Cafe Racer Phenomenon

Product Description

The Cafe Racer captures the very essence of motorcycling with its stripped-to-the-bone styling & a timeless blend of cat-quick chassis matched to a barn-storming engine. From its roots in the 59 Club home-brewed specials & the creation of the Triton by Dave Degens the Cafe Racer became the must-have Rockers motorbike. It then became the template for a new generation of fast road riders in the 1970s with the rise of Dunstall Rickman Seeley & many more bespoke bike builders. The factories jumped on the bandwagon. Machines like the Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk I Ducati 900SS & the MV Agusta 750S all captured the spirit of the Cafe Racer. Then the slick super fast Japanese sport bikes of the 80s came along & looked set to consign the Cafe Racer special to the history books. But a revival had to happen. The Ace Cafe London re-opened bike builders as diverse as Wakan Fred Krugger Nick Gale & Roland Sands all began to create lean back-to-basics motorcycles but with their own unique twist on Cafe Racer heritage. From the Buell 1125 CR to the Guzzi V7 Sport mainstream modern bikes have also re-discovered their street racing soul. Packed with previously unseen photos machine profiles interviews & personal anecdotes from the glory days of Cafe Racer culture this book takes a look at the enduring cult of the Cafe Racer in all its ton-up glory.