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    Bike Of The Day: 1975 Yamaha RD350 Cafe Racer

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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.

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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha SR250 Saudade

While the idea of belting down a freeway at a ton and a half on a big bore Cafe Racer...
Pin
Bike of the DayYamaha Cafe Racer

Bike Of The Day: 1981 Yamaha XV920 ‘Double Shot’

The Yamaha XV920 ‘Double Shot’ is a prime example of Yamaha’s timeless cruising motorcycle, skillfully transformed and rebuilt in the...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Flash Rabbit Yamaha XS650

Yamaha’s legendary XS650, it’s reputation precedes it. The XS is one of the most widely customised bikes in the world so to...
Pin
Motorcycle VideosYamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XS650 Bobber by Holiday Customs

You’ll have to forgive me for veering off the Cafe Racer path slightly but when I see a custom motorcycle like this...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Metric Masterpiece – Virago VX750 Cafe Racer

Greg Hageman, aka Hageman Motorcycles, aka Doc Chops may not have been the first to build a Virago cafe racer,...
PinYamaha XV750 cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Paint the Town – XV750 Virago Cafe Racer

I met Michael Capraro some years ago at a communal motorcycle workshop I was involved in. His enthusiasm for bikes...
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BSAHarley Davidson Cafe RacerLifestyle StoriesTriumph Cafe RacerYamaha Cafe Racer

Oil Stained Brain motorcycle exhibition

Tim Kills BSA A65 Bobber On November 3rd & 4th I co-hosted a custom motorcycle exhibition in Melbourne named Oil...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

R1X Retro Rocket: Robert Catanese Yamaha R1 Cafe Racer

I hate to say it but there is a downside to riding a classic British cafe racer. Sure you’ll revel...
PinBerrybads RIP Cheesy Yamaha SR400 cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

R.I.P Cheesy: BerryBad Yamaha SR400 Cafe Racer

Despite its 43-year production run ending in 2021, the SR400 remains a hot favourite amongst riders in Japan. The SR400’s...
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PartsYamaha Cafe Racer

The Modern Motorcycle Company

The Modern Motorcycle Company is a custom workshop based in Melbourne, Victoria. Owned and run by Christian Condo the workshop...
PinYamaha XSR700 yardbuilt cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Hanko – George Woodman’s Yardbuilt XSR700

This bike was built by George Woodman, a carpenter slash furniture designer slash interior architect from Biarritz, France. Yes, his...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Fatty Yamaha R1 Bobber

When I think about Bobbers my mind conjures up images of cruising along a winding coastal road, sitting comfortably atop...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Virago Cafe Racer by RPG

“I have been riding motorcycles on and off road for more than a decade and I wanted to combine my...
PinYamaha XS650 Cafe Racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

The Minka – Yamaha XS650 Cafe Racer

As it always goes, popularity affects price, so the days of picking up a bargain XS are gone and it...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XS750 by the WrenchMonkees

The Wrenchmonkees have just released details of the bike that represents a half-century of custom motorcycle builds from the Denmark based...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XT600 The Mongrel

This is the Mongrel. A custom Yamaha XT600 haling from the darker side of Sydney’s Cafe Racer scene. The Mongrel...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Eleven – Seoz Bike Yamaha XS1100

There was always a motorcycle in our house when I was growing up, but my father’s real passion was collectible...
PinYamaha SR400 Cafe Racer build
Building a Cafe RacerMotorcycle ReviewsYamaha Cafe Racer

Cafe Contenders – Yamaha SR400 and SR500

But, dear reader, should you? Is it worth tracking down one of Yamaha’s cheerful little runabouts for your next custom...
PinYamaha XRS700 cafe racer yardbuilt
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Kando – Cafe Racer SSpirit XSR700

For the Yardbuilt 2017 XSR700 project, Yamaha selected 7 workshops from different European locations to take part in the event. Representatives from Italy,...
PinYamaha Yardbuilt XSR155
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Reborn – Glanets MC Yardbuilt XSR 155

