HOW TO BUILD A CAFE RACERIm a car designer by trade: I spend my time working out how to make machinery look as good as it can. Designers are creative people by nature, so we crave the opportunity to be as free as possible in our work. We also have many parameters, tests and boundaries to refer to, to make sure we deliver the best possible product.hese guidelines are !ust that"guidelines. Designing a caf# racer is as much about art as science, and each bike is different in its own way. It reflects the environment, the era and the owner of the bike. $et there are things we can do to ensure that the result will look solid and professional.Ive been influenced by motorbike design for several years, and have built my own caf# racer. I based it on the same observations that Ive sketched out here. %opefully theyll inspire some fellow builders to invest time into the aesthetics oftheir pro!ect.o illustrate my points, Im using the &ike '(I) calendar cover star: *ateus+ ,tankiewic+s %onda -(.//, built in con!unction with the garage 'astern ,pirit.THE FOUNDATION he foundation contributes most to the structure, direction and general easiness on the eye that makes a bike a caf# racer. )irst, the simple stuff. -af# racers are defined by the flat line that runs front to back, giving an uncompromising look and lending strength and speed to the design. Its a good idea, though not vital, that this line remains uninterrupted. 0he perfect e1ample of this rule being broken well is the Wrenchmonkees 2averda 3./.4his line is the first one your brain will see and will guide your eyes along the length of the bike. If there are kinks and breaks then it eliminates continuity and,like bumps in the road, makes the e1perience uncomfortable. his powerful base sits above two fairly evenly si+ed wheels.THE CUT-OFF POINTS hese lines are the wheel centerlines. 5nything going beyond these lines will serve to make the bike seem odd. oo much over the rear wheel will make the bike seem rear6heavy and poorly planned. Its 7uite common for bikes to do this, however, and its not a big deal if crossed over by a small amount"as in our e1ample.If you do go too far over, then minimi+e the depth of the seat or cowl. heres nothing worse than a big cowl hanging over the back end of the bike. he front is less of a problem but front fenders cut on this line look best. HEIGHT LIMIT 8ust as important as the cut6off points. he height limit gives a planned look to the design. Defined as the highest point on the fuel tank, anything protruding much above this point will take away from a caf# racers sleek and streamlined looks. It will also serve to make your bike look more like a tracker and less like a caf# bike. 9eep it low and keep it clean. -ombined with the cut6off points, this imaginary bo1 should contain all the ma!or elements of your design.THE BONE LINE %ugely important in car design, it is very important here as well. he bone line serves to describe where the widest point of your bodywork is. his is where your reflections on your seat, tank and lamp will fall. hink of the bone as the :D brother to the more ;D foundation line. hey work together as a team. %ere the center of the lamp is right on the bone line: 5 great decisionthat ties the whole upper together.If you get anything right it should be this. It immediately makes the bike look likeit really belongs together and is not !ust a !umble of parts. ften overlooked, the differing angles on a frame with those of the forks, shocks and other parts can make a spaghetti of lines which could ruin all your hard work. &e considerate of them when adding new parts. %ere this bike has a brand new subframe to clean up the wobbly -(.// original. he builder has verycleverly matched the angle of the front fork, making it look cohesive. 5ngles are something we take great care of when designing cars too.SECONDARY ANGLES 'ven in small areas, the builders have tried to make parallels of two or more angles on different parts. his is some subliminal stuff right here. $ou might not notice it"but you can bet that your brain does on a certain level.FORK DISTANCE 9eep the front wheel as tucked in as possible. It gives a bike a pouncing and aggressive stance. I know a fork swap might seem like a good idea, but dont make it look like a chopper, >9?I have seen bikes that match this guide to the letter that look great. 5nd I have seen bikes that disregard them totally, and still look ama+ing. )ollowing these guidelines will give you a base on which to work and help understand why a bike looks like it does.>nce aware of these ground rules, its up to you how you choose to stick to them"or break them.