Yamaha’s beloved SR400 may have ceased production back in 2021, but it remains a hot favorite amongst custom builders in...
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.
Vintage Steele of Brattleboro, Vermont, transformed this 1975 Yamaha XS650 into a café-racer. The bodywork, featuring the original four-gallon fuel...
This 1981 Yamaha XV750 Virago has been transformed into a cafe racer, featuring a metallic gray finish with gold accents....
This 1982 Yamaha XV750 Virago has undergone extensive customization with a range of unique components. These custom additions include a...
Cafe Racer SSpirit, located in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, is a motorcycle customization workshop founded in late 2014 by a family...
David Gonzalez from Ad Hoc is renowned for customizing Yamaha motorcycles. He gained international acclaim for his work on the...
In the early 1980s, Yamaha introduced a new family of four-stroke motorcycles, with the XJ550 being one of them. These...
This Yamaha XS650 stands out as a captivating and tastefully modified representation of the popular classic Japanese motorcycle. Crafted into...
Despite its huge success, the Yamaha XSR700 is, in my opinion, one of the least classic-looking modern-retro motorcycles on the...
There have been many custom workshops that have evolved their brand into an apparel range. In Taiwan, the clothing label...
Due to the surging demand for nostalgia-infused motorcycles with a retro aesthetic, it was no surprise that Yamaha decided to...
In 2007, Gregg DesJardins of GC Customs crafted an unparalleled streetfighter motorcycle, representing the pinnacle of customization. Starting with a...
Back in 2016, Yamaha bit itself off a decent-sized chunk of the modern retro market with the release of the...
This 1975 Yamaha RD350 underwent a café racer conversion in 2014. The changes encompassed an orange repaint over a black...
The Yamaha XV920 ‘Double Shot’ is a prime example of Yamaha’s timeless cruising motorcycle, skillfully transformed and rebuilt in the...
Moto Nisto of Ypsilanti, Michigan, expertly transformed this 1980 Yamaha XS650 into a stunning Cafe Racer. The modifications done on...
Neo-retro cafe racers have certainly become “a thing”. Merging retro styling with modern engineering is a very appealing proposition for...
Japanese workshop AN-BU Customs has developed an instantly recognisable style of their own. Their recipe involves mixing tight proportions, with...
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know there are very few commonalities between nautical craft and motorcycles. Infact the...
Auto Fabrica has transformed this Yamaha XJ600 into a one-of-a-kind modern classic sports bike known as the “Type 24”. This...
The story of the TX750 is one that Yamaha would rather we all forgot. The bike, which was set to...
The Yamaha SR400 was the poster child of the “new wave” custom scene back in ’08/’09. Thanks to workshops like...
Despite its 43-year production run ending in 2021, the SR400 remains a hot favourite amongst riders in Japan. The SR400’s...
This Yamaha SRX600 has been meticulously transformed into a bespoke cafe racer with a sleek and unique style. It boasts...
The old saying ‘practice makes perfect’ rings true in the custom motorcycle community. Over the years I’ve seen many builders...
Yamaha produced the mighty TZ 250 from 1973 all the way through to 2004. When the model was first released...
I hate to say it but there is a downside to riding a classic British cafe racer. Sure you’ll revel...
Review Summary: The 2022 Yamaha XSR900 Retro Triple is a much meaner and more powerful bike than its sibling, the...
You could be forgiven for thinking that laying bricks and building custom motorcycles have nothing in common. But if you’re...
Unless you’re living in one of those rule-free American states where they let tipsy 13-year-olds ride drag bikes on public...
Back in 2006 one of the first motorcycles that really got me excited about the custom scene was a Yamaha...
Yamaha’s ‘Race Developed’ series of motorcycles from the early seventies left a lasting impression on the motorcycling world. The 1973...
The Yamaha XS650 could easily be labelled as the greatest British motorcycle ever built outside of Britain. Powered by a...
The Yamaha Yardbuilt series will soon be celebrating its 10 year anniversary. Originally the brainchild of Yamaha Project Manager, Shun...
We all know Kentucky Fried Chicken. It’s second only to McDonald’s for making Americans fat and scaring farm animals globally....
Some people find it a real struggle to sit still. Take Stu Lloyd for example. It hasn’t even been 4...
Mark Bliss is a man of many talents, but it’s his work with motorcycles he’s most proud of. Both of...
Andi Akbar and his Jakarta based workshop Katros Garage aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. Katros Garage has continued...
Nostalgia is a powerful thing. For seasoned motorcyclists, nostalgia can quickly become an obsession. A chance sighting of a beloved...
Back in 2005, when I first became interested in the Japanese custom motorcycle scene, finding insights into their world took...
Stu Lloyd grew up in the UK during the late ’70s and early ’80s. As a young boy, his leisure...
The Yamaha Yardbuilt series has been running for an impressive 7 years now. Since then Yamaha has commissioned over 50...
When great minds come together, great things happen. Often in the world of custom motorcycle building workshops keep to themselves....
Well, that wraps up yet another year of amazing cafe racer builds from custom workshops and backyard builders around the...
Bernhard Naumann, aka Blechmann, grew up in Burgenland, a federal state of Austria in central Europe. Growing up in a...
I met Michael Capraro some years ago at a communal motorcycle workshop I was involved in. His enthusiasm for bikes...
There are countless failures throughout automotive history. All of the big motorcycle manufacturers have at least one they’d prefer to...
Adrián Campos and the crew at Spain’s Bolt Motor Co. are back again with yet another impressive build. This time...
