Lets see those Motorcycle Jackets!

[technovox]

Here's a shot of the main pull on mine. One of those big Talon tab pulls.

Notice also that the embroidered Brooks label also uses an italic font (QUALITY WITH STYLE IN LEATHER and DETROIT, MICHIGAN) while the next version of the tag uses standard block letters.

Looking at Terry's and Technovox's jackets, it appears Brooks transitioned back and forth between the one-piece and two-piece back.

I cannot see the main zip pulls on either Terry's or Technovox's Brooks jackets, but mine has that big Talon pull that is cited as 1970s according to the image below, posted in another thread. I believe the Talon "teardrop" pocket pulls are from the 1960s, so it's not clear to me if my jacket is from the 1960s or 1970s. I'm not sure if the date can be further narrowed down.


View attachment 159235

 

[Motorbass]

I have a feeling Brooks alternated zip pulls and maybe labels depending on what was on-hand at the moment. Although it makes sense that an embroidered label would indicate an earlier jacket.

I actually do agree with that assumption. Here is a good example: This images are from a jacket most likely produce in 80ies, with the red, white, black label. It has the teardrop shaped Talon pulls for the breast jackets, but a newer (non sunburst) main zipper. It's hard to pinpoint exactly the time of production with Brooks jackets.

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[Motorbass]

My current fav. I. Foster Horsehide cafe racer. Early 60s

Fantastic CR!

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[ProteinNerd]

I love to ruffle a few feathers so here is a real Cafe Racer (Pronounce if KaFFF Racer to be historically correct, with no ´above the e in Cafe) jacket.

I've heard this a few times here that its pronounced that way and while I have no real preference personally how it is pronounced (although I do default to Cafe), it doesn't make sense to me to say KAF rather than cafe.

According to Wikipedia, both are correct? "A café racer (/ˈkæf/ KAF, more commonly /ˈkæfeɪ/ KAF-ay)"

"The term originated among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s in London, specifically within the Rocker or "Ton-Up Boys" youth subculture, where the bikes were used for short, quick rides between popular cafés."

Surely if it is being applied to bikes (or jacket styles) of people that "race" from cafe to cafe, doesn't it simply make sense its a cafe racer and not a Kaf racer?

Does anyone have any actual explanation (and link) of why it would be pronounced Kaf? According to google the only definition of "Kaf" is its the 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet so unless all the Ton up boys were Jewish, it doesn't make sense to me.

 

[sweetfights]

Langlitz Custom Timberline. Worn by my son, 6 feet, 185 pounds and then me at 5 feet 9 inches 185 pounds.
My apologies for the photo's on the side.
Getting ready for riding season.

 

[Bfd70]

Vanson C2

 

[tweedydon]

I've heard this a few times here that its pronounced that way and while I have no real preference personally how it is pronounced (although I do default to Cafe), it doesn't make sense to me to say KAF rather than cafe.

....

Does anyone have any actual explanation (and link) of why it would be pronounced Kaf? According to google the only definition of "Kaf" is its the 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet so unless all the Ton up boys were Jewish, it doesn't make sense to me.

"Kaff" is the 1960s and 1970s British pronunciation of "Cafe"! English doesn't have those foreign accent thingies, and in the 1960s and 1970s we weren't quite sure how to deal with them. So we ignored them. (My parents pronounce "Nestle" "Nessels", and this is pretty common still in working class areas of England.) "Cafe" is thus pronounced "Caff".

Here's the pronunciation in action--unrelated to jackets or bikes!

And for a very good idea of what caff racer culture was like (although it was only addressed in passing) I recommend *Up the Junction*; both the original book and the two subsequent filmings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_the_Junction_(film)

 

[rocketeer]

I've heard this a few times here that its pronounced that way and while I have no real preference personally how it is pronounced (although I do default to Cafe), it doesn't make sense to me to say KAF rather than cafe.

