Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

Intro

If you follow us on Instagram, you may have had a little peek at the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 already, either at the release event last month, or maybe you saw the stories this weekend. I got to test ride it for the weekend, and what fun I had!

The fourth motorcycle in the line-up on the 650 twin platform sits somewhere between its siblings, literally. The Super Meteor 650, with its more laidback, cruiser riding position, sits on one end of the spectrum. The Continental GT and the Interceptor on the other with a sportier, forward-leaning position. The Shotgun fits right in the middle, with a comfortable, upright riding position, allowing for a 90 degree bend in the knees. 

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

First Impressions

The engine is what we expect from Royal Enfield, a 648cc twin without annoying vibrations and a meaty midrange. It pulls away nicely, and you would not know that you’re sitting on 240kg of steel with only 47 horsepower. This is due to the evenly spaced gear ratios. The power is always there. Further, due to the 25.3 degrees rake angle and the 18” front wheel, it is easy to tip the bike into corners and with its low centre of gravity, you’ll be scraping pegs before you know it! And if it gets too exciting, the 320mm front and 300mm rear brake with dual piston calipers do their job. They are perfectly adequate for city riding and country lane touring.

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

Riding Experience

The reliable twin gets up to highway speeds easily, and sits there comfortably. And this without a wind or fly screen! I blame the comfortable riding position. The seat sits at 790mm, and for my tall ostrich legs, I could do with a few more centimeters of padding, especially after a few hours in the saddle. This butt-numbing experience was exacerbated by the rear shocks being set up for an average rider weight. Something I have never reached. The front end is a whole other story, the 5-step adjustable upside down Showa forks handle any unevenness in the road surface well. Trust me, I have put the suspension to the test. Some of the roads in the countryside in Berlin give the impression that they were last maintained when the wall was still up. With all that mixed riding, it still only used 6.6L/100km. And I am sure you can get a lot more out of it when you’re cruising at a leisurely 100-110 km/h. I will not let my sore bottoms affect my judgment of the bike, it is just a head’s up for those that do not fit into the average rider category to consider making some adjustments.

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

A Platform for Customisation

And that brings me to what this bike really is. A base, a platform, a blank canvas. But a really cool looking one to start with. The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 comes in Sheet Metal Grey (€7590), Drill Green and Plasma Blue (€7690), or a two-tone Stencil White (€7790). The slogan for this model is “Inspired by custom. For custom.” Royal Enfield really invites and encourages you to give this bike a personal touch. To get started with that, they offer 31 additional parts to mix and match to your liking. I can really recommend the round bar end mirrors. Not only do they complete the look, they function too! Because, looks first, safety second! No wait, safety first! The finish of these mirrors is excellent, and I think they complete the look of the bobber. Further accessories include indicators, seats, crash bars, and even billet aluminium wheel sets (hot!). What is missing in my book: exhaust options! I would love to see how a shorter, sportier exhaust would look! I like the dull sound of the pea shooters, it is decent and pleasant for city riding, and it does generate a nice roar when you open up the throttle. What I would be keen to try is the bolt-on subframe with luggage rack and pillion seat. This innovative design allows you to switch between practical setups without compromising the style in no-time.

Photo: Casper van der Ven

Photo: Casper van der Ven

Nifty gadget

Talking about practicality, Royal Enfield has developed an app that connects to the bike via BlueTooth. You can tuck away your phone, charge it in the onboard USB socket, and it will send directions from the app to the turn-by-turn digital navigation unit. A neat feature, and especially in the city it functions really well! The app is based on Google Maps, and includes the “avoid highways/tolls/ferries”-options. Well done Royal Enfield! 

Photo: Casper van der Ven @Craftwerk Berlin

Photo: Casper van der Ven @Craftwerk Berlin

Conclusion

In all, I had a really great time on the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650. It is surprisingly nimble for a bike in its weight class, the comfortable riding position allows both for relaxed cruising/touring and more active riding, and the engine is smooth. An excellent bike for people looking to get (back) on a bike, for people who want to express themselves and their creativity without having to learn how to weld or fabricate parts, and for people who just want a reliable, comfortable, and fun ride without breaking the bank! 

 

Photo: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia http://pscfoto.net

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XTR Pepo
Then there is Pepo Rosell. If you don’t know who that is, make sure to check out some of the articles we have written before. The Frenchman who has been living in Spain for a long time now, is known for his radical designs; a craftsman of the first-degree. Pepo maintains an almost scientific approach to building motorcycles. And when we say build, we mean BUILD, as in, from the ground up. Pepo has a passion for racing too, so it comes as no surprise that most of his builds are race inspired, often replicas of real racing machines.

