Do the Ton - CAFE RACERS What's in a name ?

While reading through another recent thread [ before it became too chidish for words :] I came accross the following sentiment -

"As for the NAME of this forum, I'm wondering how much of the aforementioned stuff can ACTUALLY DO THE TON?
I have made it a point NOT to post anything that I have the slightest reservation about being able to do that."

Now then - for the avoidance of future doubt, this is NOT a dig at the author, but brings up a relevant point as to the relevance of Doing the Ton.

OK - the site name is DTT, however the logo and patches / decals have the strap line "Cafe Racers" [ encompassing all "Specials"].

Back in the day [ 50's / 60's ], "Doing the Ton" was an aspiration - not a foregone conclusion or an entry pass to some elite club. IF doing the ton were the main criteria here, we'd have a whole load of Rice Rockets claiming that - in second gear and bog standard.

Most of us - then as now - start [ ed ] out with a small capacity machine to cut our teeth on. A lot of modern 250 [ and probably 125 ] machines will achieve the Ton off the showroom floor with no input required from the owner. Stick a set of low bars / clip - ons and some chequer tape on one of them and you have a Do the Ton machine? Or maybe not.

There's a whole World of difference between taking an unsporty 500cc or 650cc 50's / 60's machine and turning it into something that WOULD achieve the "Magic" Ton - and doing that at will with an off the showroom floor modern bike.

Of more relevance would be to make a modern bike do the Double Ton ?

However, that is NOT the point - nor was it ever such - the Cafe Racer of the day was as much a way of life, mostly built is sheds and garages up and down the country with no instant "buy it on E-Bay" goodies available.

How many contemporary "Cafe Racers" back in the Sixties would Do the Ton ??? Maybe 20% of those built, but those of us who did, actively encouraged the rest to keep at it. By the time the '70's rolled around the Japanese invasion had arrived and DTT was no longer a goal that had to be worked at [ just the handling ! ] Nowadays 100mph is just a figure on a speedo.

I can appreciate the workmanship that goes into building a 125 / 250 Japanese "Classic" just as well as a beautifully crafted Triton or Tribsa [ whatever ] - however not so of a "factory" Cafe Racer that aped the real thing.

Someone else put it very succinctly .......................................... "Tolerance" 8)

- or maybe just acceptance of those that don't want to join the "Let's all be different together" club.

Good words, Beach.

Thanks BC, the history begets the present and at the end of the day, grinning with your friends on two wheels trumps everything else. Now get out there and build something you can't buy!


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I suggest the site adds this sub-forum in addition to the Cafe Racer one:

It's important not to get too caught up in definitions. Instead, look for meaning.

Sonreir said:

It's important not to get too caught up in definitions. Instead, look for meaning.

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Well put.

A good friend of mine once said "It's not what you ride, it's that you ride".
It can also be said that "It's not how you wrench, but that you wrench".
There are those that get too caught up in labels, and can't just enjoy the experience. Variety is the Spice of Life.

And, like my Grandpappy used to say, "If everyone liked the same thing, we'd all be bangin' Grandma".

Nice thread Beachie. My era was early eighties, with a start point of getting my FS1E doing more than 50mph. For a 30mph moped, that was mine and my mates magic target and most of us did it after many a holed piston, over filed disc valve or cylinder heads skimmed to death in the school machine shop.

We found you could butcher a YB100 engine into fitting a fizz frame, and the bar later went to 60mph. The buzz was getting more speed out of whatever we had with the thing still getting you to college every day. The ton was a magic figure back then.

UK Mark said:

Nice thread Beachie. My era was early eighties, with a start point of getting my FS1E doing more than 50mph. For a 30mph moped, that was mine and my mates magic target and most of us did it after many a holed piston, over filed disc valve or cylinder heads skimmed to death in the school machine shop.

We found you could butcher a YB100 engine into fitting a fizz frame, and the bar later went to 60mph. The buzz was getting more speed out of whatever we had with the thing still getting you to college every day. The ton was a magic figure back then.

