I am a Japanese in my 40s who longed for Rockers. I ride a Kawasaki motorcycle. One of my definitions of a cafe racer is that it's based on a British bike. Modified Italian or German bikes are not cafe racers to me. I think the Brat Style and the German Cafe Fighter are different genres. I think of a cafe racer as a single cylinder or vertical twin bike with clip-on handlebars. I ride a Kawasaki W650 with a clip-on handlebar. I think it's the coolest thing in the world.
I live in Jacksonville, Fl, and years ago there was a shop called The Ton Up. It was all about the Cafe` lifestyle and bikes. At the time, I had a '75 Kawasaki Z1 900 Cafe` racer. There were a couple of older British gentlemen who frequented The Ton Up, and I learned more about the Cafe` racers of the 60's from them than ever was written in any book or magazine. Sadly, The Ton Up didn't last due to lack of a Cafe` scene at the time. Post millenium "Hipsters" were bying up vintage Cafe` bikes like crazy, knowing nothing of the history. Riding around in packs of 2 or 3, wearing street clothes and golfing hats, not a leather jacket between them. Sad, as Jacksonville is a large city and could have had a great Cafe` scene. Nowadays people just want to adapt everything to what is "happening", and not caring about the history of it...
@George: I believe what you are talking about is one of the reasons that brought down the original Harley movement as well. In Europe in the 90s most Harley owners were rich dentists and lawyers (hipsters) that jumped on the band waggon to look cool and be en vogue. now the hype is pretty much over and Harley lost its original followers as a result of it. commercialisation again by consumers that follow every cliche .
As somebody who has questioned on this topic recently (re Scooters) and I have had discussions on various FB groups about this, I am thrilled to see this video. You go back to the roots and show what was happening (without the use of Rose tinted glasses!) and come up with a brilliant video, debunking "myths and legends" of the time and era in some parts, but showing beautiful bikes. Where we've been and where we're going. I do like a lot of the new / old bikes you show that are exotica personified, but my heart belongs to a Triton and always will! L&R From Down Under.
The correct sequence for modifications was clip-ons, rear-set footrests, swept-back exhaust pipes with Dunstall megaphones or Gold Star silencers then Alloy tanks and engine mods as funds allowed. I was there.
And if you were less affluent, like I was in the early seventies, it was a used set of Tomaselli clip ons, home built rear sets, because it was a two cylinder two stroke it got expansion chamber exhaust with “Snuffer-nots” in the ends, and a silver panted tank (aluminum was way out of my budget)😉👍. (Check out the thumbnail from 1975)
@@Dan-56 I make Snuff or Nots from Triumph wheel adjusters they are stronger LOL! I recall Bantam, Enfield, Matchless cafe racers and a lot of squares with the more fancy Goldstars etc in my youth.
Growing up in the sixties and seventies, even my motorcycle friends didn't know what a Cafe' Racer was. Perhaps today I have only two friends that ride motorcycles, and they actually know what it is, when I talk about Cafe' Racers. I used to call them Caff Racers, with no emphasis on the "E". So today I am a proud owner of a Cafe'-Racer inspired Royal Enfield Continental-G.T. I love this bike. I also love RACER TV, my favorite Cafe'-racer inspired channel "Barr none".🏁🏁
Man ,I think your channel is one of the most elegant, interesting, caring and technically updated of the whole UA-cam , so keep up and thank you so much for all the videos and informations you bring to a vast majority of followers 👍👍👍...by the way I was a kid when I visited London for the first time and I saw Rockers and Mods ... back then they said "caff racer" , but you know as an Italian I'm not enabled to talk about English prononciation 😁
Thank you my friend for all your kind words. I appreciate your support. Thank you also for sharing your personal perspective. :) :) Cheers or Saluti :)
I am a American but i have loved Triumph since I was 13 yrs. Old. I am almost 62 now. I have over a half a dozen Triumphs . I have always had a Bike except for the last few years when i had to take care of my invalid Mother who passed away 6 months ago so i am looking for a Bike once again. I don't want a Harley but something older . Your video made me excited to get back on the road. Thanks very much for the video.
Hi I live in el salvador and i apreciate that You return about this kind of video...i remember year ago You do it videos not just about café races almost about other ítems...i still waiting the second video about thecnical photografies....regrads for all café racer enthusiast...Nice video ..just in the beginning...
What is a cafe racer? A dream turned into hours and more hours of passion towards a point where the departure is also an arrival. For me it was the first Tiumph Bonneville that I saw as a child from my mother's hand and suddenly the metal of the motorcycle seemed to me something that was more than metal. I didn't know it then, but when I got on my first motorcycle as a teenager. I keep recreating those two moments every time I see my bike in the garage and turn it on for the road.
I have a photo of me on a motorcycle in 1948. I was 11 months old, and my mom is holding me on the seat of a Harley knuckle head. The start of a life long passion!
Hello mate. First, congratulations again for this video, I loved it. A few months ago I had a conversation with you about my personal way of understanding what a cafe racer is. You told me that in England there were no Japanese motorcycles, and it is true But my comment was, due to the current mechanical parts that are usually mounted in CAFE RACER transformations. For me, regardless of whether the bike is Japanese, Italian or German... it's the mechanical parts that make a difference. Personally, I think that the inverted suspensions...led lights...or digital odometers...I would not mount them on my Moto Guzzi V50...since I think that against more analog...or traditional parts that are mounted on the Cafe racer projects ... more authentic it will be. But I understand that modern parts improve the behavior of the motorcycle. Thank you very much and sorry for my English from the Google translator.
Thanks for your videos man! I started riding 3 years ago because of that itch. My heart has always been in the cafe design. My goal is finally coming true in purchasing a 1981 Honda CB750 which I will be doing a build on. Keep the dream alive man and thanks for your effort in producing these videos.
Had a Triton back in 68 Modified T110 in a featherbed. Raced every evening on lanes and a by pass.It still exists according to the DVLA.Digressed to a Z1300 in my declining years .
The only constant in a Universe is a "CHANGE". So everything evolves, changes, get different more or less and it's all ok. Until a bike is beautiful and makes you butterflies in a stomach, is just that, beautiful. Remember how many bikes from your videos have technology in 60-ties people couldn't even imagine, but today is today and Cafe Racer is now as it should be. With all it's variations. Just my thought. Thank you very much Victor.
My first donor cycle was a friend of mine's that had a questionable history. A Honda 750 punched out to around 850cc, a shortened chassis, great Dunlops, the best brakes of any bike I've ever owned, a somewhat weak steering damper, three sets of final drive gears that took about two minutes to change out, a well thought out exhaust system that was convertible from four hot, loud holes to a street legal 4 in1 nothing but a resonator, a decent slab seat cafe racer styled seat that covered the tail light in the scoop of the cowl, and a total black finish with just enough chrome to make it look good in an underwhelming way. Top speed in the go fast gear was a bit over a hundred, tire burning quick if you didn't let off the throttle and just let it eat pavement. The mid range gear, probably the standard gear for the 750f, was good overall, especially in traffic. The long winding top end gear? It was love at first throttle. 70 mph at red line in first gear, what's not to like, eh? It was the one that could get you in trouble with the short chassis and that weak assed steering damper approaching top end in the tall gears. Adrenaline rushes guaranteed. The death wobble at over 90 on a country road will get your attention. But, winding it up on a certain stretch of the local Interstate... oh what fun. While it had great flickability, more ready power than any other bike I've been on, horsepower to weight ratio wise, with additional strength gusset weldings on the tight chassis in all the right places, it was the first time I ever rode on something that was doing 140+ mph with the front end practically floating over the road, but it was to be a passage of life, losing it in a divorce settlement and in the time I had it, I probably only put a hundred hours on the clock and never put it on a track to really see what it was capable of. I've often wondered if I would ever see it again. I haven't. But sometimes, I think I hear it. That long windup, that distinctive growl and the shifting of the gears. Cafe racers equated with the derisive donor cycle label? I don't know. I never dropped it. But, in my day job, I scraped a few off the pavement. At speed, it happens quick and blue jeans, work boots and cheap gloves aren't adequate for the protection level needed. Maybe someday I'll journey to the Isle of Man TT and see how it's really done. I just like the sound of them at high rpms...
Hola Amigo, es normal que gente haga comentarios desagradables, pero lo único que importa es la pasión que nos une y son las motos, te puede gustar más unas que otras, pero al final es la misma pasión, gracias por el excelente trabajo de edición e investigación que haces, sigue así, un gran saludo desde Alicante España.
Thank you my friend for your kind comment. Estuve en Alicante en 1989 para comprar un pistón de 75cm3 para la Honda NSR 50 de mi hermano. El viaje en tren entre Alicante y Benidorm, fue muy bonita. :) Un abrazo desde Portugal.
You can ask the same what is a " Hot Rod "...... it's a matter of individual interpretation.... ... A " Triton " is the benchmark for a Cafe' Racer to which all others are judged... A Cafe' Racer can be a " Bobber " I built a old school Triton... a 3-year project... feather bed frame with a 73' Triumph 750 stuffed in it. Award winner regionally and the west coast.... practical bike... No... any distance over an hour... No... going to the local coffee spot.... Yes....
This is one of The most important videos ever. Yes, because explain real soul of The correct spirit of Café Racer or "Caff Race". Congratulations!! And Thank you.