Performance mods – Body
Let’s get down to business. Everything about this Continental GT breathes RACING. To begin with the most rigorous mod that Pepo performed on this build, it has to be the modified frame. Harris Performance did an outstanding job designing the original frame. Pepo must have thought differently and reduced weight and added stiffness to the already pretty-good frame. The rear swing arm is a modified unit from a Ducati Pantah(!). The front and rear wheels come off a Triumph Daytona 675R and is a lot lighter than the original wire-spoke wheels that come stock on the GT 650. The brakes are BREMBO – Kevlar brake lines anyone?
The front and rear suspension are OHLINS fully adjustable units. It goes without saying that all brackets have been custom CNC’d from billet aluminium by Pepo, including the triple clamp. A set of clip-ons and DOMINO controls & grips ensure the right kind of control. There are various carbon fiber bits and pieces used such as the custom fuel tank with endurance style filler cap, carbon fiber front fairing, rear mudguard, and the one-off seat. Carbon fiber is great for weight saving. The FULBAT Lithium battery helps with that too, weighing less than 700 grams it’s literally a lightweight.

Performance mods – Engine
XTR went all out with the engine mods, without sacrificing reliability. The parts that have been used are tried and tested. There are the obligatory DNA pod filters, custom exhaust system curtesy of Wolfman and Spark, and high-performance HT leads. What’s more interesting are the S&S performance cams and the high compression pistons. Combined with a custom fuel map with the help of a Power Commander, we wouldn’t be surprised if this Royal Enfield produced more than 60hp at the rear wheel. Combine that with the ridiculous weight savings on the body and unsprung weight, and sticky Continental SPORT ATTACK rubbers, we are convinced that Pepo turned this easy-going Continental GT into a fire-breathing, hell-raising, racing machine!

Finishing touches
What we love the most about XTR machines is the level of detail each build is delivered with. Whether it’s the machines rear set, double headlight with external brackets, LED indicators, machined levers or unique paint-scheme (by ARTENRUTA Painting), each bike looks like it’s doing a 100 mph at standstill. There is no doubt that Pepo has racing fuel going through his veins and for that we salute him.

PICTURES by SERGIO CARDEÑA

Builder details:
XTR Pepo
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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We have seen some incredible builds the last 12 months, and we have to say that despite the world pandemic, we are very pleased to see that so many people still take time work on that what we love most: motorcycles. For 2021 we have created a TOP 5 of some of the most interesting, esthetically pleasing cafe racers we wrote about here on BikeBrewers. We looked at the number of views and shares on our website and social media channels, but also at originality. After all, the list is subjective.

So without further ado, and in complete random order, here are the BikeBrewers TOP 5 Cafe Racer builds of 2021

1. Moto Guzzi 1100 Cafe Racer by Robin Mehnert
When Robin Mehnert, the woodwind instrument maker from Germany, messaged us that he and his father had built a cafe racer based on a Moto Guzzi 1100 California, we got very excited. When you see the pictures of the Guzzi, it’s not hard to see why. Make sure to read the full article to find out more about this clean looking example of Italo-Germanic craftsmanship

2. Icon Motorcycle Triumph Bonneville Triton
Okay, so this Triumph Bonneville was actually built a couple of years ago. However, we only really heard of Icon Motorcycles last year. We didn’t know much about the outfit, and sadly their website has gone offline since. All we know is that the 2 Triumph Tritons they’ve build are unlike anything we have seen in a very long time. It’s almost like a spiritual experience. Luckily, we spent some time writing an article about the work of these fine people, that are based in the Netherlands.

3. Harley-Davidson LiveWire “Rule Breaker” by Moto Adonis
Moto Adonis has been working hard in 2021, with a number of unique projects and builds, we are impressed by the work the 2-man team from the Netherlands has been delivering. When they presented their Harley-Davidson LiveWire project our jaws literally dropped to the ground. This must be the most menacing looking electric motorcycle we have ever see. Period! It looks like a great white shark. In black. On 2 wheels. We dare anybody to show us a custom electric motorcycle that looks better than this.

4. Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 “Lilith” by XTRPepo
There is such a thing as a match made in heaven. In this case, it would be Pepo Rosell, founder and owner of XTRPepo, and Royal Enfield. Let us explain. Pepo has been building race bikes since before we could remember. He has been doing that passionately for the past 25 years. The last 6 years or so, he decided to take step back from building radical custom racing machines for high end customers, and to focus on the more “fun” side of business. Which brings us to Royal Enfield. The people’s champion as far as we’re concerned. Royal Enfield has rapidly gained popularity outside of its domestic market in India. No frills, simple, classy, and affordable. Heck, 2 of our editors bought a Royal Enfield 650 for personal use! That says something! Pepo built a period-correct racer around the Continental GT, and it looks the part.

5. Triumph Bonneville “Gotham” by Tamarit x MotoShare
Tamarit has been building bikes for a long time now, and this heavily modified Triumph Bonneville was their 81st build to be precise. The Alicante, Spain based builders were commissioned by MotoShare to build a cafe racer that provokes people. A bike that gets people talking. José Antonio of Tamarit says: “We took a 2007 Triumph Bonneville and turned it into this ominous looking machine. It was during a video call that one of the guys from MotoShare mentioned it looked like it was made for Batman. It was ‘The Gotham’ from there on.”

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Smiles-per-mile
When Royal Enfield unleashed their 650 twins into the world, nobody had expected that they would take over the world by storm. It was and still is the bike Royal Enfield owners were craving for. Not only that, the classic design of the twins has stolen the hearts of many new and old motorcyclists, including myself! Royal Enfield has proven that more horsepower, and a higher price tag don’t automatically mean more smiles-per-mile. Many motorcycle magazines have awarded the Interceptor 650 the “Motorcycle of the Year” award for that particular reason.

Builders choice
The simplicity of the Royal Enfield 650 speaks to many, especially in an age where more and more motorcycles are drenched with technology and computers. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t against hi-tech bikes, but the no frills no non-sense experience out-trumps tech any day, especially if you love working on your motorcycle.

Racing pedigree
Then there is Pepo Rosell. If you don’t know who that is, make sure to check out some of the articles we have written before. The Frenchman who has been living in Spain for a long time now, is known for his radical designs; a craftsman of the first-degree. Pepo maintains an almost scientific approach to building motorcycles. And when we say build, we mean BUILD, as in, from the ground up. Pepo has a passion for racing too, so it comes as no surprise that most of his builds are race inspired, often replicas of real racing machines.

Replica
Everybody agrees that the Continental GT 650 isn’t the fastest or the sportiest bike out there. The handling is good, and the power is more than adequate. What we see here today looks completely different than that. The “Lilith” as Pepo has dubbed this build, looks like it just came off a race track in the 1970/80s. Probably a street track too! When you take a look at the extensive list of modifications below, it is clear that an incredible amount of work has been put into this. This isn’t a café racer; this IS a RACER!

Manual labour
Some of the mods that immediately stand out have to be the front fairing with the twin protruding headlights, just like the old racing bikes. The fuel tank with the quick-fueling system doesn’t only look mean, it has a function too. It is made out of fiberglass and is, obviously, hand-made. Neat feat is the fuel gauge “window” on the side, that allows for a quick visual on the fuel levels. There are loads of details that pop up the longer you look at the GT. Another example of Pepo’s skills is the unique racing solo/dual seat. Then there is that beautiful red paint finish. Nothing screams speed more than that bright red colour.

We really like the way this Continental GT has turned out, and would love to hear and see this one in real life. In the meantime, we will have to make do with the stunning pictures that were sent to us from Spain. Salud!

PICTURES by Belen Piqueras

Mods list:

• XTR glass fiber fuel tank with fuel level stripe
• ACC Endurance gas cap
• Modified subframe
• XTR Solo/Dual seat (XTR design)
• XTR upholstered seat
• XTR rear light
• XTR led turn signals
• XTR licence plate support
• YSS adjustable rear shocks
• Turbokit Megaphone mufflers
• Shortened exhaust lines
• CNC RIGA aluminium chain tensioner
• K-Speed foot-pegs and brackets
• 17″ aluminium rims
• DNA air filter
• DOMINO quick throttle
• XTR machined clip ons
• XTR machined bar-ends
• CNC RIGA aluminium CNC machined top yoke
• RR oil temperature gauge
• XTR front fairing and windshield
• XTR CNC machined adjustable brake and clutch levers
• BREMBO Gold front brake pump
• XTR endurance lights
• HIGHSIDE mirrors
• Modified front fender and support
• FULBAT LIPO battery
• ARTENRUTA painting

Builder details:
XTR Pepo
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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The Meteor has landed

Based on a heritage from decades ago, the newly designed 350cc platform inherits the name from an iconic Royal Enfield motor in the early 1950’s. Launched at the end of 1952 the Royal Enfield Meteor was a magnificent touring motorcycle with a reputation that stood the test of time.
In those days the segment for touring bikes was not yet dominated by those bulky 1000CC+ engines like the ones we seem to need today. Let’s be honest, life was easier and quite a bit slower in those days.

