Although the Kawasaki Z650 might be considered by many to be the low powered cousin of the Z1, it actually...
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.
It’s been 2 years since Bimota released sketches of their Kawasaki powered retro sports bike concept. At this year’s EICMA...
The “MK46” is the work of Samik Chatterjee, owner operator of MotoKraft Customs in New Delhi. After graduating from Art...
So you wanna buy a spanking new motorcycle to ride around town and make it without having to touch your...
In the scheme of things, 10 years isn’t all that long. But for a small business launched by a pair...
I dropped in at Deus Ex Machina in Sydney and picked up a new speedo for the W650. As the...
“I acquired this 1980 KZ440 in bits from a friend who had lost interest in the project.” recalls 26 year...
“Simple but sweet” is one way to sum up La Corona’s portfolio of custom motorcycles. To think that recreating this...
All hail the late 70’s; when men were men and motorcycles were deadly – really deadly. During the ’70s engine...
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. The motorcycle that started it all, the 1972 Kawasaki...
By definition, the Kawasaki ZRX1100 is a Universal Japanese Motorcycle, otherwise referred to as standard. But in our opinion, there...
When I first met Ram Ram Januar at his home in Bandung, Indonesia he told me that he started his...
I’m an advocate of recycling. I separate my paper and plastic rubbish and I buy recycled products, so when I...
There’s something strangely compelling about raw, handmade bodywork. To me it’s one of the finest demonstrations of skill and creativity....
Replacing the rear tail light on the W650 is probably one of the simplest modifications I have done so Far...
All you need to do is remove the right side cover by unscrewing the 2 screws on the side and...
Deus Ex Machina are continuing to expand their footprint by opening flagship stores around the globe. Since their first store...
Swapping the handlebars on any bike sounds like an easy job but your choice of handlebar can dramatically affect the...
2012 marked the 40th anniversary of Kawasaki’s legendary Z series of motorcycles. To celebrate the Zeds 4 decades of manufacture...
Although Nazar (aka Gazzz) has been repairing, riding and restoring motorcycles for 15 years he’s fairly new to the custom...
Looking over the photos it’s the smaller details that really make his bike special. The W650 features a spattering of...
What better inspiration could a man need when building his first custom bike than to be building it for his...
Not to be beaten by my lack of tools I came up with a solution to remove the Ventura rear...
I could now list off the modifications and parts used in the construction of the Fiddler but seeing as Deus...
Some will call it sacrilege but I have a soft spot for resto-mods. The thinking behind a resto-mod is simple....
Kawasaki’s ER6N first hit the streets in 2008 but the middleweight naked sports bike isn’t a motorcycle that often pops...
Le Gicleur Noire Black, black and more black. The Le Gicleur Noire which translates to “Always bet on black” is...
Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse one of our favourite motorcycle events on the planet got cancelled....
Now assuming you’ve takenin to account all the points I mentioned in part one of my handlebar swap posts you’re...
From time to time, you see something that makes it hard to believe your eyes. They call it cognitive dissonance;...
While most aspects of motorcycle design have come a long way since the 70s, there and several that haven’t. Take...
This Kawasaki KZ550 is the work of Jaka Martinuč who works in the financial sector, about as far removed from...
2022 is the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. To help mark the occasion we’re looking at the...
One of the jobs I didn’t forsee when I was fitting the clip on bars to the w650 was adjusting...
“My background has nothing to do with either mechanics nor handcrafting vehicles,” confesses Jordi. “When I decided to make my...
They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. By now, with all the copycat builds it has inspired,...
Rat Bikes like their 4 wheeled cousins, Rat Rods are what some people would consider to be a “piece of...
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...
Through a special collaboration with custom builder, ‘Mr Martini’ Kawasaki motorcycles Italy have released a limited edition Vulcan S. Only...
Such is the iconic status of the 1970s Kawasaki Z900 that these days they are more commonly restored than customised....
The Z2 was an almost identical motorcycle to the Z1 aside from its engine. A modified bore and stroke, smaller carburettors...
What have I done! One job I have had to perform a few times during my W650 Cafe Racer project...
“The Kwaka had stood still for at least 5 years and was running on only 3 cylinders. It puked fuel...
Well it’s been 7 months since I purchased my W650 and started the Cafe Racer conversion. It’s been a great...
Anyone that’s been following this site since its launch knows it all started with the purchase of a Kawasaki W650....
According to Sven Decoux of Barn Built Motorcycles, the decision to customise a Kawasaki ZR7 was more ‘right place, right...
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 first met this bike and its owner at one of our cancer fundraisers in Dallas. The bike sounded like...
Today we have added a new feature to the site allowing you to submit your own Cafe Racer project. Return...
My first visit to Jakarta in 2014 was arranged for the sole purpose of visiting custom motorcycle workshops. We’d been...
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...
