Since 1963 Kawasaki Motorcycle Co. has introduced a plethora of technological innovations which have gone on to become industry standards....
Kawasaki Cafe Racer
Kawasaki motorcycles have been in production since 1962. During the late sixties, the Japanese manufacturer established a foothold in the US market with their legendary H1 Mach III, a motorcycle that was both revered and feared for its straight-line speed and unpredictable handling. Today Kawasaki is one of the world’s most recognized motorcycle brands. From the iconic Z1000 of the seventies through to today’s supercharged, 330kmh+ H2 they continue to produce motorcycles that push the boundaries of performance. In recent years Kawasaki themselves have adopted the cafe racer style with their Z900RS series of motorcycles.
Some will call it sacrilege but I have a soft spot for resto-mods. The thinking behind a resto-mod is simple....
Such is the iconic status of the 1970s Kawasaki Z900 that these days they are more commonly restored than customised....
Although the 1978 Z1 successor didn’t live up to Kawasaki’s expectations in showrooms, the Z1-R is an iconic motorcycle and...
It’s been 4 years since the Kawasaki Z900RS went on sale. In the lead-up to its release, Kawasaki adopted a...
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. The motorcycle that started it all, the 1972 Kawasaki...
The Kawasaki ZX-6, otherwise known as the ZZR600 in Europe, was the brand’s flagship middleweight sports bike of the nineties....
2022 is the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. To help mark the occasion we’re looking at the...
There’s virtually no limit to the extent that you can modify a motorcycle. This, of course, includes its performance and...
When I first met Ram Ram Januar at his home in Bandung, Indonesia he told me that he started his...
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. The motorcycle that started it all, the 1972 Kawasaki...
There are several reasons why you might want to install an aftermarket exhaust on your motorcycle. It could be that...
They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. By now, with all the copycat builds it has inspired,...
Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse one of our favourite motorcycle events on the planet got cancelled....
It’s been 2 years since Bimota released sketches of their Kawasaki powered retro sports bike concept. At this year’s EICMA...
In the scheme of things, 10 years isn’t all that long. But for a small business launched by a pair...
“They don’t make them like they used to!” When you hear those words uttered it is generally with disdain. A...
As someone who has a history of heart disease in their family, I know all too well how devastating it...
By definition, the Kawasaki ZRX1100 is a Universal Japanese Motorcycle, otherwise referred to as standard. But in our opinion, there...
Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to test ride almost every new modern classic, retro sports and...
My first visit to Jakarta in 2014 was arranged for the sole purpose of visiting custom motorcycle workshops. We’d been...
36-year-old Stefan Lantschner grew up on a farm in Italy where he developed an incurable fixation with motorcycles. His father...
The Japanese custom motorcycle scene is overflowing with all manner of unexpected and tantalizing two-wheeled wonders. Located in Ibaraki Prefecture,...
When we reviewed the Kawasaki Z900RS Z900RS cafe back in 2018 we noticed something familiar about its styling. Kawasaki stated the...
Based on a 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 this bike is a rolling eulogy to 1970s composite creativity. During the ’60s and...
Bali’s AMS Garage is back with yet another incredible example of their metal shaping skills. In our last AMS feature,...
It’s hard to imagine that any good could come from breaking your neck. Things could have gone very differently when...
All hail the late 70’s; when men were men and motorcycles were deadly – really deadly. During the ’70s engine...
After literally killing his Kawasaki KLR650 Fort Nine’s “tell it like it is” vlogger Ryan Kluftinger has resurrected the bike in...
In 1986 girls swooned and guys headed to the nearest motorcycle dealership at the sight of Tom Cruise astride his Top...
While most aspects of motorcycle design have come a long way since the 70s, there and several that haven’t. Take...
It may come as a surprise, but cafe racers aren’t the only style of custom motorcycle I admire. Back when...
If you’ve read my ride review of the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS or its cafe racer counterpart, you’d know I‘m rather...
I’ve been an invited guest at Kustomfest Indonesia for 5 years now. Thanks to the show I’ve made some great...
My parents once gifted me an old Toyota. Mum was worried about me riding and thought that giving me a...
I have to confess I tend to get a bit excited when a motorcycle manufacturer announces they are releasing a...
“My background has nothing to do with either mechanics nor handcrafting vehicles,” confesses Jordi. “When I decided to make my...
Named ‘Gunpowder’ the 1999 Kawasaki ZRX1100 is the work of Benny Lombardo and Antonello Zonna of Seven Motors. After the owner explained...
A modern day Road Warrior In typical Deus style, their custom Kawasaki Z900RS is as outlandish and it is unique....
Towards the end of 2017 when the Tokyo Motor and EICMA shows took place I got more than a little...
This Kawasaki KZ550 is the work of Jaka Martinuč who works in the financial sector, about as far removed from...
In 1980 Vetter designed and built a very limited run of 10 Mystery Ship motorcycles based on Kawasaki’s KZ1000 MKII....
“The Kwaka had stood still for at least 5 years and was running on only 3 cylinders. It puked fuel...
Let’s take a closer look at them… Kawasaki Z900RS Café Kawasaki had already unveiled their stunning new Z900RS at the Tokyo...
At the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show last weekend the Japanese manufacturer wowed the motorcycling world once again with the all-new, retro-styled...
It seems strange now, but Kawasaki actually beat Triumph to the punch when it came to retro-styled motorcycles. First released...
According to Sven Decoux of Barn Built Motorcycles, the decision to customise a Kawasaki ZR7 was more ‘right place, right...
The “MK46” is the work of Samik Chatterjee, owner operator of MotoKraft Customs in New Delhi. After graduating from Art...
