Honda New Cafe Racer 2018
Top 10: Cafe racers in 2020
Cafe Racers are all the rage right now, so we've compiled our top 10 options based on price, style and performance.
Top 10: 125cc Motorcycles 2019 | Top 10: Maxi Scooters 2019
1
Triumph Street Twin
Price: £8100
Triumph has significantly upgraded the Street Twin for 2019 and made many of the modifications a keen café racer rider would likely make themselves. This means more power, up to 65PS from the old bike's 55PS, while stronger brakes make a big improvement to confidence and stopping power. The ride and handling are better, too, courtesy of new KYB front forks. Perhaps one of the most notable changes to the Street Twin is the addition of rider modes.
This gives you a choice of Road or Rain settings and there's quite a marked difference between them, with the Road setting giving a much sharper throttle response. Switch to Rain and the power delivery is softened off to keep things calm on slippery surfaces. Either way, the Street Twin is a pleasure to ride and captures that essential café racer spirit with its gutsy 900cc parallel twin motor.
2
Royal Enfield Continental GT
Price: £4999
Café racers are all about fun and style, and the Royal Enfield Continental GT delivers both by the fistful. Just from the looks, you know this motorcycle is going to be a hoot to ride as it has the classic cut-off rear seat and canted forward riding position. That does mean it's more of a weekend toy than weekday commuter, but few will worry about that when riding the Continental.
A pokey 535cc single-cylinder motor thumps away to produce 30PS and works well through the five-speed gearbox. It revs surprisingly keenly for a big single and doesn't become too vibey when pushed hard. Ridden faster, you'll notice the suspension is softer than expected, which is good for comfort but not as great for corners but the strong brakes let you take speed off efficiently. At this sort of price and with that name on the tank, the Royal Enfield is a great deal.
3
Bullit Spirit 125
Price: £2399
A quick glance and you could easily believe the Bullit Spirit 125 is a genuine bike from the 1960s that has had the café racer treatment. Then you start to notice the subtle modern twists like the upside down front forks and the remote oil reservoir for the rear damper. This gives the Spirit decent handling and ride comfort, which is ideal for a bike aimed at urban use, though we'd probably swap to better quality tyres than the standard fare to make the most of the Bullit's ability.
A simple single-cylinder 125cc engine gives 12PS, which is plenty for a bike of this style and it sounds reasonably convincing when worked hard. An aftermarket exhaust will no doubt be high on the list of add-ons for many owners. Otherwise, the Spirit is big on value, small on price and bang on for style.
4
Kawasaki W800 Café
Price: £9099
Kawasaki is very keen to point out that 90% of the latest W800 is new compared to the previous generation. That's certainly the case where the hardware is concerned, but the W800 still looks every inch the real 1960s classic but without the headaches of daily maintenance. There are two versions of the W800 and the Café comes with a bikini fairing and truncated seat to impart that vital look.
The 773cc parallel twin engine is now Euro4 compliant yet it's still air-cooled to keep the classic looks with all of the fins there for a reason rather than just looks. It makes 48PS to be A2 licence friendly and the motor gives quite a gentle power delivery. However, the Café's clip-on handlebars add a racier feel to the riding position and this W800 can be pushed along at a reasonable lick. Most owners will prefer to bask in the details, though, such as the tank pad, different dial faces and the superb paint job that justify the price.
5
Honda CB300R
Price: £4579
Honda describes the CB300R as a 'Neo Sports Café Racer', which is another way of saying it's updated the classic theme for this commuter-cum-weekend fun bike. We've no gripes with what Honda calls it as the CB300R is a cracking good ride at a very fair price. The 286cc single-cylinder motor kicks out 32PS that's plenty to have a good time on around town and on the open road. Nipping through traffic is a CB300R forte and the riding position means daily commutes are easy and enjoyable.
The CB300R also has that Honda air of quality in all of its details, so you know it will last the distance. Taking on longer trips is no bother thanks to the soft-ish setting of the suspension that trades a little ultimate handling ability for a more rounded skill set. Just about the only thing we'd like to see Honda add is a gear indicator to the dash.
Honda New Cafe Racer 2018
Source: https://kit.honestjohn.co.uk/top-tens/top-10-cafe-racers-2020/
