Cafe Racers: Speed, Style, and Ton-Up Culture

by Michael Lichter, Paul d'Orleans

A photographic chronology of some of the fastest, most stylish, and most individualized bikes in motorcycling history. Originally used as a slur against riders who used hopped-up motorcycles to travel from one transport café to another, café racer describes a bike genre that first became popular in 1960s British rocker subculture - although the motorcycles were also common in Italy, France, and other European countries. The rebellious rock-and-roll counterculture is what first inspired these fast, personalized, and distinctive bikes, with their owners often racing down public roads in excess of 100 miles per hour ("ton up" in British slang), leading to their public branding as "ton-up boys." Café Racers traces café racer motorcycles from their origins in the mid-twentieth century all the way into modern times, where the style has made a recent comeback in North America and Europe alike, through the museum-quality portraiture of top motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter and the text of motorcycle culture expert Paul d'Orléans. Chronologically illustrated with fascinating historical photography, the book travels through the numerous ever-morphing and unique eras of these nimble, lean, light, and head-turning machines. Café Racers visually celebrates a motorcycle riding culture as complex as the vast array of bikes within it.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cafe Racers:Speed,Style and Ton-Up Culture is Lavishly Illustrated throughout with the Best Subjects in the Cafe Racers genre chosen. The photography and the style of the photography is TOP Notch,The Cover Bike is Gorgeous, My Favorites Being The Triumphs,Harleys and Ducati. I would have like to have seen More Kawasaki specifically a Z1 and even More Harley Davidson's.The only thing I Strongly Disliked was towards the end in the last chapter the Author describing his political Ideology as being a Anarchist while he moved to San Fran, this little detail no one cares about stick to bikes and not showing off how "Counter-Culture" and Anti-Establishment one might be to be "cool" and "hip". I also don't appreciate the pot shots at "Plastic" 80s Sportbikes,being 32 I grew up on said Pocket Rockets and Love The Ninja so I don't take kindly to trash talking the Ninja which along with other Sportbikes I Love(Specifically the Ninja and GSX-R,and Yamaha, and the Eddie Lawson Replica Kawa.)I later Loved and still do Harley's and could not stand "Naked Bikes". But I appreciate the Cafe Racer style bike specifically as close to the era as possible. Regardless of one's age you will love the book and if your not familiar with the bikes and bike builders you will be, this book the publisher did a AWESOME Job with and it was well worth the Wait,If you Love Motorcycles Like I do you will love the detail that went into these Works of Art and this book which itself is a work of art.

[Hunter Marston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quality.