Let’s admit it, we all want a cafe racer in our lives. Not to race down the roads to a cafe, but to ride it occasionally and showcase a masterpiece. On the ‘let cost not matter’ part, there are a ton of choices, including the new Suzuki GSX-8TT, but what if you’re on a budget and trying to be practical?
Being in India, the choices are either limited or expensive, and the latter is not everybody’s cup of tea. So if you have to buy a sensible cafe racer, what is your choice? Well, there are two, and hopefully a third one (fingers crossed).
Triumph
Let’s start with the first one, and with a company that has credibility of building a modern, yet ‘going back to the roots’ cafe racer, Triumph. The company is ready to launch its fifth 400cc machine, the Thruxton 400, soon, and it’s as early as August.
Test mules have been spotted several times, and the latest was a fully exposed machine, showcasing its paint job and its styling. It will use the same 40bhp engine as the Speed 400, but with a lot of revised styling, and a Triumph cafe racer is always welcome!
Royal Enfield
Up next is another company that has taken classic retro styling seriously — Royal Enfield. The company’s 650cc platform reintroduced the cafe racer in the form of the Continental GT 650, and for those looking for a proper retro cafe racer, this is the answer.
The company is already working on an update, and this time, it will be a more powerful version with a 750cc twin-cylinder engine. The motorcycle has been spotted testing several times, and the updates include a twin-disc setup for the front and USD forks.
Norton
For enthusiasts, Norton will be a brand to look out for, as the company is now led by TVS, and under the new management, Norton will be developing multiple new motorcycles, from large V4s to smaller 400cc motorcycles. In the V4 range, there will be a cafe racer, but not many details are known at the moment.
With the 400cc range, there will be multiple motorcycles again, and TVS will build these in its factory in Hosur. There will be a street naked and one of them could possibly be a cafe racer again, but similar to the V4 range, details are scarce at the moment.
