Alongside Harley Davidson‘s Sportster the Triumph Bonneville is arguably the most customised motorcycle ever made. We’ve featured countless Bonneville cafe...
Triumph Cafe Racer
The origins of this famous British motorcycle marque go back to 1884, well before the first actual Triumph motorcycle appeared in 1902. By the 1920’s Triumph was building 30,000 cars and motorcycles a year. During the 50s many cafe racers were powered by Triumph engines due to their ability to reach the revered ‘ton’ or 100 miles per hour. Triumph is arguably one of the most popular motorcycle brands in the world and is arguably the leader in the “everything old is new again” retro bike wave.
Cosmetic Specification: Handmade ‘Slippery Sam’ polished aluminium fuel tank. (Supplied by T A Baker Tanks, Wales.) Alloy Monza fuel cap....
Bosozoku biker gangs once ruled the streets of Japan, these days though they are more of a nuisance than anything...
Ask anyone who’s ever tried. Running a successful custom motorcycle shop is no easy feat. Now imagine only having 2...
The Glemseck 101 festival is on again this weekend in Germany and it’s geared up to be bigger than ever....
If you’re a Triumph owner living in Europe and you want to modify your bike you’re spoilt for options. There’s...
Custom motorcycle builders know all about the obstacles that can get in the way during a build. Unfortunately for Denver...
Deus ex Machina came on the scene around about the same time I set up Return of the Cafe Racers...
It’s been a while since I’ve paid Japan a visit on the site, but this beauty of a Bobber from...
Here’s the latest custom motorcycle build from the new Deus ex Machina in Venice, USA. The modern Triumph Bonneville has...
On the back of the 2012 Speed Week here’s a great story about one of the salts superstars, the Gyronaut...
One place where form should never compromise function is in the world of motorcycle customisation. This is particularly relevant when...
Nicola Martini, the man behind Italy’s Special Mr Martini motorcycle workshop, restaurant and retail store, isn’t the shy type. For...
The world’s biggest Triumph motorcycle focused event ‘Tridays’ celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. Spanning 3 days the Austrian based...
“Triumph has a glorious racing history” explained Matthias Becker of Hanse Qustom in Hamburg, Germany. “The ‘Shady Sam‘ is our...
Here’s a little something to get you through another night glued to the couch. Our latest instalment of the Sunday...
If you’re anything like us, the lack of motorcycle events this year is sure to be getting you down. Thankfully...
Looking back at the Renard Motorcycles build portfolio it’s easy to see why someone would want workshop owners Kaarel and Andres to...
There are currently 4 models available in the Triumph classic range. The Boneville, Boneville T100, the Thruxton 900 and the...
The best motorcycle in the world! A bloody bold statement from Triumph motorcycles and a totally ridiculous scenario. I love...
Two bikes in two days finished in beige and numbered 13…crazy! There’s two kinds of motorcycle entusiast who will never...
One of the perks of running a custom motorcycle website like ‘Return of the Café Racers’ is being invited to...
Italian workshop Cafe Twin’s last Cafe Racer film “Passo a due” lead us on a serene lap of Rome, past...
Icon 1000 has just unveiled their newest range of riding gear and with it comes a new website and more...
There’s no denying the Triumph Thruxton R is a great looking bit of kit. When the Hinkley team created a...
And here I was thinking the best thing to come out of Belgium was chocolates and Jean Claude Van Damme!...
Psychologists have a theory that goes something like this: your brain’s synapses are set in your teen years and they...
For years the de facto choice when building a cafe racer was the air-cooled, 865cc Triumph Bonneville. With very few...
Last month “The world’s greatest Triumph event!” Tridays, took place in Neukirchen, Austria. Over the course of 7 days thousands...
Another Mooneyes Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show has wrapped up and the web is starting to buzz with photos and videos...
Hammarhead industries have been having some fun with a video camera and released this teaser for a video titled Pier...
Jeff from Saint Motor Company has sent me through some new photos of his Triumph “Tesla” which he has been...
The 2011 Melbourne Mods vs Rockers annual ride has been and gone. The event was a huge success with around...
Back in the early two thousands, Steampunk was all the rage. Popularised by films like Sky Captain and the World...
The man who formulated the build was a Belgian by the name of Bernard. Bernard’s love for classic British motorcycles...
“So, Kevin Dunworth of LGC and I ran into each other for the first time at Thor Drake’s The One...
If there’s one thing I love about my job, it’s picking the brains of the diverse handful of people that...
So you’re obsessed with two wheels? Well, we see no reason why that obsession can’t span beyond motorcycles to include...
In the Tamarit Motorcycle catalog of more than 180 bolt on parts, you’ll find everything from fenders to seat cowls. Developing said...
Nicola Martini, aka Mr Martini, aka the Mad Hatter, is an Italian custom bike builder, restauranteur and retailer. The self-proclaimed...
Despite the clear improvements and benefits of the newer water-cooled models, the air-cooled Triumph Bonneville T100 is destined to be...
Let’s face it – 2020 wasn’t the best year to be releasing a new motorcycle. Heck, it wasn’t a good...
The Tarantulas are a collection of motorcycle loving friends in Portland, USA. They are riders and builders of Cafe...
Looking back over the past decade of publishing this website I can’t think of a year that offered more exciting...
