The café racer phenomenon started in the late 1950s as young motorcyclists stripped down their production roadsters and rebuilt them to resemble the racing Nortons and AJSs of their heroes such as Geoff Duke and John Surtees. These young rockers then challenged each other to races, based at their local café, setting off as a record started on the jukebox and having to get back before the record ended. These machines were hastily thrown together and could barely reach one hundred miles per hour. But if you could do it, you were instantly a hero, as being able to "do the ton" was the pinnacle of café racer culture.

Fast-forward to the twenty-first century and the kids who grew up listening to their parents' café racer stories began looking wistfully at the modern bikes in their garages. The customization began anew, with a decidedly retro spirit in the air. Soon, these custom café racers became so popular that manufacturers across the globe could no longer ignore the movement. And while bike makers like Triumph and Moto Guzzi never truly moved away from making classic bikes, everyone else from BMW to Kawasaki began throwing their hats into the ring. Today, the retro bike market is saturated with amazing motorcycles, and doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.

Updated July 2023: The retro revival continues its momentum despite a slight downtick compared to a few years ago. Manufacturers are still capitalizing with their modern classic offerings, and we aim to keep our readers up to speed with all the best café bikes that hit the market.

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Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR

Starting MSRP: $20,950

While Triumph offers the more classic Thruxton line for enthusiasts, the Speed Triple 1200 RR is their most potent and modern take on the café racer concept. Apart from the aesthetically pleasing front fairing, the bike comes loaded with premium parts and the best in electronics.

Performance Specs

One of the key features of the bike is the electronically-adjustable Öhlins semi-active suspension at the rear. This gives the bike superb handling quality. The bike also comes with Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 tires off the factory floor, a nice touch for those looking to hit the ground running. The exhaust note from the inline-three further amplifies the beauty of this bike, turning it into a head-turner everywhere you go.

MV Agusta Superveloce

Starting MSRP: $16,999

In the pantheon of legendary motorcycle brands, MV Agusta stands head and shoulders above the rest and, if money is no object, but you still want that racer-for-the-road look, then the Superveloce 800 is the bike for you. Fairings were unusual but not unknown in the 1960s for road bikes, as race bikes had them since the late 1950s.

Performance Specs

Road bike fairings were available as after-market accessories but no manufacturers offered them from the factory. Drawing inspiration from the Italian marque’s heyday of Grand Prix racing, the Superveloce 800 is the ultimate café racer, with a screaming 798cc three-cylinder engine producing 148 horsepower in a chassis weighing in at 381 pounds. Sublime style and those iconic MV Agusta colors of red and silver make this the most desirable ‘retro’ model on the market, but you’ll have to part with $23,000+ for the privilege of owning one.

Triumph Thruxton RS

Starting MSRP: $16,995

With the success of the new Bonneville in 2001, Triumph realized that there was an opportunity to delve further into its history to diversify the range. The original Triumph Thruxton was a limited edition, hand-built, production class racing machine based on the Bonneville T120, first seen at the 1964 Earls Court Motorcycle Show and intended to race at the prestigious 500-mile race at the Thruxton race circuit in England, at the time an important showcase for the manufacturers.

Performance Specs

In 2004, Triumph took its reborn Bonneville and turned it into the Thruxton 900, using the 900cc parallel twin engine, and completed the style with a single seat, clip-on handlebars, rear-set foot pegs, and reverse-cone mufflers. In 2016, Triumph completely re-engineered the Thruxton, fitting it with the high-power version of the 1200cc parallel twin engine and retaining the style of the original. High-specification suspension by Öhlins and brakes by Brembo were fitted to the Thruxton R model. The Triumph Thruxton remains the most authentic of the modern café racers and spawned a whole new class of motorcycles from many major manufacturers.

BMW R nineT

Starting MSRP: $15,945

BMW already had a successful line of retro bikes in their R nineT lineup. In fact the R nineT Racer was probably the epitome of what a modern café racer should look like. But alas, due to its high price, and punishing ergonomics, it did not sell well, and BMW discontinued that model. But the German manufacturer certainly wasn't resting on its laurels. And this year, they'd finally released a new version, the confusingly titled R 12 nineT.

Performance Specs

And just to be clear, the 12 stands for displacement and the nine is for 90 years between the first BMW model and the original R nineT. Yeah, it's a bit much. But we love the new iteration, nonetheless, as it continues BMW's stylish, retro esthetics. But other than the name and some photos, there's not much else known about the 2024 model, though most likely the engine will stay the same.

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Honda CB1000R

Starting MSRP: $12,999

The CB1000R might look more like a sporty naked bike, but according to Honda, the bike is the king of all neo sports café bikes. While there might not be a lot of neo sports café bikes lying around, the CB1000R offers a modern take on the beloved café racer.

Performance Specs

As one of the best offerings from Honda, the bike carries some of the best parts available such as Showa suspension parts and a throttle–by-wire system with four ride modes. It's all the café racer looks and performance without that old bike feel. Still, this bike is a bit divisive given its looks, but we'll take Honda's word for it.

Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle

Starting MSRP: $12,195

Ducati continues to breathe new life into their winning Scrambler line. And thought the Full Throttle model has been around for a few years, the new red paint scheme and graphics are simply fantastic. The arresting style aside, the core of what makes the Scrambler so lovable is still very much there.

Performance Specs

And yes, we do realize that scramblers and café racers are different, but Ducati themselves had released a since discontinued version of the Scrambler called the Cafe Racer. So it's semantics, really.

Kawasaki Z900RS

Starting MSRP: $11,949

Kawasaki jumped onto the retro bandwagon with its modern take on the iconic original Z900 from the early 1970s. The new bike was based on the modern Z900, ditching the angular bodywork in favor of full retro flavor, an exact copy of the original. While the Z900 was never released as a café racer style, that didn’t stop Kawasaki from stirring the pot and bringing out the Z900RS with its nominal café racer style, competing with nose fairing, small screen, low ‘bars, and humped seat.

Performance Specs

The 948cc inline-four engine produces a healthy 111 horsepower, which the chassis and suspension is more than capable of coping with. Some commentators say that this is the best café racer on the market today, even if it lacks a little authenticity, and it certainly goes as well as it looks.

Yamaha XSR900

Starting MSRP: $10,199

Yamaha never pretended to reach for nostalgia. They saw the world of motorcycles dipping into vintage shapes, and decided to build a café racer on their own terms. Well... that's not quite true. There was the questionable Bolt C-Spec, which attempted to half-heartedly merry a Bolt cruiser, with café esthetics. It didn't work. But the XSR900 is all kinds of great. A neo-retro to the core, the XSR900 looks like a café racer, minus all the 60s and 70s styling.

Performance Specs

Underneath the good looks, lies a fantastic triple engine with plenty of power to give riders thrills and chills. It also has an approachable seat height of 31.9 inches, as well as 50 miles per gallon fuel economy. If what you want is a hint of retro cool, without all the baggage, then Yamaha's modern café racer is the way to go.

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Kawasaki W800

Starting MSRP: $9,999

After releasing the Z900RS to great fanfare, Kawasaki decided to double down on the vintage market and pulled out the handsome and affordable W800. And this time, they could actually pull from their own history while developing this new café racer. Based on the W1, design of which has aged like fine wine, the new W800 ticks all the retro marks.

Performance Specs

There's the classic silhouette, vintage peashooter pipes, stepped seat and tank pads. To round out the retro vibe, Kawasaki slapped on throwback, chrome front and rear fenders, fork gaiters and analog dual instrument clocks in the cockpit. If all you've ever wanted was an unpretentious, modern motorcycle that looks just like the one your parents had, this may be the only real choice.

Moto Guzzi V7

Starting MSRP: $8,990

Café racers might have been traditionally British style, but it would be fair to say that similar things were happening in Italy, another European country with a strong motorcycle industry and racing heritage. Moto Guzzi has been defined by its transverse v-twin engine since the late 1960s and the current V7 mirrors the style of the original V7 Sport of 1971.

Performance Specs

It’s not the most powerful café racer out there, with the 744cc engine producing 52 horsepower to push along a 470-pound weight, but there is no doubting the style, with the tank, red shocks, black upraised seat and black exhaust system. It may truly be the closest bike on the list that can go toe to toe with Triumph's lineup of modern classics.

Yamaha XSR 700

Starting MSRP: $8,899

The XSR700 caters to the riders who are looking to stay in the middleweight segment, as the parallel-twin on the bike is more forgiving compared to its bigger brother's inline-three. Much like the XSR900, the XSR700 has a vintage soul wrapped around modern features to make it more ridable.

Performance Specs

While marketed as a sport heritage bike, the XSR700 does have ABS and LED lights to give a safer ride. The suspension also helps to make the ride smoother and safer thanks to its street-focused tuning.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 650

Starting MSRP: $6,349

If anything, Royal Enfield has a stronger claim to Café Racer authenticity than Triumph, with the first Continental GT 250 appearing in 1965 as a production machine available to the public. In 2014, the Continental GT 535 was launched, following directly on from the GT 250 in terms of style and featuring a single-cylinder 535cc engine producing 30 horsepower in a traditional café racer chassis and running gear.

Performance Specs

Then, in 2017, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 was introduced, powered by a 648cc parallel-twin engine producing 47 horsepower. There’s nothing that’s not right about this bike: the right name on the tank, the right engine configuration, the right style and, to make it even more attractive, a price that is a third of the current Triumph Thruxton RS and significantly lower than all the other bikes in this list.

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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401

Starting MSRP: $5,399

While the 701 versions of the Vitpilen and Svartpilen are no more, the 401s are still alive and well. And nothing says neo-retro more than Huskie's Vitpilen 401. And here's the dirty little secret that you may not know. If you've always wanted to try a KTM, but were put off by the polarizing looks, the Vitpilen is basically a 390 Duke in fancier clothes.

Performance Specs

And that's probably why KTM never tried their hand at developing café racers. Why should they, when Husqvarna, which they own, is right there to do it for them. They take KTM's fantastic engines and chassis and toss them into appealing designs, such as the Vitpilen 401. Is it a café racer with 60s esthetics? Not even remotely, but the spirit of café racers is embedded deep within its futuristic shape.