Excellent video! But I my conclusion is the same thing as say a friend: "less speak, more ride". History is important, but more important is enjoy our bikes and don't lose time discussing about the how pure are it.
I briefly ran no front fender on my bike, my wife didn't know exactly what I had done when I asked her to look at the bike after I removed it and she said "I don't know what you did but it looks cooler". It certainly did look cooler and the turn in was slightly faster, but when it rained it would kick up so much water, dirt and grit into my face I just couldn't stand it. So I bought a replica fender because the original 50 year old fender was very rusty and damaged.
Excellent video Racer, as always. Great info for people who do not know about the Cafe Racer bikes and lifestyle. I just love that 60"s cafe Racer style and seeing how it changes as the years go by Have a great weekend and take care mate. Cheers
You are correct. Cafe racers depended on the mechanical skill and budgets of the owners. I've seen pictures of bikes where the only modification was to turn the handlebars upside down.
As much as I very Like your cafe racer content and your UA-cam show RACER TV, also my love for cafe racers was born from your videos about the theme, and I have learned much from you. I was wondering if you are by the name of Greg White, or is someone else behind this videos. You are very professional in your work and the narrator is very familiar on other UA-cam videos. Just for a curiosity...I have been following you six years and I just can't get enough of you work, it would be noble to say that you are the best in your work. Best of Luck, stay in good health and keep on the videos coming, Greetings from Macedonia.
@Silvakon @JoeWolsing Thank you my friend for all your kind words. I appreciate your support. No. My name is Vitor. The voice on my videos is not real. It is created by a Text to speach software. Yes, it sound very real for some. I use this "robotic" voice created by software, because I'm Portuguese, and my bad English accent (and voice), can ruin the documentary character that I like for my videos. I already tried a real British voice in one of my videos, and, surprisingly, almost everyone hated it. Curiously, the robotic voice sounds really very real and professional for most non-English Speakers.:) Cheers.
@@RACER_TV ❤ whatsoever I enjoy your content for a long time already (nice CX build b.th.w.) and will follow it in the future. Have a good time my friend and enjoy the long time of good weather you have in Portugal to ride your bikes! Cheers!
Thank you for your interesting video. Suppose any subject that has a large fanbase will be subject to scrutiny and often emotional comments. Thats not a bad thing per se - it shows the passion it's members / followers have for their activity. Everybody knows a thing or two about it and everybody has their own idealistic understanding. I kind of appreciate some of these people that stick to what they believe is the true origin of this bike. As with everything - music, bikes, fashion - as it is being commercialised, much of the history is being absorbed by commercial demand. so real enthusiasts complain about it being watered down. I believe nowadays people are really looking for originality and depth more than before. Perhaps wishful thinking ?
Thank you very much for your very eloquent reasoning. Your words tell me, that you must be someone quite intelligent and insightful. :) Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective about this matter. :) Cheers.
This is one of the best videos you’ve ever posted! Absolutely spot on my friend. I grew up in the 60’s. Started riding my brothers Honda Super 90 at age 12 and within a year I had purchased my own slightly used CB160 when my brother purchased a new CB160. What did I do? I stripped mine down, shortened the fenders, modified the exhaust, and repainted it British Racing Green. Voila… I now had a Café racer! Lol… 😅 But to me, at 13, it was top of the walk. And. As always, thank you for Racer TV, the Café Racers only choice! Again, thank you for this retrospective reminder of the glory days of the British Café racer! Hope you are getting to ride some! Ride safe my friend! Cheers:) 👍🏻🇺🇸
My dear Friend, Thank you so much for all your very kind words, and for sharing your testimony about the 60s. I am very glad knowing that you liked so much. To be honest, I invested a lot of effort on this one. I think i spent about 28 hours of work, just on the editing, research, and script. I am happy most people like it. Tomorrow i am going on vacation, which means i can't ride during the next weeks. You too. :) Cheers.
The point of cafe racers in the 50s and 60s was that they were made to look like the race bikes of the era (not the fully faired works machines, but the club racers you saw at your local track), with clip-ons, rear-sets, elongated tanks and racing-style single seat, with rear hump. The other ones you showed, unmodified except maybe different handlebars, were just everyday bikes (the Gold Star Clubman was not your average ride to work bike but, effectively, an off-the-shelf race bike which would have cost far more than building your own cafe racer). The term "cafe racer" was originally derogatory, meant to imply that, although they looked like racers, they were only ever used to ride to the cafe, but it came to be the generally accepted description of this style of bike. I've always loved the look of the traditional cafe racer, but sadly creaking joints mean I can't get into that riding position any more, so I stick to the standard position on my 78 Bonneville. Cafe racers were of that era, and I think a different name should be given to what people are building now, a lot of which are of a very different style.
I simply care for my emotions between age 14 and 21! Thats why Sachs mopeds, Two stroke 250s, Kawa 900, Laverda SF 750 and Yamaha 650 and some Cafe Racers have a bright spot in my heart.
What’s the name of the voice generator that you use in your videos? The voice is so smooth and it works perfect to your videos. I’ve been searching for this voice and I can’t find it. Please help me.
I am really sorry my friend, but unfortunately this is one of those secrets that i can't reveal. It took me a lot of time and effort to find this robotic voice. I hope you understand me. But i can give you a suggestion. Try the murf.ai website. It has amazing voices. :) Cheers.
In the first clip the dude failed to understand before you start a Norton you have to prime the carbs by pressing down on the primers at least 5 times old Brit bikes you must turn off the fuel taps when you stop or the fuel will be siphoned into the sump it's people without a clue complain about the old bikes
Excellent explanation with great detail! and in the end very right in what you say! Café Race has a base but it depends on the Taste and Budget of each one! Blessings and Excellent Material for lovers of this style of motorcycle and life! 👏
Very good point. The '50s/'60s British bikes were standards, jack-of-all-trades, with little difference between street bike, cafe racer and scrambler. IIRC, street legal bikes in those days needed mud-guards (fenders). The pillion seats had their obvious use on cafe "racers" ;-) I cringe when I see videos of people chopping up beautiful Honda GL500I/650I touring bikes to make them into "cafe racers".
Hi friend, please help me to find the saddle sistem seen at minute 8:17 with a fantastic qick relaese for the tail. Thanks and thanks for your videos!!!!!!!!
Older bikers used to call them coffee bar cowboys, because those younger lads weren't old enough or too bored by, going to the pub or working mens clubs. There wasn't much to do of an evening so they'd hang around coffee bars, caffs and truck stops. The bikes were whatever they could afford, 350 and 500 cc mostly. They tried on their limited budget, to emulate race bikes of the day, so clip on bars were the obvious first step. Triton engine plate stencils were printed in one of the bike papers. Norton chassis were available due to donating their engines for other competition vehicles
I worked at the Ace Café London back in 2001. A lot of the "old Rockers from the 60's" are actually liars and pretenders (we call them Walter Mitty over here) who allegedly all owned a top of the range Norton Commando. No humility, no modesty, no truth. My first bike, for many years, was a 49cc Vélosolex, why would I lie ?... Anyway, keep up the great work.
Lool. Your testimony is very interesting. I suppose that the type of speech of the cafe racers of the 60's is similar to that of the fishermen, in which the size of the fish caught is always exaggerated. Thank you my dear friend for sharing your perspective about this matter. :) Cheers.
I'm happy to say l was a part of it back in the sixties. l built a classic Triton in the late nineties l already knew what it should look like. Norton Featherbed chassis Road Holder forks. Triumph engine... in my case a Thunderbird with a twin carb head..... Clip-ons, rear-sets, sweep back pipes into 'Goldie' silencers, Central oil tank and short circuit racing fuel tank..Triton, the archetypical Sixties Cafe Racer...A lifestyle of over 60 years ago... Unfortunately i'm not in my late teens any longer......l would need a Chiropractor now...to sooth the aching body ...
@brianperry Lol. Thank you Sir for sharing your personal perspective. Allow me to suggest a video of mine, which i think it may inspire you to continue riding a motorcycle: ua-cam.com/video/uwA4qmb0un8/v-deo.html Cheers-
Excelente vídeo. Muito relevante e esclarecedor. Acompanho o canal desde 2014. Falando nisso, como está a sua mãe? Pretende voltar com videos semanais em algum momento? Um abraço do Brasil.
Muuito obrigado amigo pelas simpáticas palavras. A minha mãe está bem. Obrigado. Vai comemorar 81 anos daqui a 2 meses. Curiosamente, ela melhorou bastante depois do falecimento do meu Pai em 2019. Mas infelizmente, não vai dar para voltar a fazer videos semanalmente. É muito stressante fazer um video todas as semanas. Só para ser uma ideia, neste video precisei de quase 30 horas de trabalho só na Edição de imagem, pesquisas na Internet, e fazer o roteiro. Não é nada fácil. Espero que compreenda. :) Um grande abraço
@@RACER_TVможет оно и к лучшему. Лучше отличный видеоролик каждые 2 недели, чем посредственный каждую неделю. Желаю долгих лет жизни и крепкого здоровья вашей матери
@@RACER_TV Fico feliz por vc e sua familia meu amigo, e estimo que ela viva mais 81 anos. Já perdi a minha mãe então eu sei da importância de tela ao nosso lado. Eu imagino o trabalho que da produzir esses videos. Sou fotógrafo amador e invisto bastante tempo em edição de imagem. De vídeo deve ser ainda mais trabalhoso. No mais, um forte abraço. Já estou esperando o próximo video kkkkk
Cafe [with an 'A' sound] is I think French, we of South East England say "Cafe" [with an 'E' sound] caffee. Thank you for a very entertaining video! - Makes me want a bike again!
absolutamente fantastico o seu conteudo. Adoro seu canal. Imagino o trabalho que deve dar produzir um único video... reunir todas as fotos e videos, editar, escolher as musicas, levantar enquetes, produzir um roteiro, legendar, inserir a narração... Percebo que faz tudo com muito capricho. Quanto maior for a critica, maior o seu canal está ficando. Só continue porque voce está no caminho certo. grande abraço.