The Yamaha Yardbuilt series has been running for an impressive 7 years now. Since then Yamaha has commissioned over 50...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Retro Six – Vintage Addiction Yamaha R6

Looking back over a few of our recent features it seems that building retro customs out of modern sports bikes...
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Honda Cafe RacerKawasaki Cafe RacerTriumph Cafe RacerYamaha Cafe Racer

Deus Ex Machina new website

Deus ex Machina came on the scene around about the same time I set up Return of the Cafe Racers...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XT600 Cafe Racer

Nothing beats a hand me down, especially when it’s in the form of a motorcycle. When Christian was given his...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Garage46 Yamaha XS650

After one full day of owning the 1979 XS650 Special Giancarlo’s called it quits. Stranded on the side of the...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Left Hand Cycles custom Yamaha XS650

  There’s beauty in simplicity. Apple have proved that with their design approach and in the custom motorcycle world that...
PinA 2020 Yamaha XSR700 motorcycle rides along a European freeway
BikesMotorcycle ReviewsYamaha Cafe Racer

Ride & Review: Yamaha’s 2022 XSR700 Retro Twin

Unless you’re living in one of those rule-free American states where they let tipsy 13-year-olds ride drag bikes on public...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Show Pony – C-Racer Yamaha XJR400

After spying the Yamaha XJR400 cafe racer on their website we contacted C-Racer crew member Antonis Kapetanios who was kind...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Doc Chops Yamaha Virago Cafe Racer

Since launching Return of the Cafe Racers back in 2006 I have only come across two builders who have managed...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Taming the Kawasaki 500 Triple

For a motorcycle that once laid claim to being the quickest street production bike, the Kawasaki 500 Triples certainly have...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

The Falcon – Moto Essence Yamaha RD350

As anyone starting up a new company should do the pair decided to launch their brand with a bang. So,...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Hidden Potential – Yamaha TR1 Cafe Racer

Over in the UK Shaun & Carl of custom workshop ‘Down and Out’ Cafe Racers usually play with parallel twins, but...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Tasteful 2 Banger – Twinline Yamaha RD350

Tower’s been messing about on bikes since he was a kid, but in 2008 a chance meeting with Ian Halcott...
Pinyamaha virago xv750 cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Virile Virago – KSC Yamaha XV750

Rapid prototyping, CNC machining, 3d printing! Whatever happened to good old hammers, spanners, and the occasional grinder? I get a...
PinYamaha XS750 cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

The Oxford – Yamaha XS750 Cafe Racer

Jesse attributes his interest in building bikes to a 1971 Honda CB175 he restored with his father at the age...
PinYamaha XJR cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Gold Rush – Espiat Yamaha XJR1200

Gold Rush is Daniel’s 3rd  XJR1200 based build. As you would expect by now he’s become somewhat of an XJR...
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Harley Davidson Cafe RacerLifestyle StoriesYamaha Cafe Racer

Deus Ex Machina – Redefining old school

Established by Dare Jennings, Rod Hunwick and Carby Tuckwell, Deus ex Machina in Camperdown, Sydney, produces motorcycles for the post-modern world. What the hell...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha SR500 Cafe Racer by Motorradtke GbR

Brrr… Lars and Jorg of Motorradtke GbR in Germany traditionally build and maintain Superbikes for the race track. However after...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha SR125 Material Woman

I first met the Ask Motorcycle guys when I went to the Mooneyes Yokohama Hot Rod and custom show in...
PinEnginethusiast Yamaha DT250
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Engine engine 25 – Yamaha DT250

If you’ve been following Enginethusiast for a while, you’ve probably noticed that Anthony Scott has a soft spot for vintage...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Long Live The King – Yamaha RX Cafe Racer

