Honda has always been a popular choice for cafe racer builders, given the solid engineering and easy availability of parts. The CB series is especially common, from the smaller twins and 1970s inline-fours, to the mighty six-cylinder CBX.
Let’s not forget the CX500 though: the liquid cooled V-twin was a departure for the Honda engineering department, but has proven to be a godsend for builders smart enough to make the ugly frame look good.
The pinnacle is undoubtedly the classic CB750 cafe racer, using the original superbike as the donor.
But rising prices in the used market mean that more recent Honda cafe racer builds are just as likely to be based on bigger, newer motorcycles—like the CBX1100 or the recently discontinued CB1100.
Based in Caxias do Sul, a town in Brazil’s hilly Serra Gaúcha region, Caffeine Custom is fast becoming a regular on these pages. They celebrated their tenth anniversary last year, and wanted to celebrate in style with a special custom build. The stars aligned when a customer approached them to create a slick Honda CB500F…
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By day, Shawn Lin creates concept art for the gaming industry—a space where fantasy and science fiction reign supreme. But the motorcycle he rides in the real world is cut from a different cloth. While Shawn’s designs are edgy and futuristic, his bike is a decidedly classic—and may we say elegant—Honda CB350 café racer. Shawn…
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When the Honda Dax was brought back into production a couple of years ago, K-Speed wasted little time getting their grubby paws on it. The Thai powerhouse’s founder, the mysterious Mr Eak, had a 50 cc Dax as a teenager—and the workshop is particularly good at customizing small Hondas. So a K-Speed-customized Dax was inevitable.…
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On paper, the late-2000s Honda CB600F Hornet is a great bike; a lively four-cylinder middleweight, widely praised for its rideability and reliability. But in the flesh, it’s hard to get excited about. Like most of Honda’s naked bikes, the steadfast Hornet lacks panache—which makes it prime material for customization. This Honda Hornet café racer comes…
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We’ve heard countless stories of custom motorcycle projects stalling, but the tale of this Honda CB750F café racer takes the cake. Its…
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Speed Read starts with a thump this week, as the 659 cc / 85 hp Ducati Superquadro Mono single-cylinder engine breaks cover.…
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Upgrading your suspension and brakes is a hassle-free way to eke more handling performance out of your motorcycle. But if you have…
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The coronavirus pandemic continues to shrink into our rear-view mirrors, but its ripples are still being felt in some ways. We continue…
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Honda has a long-standing tradition of building middleweight bikes that are highly capable but visually dull. The mid-2000s Honda CB600F Hornet is…
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When Honda released the CX500 in 1978, they had no idea how significant it would become in the custom world roughly four…
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A year after he turned his custom motorcycle building hobby into a business, Dimitri at Lys Motorcycles figured it was time to…
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A Honda CX500 headlines this week, resplendent in classic John Player Special colors. We also cover a 1957 Indian Trailblazer, a Magni…
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