Posts filtered by tags: Honda cafe racer[x]
January 12, 2021 at 12:01 PM Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. After all, it’s the foundation of business for brands such as Harley-Davidson and Indian, and model lines such as Triumph’s ‘modern classics’ and the BMW R nineT and R18.
It’s also the driving force behind ‘Gorilla,’ the latest build from Bunker, the prolific custom powerhouse based in Istanbul.
Mert and Can Uzer, the brothers behind Bunker, were inspired by their customer’s reminiscing—which dates back to an early fascination with minibikes in the 1970s.... Tags: Motorcycles, Greek Islands, Harley Davidson, Bunker, Puig, ALP, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Bunker Custom Cycles, Mert, Honda Monkey, Bazzaz, Honda cafe racer, Istanbul Mert, Vieux Port de Cannes, Harley Fat Boy51 people like this. Like
December 16, 2020 at 12:01 PM The early 80s Honda CB900C is one of the most unusual bikes Honda ever made. It has a ten-speed gearbox: five ‘normal’ ratios and then a dual-range high/low selector, much like you’d find in a vintage Land Rover.
It also has shaft drive adapted from the Goldwing, air-assisted forks and shocks that need to be pumped up with a bicycle pump, and a kerb weight of nearly 600 pounds. Most definitely not material for a café racer conversion then, unless your name is Grzegorz Korczak and you run Pola... Tags: Facebook, Motorcycles, Poland, Honda, Marcin, Custom Motorcycles, Motogadget, Takasago, Grzegorz, Honda CB900, Kawasaki Vulcan, Honda cafe racer, Grzegorz Korczak, Cafe racers, Unikat, Candy Poseidon Blue112 people like this. Like
December 2, 2020 at 12:01 PM Fredrik Pål Persson has faced a few challenges in his time. First, he switched careers from chef to bike builder. Then he had to mortgage his house to keep his company PAAL Motorcycles afloat.
More recently, he picked up a client with a most unusual brief: build a Honda cafe racer to reflect an interest in vintage locomotives…
These days, PAAL is fortunately in a good space. The Swedish company has an investor on board, four people on the payroll, and two workshops: a custom studio in Ma... Tags: UK, US, Motorcycles, Norway, Honda, Copenhagen, Malmo, Paal, Vaxjo, Suzuki GSX, Custom Motorcycles, Honda CB750, Cognito Moto, Shinko, Fredrik, Richard Phelps71 people like this. Like
November 23, 2020 at 12:01 PM Most custom projects are completed in a matter of months, or even weeks. But sometimes the story of a bike can stretch out to years or decades.
That’s the case with this delightful Honda CB500, which has spent the last 13 of its 46 years in the care of Italian enthusiast Pierluigi Intini, who lives in Rome. He bought it in 2007, when he was just 24. Pierluigi now knows the perky inline four inside out, and he’s transformed it not once, but twice.
The Honda originally replaced an Aprilia 50... Tags: Rome, Motorcycles, Honda, Copenhagen, Roma, Naples, Kawasaki, Daytona, Selle, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Pierluigi, Honda CB500, Honda cafe racer, Cafe racers, Pierluigi Intini120 people like this. Like
November 16, 2020 at 12:01 PM We’ve learnt to never underestimate garage builders. After-hours projects are usually executed with little money, but an abundance of time—and that sparks creativity and ingenuity.
This home-built cafe racer is sharp and minimalistic, but it’s also a bitsa of the highest order. Using a crashed 1996 Honda CBR900RR Fireblade as a donor, builder Leo Poulsen built it up with a mash up of parts that’s borderline genius. Oh, and it’s the first build out of his home garage, too.
Leo started out a... Tags: UK, Ebay, Motorcycles, Ducati, Leo, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki Ninja, VTR, TRW, EBC, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Motogadget, Jutland Denmark, Norton Dominator74 people like this. Like
September 28, 2020 at 1:01 PM The danger with commissioning a custom motorcycle is that you end up with something so unique, or expensive, that it’s not viable to sell it in the future. Of course, this is only a problem if you actually plan to let the bike go… which the owner of this outrageous Honda CBX1000 never will.