“My name is Teguh Setiawan. I’m a 23 years old and studying at a university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In 2012...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XS650 Redback Cafe Racer

Down here in Australia it seems like Mother Nature’s hell bent on killing us all off. Our surrounding oceans are...
PinSpeedtractor Yamaha SR250
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Odd Job – Speedtractor Yamaha SRV250

To improve the v-twin’s power and torque Yamaha fit the SRV with a beefier cam profile, two carburetors rather than...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XS650 Acid King

If you ask me there’s two types of custom build, the clean and the down right dirty. Richard and Lex...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

400 meter monster – VMax CS-07 Gasoline

With 200bhp on tap and an astounding 2.5 second 0-60mph time, the Vmax V4 engine is well suited to dragstrip...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Cooper Smithing Co TX500 Jailbird

Most custom motorcycles rolling out of workshops tend to be polished to perfection or feature paint jobs more expensive than...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Dapper Rat XS750 Cafe Racer

Shaft driven motorcycles have been around since the early 1900’s, but Yamaha’s shaft driven debut didn’t come until the late...
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Motorcycle VideosYamaha Cafe Racer

Lossa Engineering Solus video

Feast your eyes on Jay LaRossa’s 1978 Yamaha SR500 “Solus” in this short video by Ricki Bedenbaugh. This video reminds me of...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

SR500 full fairing Cafe Racer

Looking at this custom Yamaha SR500 built in Japan turns me in to the equivalent of that crazy fish in Finding...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

The Brute from Belarus – Tramontana Yamaha XV750

To start with can you tell us where the bikes name “Tramontana” comes from? Spartak: This is the bike’s name...
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Motorcycle VideosYamaha Cafe Racer

Fuel Tank TV annual DVD shoot

Just got home after spending the day out with the guys from Fuel Tank TV and Christian from Modern Motorcycles....
PinMakato SR400 cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Hit Single – Makato Endo’s Yamaha SR400 Cafe Racer

Back in 2006 one of the first motorcycles that really got me excited about the custom scene was a Yamaha...
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Building a Cafe RacerHonda Cafe RacerYamaha Cafe Racer

Japanese Racers – Clones or stand alones

At the end of World War 2 many British motorcycle manufacturers were on the verge of closure or had already...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

An-Bu XS650 Monsters

The red ‘Monster’ which was built back in 2013 for the Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and the blue...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha SR400 Turbo Star

Is it just me or does this look like insanely good fun? There’s no denying that Yamaha’s legendary SR400 is...
PinAtelier JAB Yamaha XS650 Cafe Racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Envoyer du bois: Atelier JAB Yamaha XS650

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know there are very few commonalities between nautical craft and motorcycles. Infact the...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XS650 by Max Hazan

There’s two ways you can build a custom motorcycle. One way is to have a design idea that’s laid out...
PinNumbnut Yamaha XJR1300 cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Numbnut Yamaha XJR1300 Botafogo-N

As with the other Yamaha XJR1300 Yardbuilt bikes the Botafogo-N was constructed without performing any modifications to the bike’s frame....
Pinyamaha XV1100 cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Lessons Learned – Peter’s Yamaha XV1100

The saying ‘to bite off more than you can chew’ is one that many budding bike builders can relate to....
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha SR400 Gibbon Slap

After more than 35 years of production, the Yamaha SR400 has had little in the way of design modifications. The...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XJR 1300 custom

Opening up the emails I receive through the “Submit a motorcycle” link on the site is one of my favourite...
Pin
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha R5 Giant Killer custom

Spotted this great Yamaha R5 “Giant Killer” custom on Garage Project motorcycles. After a bit of digging all I managed to...
PinYamaha XJ600 custom motorcycle
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Second Wind -Sparta Garage XJ600

The bike Spartak’s customer found was a rare find in his hometown of Minsk, a late eighties Yamaha XJ600. The...
PinOriginal factory photograph of Yamaha SR500 motorcycle on grey background
Cafe RacersYamaha Cafe Racer

