YAMAHA XS500 BY KARNAGE KUSTOMS
The bike has come a hell of a long way from stock, the original twin cylinder has a DOHC with 8 valves and is capable of 110mph so it’s a surprise that we don’t see more cafe racer builds using this model as the platform.
The team at Karnage Kustoms pulled the XS500 to pieces and went over each element, reducing weight and tossing unnecessary parts, the bike is fitted with R-1 rear sets, a stack of cafe racer equipment from Dime City Cycles, the carburettors have been rebuilt and the engine has been thoroughly sorted.
Read more. (Silodrome)
Yamaha XS 750 Spirit of the Seventies
There’s a new kid on the custom block. It’s an English outfit called Spirit of the Seventies, and it’s bucking the current European trend for all things raw and grungy. The company was started by Tim Rogers and graphic designer Kev Taggart, friends who share an obsession for motorcycles “and other beautifully designed things.” Their aim is simple: to build motorcycles that are “nostalgic, characterful, and sophisticated.” They’re up to build #3, but the machine you see here is Spirit II, the personal ride of managing director Tim. Constructed by mechanic Martin Taylor, it’s based on a 1979 Yamaha XS750 triple, a motorcycle originally geared for touring.
Read more (BIKEEXIF)
1975 Honda CB550 Cafe Racer Custom - Le Mans Gulf Special
Want to freak out a graphic designer? Make him pray to a higher power and start rocking back and forth on his fancy bent-wood chair. Then give him a job where he can only use two colours - safety orange and turquoise, and then watch him squirm. All the rules of colour theory say “no, this absolutely cannot work.” And yet behold the beauty that is the Gulf Oil livery. Is that angels I hear? Beautiful retro motor racing angels playing heavenly engine music through trumpets that look remarkably like velocity stacks? Chris Trotter from Bozeman, Montana heard that music too. And that music said unto him “build the world’s sweetest Honda cafe racer and paint it like the world’s coolest race car, then send it over to those incredibly great guys at Pipeburn so that they may show it to the world.” And beholdeth, he did. And it was good.
Read more. (Pipeburn)
Remember the Luis Moto (website) custom Monster and motolady (you might remember Donkeys in the photo) back in April?
I did some hunting and found out this bike was built by Luis for his girlfriend, Aurora. Stay tuned for some exclusive photos and a short interview with the awesome couple, comin’ soon!
Yamaha XV 750 Virago “Reciprocity”
Imagine being asked to build a custom bike for a hitman. That’s what advertising creative John Ryland was commisioned to do by director Sunny Zhao. Although, the “hitman” in question was a fictional character starring in his new film called Reciprocity. It all sounded too good to be true for a ‘part-time builder’, so I asked John a few questions about the project. (Pipeburn)