The Z2 was an almost identical motorcycle to the Z1 aside from its engine. A modified bore and stroke, smaller carburettors...
Through a special collaboration with custom builder, ‘Mr Martini’ Kawasaki motorcycles Italy have released a limited edition Vulcan S. Only...
As gaudy as the eighties were they certainly produced some cool motorcycles. Sharp angular styling, bold colour schemes and groundbreaking...
In my hometown of Melbourne, we’re lucky to have a great cafe racer community. Thanks to clubs like the “Melbourne...
Today’s quick update has been a long time in the making. As we’ve seen here before the Kawasaki KZ650 has...
With 30 years of custom motorcycle building under his belt, Wolfgang Batz isn’t about to be influenced by other people’s...
Someone had sacrilegiously painted the bike’s frame in a past life, hiding the trademark Rickman nickel plating, so it had...
To Maurizio Carrero, founder of Imbarcadero 14 Venice in Italy, the Z1000 was more than an icon of motorcycle manufacturing.As...
“I acquired this 1980 KZ440 in bits from a friend who had lost interest in the project.” recalls 26 year...
Earlier this month the first series of the Essenza 1/8th mile sprint challenge was completed at the Glemseck festival in Leonberg,...
The success of the Studio Motor workshop has made Donny somewhat of a celebrity in the Indonesian custom scene. He’s...
The last time we spoke to Derek and Sven from Belgium’s Barn Built Bikes they’d just finished building their stunning...
From time to time, you see something that makes it hard to believe your eyes. They call it cognitive dissonance;...
I’m always excited to feature a build from a country we haven’t previously visited here on the Return of the...
The Vulcan S ABS Café is Kawasaki’s “learner approved” cruiser. Its styling is typical of all cruisers that follow in...
Today the idea of building such a bike for the street sounds rather ridiculous, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t...
There are several amazing custom motorcycle shows happening in the United States right now that have made it onto my...
“I first met this bike and its owner at one of our cancer fundraisers in Dallas. The bike sounded like...
The art of coachbuilding and metal shaping is a dying art form. Finding skilled individuals who can take a flat...
Although Nazar (aka Gazzz) has been repairing, riding and restoring motorcycles for 15 years he’s fairly new to the custom...
Anyone that’s been following this site since its launch knows it all started with the purchase of a Kawasaki W650....
There’s nothing like a bit of competitive spirit to egg a build on and when it’s between 2 brothers you...
Deus Ex Machina are continuing to expand their footprint by opening flagship stores around the globe. Since their first store...
Back in March I was lucky enough to pay a visit to the workshop of Studio Motor in Jakarta, Indonesia....
When the hype of the Lotus C0-1 concept reached its climax everyone was talking about it. Every motorcycle blog and...
My favourite ongoing series of custom motorcycle builds has just added 2 new “Retrograde Engineered” beasts to their line up....
As 2014 comes to an end I thought I’d take a (close up) look at some of the incredible work...
Suzuki Katana. Honda Dominator. Kawasaki Ninja. These are all bike names that inspire visions of power and awesomeness. In some...
When opportunity beckons what do you do? … let it pass you by or seize it? Whilst the decision for...
Although the Kawasaki Z650 might be considered by many to be the low powered cousin of the Z1, it actually...
Valtoron in Valdetorres de Jarama, Spain, is the workshop of two brothers, Pablo and Carlos Delgado. Since 1995 the brothers...
While Rickman Motorcycles started out producing frames and body kits for British made motorcycles in the seventies they turned their...
I was left disappointed after Kawasaki released the W800 back in 2011. The switch to EFI (damn emission laws!) and...
After months of hard work and seemingly endless nights of writing, issue 2 of Tank Moto is now available! Just...
There’s something strangely compelling about raw, handmade bodywork. To me it’s one of the finest demonstrations of skill and creativity....
Ever since seeing the “We R Winning” short documentary about Twinline Motorcycles I’ve been a huge fan of the Seattle...
Before I get into this feature let me first say hello to my Indonesian readers. I know you guys make...
Green is most certainly the colour of envy. Gia Mi Racing are back again with another modern take on Cafe...
“No Time. No Territory. Just an atitude inspired in the past and dressed to impress.” – Maria Motorcycles ...
In 1979 the first Mad Max film was released in Australian cinemas. It depicted director George Miller’s vision of a...
“Simple but sweet” is one way to sum up La Corona’s portfolio of custom motorcycles. To think that recreating this...
Le Gicleur Noire Black, black and more black. The Le Gicleur Noire which translates to “Always bet on black” is...
If Benelli’s TNT 1130 and Kawasaki’s 650 Ninja had a romantic interlude this could well be the result. Based on...
2012 marked the 40th anniversary of Kawasaki’s legendary Z series of motorcycles. To celebrate the Zeds 4 decades of manufacture...
After owning a Kawasaki W650 for 5 years I can quite confidently say they are one of the best performing...
I’m a sucker for a W, so when the boys from Ton Up Garage in Portugal sent through their latest...
By my definition an ‘attempt’ is usually when you try to do something and it doesn’t quite work out. I...
I’m an advocate of recycling. I separate my paper and plastic rubbish and I buy recycled products, so when I...
This post apocalyptic road warrior is Icon’s Kawasaki ZX-7 ‘Thunder Chunky’. It’s the latest addition to Icon’s series of custom...
I could now list off the modifications and parts used in the construction of the Fiddler but seeing as Deus...
I finally had a chance to shoot some photos of my bike today, it’s a 2000 Kawasaki W650 Cafe Racer...
Rat Bikes like their 4 wheeled cousins, Rat Rods are what some people would consider to be a “piece of...