Muuuito obrigado Amigo por todas essas amáveis palavras. Eu agradeço todo o apoio. Tem toda a razão. Principalmente neste video que me deu muuuito trabalho a fazer. :) Um grande abraço
How important were clip-on´s, even Honda got it wrong in 1989 with the GB400TT & GB500TT by not utilizing clip-on`s and lasted only 2 years with that model. Why didn´t British cafe racers continue on into the 80´s and beyond? I think we can all thank the Japanese 4 for pretty much exterminating the Cafe Racer in the 70´s. Remember in 1968 when Kawasaki came out with their H1 Mach lll 500 it was pretty much the beginning of the end for the British Cafe Racer bikes. There was no longer a need to modify your bike to reach the Ton-up mark. But I'm not sure if it was the end of Cafe Racing? Which minds the question of, what would you call the Kawasaki H1 Mach lll 500 if it did race in Cafe Races in the late 60´s and 70´s? Wouldn't a Ton-Up Boy have used the Kawasaki as cafe racer if he wanted to win some races? So I wonder if the activity overshadowed the terminology in those earlier days. But what do I know? We'd have to ask some of those old farts who are in their 80´s what they think a Cafe Racer was.
Interesting reasoning. Personally, i think the 70's and 80's sport bikes with full fairings, were the direct descendants of the first cafe racers. Fortunately, the cafe racers reborn, and they are now more famous/popular than ever. :) Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
Mais um vídeo muito bem feito! Parabéns pelo trabalho. Em minha opinião, pouco importa o termo. O importante é o que a motocicleta e o estilo dela representam para o proprietário e aqueles que amam o motociclismo clássico.
Great video on the verbal differences and discrepancies within the café racer community. Someday I hope to be able to afford to build and have one so I can officially call it a caff racer just to be contrary. 😂
South London Caff racer, just a accent thing/slang thing, I still say that now. I wasnt aronud in the 60s but know people who were bikers, this is what they said, As for what a cafe racer was, it was made from whatever you could afford. in 89 when I was 18 I had a air cooled yamaha RD 250 with 350 barrels and 400 wheels, drop bars and a cowl hump style seat, removed rear mud guard and lighter plastic front one. The reason cafe racers kept front mudguards is the law in the UK, it was illegal to remove them and still is over here. Then in the 90s the street fighter appeared in the UK, back then these were basically super bikes like gsxr750 and Honda fireblades that had been down the road, instead of fixing the bike and replacing all the damaged faring and plastics they were stripped and had lifted bars and separate headlights added, and generally become the noise maker hooligan bikes for the guys to wheelie and do burnouts and become the bikes used for stunt riders. So I expect in another 30 years people will start building nostalgia Street fighters if we're even allowed to own vehicles by then.
I don’t really mind wether it fits the definition of a cafe racer. As long as it is a unique custom built and it looks good, it works for me… ua-cam.com/video/c7AtpxzQlQg/v-deo.html
A café racer is a motorcycle that has been modified to improve its performance. So fitting balloon tires and cutting the frame about and ruining the handling is not how you build one It’s how you build a poor handling slow and uncomfortable motorcycle. But who am I to judge ride what you like but if it’s worse than what it left the factory it’s not cafe racer
umm a honda cb750 in a harris frame with marzochhi suspension, brembos, tomaselli clip ons, yoshimura cams, valve springs ahd hand bent 4 into 1 and mikuni carbs..ohh forgot capagnolo mags..
Ok....from origin caferacers are English bikes, but I like caferacers in all sorts of form or make. I build a Moto Guzzi Lario1985 in a Copper Guzzi from scratch, the only origin parts are fueltank, engine and frame wich is a little changed..... And a caferacer is : lower handlebars , rear seat cowl, open exhausts, spoke wheels, little front cowl, and a big smile when you riding it...
A cafe racer simply means arse in the air, chin on the tank, so a basic CR would have clip ons and rear sets. Other modifications depended on what the owner could afford. Originally (purely because it all started in the UK), it would've been only British bikes. But the same principle can apply to any bike. Mudguards are a legal requirement in the uk, so they would remain, although often be cut. Oh and is the narrator related to Professor Stephen Hawking by any chance?
To be period correct the riders were called cafe racers & any machine of the time could be used for cafe racing but some riders customised or built specials to emulate the racing machines. The factory machines like the Gold Star were race ready production racing machines. The term cafe racer has been misused over the years & it's stuck .
In the mid 60s i built a tribsa triumph engine bsa b31 frame with parts from diferent shops it was ok but to me among my mates the best handling was a velo 500 it would go round us in corners and away just saying build what you like buger the rest 76 years young still building and rideing now in thailand land of sunshine nice people (thai)
I prefer "café" (with the accent mark) because, you know, I'm Colombian 😉🇨🇴. Fortunately, there's no discussion about "racer"...imagine! In this eventuality, you should to consider the name of this channel 🤣. Saludos 🖖
Lool. Yes, you're right. Some people use "Café", and others "Cafe". I often use both versions myself. Fortunately, and to this day, I think you were the first person to mention this detail. :) Thank you my friend for your support. :) Saludos
Muito interessante, mas penso que faz falta uma referência a outros cenários café racer na Europa. A França teve um movimento muito forte neste sentido (teve até quadrinhos sobre café racer...) e a Itália também. Seria interessante ampliar a visão deste vídeo incluindo esses países. Trabalho excelente, como sempre. Parabéns!
Muito obrigado pela sugestão. Esse é certamente um assunto interessante para um outro video. É difícil conjugar tudo num único video com menos de 10 minutos. Obrigado pela ajuda. :) Um abraço
@@hiroyukiakagi2869 Vivo no Brasil, mas possuo uma Kawasaki 1000 Z1R 1978 in Itália que foi o ponto mais alto do fenômeno Café Racer naquela época. Possuo ela desde 1986, mas agora quero vender ela porque não consigo usá-la e é um pecado que uma moto dessa fique parada na garagem.
the most confusing is; how about small flat seat,no hornet looks at back seat?will it consider as a cafe racer too? and some people confused between cafe racer and brat looks. sorry my english are not good.
Eu prefiro acreditar que o conceito " Café Racer" seria mais correto creditar ao piloto, a pessoa que corre com a moto. Porque na época assim como hoje é difícil pras pessoas comprarem uma moto veloz, modificada etc....então usavam o que tinham na época, e se trocar o guidão já dava diferença na velocidade é isso o que vale...até pq não era um desfile de motos bonitas e sim corridas e desafios....
In 1959 i rode on the back of my mates DBD34 gold star from Reading calling in at the Cellar in Windsor then the Ace on the north circular and finish at the Busy Bee a cafe racer then was what ever you road and lined up to race, Now it seems a cafe racer is a shit box with no mudguards some crappy bandage around the exhaust and the cafe must be Mac Donalds, My local cafe was the Manor in Blackwater just outside of Camberly and we would ride up to Black bush Aerodrome turn around and race back to the cafe ( we were cafe racers) not posers on a bike that looks like a Tarts hand bag
In term of what next generation youngster can afford?( can an ev-bike be cafe racer? ) Only time will tell, only they will explain what exactly cafe racer be on their opinions. Today I enjoy your vids as always, that's it ^^. Keep on, cheers.!!
En aquel tiempo no existían las "R's" ni las nakeds. Y pocos carenados... A mediados de los 50's si querias una moto más Racing, más R debías buscarte la vida recortando los guardabarros y bajar los manillares para adaptar unas motos que solo lucían de paseo sus cromados y su posición de conducción erguida. En Inglaterra a medida que pasó el tiempo y que no seguian la misma estética que en usa, fueron los primeros en adaptar las motos a tomar las curvas mucho más tumbados y relativamente mejor aerodinámicamente dentro de lo que había y se podía. Norton Triumph BSA y otras, fueron la cara B más racings opción a moda rockera Harley o Indian .
Caff? Cafe? In my Sarf Lundun dialect it was Kayfe or Kaf. I would agree with the definition of a kaf racer but a bum stop saddle wasn't needed as it stopped you taking yer bird aht for a burn up. As an old Rocker I can say that we used all sorts of bikes. Yes most got modified to some extent but few went the whole hog and had a racer with lights on. Just one other thing: no front mud guard (fender to the Yanks?) is illegal in the UK and most of the world and seems to be an American thing.
R what you call them. I mid Japanese notir cycles because they are cheap and affordable when you can find them. I put low bars but not, clip ons due to a disadvantage, in seeing in busy modern traffic. I leave fenders alone because water in the face isnt safe. Nor mud on your back attractive from cafe to cafe. So the cafe style has evolved. I dont leave the gas tanks standard, i dont leave the seats standard. I like the seat to have the hump. My current build doesnt have a hump. But plenty of mods. To me a cafe racer is a bike formula. That is not a bobber, not a chopper, not a bagger, but and old school cafe racer styled bike. Its more a silhouette, then just the seat hump and clipons. I dont care what you call them, but why change the Name. Mist peopke tell me I like what your doing, its a cafe style ,right? I answer them yes! Tells me I did what I set out to do. Make it Cafe Styled!