According to Wikipedia, both are correct? "A café racer (/ˈkæf/ KAF, more commonly /ˈkæfeɪ/ KAF-ay)"

"The term originated among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s in London, specifically within the Rocker or "Ton-Up Boys" youth subculture, where the bikes were used for short, quick rides between popular cafés."

Surely if it is being applied to bikes (or jacket styles) of people that "race" from cafe to cafe, doesn't it simply make sense its a cafe racer and not a Kaf racer?

Does anyone have any actual explanation (and link) of why it would be pronounced Kaf? According to google the only definition of "Kaf" is its the 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet so unless all the Ton up boys were Jewish, it doesn't make sense to me.

Great answer Protein, let me explain!
I love bikes and riding them and though I take my motorcycling seriously, I tend to post here in a more light hearted mood than others. Where as some take all questions seriously, personally if you need to know which breed of horse your jacket is made from should you legally be allowed to wear a leather jacket, motorcycle style or otherwise.
So Is it Café, Cafe or Kaf? lets start with café. This is where the iPad wielding squared off bearded biker lurks. If a rider then he may wear a new Lewis and ride a retro bike such as a new style Bonneville(I have one too).
The Café is a place where we sip a cappuccino or Larrtay and fiddle with the iPad mainly looking at Facebook and such, social media is king here and should David Beckham walk in that gives you serious bragging rights even if you only get a photo from the back of him.
Now to the Cafe pronounced Kaffffffff. This is the serious biker haunt, you can be riding the same Bonneville or even be a Power Ranger lookalike on a Hayabusa(Oops, thats me again) We talk bikes, how to adjust the chain, how fast have you had it up to what's it like to crash on the Nurburgring the sort of thing David Beckham probably would not be interested in.
Refreshments can be mainly tea, a British style breakfast at 2pm, maybe these days the good old Laaaaartay is also on the menu, but it is mainly somewhere open from 6am until around 3pm serving truck drivers, council road workers and passers by, often traditionalists who do not like the noise and bustle of the Café.
Now on to the pronunciation. As you say via Wikipedia, cafe racing was taken up by young speed mad youngsters mainly in the London area. These were youngsters who could only dream about Gold Stars and brand new Bonnies, they built their bikes from parts others did not want, some were downright dangerous as not everyone had the money and skill to be another Dave Degans, working lads who spoke the common London accents. Out of that came the term Cafe Racer. So why do I say 'Kaffffff'? Well the pronunciation comes from a heavy K sound at the beginning with a positive FFFFF at the end, a bit like the character Kathy Beal in Eastenders where someone trying to attract her attention may shout 'Kaff, yer wanted on the phone' or 'Kaffy! yer wanted on the phone'. Nothing to do with Jews, they may ride bikes and may have ridden Cafe Racer style, though in the TV Program "Jews on Bikes", yes really, they rode new Harley Davidson 'baggers' on a road trip across America.
The café racer jacket, is purely a modern jacket makers name thing as the so called Cafe racer himself could wear any kind of leather jacket though a lot of Rockers would stud them up with names of bikes or has been rock stars from a past era, the jacket may look more like my image or a lancer style. In Power Ranger circles the Cafe racer collar style is/was known as a Mandarin as in the Chinese style garments. A style designed for potential racers so as not to scratch the bike to me sound a load of Bolxx, serious racers had grown out of teenage dreams and bought proper race suits.
Lastly Café has replaced Cafe simply to attract customers probably not familiar with the old Rocker cult or may have been to the Ace a couple of times. Of all the old London bikers I have mixed with over the years none have ever said Café, so don't say it in front of any old Busy Bee, Salt Box or Ace Cafe old timers
See you at the Kafff for a 100 mile ride through the countryside or down the Café should you wish to chat about the latest thing on Snap Chat or Instagram.
Seeya, Johnny T.

 

[rocketeer]

"Kaff" is the 1960s and 1970s British pronunciation of "Cafe"! English doesn't have those foreign accent thingies, and in the 1960s and 1970s we weren't quite sure how to deal with them. So we ignored them. (My parents pronounce "Nestle" "Nessels", and this is pretty common still in working class areas of England.) "Cafe" is thus pronounced "Caff".

