A Japanese-Italian love story… The Virago series was Yamaha’s first entrée into world of V-twin cruisers, and one of the first motorcycle mass-produced with a monoshock rear suspension. It was a bold move for Yamaha […]
Tag: Cafe Racers
Aquafresh: Kawasaki KZ1000 Cafe Racer
A big-bore Kawa from Mitsuaki Shinohara… The Kawasaki KZ1000 is one of the baddest air-cooled muscle bikes of the 1970s. Introduced in 1976, the bike won the 1977 and 1978 AMA Superbike Championship, and the […]
Silver Specials: Garage-Built BMW R75/7 Cafe Racers
Son and stepfather duo build a pair of silver specials… The BMW R75/7, available from 1976-79, was the 750 variant of the classic airhead design, offering a great compromise of power and economy. In 1977, […]
Blue Racer: BMW R100 by Seb’s Atelier
The BMW R100 was the last of the airheads, with nearly 1000cc of flat-twin punch on tap and all the history of the legendary boxer engine concentrated into a single machine. When Sebastien Ledis of […]
Sharp & Aggressive: Honda CX500 by Be Unique Original Customs
It’s safe to assume that no Honda engineer or executive anticipated that the Honda CX500, more than 40 years after its launch, would become a mainstay of the 21st century custom motorcycle movement. Introduced in […]
Softail Cafe Racer: Harley-Davidson “Gnews” by Mr Martini
The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy is a softail best known for its solid-cast wheels and massive presence. The Evolution version, built from 1990-1998, featured an 82 cubic-inch (1340cc) V-twin and quickly earned a firm place in […]
The Raven: Yamaha XS1100 “Il Corvino” by Licari Co.
At its introduction in 1978, the 95-hp Yamaha XS1100 — aka the XS Eleven — was the world’s fastest production motorcycle, clocking off the quarter mile in 11.78 seconds — a time unmatched by any […]
Honda CB500T “Sakura” by Unik Edition
Only available from 1975-76, the Honda CB500T was an evolution of the CB450, featuring a longer stroke parallel twin engine, 50cc more displacement, and a few assorted upgrades, such as ball-type main bearings. While it […]
Fur1ous 9e0rge: 190cc Honda Z50R Monkey
The meanest little monkey in California… Some ten years after the introduction of the original Honda Z50A monkey bike, Honda noticed an increasing demand for a more aggressive, race-ready minibike to meet the needs of […]
Honda CB650 “Jasmine” by Red Right Hand
Introduced in 1979, the Honda CB650 would become the last of the air-cooled SOHC fours. An evolution of the beloved CB550, the 650 was built on the same production line and included a nearly identical […]