A cafe racer is a daily rider made to look cool mostly built by guys on a budget not just money thrown at parts like today. Now everyone has cheap tanks from India as well not the pricey ones of era.
For café-racers' sake, café-racers were *never* about aesthetics that were *always* the least consideration. Always. Most of my café-racers wee quite ugly for this reason. Also, the first thing we changed were the *tyres*, which were usually very 💩 in the days and also the change that gave the best bang for the buck in bettering your bike to be the first at the café. 😀 For mass stock café-racers, Guzzi hit the nail on the head the V7S and Le Mans with a mention to the BMW R90S, which were luxury grand-tourisme bikes with a café-racer aesthetics that became classic. As for most of today's so-called café-racers, I prefer to call them Starbucks-poseurs.
@@crosisofborg5524 I do *not* accuse all today's café-racers of being Starbuck-poseurs, only those that precisely are built to follow some fake and stupid "canons" like certain aesthetic "lines", an ugly empty space under the seat, 💩 Chinese fake "vintage" slippery trailer tyres and so on. 🙂 It is *not* that I "don't agree" with such cannons, but that they are *fake*, as, in the times of real café-racers, there were *no* aesthetic cannons at all because aesthetics were *never* a criterion, but exactly the contrary, a very secondary consideration that was *aways* sacrificed to efficiency racing.🙂 For instance that ugly empty space under the seat that is so popular nowadays among hipsters and alike. It's true that a few real café-racers had it - at least at first -, but it was precisely sacrificing aesthetics to efficiency, as it was where the battery an air filter were located then. It was done then because a lot of bikes had a kick starter and a magneto and thus the battery could be eliminated without other problems than flickering lighting and that ugly empty space. 🙂 Nowadays, however, all bikes have an alternator and most an electric starter, so eliminating the battery is simply impossible. Thus, to make place for the fashionable but ugly empty space, "designers" have to relocate the battery elsewhere, almost always in a much less convenient space (under the seat, it is low and centered, a very good place for a heavy element like this), thus reducing the efficiency of the bike racing between café, which is the goal of café-racers... 🙂 So no, I'm not pretending that my aesthetic criteria are better than those of the people who design Starbuck-poseurs. What I say is that a café-racer is *not* built to follow certain aesthetic criteria but to be fast and well handling in the curves between the cafés. 🙂 For instance, my current one, a Duke 890 R that replaces my previous 690. It looks like an alien bug, not like old café-racers of my youth, but leaves all of today's Starbuck-poseurs in the dust, which is what café-racers do... 🙂
There is this thing about Cafe Racers, that puzzles me. Today most all everage bikes are more powerful, lighter, and have better suspension and breaks than the best bikes of the time. Not to think about real superbikes of today. Imagine you could go back in time with a Ducati Panigale V4, an Aprilia RSV4, a BMW 1000 RR, or one of the KaSuHoYa 1000 cc superbikes. The guys of the time would have killed to get their hands on one of them. And that's where the problem starts. If it is all about style and not about performance, reliability, or usefulness, the debate is pointless. I build my bike just the way I want it, limited by the TÜV (German equivalent to the English MOT) and the size of my budget. Names are not that important. It is like the discussion what a Bobber is and what's a Chopper. As a I said pointless debates!
Indeed. I understand your point. The cafe racer performance, might been very important on the 50's and 60's. But nowadays, I don't see the cafe racer performance as an important feature. And why? If we really want a fast bike, we just need to buy a Yamaha R1. And this means that this rebirth of the "cafe racer" scene, must have a different approach. :) But thank you for sharing your perspective. Cheers
Cafe racers turned into street fighters. These tuned beasts were all about the engine, bolting on clip ons and rearsets doesn't make in to a cafe racer. Cafe racers were the publics take on production racers, which you could buy the parts for.
giving its age and stance, sometime I joke with my brother that my ducati sbk 848 it's a neo classic cafe racer :)) and basically it ticks all the boxes except for the sharp angles, there are some and that makes it a neo cafe racer :)) but obviously its not, I just love to piss him off
Cafe racer is not a style. Cafe racer is about going as fast as possible. Clip on handle bar is a requirement because it is the only handle bar that would let you crouch as low as your tank would allow you to achieve as little air resistance as possible. That is how the cafe racer "look" was born. It's just a British bike stripped down with a seat cowl to hold you in place. What pisses me off is that almost everyone is using that name to classify a bike that couldn't even get past 100mph which is a requirement back in the day. Especially in asia. There are a lot of 150cc bikes they call cafe racer.
It was the 50s/60s, Frence was not taught in most British schools, so they never knew the nuance of the language, so up & down the entirety of Great Britain loads of people called then Caff's, it wasn't until later on that they realised what the ' above the e did, it was only then that they started calling them Cafe's, so the first bikes were called Caff Racers. The main thing they did to Convert their bikes into Cafe' Racers was what they could afford, they took everyfuckingthing that Wasn't essential Off, then they would lighten everyfuckingthing possible, money was scarce, so what they could remove without compromising the bike was a No Brainer, the seats were usually left on so they could take their "Bird" on the back, these were their Daily so it had to accommodate, mud guards were cut rather than removed, even a small one was much better than none, the spray went everyfuckingwhere, the Hemesspherical tanks were made with hammers to accommodate the Clip Ons, (or the factory bars reversed & turned over),same for the knees,almost everything was done on the Cheap because all their money went to pay off the bike on "Tick"(HP), everybody knew somebody that could do everyfuckingthing that you would ever need, this was the birth of the Backyard Mechanic & that still happens today. I've been building these since I was 12,48 years, I have built mainly CR's in all that time, they are Not a fad, they Never went out of fashion for a great many people, I have orders that will take me 3 years to fill, so they are here to stay for that long at least. An excellent presentation as always, thank you my friend, when will we see that XS you were building 100 years ago?
I am a Japanese in my 40s who longed for Rockers. I ride a Kawasaki motorcycle. One of my definitions of a cafe racer is that it's based on a British bike. Modified Italian or German bikes are not cafe racers to me. I think the Brat Style and the German Cafe Fighter are different genres. I think of a cafe racer as a single cylinder or vertical twin bike with clip-on handlebars. I ride a Kawasaki W650 with a clip-on handlebar. I think it's the coolest thing in the world.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
❤ from uk ✌
A Honda cb750 makes a fine cafe racer and don’t think it isn’t one. A cafe racer is a style not a brand.
Sorry lads but aren't you about to forget one of the most badass?
Moto Guzzi
Perhaps the Le Mans was the great example
I live in Jacksonville, Fl, and years ago there was a shop called The Ton Up. It was all about the Cafe` lifestyle and bikes. At the time, I had a '75 Kawasaki Z1 900 Cafe` racer. There were a couple of older British gentlemen who frequented The Ton Up, and I learned more about the Cafe` racers of the 60's from them than ever was written in any book or magazine. Sadly, The Ton Up didn't last due to lack of a Cafe` scene at the time. Post millenium "Hipsters" were bying up vintage Cafe` bikes like crazy, knowing nothing of the history. Riding around in packs of 2 or 3, wearing street clothes and golfing hats, not a leather jacket between them. Sad, as Jacksonville is a large city and could have had a great Cafe` scene. Nowadays people just want to adapt everything to what is "happening", and not caring about the history of it...
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
In Jacksonville ,cafe racer style bikes being built and used.
The community is scattered and not cohesive.
@George: I believe what you are talking about is one of the reasons that brought down the original Harley movement as well. In Europe in the 90s most Harley owners were rich dentists and lawyers (hipsters) that jumped on the band waggon to look cool and be en vogue. now the hype is pretty much over and Harley lost its original followers as a result of it.
commercialisation again by consumers that follow every cliche .
People have always strived for what's happening.
As somebody who has questioned on this topic recently (re Scooters) and I have had discussions on various FB groups about this, I am thrilled to see this video. You go back to the roots and show what was happening (without the use of Rose tinted glasses!) and come up with a brilliant video, debunking "myths and legends" of the time and era in some parts, but showing beautiful bikes. Where we've been and where we're going.
I do like a lot of the new / old bikes you show that are exotica personified, but my heart belongs to a Triton and always will!
L&R From Down Under.
Thank you my friend for sharing your opinion. I am very glad you liked thi one:) Cheers.
The correct sequence for modifications was clip-ons, rear-set footrests, swept-back exhaust pipes with Dunstall megaphones or Gold Star silencers then Alloy tanks and engine mods as funds allowed. I was there.
And if you were less affluent, like I was in the early seventies, it was a used set of Tomaselli clip ons, home built rear sets, because it was a two cylinder two stroke it got expansion chamber exhaust with “Snuffer-nots” in the ends, and a silver panted tank (aluminum was way out of my budget)😉👍. (Check out the thumbnail from 1975)
@@Dan-56 I make Snuff or Nots from Triumph wheel adjusters they are stronger LOL! I recall Bantam, Enfield, Matchless cafe racers and a lot of squares with the more fancy Goldstars etc in my youth.
I really like the conversational and balanced approach. Thank you for your content.
Thank you my friend for your kind comment. :) Cheers.
