The 5 best cafe racer motorcycles (2022)

We are going to talk about 5 of the best cafe racer motorcycles of this year. But first it is interesting to make a brief presentation of the origin of this style.

The cafe racer style comes from the England of the 50's, specifically to the subculture of young people called Rockers or "Ton-Up Boys". Motorcycles, rock and roll and racing were what defined them most.

These young men would go to the trendy coffee shops, such as Ace Cafe or Busy Bee, where they would talk about motorcycles and racing on the Isle of Man. And as good enthusiasts, their main amusement was modifying motorcycles into cafe racers and racing from cafe to cafe. As well as fighting their enemies, the Mods.

The cafe racer idea caught on in the U.S. market, and to this day they are still a very present style. Also in motorcycle clothing, where we can find neo-retro jackets with aerospace fabrics.

1. Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer

This Ducati model, which tries to be a scrambler and cafe racer at the same time, is inspired by the Italian firm's iconic single scramblers of the 60s and 70s. Its styling is more Italian-American than British.

Based primarily on a 75hp, 803cc V-twin engine, this model has been a hit since 2017 thanks to its elegance, good handling and performance.

It has been repeatedly updated with new switches and instrument panel, Bluetooth connectivity, LED lights, Bosch cornering ABS and, slight aesthetic updates.

As a good cafe racer, it is distinguished by its 17-inch wire wheels, seat cowling and small nose fairing. Its silver/blue paint is reminiscent of the 900SS of the 1970s.

2. Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe

Kawasaki introduced its retro roaster model in 2017 and it proved to be a hit due to its powerful 110hp engine and styling inspired by the 1973 Z1.

Not surprisingly, the following year Kawasaki launched a cafe racer version. Essentially the same, but the Cafe has slightly sportier styling with lower one-piece bars, a sleek fairing on the nose and a cut-down seat, all with the classic '70s "Team Green" replica livery.

The Z900RS Cafe is as practical, powerful and durable as any modern motorcycle, but with café racer charm.

The cafe racer jacket with aerospace fabrics (AAA rated)

An aside: Don't forget that if you are going to ride the most advanced on two wheels you also need the best cafe racer gear. In Andromeda we offer you the most innovative cafe racer jacket. 

We continue with the list of motorcycles...

3. Triumph Thruxton RS

British Triumph is a master of retro, as evidenced by this model that blends the original cafe racer design with superior performance.

In 2004 Triumph launched its first modern cafe racer in its 900cc version. Subsequently, in 2016 they completely revised the retro Bonneville family, resulting in a Thruxton with a 1200cc twin-cylinder, a sportier chassis and currently reaching a power output of 103hp. It should be noted that it is also lighter than the previous Thruxton R.

The RS in addition to being a true cafe racer has brilliant performance, sporty electronics including riding modes and traction control, 17-inch light alloy wheels, Ohlins dual rear shock absorbers and more.

4. MV Agusta Superveloce 800

First presented as a prototype to gauge public response in 2018. It was a success, and MV put its retro sports bike into production the following year.

Superveloce is a neo-retro version that pays tribute to the bikes with which it dominated the Motorcycle World Championship decades ago. As a result, a model that does not go unnoticed with its shark-nose fairing and its weight of only 173kg.

The classic is joined by the most modern technology: ABS with cornering actuation, traction control, anti-stall, 5.5-inch TFT screen with smartphone connectivity and more.

It offers the same 147 hp of power and 88Nm of torque as the previous version, but now complies with Euro5 regulations.

5. BMW R Nine T Racer

For this version, BMW was inspired by the superbikes of the 70s, which can be seen in the headlight, the characteristic semi-fairing or in the aggressive driving position.

It has a powerful two-cylinder boxer air-cooled engine, with a capacity of 1170cc and 81kW (110bhp) of power. In addition to ABS as standard and optional ASC.

As usual, BMW offers you the option to customize your R Nine T Racer.