The BMW R80, built from 1978-1994, featured an ~800cc version of the venerable “airhead” flat-twin boxer engine, offering 51 horsepower to the rear wheel through a low-maintenance shaft drive. The bike cost nearly 50% more […]
Tag: Cafe Racers
“Frankenstein” Suzuki DR250 Cafe Racer
Hand-built in a simple garage — sometimes without electricity! The Suzuki DR250 “Djebel” was a four-stroke dual-purpose motorcycle named for a mountain in North Africa. The 249cc mountain goat had dual disc brakes, USD forks, […]
Super Single: Yamaha SR500 Cafe Racer by Spero Floro
Truck mechanic Spero Floro builds one hot thumper… The Yamaha SR500 remains one of the world’s most beloved singles, a street version of the iconic XT500 enduro. When a street bike begins life as a […]
Trail Reaper: CB175-Powered Honda Mini Trail
CB175-powered CT70 built by a team of Wisconsin high-schoolers! The Honda CT70 — aka Trail 70 — hit the US market in 1969, a dual-purpose minibike with a 72cc four-stroke engine and three-speed semiautomatic transmission. […]
Supercharged Honda GL1000 Goldwing
Railman Mark Nevitt builds a supercharged Goldwing! Introduced in 1974, the Honda GL1000 Goldwing was the first Japanese production motorcycle to boast a liquid-cooled four-stroke engine — a 999cc flat-four that gave the 600-lb touring […]
THE Monster: “M Ducati” S4R by Rob Maxwell
“A ludicrous version of THE Monster…” Introduced in 2003, the Ducati S4R was the most powerful Monster ever produced, featuring a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 996cc L-twin derived from the company’s championship-winning World Superbike engine. This 113-hp […]
Wild Horse: Yamaha XS400 by A.G. Custom Motorcycles
“Everything you need to ride on the roads of the Basque country.” The Yamaha XS400 was the company’s middleweight four-stroke, offered from 1977-1982. The SOHC parallel-twin made 36 horsepower, good for a top speed of […]
Silver Lightning: Buell XB12S by M.A.M.
A Buell V-twin by Motocyclettes Artisanales Minimalistes… The Buell Lightning XB12S was introduced in the 2004 model year, sporting a fuel-injected 1203cc Thunderstorm V-twin that made an impressive 103 hp and a 84 ft-lbs of […]
Tamarit Gullwing: 300 SL-Inspired Triumph Thruxton!
A custom Triumph Thruxton inspired by the Mercedes Gullwing… The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is one of the most iconic automobiles of all time, offered as a gull-winged coupe from 1954-1957 and roadster from 1957-1963. It […]
Frateschi Funduro: BMW F650 Custom
The BMW F650 Funduro debuted in 1994 as the company’s lightweight, single-cylinder adventure bike — a baby GS packing a 50-hp four-valve Rotax engine, top-notch build quality, and ultra-low running costs. But Visordown.com claims there’s […]
