Cafe racer origins

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scan · #1 Post by **scan** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:16 am

Watched a great show on TV last night. Modern Marvels is a regular show on the History Channel I think. Not sure, but I think that's right. They focus on all the different significant developments in our world. This one was focused on the motorcycle. They spent way too much time on Harley, but I did learn a few new things, which I will share one with you in this post.

In the 50/60s guys would ride their bikes from coffee cafe to coffee cafe and at the time these guys were riding the bikes we call cafe racers. Because they ran from cafe to cafe they got this name. Wow, I had no idea. These were the forrunners of sportsbikes. British bikes for the most part. One of the big contest was to run from the cafe to distant location and be back before a longer song on the juke box would end. Sounds like a cool time for bikers.

JCS · #2 Post by **JCS** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:23 am

A lot of this was centered around the Ace Cafe in London. I think it is still there.
This is also where the Tritons came into popularity. If you watch around there are some still on the road. Sweet!!!

scan · #3 Post by **scan** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:31 am

Yeah, that was cool. They talked about the tritons a bit too. One of the highly coveted bikes was the Norton engine in the Triumph frame. The way the show explains this they say it took riders to create a whole new motor cycle. Chopping and stretch was the next step, later in two wheel history. Thanks for bring up the tritons, I'd forgotten about that part.

Pongo · #4 Post by **Pongo** » Mon May 08, 2006 3:42 am

Triton was usually a marriage of Triumph engine and Norton Featherbed frame.

Also there were NorBsa and NorVin, both utilising Norton featherbed frame and BSA or Vincent engines.