Long before West Coast Choppers was a gleam in founder Jesse James' eyes, people were customizing motorcycles in every way imaginable. Showcasing your artistic creativity and mechanical ingenuity on a bike is both freeing and satisfying, and this philosophy is what gave rise to the cafe racer. As a big burly Hells Angels member is to Harley-Davidson, the too-cool-for-school aesthetic of James Dean is to the cafe racer.
Origins of the cafe racer trace back to 50s London counterculture where young, blue-collar workers would flock to various cafes around work shifts to listen to American rock-n-roll. Post-WWII saw gluttony of minimalistic motorcycles suddenly available to the common working man, and these 'rockers' decided that would be their ride of choice. DIYers sought to make them low and fast and race them around town, often parking them en masse in front of their favorite cafes, and so the name was born. Countless custom shops have made their mark buying stock Yamaha bikes and turning them into cafe-styles racers, so Yamaha decided to get in on the action and build their own.
From 2014-2017 the Bolt C-Spec combined the power and looks of the widely successful Star Bolt line of bikes with the attitude and minimalism of a cafe racer.
New Generation Cafe Racer
The term 'cafe racer' was once an insult from the bourgeoisie to DIY bike owners, which was repurposed into a badge of honor symbolizing rebellion. In modern times it describes a vintage styled machine with modern tech. Attracting a new generation of bike lovers was a major problem for the motorcycle industry, but it's come off life-support and enjoyed a resurgence thanks to bikes like the Bolt Spec-C. It combined American V-twin cruiser styling with old-school British attitude and the pricing and dependability that Yamaha is famous for.
For those mechanically inclined among us, basic cafe conversions will fall into five main areas; smaller gas tank, smaller seat, remove stock handlebars and replace with clip-ons, move footrests up and back, and lastly, make that exhaust howl. Unless you're also prepared to start grinding and welding, you'll need to start with a bike that already has an optimal frame design and available OEM parts. Companies like Dime City Cycles offer anything you could think of to further customize your C-Spec, but Yamaha launched this bike so you wouldn't have to.
Starting And Stopping
Cafe racers appreciate raw but not YZF-R1 speed, so Yamaha chose their 942cc V-twin air-cooled engine to provide the power. The 9.0:1 compression ratio provides good low-end torque (claimed 59.3 lb-ft at 3000 rpm) and 48.5 HP for peppy in-town jaunts, and the whole thing is belt-driven for low maintenance and upkeep. Some have opined for a sixth gear, however, this bike really isn't meant for the long and open road, and the 5-speed is perfect for traveling to work every day.
The brake design was chosen specifically with the cafe rider style in mind. Single 298mm 'wave' discs are found on both the front and rear wheels, which provide superior heat dissipation and performance over traditional rotors. This design is used in many light-weight sport bikes as well.
Price Under $10K
Years ago executives far smarter than us decided that $10K was the magic price point to attract new riders such as DIYers, millennials, and urbanites, so the C-Spec could always be had for just below that amount.
To create their cafe racer, Yamaha made many changes to the original Bolt design to lower the rider's hands and force a tucked riding position. The stock handlebars were removed and replaced with low-mounted aluminum clip-ons that attach to the front forks, now sitting approximately four inches forward and 2 inches lower. The twin piggyback rear shocks were lengthened 6mm but the rear wheel travel is the same. This makes for a sportier drive but potholes can hammer the rider if he/she isn't prepared for it.
The seat is mounted low on the frame but ride height was actually raised 40mm for added clearance. The footpegs were raised 29mm and moved astern 150mm and in conjunction with the other features just mentioned, gave the C-Spec the most degree of lean and the most aggressive riding position of the Bolt family. Despite these changes, however, the rider still sits in a more upright position than traditional cafe racers, which is why some pundits labeled the C-Spec more of a cafe-cruiser.
As expected, features are fairly minimalistic as well. The front display is mounted on top of the forks and consists of a round LCD digital speedometer with turn-signal indicators; both of which are nigh unreadable in direct sunlight. For some reason, Yamaha made the tachometer an add-on option that irked many reviewers, but they did add a funky round LED taillight instead. Enjoy the ride.
October 21, 2020 at 03:45AM
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