4 Of The Fastest Café Racer Motorcycles In Production Today

Cafe racer culture dates back to the mid-20th century, as groups of young adults modified standard motorbikes of the era for sprinting around and between British cafes. History doesn't tell of the groups' intentions beyond seeking a bit of glory, nor is there any indication of the prizes awaiting the winners. However, it's likely that the riders were awarded with the freshest crumpets and piping hot English tea, or other appropriate refreshments.

Today's production cafe racers, much like the original versions, are largely derived from standard motorcycles, one of the main motorcycle types familiar to most riders. However, unlike the originals, all of the work required to transform a standard motorcycle into a cafe racer is done at the factory. Modern production cafe racers often feature a minimalist design offering little in the way of fairings and shrouds — other than the occasional front cowl and windscreen.

Production cafe racers come from various manufacturers with operating bases located around the world. While they may not rank as the fastest motorcycles ever built, the fastest cafe racers have top speeds of over 140 mph. Let's take a look at the five fastest cafe racers currently in production.

Norton made its first motorcycles in 1902, and their latest cafe racer is the Commando 961 CR. The Norton Commando was introduced in 1967 and was arguably the world's first superbike. Production ended a decade later, and the Norton Commando reemerged as the Commando 961 for the 2009 model year. It was refreshed for 2022, and delivered as a special edition Commando 961 LE in 2023 to commemorate Norton's 125-year history.

Norton currently produces two versions of the Commando 961: Sport and CR. While the Sport offers a more upright riding position, the CR puts riders in a more aggressive riding position, with its low clip-on handlebars and an unobstructed view of the street ahead.

The 2024 Norton Commando 961 CR features a 961cc air- and oil-cooled parallel twin engine. With its 10.1:1 compression ratio, crankshaft-fired ignition, and electronic fuel injection, the Norton 961 produces 76.8 horsepower at 7,250 rpm and 59.7 lb-ft of torque at 6,300 rpm. Power is routed through a multi-plate wet clutch to a five-speed constant-mesh gearbox and delivered to the rear wheel by an O-ring chain final drive. The combination delivers up to 130 miles of cruising range on a tank of fuel and speeds up to 120 mph, according to Motorcycle News, although riding at top speed will decrease its fuel economy.

BMW Motorrad commemorated 10 years since the introduction of its R nineT model in 2023, then introduced a new R 12 nineT for the 2024 model year, a design BMW plans to carry into 2025. The BMW R 12 nineT comes from Motorrad's Heritage model lineup, a design likely best described as vintage. While some might call the minimalist design retro or classic, Cycle World included the R nineT in its cafe racer tour of Las Angeles.

For the ultimate in cafe racer style, opt for the single seat and cockpit fairing from BMW. The single seat provides a small padded backstop to help the rider maintain a proper seating position during heavy acceleration or wheelies. The cockpit fairing enhances the retro cafe racer vibe and its clear windscreen provides some wind deflection, a benefit during longer rides.

At the heart of the BMW R 12 nineT's vintage design lies its 1,170cc air and oil cooled H2 boxer engine. The four-stroke H2 features an over-square design with 101mm (3.976-inch) diameter cylinder bores and a crankshaft stroke measuring 73mm (2.87 inches). The nineT's dual-overhead-cam boxer engine produces 109 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 85 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm thanks to its 12.0:1 compression ratio, and electronic fuel injection. Power transmission relies on a hydraulically-operated single-disc dry clutch between the engine and constant-mesh six-speed gearbox and a shaft final drive. The BMW R 12 nineT has a top speed of 134 mph.

Triumph debuted the T120 Bonneville 650 in 1959 based on a motorcycle design used to win races in the Thruxton 500 series. The Triumph Bonneville T120 Thruxton was undoubtedly one of the original motorcycles used to define the cafe racer culture. Triumph reinvigorated the Thruxton badge in 2004 and continues to carry it among the lineup of Triumph Modern Classic motorcycles available for 2024.

It's possible to further define the Thruxton RS cafe racer style with Triumph's "Track Racer Inspiration Kit." The kit includes a "Dolphin" front fairing with a low-profile windscreen, clip-on handlebars, compact LED indicator lights, and a rear mudguard.

In addition to its racing heritage, the 2024 Triumph Thruxton 1200 RS derives part of its name from its 1,200cc parallel-twin engine. The liquid-cooled twin features a single overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder, a 270-degree crankshaft with 80 mm (3.15 inches) of stroke, and sequential fuel injection to provide 103 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 83 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. Each of the Thruxton 1200 RS engine's cylinders measures 97.6 mm (3.843 inches) in diameter and dumps exhaust into a dual-pipe system finished with twin silencers. The engine is backed by a multi-plate wet clutch and a six-speed gearbox with an O-ring chain final drive. While Triumph doesn't publish top speed values for the Thruxton 1200 RS, Motorcycle News reports it at 140 mph.

The Kawasaki Z900 first appeared in 2016 — the culmination of several Z motorcycle iterations introduced over four decades — and in 2018 delivered the Z900RS. As a new model, the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS earned the title of Japan Bike Of The Year 2018.

While at first glance the Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe might appear to simply be a Z900RS with a small front cowl, Adam Child, Chief Road Tester at Motorcycle News, reports the "Z900RS Café Racer is living up to its promise." While Child points out the stock brakes and tires aren't the best for spirited riding, he applauds the bike's power and ability to wheelie when traction control is turned off.

The 2024 Kawasaki Z900RS Café is powered by a 948cc, dual overhead cam, inline four-cylinder engine. The 16-valve liquid-cooled four-stroke produces 111 horsepower and 72.3 lb-ft of torque, according to Ride Apart, with its bore and stroke measuring 73.4 mm (2.89 inches) by 56.0 mm (2.20 inches), respectively. Kawasaki's Assist & Slipper Clutch transfers power to a six-speed gearbox, and a sealed chain final drive delivers it to the rear wheel. Like some other manufacturers, Kawasaki doesn't publish top speed data, but Child reports the Z900RS top speed at 140 mph.