WHO’S YOUR DADDY? How the Yamaha SR Changed The World

We all know Kentucky Fried Chicken. It’s second only to McDonald’s for making Americans fat and scaring farm animals globally....
PinYamaha Fazer Cafe Racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Cafe Racer Kits Yamaha Fazer

It’s getting easier and easier to build a cafe racer. It used to be that you’d either have to pay...
PinYamaha RD350 custom street racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

OMGWTF – Stu Lloyd Yamaha RD350LC

Some people find it a real struggle to sit still. Take Stu Lloyd for example. It hasn’t even been 4...
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Motorcycle VideosYamaha Cafe Racer

Yamaha XV950 Pure Sports by LowRide

Firstly a design was rendered in conjunction with Oberdan Bezzi Design which took styling cues from the Yamaha FZ750, a...
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Bike of the DayYamaha Cafe Racer

Bike Of The Day: 1975 Yamaha RD350 Cafe Racer

This 1975 Yamaha RD350 underwent a café racer conversion in 2014. The changes encompassed an orange repaint over a black...
Pinomega racer yamaha sr400
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Sunmaster 14 – Omega Racer Yamaha SR400

There was a time when it seemed that every other custom build to roll out of a workshop was built...
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Motorcycle VideosYamaha Cafe Racer

Cafe Racer TV Virago Cafe Racer

Here’s a great segment from the cutting room floor of Cafe Racer TV. In this online episode they reveal the...
PinAnBu SR500 racer
Bike of the DayYamaha Cafe Racer

Bike Of The Day: Addiction Customs Yamaha SR500

Japanese workshop AN-BU Customs has developed an instantly recognisable style of their own. Their recipe involves mixing tight proportions, with...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Lean and Green – MotoHangar Virago XV750

The quick turnaround on this build was made possible when Pat acquired the Virago as an unfinished project. “The previous...
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Yamaha Cafe Racer

Raider Motorsport SR400 Varkain

The Varkain (“Finnish for By Stealth”) Yamaha SR400 is one of my favourite creations to come out of Raider Motorsports...
PinJapanese Yamaha SR400 Cafe Racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Big in Japan – Yamaha SR400 Cafe Racer

Sadly it looks like Yamaha’s venerable SR400s time is coming to an end. Like so many other motorcycles falling victim...
PinVoodoo Garage Yamaha XV1100
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Spellbound – The VooDoo Virago Cafe Racer

There are a handful of motorcycles that became the poster children of the “new wave” cafe racer scene at the...
Pincafe racer yamaha xjr1300
Yamaha Cafe Racer

Muscle Bound – Blacksilver XJR1300

I never thought I was a fan of muscle bikes until I rode a Yamaha XJR1300. It was in 2015...
Pin
Lifestyle StoriesYamaha Cafe Racer

Fuel Magazine Issue 11

Yet another outstanding issue of Fuel Magazine is just about to hit the shelves. Grab a copy to see my...
PinThe 2022 Yamaha XSR900 motorcycle - front 3/4 profile as it rides under an overpass
BikesMotorcycle ReviewsYamaha Cafe Racer

RIDE & REVIEW: Yamaha’s 2022 XSR900 Retro Triple

Review Summary: The 2022 Yamaha XSR900 Retro Triple is a much meaner and more powerful bike than its sibling, the...
Pinyamaha trx cafe racer
Yamaha Cafe Racer

DEI GRATIA TRX – YAMAHA TRX850 RACER

We love cafe racers trimmed to perfection. Bikes built for a narrow purpose. A ride with lights removed, brackets cut...
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Est. 2006 Return of the Cafe Racers is the world's premier cafe racer focused website. We publish regular features on custom motorcycle builds, riding gear reviews, how to guides and event coverage from around the globe. If you're a fan of cafe racer motorcycles and style then you've come to the right place!

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