So you wanna buy a spanking new motorcycle to ride around town and make it without having to touch your...
Kawasaki Cafe Racer
Kawasaki motorcycles have been in production since 1962. During the late sixties, the Japanese manufacturer established a foothold in the US market with their legendary H1 Mach III, a motorcycle that was both revered and feared for its straight-line speed and unpredictable handling. Today Kawasaki is one of the world’s most recognized motorcycle brands. From the iconic Z1000 of the seventies through to today’s supercharged, 330kmh+ H2 they continue to produce motorcycles that push the boundaries of performance. In recent years Kawasaki themselves have adopted the cafe racer style with their Z900RS series of motorcycles.
So I purchased a set of Posh Faith polished alloy indicators from Deus ex Machina in Sydney for $99 a pair (sounds...
To remove the covers you can do 1 of 2 things, either remove the forks from the triple clamps slide...
Not to be beaten by my lack of tools I came up with a solution to remove the Ventura rear...
Replacing the rear tail light on the W650 is probably one of the simplest modifications I have done so Far...
Swapping the handlebars on any bike sounds like an easy job but your choice of handlebar can dramatically affect the...
Now assuming you’ve takenin to account all the points I mentioned in part one of my handlebar swap posts you’re...
What have I done! One job I have had to perform a few times during my W650 Cafe Racer project...
I’ve just finished fitting a polished top bridge/triple clamp to the W650 Cafe Racer. After fitting the clip on bars...
One of the jobs I didn’t forsee when I was fitting the clip on bars to the w650 was adjusting...
I came across this eBay auction the other day and was amazed by how similar the T120R Bonneville looks to...
The seat is also of top quality. The inner shell is made from thick, hard plastic which looks very durable....
Well it’s been 7 months since I purchased my W650 and started the Cafe Racer conversion. It’s been a great...
Here are a couple of shots of the W650 Cafe Racer. At 90% complete I’m really happy with how the...
I dropped in at Deus Ex Machina in Sydney and picked up a new speedo for the W650. As the...
All you need to do is remove the right side cover by unscrewing the 2 screws on the side and...
Another of my time wasting/research habits is trawling the internet for custom bike shops who build Cafe Racer style motorbikes...
Looking over the photos it’s the smaller details that really make his bike special. The W650 features a spattering of...
Courtesy of our friends FATclub in France comes this awesome Kwazaki Z900 Cafe Racer. “The FATclub is dedicated to special...
Moto Lanna are a parts fabricator based in Chang Mai, Thailand. They recently got in touch regarding a link swap...
Flexible back and knees are essential for successful Cafe Racer cornering techniques....
Winter has not been kind to my bike. I made the move to Melbourne in Jan and moved in to...
The boys in Denmark have been very busy since they last graced the pages of this site. Their new workshop...
Cafe Racer TV and Santiago Chopper’s will be auctioning off the KZ1000 Cafe Racer seen built during the TV series...
After being less than impressed by the official promotional video for the 2011 Kawasaki W800 I took it upon myself to...
I don’t know know why green is a popular colour for these little Cafe Racers but I have to say...
Throttle open, chin on the tank and your parallel twin rocketing you from point a to point z....
Today we have added a new feature to the site allowing you to submit your own Cafe Racer project. Return...
Any guess at how much one of the beauties would set you back these days? “In 1978 S&S Performance bought...
Honda CB750 “Cold bitch” More home built Cafe Racers sent in by our talented readers. Thanks for sharing your motorcycles...
Rickman Honda CR750 Brothers Derek and Don Rickman established Rickman motorcycles in 1960 from which they manufactured motorcycles up until...
Deus ex Machina came on the scene around about the same time I set up Return of the Cafe Racers...
Just like the Boom Town Rats “I don’t like Mondays”. I do however like motorcycles…a lot! Here’s this weeks Monday...
What better inspiration could a man need when building his first custom bike than to be building it for his...
The Mistress was commissioned by Mistress Gentlemens Motorcycle Club a motorcycle club based in Lisbon. The club allows members to...
Motohangaris a custom motorcycle workshop based out of Vienna, Virginia. With services ranging from general maintenance through to specialised custom...
I’m back on the W650 again! Got loads of time in the saddle this weekend, but it’s never enough!...
A while back we were approached by Just Bikes in Australia and invited to enter their Just Auto Legends campaign....
The motorcycle above it’s a custom Kawasaki Ninja 250r from Donny in Jakarta, Indonesia. The time it takes to build...
I’ve been toying with the idea of posting this custom ’76 Kawasaki KH100 for some time and decided today to...
Rat Bikes like their 4 wheeled cousins, Rat Rods are what some people would consider to be a “piece of...
I finally had a chance to shoot some photos of my bike today, it’s a 2000 Kawasaki W650 Cafe Racer...
I could now list off the modifications and parts used in the construction of the Fiddler but seeing as Deus...
This post apocalyptic road warrior is Icon’s Kawasaki ZX-7 ‘Thunder Chunky’. It’s the latest addition to Icon’s series of custom...
I’m an advocate of recycling. I separate my paper and plastic rubbish and I buy recycled products, so when I...
By my definition an ‘attempt’ is usually when you try to do something and it doesn’t quite work out. I...
I’m a sucker for a W, so when the boys from Ton Up Garage in Portugal sent through their latest...
After owning a Kawasaki W650 for 5 years I can quite confidently say they are one of the best performing...
2012 marked the 40th anniversary of Kawasaki’s legendary Z series of motorcycles. To celebrate the Zeds 4 decades of manufacture...
