Martian Field Guide

Cafe Racers: low handlebars, high speeds

"One of the first widely customized styles of motorcycle, the café racer trend was born out of the poverty of Post War Europe. The café racer, pronounced ‘caff’, was the precursor to the widely popular sportbikes of today. In the 1950s, before the blanket 70 mph speed limit was laid forth unto the masses, the goal of many of these racers was to reach the coveted ‘ton’ or a speed of 100mph while traveling from one transport café to another. Often times the challenge at London’s famous Ace Café on North Circular Road was ‘record racing’. After selecting a Rock and Roll song on the jukebox, the racer would jump on the bike, zoom down the bypass, hit the roundabout and race back before the song was done playing.."

- Written by d/visible contributor Courtney Walker