Friends who attended the recent Classic TT races on the Isle of Man insisted the motorcycle competing there that best embodies the true cafe racer spirit just happens to be made in Italy, not the UK. The svelte, handsomely designed Paton Lightweight that’s propelled Irish racing legend Michael Dunlop to two of his record 33 victories is not only an Italian import, it is, indeed, a truly amazing piece of kit. The Paton S1-R is a 330-pound retro styled parallel twin that combines a unique, hand-welded tubular steel chassis and a highly tuned version of Kawasaki’s Ninja 600 engine. In the hands of the company’s racing technicians, the modest 67 horsepower Kawi mill has been modified and tweaked with high-lift cams, ported heads and a lightweight crank to thump out 100 horses as it reaches a top speed of 155 MPH. Besides the impressive performance figures, the S1-R is just plain gorgeous, combining the twin-shock simplicity of classic British cafe racers with modern Ohlins suspension at both ends and carbon fiber bodywork that appears to trace its roots back to Grand Prix racebikes of the early 1960s.
We’ve been pouring over the tech of the small-batch Paton racers and marveling at how well modern technology can be utilized to produce such a timelessly vintage-looking motorcycle. We’re determined to learn more about the history and design on what has to be one of the coolest retro performance rides on the planet. Our UK contacts tell us that a streetable version of the S1-R is currently on offer and the $54,000 (US) price is definitely steep, but anyone desiring a seriously speedy modern cafe custom, it’s a sexy, capable proposition.
The Paton also grabbed our collective eyes because of its relative simplicity; there’s no complex electronic rider aids or ABS, just an ignition control unit easily tuned by Dynojet Power Commander.
At a time when so many full-on race replica motorcycles are far too outright powerful for anyone besides expert class racers (or track day fiends) it’s great to see a fully-prepped road rocket that won’t prove difficult to control or intimidating to ride fast. Why not just restore and ride a genuine classic cafe racer instead of a replica, some ask? That’s always a great option, but tuning and maintaining a genuine antique bike for fast road or track use is a challenge option best left to A) riders with copious mechanical skills and B) folks with very deep bank balances.
The Paton twins make us wonder why other OEMs have yet to offer performance-enhanced versions of their popular, retro road bikes. I’d wager that given the chance to pick up a seriously souped-up Triumph Speed Twin, Royal Enfield Continental GT, Moto Guzzi V7 Classic or BMW RnineT, many thousands of riders would gladly do so.
Naturally, we’ve reached out to the Milan-based factory in hopes of snagging a test ride aboard one of the few machines that have been shipped to our country. It’s a longshot at best, but stranger test ride shave taken place. Keep an eye on future issues of Cafe Racer magazine and you may just get to ride along as we thrash one of the most inspiring cafe racers currently on the road.
