Dave Skogerson is a nostalgist. He believes that the motorcycles made by today’s manufacturers have numbed the experience of riding,...
Honda Cafe Racer
Honda is currently the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan. In the 1960s they became a household name in the USA thanks to their “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” advertising campaign. By the 1980s, they produced upwards of 3 million bikes a year. The Honda CB750 has been credited with being the world’s first superbike and has become the poster child of the modern cafe racer scene.
Family heirlooms come in many forms; from jewellery to antique furniture or even a motorcycle. Taking ownership of something that...
Automotive manufacturers have been using wood in their cars for more than a century. In the twenties, entire car bodies...
Earning a customer’s trust is worth more to a custom workshop than simply getting customers in the door. Without trust,...
When I was a kid I thought being a game designer would be just as cool, and perhaps even cooler,...
Honda Z series motorcycles first appeared in Japan in 1961. The 49cc, 4.5 horsepower motorcycle was originally created for visitors...
In 1988 the Japanese feature-length film Akira took the world by storm. For this, it is often credited with popularising...
Honda is continuing to expand their modern-retro segment, or as they call it ‘Neo-Sports”, with the addition of the 2022...
Kaichiroh Kurosu, the founder of the Japanese workshop Cherry’s Company, is one of the world’s top custom motorcycle builders. He’s...
In 2021 Stu Lloyd became somewhat of a regular on these pages. We featured not 1 but 2 incredible custom...
Every successful business experiences change – whether it’s planned or not. As a business finds its place in a market...
A second attempt at anything in life usually results in a better outcome than the first. Whether it’s sitting for...
Drag racing is the ultimate test of acceleration. The sport commonly takes place on a straight 1/4 stretch of asphalt...
It’s no walk in the park for a custom workshop to stay fresh and original. Constantly pushing boundaries, reinventing styles...
The Honda CB750 Four is, without a doubt, an iconic motorcycle. It’s been labelled as one of the greatest motorcycles...
Happy new year! Well, that wraps up yet another year of cafe racer content. Like the previous year, 2021 was...
Some motorcycles lend themselves very well to customisation, but I wouldn’t consider the Honda Goldwing to be one of them....
Despite its modest performance and rudimentary design, the Honda Super Cub has remained in production since 1958. This is because...
When it comes to motorcycles, there are certain makes and models that can work their way under your skin. Be...
“I have a habit of going cheap at the start of a project and then blowing it out of proportion.”...
Story contributed by Fiorello Galluzzo I’m a regular humble guy and generally good with my hands. By day I’m a...
Someone once said, “It’s more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow“. Not everyone is...
While the average person may think Italy’s best export is its cuisine, lovers of automobiles will argue otherwise. That’s because...
My name is Ryan Despres, I’m 31 years old and live in Alberta, Canada. I work as a Helicopter pilot...
Kristy Nadine is a busy lady. When she’s not hunched over a customer tattooing their skin you’ll find her sketching...
We’ve all experienced a time when our best-laid plans fell in a heap. But if that plan was to fail...
“They don’t make them like they used to!” When you hear those words uttered it is generally with disdain. A...
The Honda CB750 was for many years the poster child of the “new wave” cafe racer scene. These days however...
The Honda CB400 Super Four is the embodiment of Universal Japanese Motorcycle Design. It’s a general-purpose standard motorcycle built to...
Honda proved that the Japanese could build capable v-twin cruisers with motorcycles like their VT series. Compared to US-built alternatives...
Nothing grabs the headlines quite like an enormous selling price at auction. We’ve seen motorcycles sell for phenomenal money over...
If you’re based in central Europe and you’re seeking a place for advice on a cafe racer or custom motorcycle...
Verona based workshop Fabbris Motorcycles has been in operation for an impressive 42 years. Started by Luciano Fabbris in 1979...
The Honda CBX1000 needs no introduction. It is one of only a handful of 6 cylinder production motorcycles ever made...
Swedish builder Fredrik Persson of Paal Motorcycles has been a busy man. The last time we spoke he’d just wrapped...
Well, that wraps up yet another year of amazing cafe racer builds from custom workshops and backyard builders around the...
Up until he was 24 Pierluigi Intini’s experience on two wheels was limited to 50cc scooters. In 2007 he began...
Since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve seen quite a few builds fast-tracked. While the general population was bingeing on...
Right now Australia’s most prolific custom builder would have to be Tom John of the Gold Coast based workshop, Purpose...
2020 has been a tough year in many ways. On top of all the terrible things attributed to the outbreak...
“Elegance is the first thing that comes to mind when we look at our Honda CB750,” says Arián Campos of...
Krzysztof Rogalinski, aka KrisBiker, is a Polish bike enthusiast who documents his two-wheeled exploits on Youtube. The self-taught mechanic and...
Throughout the late eighties and early nineties, 600cc sportbikes dominated the sales charts of Japan’s big 4 manufacturers. Leading the...
For us, it’s often the small details that make a custom motorcycle special. Intricate details demonstrate a workshops commitment to...
Many of 2020s most significant motorcycle shows have been cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Amongst them was the...
Everyone knows by now that fossil-fueled transportation is inherently bad for the environment. This, of course, includes our beloved motorcycles....
For Nick Xiromeritis working as an automotive designer has had its benefits. Born in Detroit Michigan Nick has been lucky...
Late in 2019 three friends in the Spanish town of Almoradí joined forces to launch Plus 3 Motors. Each with...