British heritage
The Indian manufacturer has a strong British heritage, and portrays the Meteor 350 as an “easy cruiser which carries Royal Enfield’s signature styling, but with many firsts and is set to be an equally outstanding machine for our times.”
We could not agree more. The BikeBrewers test team had the pleasure of riding this little thumpers for a full day in both urban circumstances and on lovely twisty country roads.
The weather was spectacular and the smiles on our faces could not be wiped away no matter how hard you would try to polish them off.
The Royal Enfield technicians have managed to produce a single 350cc engine which will run without hardly any vibrations whatsoever. They have done a truly remarkable job at balancing the crankshaft.

New engine
At the heart of the Meteor is a ‘J series’ air-cooled 349cc SOHC engine. It has a characteristic long stroke, producing smooth tractable power (20 BHP) and a bottom-end torque of 27Nm. Now this may not sound very impressive when we are surrounded by torque packed machines which launch you from one traffic light to another, but that’s not what this bike is about.
The Meteor is about finding yourself enjoying the ride and the world around you. No need for speed, no adrenaline rush, just pure riding fun like they used to have seventy years ago.

It’s the perfect bike for some laid back cruising. It hums like a sewing machine and handles smoothly. The fuel consumption is amazingly low at a whopping 100mpg or 40 km/l! The maximum speed of around 120 km/h is manageable.
With an enhanced chassis setup, sporting a new double-cradle frame, accessible riding position (this was much appreciated by our lady rider!), advanced braking ability, high specification suspension and responsive power delivery, the Meteor is potent enough to provide you with a smooth ride around town or on a winding country road. It is fast enough to feel secure on the highway too, but when you are on a bike like this you are likely to take the ‘long way home’ on any given day of the week.

It is a truly agile machine with very light handling and no compromises on rider comfort. Royal Enfield produced a machine that is expected to be massively popular in Asia, where small displacement motorcycles are far more popular than in Western countries. But also in new markets such as Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.

New fans
Still, we are convinced that this new 350cc platform will attract a whole new crowd of fans in European countries too. From young professionals who need to zoom around town from one meeting to another, to young riders who are looking for a carefree bike to take out on weekend trips, exactly as can be seen in the tasty sepia coloured video on the manufacturer’s YouTube channel.

To get you from A to B efficiently, Royal Enfield have added the new Tripper Navigation system to the Meteor also. Quite a treat to have a machine in a price range which is just below the € 5K mark which comes with this feature in its standard package!

It is a system powered by Google Maps and the Royal Enfield designed App. It faultlessly connects any smartphone with the motorcycle through Bluetooth. It then becomes a sophisticated navigation solution, rich in features and specially developed for motorcyclists that indicates directions through an intuitive display system.
Increasing the fun is a USB charging port to make sure your phone can continue to direct the Tripper system until you reach your destination. We had ample time to test this device and we love its simplicity. It does exactly what you want it to do, without unnecessary frills or other complicated stuff that are initially invented to make life easier, but in fact fail to do so in real-life.

Final verdict
Little discussion was required to reach consensus. This is a funky little bike that will definitely attract a whole new audience in Europe too.
Looking at the success Royal Enfield have had over the last couple of years with their new 650cc models, we are pretty sure that the Meteor will follow in those footsteps without missing a single (cylinder) beat.

Photography by @itsmenubbs and @pienmeppelink

#royalenfield #royalenfieldclassic #royalenfieldmeteor #puremotorcycling #ridepure #motoshare #bikebrewers #saintunbreakable #rarebirdlondon #stylmartin #belstaffmotorcycle

The post FIRST RIDE: 2021 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Racing Heritage

Renaissance
Unlike with most other motorcycles, Guzzi owners can be ambiguous when it comes to modifying their motorcycle. They often own or have owned multiple Guzzi’s. Some of them might stay in stock form, while others get wildly modified. Both ways work out great most of the times! In the last 10 years we have seen a strong revival of the old air-cooled machines from Mandello del Lario. Nostalgia has hit hard with the classic crowd, and more people are finding their ways to the Moto Guzzi dealerships. Who doesn’t like the looks of the new V7 or travel ready V85TT?