Growing up in the sixties and seventies, even my motorcycle friends didn't know what a Cafe' Racer was. Perhaps today I have only two friends that ride motorcycles, and they actually know what it is, when I talk about Cafe' Racers. I used to call them Caff Racers, with no emphasis on the "E". So today I am a proud owner of a Cafe'-Racer inspired Royal Enfield Continental-G.T. I love this bike. I also love RACER TV, my favorite Cafe'-racer inspired channel "Barr none".🏁🏁
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective, and for your kind words. :) Cheers.
Man ,I think your channel is one of the most elegant, interesting, caring and technically updated of the whole UA-cam , so keep up and thank you so much for all the videos and informations you bring to a vast majority of followers 👍👍👍...by the way I was a kid when I visited London for the first time and I saw Rockers and Mods ... back then they said "caff racer" , but you know as an Italian I'm not enabled to talk about English prononciation 😁
Thank you my friend for all your kind words. I appreciate your support. Thank you also for sharing your personal perspective. :) :) Cheers or Saluti :)
I am a American but i have loved Triumph since I was 13 yrs. Old. I am almost 62 now. I have over a half a dozen Triumphs . I have always had a Bike except for the last few years when i had to take care of my invalid Mother who passed away 6 months ago so i am looking for a Bike once again. I don't want a Harley but something older . Your video made me excited to get back on the road. Thanks very much for the video.
Dear Sir, I am sorry for your loss. But I'm glad this video was inspiring to you. Thank you my friend for your support. :) Cheers
Hi I live in el salvador and i apreciate that You return about this kind of video...i remember year ago You do it videos not just about café races almost about other ítems...i still waiting the second video about thecnical photografies....regrads for all café racer enthusiast...Nice video ..just in the beginning...
What is a cafe racer? A dream turned into hours and more hours of passion towards a point where the departure is also an arrival. For me it was the first Tiumph Bonneville that I saw as a child from my mother's hand and suddenly the metal of the motorcycle seemed to me something that was more than metal. I didn't know it then, but when I got on my first motorcycle as a teenager. I keep recreating those two moments every time I see my bike in the garage and turn it on for the road.
Thank you Alejandro for sharing your personal perspective. :) Saludos.
I have a photo of me on a motorcycle in 1948. I was 11 months old, and my mom is holding me on the seat of a Harley knuckle head. The start of a life long passion!
Hello mate.
First, congratulations again for this video, I loved it.
A few months ago I had a conversation with you about my personal way of understanding what a cafe racer is.
You told me that in England there were no Japanese motorcycles, and it is true
But my comment was, due to the current mechanical parts that are usually mounted in CAFE RACER transformations.
For me, regardless of whether the bike is Japanese, Italian or German... it's the mechanical parts that make a difference.
Personally, I think that the inverted suspensions...led lights...or digital odometers...I would not mount them on my Moto Guzzi V50...since I think that against more analog...or traditional parts that are mounted on the Cafe racer projects ... more authentic it will be.
But I understand that modern parts improve the behavior of the motorcycle.
Thank you very much and sorry for my English from the Google translator.
No problem about your English. Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
Thanks for your videos man! I started riding 3 years ago because of that itch. My heart has always been in the cafe design. My goal is finally coming true in purchasing a 1981 Honda CB750 which I will be doing a build on.
Keep the dream alive man and thanks for your effort in producing these videos.
Thank you my friend for all your kind words. I appreciate your support. :) Cheers.
Had a Triton back in 68 Modified T110 in a featherbed. Raced every evening on lanes and a by pass.It still exists according to the DVLA.Digressed to a Z1300 in my declining years .
The only constant in a Universe is a "CHANGE". So everything evolves, changes, get different more or less and it's all ok. Until a bike is beautiful and makes you butterflies in a stomach, is just that, beautiful. Remember how many bikes from your videos have technology in 60-ties people couldn't even imagine, but today is today and Cafe Racer is now as it should be. With all it's variations. Just my thought. Thank you very much Victor.
Thank you my friend for your kind comment. :) Cheers.
Great work Victor, very nicely put together!!, brilliantly explained as usual and beautiful images!!, have a great vacation my friend!!
Thank you my Dear friend for your kind comment. I see that you also read some of my answers to other comments. :) :) Thank you so much. :) Cheers.
@@RACER_TV yes, I do, is very interesting to see some others followers opinions
Let's not forget that a solo-seat with a rear cowl defeats the main purpose of a bike like this: to pick up girls.
My first donor cycle was a friend of mine's that had a questionable history. A Honda 750 punched out to around 850cc, a shortened chassis, great Dunlops, the best brakes of any bike I've ever owned, a somewhat weak steering damper, three sets of final drive gears that took about two minutes to change out, a well thought out exhaust system that was convertible from four hot, loud holes to a street legal 4 in1 nothing but a resonator, a decent slab seat cafe racer styled seat that covered the tail light in the scoop of the cowl, and a total black finish with just enough chrome to make it look good in an underwhelming way. Top speed in the go fast gear was a bit over a hundred, tire burning quick if you didn't let off the throttle and just let it eat pavement. The mid range gear, probably the standard gear for the 750f, was good overall, especially in traffic. The long winding top end gear? It was love at first throttle. 70 mph at red line in first gear, what's not to like, eh? It was the one that could get you in trouble with the short chassis and that weak assed steering damper approaching top end in the tall gears. Adrenaline rushes guaranteed. The death wobble at over 90 on a country road will get your attention. But, winding it up on a certain stretch of the local Interstate... oh what fun. While it had great flickability, more ready power than any other bike I've been on, horsepower to weight ratio wise, with additional strength gusset weldings on the tight chassis in all the right places, it was the first time I ever rode on something that was doing 140+ mph with the front end practically floating over the road, but it was to be a passage of life, losing it in a divorce settlement and in the time I had it, I probably only put a hundred hours on the clock and never put it on a track to really see what it was capable of. I've often wondered if I would ever see it again. I haven't. But sometimes, I think I hear it. That long windup, that distinctive growl and the shifting of the gears. Cafe racers equated with the derisive donor cycle label? I don't know. I never dropped it. But, in my day job, I scraped a few off the pavement. At speed, it happens quick and blue jeans, work boots and cheap gloves aren't adequate for the protection level needed. Maybe someday I'll journey to the Isle of Man TT and see how it's really done. I just like the sound of them at high rpms...
Hola Amigo, es normal que gente haga comentarios desagradables, pero lo único que importa es la pasión que nos une y son las motos, te puede gustar más unas que otras, pero al final es la misma pasión, gracias por el excelente trabajo de edición e investigación que haces, sigue así, un gran saludo desde Alicante España.
Thank you my friend for your kind comment. Estuve en Alicante en 1989 para comprar un pistón de 75cm3 para la Honda NSR 50 de mi hermano. El viaje en tren entre Alicante y Benidorm, fue muy bonita. :) Un abrazo desde Portugal.
You can ask the same what is a " Hot Rod "...... it's a matter of individual interpretation.... ... A " Triton " is the benchmark for a Cafe' Racer to which all others are judged... A Cafe' Racer can be a
" Bobber " I built a old school Triton... a 3-year project... feather bed frame with a 73' Triumph 750 stuffed in it. Award winner regionally and the west coast.... practical bike... No... any distance over an hour... No... going to the local coffee spot.... Yes....
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
This is one of The most important videos ever. Yes, because explain real soul of The correct spirit of Café Racer or "Caff Race". Congratulations!! And Thank you.
Thank you my friend for all your kind words. I appreciate your support. :) Cheers.
Whatever you label them, they are glorious and individual! I’m so happy I’ve got mine, back in the saddle again after twelve years of not riding 👍
Excellent video! But I my conclusion is the same thing as say a friend: "less speak, more ride". History is important, but more important is enjoy our bikes and don't lose time discussing about the how pure are it.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
What is a cafe racer? You will recognize it when you see it.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
I briefly ran no front fender on my bike, my wife didn't know exactly what I had done when I asked her to look at the bike after I removed it and she said "I don't know what you did but it looks cooler". It certainly did look cooler and the turn in was slightly faster, but when it rained it would kick up so much water, dirt and grit into my face I just couldn't stand it. So I bought a replica fender because the original 50 year old fender was very rusty and damaged.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers
Excellent video Racer, as always. Great info for people who do not know about the Cafe Racer bikes and lifestyle. I just love that 60"s cafe Racer style and seeing how it changes as the years go by Have a great weekend and take care mate. Cheers
Thank you my friend for your support. :) Cheers.
You are correct. Cafe racers depended on the mechanical skill and budgets of the owners. I've seen pictures of bikes where the only modification was to turn the handlebars upside down.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
Now to get back to collecting parts for my Café/Scrambler GL1100 build
As much as I very Like your cafe racer content and your UA-cam show RACER TV, also my love for cafe racers was born from your videos about the theme, and I have learned much from you. I was wondering if you are by the name of Greg White, or is someone else behind this videos. You are very professional in your work and the narrator is very familiar on other UA-cam videos. Just for a curiosity...I have been following you six years and I just can't get enough of you work, it would be noble to say that you are the best in your work. Best of Luck, stay in good health and keep on the videos coming, Greetings from Macedonia.
The narrator interests me a lot. Do you know something about this voice? I would love to know more!