This CBX was built by Dutch shop WiMoto, and belongs to a gentleman named Reinoud. The previous owner had already poured a lot of love and money into customizing it—but was then diagnosed with terminal can... Tags: Facebook, Motorcycles, Bmw, Volkswagen, Honda, Ott, SolidWorks, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Motogadget, Honda CBX, Honda cafe racer, JSR Service, Tony Foale, Cafe racers, Wido110 people like this. Like
September 11, 2020 at 1:01 PM We love to hear success stories from builders, and Tiago Gonçalves and Luis Gonçalves of Unik Edition are on a roll. The Portuguese duo first hit our radar four years ago, and now have a crew of seven in their shop. In the last two years Unik have ‘gone pro’ and delivered 28 customs.
Despite the shared surname, Tiago and Luis not brothers—but they have a common vision and a good eye for style. This elegant 1996 Honda CB750 Seven-Fifty is the latest machine to roll out of Unik, and it was a s... Tags: US, Motorcycles, Honda, Francisco, Lisbon, TIG, CNC, Luis, Tiago, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Honda CB750, Koso, CB750 cafe racer, Honda cafe racer, Tiago Gonçalves52 people like this. Like
August 25, 2020 at 1:01 PM For a bike that was only on sale in the US for a couple of years, the Honda CB400F had a massive impact. In many ways, it was the first Japanese sportbike: it had six gears, fashionably low bars, a beautiful engine (with a stratospheric 10,000 rpm redline) and fabulous styling.
It’s an attractive machine in stock form, and the best examples in original condition sell for $10,000 or more in the US. This very sharp custom, however, was in a rather sorry state when before it was rebuilt by Mokka... Tags: Facebook, UK, US, Austria, Hungary, Motorcycles, Honda, Wien, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Mokka, Arpi, Cognito Moto, Honda cafe racer, Arpi Bozi, Mokka Cycles63 people like this. Like
July 31, 2020 at 1:01 PM Most businesses need a succession program. And if you’ve been operating for more than half a century, training up the next generation becomes a rather pressing matter.
Egli Motorradtechnik, the famous Swiss workshop that can trace its history back to 1965, has taken big steps to protect its future. And this very smart Honda-powered special is proof—because it’s been restored to perfection by a young apprentice called Sara.
In Switzerland, a mechanic apprenticeship takes four years, with on... Tags: Facebook, Motorcycles, Switzerland, Honda, Lockheed, Sara, Brembo, Egli, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Campagnolo, Restomod, Honda CB900, Honda cafe racer, Cafe racers, Honda Egli111 people like this. Like
July 26, 2020 at 1:01 PM It’s a long time since we’ve featured what you might call a ‘traditional’ café racer. The term is used very loosely these days—we’re as guilty as anyone—and it’s easy to forget how far we’ve moved on from the classic style.
So this Kandy-Kolored tangerine-flake streamliner is a good reminder of ground zero. It comes from Kemp Archibald of Toronto’s Ripple Rocker Racers, and it’s been gracing the window of the local Town Moto store since March.
The guys at Ripple Rocker Racers make custom ... Tags: Facebook, England, California, Toronto, Motorcycles, Ducati, Honda, Ontario, Kawasaki, Buchanan, Deutsch, Russell, Brembo, Kemp, Bates, Yoshimura119 people like this. Like
July 18, 2020 at 1:01 PM Once in a while, a custom motorcycle builder will create a machine that attracts attention like nothing else in their portfolio. For LA-based Kyle Vara of Thirteen and Company, it’s a Honda CB550 that he built four years ago, nicknamed ‘Amber.’
Amber turned so many heads, Kyle got close to 20 requests from around the world to duplicate it. But like most artists, he’s more interested in expanding his portfolio than repeating the same formula. And then his buddy Jeff Campagna, proprietor of Ste... Tags: La, Canada, Motorcycles, Honda, Caribbean, Michael, Kyle, Rick, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Motogadget, Honda CB550, Honda cafe racer, Jeff Campagna, Kyle Vara of Thirteen and Company, Steeltown Garage133 people like this. Like
July 16, 2020 at 1:01 PM Despite the fact that motorcycles seem to keep getting bigger, the six-cylinder engine layout has never really caught on. Only a handful of bikes have employed it, and these days it’s reserved for mammoth tourers. That gives the Honda CBX 1000 a touch of the mythical.
Even though it was eventually outsold by the CB900F, the CBX 1000 was Honda’s flagship sportbike at the time. These days, it’s fast approaching cult status—which is why Dimitri at Lys Motorcycles picked one to customize.