1972 Norton Commando 750 | Thanks Jim, Ananda and Nick. Sinar F 4×5 | Rodenstock 210mm | Tmax 400 I...
Some nice footage of the new Norton Commando in action alongside the Triumph’s “modern classic” Bonneville with a quick review...
I just stumbled across these “exclusive” shots of one of Wrench Monkees latest builds on the Hook Motors blog. Starting life...
Rickman Honda CR750 Brothers Derek and Don Rickman established Rickman motorcycles in 1960 from which they manufactured motorcycles up until...
Anyone wanting to build a custom motorcycle and living in a home with limited space understands how frustrating it can....
ChopperTown Nation are holding their 3rd annual backyard build contest and Return of the Cafe Racers are on board to...
Is it possible to improve on perfection? After spending some time in the saddle of a Thruxton R you could...
A while back I posted a preview of Pier 18, a video that was in production featuring Hammerhead Industries much...
Tim Kills BSA A65 Bobber On November 3rd & 4th I co-hosted a custom motorcycle exhibition in Melbourne named Oil...
I love the look of this bike. That screen is really interesting. Would be great to see one made. I’m...
What is it about the idea of an apocalypse that gets so many guys excited? In reality the end of...
Here’s an excert from Triumph’s News page regarding the 2009 Bonnies… “Triumph’s Bonneville range has also been given a serious...
For a designer who’s range of clothing has had such an enormous impact on men’s fashion I am disgusted by...
Here’s a 3 part video series showing the original build process at Triumph Motorcyces. Triumph started in 1902 and even...
When you’re on to a good thing, stick to it. Tamarit Motorcycles have a soft spot for Triumphs. They kicked...
Aside from being the most iconic of all Cafe Racers, what really makes the Triton special is how it came...
It’s been 3 years since the release of Triumph’s water-cooled Bonneville range. Amongst the first of the new Modern Classics...
Had to share this video as it’s not often we get such a good insight in to the work that...
If you don’t already have Le Container in your bookmarks or on your Blog roll you soon will. This is...
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when building your own Cafe Racer, or any style of custom motorcycle for...
Take the most powerful engine in the Triumph modern classic range and shoehorn it into one of the most revered...
After the dust from the sheet settled Andy went on to tell Ryan stories of his escapades on the bike....
I’m a sucker for retro fairings. I’m obsessed with Honda’s legendary CR750 and the TT race bikes of the seventies...
Great bikes should be ridden. Matt built his Triumph Trophy cafe racer as a tribute to a motorcycle once ridden...
Hinckley have been producing Bonnevilles for 12 years so you can now find some well priced, secondhand examples out there....
When it comes to building a cafe racer, no other marque is better suited than Triumph Motorcycles. This is of...
Despite it’s torrid sales history the Trident was a magnificent motorcycle. Its engine performed incredibly, its frame provided track worthy...
This week’s Sunday Screening was produced by French moto-apparel brand Age of Glory. ‘Escape the City Limits’ celebrates the companies...
Built by Moscow’s TCD (short for Timokhin Custom Design), this one-off Thruxton was commissioned by a client who works in aviation...
In 2020, Triumph released the most powerful model in the history of the Modern Classic range. The Thruxton RS offers...
At 54 years young Swedish born Norwegian Tomas Wrede has an enviable list of bike builds under his belt. He...
Not only do the Iron & Resin crew know how to design some pretty cool threads they also build slick...
The Japanese custom automotive scene is bursting with unbound creativity and world-class craftsmanship. So for a photographer whose passion lies...
If you haven’t already seen Brit Town the following video containing the first 10 minutes of the documentary style film...
On the back of the release of Cafe Twins short film “Milonga” I’ve got an exclusive look at the...
In 1953 Marlon Brando appeared on screen wearing black leathers and riding a 1950 Triumph Thunderbird 6T. The movie was...
In life, the best advice you will get will comes from friends. After all, if you can’t trust your friends,...
Medusa Fabrication is a small 3 man workshop run by two fabricators/blacksmiths (Chad & Theo) and a mechanic (Tyler). Out...
Spent most of today setting up a new computer (wahey) and found these images I collected a while back. These...
‘Having the right tools for the job,’ is a fairly tired saying—but the basic idea behind it applies to a...
If you saw my post recently about the Tidy Triumph Bobber I’m sure you’d like to see more about the...
“The Concept Racer workshop is a project that was born officially at the beginning of 2014, before that we were...
In 1969 Triumph motorcycles took out first, second and third places in the Thruxton 500 mile endurance race. 35 years...
An 8 hour round trip doesn’t sound like all that much if you’re on your way to buy your dream...
There are plenty of custom motorcycles born of mixed parentage. Some should never have been conceived and yet others like...
When I’m not obsessing over motorcycles or writing features like this I like to watch people building things on Youtube....
When a group of people band together for the benefit of a charity amazing things happen and this Thruxton Cafe...
Next week the Salt Flats of Bonneville, Utah will play host to the 2012 Bonneville Speed Week, “the world’s fastest speed...
The Triumph Rocket 3 is a lot of things. A monstrous cruiser. A torque powerhouse. A modern classic. But it...
Beautiful Cafe Racer, motorcycle racing, classic bike and two wheel lifestyle shots from Zebra in a Box....
Before the “new wave” custom motorcycle scene and websites like this existed, custom builders like Nicola Martini (aka Mr Martini)...
