6 Best Cafe Racer Motorcycles
So you won a retro cafe racer motorcycle in 2024, but you’re not quite sure which one to choose.
Our picks of the best on the market in price order ascending and along the way we’ll tell you which bike is right for which type of rider.
XSR 125
The most affordable price point and also the most accessible in terms of learner licenses is the Yamaha XSR 125.
it was a really nice bike for a 125 with a level of attention to detail and quality to the finish that you don’t always find at this end of the market.
15 horsepower, of course, never gonna knock your socks off, but it’s still a really fun little bike to ride on the road and you get your satisfaction from pinning it wide open wherever you go, as opposed to face melting acceleration.
I also really like that it’s not too low in the seat height as many beginner friendly bikes can be, and so 850 MM the seat, it still has a bit of that big bike feel to it.
Now while you might not think it’s a cafe racer style bike straight away, if you do delve into the accessories catalog, 6 Best Cafe Racer Motorcycles
you can find a front fairing for around 200 quid and it does give it a little bit of a resemblance to the bikes of, yes, the year at 4,802 pounds,
this is the bike I’d go for if I was on a tight budget or if I was on a learner license but wanted something that look cool.
Continental GT
Next on the list, we have the continental GT from Royal Enfield at 6,599 pounds, which I think is great value for money considering what you get.
This is a 650 parallel twin with a two 70 degree crank, and so while it doesn’t necessarily make a huge amount of power at 47 horses peak, it more than makes up for it with character and air cooled soul.6 Best Cafe Racer Motorcycles
In fact, I think it’s probably the bike on the list that feels the most authentically retro and they’ve absolutely nailed it in the styling department Too,
the spoke wheels on some of the bikes, the stretched out fuel tank, the bench seat, the seat car that’s available as an accessory all combined for something that I think a non biker could easily confuse with a genuine cafe classic.
The only thing that some riders might not get on with is the more sporty riding position with a pair of clip-on style bars that get you a little low and over the front, and whilst there isn’t the most aggressive cafe position on the list, it’s still significantly less comfy than the upright equivalent, which is the interceptor 650.
Still, if you can get yourself into a cafe style tuck, then I reckon this is a great shout. If you want something that more closely resembles something from the sixties or seventies. 6 Best Cafe Racer Motorcycles
SV 650X
At 7,699 pounds though, another great option is the Suzuki SV 650X, which basically takes their proven and pretty much legendary 650 platform and gives it a slight styling update that makes it look a little bit more cafe esque, along with some clip-on style bars for that more sporting rider triangle.
Now admittedly, it’s certainly not the most authentic looking bike on the list with a bit of a mix of modern and some more traditional little touches,
but what you do get in this bike is a peach of a 650 V twin that makes 71 horsepower peak along with a fairly slender 200 kilogram wet weight that should combine for plenty of fun out on the road. 6 Best Cafe Racer Motorcycles
In fact, the SV is such a proven sporty workhorse that you’ll see them at track days all over the world in various states of modification.
And so if you want something with a little bit of retro style but underneath is fundamentally a great bike to ride without too much compromise, then this is certainly want to demo.
V7 STONE CORSA
Now perhaps my favorite looking back on the list is the new motor guzzi V7 stone corer, which was announced at the backend of 2023 to go on sale for the 24 model year.
It’s not particularly fundamentally different to the v7 that have gone before it with the same transverse V twin that makes about 65 horsepower,
the same steel cradle frame and a lot of the same fundamentals like the wheels, suspension and brakes. 6 Best Cafe Racer Motorcycles
But what you do get is this beautiful styling package that gives it plenty of that cafe racer vibe with a little fairing seat cow bar and mirrors and a fantastic paint job that helps it to look a touch more racy than the other bikes in this lineup.
Kawasaki W800 Cafe
The Kawasaki W800 Cafe was dropped a few years back now, but at 9,099 pounds when it was new, it was a great option.
Again, if you want is something air cooled and authentic like the Anfield or the Moto gutsy.
I wouldn’t say you get quite as much performance with this bike for your money at 47 Horsepower Peak combined with a relatively hefty weight of 223 kilograms we, and it also has flat and high bars as opposed to the more traditional cafe style clip-ons, but with the little fairing up front, 6 Best Cafe Racer Motorcycles
it has some of the style and perhaps with a touch more set up comfort at the much more sporting end of the spectrum though there’s also the BMWR 90 T racer to consider, again discontinued I think owing to not really selling that many, but it has to be said,
this is another of the best looking bikes on the list and it has all the hallmarks of a modern cafe racer from the air cooled boxer twin that you’ll find in the other R 90 T bikes.
Z900 RS Cafe
For similar money though you could also look at the Kawasaki Z900 RS cafe, which makes very similar power at 109 horses, although it will give you a completely different delivery owing to the fact that it’s an inline four.
I absolutely love the naked version of this bike, which I’ve been lucky enough to borrow on numerous occasions and not only is it a bike that feels gray out on the road, but also it’s got bags of curb appeal with beautifully sculpted looks that reference the iconic Z one of the 1970s. 6 Best Cafe Racer Motorcycles
It’s a real conversation starter, especially in the quite bling looking se spec, but also there was previously available until it was discontinued this cafe version, which I think also looks rather good with the mini fairing up front.
Definitely though the one you should be looking at if you’re a fan of a rev inline four as is the only one on this list at 10,995 pounds though you could also consider the Ducati Scrambler night shift, which is one of three models that was refreshed for the 2023 model year.
You can either choose from the base icon model, which is the most similar to the original Ducati scramblers of the sixties and seventies, or there’s a full throttle version, which is said to have taken its inspiration from the flat track scene.
But I think for me, the best looking and probably the most old school has to be the night shift with the Spoke wheels bar and mirrors a retro seat cover and all finished off with this beautiful night shift paint job.