There are several elements that comprise a timeless cafe racer motorcycle, from the non-nonsense, stripped-down design to the emphasis on pure, unfettered performance. And whether your ride is a classic, Mid-Century British twin or single, a Japanese multi-cylinder screamer or a modern bike done-up like a custom race replica, a few polished aluminum bodywork bits can really make for a standout bike. When building my first-ever cafe bike back in the mid-1990s, I was lucky enough to happen upon a small London shop that offered loads of alloy tanks and fenders for at-home cafe racer builders, and I say lucky because there were few US outlets for these shiny, hand-made parts at the time. Since then, their numbers have dwindler even further with Ohio’s Domiracer and New England’s Clubman racing Accessories both departing to that big parts sale in the sky.
So where do today’s ton-up tribes go when searching for the perfect components to create their dream machine? Many turn immediately to eBay where some fairly decent aluminum gas tanks, fenders and seat units can be had from crafstpeople working throughout India. As a former British colony, the tradition of cafe racers – and British machinery in general- is deep on the Asian subcontinent. We’ve actually purchased a couple of Indian-made fuel tanks and the quality is not bad at all. They tend to arrive in a decent state of finish, though it’s smart to order gas caps and petcocks along with your fuel cell as the threads are often of questionable origin.
One of Cafe Racer magazine’s longtime advertisers has provided us with some alloy parts of amazing quality and design, though Tab II Classics in Wales suffered a serious setback that owner Richard Phelps said nearly put the shop out of commission. During last year’s Isle of Man TT races, the shop’s chief aluminum welder Mark Purslow was killed while racing, practically stopping the booming business in its tracks. Gas welders who are adept at fashioning delicate sections of hand-pounded aluminum are rare these days as the process is something of a lost art from days gone by. Thankfully, Phelps tells us Tab II has recently hired on the 21 year-old tom Smyth who has proven capable at Mark’s former task.