Posts tagged 'cafe racer'

The builder was told that he would never find one of these – well, he did. The final product represents two and a half years of sheer dedication and attention to detail.

This month's customer build belongs to Mike Mitchum (Cincinnatti, OH) and his 1977 Suzuki GS550. "This a custom, cafe racer bike that I built in my garage. The bike was purchased as a non-running disaster (for $250) and was transformed over the course of just under 3 years.

In 1980, Kawasaki introduced the in-line four KZ550, an excitable motorcycle that became a fan-favorite among Kawasaki riders, almost instantly. Engine-wise, the KZ550s were nearly identical, with minor improvements realized over their production lifespan. A shaft-driven version was produced in 1983, known as the KZ550M. The 'Spectre' version used the CV carbs and a different cylinder head for enlarged porting. The 'GPz' models used the CV carbs, as well. The most noticeable differences between the 550 models were aesthetics.

DCC customer Matt Anderson, from Lancaster, MA, put his personal touch on his '83 KZ550 and we are rolling with the changes!

In 1977, Yamaha introduced the 391cc air-cooled, SOHC parallel twin known as the XS400. Sandwiched in between its predecessors, the XS360 and XS650, the XS400 models shared many of the same characteristics as their XS brethren. It experienced some aesthetic and mechanical changes through its lifespan and eventually phased out for the Seca 400.

Dime City Cycles customer Bill Watson (Toronto, Canada) certainly put his own spin on this classic '79 Yam, and, man, is it nice!

My little hobby shop, the Chattahoochee Skunkworks, is pleasantly tucked away in the foothills of north Georgia and I have a thing for the Honda CB400F. Although I’ve built several different bikes over the past few years, I always keep an eye out for stray, neglected CB400Fs to rescue. This 400 is the fifth one I’ve built and there is another one in the planning stages. It seems like these little light weight high revving bikes were designed for the twisty mountain roads in our neck of the woods.

With a deep and luxurious scheme shod with black and brass the Brass Cafe pulls hues from the Steampunk genre which is so curiously being explored today. Sporting hand-tooled, solid brass accents and plating, it will follows all the classic cafe lines while forging a path for new ideas and inspiration to be explored by the next generation Cafe Racer builder. Leaving nothing unturned, all the trimmings will be present making any Ton'r more than pleased with the final product.In an effort to pay homage to classic DIY Cafe Racer culture, as much of the original 1968 donor bike was used as possible while modifying the remaining elements for a hand-hewn and "factory-like" look and feel.

The 50's, and 60's - arguably the best years of British motorcycling. The designs were simple, and nothing but bare necessities were present making the ride and experience almost visceral. At the same time however, the envelope of engineering was pushed again and again, advancing motorcycling one kick at a time to the next kph. Be it the classy combination of black and chrome, the open-air designs, or the performance and engineering advancements, there's no doubt that it was a great time to be a motorcyclist.

This mustn't register on an emotional level. First, grip the tank tightly with your knees. Then, steer with your full body weight and counter with throttle through the turn. Befuddled, he will attempt a hail-mary. Cross him on his exit, rendering him incapable of passing. Then, down-shift, lean hard right and block his second attempt. Now, go high...slow down slightly, giving him the impression he's gaining on you. Last, fracture his mind entirely. Crack the throttle open and let him hear the distinct exhaust note as you pass on the inside, leaving him... breathless...

In summary, passed once honestly. Passed a second time playfully. Left behind indefinitely. This is what it is to ride a Cafe Racer.

Child progeny or bastard son, you decide. Born of a rock star father and a classical piano playing mother, the Dime City "Manx" blends the timeless and iconic world of cafe racers with the high speed adrenaline driven presence found in the platforms of legendary race bikes.

Paying homage to the classic cafe racer, we began with a completely stock standard Honda CB450. We remove all the bits and pieces too far gone for restoration along with those not needed.

As featured in Velocity's Season 2 of Cafe Racer TV the Dime City "Four Hundred" our desire with building the four hundred was to not only resurrect another long since forgotten pile of rusted motorcycle parts, but to pay homage to the gods of speed.