![]() ![]() By 1977, a number of manufacturers had taken notice of the café racer boom and were producing factory café racers, such as the well-received Moto Guzzi Le Mans and the unpopular but unforgettable Harley-Davidson XLCR. Increasingly, three-cylinder Kawasaki two-strokes, four-cylinder four-stroke Kawasaki Z1, and four-cylinder Honda engines were the basis for café racer conversions. The hand-made, frequently unpainted aluminium racing fuel tanks of the 1960s had evolved into square, narrow, fibreglass tanks. By the mid-1970s, Japanese bikes had overtaken British bikes in the marketplace, and the look of real Grand Prix racing bikes had changed. EvolutionĬafé racer styling evolved throughout the time of their popularity. Other combinations such as the "Norvin" (a Vincent V-Twin engine in a Featherbed frame) and racing frames by Rickman or Seeley were also adopted for road use. Those with less money could opt for a "Tribsa"-the Triumph engine in a BSA frame. It used a common and fast racing engine combined with a well-handling frame, the Featherbed frame by Norton Motorcycles. A well-known example was "The Triton", a homemade combination of the Norton Featherbed frame and a Triumph Bonneville engine. The bikes featured minimalist styling, engines tuned for maximum speed and light road handling. Distinctive half or full race-style fairings were sometimes mounted to the forks or frame. Along with the rearward located seat, the posture often required rearsets, or rear-set footrests and foot controls, again typical of racing motorcycles of the era. Low, narrow handlebars – known as clip-ons (two separate bars that bolt directly to each fork tube), clubman or ace bars (one piece bars that attach to the standard mounting location but drop down and forward) – enabled the rider to "tuck in", reducing wind resistance and improving control. In addition to light-weight, lightly-powered engine and minimalist bodywork, the café racer typically features distinctive ergonomics. In 2014, journalist Ben Stewart described the café racer as a "look made popular when European kids stripped down their small-displacement bikes to zip from one café hangout to another." Configuration In 1973, American freelance writer Wallace Wyss, contributing to Popular Mechanics magazine, wrote that the term café racer was originally used derogatorily in Europe to describe a "motorcyclist who played at being an Isle of Man road racer" and was, in fact, "someone who owned a racy machine but merely parked it near his table at the local outdoor cafe." The term developed among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s, specifically the Rocker or "Ton-Up Boys" subculture, where the bikes were used for short, quick rides between cafés – in other words, drinking establishments. With bodywork and control layout recalling early 1960's Grand Prix road racing motorcycles, café racers are noted for their visual minimalism, featuring low-mounted handlebars, prominent seat cowling and elongated fuel tank – and frequently knee-grips indented in the fuel tank. The Triumph Thruxton remains the most authentic of the modern café racers and spawned a whole new class of motorcycles from many major manufacturers.A café racer is a lightweight, lightly powered motorcycle optimized for speed and handling rather than comfort – and for quick rides over short distances. High-specification suspension by Ohlins and brakes by Brembo were fitted to the Thruxton R model. In 2016, Triumph completely re-engineered the Thruxton, fitting it with the high-power version of the 1200cc parallel twin engine and retaining the style of the original. In 2004, Triumph took its reborn Bonneville and turned it into the Thruxton 900, using the 900cc parallel twin engine, and completed the style with a single seat, clip-on handlebars, rear-set foot pegs, and reverse-cone mufflers. The original Triumph Thruxton was a limited edition, hand-built, production class racing machine based on the Bonneville T120, first seen at the 1964 Earls Court Motorcycle Show and intended to race at the prestigious 500-mile race at the Thruxton race circuit in England, at the time an important showcase for the manufacturers. With the success of the new Bonneville in 2001, Triumph realized that there was an opportunity to delve further into its history to diversify the range. ![]()
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