@Silvakon
@JoeWolsing
Thank you my friend for all your kind words. I appreciate your support. No. My name is Vitor. The voice on my videos is not real. It is created by a Text to speach software. Yes, it sound very real for some. I use this "robotic" voice created by software, because I'm Portuguese, and my bad English accent (and voice), can ruin the documentary character that I like for my videos. I already tried a real British voice in one of my videos, and, surprisingly, almost everyone hated it. Curiously, the robotic voice sounds really very real and professional for most non-English Speakers.:) Cheers.
@@RACER_TV ❤ whatsoever I enjoy your content for a long time already (nice CX build b.th.w.) and will follow it in the future. Have a good time my friend and enjoy the long time of good weather you have in Portugal to ride your bikes! Cheers!
Thank you for your interesting video.
Suppose any subject that has a large fanbase will be subject to scrutiny and often emotional comments.
Thats not a bad thing per se - it shows the passion it's members / followers have for their activity.
Everybody knows a thing or two about it and everybody has their own idealistic understanding. I kind of appreciate some of these people that stick to what they believe is the true origin of this bike.
As with everything - music, bikes, fashion - as it is being commercialised, much of the history is being absorbed by commercial demand. so real enthusiasts complain about it being watered down.
I believe nowadays people are really looking for originality and depth more than before. Perhaps wishful thinking ?
Thank you very much for your very eloquent reasoning. Your words tell me, that you must be someone quite intelligent and insightful. :) Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective about this matter. :) Cheers.
This is one of the best videos you’ve ever posted! Absolutely spot on my friend. I grew up in the 60’s. Started riding my brothers Honda Super 90 at age 12 and within a year I had purchased my own slightly used CB160 when my brother purchased a new CB160. What did I do? I stripped mine down, shortened the fenders, modified the exhaust, and repainted it British Racing Green. Voila… I now had a Café racer! Lol… 😅 But to me, at 13, it was top of the walk. And. As always, thank you for Racer TV, the Café Racers only choice! Again, thank you for this retrospective reminder of the glory days of the British Café racer! Hope you are getting to ride some! Ride safe my friend! Cheers:) 👍🏻🇺🇸
My dear Friend, Thank you so much for all your very kind words, and for sharing your testimony about the 60s.
I am very glad knowing that you liked so much.
To be honest, I invested a lot of effort on this one.
I think i spent about 28 hours of work, just on the editing, research, and script.
I am happy most people like it.
Tomorrow i am going on vacation, which means i can't ride during the next weeks.
You too. :) Cheers.
@@RACER_TV ….. My dear friend, I hope you have a wonderful vacation and enjoy the time with your family. You’ve certainly earned a vacation! Cheers:)
The point of cafe racers in the 50s and 60s was that they were made to look like the race bikes of the era (not the fully faired works machines, but the club racers you saw at your local track), with clip-ons, rear-sets, elongated tanks and racing-style single seat, with rear hump. The other ones you showed, unmodified except maybe different handlebars, were just everyday bikes (the Gold Star Clubman was not your average ride to work bike but, effectively, an off-the-shelf race bike which would have cost far more than building your own cafe racer). The term "cafe racer" was originally derogatory, meant to imply that, although they looked like racers, they were only ever used to ride to the cafe, but it came to be the generally accepted description of this style of bike. I've always loved the look of the traditional cafe racer, but sadly creaking joints mean I can't get into that riding position any more, so I stick to the standard position on my 78 Bonneville.
Cafe racers were of that era, and I think a different name should be given to what people are building now, a lot of which are of a very different style.
Thx for the interesting video, driving a Rocket 3 Roadster I learned a lot about this great type of bikes - all the best for you!
I simply care for my emotions between age 14 and 21! Thats why Sachs mopeds, Two stroke 250s, Kawa 900, Laverda SF 750 and Yamaha 650 and some Cafe Racers have a bright spot in my heart.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
Sachs? Man the moped that was pure fire was the Puch.
What’s the name of the voice generator that you use in your videos? The voice is so smooth and it works perfect to your videos. I’ve been searching for this voice and I can’t find it. Please help me.
I am really sorry my friend, but unfortunately this is one of those secrets that i can't reveal. It took me a lot of time and effort to find this robotic voice. I hope you understand me. But i can give you a suggestion. Try the murf.ai website. It has amazing voices. :) Cheers.
Okay, too bad. A lot of youtube clips has this voice, but I respect your answer. I will continue searching.
Thank you for your understanding. :)
In the first clip the dude failed to understand before you start a Norton you have to prime the carbs by pressing down on the primers at least 5 times old Brit bikes you must turn off the fuel taps when you stop or the fuel will be siphoned into the sump it's people without a clue complain about the old bikes
Excellent explanation with great detail! and in the end very right in what you say! Café Race has a base but it depends on the Taste and Budget of each one! Blessings and Excellent Material for lovers of this style of motorcycle and life! 👏
Thank you my friend for your kind comment. :) Cheers.
Very good point. The '50s/'60s British bikes were standards, jack-of-all-trades, with little difference between street bike, cafe racer and scrambler. IIRC, street legal bikes in those days needed mud-guards (fenders). The pillion seats had their obvious use on cafe "racers" ;-) I cringe when I see videos of people chopping up beautiful Honda GL500I/650I touring bikes to make them into "cafe racers".
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
Cafe Racer: clip on's rear sets, bump seat, 5 gallon tank reverse cone megas featherbed frame Norton road holder forks. Bonneville 650 engine or Vincent 1000.
Great video Brother, you never disappoint ✌️🏍😎
Thank you my friend for your kind comment. :) Cheers.
Hi friend, please help me to find the saddle sistem seen at minute 8:17 with a fantastic qick relaese for the tail. Thanks and thanks for your videos!!!!!!!!
Here is a video about that same mecanism: ua-cam.com/video/WKp4-SVUHIU/v-deo.html Cheers.
Damn racer TV you're close to half a million subs. I started watching when you were sub-100k. Congratulations!
Thank you my friend for your kind words. I appreciate your support. :) Cheers.
Older bikers used to call them coffee bar cowboys, because those younger lads weren't old enough or too bored by, going to the pub or working mens clubs. There wasn't much to do of an evening so they'd hang around coffee bars, caffs and truck stops. The bikes were whatever they could afford, 350 and 500 cc mostly. They tried on their limited budget, to emulate race bikes of the day, so clip on bars were the obvious first step.
Triton engine plate stencils were printed in one of the bike papers. Norton chassis were available due to donating their engines for other competition vehicles
I remember clip-ons, rear sets, exhausts, carbs, stacks or k&n filters, tires, centerstand removal were the main mods. At least that was the 80s mods.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
I worked at the Ace Café London back in 2001.
A lot of the "old Rockers from the 60's" are actually liars and pretenders (we call them Walter Mitty over here) who allegedly all owned a top of the range Norton Commando.
No humility, no modesty, no truth.
My first bike, for many years, was a 49cc Vélosolex, why would I lie ?...
Anyway, keep up the great work.
Lool. Your testimony is very interesting. I suppose that the type of speech of the cafe racers of the 60's is similar to that of the fishermen, in which the size of the fish caught is always exaggerated. Thank you my dear friend for sharing your perspective about this matter. :) Cheers.
So glad I took a lot of pictures back in the day.
I'm happy to say l was a part of it back in the sixties. l built a classic Triton in the late nineties l already knew what it should look like. Norton Featherbed chassis Road Holder forks. Triumph engine... in my case a Thunderbird with a twin carb head..... Clip-ons, rear-sets, sweep back pipes into 'Goldie' silencers, Central oil tank and short circuit racing fuel tank..Triton, the archetypical Sixties Cafe Racer...A lifestyle of over 60 years ago... Unfortunately i'm not in my late teens any longer......l would need a Chiropractor now...to sooth the aching body ...
@brianperry Lol. Thank you Sir for sharing your personal perspective. Allow me to suggest a video of mine, which i think it may inspire you to continue riding a motorcycle: ua-cam.com/video/uwA4qmb0un8/v-deo.html Cheers-
Excelente vídeo. Muito relevante e esclarecedor.
Acompanho o canal desde 2014.
Falando nisso, como está a sua mãe? Pretende voltar com videos semanais em algum momento?
Um abraço do Brasil.
Muuito obrigado amigo pelas simpáticas palavras. A minha mãe está bem. Obrigado. Vai comemorar 81 anos daqui a 2 meses. Curiosamente, ela melhorou bastante depois do falecimento do meu Pai em 2019. Mas infelizmente, não vai dar para voltar a fazer videos semanalmente. É muito stressante fazer um video todas as semanas. Só para ser uma ideia, neste video precisei de quase 30 horas de trabalho só na Edição de imagem, pesquisas na Internet, e fazer o roteiro. Não é nada fácil. Espero que compreenda. :) Um grande abraço
@@RACER_TVможет оно и к лучшему. Лучше отличный видеоролик каждые 2 недели, чем посредственный каждую неделю. Желаю долгих лет жизни и крепкого здоровья вашей матери
@@RACER_TV Fico feliz por vc e sua familia meu amigo, e estimo que ela viva mais 81 anos. Já perdi a minha mãe então eu sei da importância de tela ao nosso lado.
Eu imagino o trabalho que da produzir esses videos. Sou fotógrafo amador e invisto bastante tempo em edição de imagem. De vídeo deve ser ainda mais trabalhoso.