Here's the pronunciation in action--unrelated to jackets or bikes!

And for a very good idea of what caff racer culture was like (although it was only addressed in passing) I recommend *Up the Junction*; both the original book and the two subsequent filmings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_the_Junction_(film)

Up the junction, a great film with quite a harrowing abortion scene. Not really a rocker film though Ruby's boyfriend Terry dies on his bike(am I correct) 'The handle bars went right through his chest' Filmed in Clapham, Clapham Junction being 1/4 of a mile south(Falcon Road) from where Ken Calders Thrift Shop stood.

 

[tweedydon]

Yes, Terry dies on his bike! The main thing I remember from the book is the description of the cafe racing, and the "big bikes" like the Triumph 500s doing the ton.

 

[Gamma68]

 

[navetsea]

english is a horrible language, why don't they just spell the written word phonetically, instead in spelling they have more exception to the rule than the rule itself

I can't make mental picture to illustrate that scene where supposedly cool racers of the past hanging around talking about setting up their bike in their leathers and every single one of them having a cup of british tea in their hand.

 

[Gamma68]

english is a horrible language, why don't they just spell the written word phonetically, instead in spelling they have more exception to the rule than the rule itself

French café coffee, café, fromTurkish kahve — more at coffee.
First known use: 1802

 

[navetsea]

why don't they use K instead of C when they want to make "K" sound, why Cat and Kitten, and not Kat and Kitten... what a horrible language to learn.

 

[Gamma68]

why don't they use K instead of C when they want to make "K" sound, why Cat and Kitten, and not Kat and Kitten... what a horrible language to learn.

Ask the French.

 

[2wheelgrplr]

Above two are the UnionGarageNYC X Vanson V7 armored leather motorcycle jacket, in their super nice brown (octagon-ish) and deep black leather. UGNYC took the Vanson AR3 armored jacket and reworked them to this design. Its a great riding jacket with so many neat tweaks and features. The armor used is the softer and more easily malleable yellow D3O pads, instead of those thick, big black hockey-style pads that Vanson usually uses on their armored jackets. I reviewed this jacket in a separate thread around a year or more ago.

 

[tweedydon]

For a great example of English strangeness see the scene in the 1942 British comedy *The Goose Steps Out* where an incompetent English spy (played by Will Hay) is teaching a class of luckless but earnest Nazi officers English.... many of whom simply cannot grasp the oddities of non-phonetic English pronunciation!

 

[2wheelgrplr]

Lost Worlds HH Buco Rider. It has accompanied me on several memorable long rides. I haven’t worn it so much lately, but’s it’s a solid hardcore leather moto jacket. Not armored, so if wearing this on long rides, I wear an armored shirt underneath.

 

[2wheelgrplr]

Vanson Chopper bought through Thurston Bros. I’ve had it for a few years, it’s a badass, hardcore moto jacket, and I haven’t done it enough justice, so it still looks new. I like it and intend to wear it a lot more this year.

 

[2wheelgrplr]

View attachment 159272 View attachment 159273 View attachment 159274 View attachment 159275 View attachment 159276 View attachment 159277
Langlitz Custom Timberline. Worn by my son, 6 feet, 185 pounds and then me at 5 feet 9 inches 185 pounds.
My apologies for the photo's on the side.
Getting ready for riding season.

That’s an awesome jacket. Been wanting a Langlitz for some time now, the padded Timberline being one of the models on my want-very-much list. Also great to see father-son duo wearing the same jacket. Looks awesome on both of you. I’m waiting for my son to be a bit bigger and older so I can start sharing my leather jackets with him. He’s 7 right now, lol! Last year I bought an older Schott Perfecto in this nice brown leather, sadly its a bit small for me. But I’m holding it for when one my kids are old enough to wear it.