The 1974 Kawasaki KZ400 Cafe Racer underwent an extensive 500-hour build, featuring a powerful 400cc parallel twin engine with a...
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.
They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. By now, with all the copycat builds it has inspired,...
My parents once gifted me an old Toyota. Mum was worried about me riding and thought that giving me a...
In my hometown of Melbourne, we’re lucky to have a great cafe racer community. Thanks to clubs like the “Melbourne...
Although the Kawasaki Z650 might be considered by many to be the low powered cousin of the Z1, it actually...
Earlier this month the first series of the Essenza 1/8th mile sprint challenge was completed at the Glemseck festival in Leonberg,...
What better inspiration could a man need when building his first custom bike than to be building it for his...
I was left disappointed after Kawasaki released the W800 back in 2011. The switch to EFI (damn emission laws!) and...
The boys in Denmark have been very busy since they last graced the pages of this site. Their new workshop...
In 1986 girls swooned and guys headed to the nearest motorcycle dealership at the sight of Tom Cruise astride his Top...
It seems strange now, but Kawasaki actually beat Triumph to the punch when it came to retro-styled motorcycles. First released...
With 30 years of custom motorcycle building under his belt, Wolfgang Batz isn’t about to be influenced by other people’s...
Rat Bikes like their 4 wheeled cousins, Rat Rods are what some people would consider to be a “piece of...
I’m a sucker for a W, so when the boys from Ton Up Garage in Portugal sent through their latest...
Another of my time wasting/research habits is trawling the internet for custom bike shops who build Cafe Racer style motorbikes...
What have I done! One job I have had to perform a few times during my W650 Cafe Racer project...
Green is most certainly the colour of envy. Gia Mi Racing are back again with another modern take on Cafe...
I don’t know know why green is a popular colour for these little Cafe Racers but I have to say...
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. The motorcycle that started it all, the 1972 Kawasaki...
The motorcycle above it’s a custom Kawasaki Ninja 250r from Donny in Jakarta, Indonesia. The time it takes to build...
One of the jobs I didn’t forsee when I was fitting the clip on bars to the w650 was adjusting...
Such is the iconic status of the 1970s Kawasaki Z900 that these days they are more commonly restored than customised....
My first visit to Jakarta in 2014 was arranged for the sole purpose of visiting custom motorcycle workshops. We’d been...
In 2021 Markus Pintzinger celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his Thailand-based aftermarket parts store, Omega Racer. To commemorate the milestone anniversary...
When we reviewed the Kawasaki Z900RS Z900RS cafe back in 2018 we noticed something familiar about its styling. Kawasaki stated the...
According to Sven Decoux of Barn Built Motorcycles, the decision to customise a Kawasaki ZR7 was more ‘right place, right...
All hail the late 70’s; when men were men and motorcycles were deadly – really deadly. During the ’70s engine...
To remove the covers you can do 1 of 2 things, either remove the forks from the triple clamps slide...
2012 marked the 40th anniversary of Kawasaki’s legendary Z series of motorcycles. To celebrate the Zeds 4 decades of manufacture...
In the early eighties, a clever member of the Kawasaki marketing team thought it’d be a good idea to produce...
In 1979 the first Mad Max film was released in Australian cinemas. It depicted director George Miller’s vision of a...
Today the idea of building such a bike for the street sounds rather ridiculous, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t...
Since 1963 Kawasaki Motorcycle Co. has introduced a plethora of technological innovations which have gone on to become industry standards....
If you’ve read my ride review of the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS or its cafe racer counterpart, you’d know I‘m rather...
Today’s quick update has been a long time in the making. As we’ve seen here before the Kawasaki KZ650 has...
“They don’t make them like they used to!” When you hear those words uttered it is generally with disdain. A...
This Kawasaki KZ550 is the work of Jaka Martinuč who works in the financial sector, about as far removed from...
While most aspects of motorcycle design have come a long way since the 70s, there and several that haven’t. Take...
I’ve been an invited guest at Kustomfest Indonesia for 5 years now. Thanks to the show I’ve made some great...
So I purchased a set of Posh Faith polished alloy indicators from Deus ex Machina in Sydney for $99 a pair (sounds...
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...
It’s been 2 years since Bimota released sketches of their Kawasaki powered retro sports bike concept. At this year’s EICMA...
“Simple but sweet” is one way to sum up La Corona’s portfolio of custom motorcycles. To think that recreating this...
A while back we were approached by Just Bikes in Australia and invited to enter their Just Auto Legends campaign....
I came across this eBay auction the other day and was amazed by how similar the T120R Bonneville looks to...
Well it’s been 7 months since I purchased my W650 and started the Cafe Racer conversion. It’s been a great...
Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to test ride almost every new modern classic, retro sports and...
The Mistress was commissioned by Mistress Gentlemens Motorcycle Club a motorcycle club based in Lisbon. The club allows members to...
It’s been 4 years since the Kawasaki Z900RS went on sale. In the lead-up to its release, Kawasaki adopted a...
Today we have added a new feature to the site allowing you to submit your own Cafe Racer project. Return...