No mais, um forte abraço. Já estou esperando o próximo video kkkkk
@magnifico11 Thank you my friend for your kind comment. Yes, I agree with what you said about maintaining the videos quality. Thanks :) Cheers.
Thank you very much for this page of History!!!!
Thank you my friend for your support. :) Cheers.
С удовольствием смотрю все видео. Просто супер! 👍👍👍
Я тоже. Очень нравится.
Теперь гаражные мотоциклы мне нравятся гораздо больше, чем заводские
What app or program you use to change your voice boss ?
Cafe [with an 'A' sound] is I think French, we of South East England say "Cafe" [with an 'E' sound] caffee. Thank you for a very entertaining video! - Makes me want a bike again!
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
Great video , I enjoy watching, thanks
Thank you my friend for sharing your opinion. :) Cheers.
Cafe racers without front mudguards DEFINITELY don’t qualify. They wouldn’t be legal: and it rains in the UK.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
absolutamente fantastico o seu conteudo. Adoro seu canal. Imagino o trabalho que deve dar produzir um único video... reunir todas as fotos e videos, editar, escolher as musicas, levantar enquetes, produzir um roteiro, legendar, inserir a narração... Percebo que faz tudo com muito capricho. Quanto maior for a critica, maior o seu canal está ficando. Só continue porque voce está no caminho certo. grande abraço.
Muuuito obrigado Amigo por todas essas amáveis palavras. Eu agradeço todo o apoio. Tem toda a razão. Principalmente neste video que me deu muuuito trabalho a fazer. :) Um grande abraço
Cafe racer used to be, what today is a superbike,with main difference...Rock n' Roll
Lol. Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers
Always love your videos, Greeting from Florida . I'm still Building my CB750K .
Thank you my friend for your kind comment. Good luck for your project:) Cheers.
How important were clip-on´s, even Honda got it wrong in 1989 with the GB400TT & GB500TT by not utilizing clip-on`s and lasted only 2 years with that model.
Why didn´t British cafe racers continue on into the 80´s and beyond? I think we can all thank the Japanese 4 for pretty much exterminating the Cafe Racer in the 70´s.
Remember in 1968 when Kawasaki came out with their H1 Mach lll 500 it was pretty much the beginning of the end for the British Cafe Racer bikes. There was no longer a need to modify your bike to reach the Ton-up mark.
But I'm not sure if it was the end of Cafe Racing? Which minds the question of, what would you call the Kawasaki H1 Mach lll 500 if it did race in Cafe Races in the late 60´s and 70´s?
Wouldn't a Ton-Up Boy have used the Kawasaki as cafe racer if he wanted to win some races? So I wonder if the activity overshadowed the terminology in those earlier days.
But what do I know? We'd have to ask some of those old farts who are in their 80´s what they think a Cafe Racer was.
Interesting reasoning. Personally, i think the 70's and 80's sport bikes with full fairings, were the direct descendants of the first cafe racers. Fortunately, the cafe racers reborn, and they are now more famous/popular than ever. :) Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
Mais um vídeo muito bem feito! Parabéns pelo trabalho. Em minha opinião, pouco importa o termo. O importante é o que a motocicleta e o estilo dela representam para o proprietário e aqueles que amam o motociclismo clássico.
Obrigado amigo pelo simpático comentário. :) Um abraço.
Great video on the verbal differences and discrepancies within the café racer community.
Someday I hope to be able to afford to build and have one so I can officially call it a caff racer just to be contrary. 😂
Loloool. Thank you my friend for sharing your opinion. :) Cheers.
Thank you.
Always entertaining.
Thank you. I'm glad you liked my friend. :) Cheers.
South London Caff racer, just a accent thing/slang thing, I still say that now. I wasnt aronud in the 60s but know people who were bikers, this is what they said, As for what a cafe racer was, it was made from whatever you could afford.
in 89 when I was 18 I had a air cooled yamaha RD 250 with 350 barrels and 400 wheels, drop bars and a cowl hump style seat, removed rear mud guard and lighter plastic front one.
The reason cafe racers kept front mudguards is the law in the UK, it was illegal to remove them and still is over here.
Then in the 90s the street fighter appeared in the UK, back then these were basically super bikes like gsxr750 and Honda fireblades that had been down the road, instead of fixing the bike and replacing all the damaged faring and plastics they were stripped and had lifted bars and separate headlights added, and generally become the noise maker hooligan bikes for the guys to wheelie and do burnouts and become the bikes used for stunt riders.
So I expect in another 30 years people will start building nostalgia Street fighters if we're even allowed to own vehicles by then.
The Matchless G45 is what I had in mind when I built my SR500 in the early 80s.
I don’t really mind wether it fits the definition of a cafe racer. As long as it is a unique custom built and it looks good, it works for me…
ua-cam.com/video/c7AtpxzQlQg/v-deo.html
A café racer is a motorcycle that has been modified to improve its performance. So fitting balloon tires and cutting the frame about and ruining the handling is not how you build one It’s how you build a poor handling slow and uncomfortable motorcycle. But who am I to judge ride what you like but if it’s worse than what it left the factory it’s not cafe racer
Interesting and informative video 👍
umm a honda cb750 in a harris frame with marzochhi suspension, brembos, tomaselli clip ons, yoshimura cams, valve springs ahd hand bent 4 into 1 and mikuni carbs..ohh forgot capagnolo mags..
Ok....from origin caferacers are English bikes, but I like caferacers in all sorts of form or make.
I build a Moto Guzzi Lario1985 in a Copper Guzzi from scratch, the only origin parts are fueltank, engine and frame wich is a little changed..... And a caferacer is : lower handlebars , rear seat cowl, open exhausts, spoke wheels, little front cowl, and a big smile when you riding it...
A cafe racer simply means arse in the air, chin on the tank, so a basic CR would have clip ons and rear sets. Other modifications depended on what the owner could afford.
Originally (purely because it all started in the UK), it would've been only British bikes. But the same principle can apply to any bike.
Mudguards are a legal requirement in the uk, so they would remain, although often be cut.
Oh and is the narrator related to Professor Stephen Hawking by any chance?
To be period correct the riders were called cafe racers & any machine of the time could be used for cafe racing but some riders customised or built specials to emulate the racing machines.
The factory machines like the Gold Star were race ready production racing machines.
The term cafe racer has been misused over the years & it's stuck .
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
You beat me to it. Seems to be lost on people that it was us rockers that were the Cafe racers not the bikes. Never did see the white lady :)
Great Vid!
Thank you. I'm glad you liked my friend. :) Cheers.
Awesome video.
In the mid 60s i built a tribsa triumph engine bsa b31 frame with parts from diferent shops it was ok but to me among my mates the best handling was a velo 500 it would go round us in corners and away just saying build what you like buger the rest 76 years young still building and rideing now in thailand land of sunshine nice people (thai)
I prefer "café" (with the accent mark) because, you know, I'm Colombian 😉🇨🇴. Fortunately, there's no discussion about "racer"...imagine! In this eventuality, you should to consider the name of this channel 🤣. Saludos 🖖
Lool. Yes, you're right. Some people use "Café", and others "Cafe". I often use both versions myself. Fortunately, and to this day, I think you were the first person to mention this detail. :) Thank you my friend for your support. :) Saludos
Lot of those old ones appear to have heavy center-stands.
Loool. You can't imagine how center-stands, are soooo useful to clean the rear wheel. :) Cheers.
Muito interessante, mas penso que faz falta uma referência a outros cenários café racer na Europa. A França teve um movimento muito forte neste sentido (teve até quadrinhos sobre café racer...) e a Itália também. Seria interessante ampliar a visão deste vídeo incluindo esses países. Trabalho excelente, como sempre. Parabéns!
Muito obrigado pela sugestão. Esse é certamente um assunto interessante para um outro video. É difícil conjugar tudo num único video com menos de 10 minutos. Obrigado pela ajuda. :) Um abraço
Olá, sou japonês. Estou muito interessado no que você tem a dizer. Quando surgiu a cena cafe racer na Europa?Qual era o título do quadrinhos?
@@hiroyukiakagi2869 Vivo no Brasil, mas possuo uma Kawasaki 1000 Z1R 1978 in Itália que foi o ponto mais alto do fenômeno Café Racer naquela época. Possuo ela desde 1986, mas agora quero vender ela porque não consigo usá-la e é um pecado que uma moto dessa fique parada na garagem.
the most confusing is; how about small flat seat,no hornet looks at back seat?will it consider as a cafe racer too?
and some people confused between cafe racer and brat looks.
sorry my english are not good.
I would say, it might be a Cafe Robber. A sort of mix betin a Cafe Racer, with a solo Bobber seat. :) Cheers.
Muito boa as tuas colocações a respeito de se dizer Café Racers. É assim mesmo que eu penso.
Obrigado amigo pelo simpático comentário. :) Um abraço.
Eu prefiro acreditar que o conceito " Café Racer" seria mais correto creditar ao piloto, a pessoa que corre com a moto. Porque na época assim como hoje é difícil pras pessoas comprarem uma moto veloz, modificada etc....então usavam o que tinham na época, e se trocar o guidão já dava diferença na velocidade é isso o que vale...até pq não era um desfile de motos bonitas e sim corridas e desafios....
