Kawasaki Cafe Racers

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.

New Direction – Kawasaki Z1000 Cafe Racer

It may come as a surprise, but cafe racers aren’t the only style of custom motorcycle I admire. Back when I launched Return of the Cafe Racers I was (obviously) obsessed with the cafe style, but over time I’ve developed a soft spot for pretty much all manner of motorcycle customisation. Thankfully,…

Kawasaki Cafe Racers

MRS Oficina Kawasaki Z900RS

If you’ve read my ride review of the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS or its cafe racer counterpart, you’d know I‘m rather fond of them. In fact, if I had the spare cash sitting around I’d go out and buy one tomorrow. So it goes without saying that I’ve been eagerly awaiting to see…

Kawasaki Cafe Racers

The Samurai – AMS Kawasaki ZZR600

I’ve been an invited guest at Kustomfest Indonesia for 5 years now. Thanks to the show I’ve made some great friends and enjoyed some epic trips around the Emerald Isle. The one thing that I have loved most about the show is seeing each builder’s skills evolve over time. Three years ago…

Kawasaki Cafe Racers

BROWSE CATALOGUE

Retro Revamped – OSG Kawasaki GPZ550

My parents once gifted me an old Toyota. Mum was worried about me riding and thought that giving me a car was the best way to get me off the motorcycle. It didn’t work (sorry Mum). What it did do though was provide me with a spare vehicle that I could lend…

Kawasaki Cafe Racers

Workshop Series – Cafe Racer Fairing Install

When I set out to build my first cafe racer 12 years ago I had always planned for it to be naked. In my eyes, this was the traditional cafe setup and my goal was to create a bike that would look right at home outside the Ace Cafe in the 1950s.…

Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe – Ride Review

I have to confess I tend to get a bit excited when a motorcycle manufacturer announces they are releasing a cafe racer styled machine. I suppose it has something to do with me running this cafe racer focused website for the last 12 years. Unfortunately, my excitement often leads to disappointment when…

Pure Insanity – Darkus Madness 598 R

44-year-old financial consultant and economics lecturer Jordi Soldevila is probably the last person you’d expect to be behind the creation of this amazing motorcycle. As well as pursuing a career crunching numbers Jordi has been obsessing over motorcycles since he was 14 owning everything from MV Agustas to Vespa scooters. Then in…

Kawasaki Cafe Racers

Black Panther – Seven Motors ZRX1100

No this isn’t the motorcycle belonging to Marvel’s top-grossing superhero. It is rather the latest build from Italian workshop Seven Motors. At the request of a customer, Seven Motors took a break from their usual Moto Guzzi based creations to build this blacked out Kawasaki ZRX1100 café racer inspired by the look…

Kawasaki Cafe Racers

Deus Goose – Custom Kawasaki Z900RS

As a follow up to our recent ride review of Kawasaki’s new retro sports bike I thought we should take a look at one of the very first custom builds to be based on the Z900RS. This post-apocalyptic custom creation was built by none other than Australias own Deus Ex Machina at…

Kawasaki Cafe Racers

Kawasaki Z900RS – Ride Review

Towards the end of 2017 when the Tokyo Motor and EICMA shows took place I got more than a little excited about the year that lay ahead. This is because during said shows several manufacturers unveiled new motorcycles that appealed to my retro-obsessed aesthetic. Amongst them was a new contender in the…

First Cafe Racer build – CGL Kawasaki KZ550

I’m sure you’re all aware by now that I’m a sucker for a great first-time build. Nothing pleases me more than seeing a slick bike built by an amateur builder. It’s like getting a good weather forecast and looking forward to the week ahead. If a builder starts with an exceptional bike,…