After a complete tear down the XJR’s subframe was trimmed to tighten the bike’s proportions. In place of the original...
Yamaha Cafe Racer
Yamaha’s first motorcycle appeared in 1955. The 125cc two-stroke YA-1 went straight to the racetrack and started winning titles. Yamaha has built on those race credentials over the years, winning at the IOM TT and the Paris Dakar. Yamaha continues to run a successful factory race team in Moto GP.
Yamaha’s contribution to the custom motorcycle world includes the highly successful and long loved SR400 and SR500 singles we see in so many café racer builds. Other Yamaha custom favourites include the seventies XS650 twins and more recently their XSR700 and XSR900 Sport Heritage range.
“Sport Heritage” Never has the combination of those two words made as much sense as when applied to the Yamaha...
“Purpose Built Moto came about after I started modifying street bikes of my own. I then became frustrated that no...
I met Michael Capraro some years ago at a communal motorcycle workshop I was involved in. His enthusiasm for bikes...
The bike Spartak’s customer found was a rare find in his hometown of Minsk, a late eighties Yamaha XJ600. The...
I’ve worked on my fair share of custom builds to know that things can get a little stressful. When I...
Opening up the emails I receive through the “Submit a motorcycle” link on the site is one of my favourite...
To start with can you tell us where the bikes name “Tramontana” comes from? Spartak: This is the bike’s name...
There are a handful of motorcycles that became the poster children of the “new wave” cafe racer scene at the...
When great minds come together, great things happen. Often in the world of custom motorcycle building workshops keep to themselves....
Moto Nisto of Ypsilanti, Michigan, expertly transformed this 1980 Yamaha XS650 into a stunning Cafe Racer. The modifications done on...
During the early 1970s, Kenny Roberts shot to stardom as a rider in the American Yamaha racing team. In 1973...
A collaboration with El Solitario seemed like the perfect pairing for Yamaha’s next Yard Built project, but as El Solitario’s...
There’s beauty in simplicity. Apple have proved that with their design approach and in the custom motorcycle world that...
There’s two ways you can build a custom motorcycle. One way is to have a design idea that’s laid out...
Most custom motorcycles rolling out of workshops tend to be polished to perfection or feature paint jobs more expensive than...
Just got home after spending the day out with the guys from Fuel Tank TV and Christian from Modern Motorcycles....
Recently found XS650 Chopper website which has a load of custom Yamaha XS650 projects. Great for inspiration or to just perve on...
There was a time when it seemed that every other custom build to roll out of a workshop was built...
This 1975 Yamaha RD350 underwent a café racer conversion in 2014. The changes encompassed an orange repaint over a black...
Japanese workshop AN-BU Customs has developed an instantly recognisable style of their own. Their recipe involves mixing tight proportions, with...
After more than 35 years of production, the Yamaha SR400 has had little in the way of design modifications. The...
Due to the surging demand for nostalgia-infused motorcycles with a retro aesthetic, it was no surprise that Yamaha decided to...
The Arcanum build began when I picked up a ‘78 Yamaha SR500 from a guy in Newcastle, it was an...
The Varkain (“Finnish for By Stealth”) Yamaha SR400 is one of my favourite creations to come out of Raider Motorsports...
Here’s a great segment from the cutting room floor of Cafe Racer TV. In this online episode they reveal the...
To transform the XV950 cruiser into a cafe racer styled machine Marcus began by dramatically modifying the bikes rear end....
“Yamaha and Abarth have created the XSR900 Abarth – a lightweight high-performance retro special whose authentic café racer design reflects...
The Blue Rhapsody takes its main inspiration from the 90’s race bikes Keinosuke saw on the streets of Japan in...
Back in 2006 one of the first motorcycles that really got me excited about the custom scene was a Yamaha...
The Winning Loser. Saved from a scrapyard and transformed in to a piece of custom motorcycle art, this Yamaha SR 250...
As with the other Yamaha XJR1300 Yardbuilt bikes the Botafogo-N was constructed without performing any modifications to the bike’s frame....
The Yamaha XS-V1 Sakura (Prototype ie coming soon!) oozes Cafe Racer style and should pck plenty of punch based on...
I hate to say it but there is a downside to riding a classic British cafe racer. Sure you’ll revel...
Looking at this custom Yamaha SR500 built in Japan turns me in to the equivalent of that crazy fish in Finding...
Boner…That’s what this custom Yamaha XS650 is called. Not your usual custom build title but Death Spray Customs isn’t your...
The Wrenchmonkees have just released details of the bike that represents a half-century of custom motorcycle builds from the Denmark based...
Back in 2005, when I first became interested in the Japanese custom motorcycle scene, finding insights into their world took...
Over in the UK Shaun & Carl of custom workshop ‘Down and Out’ Cafe Racers usually play with parallel twins, but...
The story of the TX750 is one that Yamaha would rather we all forgot. The bike, which was set to...
Greg Hageman, aka Hageman Motorcycles, aka Doc Chops may not have been the first to build a Virago cafe racer,...
“My name is Teguh Setiawan. I’m a 23 years old and studying at a university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In 2012...
There have been many custom workshops that have evolved their brand into an apparel range. In Taiwan, the clothing label...
The old saying ‘practice makes perfect’ rings true in the custom motorcycle community. Over the years I’ve seen many builders...
Sadly it looks like Yamaha’s venerable SR400s time is coming to an end. Like so many other motorcycles falling victim...
You’ll have to forgive me for veering off the Cafe Racer path slightly but when I see a custom motorcycle like this...
This 1982 Yamaha XV750 Virago has undergone extensive customization with a range of unique components. These custom additions include a...
It wasn’t until I featured our first Yamaha TRX850 cafe racer back in 2013 that I learned of their existence....
