Vintage Style: Cafe Racers - The Downshift Episode 19
2012 ж. 4 Мау.
8 468 699 Рет қаралды
On this episode of The Downshift, we take a look at the stylish world of Cafe Racers and the vintage motorcycles they love.
The Downshift appears every Tuesday on the new Motor Trend channel.
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"You never see a motorbike in front of a psychiatry office" - I like that.
unless its court ordered XD
"Psychiatrist's office"
Ratty RatStuff Ha ha
Yep. The low hits, so I ride the country roads of Dorset. Cheaper than therapy
me, a psychiatrist that drives a motorbike to work would disagree.
bikes are just one of the best inventions on the history of the planet earth
shit head
+Finn Chverch is there something wrong with you mother young man I am sure your real father doesn't give a shit probably because of your 12 years of existence
NOPE, Not the Bikes, but Wheels. :P
The greatest invention was the wheel. 2nd greatest was ice cream
I aggred with u man also l think still apocalypt future the bike will be more important transportation way
Drugs and drinking ? No. Not at all. The 'ton up boys' only drank coffee. In the 60's leather jacket and motorcycles were not welcome in pubs. So they would hang around in cafes. . . . . hence the name "cafe racer".
None of this US stuff good old british bikes good old british cafes
Yea, i know! "as fast as their lives were" it was just good legal fun..... I don't think they know how it really was, mixing mods with rockers...!
Good to hear, have a cafe racer myself and now I feel more connected because I dont do drugs I do coffee :P
hmmm. I would have raided the fuck out of the pub with my leather-jacket-dressed motorcycle crew for not welcoming us. Motherfucking pricks
T0BBi94 sorry to tell you bro.. Coffee is a drug lol
I’m 52 and just started riding about 6 months ago. The one guy said it so true, ‘you have to ride a bike to know what it’s about.’ No one can tell you and it’s not gonna be for everyone. But if you got on that bike and now you can’t imagine life without it........well that’s it, right there, that’s riding!
that's pretty much it. Mainlining freedom.
I'm 17 and always drea.ed of riding now that I am riding have 2 bikes, I'm currently building a cafe racer it's an amazing feeling
I'm a 66 year old Watford boy, our Cafe was the Busy Bee on the A41 not a long ride from the Ace, guess what, I still have my Triton.
my dad was one of the originals back in the mid 50s to the mid 60s he used to build bikes for other people as well as his own i grew up with British bikes . we lost my dad in 1979 he was on his way home after a late shift he was hit by a drunk driver early hours of the morning after all the bike he rode the day he died he was on a 90cc step thru i still miss my dad so much if he was alive today he would be in his 70s he would still be riding a British bike
+subseatiger So what? You missed the point.
Andy Coakes carry on the tradition my friend get a trumpet
Andy & amandas art dogs & V logs m
Thanks for sharing, sorry about your dad ....ignore the morons and their comments
Sorry to here this about your dad xxxden
I was a 20 years old when I first discovered the café racer world and I knew that was going to be a part of my life now 5 years later I got my first motorcycle and I couldn't be happier.
kzhead.info/sun/dK2wacefiquMiqc/bejne.html
This was a really good watch. I just bought a vintage "72 Honda CL350 and I'm tearing into it. Really fun project, and I can't wait to ride it. It was made the same year I was born. My first street bike.
In the 1960’s I watched the ton-up boys race from Johnson’s Café on the A20 in Kent - they raced from the café, past Brands Hatch race track and down Death Hill to the roundabout at the bottom and back up the hill to the café. There were BSA Gold Stars, Rocket Gold Stars Triumph Bonnevilles and even a Vincent. The sounds were fantastic. Some riders didn’t bother with helmets; just a leather jacket, jeans and shades for eye protection. I was too young to join in then, but it’s amazing to see that the British café racer style and culture has spread worldwide over 50 years on - Great Stuff!
Loved the video. Love even more the vintage cafe racers
One of the best little bike vids I've seen for ages I'm very excited now
Great video! Cafe racer culture is so cool! I can’t wait to finish my Honda CB650 brat cafe build!
Fantastic episode. Fantastically produced. Loved it.
I've been wanting one of these for a long time. Great bikes.
I just love guys like you who love motorcycle, especially a cafe racer.
i totally agree, i've only just turned 17 and got onto the road but i been following the cafe racer scene since i was 10 and i'm building my own at the moment! its not about where your from or what year the whole point of a cafe racer was to show theres no limits and enjoy the freedom of the open road
you're 27 now! wow
I currently riding a 2014 Cafe/Bobber style Iron 883. I am definitely going to get another cafe modified to my liking, I just love the vibe and style of Cafe Racing.
