re: CAFE Racers, Was Import Regs

[Joe Elliott <jee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 1:47 AM +0000 7/26/03, alfa-digest wrote:
> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 21:43:42 -0400
> From: "Jim Cheney" <jimcheney@domain.elided>
> Subject: CAFE Racers, Was Import Regs
>
> "Many safety and emission regulations have been altered to include them.
> Fuel economy regs for them are different. As far as I know, they are still
> not
> included under CAFE (this is where the term CAFE Racer arose, underpowered
> but highly stylized cars in the 70's, such as the Mustang II King Cobra),"
>
> Actually, no.  A Cafe Racer was a term for a performance motorcycle up through
> the 60's.
> Does anyone know where the term really comes from?  I dont, but I know it
> pre-dates the
> 70's - and I've never heard it in the context listed above.

According to my dad, who owned two Norton Commandos and still has a 
Velocette Thruxton, and who went to graduate school in London in the 
early '70s, the term comes from groups of motorcyclists casually 
racing from cafe to cafe in the English countryside.  Or something 
like that.

-Joe
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