I’ve always been ambivalent about the whole Ace Cafe scene in England. Despite being English myself, the checkered stripes and Davida helmet thing feels old hat. But the Ace 904S bucks the trend. It’s a collaboration between Tony Scott of T3 Racing and Mark Wilsmore of the Ace Cafe, and it’s marketed with Stonebridge Motor Co. branding.
The familiar Thruxton air-cooled parallel twin motor has been heavily reworked, with a 904 big bore kit, high-lift cams and revised throttle bodies. This boosts power by 35% and reportedly delivers 80bhp at the back wheel. Those (newly designed) wheels are connected to high performance Nitron suspension components, with 43mm upside-down forks at the front and a substantial 130mm of travel at the back. Six-piston monobloc calipers haul the 230kg bike to a stop. So we’re looking at good dynamics for the rider.
The overall appearance is classic, with a lovely paintjob from Darren Horton, but the componentry is modern throughout—with a digital dash and quickshift gear system from HM. This is one custom that has the Go to match the Show. If you’ve got £16,000 (US$25,000) kicking around, it’s yours.
