Café Racer Motorcycle Insurance

What you need to know about Cafe Racers

From the name to the style, here's your guide to Cafe Racers

A curious name as a category of motorbikes, the café racer is a machine that has been customised to achieve better speed and handling than mass produced vehicles from major manufacturers. The emphasis is on quick rides over short distances as opposed to riding comfortably over a long stretch.

The name ‘café racer’ refers to the old tradition of motorcycle riders racing from a café to some other predetermined place. A particular interesting tale involves the Ace Café London, where riders would select a certain record on the duke box, mount their bikes for a race and aim to return before the record finishes.

Participation in such events required a motorbike that was quick.

However, as this was the 1960s in England and fast machines were not affordable, many riders began to customise their machines with various racing options.

A standard look of the café racer began to emerge, and in its early days, this involved:

Swept-back pipes
Low and narrow handlebars known as Clip-ons or ‘Ace’ bars
Reverse cone megaphone mufflers or silencers produced by tuning legend Paul Dunstall
TT100 Dunlop tires
Larger carburettors
Rear sets, which are rear-set footrests and foot controls

Everything about the café racer was done to optimise speed. The clip-ons improved rider control and reduced wind resistance, while the rearward located seat with rear sets were typical of aggressive racing models in that era. Its engine was tuned specifically for light road handling at a fast pace.

Although many riders are happy enough to achieve just the look of the café racer, purists would argue that appearance means little in this category of bikes. Built to race rather than for looks, café racers featured minimalist styling. In more modern machines, full or half race style fairings would sometimes be mounted on the fork or frame.

Since café racers are custom machines, one obvious benefit to this type of motorbike is being able to personalise it to your exact requirements. The ever-growing availability of parts means that the possibilities for customisation to achieve top speed are almost infinite.

*One use per customer. Promotion valid until 31/03/2027 and must be used within six months from date of issue. Full terms and conditions can be found here 10% discount code for Sportsbikeshop with Devitt.

**Up to 90 days EU cover is included in all our motorcycle policies. Please see your policy documents full details.

Frequently asked questions about Cafe Racer Insurance

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What bikes are classed as Cafe Racers?

Examples of classic café racers include:

The Triton, which featured a homemade combination of the famous Norton Featherbed frame and the Triumph Bonneville engine.
The Tribsa, which featured the Triumph engine in a BSA frame.

An example of a modern café racer produced by a mainstream manufacturer is the Royal Enfield Continental GT. It is the lightest, fastest and most powerful Royal Enfield machine currently in production.

How do I get an insurance quote for my Cafe Racer?

To give you an insurance quote for your café racer we will need to obtain certain details from you. We will ask you to provide us with details of your bike mileage, what you use your bike for, be it for pleasure, commuting or every day use for example. Further information needed from you includes your occupation, the location of where your bike is stored and whether you have made any modifications to your café racer.

It’s quick and easy to get a quote through Devitt, we have been arranging motorbike insurance since 1936 so you’re in safe hands! You can get a quick quote online today or alternatively give our friendly team of agents a call to get a quote over the phone.