Café culture! Retro racer tickle your fancy? Look no further than these five used beauties...

Café racers have been a part of the British motorcycle scene since the ton-up boys of the 1950s and 1960s popularised this style of machine.

Of course things have come a long way since then, and the new breed of café racer is far removed from an oil-dripping British classic of the black and white telly era. If you love the retro look but want it in a thoroughly modern machine, these are the bikes for you…

• Related: Retro riding gear buying guide

Read on for our expert guide to red-hot café racers to buy used right now!

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MCN Recommended: 2017 – 2021 Honda CB1100RS – £6500 – £8500

Honda’s relaxed retro racer oozes class, charm and style

Spec:

• Power: 87bhp
• Engine capacity: 1140cc
• Seat height: 795mm
• Kerb weight: 252kg

Powered by an old-school air-cooled DOHC inline four, the CB1100RS is based around the CB1100 EX but carries 17in wheels, chunkier forks, an aluminium swingarm and radial brakes to give it a sportier outlook. Although still a bit sluggish to steer despite its sharper geometry when compared to the EX, the motor is beautiful and the level of finish truly impressive. A bike built more for cruising than full-on sporty riding, it looks, sounds and feels right and is a real joy to ride at a relaxed pace.

Stylish forks

The RS has conventional, not inverted, forks yet still runs radial calipers. Quite why Honda took this convoluted path is a bit of a mystery but their designers obviously felt that right-way-up forks suited the retro image better but a sporty bike required modern radial brakes. ABS is standard fitment.

Building in character

Manufacturers often build ‘character’ into a retro through its engine. In the case of the CB, the air-cooled motor was given an off-beat exhaust note through its valve timing and deliberately allowed to retain the ‘ping’ noise associated with this style of motor while cooling down.

Honda CB1100RS used buying advice

• A few owners fit small screens to increase the RS’s weather protection, which does nothing for its looks but is quite effective.
• If you prefer to live life in the slower lane, the EX has skinny 18in spoke wheels and a far more relaxed attitude, making it a great sunny Sunday ride.
• Honda released a CB1100 RS 5Four special edition in 2019, which was a limited run of just 54 of built-to-order RS specials which cost £15,554. If you want something a bit tasty, there are a few unsold bikes still for sale at list price.

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• Related: Ace Cafe is an MCN Pit Stop legend

2015 – 2018 Yamaha XJR1300 Racer – £6000 – £8995

A case of style over substance… and comfort!

Spec:

• Power: 96bhp
• Engine capacity: 1251cc
• Seat height: 829mm
• Kerb weight: 240kg

A bit of a disaster for Yamaha, the XJR1300 Racer took the updated XJR and added a café racer kit that comprised clip-ons and a carbon nose cowl, mudguard and seat cover that upped the price by £1000 and ruined comfort. If your wrists can withstand the low bars the engine is stacked full of old-school charm and the Racer handles well and looks good. It’s just very, very hard on your wrists…

Yamaha XJR1300 Racer used buying advice

• Believe it or not, brand new pre-registered (in 2016!!!) XJR1300 Racers are still available in some dealerships. If you want that ‘new bike’ feel then haggle a deal, the dealer will certainly be open to offers to clear the floor space.
• The XJR’s inline four engine is bullet-proof but the finish can be a bit suspect, check well for flaking paint on the motor, scrapes in the matt black exhaust and any chips in the black anti-friction DLC coating on the fork sliders.

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2017 – 2020 BMW R nineT Racer – £7000 – £10,000

Proven boxer engineering and full-on café racer looks

Spec:

• Power: 110bhp
• Engine capacity: 1170cc
• Seat height: 805mm
• Kerb weight: 220kg

Taking the R nineT Pure as a base, the Racer version arrived in 2017 and added a cool half-fairing and clip-ons to make a bike that looked amazing but wasn’t great in terms of comfort. A real head-turner with a wonderful air-cooled boxer motor that is brimming with spirit, the Racer has a good level of tech and handles well but is let down by a saucy price.

BMW R nineT Racer used buying advice

• The riding position is unusual so get a test ride before you buy.
• The bike was sold in two versions – stock and S which adds spoke wheels, chrome, heated grips and LED indicators for a £600 premium.
• A few Racers have been heavily modified. While BMW built a degree of customisation options into the bike, avoid any that have been too heavily hacked around. Don’t worry about an aftermarket exhaust, the fuelling will self-correct to suit.

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2018 – current Kawasaki Z900RS Café – £7000 – £10,000

A superb modern café racer with performance to match

Spec:

• Power: 109bhp
• Engine capacity: 948cc
• Seat height: 835mm
• Kerb weight: 215kg

The Z900RS Café was launched alongside the standard Z900RS and is effectively the same bike but with a nose fairing. A beautiful blend of retro nostalgia and modern performance and tech, the RS has ABS and traction control and is a fun bike to ride with a sporty yet not too extreme riding position. It’s a shame Kawasaki dropped it from the range as it’s a great bike. A future classic? Don’t bet against it.

Kawasaki Z900RS Café used buying advice

• MCN long-term tested a Z900RS Café and our bike developed a habit of jumping out of gear, which was annoying and uncharacteristic for a Kawasaki. Check all is well by accelerating hard in the first few gears, going up and down the ’box.
• The OE Dunlop tyres are pretty poor, haggle to get some better rubber fitted instead.
• Check the radiator for stone damage, it is quite exposed and if it has been holed a new one is over £700 from Kawasaki.

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2017 – 2020 Triumph Street Cup – £5000 – £7000

A fun and easy-going café racer for sensible cash

Spec:

• Power: 54bhp
• Engine capacity: 900cc
• Seat height: 780mm
• Kerb weight: 200kg

Forgotten by many, the Street Cup was Triumph’s short-lived take on a lightweight café racer and as such is heavily based around the Street Twin. With a sportier attitude than the Twin thanks to clip-on bars, the Cup is also more agile and arguably better looking. Far from uncomfortable to ride, you get TC and ABS as standard in this charming and easy-going café racer. Well worth checking out and it can be made A2-legal if required.

Triumph Street Cup used buying advice

• The parallel twin engine has long 10,000-mile service intervals with the valve-clearance check at 20,000 miles. The bike should be given an annual oil/filter change.
• There have been two recalls for the Cup, one in 2017 and one in 2019. The first was for potentially faulty hazard lights, the second for the routing of the clutch cable.