Bas... Tags: Facebook, France, Motorcycles, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Brembo, Dimitri, Monza, FCR, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Keihin, Motogadget, Restomod, Honda CBX93 people like this. Like
June 23, 2020 at 1:01 PM For some people , custom motorcycles are just a hobby. But for others, they put food on the table—and that’s when it pays to have a good measure of business savvy.
Tony Prust gets it; he runs a tight ship at his shop, Analog Motorcycles. Every new customer gets directed to an online inquiry form, so that Tony knows exactly what he or she wants, and what they hope to spend. And since he prides himself on quality, he’s selective on what he takes on, too.
That’s also why this project almost di... Tags: Facebook, US, Motorcycles, Honda, Todd, Tony, CNC, Magura, CRG, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Motogadget, Analog Motorcycles, Tony Prust, Metzeler Racetec RR, Honda cafe racer120 people like this. Like
June 7, 2020 at 1:01 PM A crisp Honda V30 Magna tracker, a swooping Norton/Vincent hybrid, a Ducati Hailwood replica up for auction, and a very sharp Ducati ST4S cafe racer. We’d happily put any of these into our garage.
Norvin by Stile Italiano We’ve all seen plenty of lust-worthy Tritons; Triumph motors stuffed into Norton frames. The crew at Stile Italiano has built six, plus four ‘Hartons.’ But now they’ve really gone overboard, with this stunning Norvin.
You’re looking at a Norton featherbed frame, equipped ... Tags: Japan, Virginia, US, Motorcycles, Ducati, Honda, Vincent, Norton, Sean, Suzuki, Magna, Harley V Rod, Alfa Romeos, Honda Motorcycles, Johann, Custom Motorcycles123 people like this. Like
April 24, 2020 at 1:01 PM When Brent Becker planned a 45-day sabbatical from his high-stress CEO position, he had no clue it would end up stretching out to six months. And he had even less of an idea that he’d spend that time building a custom motorcycle: a Honda CB750 cafe racer.
Brent originally bought his 1973 CB750K, already partially modified, from Flying Tiger Motorcycles in Maplewood, Missouri. His career prevented him from investing the necessary time to keep a vintage bike running smoothly, so he became a reg... Tags: Motorcycles, Brent, Honda, Moto, Eric, Teresa, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Keihin, Motogadget, Suzuki GSX R, Honda CB750, Cognito Moto, CB750 cafe racer, Honda cafe racer, Cafe racers126 people like this. Like
April 19, 2020 at 1:01 PM It’s all about Honda this week, with a CB900 Bol d’Or from Spain, an Elsinore from Australia, and a Shadow 500 from Arkansas. Plus a new Lego Technics x Ducati kit from Denmark, if you’ve got a little time on your hands .
Honda MT250 Elsinore by Fossick Moto The MT250 Elsinore was Honda’s first foray into purpose-built two stroke scramblers. It made waves then and it’s iconic today—so it’s nice to see a restoration that lives up to the legacy. And this one from Fossick Moto in Sydney, Aust... Tags: Europe, Usa, Australia, Spain, Lego, Arkansas, Motorcycles, Ducati, Denmark, Honda, Steve, Nacho, Technics, Sydney Australia, CNC, Suzuki90 people like this. Like
March 8, 2020 at 1:01 PM A beastly CB750 from Belgium, a vintage Ducati worth over half a million dollars, a Honda Dominator with geometric bodywork, and an Enfield GT650 from Tasmania.
1965 Ducati 125 cc four-cylinder Grand Prix racer This glorious vintage machine is the only one of its kind in existence, and it’s about to go under the hammer at Bonhams with an estimate of between £400,000 and £600,000. It was originally developed to race in the 125 GP class, but by the time it was finally complete, it was alread... Tags: Motorcycles, Ducati, Belgium, Tasmania, Honda, Antoine, Continental, Yamaha, Marco, Kawasaki, Cessna, Western Sahara, Enfield, Bonhams, Dakhla, Morbidelli77 people like this. Like
March 4, 2020 at 12:01 PM It’s been a while since we’ve featured a classic Honda CB café racer. The custom scene has splintered and grown a lot over the past few years, and Honda inline fours are no longer ubiquitous.
But occasionally a good example of the type pops up, and this example from Poland is very good indeed. The delightfully named ‘Friday’ comes from Jacek Mulak, who is based in the ancient city of Lublin and runs Cardsharper Customs.
