custom:

Harley-Davidson Nightster café racer by Deus

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?

> More

KTM 990 Adventure Ice Special

We’re all familiar with the KTM 990 Adventure motorcycle, but how about this custom model that our friend Mike Werner from Motorbiker.org captured at EICMA? While the standard bike is adequate both for street and off-road riding, this Ice Special that KTM came up with for the motorcycle show in Milan looks perfectly able to take its rider to and from the North Pole. That is because it features studded tires, a crash cage and even microlights in the front, but, as surprised as you may be, this isn’t what caught our attention in the first place. The right rider side of the fairing has a map painted on it, showing that paintjobs aren’t just about looks, but usefulness as well.

EICMA 2009: CR&S to take the wraps off the 2011 Duu

It seems that the CR&S Duu has turned from concept into reality as the company announced they will officially unveil their “two liter, twin cylinder, twin seater” at the EICMA show next week and released the bike’s official pictures with the announcement.

CR&S brags about the Duu’s 1,916cc S&S X-Wedge V-twin engine and we’ll have to say that this is precisely the piece that has the most to do with the 20,000 euros (US$29,500) starting price for when this blend of European chassis and American powerplant will go on sale in Europe no later than 2011.

What we like the most about this creation is the fact that you can’t easily identify which bodywork part is which, not to mention their purposes. We can see that the single-side swingarm reflects style at its best, but we still have to wait until EICMA to see the public’s reaction. Fingers crossed because CR&S will be building by hand a few dozen of these every year.

V12-powered Honda CBX café racer [w/video]

The ’V12 Andreas’ isn’t just one of those concept motorcycles that won’t ever turn into reality, but a running café racer that originally started life as a Honda CBX, which was a six-cylinder UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). Although what Andreas came up with is anything but universal, his custom Honda CBX V12 Café Racer is actually powered by two such engines, which have been joined together, resulting the impressive V12 mill.

These are simple words to describe the amazing amount of work behind this project as Andreas spent a year working on the chains, tensioners and guides, just so that you get a clue of the dedication needed to achieve such a piece of mechanical jewel, but it takes a look at the old-timer’s face to see it was all worth it.

But the engine isn’t the only feature making sure this thing turns heads. This café racer’s entirely polished bodywork looks very cool, especially if you consider the fact that it was hand built. What a bike! Follow the jump for more pictures and no less than four videos of the V12-powered Honda CBX.

> More

Brad Pitt crashes his custom motorcycle on the streets of Beverly Hills [w/video]

Last Saturday, Brad Pitt, who was riding one of his custom motorcycles on the streets of Beverly Hills, was implicated in a minor crash with a car. The Hollywood star got through it with only a few scratches and although the bike was towed from the scene, it looked like it could have been ridden to the shop without problems.

Of course, paparazzi were on duty and there have even been speculations about a paparazzo hitting Pitt from behind and causing him to crash, but the most plausible scenario is that Brad was riding between a parked car and a car stopped at a red light when he clipped the parked car with the handlebar and crashed at slow speed.

After the crash, the caring biker inspected his motorcycle and talked to the other party involved. When the tow truck arrived, he walked away. See it all in the videos attached after the break.

We can’t help but wonder what Angelina Jolie has to say about this.

> More

Honda CB450 café racer shows how you can make a bike yours

The Honda CB450 looks pretty cool in stock condition, but riders who won’t satisfy with that can always choose the rather facile transformation into a café racer. This particular example was spotted in South Africa as it attracted quite a crowd with its 1970s rebel bike appearance.

Like most café racers, this Honda CB450 stands out thanks to a unique tank and seat unit, while the frame, swingarm don’t look like having suffered any modification and the wheels are the original ones.

The overall sporty look is completed by the bikini fairing and vented mudguard, but if we take a better look at the back, the underseat exhaust tends to turn it into a veritable racing motorcycle, which is what café racers were originally supposed to be. Also, the red/white color scheme was the adequate choice in our opinion.

> More

Tokyo 2009: Harley Davidson presents 19 models

Get the Flash Player to see the videos.

The FLHTCUSE5 pushes the term "fully loaded" to the edge. From satellite radio and heated handgrips to exclusive custom paint schemes and a 1,801cc Scream in Eagle V-Twin engine, this ride is truly top-of-the-line.

The FXDF2-CVO has its show-stopping style with lavish custom details and adrenaline-pumping performance from a Twincam96 V-Twin engine.

The FXDWG Dyna Wide Glide has got old-school chopper looks with the comfort of a modem ride.

Brad Pitt takes new custom motorcycle to his garage

The fact that Hollywood star Brad Pitt is passionate to the bone about motorcycles couldn’t ever make the subject of a news, so much the less on this page, but here we bring to you the latest custom motorcycle that sees its way to Brad’s spacious garage.

Dubbed ‘Flash’, this café racer was designed and built by Californian-based custom motorcycle builder Shinya Kimura, who has taken a 1974 Ducati engine as the starting point for his latest special order.

Following the design meets functionality philosophy, the Japanese craftsman has come up with the unique idea of positioning the oil cooler next to the headlight, giving the bike an asymmetric face and, very likely, managing to be beyond all expectations.

> More

Kawasaki Gpz 1100 by WrenchMonkees

The Gpz 1100 was one of Kawasaki’s first sport-touring motorcycles, but there’s little left of this particular unit after ending up in the hands of custom motorcycle builder WrenchMonkees. Turned into a naked powered by now a 125 hp Gpz engine upgraded with an 1170cc Wiseco piston kit and featuring more tweaks than you would imagine, this might very well reflect how things get done in Denmark.

With sports wheels and suspensions, this roadster should know how to bring riders the most benefits from that powerful Japanese inline-four engine, so in the end it is all a matter of style, which is quite unique, especially if we look at the backend. This is contoured by the WM rearframe and characterized by a flat seat and custom back fender as well as by the LED taillight. Up front, there’s also a WM fender, while the fork wraps make it look like one of those Mad Max bikes. In between, there’s a stylish Zephyr fuel tank and a very enthusiastic rider. Please read the specs after the break.

> More

Kawasaki Z1000 A café racer by WrenchMonkees

Get the Flash Player to see the videos.

Copenhagen-based custom motorcycle builder WrenchMonkees brings Japanese power to the world of café racers with their Monkee number 2. Although it started life as a Kawasaki Z1000 A, there’s little left of the original bike, not even the engine. This was replaced with that of a Z1000 J model, which was upgraded to around 110-115 hp by fitting a 1075cc Wiseco piston kit.

The café racer image was achieved with the use of a Norton fuel tank and a Ducati Monster headlight while the rest of the body parts, but also the mufflers, LED rear light and even the custom paint wear the WM fingerprint.

We can’t help but think about the uncomfortable riding position, read the specs again and appreciate the fact that it has a big engine as well as a retro look until finally reaching to the conclusion that this may very well be something that our favorite Hollywood star would ride to the studios everyday.

> More