CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

As I write, it's just about freezing outside and rain's coming in this week.

Forget about the weather and dig this pair o' crackers.  I know very little (what's new) about these two, and I guess they're at the more extreme end of the cafe world, but still pretty smart.

Roll on, summer...

RANCID 20TH ANNIVERSARY

When home is a fairly quiet seaside town like Bournemouth (where I live) it's a pretty big deal when punk rock legends come to town.  And Rancid certainly are that.

Me and the other Dads of Anarchy (aka the DOA) made sure we had tickets for last night and what a show it was.  Even our sleepy town has a healthy counterculture element and there was more neck ink on display than a maori wedding. And hard riffin' ska punk like only Rancid can do.

Punk rock's not dead ... it never was and it never went away.

FREE BEER FOR THE PUNX!

CYCLONE

Steve Carpenter -aka carpy - is a guy who needs little introduction on the cafe scene.

That's how it is when you take a home made jap four to the winners' circle of the Oakland roadster show and build signature bikes for the like of Green Day.

Cyclone is another in the long line of knockout SOHC cafes the man builds.  Dig his trademark drilled covers amongst many other superb details.

Nice shot in black n white too.

NICKEL 'N' DIME

This is EXACTLY the level of machine I hope to bring you, cafe fans.

I give you Dime City Cycles' 1978 SOHC Honda cafe masterpiece.

It's easy to think anyone can sling a class cafe racer together, nothing could be further from the truth.  Check the lines - and fit and finish -  of the tank and that dinky seat hump, and you'll see what I mean.  Even the front mudguard, where lesser builders (like me) would simply discard, looks purposeful.  Classic colours echoed by black rims finish it off a treat.

Superb.  Cafe heaven indeed.  Ride on.

GUNMETAL GREY

Keevil's speed shop down in Devon (South west UK) have been establishing a knockout reputation for turning out affordable cafe builds for a stream of lucky punters.  I'm sure this is hardly headline news to the cafe crowd.

Seeing these bikes on the web a few years ago totally woke me up to how amazing the BMW 'airhead' boxer twins are.  Before that,  I guess I pretty much wrote them off as a bike for people who wished they'd could have been traffic cops. But the profile is spot-on for a smart cafe.

I really like the quirky nature of these bikes too.  They're rider's bikes at the end of the day, built to go the distance with style and grace.  Not sure how much 'grace' those old avons bring to the mix - not on a wet rush-hour roundabout at any rate!

Inspirational cafe racer. Stay tuned for more like this.

Welcome to the PEARLY GATES

The Pearly Gates of CAFE RACER HEAVEN that is...

Welcome to my website, I really hope you like it.  I've done a few of these before and hope to see some friends old and new from around the web (and the world).

Stay tuned for loads of cafe racer stuff right here.  I'm gonna try and mix some good writing with great photography to give you, dear reader, an EXCELLENT experience.  Just because this is a little ol' blog does not mean I'm going to scrimp on effort in making it the very best I can.

I have one promise: NO ELITISM.  If you're riding or building something that isn't an all-original 50s Harley once owned by Elvis, no worries. I'd rather swing my leg over something like this wicked Hinckley Thruxton above anyday, at least it'll go like a rocket all day and not break down when you stop for a pie.

As always...keep the shiney side up. Peace!