How to choose the saddle of your Café Racer? 7 tips to follow
A Café racer is a work of customization, a unique design, which applies to the saddles as to all the accessories of the motorcycle. Because the basic model will be stripped of all superfluous elements, taking particular care in the choice of new parts is essential.
The saddle occupies a prominent place in the aesthetics and individualization of the motorcycle. This is why we select for you, with the greatest care, the best motorcycle saddles. Before discovering a surprise stamped "Blackpines" , here are 7 tips to follow to help you choose the saddle for your Café racer .
Summary
- Each café racer has its own saddle, each rider has its own style
- 1. Prefer the type of saddle according to the preparation chosen
- 2. Take the right measures and what about comfort and ergonomics?
- 3. Synthetic leather saddle, quèsaco?
- 4. Opt for a Café racer saddle with or without an ABS shell?
- 5. The choice of colors, stitching and accessories for your saddle
- 6. Buy a leather Café racer saddle? Advantages and disadvantages
- 7. What budget should I plan for a cafe racer saddle?
- To conclude
Each café racer has its own saddle, each rider has its own style
Changing a production motorcycle into a Café racer , whatever the style adopted, is above all a work of personalization . A choice of very precise parts and accessories to make your motorcycle unique and in line with your desires .
The saddle of a Café racer occupies a prominent place in the aesthetics of the motorcycle. When the time comes to choose it, faced with the diversity of the references offered, many questions inevitably arise as to the shape to take according to its preparation, Scrambler, Café racer, etc., but also the color or the material.
Also, to help you find a saddle adapted to your style, your budget, your morphology, we select in our shop, with the greatest meticulousness, the models answering all these criteria.
1. Prefer the type of saddle according to the preparation chosen
If all motorcycle preparations are unique, they still follow style guidelines that meet well-defined criteria. Mono or two-seater, with or without shell, thin or thick, Scrambler, Brat, Bobber, Flat or Café, let's see which saddle to choose according to your Café racer:
- the Café racer saddle : it can be two-seater , but most often, in order to respect its original appearance as faithfully as possible, a Café racer is equipped with a single-seater saddle with a rather fine foam . It has a rounded fiber or aluminum shell at the back. There are complete saddles that incorporate a synthetic leather shell ;
- the Scrambler saddle : thicker than a cafe racer saddle, the scrambler saddle , generally two-seater, is also flatter and straighter;
- the Bratstyle saddle : very similar to a scrambler saddle, the bratstyle saddle has an elongated and flat appearance. However, its thickness is less;
- the Bobber saddle : it is a single-seat spring saddle which has the main characteristic of being fixed to the frame by a suspended support, or by springs on the old models with a rigid frame, a fixing kit ;
- The Flat Track saddle : inspired by flat track racing , it has a sportier side. Single-seater on an angular hull, it is equipped with slots for numbers.
2. Take the right measures and what about comfort and ergonomics?
Before buying a seat for your Café racer, it is essential to determine its length and width . Measure the current saddle as well as the frame, not forgetting the width of the tank to ensure a perfect fit.
As for the acquisition of a universal saddle , such as those available in our catalog, the frame must be adjusted accordingly. Once cut and a loop welded on if required, simply install the new saddle using the original fixings or creating new ones.
Then, the question that is often debated is to wonder about the ergonomics and comfort of the saddle (gel, foam, Bultex). It is essential to understand that we are all different and do not have the same faculties of endurance or the same expectations in terms of well-being. A flexible or rigid, narrow or wide, thick or thin saddle will therefore be felt differently by each biker.
This is why only your experience can effectively guide your choice. Remember that a model advertised as a comfort motorcycle saddle may not be for you. You have to select it according to individual parameters:
- your anatomy;
- your resistance;
- your driving position;
- your usual travel time.
Once again, your experience remains the best and most reliable criteria. It will then remain to determine the aesthetics and the desired style.
3. Synthetic leather saddle, quèsaco?
Synthetic leather is a material used to make the majority of motorcycle saddles. 100% synthetic, it is an imitation of leather also called imitation leather or skai . Its main attraction, in addition to its impermeability and ease of maintenance, is its manufacturing cost, which is much lower than that of the genuine leather saddles that we will see later.
