How to Build a Cafe Racer

Author: Doug Mitchel, ISBN: 9781935828730, WP-8730, 144 pages, paperback, published in 2013

What's old is new again, and the newest trend on the block is Café Racers. Written by well-known motorcycle and automotive author Doug Mitchel, How to Build a Café Racer starts with the history lesson. And though those first bikes were build in the UK for racing from cafe to café, the current rage for Café Racers has definitely spread to the US.

Converting a stock motorcycle to a Cafe Racer requires more than a fairing and a few decals. Doug starts the book with a chapter on planning. Choosing an appropriate bike comes next, followed by chapters that detail the modifications that will likely be embraced by anyone converting a stocker to a rocker. From shocks and tires to engine modifications, Doug's book lays out each type of modification, and how it's best carried through.

The center of the book holds a gallery of finished bikes. These are not just Triumphs or Nortons, but nearly every brand imaginable from Japan, Italy, the UK and Germany.

The final chapters include twc, start-to-finish Cafe builds. This is the chance for the reader to see how professional shops take a stock Honda, Triumph or Ducat' and convert it into a fast. sexy and functional Cafe Racer, ready to race from café to café on Saturday night, or around the race track on Sunday afternoon.