Bare metal cafe racers from Spain and Italy are spinning our wheels this week, plus a Honda XR600R tracker conversion and a fluoro orange Yamaha FZ-09 from Australia.
Honda XR600R by Vintage Addiction Crew The Crew are no strangers to these parts. They’ve impressed us couple of times before with their attention to detail and expert level of execution.
And they’ve done it again with this transformation of a Honda XR600R into a scrappy looking street tracker. Given its Baja-winning roots, the Barcelona guys were originally thinking a vintage enduro build would foot the bill. But after some reminiscing over old flat track photos, the thumper’s new identity was forged.
But first they needed the engine to fire. Moto Racing Canet helped with the rebuild, as things had actually seized solid. And while the internals were being seen to, the V.A. Crew went to work on the rest. A Sportster surrendered its peanut tank, which was reworked to sit so pretty on the Honda’s spine. A new, 2-piece subframe was fitted and the obligatory fiberglass flat track tail bolted on. The suspension was rebuilt and lowered to nail its new stance on those 19-inch hoops and a gorgeous coat of HRC paint dressed everything up. [More]
Honda CB750 by Bolt Motor Co. I’d like to say it’s not every day we see a Honda CB cafe—but that would be a lie. Truth be told, the inboxes are inundated with them, so it takes something special to truly stand out. This time around, that standout comes with a bare metal finish, from Valencia’s Bolt Motor Company.
Working with a late model 1994 CB750, Bolt’s craftsmen had a bit of plastic to strip down before they started this build. But they didn’t stop there. The tank that Honda spec’d in the mid-nineties had an aero treatment that just wasn’t going to sit right for a cafe racer, so the flowing OE unit was swapped for one from a 77’ K7. From there, all of the electrics were tidied and the airbox was ditched to deliver one of the cleanest triangles we’ve seen. But it’s the seat and tail unit that steals the show here. To perfectly match the shape of the K7’s tank, Bolt’s designers took to some 3D modeling before fabrication and absolutely killed it. [More]
Ducati cafe racer by Affetto It’s hard to go wrong with a custom Ducati when you draw inspiration from Paul Smart. Which is why this tribute in raw metal from Affetto Ducati is making me drool.
Of course, there’s a bit more going on than some fancy metalwork and a painted frame. Leo Fleuren, the Dutchman behind Affetto, has a thing for transforming old and rare Italians, so the base for this bike begins with an 860 Bevel. To ensure everything would work flawlessly, the frame was fettled and the swingarm from a late-model Sport Classic was fitted. But it too needed modification as the drive chain on the Bevel churns rubber from the right side, not the left. The wheels are from a Ducati Scrambler, and the brakes from a 996.
Wiring has all been re-worked with some help from Motogadget and a lightweight, lithium battery hides in the hump. Speaking of which, all of that gorgeous bodywork—the tank, tail and front fender—was hand beaten by local wizards at Labro Carrozzeria.
Yamaha FZ-09 by Ellaspede The Brisbane, Australia shop seems to nail that balance of performance and style with every build. What started out as a riotous city-mouse from the factory has been transformed into a country-mouse machine that’s just as comfortable scampering along the beachfront as it is heading into the Outback.
Starting with a bone stock 2014 FZ-09 (or MT-09, depending), a quick consult with its owner revealed a desire for some dusty path work. That meant the asphalt-friendly suspenders at both ends needed to go. Öhlins were units were fitted up on both ends to soak up the rough stuff without elevating the seat height into the stratosphere, and a set of Continental TKC 70s found their way onto the mags.
Since the Yammie already had a competent layout, the tank and seat remain untouched. But Ellaspede put some tidy work into the 3-into-1-into-2 high-mount exhaust system, guarded by a set of custom side covers. The rumor is those mags may soon swap to spokes, and with them an upgrade to TKC 80 rubber. But we’re liking the looks on this thing as it sits. [More]
Triumph Thruxton R by Alo’s Cafe There’s rarely a day that goes by where I don’t ponder plunking down on Triumph’s new Thruxton R. Of course, that doesn’t mean things can’t be improved.
The Italian Triumph dealer and custom shop Alo’s Cafe was approached by watchmakers Meccaniche Veloci to build a cafe racer that would reflect the intricacies of their timepieces. ‘Bullet Time’ is the result.
Working with aluminum—for their first time, I might add—Alo’s team put over 100 hours into the bodywork fabrication alone. The dolphin fairing, side panels and hand-rolled fender were all left with a raw, brushed finish that’s echoed by the stripped, factory tank. The seat is a completely bespoke unit that was contrast-stitched in Alo’s workshop. That stitching mimics the style found on Meccaniche’s watchbands, and the aluminum stripe atop the hump is form-fitted. Finishing things off, a custom exhaust snakes through whatever negative space it can find to keep a slim profile, and is capped on both sides by Zard cans.