Any guess at how much one of the beauties would set you back these days? “In 1978 S&S Performance bought...
“My background has nothing to do with either mechanics nor handcrafting vehicles,” confesses Jordi. “When I decided to make my...
Swapping the handlebars on any bike sounds like an easy job but your choice of handlebar can dramatically affect the...
Looking over the photos it’s the smaller details that really make his bike special. The W650 features a spattering of...
A modern day Road Warrior In typical Deus style, their custom Kawasaki Z900RS is as outlandish and it is unique....
This exquisite custom bike, crafted by Deus Customs, is a unique creation based on a 2004 Kawasaki W650 (EJ650). With...
After owning a Kawasaki W650 for 5 years I can quite confidently say they are one of the best performing...
2022 is the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. To help mark the occasion we’re looking at the...
It may come as a surprise, but cafe racers aren’t the only style of custom motorcycle I admire. Back when...
The success of the Studio Motor workshop has made Donny somewhat of a celebrity in the Indonesian custom scene. He’s...
Detlev Louis is a German motorcycle riding gear manufacturer with more than 8 decades of experience under its belt. Unsurprisingly...
By definition, the Kawasaki ZRX1100 is a Universal Japanese Motorcycle, otherwise referred to as standard. But in our opinion, there...
Just like the Boom Town Rats “I don’t like Mondays”. I do however like motorcycles…a lot! Here’s this weeks Monday...
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’m an advocate of recycling. I separate my paper and plastic rubbish and I buy recycled products, so when I...
When opportunity beckons what do you do? … let it pass you by or seize it? Whilst the decision for...
The seat is also of top quality. The inner shell is made from thick, hard plastic which looks very durable....
Flexible back and knees are essential for successful Cafe Racer cornering techniques....
As someone who has a history of heart disease in their family, I know all too well how devastating it...
There are several amazing custom motorcycle shows happening in the United States right now that have made it onto my...
I’ve been toying with the idea of posting this custom ’76 Kawasaki KH100 for some time and decided today to...
Ever since seeing the “We R Winning” short documentary about Twinline Motorcycles I’ve been a huge fan of the Seattle...
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. The motorcycle that started it all, the 1972 Kawasaki...
The Vulcan S ABS Café is Kawasaki’s “learner approved” cruiser. Its styling is typical of all cruisers that follow in...
Winter has not been kind to my bike. I made the move to Melbourne in Jan and moved in to...
Back in March I was lucky enough to pay a visit to the workshop of Studio Motor in Jakarta, Indonesia....
By my definition an ‘attempt’ is usually when you try to do something and it doesn’t quite work out. I...
The Z2 was an almost identical motorcycle to the Z1 aside from its engine. A modified bore and stroke, smaller carburettors...
The Japanese custom motorcycle scene is overflowing with all manner of unexpected and tantalizing two-wheeled wonders. Located in Ibaraki Prefecture,...
While Rickman Motorcycles started out producing frames and body kits for British made motorcycles in the seventies they turned their...
“The Kwaka had stood still for at least 5 years and was running on only 3 cylinders. It puked fuel...
There’s virtually no limit to the extent that you can modify a motorcycle. This, of course, includes its performance and...
I have to confess I tend to get a bit excited when a motorcycle manufacturer announces they are releasing a...
After months of hard work and seemingly endless nights of writing, issue 2 of Tank Moto is now available! Just...
All you need to do is remove the right side cover by unscrewing the 2 screws on the side and...
The “MK46” is the work of Samik Chatterjee, owner operator of MotoKraft Customs in New Delhi. After graduating from Art...
Throttle open, chin on the tank and your parallel twin rocketing you from point a to point z....
Moto Lanna are a parts fabricator based in Chang Mai, Thailand. They recently got in touch regarding a link swap...
The art of coachbuilding and metal shaping is a dying art form. Finding skilled individuals who can take a flat...
As 2014 comes to an end I thought I’d take a (close up) look at some of the incredible work...
In 1980 Vetter designed and built a very limited run of 10 Mystery Ship motorcycles based on Kawasaki’s KZ1000 MKII....
Suzuki Katana. Honda Dominator. Kawasaki Ninja. These are all bike names that inspire visions of power and awesomeness. In some...
Named ‘Gunpowder’ the 1999 Kawasaki ZRX1100 is the work of Benny Lombardo and Antonello Zonna of Seven Motors. After the owner explained...
Here are a couple of shots of the W650 Cafe Racer. At 90% complete I’m really happy with how the...
Anyone that’s been following this site since its launch knows it all started with the purchase of a Kawasaki W650....
So you wanna buy a spanking new motorcycle to ride around town and make it without having to touch your...
I finally had a chance to shoot some photos of my bike today, it’s a 2000 Kawasaki W650 Cafe Racer...
After literally killing his Kawasaki KLR650 Fort Nine’s “tell it like it is” vlogger Ryan Kluftinger has resurrected the bike in...
I dropped in at Deus Ex Machina in Sydney and picked up a new speedo for the W650. As the...
