Take a look at what started life as a 2009 Triumph Thruxton and you, as us, will most likely come to the conclusion that almost all British bikes can be transformed into café racers as long as someone is willing to pay the buck. This unique bike right here was built by Pure Triumph and it features all the possible changes and aftermarket parts that a demanding rider could wish for. To begin with, we’re talking about upside down 50mm Showa forks and competition spec Bitabo multi adjustable shocks, which together with the 17-inch wheels (please note the 180 section of the rear tire) make sure the bike is able to go very fast around corners, just like a café racer should. Also, twin four-pot Tokico calipers and radial master cylinder won’t make a rider hope for the best during emergency braking.
As you may have noticed, the frame remains the same and it is the other chassis parts that upgrade the overall product. Same thing with the engine: the internals remain unchanged, while the thing now gets an independent fuel-injection system.
Stylistically, an alloy T140 tank, an Alcantara leather seat and a ‘68 style rear section make every café racer fan crave for such a therapist, but we’re sad to announce that this precise one recently sold out. Yet, the Triumph dealer doesn’t stop here and plans an even better version.
When the team at Southsiders in France got their hands on a Triton they let their imagination run wild and started designing the bike from scratch. Batman, Catwoman and what appears to be a fossilized Tyrannosaurus.rex claw were the inspiration sources for the CP Project One, which is actually built around a featherbed frame with a Triumph 750 twin.
We love what Frank Charriaut, Vincent Prat and builder Daniel Delfour ended up transforming the bike into: a café racer with Hollywood and prehistoric inspirations, no front brakes and fat Coker tires. And we were just about to say that we haven’t seen an original café racer lately…
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Café racing motorcycles may be acknowledged as the first ever sports bikes and even new ones are built in strict accordance with the original style, which is cool, but when it comes to the future something has to change. This concept bike right here is a good way to do so. Called the Metalback, it was designed by Jordan Meadows, who has thought at combining the original look of café racers with that of vintage WW2 fighter planes in order to achieve this.
The thing is supposed to be powered by a V4 diesel engine burning biodiesel, meaning that fuel efficiency – not just power and torque – was taken into consideration, not to mention anything about the recycled aluminum frame and bodywork.
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As hard to believe as it may be, this motorcycle right here started life as a Honda CB 750 and was going pretty well until ending up in the hands of the guys at Garage Company Customs. They made it look, perform and sound even better and now call it the Honda CB 750 Cafe Racer. It looks more like a bobber than a café racer to us, but the name is the least important when looking at the actual bike.
This retains the original engine, which now breaths out through a custom exhaust system, while the modified frame and new, sportier suspensions are supposed to glue it to the road. The riding position looks a bit harsh, but does that even matter when you’ll be turning more heads than on any production bike out there, if that’s your goal. Also, beware of the paparazzi if you’re riding this custom made Honda CB around the streets of LA because they sure ruined Brad Pitt’s day and you’ll be looking like him on it. Hear that engine roaring in a short video after the break.
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The Yamaha YZ450 is one of the best motocross bikes now around and little did we knew it can be adapted to a whole lot of riding conditions and even be turned into a 60’s style café racer if someone’s got the energy to undergo the demanding process of making a fact out of an innovative idea such as the oil-in-frame, just to give an example. The bike also features drilled engine plates and underseat pipe, but you’ll only notice that if you’re interested enough to look beyond the sleek fairing.
It is too bad we don’t have more information about this unique combination of style called YZ450 café racer as it was surely a bright idea and an exciting project.
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Electric bikes have entered on an ascendant path and we’re seeing more and more interesting concepts. Among these, we’re caught up by Dan Anderson’s Voltra. Living in Sydney, Australia, the industrial design student created the electric café racer of the future for his final year thesis project. Dan says “the Voltra is the result of research into motorcycling history, society and culture as well as technology, materials and manufacturing and product semantics,” but you can see that by simply taking a look at the bike.
What you can’t really tell is what’s powering it and the claimed performances. Our Australian designer made sure to mention that an AC induction motor with a programmable controller is powered by Li-Ion batteries, which allow the thing to run an estimated 90 minutes after a full recharge, which lasts two hours. In return, riders get 129Nm of torque and a 200 kg weight (thanks to its carbonfibre monocoque chassis), translating into an impressive top speed of more than 200 km/h.
I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear about this concept turning into a prototype and heading to production in a couple of years.
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In order to pay a tribute to the 750SS Imola, Ducati’s notorious sportbike from the 1970s, Spain-based Radical Ducati has created an absolutely gorgeous café racer, which was recently revealed. They call it the RAD02 Imola and it is built for track use, but we hear it can be homologated with a few tweaks.
The engine is a 900SSie unit with hot cams, while the chassis is that of a Monster S4R with 749S fully-adjustable forks and MV Agusta ride-height adjuster. Also note the asymmetric megaphone cans, which we happen to like a lot.
The Spanish Ducati builders are already taking orders and mention that the price depends on the exact specs. Still, considering the hours spent to achieve this kind of built quality, the Ducati RAD02 Imola café racer addresses to riders with deep pockets.
Find out more here.
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Australia-based tuner Deus Ex Machina has turned the Harley-Davidson Nightster into a café racer that they call the Deus Special. The original 1200cc V-Twin motor was kept, but the bike now offers a completely different riding experience and the muscular looks are sure to indicate that from the very first glance.
Deus told hell for leather magazine they’ve used modified Yammy SR400 tank, quick release strap, new taps etc.
custom fender’ectomy....warren got handy with the drill bits
custom 2 into 1, retuned fuel maps to suit
single saddle conversion
kept the belt drive, chains look nicer but the customer wanted his pants to stay up.
What’s not to like about this custom motorcycle?
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Moto Guzzi’s V7 family now has a new member, which is willing to teach motorcyclists a thing or two about the ways they can enjoy riding the world’s greatest machine with wheels as long as they open their eyes and prick up their ears. Unveiled last week in Milan, the 2010 Moto Guzzi V7 Clubman Racer is reminiscent of 1970s Italian café racers. Then, as now, these were machines that handled beautifully and stopped fast, managing to compete with Japanese bikes with seriously more horsepower available at the rear wheel.
With a 744cc V-twin developing only 48.8 hp and 58.2 Nm, but featuring a beautifully crafted frame, upgraded suspension and brakes, the 2010 Moto Guzzi V7 Clubman Racer remains faithful to the original recipe and addresses to nostalgics of the period. Also featuring wrapped headers and upswept Arrow exhuasts, polished aluminum tank, rearsets and clip-ons as well as Pirelli Demon Sport tires, I guess you can look at it as to a V7 Classic with a soft spot for races. Hit the jump to read the press release.
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BMW has used their experience from building straight six engines for cars into creating a modern café racer concept powered by a six-cylinder engine displacing 1600cc. This means 266cc for each cylinder of the so-called BMW Motorrad Concept 6, which won’t see the production line pretty soon, but word is out that the German car and motorcycle manufacturer will use this precise engine on their next LT grand touring model.
Surely, this isn’t the first two-wheeler powered by an inline six as Honda had the CBX1000 in 1978, but the impressive part about the modern bike is the fact that it is so narrow for this type of engine rarely used on motorcycles. But when it is used it smoothly delivers impressive amounts of torque, which is why we have great expectations in what regards BMW’s future touring lineup. Hit the jump for the BMW Motorrad Concept 6 press release and picture gallery.
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