California dreaming
We absolutely love some of the Moto Guzzi cafe racers we have been seeing here over the last couple of years. The latest edition of the king of cool, is this fine sample built by father and son duo Bernd and Robin Mehnert. Robin and his dad are both woodwind instrument makers and run a small business in Ottenback Germany. Ever since Robin got his drivers-license, he has been eye-bawling the new Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. By chance Mehnert senior received a call from a friend who had a Moto Guzzi California EV 1100 laying around, which he was willing to part with for cheap. A decision was made, and the California was soon in the Mehnert workshop.

Tonti
Once the Moto Guzzi was in their possession, the ideas started flowing. Robin already had a vision for a 1960s style café racer. Heavily influenced by Axel Budde from Kaffee-Maschine Moto Guzzi café racer, dad and son knew what kind of look they wanted to go for. The California EV is one of the last Moto Guzzi’s with the nearly unmodified, infamous Tonti frame; the race winning steel tube frame designed by Lino Tonti. That’s right, a frame designed for racing. This is the one of the main reasons why the Moto Guzzi California handles more like a fast bike than a cruiser. It also has a long swing-arm, excellent for high speed handling. Taking this into consideration, modifying a Moto Guzzi California into a café racer makes total sense.

Sugar, spice, and everything nice
The recipe for this café racer project was incredibly simple: make the Guzzi as light and as fast as possible. The fuel injection system was maintained as this would allow Robin to finish the project faster. No tinkering with carbs needed. So, the California EV went on diet, where most parts got binned and replaced with lighter weight aluminium parts. The front fork got lowered, and the standard California running boards were removed too, since they don’t fit the stance of a café racer. The list of mods is fairly simple:

• WBO Café Racer fuel tank
• GFK Aluminium seat cowl with leather seat by Dynotec
• Öhlins 36PRCLB shocks
• Mistral exhaust system
• Modified airbox with hi-flow air filter
• CNC Aluminium rear set
• LSL Aluminium fenders
• Aluminium side covers
• Verlicchi clip-ons
• Le Mans lower frame tubes
• EFI programming by Dynotec
• Custom paintjob by Dynotec
• A dozen of custom-made brackets

GO!
The results of this seemingly simple job are astonishing. In a mere 5 months, Robin and his father managed to change a rather dull looking California cruiser into a ready to race café racer. This is unmistakably a Moto Guzzi; looking low and lean, with that immense V-twin stealing the show. The 1100cc mill went from a standard 68hp to a healthy 86hp. The top speed moved from 185 km/h to 210 km/h, and the total weight dropped from 250 kg to a good 210 kg; that’s a whopping 40 kg weight loss! We are looking froward to seeing more builds by the Mehnert family, because this Moto Guzzi just looks fantastic!

Photo credits: Robin Mehnert

Builder details:
Bernd and Robin Mehnert
Instagram

The post Moto Guzzi 1100 Cafe Racer by Robin Mehnert appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Sailing solo

First we take an Interceptor…
He started off his solo career veering away from all the Ducati’s and BMW’s he had been busy customizing in the last decade. Luckily for him Royal Enfield has created an ideal tableau to lay down his view on customizing motorcycles with the 650 Interceptor.

Since the launch early 2019 both the Interceptor as well as the Continental GT have become favourites among builders the world over. And rightfully so. Both models are perfect canvasses to get creative on. They are well built machines with a very strong retro reference. You will have to be totally talentless to create something that does not look good using the 650 platform as a base. Although the specs look modest, with only 48hp and weighing in at a 202kg wet, the 650 mill delivers its power smooth and hassle-free. The low center-of-gravity affects handling in a positive way, making it feel more powerful and lighter than it actually is.

For our English mate it was a local Royal Enfield dealer just down the road in Sheffield who supplied the bike Shaun used as his ‘épreuve d’artiste’.

View on the future
When we question the builder about his vision for this project he answers: “I wanted to show a different stance and style to what’s out there so went for the 16” wheels completely different bars hand controls and a wider set of trees to get the bigger wheel in there the rest is just how it ended up going.”

We probe on with a silly question about the inspiration for this build. He laughs out loud and with a wide grin he continues “Inspiration you say? After building over 150 bikes over the last 15 years I have plenty of inspiration now that I can do exactly as I want! But I could have done much more than this, if it were not for the budget restrictions I gave myself for this first endeavour.

