Tonpub › Ton-up boys and café racer history
Ton-up boys and café racer history
The ton-up boys were young British riders of the 1950s who wanted to reach 100 mph. Their cafés, music and modified bikes gave us the café racer.
What "doing the ton" means
A "ton" in British slang is 100 mph. According to Wikipedia, rockers who rode motorcycles were called "ton-up boys" because they tried to ride at 100 mph or faster. The Museum of London explains that in the 1950s these riders were called ton up boys and in the 1960s, rockers, after their taste in music. Our Ace Cafe page covers the café most linked with them.
Please note: this is history. Riding at 100 mph on a public road is illegal and dangerous. Nothing on this site encourages it.
Why it happened when it did
Wikipedia lists several factors behind the late-1950s subculture: the end of post-war rationing, rising working-class prosperity, easier credit, American music and films, new arterial roads, transport cafés, and a peak in British motorcycle engineering. Young men had money for the first time and bikes were cheaper than cars.
The café as a base
Transport cafés were open late and cheap, and riders were not always welcome in pubs. Wikipedia says bikers used cafés like the Ace as starting and finishing points for road races. The Museum of London adds that riders played records on the jukebox, mostly by American artists, and raced down the North Circular when traffic was light. They were sometimes called "coffee-bar cowboys". Leather jackets were often decorated with studs and badges showing club or racing circuit affiliations.
The café racer
Wikipedia defines a café racer as a motorcycle modified for speed and handling rather than comfort, with these typical features:
- A single racing seat
- Low clip-on or "ace" handlebars
- Large racing petrol tanks, often aluminium and left polished
- Swept-back exhausts
- Rear-set footpegs
- Optional fairings
Crews stripped bikes to the basics and fitted more powerful engines to reach top speeds, according to the Museum of London. Many riders used British machines, and the 1950s and early 1960s were a high point for British motorcycle manufacturing.
Rockers, mods and the press
The mass media created a moral panic around rockers, portraying them as "folk devils", according to Wikipedia, which cites Stanley Cohen's 1972 book Folk Devils and Moral Panics about mods and rockers. Rockers' dislike of the scooter-riding mods was widely reported. Remember that press stories exaggerated; the majority of riders just wanted to ride and meet friends.
The 59 Club
A patch declaring membership in the 59 Club was popular among rockers. Wikipedia describes the club as a church-based English youth organisation that later became a motorcycle club with members around the world.
The music
Rocker culture was linked with 1950s and early 1960s rock and roll by artists such as Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry, according to Wikipedia. The jukebox mattered as much as the engine.
Legacy
The Ace Cafe closed in 1969 but returned in the 1990s, and the café racer style now has a worldwide following. Modern builders adapt old and new bikes in the same style. If you want to see what the culture looks like today, find a bike night: check the places in the north or the south, and read the ride safety guide before you head out.
Frequently asked questions
Why were they called ton-up boys?
'A ton' is slang for 100 mph. The riders tried to reach that speed.
What is a café racer?
A motorcycle modified for speed and handling rather than comfort, typically with a single racing seat, low clip-on bars, a racing tank and rear-set footpegs.
What was the 59 Club?
A church-based youth organisation that later became a motorcycle club. Its patch was popular among rockers.