As with all products made with these materials, there are different finishing qualities. In fact, the carefully designed models give a visual appearance similar to leather . Often, only the touch can realize the difference.
No need to worry about acquiring a cafe racer saddle in synthetic leather. You will benefit from both a stunning aesthetic touch and an attractive price . Not to mention a less restrictive maintenance, even almost zero . As a reminder, synthetic leather saddles are waterproof and resistant to water, humidity, hail or snow.
4. Opt for a Café racer saddle with or without an ABS shell?
Although cafe racers were originally equipped with single-seat saddles with a shell to stick to the racing image, there are cafe racer saddles without shells. In this case, to maintain a nice sporty appearance, the rear part will be rounded with foam. Some have a removable backrest and offer considerable versatility during a two-person ride.
Most hulls on the market are made of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). This plastic material provides good shock resistance while being light and more economical than an aluminum shell . ABS also allows for possible customization in terms of the desired color.
The choice will therefore essentially be made on the use of your Café racer. For solo outings, the saddle with shell, ABS or not, remains an undeniable plus to be faithful to the style of the time. If you plan to take a passenger, the versions with a removable backrest will be preferred, unless you invest in a second saddle dedicated to two-person rides.
5. The choice of colors, stitching and accessories for your saddle
Whatever the Café racer style chosen, the color of the saddle, the seams and their design will inevitably arise, and why not the integrated accessories. In terms of colors, it is clear that black and brown take the lion's share. They are essential markers in the world of Café Racer.
Note that the brown color, meanwhile, can be declined in different shades more or less dark or light. For the addition of colors other than black and brown, individualization can be carried out by painting the shells in the desired shade.
For the sake of personalization, depending on the models of café racer saddles, you will find seams of various aspects and colors. Different shapes of seams underline the style of the saddle: straight, crossed , in diamonds, white, black, or... original , with regard to the surprise that we announced at the beginning of the article! (We come there, we come there, still a little patience.) As for the available equipment, the saddles are not left out. Some are fitted with LED strips with brake light and indicators or integrated LED light .
6. Buy a leather Café racer saddle? Advantages and disadvantages
With a budget between €400 and €1,000 (and sometimes more in the case of a custom saddle), you may opt for a genuine leather saddle. Be careful though, it is better to choose a quality imitation leather saddle rather than buying a low-end leather motorcycle saddle at a low price .
To guarantee the sealing of the saddle and keep it dry, the foams are insulated in a waterproof plastic envelope. Unlike synthetics, leather is a living material that will react differently depending on the climatic conditions to which it is subjected.
Thus, exposing your motorcycle to the sun or to morning dew and rain will cause the leather to naturally acquire a patina over time. This is why it will be necessary to regularly maintain and nourish your Café racer saddle with special creams and greases for leather.
Note that depending on the cream used for the maintenance of your leather saddle, you will modify the patina: the opportunity to bring a personal touch to your saddle.
7. What budget should I plan for a cafe racer saddle?
As with all products available in our online store, our goal is to offer our customers items that are accessible to all budgets . You will find in our catalog classic café racer saddles at the entry level for less than 90 € and higher range, premium saddles from the C.Racer brand from 200 € .
But that's not all ! It is now high time to reveal the surprise we have in store for you:
We are pleased to announce the upcoming arrival in our catalog of our exclusive Blackpines model, a personalized motorcycle saddle , handmade by a saddler craftsman. A very nice scrambler saddle with a unique high quality design that will surprise you. If you haven't already, subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss any future news and the first photos.
To conclude
Browse our catalog to discover our different models of saddles and do not hesitate to contact us if you would like additional information. Take advantage of free delivery (from 70 € of purchases) and our payment facility in two or three instalments to order your saddle and receive it quickly.
If you want to buy a saddle , equipment or motorcycle part that is not referenced on our site and take advantage of our conditions of sale and the recognized quality of our after-sales service , this is no problem. Contact us , we take care of everything to satisfy you as soon as possible.
You wish to obtain more information on the Café Racer, the Scrambler, we invite you to read, if you have not already done so, the other articles available in our blog. If you have the idea of embarking on a Scrambler preparation , you will find there in particular articles to advise you on:
Our blog is at your disposal to bring you relevant and useful information on all types of Café Racer. Also, if you would like a particular subject to be covered, send us your request via our contact page .
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