So there will be much more from where this has been coming from. Don’t you worry about it.”

Help wanted?
There was no real need for outside help to finish the build. According to Shaun about 90 percent of the work was done by himself and it was just for some work on the wheels and the paint job some assistance from experts was required. The latter was provide by ‘Kustom Paint’. We strongly suggest visiting their page. There are some gorgeous examples of their work on display!

Doing it all in house meant quite some chores with the following set of changes:
• New bar and risers
• Internal wiring in bars and micro buttons
• Side panels
• Fat wheels
• aluminium mudguards
• YSS rear shocks
• YSS front fork internals
• Head light and brackets
• Motogadget bar end indicators
• Kellaman rear indicators with built in stop light and running light
• Sump guard
• Cogneto moto speedometer

Happy man?
“Are you happy with the results of your work during your first solitary shed confinement?” BikeBrewers continue the interrogation. “Absolutely!” Shaun reports. “It’s light looks tough and sounds awesome. From a riding point of view, it’s very good and crisp. It serves the rider with loads of fun man! Looking ahead, we are very happy with the build and are doing a range of parts for the Enfield hand made in our own workshop.”

Builder details:
Shaun Walker
Instagram
Facebook

The post Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 by Sold Out Motorcycles appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Buying Cafe Racer Parts

The Café Racer look is forever associated with 1960’s London. The magical engine size was 650cc and long tanks, short seats, clip-ons and loud exhausts were the order of the day. Café Racers (or better “rockers”) wore black studded jackets with drainpipe dark blue jeans and heavy boots. End of story.

Folklore surrounding the genre, such as the ‘record racers,’ bikers allegedly racing from one point to another before the record on the juke box finished spinning, are largely urban myths. At the very core of the Café Racer, was the need for rebellious youngsters to cut down the superfluous cycle parts of their daily rides, converting them into stretched out pseudo racers that emulated the look of the TT winners of old.

Did they wind on their shaking, rattling, vibrating Beezers, Bonnies, Tritons and Tribsas around the midnight roads of the North Circular, breaking the magical ton before they got to the next café? Damn right, they did. The bikes and their riders were the stuff of legends, so is it any wonder that the look should still be going strong over 50 years later, as a new generation of Café Racer stamp their mark on the genre?

So, ok you’ve decided that you’re drawn to this style of bike but need a little inspiration, the first thing to do is some research on the search engine of your choice. Don’t sell yourself short and think this is just copying someone else’s ideas. The trick is, to use other Café Racer builds as a springboard for ideas for your own ride.

Next, be realistic with your expectations in terms of budget, practicality, and availability, remember you’ve still got to be able to afford it, and ride it. This is also a good time to take a serious look at your own particular motorcycle too. There’s nothing to really stop you from Café Racing anything (just look at the Ducati Scrambler Café Racer!) but obviously, some bikes will be easier to convert than others. Unless you’re going to get the angle grinder and welder out, things like frame design and cycle parts will heavily influence the finished look.

Basically speaking, a Café Racer conversion will fall into five areas, namely, tank, seat, handlebars, footrests and exhaust. These are obviously just cosmetic changes but like every aspect of customization, the difference from mild to wild is purely down to the depth of your pockets.

Working on a tight budget? Read my article about a low budget cafe racer first!

Round about now, you should be ready to start hunting down the parts, but unlike me when I went through this exact same process for my 1968 T120 Bonnie (this involved wading through the piles of scrap accumulated in friend’s garages and sheds) we now have the internet, so let’s take a good look at just what’s available online in terms of quality, value for money and availability.

Cafe Racer Parts Europe

Acecaferacerparts.com

We seem to be well catered for in Western Europe and first up is  https://www.ace-caferacerparts.com/. Not to be confused with the Ace Café in London, this online shop is based in the Netherlands. It’s a goldmine of very classy and well-made looking accessories, ranging from classic Ceriani front forks at a whopping 2375 Euro to very reasonable aluminum rear sets starting at 125 Euro.

Whilst you’re clicking around on the site check out the seat and tank section. The single seat units look great and are made for universal fit and specific models of BMW. Although they do give dimensions, it would be nice to see a pic of the underneath of the seat to give a better idea of fit. This also goes for the fuel tanks too, although here, the majority do seem to be made to fit a particular model.

There is a helpline available after 7.00pm or all day Saturday and their returns policy looks straight forward too.