It wasn’t until I featured our first Yamaha TRX850 cafe racer back in 2013 that I learned of their existence....
Thanks to their continued support of custom workshops, Yamaha Motorcycles have played an integral role in the growth of the...
Few motorcycles have the cult status of Yamaha’s SR400. During the past decade, the SR has come into the spotlight...
Buying any customised or incomplete motorcycle can be fraught with danger. That’s why we recommended against it in our 10...
During the early 1970s, Kenny Roberts shot to stardom as a rider in the American Yamaha racing team. In 1973...
Yamaha’s Yardbuilt series is the brainchild of the companies visionary project manager, Shun Miyazawa. The series kicked off back in...
There are a handful of motorcycles that became the poster children of the “new wave” cafe racer scene at the...
It’s getting easier and easier to build a cafe racer. It used to be that you’d either have to pay...
All hail Yamaha. As part of their Yard Built series they’ve been sponsoring some of the wildest, genre-pushing builds we’ve...
“Stop dreaming, just start building!” These are the words you’ll find on Andy Megerle’s Instagram profile. I’ve featured a couple...
What’s not to love about two-stroke motorcycles? The alluring smell, the exhilarating sound and the white-knuckled terror of an unpredictable...
We love cafe racers trimmed to perfection. Bikes built for a narrow purpose. A ride with lights removed, brackets cut...
My dog doesn’t care for the Yamaha XSR900. When I arrive home on any other motorcycle the small ball of...
When you are the organiser of what is arguably the biggest custom motorcycle event in the world it goes without...
I never thought I was a fan of muscle bikes until I rode a Yamaha XJR1300. It was in 2015...
The Skorpion Sport was produced by German motorcycle manufacturer MZ (Motorrad und Zweiradwerk) between 1994 and 2004. Although you may have never...
The saying ‘to bite off more than you can chew’ is one that many budding bike builders can relate to....
If you’ve been following Enginethusiast for a while, you’ve probably noticed that Anthony Scott has a soft spot for vintage...
Nothing makes me happier than featuring custom motorcycles that have been built in my hometown. Today’s café racer is the...
Rapid prototyping, CNC machining, 3d printing! Whatever happened to good old hammers, spanners, and the occasional grinder? I get a...
I’ve worked on my fair share of custom builds to know that things can get a little stressful. When I...
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of meeting the Muharremi brothers, the duo behind the United Kingdom’s...
Sadly it looks like Yamaha’s venerable SR400s time is coming to an end. Like so many other motorcycles falling victim...
In motorsport, race teams are always looking for new ways to improve lap times. Back in the fifties when motorcycles...
Mike, who is a designer by trade, takes pleasure in finding lemons online. Not because he likes to own basket...
But, dear reader, should you? Is it worth tracking down one of Yamaha’s cheerful little runabouts for your next custom...
Gold Rush is Daniel’s 3rd XJR1200 based build. As you would expect by now he’s become somewhat of an XJR...
To improve the v-twin’s power and torque Yamaha fit the SRV with a beefier cam profile, two carburetors rather than...
This bike was built by George Woodman, a carpenter slash furniture designer slash interior architect from Biarritz, France. Yes, his...
The bike Spartak’s customer found was a rare find in his hometown of Minsk, a late eighties Yamaha XJ600. The...
In the early days of Yamaha’s venture into motorcycle production their YA-, affectionately known as the Akatombo or Red Dragonfly,...
“Purpose Built Moto came about after I started modifying street bikes of my own. I then became frustrated that no...
Looking back over a few of our recent features it seems that building retro customs out of modern sports bikes...
For the Yardbuilt 2017 XSR700 project, Yamaha selected 7 workshops from different European locations to take part in the event. Representatives from Italy,...
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when building your own Cafe Racer, or any style of custom motorcycle for...
Jesse attributes his interest in building bikes to a 1971 Honda CB175 he restored with his father at the age...
Over in the UK Shaun & Carl of custom workshop ‘Down and Out’ Cafe Racers usually play with parallel twins, but...
After building his own bobber and plenty of customer bikes, James decided it was time to set himself a new...
After a complete tear down the XJR’s subframe was trimmed to tighten the bike’s proportions. In place of the original...
In Osaka, Japan 28-year-old cafe racer enthusiast Yuya Ueda has been riding his SR400 for 8 years and it’s lead...
As anyone starting up a new company should do the pair decided to launch their brand with a bang. So,...
“Yamaha and Abarth have created the XSR900 Abarth – a lightweight high-performance retro special whose authentic café racer design reflects...
With a name like “Vintage Addiction”, it’s odd to see the YZF sitting in their build portfolio, but when the...
After spying the Yamaha XJR400 cafe racer on their website we contacted C-Racer crew member Antonis Kapetanios who was kind...
“We want to challenge the trope of nostalgic and aesthetically led custom motorcycles by encouraging others to experiment with the...
Daniel cut his teeth on cars and bikes at a young age. “I drove my first moped at the age...
To start with can you tell us where the bikes name “Tramontana” comes from? Spartak: This is the bike’s name...
Trevers father, John Scales, was a 2 stroke road racer during the 1970s. “I heard so many stories from my...
Greg Hageman, aka Hageman Motorcycles, aka Doc Chops may not have been the first to build a Virago cafe racer,...
Jamie’s younger years were spent in the UK. He was bitten by the motorcycle bug at an early age after...
There was always a motorcycle in our house when I was growing up, but my father’s real passion was collectible...
There was a time when it seemed that every other custom build to roll out of a workshop was built...
