1978 Honda cb 750f (hopefully tomorrow) I'll try my best to do the majority of the work myself, even though I seldomly touch a wrench.
19, finally free from compulsory education, about to start my gap year... started learning how to ride last Thursday and am now saving up for my first bike... CANT FUCKING WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD
Loved the video. Love even more the vintage cafe racers
Exactly! I’m 31 and my Yamaha is 39. Can’t believe it was 8 more years here than me.
Ex member of the 59 club in Hackney. My brother took me out on his bikes...Douglas, BSA. The Tudor cafe at Alexandra Palace was a big hangout in the 60's too.
i'd die happy if i have one classic bike like those
aldrin cydriex luna buy honda cb series, and costumize it. not expensive as it looks
What a shame Motortrend doesn’t have more motorcycle programs on their channel. At least you still have the Isle of Man races.
just started building one from a honda cm 125 i found in a dump, horrible condition, no documents. Deep shit awaits ahead of me.
did you accomplish it?
Ted Winchester now what
How's it going?
Friendship and brotherhood began through riding since from late 50s and 60s.... Respect
Still going on
Anyone notice the guy going out with his sidestand down? 0:15
Not until you mentioned it !. Dangerous that. Left turn OOH! dear me. Now where is my 59 T110 with E3134`s etc. ?. Remember the white lettering at the ACE CAFE ?. The Canal behind and the 59 club ?. Is it still there ?. The best days of this planets existence. Pure Halcyon times.
Cafe racers - Just another great thing we Brits gave to the World. And which Americans have taken to their hearts.
Another great time was 1991-1995 .early rave days.
cafe racers are the scourge of the motorcycle world
@@crobulari2328 It's still there, catering to the hipsters. The only Halcyon times now are my goggles, which are still as useful as they were back in the day.
I don't have any use for café bikes myself but I would be proud to ride anyone of those bikes unmolested. I do enjoy the history of the café bikes though.
I dont buy expensive car cause when I sit on a car I can only see interior. But I can still see the beauty of the bike while sitting on the bike
wtf lol
if thats the only reason....drive downtown and watch your expensive car in the store windows......
I think that it is so cool that not only is Ace Café still in existence but so is the culture.
Cafe Racing was invented by English 60's youth ... the Motorways had layby Cafe's ... the anecdote at the beginning is stolen from what English kids did - the money was in Pounds not Dollars. Let's keep the History straight folks ... my Great Uncle died as a pillion on the back of a Cafe Bike in early 60's London.
Worked with an Ex-Rocker that used to frequent the Ace Cafe back in 63 by the name of Chris , Superb fella and had some good stories to tell about the Mods and rockers of the time. i went to The Ace back in 2004 on my CBR600 for a mass ride out to the center of London , Great day and hope to purchase (Off my Son) his CB650 Cafe racer and go back again next year :) i live about 50 miles away from the Ace so shouldn't be a problem
0:15 side stands is down... Hope you make it back Racer!
They race from one Cafe to another fast as they can because of the uncomfortable riding position negates long excursions.
We used to hang out at the Busy Bee they were great days one lad rode his bike in to the cafe gave it a real fist full Fun times We rode to the Ace and used to Frizz be plates at the Modes.
We were told in 99% of pubs no bikers .We one time after a land lord told us to clear off went back in our Sunday best there where over twenty of us ordered a bar full of beer there it was all glassed up we said do you serve bikers he said no their scum and oil up my yard We said we are bikers so we better leave.
I watch this every morning before going to work with my cafe racer. 👌
ten days.... and i will ride again!!!! From Italy! Ducati maniac!
From England, a Guzzi maniac, who knows what you're talking about.
Finding inspiration for my CB550F build. I built my first bike from the frame and engine before I rode it, a CB360T. Then traded that for a CB750K6 that I still own, same process with some minor fabrication. Now... this 550. 30k miles on nothing but classic Honda's, and all of them with great smiles per gallon. You'll find a cork pad on my tank to rest my helmet on just like the 'ol NSU's!
When I ride, I'm at Peace!
Wow 7 years ago. Still riding?
Rest in peace
That’s what she said
Can't get enough. I hope every kind of caffe or naked racer can get made and modded and re-tuned and stripped down, classic styling in top of street fighting performance. It means people are buying them up to ride them even when collecting instead of rotting in a field or a showcase garage. Watching the Meccum Auto Auctions to see what's available to make an awesome Cafe racer out of. Something to ride hard, in and out of alleys but also down long smooth curved outer-subburb roads and look crazy with class doing it.
Cafe,cafe, cafe at the cafe then back to the cafe for more cafe.
I have had many Motorcycles over the years. My Norton 1971 850 commando with broken mufflers, just header pipes, doing wheel stand while power shifting 1st-2nd still brings back wonderful memories. My dumb brother sold the Norton for a Honda CB750 to say the least I was pissed. Now, Shifting a GSXR 750 at 14000rpm 1st-2nd is ahh just as wonderful. I still have my Triumph T150V, I have not started it lately.
Something old but it's feel When it getting on the road 🤙
3:30 Julian is right. It is therapeutic. Funny thing is I’m a therapist and I must say, commuting to work on my Bolt is my therapy before I provide therapy to my clients!