The commission came from designer Michał Ćwiek, who brought along a ra... Tags: Motorcycles, Poland, Honda, Lublin, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Café Racer, Jacek, Suzuki GSX R, Metzeler Tourance, Honda CB550, Michał, Cardsharper Customs, Jacek Mulak, Honda cafe racer, MMB Messtechnik117 people like this. Like
February 18, 2020 at 12:01 PM Unless you can identify a motorcycle just by its engine, you’ll have a hard time pinning down the exact year and model of this muscular Honda four. We’ll clue you in: it’s a 1981 CB900F. But it’s wearing parts from so many different donors, it’s hardly recognizable.
Calling it a ‘bitsa’ would be highly unfair though. That’s because owner and builder James Berreau has done such a good job of piecing it together, it looks almost stock—like some forgotten naked bruiser of the 90s.
James is b... Tags: Minneapolis, Ebay, Motorcycles, Tokyo, Rob, Honda, US Air Force, James, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Daytona, TIG, Brembo, CB, CBR, EBC99 people like this. Like
February 2, 2020 at 12:01 PM A beautifully modified Honda Dominator from Spain, a CB1000R commissioned by Honda Italia, a $58,000 Laverda SFC, and news of a collaboration between Zero and Filson.
Honda NX650 Dominator by KoolT Creations The evergreen Dominator is a simple but utterly brilliant bike, easy to locate secondhand, and deservedly popular with bike builders. Unfortunately that means there are quite a few botched custom jobs out there: Dommies that have traded most of their practicality for dubious aesthetics... Tags: Spain, Barcelona, Motorcycles, Venice, Honda, Seattle, Sfc, Stefan, Filson, Salva, Stihl, Custom Motorcycles, Honda Dominator, Café Racer, Ceriani, ALCAN119 people like this. Like
January 10, 2020 at 12:01 PM When Bike EXIF lit a fire under the custom scene ten years ago, Honda CB750 cafe racers showed up everywhere. And there was a simple formula for customizing them: ditch the fenders, loop the subframe and slap on a bench seat. Then add pipewrap and Firestone Deluxe Champions for extra credit.
We’ve entered a new decade now, and that recipe is well and truly played out. So here’s a fresh look at the iconic 1970s Honda, from Rob Chappell of Origin8or in Ontario, Canada.
Instead of leaning on... Tags: Motorcycles, Ducati, Rob, Honda, Adrian, Chris, Exif, CNC, CB, Ontario Canada, Kawasaki Ninja, Suzuki, EBC, Custom Motorcycles, Café Racer, Motogadget78 people like this. Like
November 5, 2019 at 12:01 PM The annals of motorcycling history are filled with ‘tweeners’—motorcycles that improved upon outgoing models, but eventually fizzled out to make way for the next generation. Just like the Honda CBX 750 F.
The CBX 750 F was an update on the beloved (and indeed iconic) CB750, but it wasn’t nearly as popular, and wasn’t really sold in the US either. It was pretty cool in its own way though, with a ‘modern’ DOHC 16-valve motor and radical sport touring styling that, like most things from the 80s... Tags: Berlin, US, Motorcycles, Honda, Chris, Yamaha, Brembo, Kellermann, Cottbus, Honda Motorcycles, DOHC, Custom Motorcycles, Café Racer, Honda CB750, Hookie Co, SC Project108 people like this. Like
October 16, 2019 at 1:01 PM If there’s a style of bike resistant to trends, it’s the classic Honda CB café racer. If you keep it simple, avoid the checkered stripes and the temptation to chrome everything, you can’t go wrong.
The flipside is that it’s also hard to make an impression with a build in this style—unless you get all the details absolutely perfect, with spot-on stance and not a nut or bolt out of place. Just like Thomas Lambert has done with this pristine CB550 F.
Thomas runs Elemental Custom Cycles from h... Tags: Europe, Japan, Germany, Frankfurt, Motorcycles, Bmw, Honda, Stuttgart, Thomas, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Café Racer, Motogadget, Leo Vince, Thomas Lambert, Neustadt96 people like this. Like
February 19, 2019 at 12:01 PM It’s quite rare for a CB cafe racer to land in the Bike EXIF inbox these days. And we politely turn down most that do.
But this CB350 from New Jersey went straight to the top of the pile: it’s an absolutely state of the art restomod, and so beautifully finished we’d almost be scared to ride it.
