Many book have been published about BMW motorcycles, but this is the first to cover the evolution of the BMW sportsbike to the BMW cafe racer. A marque not commonly associated with the cafe racer scene, the growing trend of custom BMW cafe conversions is illustrated in details with images of sporting, racing, and 'cafed' BMWs.

DIVIn Café Racers, master photographer Michael Lichter and motorcycle culture expert Paul d’Orléans visually trace café racer motorcycles from their origins in the mid-twentieth century all the way into modern times. /div

Ton Up! A Century of Café Racer Speed and Style focuses on the story of the ton-up boys and their café racers. But it's much more than just that. Illustrated with historic and modern photos and featuring a text by one of the world’s motorcycle historians, it's really the story of motorcycle speed and style evolved from the early 1900s right through today. Cafe racers are most associated with the young, rebellious rock-and-rollers of 1960s Britain. These riders created the quintessential café racers—fast motorcycles customized to resemble the racing bikes of the period. They were called “café racers” because their riders raced on public roads, from one café to the next. The goal was to do “the ton” (exceed 100 miles per hour) on these runs, which led to their designation as “ton-up boys.” Today, ton-up culture is more popular than ever and recognized worldwide with a following of young and long-time riders alike.With Ton Up!, enjoy a scenic ride through the history of this vibrant scene.

This is the first book to solely concentrate on the British-powered café racer motorcycle. Renewed interest in custom British café conversions is illustrated with stunning images of select sporting, racing, and ‘café’d’ British motorcycles. From single-cylinder to four-cylinder variants – see the ‘café’d’ side of British bikes!

The Art of BMW Motorcycles presents the rolling sculptures that are BMW motorcycles in studio portraits, each bike accompanied by a short history of the machine. All the classic bikes are here--pre-World War II BMWs like the R5 that defined performance in that era; the military R12 that carried the Wehrmacht as it blitzkrieged its way across Europe; the R75M that accompanied Rommel’s Panzers in North Africa; the Earles-forked R69S that offered the perfect platform for mounting a Steib sidecar; the R90S café racer; and the GS (Gelände Sport) series that launched a dual-sport revolution. All the bike families are covered: the side-valve machines from the early years, the early overhead-valve performance bikes, the postwar Airheads and Oilheads, the four-cylinder and six-cylinder touring bikes, the early pushrod singles, the modern overhead-cam singles, the latest parallel twins, and inline-four cylinder sport bikes. From the first model, the R32 that launched BMW's motorcycle dynasty, to the latest (and fastest) model, the World Super Bike dominating S1000RR, this book captures nearly a century of motorcycling excellence.

The Complete Book of BMW Motorcycles offers a thorough year-by-year guide to every production machine ever built by Germany’s leading motorcycle manufacturer. From the first model, the 1923 R32 that launched BMW's motorcycle dynasty, to the latest (and fastest) superbike, the S1000RR, this book captures nearly a century of motorcycling excellence in a combination of historic and contemporary photos. Technical specs are provided for each model. This comprehensive review covers all of BMW's bike families: The side-valve machines from the early years The early overhead-valve performance bikes The modern Airheads and Oilheads The four-cylinder and six-cylinder touring bikes The early pushrod singles The modern overhead-cam singles The latest parallel twins, and inline-four cylinder sport bikes Among them, you'll find all the classic bikes—pre-World War II BMWs like the R5 that defined performance in that era; the military R12 that carried the Wehrmacht as it blitzkrieged its way across Europe; the Earles-forked R69S that offered the perfect platform for mounting a Steib sidecar; the R90S café racer; the K1 “flying brick”; and the GS (Gelände Sport) series that launched a dual-sport revolution right up to today’s world-class S100RR and retro-inspired R nine T. Like the other titles in Motorbooks' Complete Book series, this guide to BMW's motorcycle output offers the most complete reference to the subject available.

There have been plenty of books published about Italian motorcycles, and a few covering the café racer genre, but none has covered the evolution of the Italian sportsbike into the Italian café racer – until now. Coming from a nation with a great motorcycle racing heritage, Italian motorcycles have, unsurprisingly, always had a sporting flair. This book lifts the lid on the growing trend of custom Italian café conversions, illustrated in detail with stunning images of select sporting, racing, and caféd Italian motorcycles. Italian Café Racers celebrates stunning Italian bikes from all over the globe. From the old to the modern, from horizontal-singles to inline sixes, this book reveals these stylish machines in all their innovative glory. Whether you’re a entusiasta, a follower of the café racer culture, or simply appreciate beautiful bikes, this book is guaranteed to interest and inspire … see the ‘caféd’ side of Italian bikes.