Great video, keep the passion alive! You don't have to be a Rocker/Greaser and love Rockabilly/50s Rock'n'Roll to ride a café racer bike.
just found this video. takes me back a bit. used to own a 58 ajs 600 csr and yes we raced. great bike. wish I could ride it just one more time.
I am digging these bikes! So glad to see this style coming back in style. Yeah baby.
I came across Deus some years ago and loved the bikes. While working in L.A. I one day drove past the store in L.A. and had to take a look. Pulled up into the parking lot expecting a motorcycle shop, smell of grease and oil and motorcycles that are being built. The joy of finding this place by chance was short lived. First thing I can see is a large table at witch a bunch of people are sitting. All men and all looked like they came out of the same mold. Big beard long hair tied to a bun, all staring at the screen of a macbook and most probably drinking non fat, decaf, extra foam latte with a triple shot. I doubt that any of them actually have or ride a Bike. The shop is a boutique for all sorts of clothes and hipster wear. Two or three bikes that are pure props for the merchandise and lifestyle bullocks, are placed in the showroom. All walls are covered in shelves filled with wearables and so are the tables in the middle of the room. : ( The actual bikeshop is added on to the rear end of the building and does not look like it is the main theme of at least this store. I am a petrolhead and love motorcycles and building them, but this was a monster of a disappointment. My hat comes of for the marketing of this brand, that successfully latched on to the motorbike world of custom build motos to sell s*!t that none of us riders need. Well done deus, but nothing worth looking at if you are really interested in their really nice builds, that no doubt Deus dose build somewhere. Fazit: Love the bikes you build, but will not visit a store again. I think they even had avocado toast on the menu.
For those looking for the songs playing in the video, They're "Esmae", "Outta my mind", "Sheila", all of them by The Black Tibetans :)
m8 you are THE dudu that now what up with mousic and motorbike.Thanks for the name of the bands .RIDE ONE
Thanks for the heads up with songs to avoid :)
Cool. I was trying to find out who it was.
I grew up on late 1960 and early 1970s bikes and they pretty cool. I'm glad so new riders are now enjoying those bikes because the simplicity of those bikes is appealing. That said it hurts my knees and back to crawl around working on them these days so the modern retro are my bike of choice. I still love the look, smell and feel of the late 1960s bikes but enough to still ride them.
I watch this every morning before going to work with my cafe racer. 👌
My dad and my uncles were cafe racers back in the 60's I hope one day I'll be able to join that tradition ☺
Did you make it?
@@heroicpadde unfortunately not not enough time or money
@@daviddelano-oakes1082 sorry to hear that :/
Hope you make it 🤘
Something old but it's feel When it getting on the road 🤙
You Guys just talk a lot of sense , Brilliant ,,,,,RESPECT
Guy leaving with his kickstand down during the intro LOL I want to see more of that CBX!
This literally explained how I feel about my bike even though life force me to live in my van for a little while I’m not giving up on my bike it’s my hope
Yeah,back just before the Japanese bikes hit the market I was riding European and/or English machines.The "cafe" bikes were pretty much any bike you lightened up and added a bit of horsepower to.Man,we had a ball with those things!I still have my old Commando and give a ride once in a while,and it's still fun even after the years have passed.I'm not getting any younger and either is that bike but neither of us is dead yet so ....
I have a CB250 in the shed that a mate wants me to Caff Race for him ! It's early 70's and looks like the red one at the start of this vid. I'm enjoying watching and getting inspiration . This Honda will be more show than go - my mate owns a Cafe and this will be a great accessory !
Friendship and brotherhood began through riding since from late 50s and 60s.... Respect
0:13 side stand down, hope he's okay
metubeusercom made me cringe!
jackknife - still it better than what I did, taking off with disc lock on........
and Me last year in a car park what a pick (I would never do that ha ha ) :)
Pepeminati i
*tapping at the shoulder* We all did that at some point in life my friend ^^
feelin that bro i love some from almost all categories and wish i had one of each....go figure a biker that loves....bikes. Spect bro
Absolutely love the caff racer look.
In 1984 when I was 20 I had a 79 RD 400 Daytona Special, dropped the bars, put expansion chambers on it, re-jetted it, Webber filters, Pirelli phantoms. It was my pride and joy and the most favorite bike or car I've ever owned. That little beast was a rocket. It'd didn't have high end speed but man you got there fast. Ripping around the streets I left many a much bigger bikes in the dust. I miss that bike : )
0:16, one the cool cafe dudes is riding with his kickstand down
0:15 side stands is down... Hope you make it back Racer!
