In 1979 the first Mad Max film was released in Australian cinemas. It depicted director George Miller’s vision of a...
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.
The “MK46” is the work of Samik Chatterjee, owner operator of MotoKraft Customs in New Delhi. After graduating from Art...
“The Kwaka had stood still for at least 5 years and was running on only 3 cylinders. It puked fuel...
I’ve been toying with the idea of posting this custom ’76 Kawasaki KH100 for some time and decided today to...
While most aspects of motorcycle design have come a long way since the 70s, there and several that haven’t. Take...
Suzuki Katana. Honda Dominator. Kawasaki Ninja. These are all bike names that inspire visions of power and awesomeness. In some...
Anyone that’s been following this site since its launch knows it all started with the purchase of a Kawasaki W650....
Let’s take a closer look at them… Kawasaki Z900RS Café Kawasaki had already unveiled their stunning new Z900RS at the Tokyo...
When opportunity beckons what do you do? … let it pass you by or seize it? Whilst the decision for...
Detlev Louis is a German motorcycle riding gear manufacturer with more than 8 decades of experience under its belt. Unsurprisingly...
Throttle open, chin on the tank and your parallel twin rocketing you from point a to point z....
Towards the end of 2017 when the Tokyo Motor and EICMA shows took place I got more than a little...
In 2021 Markus Pintzinger celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his Thailand-based aftermarket parts store, Omega Racer. To commemorate the milestone anniversary...
This exquisite custom bike, crafted by Deus Customs, is a unique creation based on a 2004 Kawasaki W650 (EJ650). With...
Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse one of our favourite motorcycle events on the planet got cancelled....
Any guess at how much one of the beauties would set you back these days? “In 1978 S&S Performance bought...
All you need to do is remove the right side cover by unscrewing the 2 screws on the side and...
The seat is also of top quality. The inner shell is made from thick, hard plastic which looks very durable....
Winter has not been kind to my bike. I made the move to Melbourne in Jan and moved in to...
To remove the covers you can do 1 of 2 things, either remove the forks from the triple clamps slide...
A while back we were approached by Just Bikes in Australia and invited to enter their Just Auto Legends campaign....
I came across this eBay auction the other day and was amazed by how similar the T120R Bonneville looks to...
Flexible back and knees are essential for successful Cafe Racer cornering techniques....
By my definition an ‘attempt’ is usually when you try to do something and it doesn’t quite work out. I...
Now assuming you’ve takenin to account all the points I mentioned in part one of my handlebar swap posts you’re...
Before I get into this feature let me first say hello to my Indonesian readers. I know you guys make...
The boys in Denmark have been very busy since they last graced the pages of this site. Their new workshop...
With 30 years of custom motorcycle building under his belt, Wolfgang Batz isn’t about to be influenced by other people’s...
Just like the Boom Town Rats “I don’t like Mondays”. I do however like motorcycles…a lot! Here’s this weeks Monday...
In the early eighties, a clever member of the Kawasaki marketing team thought it’d be a good idea to produce...
What better inspiration could a man need when building his first custom bike than to be building it for his...
Although Nazar (aka Gazzz) has been repairing, riding and restoring motorcycles for 15 years he’s fairly new to the custom...
After owning a Kawasaki W650 for 5 years I can quite confidently say they are one of the best performing...
Valtoron in Valdetorres de Jarama, Spain, is the workshop of two brothers, Pablo and Carlos Delgado. Since 1995 the brothers...
Some will call it sacrilege but I have a soft spot for resto-mods. The thinking behind a resto-mod is simple....
Although the 1978 Z1 successor didn’t live up to Kawasaki’s expectations in showrooms, the Z1-R is an iconic motorcycle and...
When the hype of the Lotus C0-1 concept reached its climax everyone was talking about it. Every motorcycle blog and...
Although the Kawasaki Z650 might be considered by many to be the low powered cousin of the Z1, it actually...
At the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show last weekend the Japanese manufacturer wowed the motorcycling world once again with the all-new, retro-styled...
The Japanese custom motorcycle scene is overflowing with all manner of unexpected and tantalizing two-wheeled wonders. Located in Ibaraki Prefecture,...
The success of the Studio Motor workshop has made Donny somewhat of a celebrity in the Indonesian custom scene. He’s...
Since 1963 Kawasaki Motorcycle Co. has introduced a plethora of technological innovations which have gone on to become industry standards....
Another of my time wasting/research habits is trawling the internet for custom bike shops who build Cafe Racer style motorbikes...
“No Time. No Territory. Just an atitude inspired in the past and dressed to impress.” – Maria Motorcycles ...
The Mistress was commissioned by Mistress Gentlemens Motorcycle Club a motorcycle club based in Lisbon. The club allows members to...
Cafe Racer TV and Santiago Chopper’s will be auctioning off the KZ1000 Cafe Racer seen built during the TV series...
If Benelli’s TNT 1130 and Kawasaki’s 650 Ninja had a romantic interlude this could well be the result. Based on...
As someone who has a history of heart disease in their family, I know all too well how devastating it...