In 1959 i rode on the back of my mates DBD34 gold star from Reading calling in at the Cellar in Windsor then the Ace on the north circular and finish at the Busy Bee a cafe racer then was what ever you road and lined up to race, Now it seems a cafe racer is a shit box with no mudguards some crappy bandage around the exhaust and the cafe must be Mac Donalds, My local cafe was the Manor in Blackwater just outside of Camberly and we would ride up to Black bush Aerodrome turn around and race back to the cafe ( we were cafe racers) not posers on a bike that looks like a Tarts hand bag
luv this show
Thank you my friend for your support. :) Cheers.
In term of what next generation youngster can afford?( can an ev-bike be cafe racer? ) Only time will tell, only they will explain what exactly cafe racer be on their opinions.
Today I enjoy your vids as always, that's it ^^. Keep on, cheers.!!
Thank you my friend for your support. :) Cheers.
En aquel tiempo no existían las "R's" ni las nakeds. Y pocos carenados... A mediados de los 50's si querias una moto más Racing, más R debías buscarte la vida recortando los guardabarros y bajar los manillares para adaptar unas motos que solo lucían de paseo sus cromados y su posición de conducción erguida.
En Inglaterra a medida que pasó el tiempo y que no seguian la misma estética que en usa, fueron los primeros en adaptar las motos a tomar las curvas mucho más tumbados y relativamente mejor aerodinámicamente dentro de lo que había y se podía. Norton Triumph BSA y otras, fueron la cara B más racings opción a moda rockera Harley o Indian .
Ótimo vídeo e trilha sonora
Obrigado amigo. Fico contente que tenha gostado. :) Um abraço.
Caff? Cafe? In my Sarf Lundun dialect it was Kayfe or Kaf. I would agree with the definition of a kaf racer but a bum stop saddle wasn't needed as it stopped you taking yer bird aht for a burn up. As an old Rocker I can say that we used all sorts of bikes. Yes most got modified to some extent but few went the whole hog and had a racer with lights on. Just one other thing: no front mud guard (fender to the Yanks?) is illegal in the UK and most of the world and seems to be an American thing.
Thank you dear Sir for sharing your personal perspective about these subjects. :) Cheers.
I love Cafe Racers
R what you call them. I mid Japanese notir cycles because they are cheap and affordable when you can find them.
I put low bars but not, clip ons due to a disadvantage, in seeing in busy modern traffic.
I leave fenders alone because water in the face isnt safe. Nor mud on your back attractive from cafe to cafe.
So the cafe style has evolved. I dont leave the gas tanks standard, i dont leave the seats standard. I like the seat to have the hump. My current build doesnt have a hump. But plenty of mods. To me a cafe racer is a bike formula. That is not a bobber, not a chopper, not a bagger, but and old school cafe racer styled bike. Its more a silhouette, then just the seat hump and clipons.
I dont care what you call them, but why change the Name. Mist peopke tell me I like what your doing, its a cafe style ,right?
I answer them yes! Tells me I did what I set out to do. Make it Cafe Styled!
Gracias que educativo ❤
You are welcome my friend. My pleasure. Saludos :)
A cafe racer is a daily rider made to look cool mostly built by guys on a budget not just money thrown at parts like today. Now everyone has cheap tanks from India as well not the pricey ones of era.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
The biggest difference between cafe racers then and now is the age of the riders… 😘
Nicely done 👍
Thank you my friend for sharing your opinion. :) Cheers.
I Love my Triumph T100 Bonville original 😊
For café-racers' sake, café-racers were *never* about aesthetics that were *always* the least consideration. Always. Most of my café-racers wee quite ugly for this reason.
Also, the first thing we changed were the *tyres*, which were usually very 💩 in the days and also the change that gave the best bang for the buck in bettering your bike to be the first at the café. 😀
For mass stock café-racers, Guzzi hit the nail on the head the V7S and Le Mans with a mention to the BMW R90S, which were luxury grand-tourisme bikes with a café-racer aesthetics that became classic.
As for most of today's so-called café-racers, I prefer to call them Starbucks-poseurs.
If you call todays cafe racers “posers” you are as wrong and as guilty as all those who insist on specific identifiers you don’t agree with.
@@crosisofborg5524 I do *not* accuse all today's café-racers of being Starbuck-poseurs, only those that precisely are built to follow some fake and stupid "canons" like certain aesthetic "lines", an ugly empty space under the seat, 💩 Chinese fake "vintage" slippery trailer tyres and so on. 🙂
It is *not* that I "don't agree" with such cannons, but that they are *fake*, as, in the times of real café-racers, there were *no* aesthetic cannons at all because aesthetics were *never* a criterion, but exactly the contrary, a very secondary consideration that was *aways* sacrificed to efficiency racing.🙂
For instance that ugly empty space under the seat that is so popular nowadays among hipsters and alike. It's true that a few real café-racers had it - at least at first -, but it was precisely sacrificing aesthetics to efficiency, as it was where the battery an air filter were located then. It was done then because a lot of bikes had a kick starter and a magneto and thus the battery could be eliminated without other problems than flickering lighting and that ugly empty space. 🙂 Nowadays, however, all bikes have an alternator and most an electric starter, so eliminating the battery is simply impossible.
Thus, to make place for the fashionable but ugly empty space, "designers" have to relocate the battery elsewhere, almost always in a much less convenient space (under the seat, it is low and centered, a very good place for a heavy element like this), thus reducing the efficiency of the bike racing between café, which is the goal of café-racers... 🙂
So no, I'm not pretending that my aesthetic criteria are better than those of the people who design Starbuck-poseurs. What I say is that a café-racer is *not* built to follow certain aesthetic criteria but to be fast and well handling in the curves between the cafés. 🙂 For instance, my current one, a Duke 890 R that replaces my previous 690. It looks like an alien bug, not like old café-racers of my youth, but leaves all of today's Starbuck-poseurs in the dust, which is what café-racers do... 🙂
6:45 😍
I'm glad you liked my friend. :) Cheers.
👍👍👍
Very funny.😂😂😂
(Ps. Não estava à espera.)
Obrigado amigo. Fico contente que tenha gostado. :) Um abraço.
There is this thing about Cafe Racers, that puzzles me. Today most all everage bikes are more powerful, lighter, and have better suspension and breaks than the best bikes of the time. Not to think about real superbikes of today. Imagine you could go back in time with a Ducati Panigale V4, an Aprilia RSV4, a BMW 1000 RR, or one of the KaSuHoYa 1000 cc superbikes. The guys of the time would have killed to get their hands on one of them.
And that's where the problem starts. If it is all about style and not about performance, reliability, or usefulness, the debate is pointless. I build my bike just the way I want it, limited by the TÜV (German equivalent to the English MOT) and the size of my budget. Names are not that important. It is like the discussion what a Bobber is and what's a Chopper. As a I said pointless debates!
Indeed. I understand your point. The cafe racer performance, might been very important on the 50's and 60's. But nowadays, I don't see the cafe racer performance as an important feature. And why?
If we really want a fast bike, we just need to buy a Yamaha R1.
And this means that this rebirth of the "cafe racer" scene, must have a different approach. :)
But thank you for sharing your perspective. Cheers
Cafe racers turned into street fighters. These tuned beasts were all about the engine, bolting on clip ons and rearsets doesn't make in to a cafe racer. Cafe racers were the publics take on production racers, which you could buy the parts for.
Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
giving its age and stance, sometime I joke with my brother that my ducati sbk 848 it's a neo classic cafe racer :)) and basically it ticks all the boxes except for the sharp angles, there are some and that makes it a neo cafe racer :)) but obviously its not, I just love to piss him off
Loool Thank you my friend for sharing your perspective. :) Cheers.
The surf mysic is awesome
Thank you. I'm glad you liked my friend. :) Cheers.
I refuse to watch any more videos with "shocking truth" in the title.
Cafe racer is not a style. Cafe racer is about going as fast as possible. Clip on handle bar is a requirement because it is the only handle bar that would let you crouch as low as your tank would allow you to achieve as little air resistance as possible. That is how the cafe racer "look" was born. It's just a British bike stripped down with a seat cowl to hold you in place. What pisses me off is that almost everyone is using that name to classify a bike that couldn't even get past 100mph which is a requirement back in the day. Especially in asia. There are a lot of 150cc bikes they call cafe racer.
It was the 50s/60s, Frence was not taught in most British schools, so they never knew the nuance of the language, so up & down the entirety of Great Britain loads of people called then Caff's, it wasn't until later on that they realised what the ' above the e did, it was only then that they started calling them Cafe's, so the first bikes were called Caff Racers.
The main thing they did to Convert their bikes into Cafe' Racers was what they could afford, they took everyfuckingthing that Wasn't essential Off, then they would lighten everyfuckingthing possible, money was scarce, so what they could remove without compromising the bike was a No Brainer, the seats were usually left on so they could take their "Bird" on the back, these were their Daily so it had to accommodate, mud guards were cut rather than removed, even a small one was much better than none, the spray went everyfuckingwhere, the Hemesspherical tanks were made with hammers to accommodate the Clip Ons, (or the factory bars reversed & turned over),same for the knees,almost everything was done on the Cheap because all their money went to pay off the bike on "Tick"(HP), everybody knew somebody that could do everyfuckingthing that you would ever need, this was the birth of the Backyard Mechanic & that still happens today.
I've been building these since I was 12,48 years, I have built mainly CR's in all that time, they are Not a fad, they Never went out of fashion for a great many people, I have orders that will take me 3 years to fill, so they are here to stay for that long at least.
An excellent presentation as always, thank you my friend, when will we see that XS you were building 100 years ago?