The Cafe Racer Phenomenon
Will be published approx. on 15. September 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
96 pages
978-1-84584-264-2 (ISBN)
Description
The Cafe Racer captures the very essence of motorcycling, with its stripped-to-the-bone styling and a timeless blend of cat-quick chassis, matched to a barn-storming engine.
From its roots in the '59 Club, home-brewed specials and 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 and many more bespoke bike builders.
The factories jumped on the bandwagon. Machines like the Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk I, Ducati 900SS and 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, and 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 and 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, and 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.
From its roots in the '59 Club, home-brewed specials and 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 and many more bespoke bike builders.
The factories jumped on the bandwagon. Machines like the Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk I, Ducati 900SS and 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, and 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 and 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, and 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.
Reviews / Votes
"If you're a biker of the '60s. cafe racer or not, you'll lap this book up. With plenty of photos and anecdotes galore, if you're simply interested in what makes motorcycling special, you'll like it too!" - Motorcycle Rider"Photographs there are in plenty, the b/w pics of the sixties are to me especially interesting ..." - NacelleFor anyone who lived through the motorcycle culture of the '50s, '60s, and '70s, or even those who didn't, the book is packed with info and images related to cafe racers and the Rockers who loved them. With a stack of black & white photos liberally scattered through its 96 pages, the tome traces the origin of the cafe racer and the rebellious spirit that went with it, going on to detail the uptake of the style by manufacturers themselves." - Motorcycle TraderMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
David & Charles
Dimensions
Height: 190 mm
Width: 205 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight
281 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84584-264-2 (9781845842642)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Alastair Walker
The Café Racer Phenomenon
E-Book
10/2015
Princeton University Press
€11.49
Available for download
Person
Riding motorcycles from 1975, Alastair has tested classic Vincents and 190mph Suzuki Hayabusas. He has toured New Zealand, Oregon, California and most of Europe by motorcycle and followed the Paris-Dakar rally as a journalist in 2001. His favourite motorcycle in 30 years of biking was his Honda 400/4 as "it was the first bike I ever did the magic ton on and got my knee down whilst riding. Fabulous 70s classic."
With over 2500 features published on motorcycles, cars and scooters worldwide, Alastair has written for the Manchester Evening News, Bike, T.W.O. Classic Bike Guide, MSL, Classic Mechanics, NZ Motorcycle Trader, Dealernews USA, and edited online magazine insidebikes.com from 2000-07.
His books include Scooterama and The Cafe Racer Phenomenon.
With over 2500 features published on motorcycles, cars and scooters worldwide, Alastair has written for the Manchester Evening News, Bike, T.W.O. Classic Bike Guide, MSL, Classic Mechanics, NZ Motorcycle Trader, Dealernews USA, and edited online magazine insidebikes.com from 2000-07.
His books include Scooterama and The Cafe Racer Phenomenon.
Content
Foreword by Dave Degens, Mark Wilsmore 1 The Rockers' Ride - look back at early days, the cafe scene in London and UK, rock n roll, quiffs etc. First Cafe Racer bikes built by amateurs and Dave Degens, then Dunstall, Seeley, Kirby et al. 2 Putting on the style - How the cafe racer developed and grew through the 60s, the links with race-proven Brit bikes, chassis builders tweaks to basic concept, the improved suspension, braking of late 60s/early 70s. The arrival of Japanese engines en masse early 70s, huge shake-up of Cafe Racer cottage industry in the UK. 3 Factory Rides and Bolt-On Goodies. The craze catches on in the 70s, factory bikes like Ducati 750/900 SS, Guzzi Le Mans define the styling of the era, Bimota, Moto Martin, Harris and others push the envelope in design and performance, whilst others start selling 'bolt-on' kits for 250-1000cc production bikes. 4 The Specialists - In-depth look at some of the most influential chassis fabricators of the Cafe Racer phenomenon; Dave Degens/Dresda, Norman Hyde, Harris, Rickman, Bimota, Fritz Egli. 5 The Revival - Brief look at the Cafe Racer fading in 80s and 90s, then revived by factory models like Triumph's Speed Triple 900, Honda GB500TT, Voxan, plus Ace Cafe revived late 90s, custom builders like Mecatwin, Numero Tre begin to inspire enthusiasts around the world. 6. Cafe Racer Directory - a listing of specialist Cafe Racer bike builders, parts suppliers, clubs, insurers etc. plus websites, magazines dedicated to the cult. Good advertiser potential here.