The BMW K100 “Flying Brick” represented a significant design leap for BMW Motorrad, who’d long been known for their flat-twin “airhead” engine design. The K100, in contrast, was a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled inline four laid flat […]
Tag: Cafe Racers
BMW K100 “Shahin” by Mehdi Barakchian
An ’87 Flying Brick dragged “kicking and screaming” into 2019… The BMW K100, introduced in 1982, benefited from the company’s many years of experience building liquid-cooled, overhead cam, inline automobile engines. The fuel-injected, 95-hp engine was […]
Aviation-Grade: Honda CB350 Restomod by Merlin Cycleworks
What happens when a jet aircraft mechanic builds his wife a bike… The Honda CB350 twin is not only one of the company’s best-selling models, but one of today’s most popular vintage bikes for customization. […]
Honda CB350 Cafe Commuter by Kevin Bergeron
The Honda CB350 is one of the most beloved small twins of all time, a 36-hp scrapper that recalled the old adage: “It isn’t the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size […]
Honda Garage Dreams: 13 CB1000R Customs!
Honda Garage Dreams is the first motorcycle customization contest in the history of Honda Spain-Portugal, aka Honda Motor Europe Iberia. In January, 13 Honda dealers across Spain and Portugal started with the same platform, the […]
Honda CBX550 Cafe Racer by Luca Sereni
A middleweight CBX inspired by Colin Chapman’s Lotus 43… The Honda CBX550 Four, introduced in 1982, boasted some interesting signature elements at the time. Most notably, there was the distinctive 4-into-2 exhaust system, featuring crossover […]
“Yatagarasu” Honda CB360 Cafe Racer by Moth Vintage
From fiery basket case to The One Moto… The Honda CB360, a four-stroke twin, debuted in the mid-70s as an alternative to Honda’s more expensive and complex lightweight fours. The 34-hp engine was tuned for […]
Yamaha XV750 Virago Custom by De Stijl Moto
The Yamaha XV750 — aka the Virago 750 — was a V-twin cruiser with an air-cooled, 55-hp engine and shaft drive. Introduced in 1981, the middleweight Virago would remain in production until 1998 — one […]
Yamaha R5 Cafe Racer by Zanutto Engineering
The Yamaha R5, introduced in 1970, was the first of Yamaha’s new generation of two-stroke parallel twin “giant-killers” — a design architecture which would evolve into the RD350, RD400, and even the liquid-cooled RZ350/RD350LC. Lee […]
“Cafe Sleeper” Yamaha XJ650/900 by Eastern Spirit
For Sale: 900cc “Cafe Sleeper” from the Polish Master… The shaft-driven Yamaha XJ650, introduced in 1980, is an often-overlooked machine. The bike boasted an air-cooled, twin-cam, 650cc inline four good for 73 horsepower. With a […]
