Retired firefighter Dusty Miller builds one hot RD! In 1975, the Yamaha RD400 appeared as the evolution of the RD350, featuring 51cc more displacement, new cases/barrels/head, a new airbox design, and a rubber-mounted engine. “The […]
Tag: Cafe Racers
Suzuki GS850 Café Racer by MCafeGarage
Sardinian workshop builds a burly shaft-drive café… The Suzuki GS850 combined a bored-out version of the GS750 inline four, the shaft drive from the GS1100, and naked styling reminiscent of the 70s superbikes. While it […]
Two-Stroke Hybritza: Yamaha 350 YPVS Cafe Racer
A project dream for 30+ years! At the Cologne Motorcycle Show in late 1982, Yamaha unveiled their new RD350 YPVS, featuring the breakthrough Yamaha Power Valve System, which utilized a servo motor to change the […]
Holly Honda: CB175 Café Racer by Chris Harter
A young airline pilot builds a sweet CB175… The Honda CB175 came to the U.S. market in 1969, an air-cooled twin that offered 20 hp at 10,000 rpm, a top speed of 86 mph, and […]
Triple Black: Kawasaki H2 by Vinny Borbone
A vintage racer builds one bad two-stroke street bike… The Kawasaki H2 was one of the most uncompromising motorcycles ever produced, a 750cc two-stroke “Widowmaker” triple that was loud, smoky, crude, and scarily fast, cutting […]
Aprilia Tuono V4 “Le Mans” by Le Week-End De Course
A Porsche 917-inspired Aprilia Tuono! In 1971, the Porsche 917 is one of the most iconic racing cars of all time, a flat-12 powered prototype that gave Porsche its first overall wins in the 24 […]
A Lighter Goose: Moto Guzzi California 1100 Cafe Racer
In 1971, Moto Guzzi introduced the very first California — an Italian V-twin cruiser originally developed for the Los Angeles Police Department’s Traffic Division, featuring a bulletproof Lexan windshield, sirens, radio, lights, and a left-foot […]
Black Bonnie: Triumph T120 Bonneville by MJH Performance Bikes
In 1971, Triumph introduced a new oil-in-frame Bonneville, whose steel chassis held the bike’s oil in its 3-inch diameter backbone instead of a separate oil bag. These “Oilers” would also get a 5-speed gearbox, a […]
Project X: Ducati 996 Café Racer
A veteran racer builds the ultimate track-focused 996 café racer… In 1994, Ducati introduced the 916, a blood-red weapon designed by none other than Massimo Tamburini, also known as “Michelangelo of motorbike design.” The 916 […]
