Huge events like Verona’s Motobike Expo offer custom builders the opportunity to try something different. After all, how else are...
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.
By the early 2000s Honda had diluted its once iconic CB series so much that any connection to the original...
It’s Monday and the motorbikes parked out the front feeling neglected. All I want to do is ride....
After 2 years of running his business after hours, Wido managed to turn Wimoto into his full-time career and now, 2.5...
“I bought this motorcycle from a friend at the end of November 2013. After riding it around for 2 months...
Despite its modest performance and rudimentary design, the Honda Super Cub has remained in production since 1958. This is because...
Nothing grabs the headlines quite like an enormous selling price at auction. We’ve seen motorcycles sell for phenomenal money over...
Fred Krugger (not to be mistaken with the wrinkly chapfrom the Nightmare on Elm Street movies) builds some fairly “out...
Kaichiroh Kurosu, the founder of the Japanese workshop Cherry’s Company, is one of the world’s top custom motorcycle builders. He’s...
“My bike is a 1976 Honda CB750K6. I have been working on it on and off for about a year...
After spying these new shots of the Cafe CB750 by Whitehouse and Motorimoda on the Bikeexif facebook page, I thought I’d share...
We knew that this Honda project would be a challenge for us. When we received the motorcycle it was almost completely disassembled....
The motorcycle featured here began life as a standard 1984 Honda Gold Wing, but it no longer resembles the factory...
The Honda CX500 has been a hot fave in the custom scene for quite some time. But for some reason,...
This 1976 Honda CB400F Super Sport underwent a cafe racer transformation, showcasing a sleek makeover. It boasts a fiberglass tail...
Unikat, which translates to ‘Unique Piece’, opened its doors a mere 18 months ago. It all began when Grzegorz completed...
Good mates building bikes together. That’s essentially what you’ll find at Bold Motorcycles HQ, which happens to be a home...
Building a bike that matches both the look and the performance a rider wants can be a big challenge. The...
In the world of modern-retro motorcycles, there’s a new player who is somewhat of a black sheep. That’s mainly due...
“The Natural” built by Portland based workshop The Tarantulas. It’s a bike that’s had plenty of mentions around here but...
Over the last few years, I’ve seen some amazing things happen in the world of custom motorcycle building, but the...
Honda’s Moto Guzzi-Esque CX500 has been enjoying a huge resurgence in the custom scene. It seems that ever since the...
Building one of the only Cafe Racers in your country is no mean feat, especially when you live in a...
Honda Z series motorcycles first appeared in Japan in 1961. The 49cc, 4.5 horsepower motorcycle was originally created for visitors...
After careful design and build considerations, Tony decided that an alloy tank was the way to go. It would become...
The CM series motorcycle, preceding the Honda Rebel series, embodied the classic flat-seat style of the 1960s and 1970s. This...
2020 has been a tough year in many ways. On top of all the terrible things attributed to the outbreak...
Looking at the picture above one could be convinced that they are viewing an engine built by Vincent Motorcycles (I certainly...
After receiving a tip off from a friend the boys got their hands on a well priced, running 1975...
Anyone that’s had a go at building a Cafe Racer or custom motorcycle knows how addictive it can become. I’m...
The ‘Roadrunner’ concept motorcycle was developed as a final project out of university. Suhann’s passion for motorcycles meant it was...
Sourced from Just Bikes. Sammy the CB100 is the creation of Ace builder Darren Brown. Sammy is described by Darren as “more of...
Building a custom Honda CX-500 on a budget takes careful planning and hands-on creativity. The process so far has included...
Someone wittier than me once said “It’s more fun to ride a slow motorcycle fast than to ride a fast...
At first glance you may not think that the Wabi Sabi philosophy has been applied to this slick Honda CB750...
Tom Gilroy and his Purpose Built Moto workshop on Australia’s Gold Coast have risen through the ranks to become one...
It’s not uncommon to hear people referring to a motorcycle as being bulletproof, but it’s not that often that it...
The CB360, a successor to Honda’s renowned CB350, boasted a slightly larger engine and was equipped with a 6-speed transmission....
The act of swinging a leg over a mates bike and actually riding it are two completely different experiences. This...
In recent years we’ve seen a spate of new motorcycles inspired by classic bikes. Models like the Kawasaki Z900RS and...
“The One-Up Moto Garage name is relatively new to the game” says workshop founder Taylor Henschell. “I’ve been working under...
While ground up builds that push the boundaries of design and engineering are great, its the less ostentatious projects that...
Along with the shots of the fairing Junior also sent a couple of detail images to reveal even more...
Take two Honda 360’s. Rebuild motor, brakes, forks, carbs, swingarm with combination of parts from two said bikes. Custom...
When it comes to motorcycles, there are certain makes and models that can work their way under your skin. Be...
The base for the Electric Juice Cafe Racer was a 1979 Honda CB750, a motorcycle that many modern Cafe Racer...
When I launched this site all those years ago Cafe Racers were my focus, but I’ve always been into all...
Someone once said, “It’s more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow“. Not everyone is...