It comes from Merlin Cycleworks, which is run by 56-year-old Mark Kouri. Mark’s been an aircraft mechanic for over 30 years—repairing jets for United Airlines—and you can see his attention to detail... Tags: Texas, Basf, ASV, Motorcycles, New Jersey, Estonia, Honda, United Airlines, Continental, Exif, Mark, Buchanan, Alcantara, TIG, Rick, Brembo110 people like this. Like
January 30, 2019 at 12:01 PM There are around 2.5 million motorcycles on the road in Pakistan. Which sounds impressive until you learn that the population is over 210 million—and most of those bikes are tiny Chinese- and Japanese-made commuters.
The custom scene is virtually non-existent, because the import duty on motorcycles is a whopping 50%, and there are sales taxes on top. Which also explains why there are only about a dozen Honda CB750s in the whole country.
This is one of those CB750s: a 1977 Super Sport owned... Tags: Pakistan, Motorcycles, Honda, Barnett, Islamabad, Exif, KARACHI, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Café Racer, Motogadget, Honda CB750, Haris, CB750 cafe racer, Honda cafe racer, Haris Aziz112 people like this. Like
January 4, 2019 at 12:01 PM K-Speed is one of the greatest success stories of the modern custom scene. Like a hit factory from the golden era of pop, the Thai company churns out hit after hit.
We’ve seen what they can do with BMWs, Triumphs and Honda Cubs—and now it’s the turn of the funky little Honda Monkey 125, launched less than a year ago.
With eleven branches spread throughout Thailand, K-Speed is a major industry player in its local market. But even more incredibly, they built over 40 customs last year—releasi... Tags: Thailand, Motorcycles, Honda, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Café Racer, Honda Monkey, K-Speed, Honda cafe racer, Honda Cubs83 people like this. Like
November 29, 2018 at 12:01 PM Building custom motorcycles can be a tough game. And the Swedish builder Fredrik Pål Persson was ready to throw in the towel, just before the commission came in for this rather chic Honda café racer.
His shop, Malmö-based PAAL Motorcycles, has been operating for five years now. But last year, the business almost closed down. “We basically hit rock bottom,” Fredrik admits.
“We were paying for costly mistakes we made, and we had to downscale everything. We sold everything we could sell, and ... Tags: Bluetooth, Motorcycles, Honda, Firestone, Exif, Kawasaki, Paal, Fredrick, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Motogadget, Fredrik, Motone, Tarozzi, Honda CB500, Fredrik Pål Persson120 people like this. Like
November 23, 2018 at 12:01 PM Milwaukee’s Mama Tried Show is one of the most eclectic shows on the calendar. Choppers, flat trackers and café racers all vie for attention, in a jumbled sea of custom motorcycle goodness.
To get noticed, you either need something extremely classy, or totally over the top. This Honda CX650 is a little bit of both—with tasty mods and a paint job that’s as cool as gelato on a hot day. So it didn’t take me long to sniff it out at the show earlier this year.
It’s the work of the Chicago shop... Tags: Facebook, Japan, Milwaukee, US, Chicago, Motorcycles, States, Honda, Craig, Michael, Federal, Buchanan, Custom, Grayslake, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles78 people like this. Like
October 26, 2018 at 1:01 PM By the time the nineties rolled around, the reputation of the Honda CB750 was losing its luster. The iconic straight four had softened, and the F2 model was more suited to cruising than blasting through canyons.
But the build quality and engineering was still top-notch, which makes the ‘Seven Fifty’ a good used buy today. This sleek build from Spain’s Bolt Motor Co. ditches the clunky styling and cranks up the dynamics with a major suspension upgrade.
“We built this for our friend Santiag... Tags: Spain, Santiago, Motorcycles, Ducati, Bolt, Honda, Mallorca, Continental, Adrian, Palma De Mallorca, Brembo, Puig, Custom Motorcycles, Café Racer, Renthal, Honda CB750147 people like this. Like
October 19, 2018 at 1:01 PM We love the big , bruising superbikes of the late 70s and early 80s. They were fast, brash and good-looking—and their riders often had more skidmarks than Lewis Hamilton’s driveway.
So we always keep an eye out for good superbike restomods, and Arno Overweel of Rno Cycles has just delivered a cracker with this turbocharged Honda CBX.
In continental Europe, Arno is a household name in the custom scene. His bikes are often extreme and impractical, but this one is different. The styling is sub... Tags: Facebook, Lewis Hamilton, Motorcycles, Honda, Ama, Ben, Arno, Kawasaki Ninja, Goodridge, Honda Motorcycles, Custom Motorcycles, Café Racer, Keihin, Jeroen, Motogadget, Restomod122 people like this. Like
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