Dino Maltoni of Mendoza, Argentina sent us this build of a Kawasaki Zephyr 550. Below he tells us in his own words about the build.
Basically it had to cut and to manufacture a subchasis to measure since originally it brings a base of chassis type delta, to be able to give a more retro aspect and at the same time to obtain lines more according to a racer cafe. Glass of artisan way conservando a.aspecto similar to the one that brings of factory but of minor dimensions. To the same one was introduced to him a double light back light. In the front we adapted a copulino somewhat modified, was placed semimanillares, the whole painting was painted with powder paint as it came from the factory. Was made tailor made escapes and stainless steel. The pinto with a combination of green trikes and a kawasaki engine was given a glossy black color. The upholstery is also handmade which combines different textures and threads.
https://caferacertv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/FB_IMG_1488322915351.jpg540720Donnahttps://caferacertv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cafe-racer-tv-180x180.pngDonna2017-03-07 12:32:152017-03-07 12:34:56An Agrentina Build With Great Detail
Spencer Ashburn wrote to us about a project that he and his dad started together. The two watched all our Cafe Racer TV videos and from that experience they were inspired to start building café racers.
“We loved the idea of taking everything off the bike and making it go as fast as it could for starters, but then to add to the style of the bike to make it our own design. To go along with that we made the bike with whatever we had laying around the shop. We embodied this idea about two years ago,” said Spencer.
What started out as a father and son bike build turned into a father and son bike collection.
“We both found that we enjoyed working on bikes and creating our own design but we also loved working together and adding to each others ideas and visions. We loved it so much that we ended up having Friday bike nights, where we would spend the remainder of Friday evenings working on the bikes and grilling out. My dad, Troy, started as a mechanic and is now a painter. So we do have some tools to work with, but we don’t have this big elaborate shop with all the tools in the world.
We made this bike with a couple of hammers, a torch, a welder, and some hair brained idea that we could make a bike of our own. Although this bike isn’t completely finished. It still needs to be pulled apart and properly cleaned and painted,” said Spencer.
That didn’t stop the two from showing it off at the Slimmey Crud Run in Wisconsin, where it drew a lot of attention. Net, they took it to Rockerbox in Wisconsin and put it in the show, and successfully cameg away with a win.
“This bike may not be the simple café racer that you may very well know, but the café racer isn’t just about the bike itself, it’s the history behind the bike in how you made it your own. It’s how you took the bike and made it faster and better then the next guy. And if you were to ask me, I think this bike embodies that to the fullest”, Spencer told us.
See all the steps they took in making the bike the way it is at www.trash-works.com
Watch the videos of their bike “Evolution”.
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This build comes to us from Bernie Blackwell in Melbourne, Australia. He tells you about it in his own words.
This 1973 Honda 750.4 cylinder completed its early life in the early 1980’s racing at weekends as a Hillclimber in country Victoria. Rumour has its name as the Bucking Bronco! Discovered in a Leongatha farmshed in early 2011,she was resurrected over 3 1/2 years. The battered original was stripped of 11kg of extraneous parts and fittings….with an industrial angle grinder!
The desired build was to achieve a Manx Nortonlike look(circa 1960)…. organic, brutal, muscular and yet elegant….with a minimal bare hungry look.
The handmade fuel tank,oil tank and tailpiece were fabricated by Bernie Willett of Eltham. Every nut, bolt, washer and bracket has been replaced or fabricated by hand.and its all been mastered by Greg Cook of Leongatha.
Some 40 years after its appearance at the World Exhibition in Tokyo (note the Souvenir coin on the tailpiece) this once mass produced modern classic has been given a full stripped down makeover.
This build comes to us from Sylvain Tourangeau. He’s one of our Facebook fans. Below is his description of the build in his own words.
I just completed the little CD175 Cafe. I did some small tests rides because at this time of the year it’s kind of cold down here. The bike is running very good. I rebuilt the engine with oversize piston, new bearings, and seals. I restored everything on the bike. I did the powder coating myself on the wheels as well as many engine and frame parts. I used chrome powder coat on small parts. I also did the candy red with base coat/ clear coat paint. Since I installed a flat bar handlebar, all the cables were too long. So I ordered wires and fittings and made the clutch, front brake and throttle cable myself at the right size. This bike runs on 6V, so I used a GS750 headlight and replaced the 12V H4 light with a 6V H4. I made the cafe seat from fiberglass with the recessed brake light, and my wife did the seat cover.
The only thing I didn’t do myself was the chrome on the tank side panels.
So, what do you think of this build? Let us know and join our conversation on Facebook.
Check out these before and after shots sent to us by Philipp Dewies. He’s a 23year old mechanical engineering student at RWTH Aachen University in Germany. He got some great practical experience in his field while working on this Cafe Racer project with his dad. The idea to build a Cafe Racer was born out of necessity. Philipp says that he didn’t have enough money to buy a cool bike from a dealer.
He bought what he calls “a cheap” BMW R65 and started to unscrew the whole bike. He and his dad built new parts, fixed problems and enjoyed the time together in their garage. They had so much fun, they decided to build another one, a better one. They bought the 1985 BMW R80 RT you see pictured above. They worked on it every weekend for about nine months in their home garage.
“My dad and I were in scale modelling for many years, so we had all the tools we needed already at home,” Philipp told us.
The paint is the original Porsche Aetna Blau from the legendary 1960 Porsche 356B. They integrated a Motogadget Tiny Speedster in the lamp body, powder coated the engine, and many other parts. For the perfect clean shape of the seat they decided to put on a very small Kellermann indicator/backlight combination. He used the leather from the seat to cover the handles. The helmet was painted also in the Porsche Blau. Philipp grinded it in spots to get a cool design. Then he put a clear lacquer on it. The helmet makes a great touch. Tell us what you think. If you have a project you’d like to show, just send it to us through this Contact Us form .
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Kevin Stanley, who runs his own chop shop in L.A. sent us these before and after shots.
The Honda Brat:
What did he change? “Custom frame hoop, new dime city cycles brat style seat, clubman handlebars, new lighting, new lowered shocks, new tires.”
The Hawk:
What did you enjoy most and what did you find most challenging? “Making this particular less desirable model and frame actually look good!Modifying the seat to flow with the hard to work with stock frame. And relocating all the wiring under the seat along with the lithium battery.”
How long did it take? “We worked on this bike for about a month.”
Stanley says when it comes to restoring bikes, he loves “seeing ideas become reality and the transformation of what the bike started out as and how it ends up. The real test is when you are out on the road with it and they turn heads!”
So, which bike does he enjoy riding the most?
The Honda Hawk: He says, “it was quick and nimble after tearing off all unnecessary parts and after the new exhaust was installed, airbox was removed and carb rejet mods we did, it was a blast to ride!”
Below is a shot of Kevin at a Progressive International Motorcycle show. He’s displaying, “our 2011 Harley Sportster Cafe Racer, 2014 Royal Enfield Continental Gt Cafe Racer and 2004 Triumph Thruxton Cafe Racer. “
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