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Encapsulated in a nutshell Mark.

Well said Beach.

Interesting read BC. In this day and age doing the ton has lost its true meaning. You now have your choice of 180+ mph bikes and all with warranties. The best I ever got out of my 500 Weslake Norton was 129.975 mph. And that took a lot of effort. But the long time SCTA starter Jim Jensen has no time for Hayabusas or ZX-14 or whatever they are. I was in line to run at El Mirage and there was a Hayabusa in front. I said to Jim that they fly. His reply was "Hmmph Store bought horsepower". He said he's rather see me or Dave's old Indian run 130 because we built the bikes and didn't buy them. Maybe he has a point.

Have to agree with all of this.

There is something about building your own bike to a goal you know is a little out of reach.

I am currently working on an engine that will hopefully achieve 70mph. With that I would be happy.

Constantly have people at work encouraging me to buy a new bike and then turn in around to complement the character of my bikes.

As the saying goes "It is more exciting to ride a slow bike fast, then a fast bike slow."

Love the hunt much more than the meat.

I don't chase the speed record, but would like to see how fast you could get a 3.5HP Tecumseh up to loaded into a super light belly tank design chassis ;D

I like it when someone says "you'd never think an old machine would handle so well" I have owned a few MX and street bikes and it is mind boggling that in the same model year all Japan made bikes can go from very poor to near perfect in that regard.

Tune-A-Fish said:

I don't chase the speed record, but would like to see how fast you could get a 3.5HP Tecumseh up to loaded into a super light belly tank design chassis ;D

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That's the cool thing about land speed racing. If you can dream it and build it, you can race it. How fast will 3.5 HP Tecumseh go? That's entirely up to you. Come to Bonneville and you just might run into someone with the same idea. Nobody snickers at little engines with big ideas. The Buddfab streamliner bike ran 130 mph with a 50cc Aprilia for power. A BSA M20 flathead 500 ran 108 mph. Basically making it the fastest boat anchor in the world! I had a call yesterday from a friend who has an old JAP twin he wants to stick in a pre-war Norton and bring it to Bonneville. Build your tank and bring it out and find out. If it runs 75 mph you'll get a timing tag and no one can deny you did it. The danger is you'll head home thinking "I can make this go a bit faster" and then its too late. The bug has bitten. I've met a good few old guys who were around in the cafe days and they are still trying to go faster. Sometimes the drive never ends.

No truer words said than right here on this page the build n trying to achieve more than what you started off with is a big part of the ethos of DTT and all learning as we go hopefully to hand down what knowledge we glean to others 50 years from now young -uns will be still building n trying to "do the ton " on old worn out moto ciccles built not bought :'(

If you see a tank painted like a bluefin tuna shaped like a dart ... It could be me.


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I kind of got off the subject. As BC says there was a time when the ton was an achievement. But like the dollar the ton ain't what it used to be. But its still a challenge to take some old pile and make it fast. A Danish friend built a 1940 600 Indian (Scout I think) and took it to Bonneville. A 60 mph bike that he built up and took it to right to the ton. He now has a blown 750 Nimbus he wants to bring to Bonneville and see what happens.

Some say its the journey but I like the destination.

I know I'm wandering here again. But its sort of connected to doing the ton. Don't know if the link will work.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207600109175366&set=pcb.10207600145336270&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207600000332645&set=pcb.10207600065974286&type=3

Wow.

Tune-A-Fish said:

Wow.

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Some of them will be looking for 200. Some will be trying for the ton, Some of the will be happy with 60. And most go home happy.

Hoofhearted said:

Some of them will be looking for 200. Some will be trying for the ton, Some of the will be happy with 60. And most go home happy.

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I have watched many runs on TV, but had no idea the behind the scenes was like this.

I go to a lot of MX and road, but mostly MX races and owned a track in the points series for local events, raced both road tracks and MX many years ago, my son still does some racing. I even built a museum where this: Land Speed car resides or used to anyway, but never been to the salt... Seems it may be the perfect time in life to go.