“They don’t make them like they used to!” When you hear those words uttered it is generally with disdain. A...
In the early eighties, a clever member of the Kawasaki marketing team thought it’d be a good idea to produce...
Suzuki Katana. Honda Dominator. Kawasaki Ninja. These are all bike names that inspire visions of power and awesomeness. In some...
Towards the end of 2017 when the Tokyo Motor and EICMA shows took place I got more than a little...
Earlier this month the first series of the Essenza 1/8th mile sprint challenge was completed at the Glemseck festival in Leonberg,...
At the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show last weekend the Japanese manufacturer wowed the motorcycling world once again with the all-new, retro-styled...
It may come as a surprise, but cafe racers aren’t the only style of custom motorcycle I admire. Back when...
Throttle open, chin on the tank and your parallel twin rocketing you from point a to point z....
I’ve just finished fitting a polished top bridge/triple clamp to the W650 Cafe Racer. After fitting the clip on bars...
Someone had sacrilegiously painted the bike’s frame in a past life, hiding the trademark Rickman nickel plating, so it had...
The Mistress was commissioned by Mistress Gentlemens Motorcycle Club a motorcycle club based in Lisbon. The club allows members to...
By my definition an ‘attempt’ is usually when you try to do something and it doesn’t quite work out. I...
When opportunity beckons what do you do? … let it pass you by or seize it? Whilst the decision for...
A while back we were approached by Just Bikes in Australia and invited to enter their Just Auto Legends campaign....
Honda CB750 “Cold bitch” More home built Cafe Racers sent in by our talented readers. Thanks for sharing your motorcycles...
In my hometown of Melbourne, we’re lucky to have a great cafe racer community. Thanks to clubs like the “Melbourne...
It’s hard to imagine that any good could come from breaking your neck. Things could have gone very differently when...
As gaudy as the eighties were they certainly produced some cool motorcycles. Sharp angular styling, bold colour schemes and groundbreaking...
I’m back on the W650 again! Got loads of time in the saddle this weekend, but it’s never enough!...
Let’s take a closer look at them… Kawasaki Z900RS Café Kawasaki had already unveiled their stunning new Z900RS at the Tokyo...
Named ‘Gunpowder’ the 1999 Kawasaki ZRX1100 is the work of Benny Lombardo and Antonello Zonna of Seven Motors. After the owner explained...
It’s been 4 years since the Kawasaki Z900RS went on sale. In the lead-up to its release, Kawasaki adopted a...
It seems strange now, but Kawasaki actually beat Triumph to the punch when it came to retro-styled motorcycles. First released...
After owning a Kawasaki W650 for 5 years I can quite confidently say they are one of the best performing...
To remove the covers you can do 1 of 2 things, either remove the forks from the triple clamps slide...
“No Time. No Territory. Just an atitude inspired in the past and dressed to impress.” – Maria Motorcycles ...
My favourite ongoing series of custom motorcycle builds has just added 2 new “Retrograde Engineered” beasts to their line up....
Based on a 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 this bike is a rolling eulogy to 1970s composite creativity. During the ’60s and...
Another of my time wasting/research habits is trawling the internet for custom bike shops who build Cafe Racer style motorbikes...
Moto Lanna are a parts fabricator based in Chang Mai, Thailand. They recently got in touch regarding a link swap...
As someone who has a history of heart disease in their family, I know all too well how devastating it...
Deus ex Machina came on the scene around about the same time I set up Return of the Cafe Racers...
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...
The Vulcan S ABS Café is Kawasaki’s “learner approved” cruiser. Its styling is typical of all cruisers that follow in...
I was left disappointed after Kawasaki released the W800 back in 2011. The switch to EFI (damn emission laws!) and...
The success of the Studio Motor workshop has made Donny somewhat of a celebrity in the Indonesian custom scene. He’s...
There are several amazing custom motorcycle shows happening in the United States right now that have made it onto my...
There’s virtually no limit to the extent that you can modify a motorcycle. This, of course, includes its performance and...
Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to test ride almost every new modern classic, retro sports and...
Although the 1978 Z1 successor didn’t live up to Kawasaki’s expectations in showrooms, the Z1-R is an iconic motorcycle and...
The 1974 Kawasaki KZ400 Cafe Racer underwent an extensive 500-hour build, featuring a powerful 400cc parallel twin engine with a...
Just like the Boom Town Rats “I don’t like Mondays”. I do however like motorcycles…a lot! Here’s this weeks Monday...
Flexible back and knees are essential for successful Cafe Racer cornering techniques....
I’m always excited to feature a build from a country we haven’t previously visited here on the Return of the...
To Maurizio Carrero, founder of Imbarcadero 14 Venice in Italy, the Z1000 was more than an icon of motorcycle manufacturing.As...
When we reviewed the Kawasaki Z900RS Z900RS cafe back in 2018 we noticed something familiar about its styling. Kawasaki stated the...