senor honda

The history:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J_OVRn03r8

Motoculturel



This is not intended as a complete history, rather a look at the highpoints in the café scene which is timely because in recent years, it seems that the term “Café Racer” can be applied to any old motorcycle that has been spray-painted black and fitted with pipe wrap. However, motorcycle enthusiasts who raced each other from café to café were the true Café Racers in the UK during the 1960s.

The most famous of which is the Ace Café, in London, which is still in existence today. There is also a suggestion that the term Café Racer was created as the riders were only pretending to be racers as, instead of using their modified bikes, they just parked them outside cafes to show off. It may also be part of motorcycle folklore too, but it is rumored that these riders would apparently select a record on a café’s jukebox and then race each other to a predetermined place, with the objective of getting back before the record finished. This would then prove their bike was capable of hitting 100 mph.

A café racer is a lightweight, lightly powered motorcycle optimized for speed and handling rather than comfort – and for quick rides over short distances. With bodywork and control layout recalling early 1960's Grand Prix road racing motorcycles, café racers are noted for their visual minimalism, featuring low-mounted handlebars, prominent seat cowling and elongated fuel tank – and frequently knee-grips indented in the fuel tank.

The term developed among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s, specifically the Rocker or "Ton-Up Boys" subculture, where the bikes were used for short, quick rides between cafés – in other words, drinking establishments.

senor honda

ACE CAFE shop forum

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/tr-shop-forums/831199-ace-cafe-orlando-joins-tampa-racing-2.html

senor honda

A bit of history, British bikes Mods, Rockers, Chelsea Bridge Boys
The ton-up club.......Listen to the last interview for their attitude....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw2xKhH53aM


Roadghost88


Didn't understand what the moniker "Ton-up" meant until I asked my father who rode in England back in the early 50s. He told me "ton" was 100mph, and "up", well you can guess. These cats would ride 100+mph whenever they could, for the rush of adrenaline.

Listen to the last interview and you'll get the true "ton-up boy" mentality. They're still around these days, but they ride Japanese sport bikes. You can read about them in the Monday paper, usually dead.

Well, if they couldn't do it on a bike, I suppose they'd get the rush somewhere else. Some of us make it, some of use don't, but that's freedom and I wouldn't have it any other way.

senor honda

Johnnie oddball I was a member of the hackney 59 club where you could ride in after work ride through the club house to a workshop and fix ya bike and chillout and stay if you over done it , I was a dispatch rider for 20 years in London on all sortsof bikes top box tied on with bungy straps mat black bikes like a mad max cast member ,we built bikes for speed and looks and reliability learning the hard way how what worked and what didn't loosing mates on the way

Chelsea bridge to Heston services long after rockers and mods rd350lc rd500 gammas rg250s cb900s guzzis z750 z1300 z100 katanas ,british bikes where cool for bar italia dressing the white scarf n leather jackets like the mod look but it came and went in the 90s , ace café wasn't a café again till late 2000 it was a tyre shop for a many years Blackheath and Chelsea bridge where the tea huts to meet up in the 90s