Caferacerseats.co.uk

https://caferacerseats.co.uk/ is an online only shop based in Sheffield UK, trading under the name of the Complete Café Racer. As well as making the fiberglass Café Racer parts themselves, owner Tony Garnham-Parks builds some cracking looking bikes using his own parts. Interestingly, they manufacture a range of fiberglass tank covers, which give you a classic shape but fits over a smaller inner tank. Shipping to the UK mainland is free and they do ship to the rest of the world. Feedback from their Facebook page looks positive with plenty of updates and workshop pics of ongoing projects.

Britishbikebits.com

With a heritage going back to 1978, Burton Bike Bits is one of those dying breeds of old fashioned British bike shops that’s made the successful leap to becoming an online shop, offering a staggering 30,000 parts through www.britishbikebits.com/cafe-racer-parts. Selling just about every engine and frame spare you can imagine for Triumph, BSA, Royal Enfield and Norton as well as Hinckley Triumphs, their range is staggering and website easy to navigate. Once again, they’ve got a Facebook page, so have a look around and check it out for customer feedback and shop updates.

Kickstartershop.de

Don’t worry that www.kickstartershop.de/ is based in Germany as there’s a row of flags along the top of the front page that translates the site into five languages. It was also nice to see Café Racer parts for a host of Japanese bikes, ranging from a custom seat for your Honda CX500 to bang up to date face lift kits for your Yamaha XV950. Check out, their Kickstarter Blog found at the top of the page, it’s all in German, but there’s some great vids posted.

Cafe Racer Parts US

Dimecitycycles.com

Over the other side of the pond Dime City Cycles www.dimecitycycles.com/ cater for Triumph, all Japanese brands and not just for Café Racers. There’s lots to click around including a gallery of customer bikes which is good for seeing what components look like in situ.

Cognitomoto.com

Cognito Moto in Virginia runs a very slick looking site at https://cognitomoto.com/ there’s page after page of seriously cool machined custom Café Racer parts, such as triple clamps that allow you to mount usd GSXR forks onto your BMW. There’s a slide show of their builds as featured on various biker sites on the web and the checkout page says they offer international shipping.

Lossagenineering.com

Former custom car and truck builders, Lossa Engineering of California now build custom bikes including Café Racers. They also make a range of parts which can be ordered as a kit for a particular bike or individually. https://www.lossaengineering.com

Oldbikebarn.com

The Old Bike Barn may not have the range of some of the other more specific Café Racer orientated stores, but they do cool fabrication parts such as a whole range of weld-on frame tabs. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, until you try finding some to buy. But now you know where to get them. http://www.oldbikebarn.com/

Cafe Racer Parts Australia/Pacific

Thirdgear.com.au

If you thought Café Racers were the preserve of Europe and the US, think again. They’re as nuts about them Down Under as we are. Third Gear may not have a Café Racer specific section on their site, but typing it into the search engine gets you all the gear you need.  http://www.thirdgear.com.au/

Caferacershop.com.au

Staying in Australia but travelling to Queensland, The Café Racer Shop not only builds bikes to order and sells aftermarket accessories, but also sells a range of motorcycles from Skyteam. The Ace 125 is a retro version of Honda’s iconic RC110 road racer from the early 1960’s, check it out at  http://www.caferacershop.com.au

Purpose Built Moto

Another cool shop from Down Under: Purpose Built Moto from Tom Gilroy. Both custom workshop and custom parts manufacturer. Tom creates small series of premium parts like LED lights, micro switches, stainless steel mufflers and CNC machined triple clamps. Go ahead and take a look: https://purposebuiltmoto.com/store

Before You Start Buying Cafe Racer Parts

In the market for some Café Racer parts but can’t source them locally, then chances are you’ll be able to order them over the internet. There are however, a few rules to follow if you do. First of all, if it’s an online shop, see if they have a social media presence like a blog or Facebook and check out any feedback they have from previous customers. Something else to look out for is if they update their page regularly, if they do this usually means they’re internet savvy and good with communication.

Sooner or later, it’s inevitable that you’ll end up on eBay, even if it’s just for a price comparison.  I’ve been down this road myself many times and with a few exceptions, have been satisfied with my purchases.  But, and it’s a very obvious but, you know there’s a whole host of badly made tat just waiting for you to hit ‘Buy it now.’ If in doubt move on, or at the very least check out the seller’s feedback, all the info you need to make an informed decision is right there if you look. It’s a great place to buy smaller, less expensive items such handlebar grips, speedos and blinkers. But remember, quality may be an issue. Plus, returns are not always easy, especially when the seller is in China.  The same goes when ordering from other sites such as Alibaba.com where, nine times out of ten you have to order in multiples.

