Blacktrack's second Cafe Racer, the BT02 Thruxman
How was the Cafe Racer BT02 created?
Few motorcycles evoke as much nostalgia as the iconic Norton Manx. Launched in 1947, it won many times on the Isle of Man and inspired a whole generation of cafe racers.
It was an obvious inspiration for the BT02 Thruxman.
The idea behind the creation of this cafe racer was simple: to create a contemporary custom bike, mixing the classic yet unique look of the Manx with modern performance.
According to Sacha Lakic "The Norton Manx embodies the design of cafe racers: light, sleek, fine, simple, pure and recognizable, with a unique sound. My favorite version: the 1959 model".
The base of the Cafe Racer BT02
is a Triumph Thruxton R
With a clear direction in mind, the BT-02 project needed a suitable base, a modern and reliable machine on the level of the imperishable Manx heritage. And here comes the new generation Triumph Thruxton R...
The engine is linear and powerful, the handling and braking are excellent, the bike is overall very playful and stiff. With the Thruxton R boasting fantastic performance and impressive specs, we were free to focus on its reinterpretation as a cafe racer.
The construction of the Cafe Racer
BT02 Thruxton
One of the most striking features of the original Manx is its fuel tank - so that's where Blacktrack started: a design that mimics the lines of the original, but with modern contours that complement the proportions of the custom bike.
Blacktrack's partner Ludo Gaag then handcrafted the new aluminum tank with an elegant leather strap to seal it all in. It's a classic combination that evokes the golden age of road racing and will certainly bring back fond memories for some.
The seat is also a one-off piece in the original Manx spirit, upholstered in black leather with a small red border as a finishing touch.
The shape of the cafe racer exhaust is also inspired by the iconic Manx. As for the sound, it was a question of getting closer to the original model, thanks to the design of a complete system imitating Norton's flagship bike.
Other unique parts of the machine include side guards, top and bottom yokes and clip-on handlebars.
The finishes of the Cafe Racer BT02
The choice of color palette for Blacktrack's second cafe racer was without hesitation the brand's colors: pure black, cinnabar red and aluminum, which perfectly match the Norton Manx.
The finishes of the custom bike were made from a contrasting combination of matte black and shiny raw aluminum anodized parts, which give the BT02 Thruxton a singular look.
Finally, the gold forks and the yellow shocks were blackened, leaving nothing to chance.
The choice of the name of the Cafe Racer BT02 Thruxman
The name of Blacktrack's second cafe racer, the BT02 Thruxman, is a tribute to the classic cafe racer name. This process comes from the British custom bikes, which used to take a part of the name of the model taken as a basis and associate it with a part of the name of the brand embodying the inspiration of the custom bike. For example, Norton and Vincent gave birth to the name Norvin, or Norton and Harley-Davidson became Norley.
Thruxman is the contraction of the model used for the transformation in cafe racer: the Triumph Thruxton R, and the model of inspiration: the Norton Manx.