No sooner had the doors of the 2015 One Motorcycle Show closed for another year, than the brothers Busch and...
The Yamaha features the same Benelli 360 tank and custom seat combo that Greg used on the last Virago, but...
Feast your eyes on Jay LaRossa’s 1978 Yamaha SR500 “Solus” in this short video by Ricki Bedenbaugh. This video reminds me of...
As it always goes, popularity affects price, so the days of picking up a bargain XS are gone and it...
This 1981 Yamaha XV750 Virago has been transformed into a cafe racer, featuring a metallic gray finish with gold accents....
The red ‘Monster’ which was built back in 2013 for the Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and the blue...
British vs Japanese engineering. It’s a debate that I’ve often heard between motorcyclists. It’s easy to see why each party...
If you’re going to customise a motorcycle it’s always best to start out with a bike that’s got a good...
But, dear reader, should you? Is it worth tracking down one of Yamaha’s cheerful little runabouts for your next custom...
For the Hyper Modified campaign Yamaha approached three well known custom builders and gave them a straight to the point...
Spotted this great Yamaha R5 “Giant Killer” custom on Garage Project motorcycles. After a bit of digging all I managed to...
Deus Bali appeared on the scene only a few short months ago and it seems they are already wheeling some...
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when building your own Cafe Racer, or any style of custom motorcycle for...
Tower’s been messing about on bikes since he was a kid, but in 2008 a chance meeting with Ian Halcott...
After one full day of owning the 1979 XS650 Special Giancarlo’s called it quits. Stranded on the side of the...
Yamaha’s Yardbuilt series is the brainchild of the companies visionary project manager, Shun Miyazawa. The series kicked off back in...
Mark Bliss is a man of many talents, but it’s his work with motorcycles he’s most proud of. Both of...
In the early 1980s, Yamaha introduced a new family of four-stroke motorcycles, with the XJ550 being one of them. These...
Bernhard Naumann, aka Blechmann, grew up in Burgenland, a federal state of Austria in central Europe. Growing up in a...
My dog doesn’t care for the Yamaha XSR900. When I arrive home on any other motorcycle the small ball of...
After spying the Yamaha XJR400 cafe racer on their website we contacted C-Racer crew member Antonis Kapetanios who was kind...
Some people find it a real struggle to sit still. Take Stu Lloyd for example. It hasn’t even been 4...
In motorsport, race teams are always looking for new ways to improve lap times. Back in the fifties when motorcycles...
Yamaha’s beloved SR400 may have ceased production back in 2021, but it remains a hot favorite amongst custom builders in...
The Yamaha Yardbuilt series has been running for an impressive 7 years now. Since then Yamaha has commissioned over 50...
At the end of World War 2 many British motorcycle manufacturers were on the verge of closure or had already...
Since launching Return of the Cafe Racers back in 2006 I have only come across two builders who have managed...
David Gonzalez from Ad Hoc is renowned for customizing Yamaha motorcycles. He gained international acclaim for his work on the...
In Osaka, Japan 28-year-old cafe racer enthusiast Yuya Ueda has been riding his SR400 for 8 years and it’s lead...
Jamie’s younger years were spent in the UK. He was bitten by the motorcycle bug at an early age after...
Not content with simply building a tidy Yamaha SR based Cafe Racer, the crew at Rocker Classic Cycles decided to...
The custom Yamaha SR250’s are taking over! After last week’s C59R “Little Blue” custom Tracker build from Barcelona we’ve headed...
Yamaha XS650 Classic Cafe built by the Wheely shop. A beautiful balance of old styling and modern technology. ...
In the early days of Yamaha’s venture into motorcycle production their YA-, affectionately known as the Akatombo or Red Dragonfly,...
These days you don’t get much of a bike for 300 quid. Every now and then though you hear about...
Back in 2016, Yamaha bit itself off a decent-sized chunk of the modern retro market with the release of the...
Few motorcycles have the cult status of Yamaha’s SR400. During the past decade, the SR has come into the spotlight...
The mighty Yamaha XS650 has been a hot favourite in the custom scene for decades and a personal favourite of...
This Yamaha XS650 stands out as a captivating and tastefully modified representation of the popular classic Japanese motorcycle. Crafted into...
I first met the Ask Motorcycle guys when I went to the Mooneyes Yokohama Hot Rod and custom show in...
I’ve been covering the Yamaha Yardbuilt series of custom bikes for some time now and have really enjoyed the projects...
There was always a motorcycle in our house when I was growing up, but my father’s real passion was collectible...
Trevers father, John Scales, was a 2 stroke road racer during the 1970s. “I heard so many stories from my...
If you happen to be near The Dues Ex Machina store in Camperdown Sydney this week a quick visit is definitely in...
I know I’m probably going to get a few frowns for this as it’s certainly not a Cafe Racer,...
Yet another outstanding issue of Fuel Magazine is just about to hit the shelves. Grab a copy to see my...
Dressed all in black the Skullmonkee is easily recognisable as a Wrenchmonkees build. Tight proportions, clean lines, killer finishes...
Auto Fabrica has transformed this Yamaha XJ600 into a one-of-a-kind modern classic sports bike known as the “Type 24”. This...
The Yamaha SR400 was the poster child of the “new wave” custom scene back in ’08/’09. Thanks to workshops like...
“I guess, it’s a modern take on a Cafe Racer, but I was born around 20 years too late to...
The Skorpion Sport was produced by German motorcycle manufacturer MZ (Motorrad und Zweiradwerk) between 1994 and 2004. Although you may have never...
Yamaha’s legendary XS650, it’s reputation precedes it. The XS is one of the most widely customised bikes in the world so to...