Whether you want to relive the days of the 1960s London record-racing rocker, or you’re simply looking to get yourself as close as possible to the original feel of the Café Racer bikes of yore, one of the top priorities on your list should be the exhaust.
Part of the appeal of the Café Racer is, of course, the minimalist stylization, that sleek and lightweight design that makes them such a beautiful beast, but equally as important is the sound.
While you might look the part, it won’t be as fun or as exciting to ride if you don’t also have the sound. A sense of rebellious pride is something that was crucial to the Café Racer scene, and what better way to embrace it than by getting a thunderous exhaust!
Slip-on Before You Ride Out
Unless you’re a hardcore enthusiast looking to squeeze out every drop of extra performance that you can, then replacing the full system for the exhaust will be unnecessarily timely, costly, and require a serious amount of extra know-how and expertise.
A slip-on exhaust is a perfect solution if your main goal is to recreate the look and feel of a Café Racer, whether the bike you’re dealing with is vintage or modern.
This is especially true if you’ve gone with a cheaper ride, as the stock parts may sound a little flat.
Lightweight Design
Stepping away from the aesthetics and into the world of practicality, one of the crucial defining features of the Café Racer was the reduction in superfluous and weighty parts that would slow the bike down.
Purchasing a custom exhaust specifically tailored for your bike will, in most cases, allow you to further enhance that sleek and stripped-down look so popular with Café Racers.
Even though a slip-on might not give you the same juice as a full exhaust replacement, it’ll still potentially net you a tiny boost in performance depending on how much tweaking you’re willing to do!
Exhausting The Options
There are a few options to go for if you’ve decided on getting a slip-on, but you need to take care to get one that’s not only the right fit for your bike but also of high quality.
If you’re now finding yourself adrift in a sea of potential options for what slip-on exhaust to buy, there are a few particularly noteworthy brands out there.
Lightweight stainless steel exhausts, such as the MotoGP style offerings provided by a brand like Akrapovic, are a perfect fit for a Café Racer!