Le Gicleur Noire Black, black and more black. The Le Gicleur Noire which translates to “Always bet on black” is...
There are several reasons why you might want to install an aftermarket exhaust on your motorcycle. It could be that...
Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to test ride almost every new modern classic, retro sports and...
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. The motorcycle that started it all, the 1972 Kawasaki...
As 2014 comes to an end I thought I’d take a (close up) look at some of the incredible work...
I’m a sucker for a W, so when the boys from Ton Up Garage in Portugal sent through their latest...
I’m back on the W650 again! Got loads of time in the saddle this weekend, but it’s never enough!...
After literally killing his Kawasaki KLR650 Fort Nine’s “tell it like it is” vlogger Ryan Kluftinger has resurrected the bike in...
Rat Bikes like their 4 wheeled cousins, Rat Rods are what some people would consider to be a “piece of...
The art of coachbuilding and metal shaping is a dying art form. Finding skilled individuals who can take a flat...
Here are a couple of shots of the W650 Cafe Racer. At 90% complete I’m really happy with how the...
Through a special collaboration with custom builder, ‘Mr Martini’ Kawasaki motorcycles Italy have released a limited edition Vulcan S. Only...
I’ve been an invited guest at Kustomfest Indonesia for 5 years now. Thanks to the show I’ve made some great...
From time to time, you see something that makes it hard to believe your eyes. They call it cognitive dissonance;...
One of the jobs I didn’t forsee when I was fitting the clip on bars to the w650 was adjusting...
Moto Lanna are a parts fabricator based in Chang Mai, Thailand. They recently got in touch regarding a link swap...
The Z2 was an almost identical motorcycle to the Z1 aside from its engine. A modified bore and stroke, smaller carburettors...
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...
The last time we spoke to Derek and Sven from Belgium’s Barn Built Bikes they’d just finished building their stunning...
In 1986 girls swooned and guys headed to the nearest motorcycle dealership at the sight of Tom Cruise astride his Top...
What have I done! One job I have had to perform a few times during my W650 Cafe Racer project...
Deus Ex Machina are continuing to expand their footprint by opening flagship stores around the globe. Since their first store...
Motohangaris a custom motorcycle workshop based out of Vienna, Virginia. With services ranging from general maintenance through to specialised custom...
Based on a 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 this bike is a rolling eulogy to 1970s composite creativity. During the ’60s and...
Today’s quick update has been a long time in the making. As we’ve seen here before the Kawasaki KZ650 has...
After being less than impressed by the official promotional video for the 2011 Kawasaki W800 I took it upon myself to...
Replacing the rear tail light on the W650 is probably one of the simplest modifications I have done so Far...
Deus ex Machina came on the scene around about the same time I set up Return of the Cafe Racers...
I have to confess I tend to get a bit excited when a motorcycle manufacturer announces they are releasing a...
There’s nothing like a bit of competitive spirit to egg a build on and when it’s between 2 brothers you...
Looking over the photos it’s the smaller details that really make his bike special. The W650 features a spattering of...
In the scheme of things, 10 years isn’t all that long. But for a small business launched by a pair...
While Rickman Motorcycles started out producing frames and body kits for British made motorcycles in the seventies they turned their...
Kawasaki’s ER6N first hit the streets in 2008 but the middleweight naked sports bike isn’t a motorcycle that often pops...
A modern day Road Warrior In typical Deus style, their custom Kawasaki Z900RS is as outlandish and it is unique....
Motorcyclists like to moan about everything.
And the quickest way to start some premium groaning is to sell us a naked...
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Z series of motorcycles. The motorcycle that started it all, the 1972 Kawasaki...
All hail the late 70’s; when men were men and motorcycles were deadly – really deadly. During the ’70s engine...
They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. By now, with all the copycat builds it has inspired,...
Green is most certainly the colour of envy. Gia Mi Racing are back again with another modern take on Cafe...
It’s been 2 years since Bimota released sketches of their Kawasaki powered retro sports bike concept. At this year’s EICMA...
Swapping the handlebars on any bike sounds like an easy job but your choice of handlebar can dramatically affect the...
“I first met this bike and its owner at one of our cancer fundraisers in Dallas. The bike sounded like...
It’s been 4 years since the Kawasaki Z900RS went on sale. In the lead-up to its release, Kawasaki adopted a...
This post apocalyptic road warrior is Icon’s Kawasaki ZX-7 ‘Thunder Chunky’. It’s the latest addition to Icon’s series of custom...
My favourite ongoing series of custom motorcycle builds has just added 2 new “Retrograde Engineered” beasts to their line up....
2012 marked the 40th anniversary of Kawasaki’s legendary Z series of motorcycles. To celebrate the Zeds 4 decades of manufacture...
In 1980 Vetter designed and built a very limited run of 10 Mystery Ship motorcycles based on Kawasaki’s KZ1000 MKII....
Today the idea of building such a bike for the street sounds rather ridiculous, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t...
There’s virtually no limit to the extent that you can modify a motorcycle. This, of course, includes its performance and...
There’s something strangely compelling about raw, handmade bodywork. To me it’s one of the finest demonstrations of skill and creativity....