If Benelli’s TNT 1130 and Kawasaki’s 650 Ninja had a romantic interlude this could well be the result. Based on...
Le Gicleur Noire Black, black and more black. The Le Gicleur Noire which translates to “Always bet on black” is...
“Simple but sweet” is one way to sum up La Corona’s portfolio of custom motorcycles. To think that recreating this...
In 1979 the first Mad Max film was released in Australian cinemas. It depicted director George Miller’s vision of a...
“No Time. No Territory. Just an atitude inspired in the past and dressed to impress.” – Maria Motorcycles ...
Green is most certainly the colour of envy. Gia Mi Racing are back again with another modern take on Cafe...
Before I get into this feature let me first say hello to my Indonesian readers. I know you guys make...
Ever since seeing the “We R Winning” short documentary about Twinline Motorcycles I’ve been a huge fan of the Seattle...
There’s something strangely compelling about raw, handmade bodywork. To me it’s one of the finest demonstrations of skill and creativity....
After months of hard work and seemingly endless nights of writing, issue 2 of Tank Moto is ! Just like...
I was left disappointed after Kawasaki released the W800 back in 2011. The switch to EFI (damn emission laws!) and...
While Rickman Motorcycles started out producing frames and body kits for British made motorcycles in the seventies they turned their...
Valtoron in Valdetorres de Jarama, Spain, is the workshop of two brothers, Pablo and Carlos Delgado. Since 1995 the brothers...
Although the Kawasaki Z650 might be considered by many to be the low powered cousin of the Z1, it actually...
When opportunity beckons what do you do? … let it pass you by or seize it? Whilst the decision for...
Suzuki Katana. Honda Dominator. Kawasaki Ninja. These are all bike names that inspire visions of power and awesomeness. In some...
As 2014 comes to an end I thought I’d take a (close up) look at some of the incredible work...
My favourite ongoing series of custom motorcycle builds has just added 2 new “Retrograde Engineered” beasts to their line up....
When the hype of the Lotus C0-1 concept reached its climax everyone was talking about it. Every motorcycle blog and...
Back in March I was lucky enough to pay a visit to the workshop of Studio Motor in Jakarta, Indonesia....
Deus Ex Machina are continuing to expand their footprint by opening flagship stores around the globe. Since their first store...
There’s nothing like a bit of competitive spirit to egg a build on and when it’s between 2 brothers you...
Anyone that’s been following this site since its launch knows it all started with the purchase of a Kawasaki W650....
Although Nazar (aka Gazzz) has been repairing, riding and restoring motorcycles for 15 years he’s fairly new to the custom...
The art of coachbuilding and metal shaping is a dying art form. Finding skilled individuals who can take a flat...
“I first met this bike and its owner at one of our cancer fundraisers in Dallas. The bike sounded like...
There are several amazing custom motorcycle shows happening in the United States right now that have made it onto my...
Today the idea of building such a bike for the street sounds rather ridiculous, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t...
The Vulcan S ABS Café is Kawasaki’s “learner approved” cruiser. Its styling is typical of all cruisers that follow in...
I’m always excited to feature a build from a country we haven’t previously visited here on the Return of the...
From time to time, you see something that makes it hard to believe your eyes. They call it cognitive dissonance;...
The last time we spoke to Derek and Sven from Belgium’s Barn Built Bikes they’d just finished building their stunning...
The success of the Studio Motor workshop has made Donny somewhat of a celebrity in the Indonesian custom scene. He’s...
Earlier this month the first series of the Essenza 1/8th mile sprint challenge was completed at the Glemseck festival in Leonberg,...
“I acquired this 1980 KZ440 in bits from a friend who had lost interest in the project.” recalls 26 year...
To Maurizio Carrero, founder of Imbarcadero 14 Venice in Italy, the Z1000 was more than an icon of motorcycle manufacturing.As...
Someone had sacrilegiously painted the bike’s frame in a past life, hiding the trademark Rickman nickel plating, so it had...
With 30 years of custom motorcycle building under his belt, Wolfgang Batz isn’t about to be influenced by other people’s...
Today’s quick update has been a long time in the making. As we’ve seen here before the Kawasaki KZ650 has...
In my hometown of Melbourne, we’re lucky to have a great cafe racer community. Thanks to clubs like the “Melbourne...
As gaudy as the eighties were they certainly produced some cool motorcycles. Sharp angular styling, bold colour schemes and groundbreaking...
Through a special collaboration with custom builder, ‘Mr Martini’ Kawasaki motorcycles Italy have released a limited edition Vulcan S. Only...
The Z2 was an almost identical motorcycle to the Z1 aside from its engine. A modified bore and stroke, smaller carburettors...
The “MK46” is the work of Samik Chatterjee, owner operator of MotoKraft Customs in New Delhi. After graduating from Art...
According to Sven Decoux of Barn Built Motorcycles, the decision to customise a Kawasaki ZR7 was more ‘right place, right...
It seems strange now, but Kawasaki actually beat Triumph to the punch when it came to retro-styled motorcycles. First released...
At the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show last weekend the Japanese manufacturer wowed the motorcycling world once again with the all-new, retro-styled...
Let’s take a closer look at them… Kawasaki Z900RS Café Kawasaki had already unveiled their stunning new Z900RS at the Tokyo...
“The Kwaka had stood still for at least 5 years and was running on only 3 cylinders. It puked fuel...
In 1980 Vetter designed and built a very limited run of 10 Mystery Ship motorcycles based on Kawasaki’s KZ1000 MKII....
This Kawasaki KZ550 is the work of Jaka Martinuč who works in the financial sector, about as far removed from...