It’s a sad fact that the internet is teeming with cheap imitations of famous branded items and whereas this used to be mostly aimed at designer handbags and clothing, now the more unscrupulous manufacturers from the Far East will turn their hand to anything and this includes custom bike parts.

Done right, Café Racers have the legacy to look seriously cool and are fun to ride so if you get ton-up fever, just do it, but all I will say is this, Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware). Those ancient Romans may not have known what it was like to take a sweeping bend stretched out over a 5-gallon aluminum tank, but they knew a dodgy deal when they saw one.

Gear up and ton up!

PS. Ready to start building your own cafe racer? Check out this guide!

The post Cafe Racer Parts – Where to Buy? (…and where not!) appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Before we start featuring new great custom motorcycles in 2016 we want to look back at 2015. So we’ve overlooked al 100+ motorcycles we’ve featured last year and made a top 10 of it. And no: that was not easy, because only we only feature the best bikes ;) So we also looked at the interaction such as likes, retweets etc.

But one thing is for sure: it still is a matter of taste, so if you have another opinion: let us know!

#10: ClayMoto’s Suzuki SV650 Café Racer

A healthy mix between a street fighter and a café racer: this Suzuki SV650 Custom by ClayMoto. Not a typical bike to customize, so some real out of the box thinking was needed. Great craftsmanship and that’s why this bike deserved a place in our top 10. More here.

#9: Lucky Custom’s Honda VF750 Café Racer

Our number 9 is also build from a base bike we don’t see that often in the custom motorcycle scene: a Honda VF750 Café Racer by Lucky Custom. More here.

#8: JvB Moto’s Yamaha XSR700 Scrambler

The all new Yamaha XSR700 is a bike that is build to customize. JvB Moto created this awesome interpretation of the XSR700 Scrambler. A good looking street bike, which is created with 100% bolt on parts, so everyone can build this from the Yamaha parts catalogue. More here.

#7: Oficina MRS’s Kawasaki Vulcan S Café Racer

This Kawasaki Vulcan S Café Racer by Oficina MRS was a bit of a surprise. We did not see any form of a café racer in the rather bulky Vulcan S. Oficina MRS did, and made an awesome looking bike. More here.

#6: Strange Coast Moto’s Honda VT500 Café Racer

Another great bike that surprised us: the Honda VT500 Café Racer by Strange Coast Moto. Not only a great out of the box design, no, this bike is also turbocharged! More here.

#5: Roland Sands Custom Indian Scout

Roland Sands is a big name in the world of (custom) motorcycles and design. We’ve featured several creations of RSD but this Custom Indian Scout was simply their best. More here.

#4: Diamond Ateliers BMW R100R Café Racer

Diamond Atelier is one of the rising stars we’re keeping an extra eye on for this year. They’ve amazed us with this BMW R100R Café Racer. Not in the top 3, but still one of the best bikes we’ve featured. More here.

#3: Rajputana’s Royal Enfield Bullet Café Racer

A great build from Rajputana Customs from India: a Royal Enfield Bullet Café Racer for NU Jeans. Beautiful design, simple and clean. It was a coin flip between another great Enfield Café racer from the same builders, so if you like this one, also take a look at this Enfield Café Racer of Rajputana.

#2: Vagabund’s BMW R100R Scrambler/Café Racer

Yes, there are 2 BMW’s R100R in our top 10 and no: we’re not sponsored by BMW. Our number 2 is this beautiful BMW R100R Scrambler/Café Racer by Vagabund. It’s a mix between a scrambler and a café racer. Amazing design and craftsmanship. Not only a bike just for the show: it happens to be a great ride too (that’s what Vagabund says…). More here.

#1: Sacha Lakic’s Honda CX500

And there it is: our favorite custom bike of 2015: the amazing Honda CX500 Café Racer by Sacha Lakic. This bike is pure art: every single part is thought over and over again. Most of them are custom or tailor made. This bike was also one of the reasons to start with BikeBrewers last year, so it deserves some extra love from us. More here.

As we said: we’ve only started last year, and we hope to serve you with even greater custom motorcycles this year. We wish you all the best for 2016 and we hope you’ll keep following us!

The post Top 10 Custom Motorcycles of 2015 appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.