Custom motorcycle goodness – Boat Rap Japan

Another of my time wasting/research habits is trawling the internet for custom bike shops who build Cafe Racer style motorbikes and I will be sharing these as time goes by. There’s nothing better than getting paint scheme ideas, mechanical tips, custom parts or design cues from grease monkeys who have already been there and done that before.

Yamaha SR500

W650 Bobber in a tasty flecked red

Boat Rap (Japan), whose name I can’t explain, have a great backlog of custom bikes they have constructed based on popular Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Triumph and even Harley Davidsons. Custom jobs include Choppers, Bobbers, Scramblers and one or 2 tidy little Cafe Racers. Although Cafe Racers aren’t their specialty they know theeir stuff and are great for inspiration…or just eye candy. Their website is mostly Japanese but you don’t have to be able to read it to appreciate their work.

Yamaha XS650 (another good base for a cafe racer more readily available in Aus than a W650 or SR500)


W650 Bobber. Can’t get enough of those vintage Firestones (can’t wait to fit them to my bike)

The also sell a range of aftermarket parts and accessories to complete your own custom project.

Custom, 1-off tank designs. Yummy!