Only places they could go to listen to American Rock 'N roll.
Rock n’ roll music is inextricably tied to the creation and spread of motorcycle culture in the United Kingdom. Specifically, the epicenters were London, and Watford. In the '50s and '60s, young Brits spent their time hanging out at cafés, mostly because they were one of the only places they could go to listen to American Rock 'N roll. The most historically significant cafés were the Busy Bee Café in Watford and The Ace Cafe in London. The daily agenda for the young men of the day was: drink coffee and hang out at The Bee until their welcome wore thin, then dash off to the Ace to do the same. The rock music-loving lads were known by a variety of names, like "Rockers" or "Ton-Up Boys." They dressed like Marlon Brando in 1953’s The Wild One, leather jackets and side-burns, channeling the American greaser scene pushing their hair up into slick pompadours. Naturally, these young people needed some wheels to jet around town.
Young Brits needed a vehicle that was equally equipped for upward mobility. A vehicle that could meet – and enhance – their fast-paced lifestyle. The 1950s saw motorcycles decrease in price and become accessible to working class people. They were perfect for the rough lads of Watford and London, who wanted no-frills, fast-paced vehicles that could allow them to carve up the town. The bikes they rode in those days were lean, with a single racing seat and low handlebars. They were the proto-café racers, and in general, defined the category. Other definitive features include: racing gas tanks (usually sheer aluminum or black-painted), cone megaphone mufflers, swept-back exhaust pipes, TT100 Dunlop tires and rear-set foot pegs. On the backs of these bikes, young men took to the streets of Britain. Naturally, they began using their modest Royal Enfield 650 twins to race one another. There is a tale depicting the first use of the term “café racer.” A trucker at a transport café remarked: “You’re not real racers, ..you’re just café racers!” The rest was history.
Last edited by senor honda; Aug 8, 2022 at 07:57 AM.