Cafe Racer

A cafe racer is a motorcycle built or styled to look like the lightweight, stripped-down racers of the late 1950s and 1960s. The name comes from British riders who gathered at transport cafes such as the Ace Cafe in London and raced each other on public roads.

Typical features are low clip-on or clubman handlebars, rear-set footpegs, a long, narrow fuel tank, a solo seat with a hump and very little bodywork. Many cafe racers are custom conversions of older road bikes, while several manufacturers now sell factory retro models in the same style.

The riding position is sporty and leans weight onto the wrists, so a cafe racer suits short rides and twisty roads better than long touring days.