Loved it. Hope one day i can own one of these.
Very varied take on the 'caff racer' scene. Ace stuff!
i'd die happy if i have one classic bike like those
aldrin cydriex luna buy honda cb series, and costumize it. not expensive as it looks
As a cafe racer I like BMW the most cause of the boxer motor. Looks so cool :)
saw a couple of cb350 fours in there. had one back in the seventys, loved it.
Have a 78’ cb400a hondamatic and enjoy watching this !
Gonna buy me a RE continental GT. Gonna take it on all my favourite twisties! It's gonna be a blast!
Did you got it, mate?
ten days.... and i will ride again!!!! From Italy! Ducati maniac!
From England, a Guzzi maniac, who knows what you're talking about.
one of my fav vids...love cafe racer bikes..
been riding since 15 .. 40 years later . still riding multi countries ! love it
Hammer Video!! Bin selber großer Fan der Café Racer Reihe!!! Macht weiter so !!!!! Gruß Manu !
definantly not a good thing to watch while waiting for parts....
Hahahahha dat feel
Ex member of the 59 club in Hackney. My brother took me out on his bikes...Douglas, BSA. The Tudor cafe at Alexandra Palace was a big hangout in the 60's too.
This guys are really living life
They met at Cafes not raced between Cafes - the ultimate would prob be a Triton - with parts from Dunstall or Dresden - a Triumph Bonnie engine in a Slim Line Norton Featherbed Frame - Vent 2 or 4 leading shoe brake - Chrome Headlight - Clip ons - Aoloy tank- rear sets - single seat
+Trev S build it
EJtoch Nah we have an MZ Skorpion
+Trev S Correct Trev, how could they win a bet if they ended up at a completely different cafe from the one they'd put the record on the jukebox at. Indeed they raced to the nearest (traffic) roundabout so they could maintain the speed and get back before the record finished.....and rock & roll records where very short in those days.
mcgeechan6600 We knew our Grandpa would know this stuff
+Trev S Don't forget the Rickman Matisse 750 head
I saw this video when they first uploaded it. And now a month later I'm buying my first motet cycle and it's a cafe bike :) I can honestly say, I contribute 90% of my reasoning of buying that bike, on this video :) its a 1979 Honda cx500 :) very custom :)
It’s been 9 years. Are you still riding?
The cx500 engine looks great in a caff racer.
Im glad i clicked this video 🤗 love it
Worked with an Ex-Rocker that used to frequent the Ace Cafe back in 63 by the name of Chris , Superb fella and had some good stories to tell about the Mods and rockers of the time. i went to The Ace back in 2004 on my CBR600 for a mass ride out to the center of London , Great day and hope to purchase (Off my Son) his CB650 Cafe racer and go back again next year :) i live about 50 miles away from the Ace so shouldn't be a problem
Love the look of café bikes, but damn, those low bars gotta be hard on the arms and wrists!
gwwayner precisely what i have imagined, very uncomfortable when you drive 2 hours straight
gwwayner and your back too
+gwwayner Hey man! Could you help me by letting me know the motorbike model from minute 1:45 to 1:49? Thanks so much!
if you put your passion on cafe racers, you can ride that like forever with no problems
Not necessarily... I've ridden a Guzzi Le Mans, a colourful factory cafe with the cafe handlebars, from Southern Spain to Belgium and back several times. Or gone from Seville to Barcelona in one straight on a 250 Bultaco Metralla that I used to road-race.
Cafe,cafe, cafe at the cafe then back to the cafe for more cafe.
Love it. You guys should do a 2014 Bonneville t100 video if you haven't already. New tech + old looks = perfection IMHO.
rode cafe racers in the 70s, the last one was a 72 Norton Commando FastBack 750. But nothing beats the comfort of my Vulcan Voyager
One day! In Sha Allah soon! Vrrrooooommmmmm
The true spirit of the original cafe racers is embodied far more by the working class guys riding modern streetfighters & tricked up sports bikes than by the middle class hipsters of the current 'scene' Thats not me hating hipsters, just a statement of fact. The only guys I've ever met at a proper greasy spoon cafe to go tearing up the countryside at twice the speed limit were all the former, not the latter
I love those 'trendy' cafe racers/brat style Rob, 'and' I was born on a council estate. Let's not let the middle class hipsters have all the stylish fun!