2:35
ROYAL ENFIELD fans hit like
"Made Like A Gun"
@@gerry95 Back in the day it was. "Royal Enfield. Built like a gun...goes bang and kills yer."
@@iangrimshaw1 Love the Lee-Enfield Mk III
MY 2003 MOTORSTAR EXPLORER 150! MODIFIED TO BE A CAFE RACER AND NOW I LOVE THE WAY IT LOOKS
One day! In Sha Allah soon! Vrrrooooommmmmm
Recently picked up a 2015 TRIUMPH THRUXTON 900R with only 2,500 on the speedo. I'm in love.
im more of a Bobber type a guy, but do respect this fuckers!
Yes you absolutely right, I’m a bikers forever , much better feeling, they never know because they never be one of us , good day guys ❤️🙏🇹🇭🇬🇧
“Riding a bike, you have to do it to know what it is”
I'm japanese highschool student's
I ride GB250 CLUBMAN now !
It's a beautiful🎵
Japanese bikes are the best!! (Yamaha FZR400 here)
Motor Trend please separate your Channels so it's easier to find and enjoy The Downshift and Ignition etc ?? !!
The Aussie guy from Deus is talking bollox, they didn't do drugs and alcohol, it was tea and coffee and Coca-Cola as they were hanging out at Roadside Cafés, the British equivalent of a Truck Stop / Diner !!!
Sale_Shark i
I had a 77 cb 550 cafe racer in '88. No front fender, Kerker 4 into 1, telefix clip ons, Raask's rearsets and a tail for an RZ 350. It was a rat with shot steering head bearings and it put oil on your left ankle and brake fluid on your right arm. Fun though, at least on a smooth road.
Hammer Video!!
Bin selber großer Fan der Café Racer Reihe!!!
Macht weiter so !!!!!
Gruß Manu !
I like these! I prefer a cruiser but to each their own. It's not so much WHAT you ride it's THAT you ride!
00:12 foolish noob with his kickstand down...
hipsters don´t live long on bikes
A lot of Honda CX500's - like mine - have been converted. But generally, old Brit bikes, or early Honda inline 4's are good. The classic is probably the Honda CB750.
Hey buddy, yeah you with the sparkle helmet, you got your handlebars on upside down! .......27 guys turn around.........
This guys are really living life
I'd love to HEAR the bikes and not that crap music!
IKR
When I was a kid I used to hang out at the Triumph/BSA dealer down the street from my house, sweeping the floor, cleaning parts, anything just to be around those beautiful English bikes. Great memories.....
Can't decide if I want a cafe racer or a supermoto
Why?
Why not both?
Bought a new 1975 Yamaha RD 350, put low bars,chrome chambers,rear set pegs,use to ride from San Jose,California up hwy 9 to Skyline to Alice's Restaurant down to hwy 1 to Santa Cruz,California back to San Jose on hwy 17,the 350 ran best when it was bored .50 and dyno tuned
feelin that bro i love some from almost all categories and wish i had one of each....go figure a biker that loves....bikes. Spect bro
You Guys just talk a lot of sense , Brilliant ,,,,,RESPECT
Dsammit! It's pronounced KAFF not Cafey. Poncey office boys go to café's Truckers and mean bikers go to Cafe's with out the accent
Are you American by any chance????
No English and I used to go to transport cafes on my bike(A 1961 Matchless 650)
Costa is a Café, the Ace in London is a Cafe.
I still ride a bike and visit cafes and tea huts but these days it is on a Hayabusa.
Cheers;)
So, no comment I see, are you American by any chance?
Oh, and the English guy who pronounces it Cafey hayhay, is not old enough to remember the original British bike cafe culture.
Nahhh! To much American influence
Have a 78’ cb400a hondamatic and enjoy watching this !
so wheres the vintage cafe racers
Are you ok
These are hipsters, remember?
One of the best little bike vids I've seen for ages I'm very excited now
ugh..a few years ago before this all became such a hipster poser trend I was excited by companies like Deus, and that this style of bike was making a come back. But like everything that becomes mainstream it has lost my respect. There's so much BS marketing in programs like this it's a total turn off, retro beards and fist bumps, gourmet coffee and that tool with goggles on his helmet while wearing sunglasses..Fuuuuck get me outta here!
I used to have this idea that you should like whatever you like. who cares what others think, who cares if it's hipsterish or mainstream, all that matters is you enjoy it. there comes a point though, where a certain image is paired with a certain view, in this case you got it spot on, and I really wish you were wrong.
Well despite my cynical opinion, I'm very happy that motorcycles are so popular now. The fact is that regardless of the painfully lame mainstream marketing, I'm sure most people who get into riding will stay in once the trend dies out.
just found this video. takes me back a bit. used to own a 58 ajs 600 csr and yes we raced. great bike. wish I could ride it just one more time.
Almost as cool as a scoot. Vespa Lambretta all the way.
hahahaa
.... Hahahahah
-_-
Nooo waaay! Vespas looked like a Pifco hairdryer!! Girlie shopping trolleys!!😂😂😂😂
Hey Rudeboy, don't listen to those pricks, Vespas and Lambrettas are 2 wheel cadillacs, it's not about speed it's about how you ride. Mods had more class than rockers. But Café Racers look great too.