During this week’s edition of Sunday Screening, we feature new motorcycle videos from the US, Japan and France. First up...
Living with a classic bike is like being in a relationship. If you’re not prepared to make compromises it’ll never...
Alchemy Motorcycles is a tidy little shop that makes tidy little bikes. Based out of downtown San Diego, Michael Valle...
In recent years we’ve seen a spate of new motorcycles inspired by classic bikes. Models like the Kawasaki Z900RS and...
Michele and his brother Marco launched their workshop, Fabbris Moto, in 2007. The pair share a passion for both race...
Despite Honda’s categorisation, we think the CB1000R Neo-Sports Cafe is anything but standard. With 143bhp on tap and radical neo-retro...
Huge events like Verona’s Motobike Expo offer custom builders the opportunity to try something different. After all, how else are...
Mark Twain once postulated, “There is no such thing as a new idea“. This can definitely be said of the...
Flat Track racing is nothing new. In fact, variations of the sport have been around since the 1920s. Typically a...
Three years ago I featured a very special build built by Steven Wilson of BC, Canada. The bike, a CB750...
The Death Machines of London (aka DMOL) never do things by halves. Their workshop has produced some of the most...
The Honda CB750 is often referred to as the original Universal Japanese Motorcycle. This is shortened to UJM, as most...
Remember the first time you swung a leg over a bike? Mathias Wiese does. At the tender age of eight,...
The decision whether to customize a pre-eighties Honda CB750 or not is becoming a tough one to make. There was...
Spain’s Dragon’s Motorcycles created a massive stir with just one build. Their debut creation, a glorious six-cylinder BMW KL1100LT trimmed...
Pour yourself a stiff drink and sit down. I’ve got news for you. This neo cafe racer by Turin’s Officine...
The late seventies Honda CB650 is commonly referred to as being a ‘standard motorcycle’. We doubt anyone would be using...
My hometown of Perth, Western Australia offers some of the best year-round riding weather on the planet. Unsurprisingly motorcycles are...
Their name may conjure up images of a suspect automotive salesman, but rest assured Crooked Motorcycles is anything but dodgy....
Scales Studio is 2 man workshop that specialises in fabrication work and high-end paint. Based in Houston, Texas their list...
Everyone needs a hobby. German-born Holger Breuer found his back in 2004 when he built his first custom motorcycle. Since...
Once upon a time, there were two brothers, Marc and Phillip. They grew up doing all the things two brothers...
Honda’s evergreen Hornet has been sold in the tens of thousands since its release in ’98. As a result, there...
No one is ever going to stand in front of a Honda NX650 Dominator and exclaim “look at the clean...
Remember that time you went to see your friend perform in ‘that show’. You went along willingly but their performance...
Former world champion racer ‘Fast’ Freddie Spencer was a force to be reckoned. Spencer’s professional racing career started in 1978...
Andy Megerle’s CB750 cafe racer project was a rollercoaster ride of challenges and setbacks. In the end, he managed to...
I love a good backstory. For many builders, it was the influence of a family member or friend that got...
Years ago I saw some pictures of a very low, very mean blue CB750 cafe racer and it was a...
As the world’s largest producer of motorcycles, it comes as no surprise that Honda cafe racer builds are commonplace here...
Having the luxury of being able to build motorcycles at your own pace isn’t something most professional workshops enjoy. For...
When Honda finally joined the new wave modern retro movement with the CB1000R Neo Sports Cafe we knew it was...
Good mates building bikes together. That’s essentially what you’ll find at Bold Motorcycles HQ, which happens to be a home...
We’ve always found video to be one of the most inspiring forms of media. Over the years we’ve seen some...
The Honda CB400 Super Four is a run of the mill naked UJM which first hit the streets back in...
It’s not often I hear of custom workshops offering 3-year warranties. However, new Bulgarian workshop Thracian bikes are doing just...
There are only a handful of automotive films that I regard as truly great. Sitting at the top of the...
In the world of modern-retro motorcycles, there’s a new player who is somewhat of a black sheep. That’s mainly due...
While ground up builds that push the boundaries of design and engineering are great, its the less ostentatious projects that...
It’s been almost a year since I featured Andy Mergerle’s Honda CB750 cafe racer project. It’s not often I publish...
Earlier this month I ventured to Indonesia with Luke from Fuel Tank. This was our 5th year attending the Kustomfest...
During the sports bike boom of the 1980s Japanese motorcycle manufacturers were in their prime. In 1982 Honda released a...
Is there such a thing as a factory built cafe racer? If you ask a purist they’ll tell you no...
From his ‘Tannermatic’ workshop in Hull, Massachusetts, Matt Tanner restores and fabricates composite parts. An average day at Tannermatic consists...
I’ve seen plenty of personal builds that have been inspired by professional ones. It’s not often they stack up to...
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. I have no doubt Mr. Da Vinci would be repeating those words if he was...
The act of swinging a leg over a mates bike and actually riding it are two completely different experiences. This...
The 2018 Bike Shed show has been and gone. For those who were lucky enough to attend the London based...
Someone wittier than me once said “It’s more fun to ride a slow motorcycle fast than to ride a fast...
In 2015 Italian restauranteur Alessandro Dell’unto rented a small workshop space 500m from his restaurant. Why? Because when he’s not...
Once the bike was dismantled the 600cc inline four received a complete overhaul with specific attention being paid to the...
