When in South Carolina....Clemson Cafe Racers.

click on the banner to go to the Clemson Cafe Racers homepage

"In the early 1970's a unique motorsports convergence occurred in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the college town of Clemson and the mountain gateway town of Walhalla. A group of motorcycle enthusiasts gathered who favored the performance machines of the day which were at the time motorcycles manufactured by Norton, Triumph, Ducati, Moto Guzzi and BMW. No doubt the proximity of some of the best motorcycling roads in the southeast was a contributing factor. A long summer afternoon could accommodate a 100 mile ride up through Walhalla to Highlands or Clayton or Cashiers with a little bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway thrown in for good measure. A good Saturday or Sunday ride might see a dozen or so riders in black leather and scarves carving up the curves. Some of these roads are now listed in the must rides for sport riders in a number of publications, but we'll never give away our favorites. A number of the motorcycles were the most sophisticated that money could buy at the time. A not insignificant portion of our number pursued racing in the newly formed WERA. We had rallys and poker runs and "meetings" always with a little chaos thrown in. But at the finish line, everybody involved enjoyed a spirit and a camaraderie and an insanity that made Clemson Cafe a once in a lifetime experience that a few lucky individuals had the opportunity to experience."