+Mr C I like some of the bikes I just dont like the pretence they are carrying on a tradition, when in fact they are just aping a style. When you look at the whole new skool bike scene there's a lot off elitist aestheticism that is totally at odds with what the original cafe racers were about & I just don't buy into it all - nothing wrong with the bikes.
Exactly
Many of these hipsters buy their machines off the peg and bolt stuff on.
Well I hate hipsters. What a bunch of posers they are
looking into getting a 76 cb125. love the cafe racer style.
Thats the riders attitude mate. good for you, and lets have more like you !!
This is generally a load of bollocks. That whole "racing while the record played" - bullshit. And that guy who alludes to taking drugs and partying - also bullshit, for the most part, tonups didn't take drugs (no money for one thing) and didn't go to (or got thrown out of) pubs. Transport cafes were cheap, roomy meeting places with a parking lot. Somewhere to meet your mates, not spend a lot of money you didn't have to spend, and with space to park your bike. Simple! Watch (or read) "Up the Junction" or "Some People" to get an idea of how gritty and impoverished things really were in those days. FWIW I am old enough to remember, and I still have a Triumph 650 in the garage.
buy a heap of an old bike... Do it up, customise it, make it your own and don't give a toss what other people think... Its yours and an extension of your personality.. Its about the culture of the ton up boys not what bike it is or what you look like.. Its about getting the most power and handling out of a machine.... I think people look into things to much . Ps.... Its all about lane splitting... I feel sorry for most of you in the US... Stupid fookin laws
doin this with 1984 iiron head, ive fallen in love with her
Most Americans who drive cars could not stand seeing motorbikes lane-splitting. They would get angry because we are moving, and they are not. Especially certain citizens of certain states. Maryland-ers would lose their minds. Floridians and the tourists already cannot drive, so it would be way dangerous down there. However, Commiefornia legalised lane-splitting a handful of years ago. That is the only place it was has been accepted as folks with good weather all year 'round see bikes everywhere and know that air-cooled have to keep going and cannot sit in the traffic jams that snag their interstates for hours on end. In the United States, they will literally give anyone a license and it has been that way for decades. Plus, nowadays most folks (unfortunately) are lazy and drive automatics. Boring, too. Stupid laws? No, more like Driving While Stupid. Thank goodness for motorcycles and all the beautiful brands and dealerships we have in the U.S. Not to mention, beautiful scenery from sea to shining sea. Vast. Immense. Incredible. Diverse. Hope you get to ride a bike cross-country sometime.
Great video! We here at VikingBags really love your content!
Son espectaculares !!!
Anyone notice the guy going out with his sidestand down? 0:15
Not until you mentioned it !. Dangerous that. Left turn OOH! dear me. Now where is my 59 T110 with E3134`s etc. ?. Remember the white lettering at the ACE CAFE ?. The Canal behind and the 59 club ?. Is it still there ?. The best days of this planets existence. Pure Halcyon times.
Cafe racers - Just another great thing we Brits gave to the World. And which Americans have taken to their hearts.
Another great time was 1991-1995 .early rave days.
cafe racers are the scourge of the motorcycle world
@@crobulari2328 It's still there, catering to the hipsters. The only Halcyon times now are my goggles, which are still as useful as they were back in the day.
im more of a Bobber type a guy, but do respect this fuckers!
cant get enough of watching this
That is my favourite video about Cafe Racers.
When I ride, I'm at Peace!
Wow 7 years ago. Still riding?
Rest in peace
That’s what she said
Hung Huy1 month ago which type of motorcycle at 5:42 , pleazzz ? thanks guys : Looks like a 70s Honda 500/4 engine
similar to the Cafe Scorpio on DeusCustoms website
It's either a 500/4 or 550/4 the end caps on the camshaft show that so 70's for sure.
I think that it is so cool that not only is Ace Café still in existence but so is the culture.
My Dad rode (with my mom) through Austria after WWII (around 1949-52) on a BSA 250 armybike with fixed rear axle-no suspension). We still have some inch sized tools(wrenches) from that time (we use cm here). ;-)
We used to hang out at the Busy Bee they were great days one lad rode his bike in to the cafe gave it a real fist full Fun times We rode to the Ace and used to Frizz be plates at the Modes. We were told in 99% of pubs no bikers .We one time after a land lord told us to clear off went back in our Sunday best there where over twenty of us ordered a bar full of beer there it was all glassed up we said do you serve bikers he said no their scum and oil up my yard We said we are bikers so we better leave.
Hey buddy, yeah you with the sparkle helmet, you got your handlebars on upside down! .......27 guys turn around.........
