RCM-604 by AC Sanctuary… When the Honda CB900F first appeared in 1979, it wasn’t available in the States, as Honda was worried it might steal the thunder of the mighty CBX. American riders grew green […]
Tag: Restomods
A-SPEC: Liquid-cooled Yamaha RD400 Café Racer
Armen Spec: Yamaha RD400(LC) from Armen Manougian… One of the bikes that stood out most to us at the 2024 Handbuilt Show was this stunning Yamaha RD400 from our new friend Armen Manougian — a […]
King Zed: Kawasaki “KZ1135” MKII Restomod
Kawasaki KZ1000 MKII from AC Sanctuary… The Kawasaki KZ1000 MKII was the 1979-80 version of the liter-sized Zed. It received some nice upgrades over the previous model, including fresh bodywork, larger carbs, electronic ignition, […]
RCM-632, Unveiled: Kawasaki Z900RS Restomod
Z900RS built to AC Sanctuary’s tastes… In 2017, Kawasaki introduced the Z900RS, a 109-hp naked retro that recalls the storied air-cooled inline-four Zeds of the 1970s. “You remember the 1970s, when things were simple, […]
Keep the Dream: Suzuki Katana GS1000S
100,000 miles on a GS1000S Katana: “She’s family, that makes her priceless…” In 1982, a 1000cc version of the Suzuki Katana 1100 was introduced to qualify for AMA Superbike racing. The bore was sleeved […]
Fat Kat: Suzuki Katana “GSX1230” Restomod
Andy Harriman’s 1230cc Katana… In 1980, the Suzuki GSX1100S Katana came flashing across the motorcycle world just like its sharp-edged namesake, revealing a whole new vision of what a superbike could be. While the […]
Electric Boogie: Yamaha XT500 Restomod
Electric Start, Air-Cooled: Motogadgets’ 1980 Yamaha XT500… By the early 1970s, the big single-cylinder four-stroke off-roader was thought a species all but extinct. After all, the great British 500 singles like the BSA B50 […]
Radicalized: Suzuki Katana 1100 Restomod
Final Edition Katana, Radicalized by AC Sanctuary… In 1980, the original Suzuki Katana 1100 rocked the motorcycling world with its angular, space-age design. It was the vision of legendary German designer Hans Muth, who’d been […]
Rev Happy: “RIZKET” Suzuki GT750 Special
Alan Green’s RIZKET: Finalist for the 2024 KICKBACK Builders’ Builder Awards… In 1971, Suzuki introduced the GT750, a two-stroke triple-cylinder grand tourer that made history as the first mass-produced Japanese bike to offer liquid cooling. […]
Ninja Type-R: Kawasaki GPZ900R Restomod
AC Sanctuary gives an original Ninja the Type-R treatment… Introduced in late 1983, the Kawasaki GPZ900R — aka the Ninja ZX900 — was the earliest member of the Ninja series, and it changed sport biking […]





