Cafe Racer

Starting Season 2 with something a little different, join us as Hot Rod builder Brian Fuller chops a 1960’s era Honda to create a one off café custom inspired by classic hot rod roots. We’ll also travel across the big pond and visit British café king Dave Degens for an in depth interview chocked full some traditional British humor and some of Dave’s secrets that catapulted him to the head of the pack in the early days of cafe racers. And, because we know you just can’t wait get things kick-started- a preview of the rest of the 2011 series!

After a high-side crash at Buttonwood took it’s toll on comedian and Last Comic Standing winner Alonzo Bodden’s Ducati 1098, he opted to rebuild the bike in the spirit of a cafe fighter. We take a closer look at this one-off creation built by Nick Anglada and have a few laughs while we’re at it! We also hit the highway and head back to Atlanta, Georgia where Brian Fullers Hot Rod Honda continues to takes shape from it’s hot rod roots. Taking a closer look at the history of where cafe racers came from we explore some of the history of England’s transport cafes like The Ace.

The story of Britain’s 59 Club; one of the first and most influential cafe racer clubs in history is still thriving today with more than 30,000 members around the globe. Learn what they did, why they did it and what made them different. Brian Fullers 1960s Honda rebuild is finished and we put it through it’s paces at Barber Motorsports Park. Does this heavy handed hot rod builder have what it takes to build a delicate track worthy cafe racer? We find out and so will you!

Idaho’s Union Motorcycle Classics dissect an 1965 BSA A65 Lightning streetbike with an interesting story behind it. Stay tuned as they resurrect this old gem and turn it into a cafe racer the original ton-up boys would be proud of! Join us as we travel through time and space to explore the Pompadour haircut’s and it’s origins! Gel not required for viewers at home. We also head back across the pond to visit to London’s Ace Classics motorcycle shop, purveyors of all things British that have to deal with two wheels! Be on the lookout for vintage Triumphs among many others in this segment!

Can a motorcycle shop based in the land of potatoes produce a classic cafe racer? We take another look at the progress of Union Motorcycle Classics A65 BSA Lightning and let you be the judge! And as a special treat for those who love collections; Billy Joel opens his café collection to the world! Come with us as we take a closer look at all the gorgeous machines he’s preserving for future generations to enjoy.

Pursuing cafe racers as art, Tim Harney, a New York artist builds a cafe racer for his under a grand. Stay tuned to see is his rolling art makes the grade! Motocross legend Bob Hannah tests Union’s BSA twin, tune in to see if this motorcycle racing legend gives this BSA the Goldstar!

A TOP SECRET and high-tech engineering firm switches from jets to motorbikes! Come with us and our cameras as we get clearence to see who they are and what they’re working on! We take some time away from the workshop and explore some of the best kept secrets for finding cool cafe parts and donors and a Michigan team tests a 1960s Honda cafe project!

We stop back in and check on our defense contractors as they continue to tackle their cafe racer project. We take a look at 50 years of two-wheeled speed and explore the origins of “screwing it on” and going “knuckles up.” Tim Harney faces the gods of speed with his 2-stroke under a grand Café withas the Bostrom Bros at The Talladega Super Speedway. Will his machine cross the finish line?

Santiago Choppers makes history with their Norley a Harley Davidson Sportster cafe racer. If you thought what happened in season one was amazing you better stay tuned to this episode, you won’t believe what happens this year! Tim Harney, our New York artist chasing the ton and his undergrad struggles with a 2-stroke and Speedway World Champion Billy Hamil puts a Joker to the test! See who gets the last laugh in this segment.

A barn yard find gets a new life and has a second go at the world as a cafe racer. Alain Bernard of Santiago Choppers exercises his usual tools of persuasion, broken English and the biggest hammer he can find, he perfects the Norley; will the outcome be the perfect blend of American iron and Britsh style? An English Rocker competes at Bonneville and New York artist Tim Harney puts his butt on the line and tests his 2-stoke cafe bike on the track personally. Stay tuned to see who if the rubber stays on the road!

Californians at British Customs prove that there’s more to the west coast than choppers as they turn a brand new production Triumph Bonnevile into a modern rendition of a classic ‘60s café racer. An Illinois chopper gets reinvented and becomes a classic cafe racer, New York’s secret Britbike hideaway is uncovered and the Philadelphia Phillies play hard ball with Santiago Choppers and their Norley cafe racer.

A 1940s Norton is reborn in cafe style, the team at British Customs unveils their modern Triumph Bonnevile that has been transformed into a ‘60s café racer and we get an indepth look as authentic Mods and Rockers revisit 1964, from both sides of the street.

Familiar faces Herm and Jason from Dime City Cycles are joined by Lowside Magazine as they share their latest Honda resurrection with viewers. A 1975 CB400F fit and finish with all the detail they’re known for and a few additional surprises as this one is destined for the track and not the street. Can these southern boys turn out a race-ready bike the Bostrom Brothers would take as their ride? Stay tuned and you’ll find out! Yoshi and Jay struggle to complete their Yamaha two-stroke as a two shop team and we hang around in California to test British Customs modern Classic Triumph Bonneville.

In the quiet hills of Vermont a 1970s Norton Commando is rebuilt with quite the story behind it. We head back to Florida and join Herm and Jason of Dime City Cycles as they progress on their 400F build, have a Grand Opening event that attracted the Ace Cafe all the way from London and select the first Miss Dime City, USA. We head out to LA to check in on our boys Jay LaRossa and Yoshi Kosaki to see the progress they’ve made on their 2-stroke street terror! This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Your favorite builder, Greg Hageman, from corn country is back with another unbelievable transformation of a bike! A Vermont shop remakes a Norton Commando, we explore some of the best of café bike photography around the world and Dime City Cycles faces off with Ben and Eric Bostrom at Little Talledega. We head back out to California where Jay LaRossa and Yoshi were able to pull it off and watch as they hand over their two-shop two-stroke to two fast brothers! Yep, you guessed it; The Bostroms! This is one test you won’t want to miss folks!Stick around for this one, you won’t be disappointed with the final score!

Greg Hageman unveils his Virago vixen for the world to see, will it Do The Ton and look the part?. Two generations of Norton’s Commando are tested head to head comparing the old vs. the new and Vermont’s Classic Bike Experience checks their bike into the Hot Rod Hotel!