So many channels and only this one matters😍the most
Super j’adore …. Tout ce que j’ai déjà fait dans les années 80 !!!
Motor Trend please separate your Channels so it's easier to find and enjoy The Downshift and Ignition etc ?? !! The Aussie guy from Deus is talking bollox, they didn't do drugs and alcohol, it was tea and coffee and Coca-Cola as they were hanging out at Roadside Cafés, the British equivalent of a Truck Stop / Diner !!!
Sale_Shark i
I dont buy expensive car cause when I sit on a car I can only see interior. But I can still see the beauty of the bike while sitting on the bike
wtf lol
if thats the only reason....drive downtown and watch your expensive car in the store windows......
I have had many Motorcycles over the years. My Norton 1971 850 commando with broken mufflers, just header pipes, doing wheel stand while power shifting 1st-2nd still brings back wonderful memories. My dumb brother sold the Norton for a Honda CB750 to say the least I was pissed. Now, Shifting a GSXR 750 at 14000rpm 1st-2nd is ahh just as wonderful. I still have my Triumph T150V, I have not started it lately.
Very retro , cool bikes, did not know that the name came from racing cafe to cafe!
Made the mistake of watching 5 more minutes of this..George Barris and his customization in the 40s and 50s? Try 60s and 70s.
“Riding a bike, you have to do it to know what it is”
Great to see all you Americans enjoying and keeping the Cafe racer thing going! it's a real compliment to the UK. Remember,,,,,"Turn from the future, put your back to the present and face the past!" It's way more interesting!
Exactly! I’m 31 and my Yamaha is 39. Can’t believe it was 8 more years here than me.
Cool machines, but there is nothing "over-engineered" in today's sport bikes. Everything that it's there has a purpose, either being faster, easier, or safer. And if you take a modern bike and "go cafe" with her, you'll probably just make her slower.
haha this is too true tbh
Back in the day, the available sport bikes were rare and expensive. You built sport bikes out of standard, available bikes. Performance came from removing heavy bits, shaving many pounds. Engines were warmed up, suspensions tuned, rearsets and low handlebars installed. That was the essence of the cafe racer. A modern sportbike's performance is beyond the ability of most riders and even beyond the capabilities of many roadrace bikes of the 60's and 70's. These new cafe bikes are styling exercises. They can't begin to compete with the performance of a modern showroom stock sportbike. There are riders that can really go on their cafe bikes, however.
cafe racer is all about improving the speed and handling
@@phlodel At the time, it was all about improving speed and handling, but by the time the '80's rolled around, the stock factory bikes were faster and handled just as well. The only problem with the stock '80's bikes, was that they were bland and you needed a track to use them to their full potential. There is something about riding a bike flat out, than on 3/4 throttle, and a sixties to seventies café racer is something you can still use all of it's performance, while wishing you had just a little more.
@@carljones8334 Gotta admit, it's cool to unscrew the throttle to the stop and kick a few gears. I don't want to go back to spending hours and hours modifying my bikes. I like to ride, not tinker. So I ride less than the top sport bikes. My current bike is a KTM 690 Duke.
just started building one from a honda cm 125 i found in a dump, horrible condition, no documents. Deep shit awaits ahead of me.
did you accomplish it?
Ted Winchester now what
How's it going?
The driving scene is so dynamic that the video is so good. Thank you. Subscribe. From South Korean KZheadr Woongkham.👍👍👍
A couple times I saw a Yamaha XS750 there with the tear drop tank... I've got an '80 XS850 I've been thinking of going café racer styling with.
dont forget that cafra are from England not Japan ....
0:15 you forgot to kick up ur kickstand dude!!
I saw that too 👊
I had a Kawasaki Mach 3, 3 cylinder two stroke back in the day. Crazy fast with a light blue cloud of exhaust... no engine compression braking, just freewheeling with the 2 stroke....touch of 2 stroke oil on my leathers.
Beautiful video. LOVELY bikes!
Hi.. i need information about the red honda in 0:11-0:15 minute.. but this honda. thanks
They make them now with a side stand that you can put up before you pull away :o)
Looks to me to be a Honda cb250, correct me if I'm wrong
Looks like a CB450 to me.
Can't decide if I want a cafe racer or a supermoto
Why?
Why not both?
That Honda EK3 cuvic at,the background. Nice
When I was a kid I used to hang out at the Triumph/BSA dealer down the street from my house, sweeping the floor, cleaning parts, anything just to be around those beautiful English bikes. Great memories.....