Bandit films and Fuel Tank TV have released the full version of their profiler video showcasing the work of custom...
“The customer brought me a donor bike that most would’ve considered a ‘lost cause’. The engine was far beyond running,...
Based in the heart of Lisboa, Portugal, Unik Edition Motorcycles have a passion for the nostalgic feel of a carbureted...
“My first encounter with motorcycles goes back to when I was a child, maybe 8 or 9 years old. My...
If you’ve been following Return of the Cafe Racers on Instagram or Facebook you’ll have seen that I recently attended Kustomfest in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The show...
The Honda CB750 is often referred to as the original Universal Japanese Motorcycle. This is shortened to UJM, as most...
After deciding to open their workshop back in 2015 this was the second custom build that the Wrench Kings undertook...
Located in Graz, Austria ‘Vagabund Moto’ is the brainchild of designer Paul Brauchart and mechanical engineer Philipp Rabl. “Both of...
The 1990 GB500 was Honda’s first retro bike and it marked a pivotal shift in both car and motorcycle design,...
“We wanted a fully customized bike with modern cafe racer styling and bulletproof reliability,” says Iñaki. “Because of that, we...
One of the biggest highlights for me when we were pulling together issue 6 of Tank Moto Magazine also happened...
“And now for something completely different” Just when I thought I’d seen every type of custom motorcycle there is,...
Everyone knows by now that fossil-fueled transportation is inherently bad for the environment. This, of course, includes our beloved motorcycles....
“The idea we discussed was to make a simple, beastly motorcycle,” Fre recalls. “A clean and pure machine that was all...
While the average person may think Italy’s best export is its cuisine, lovers of automobiles will argue otherwise. That’s because...
I will be the first to admit I’m hopelessly nostalgic. So when I come across a story of a father...
It’s been some time since we featured a custom Honda CX500 here on the site and what better way to...
Last year the Cafe Racer scene was buzzing with the news that Dime City Cycles were building a custom motorcycle...
The Honda CBX1000 needs no introduction. It is one of only a handful of 6 cylinder production motorcycles ever made...
The DCC Four Hundred is based on a 1975 Honda CB400F and has been featured in season 2 of Cafe...
Flat Track racing is nothing new. In fact, variations of the sport have been around since the 1920s. Typically a...
“Two years ago, after looking at some cool bikes on the internet I decided to build one for me and...
To launch the new workshop Gregorio got his hands on a stock ’92 Honda CB750. A reliable, well designed and...
Rex built the Citrus Cafe Racers frame using his own design which features a mono shock rear suspension system. The...
Much like the ASK Motorcycles 2014 Yamaha SR125 ‘Material Woman’, Rad has continued his “very skinny, low and long” theme...
The unique machine you see here is a remarkable creation by PRAËM, a leading French company in the dynamic custom scene...
A while ago I posted this photo and a few people requested more so here’s what I found. ...
The 2018 Bike Shed show has been and gone. For those who were lucky enough to attend the London based...
Fifteen hundred bucks ain’t much of a budget when you’re setting out to build a custom motorcycle but it seems...
It’s no walk in the park for a custom workshop to stay fresh and original. Constantly pushing boundaries, reinventing styles...
Todd McLellan is a Canadian still and motion photographer whose work includes this outstanding series of restored and customised vintage...
Bad Winners workshop owner Walid was exposed to working on motorcycles from an early age. Tinkering on bikes with an...
“I’ve been working on cars since I was 16, however I’ve only been into bikes for the last 18 months....
Just when I thought I’d see as many custom Honda CX500’s as I could stomach, along comes a build so...
For anyone who enjoys tinkering with motorcycles, there will come a day when you’ll need to invest in some real...
“This thing (“Bowie” the Honda CB125s) was an impulse buy and was in pretty bad shape the day I took...
“It all started with my toy bikes as a child. I would cut off parts with my scissors and colour...
“It started out as a 1969 (70?) Honda CB350. It had the upswept CL pipes on it but the engine...
Every successful business experiences change – whether it’s planned or not. As a business finds its place in a market...
As you can imagine I spend a lot of time staring at photos of custom motorcycles. I don’t know if...
Ahh Slovenia, home of the oldest vine in the world, the first ever musical instrument, birth place of the first...
After months of hard work and seemingly endless nights of writing, issue 2 of Tank Moto is ! Just like...
Automotive manufacturers have been using wood in their cars for more than a century. In the twenties, entire car bodies...
“Derek Despain has never been one to settle down. A week of knowing Despain can somewhat be related to the...
Rickman Honda CR750 Brothers Derek and Don Rickman established Rickman motorcycles in 1960 from which they manufactured motorcycles up until...
No one is ever going to stand in front of a Honda NX650 Dominator and exclaim “look at the clean...
I’ve been a huge fan of Spanish photographic rockstar Kristina Fender for some time. Not only does she take a...
The 1982 Honda CB900F underwent a café racer-inspired modification, featuring various enhancements. These include a solo bump seat, clip-on handlebars,...
The Honda CB750 was for many years the poster child of the “new wave” cafe racer scene. These days however...