Why Do Some Motorcycles Have A X On The Headlight?

There are motorcycle types every rider should know, and interestingly, each one has its own culture. For example, take the motorcycle clubs designated as "outlaw gangs" by the FBI with their Harley-Davidson Dyna, Street Glide, and Road King models and decked out in black leather. Now contrast that group with the motocross crowd, who ride models like the lime green Kawasaki KX and bright blue Yamaha YZ450F bikes designed to conquer rugged off-road tracks.

So, when you see a group of riders sipping coffee next to stripped-down, classic-styled bikes like the Triumph Thruxton 1200 RS, you can rest assured, this is yet again another unique culture within the motorcycle world, café racers. For those interested, there are plenty of options when it comes to the cheapest café racer motorcycles you can buy in 2024.

One of the identifiable qualities of café racers can be spotted on their headlights, which often feature an "X" design using tape. Placing tape across the headlight has a lot to do with style, and is a basic modification any rider can perform, staying true to the café racer history of handmade alterations. It's also rooted in traditional track racing as a measure of safety when competing at high speed.

The café racer genre rose to popularity in England during the 1950s at Ace Café London, and heavily incorporated American rock 'n' roll into their identity. Motorcycles that had previously been too pricey for most riders, became more affordable to the younger generation by ditching unessential extras and utilizing a do-it-yourself approach to modification. These riders would then flock to coffee shops to listen to musical legends like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. However, as soon as another rider accelerated quickly past the café, it was an invitation to race, hence the name, café racers.

But what does this have to do with using electrical tape to place an "X" on motorcycle headlights? Well, in addition to rock 'n' roll, café racers are also passionate about track racing. One of the steps early car racing drivers would take prior to an event, was to place an "X" across their headlights with tape, to prevent glass debris from flying around if it shattered.

Café racers started to tape an "X" to their motorcycle headlight for a few reasons: looks, to identify themselves as part of the racing culture, and due to the lack of any windshield on many of their bikes, to protect themselves from glass should the headlight break. After all, the fastest café racer motorcycles in production today offer truly blistering top speeds, where broken shards could present a real safety concern.