Tag: cafe racers

It’s been 25 years since Ducati wowed the motorcycling world with the release of their Monster. Even though the bike was a ‘parts bin special’ its naked styling, quality components, and affordable price point made it an instant hit. So good was the public response to the Monster that is now the Italian’s top-selling model of all time. Despite the Monster’s stripped back styling contributing to its incredible success, when XTR Pepo set out to reimagine a ’01 Monster 750 he opted to dress the bike in classic endurance racer attire.
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“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. I have no doubt Mr. Da Vinci would be repeating those words if he was here to see this Honda CB750 by Spanish workshop Bolt Motor Co.

I receive a regular stream of CBs through my inbox and it takes something unique to capture my attention. Usually, it’s the seventies CBs that garner my interest, but every now and then a nineties model, such as this one, gets a look in. Simply named 008 to signify its place in Bolt’s build portfolio, this Honda was built for a friend who wanted a café racer that contained equal parts of style and comfort.
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Veteran motorcycle tourer Alex Donnelly and his wife Ann have traveled throughout Australia on two wheels. They consider the Oxley Highway in New South Wales as one of Australia’s best roads and is one they “keep going back to”. With 150km of corners, the Oxley is a motorcyclists dream, but its location means getting there from a major city takes time.


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The rise of the cafe racer movement has brought with it the desire to improve the performance of older motorcycles. One sure-fire way of improving how your motorcycle handles is upgrading its suspension. In this special edition of our ‘Workshop Series’ Australian suspension experts, Ikon Suspension, share some valuable advice on what to consider when choosing the right suspension for you and your motorcycle.
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The act of swinging a leg over a mates bike and actually riding it are two completely different experiences. This is going to be a different write up compared my usual “…and then he put clip ons on and a single seat” type of tale. Not only did I get to shoot this lovely bit of kit, I got to ride it around town for hours.

It was with equal parts trepidation and excitement that I plonked my behind on Andy’s stunning CB350/4 cafe racer and thumbed the horn button…hang on, what? Andy you did say horn button right? Ok, so horn button is the start button. Good to know…
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The 2018 Bike Shed show has been and gone. For those who were lucky enough to attend the London based event, they were treated to a collection of 239 amazing custom motorcycles from around the UK and Europe. Unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky ones to make the show. The 30,000+ kilometer, 44-hour round trip is to blame for my absence, but that didn’t stop me from taking in the live video feeds and hundreds of photos that were popping up all over the internet. While I sat glued to my screen I noted a few café racer builds that warranted investigation including this bike by Scotland’s X-Axis workshop.
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This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Ducati Monster. A motorcycle that revolutionized the ‘naked bike’ category and saved the Italian manufacturer from potential bankruptcy. In the early nineties, Ducati technical Director Massimo Bordi somehow convinced the companies directors to let him produce a new motorcycle unlike any in the range. His idea was to create a machine that celebrated the companies heritage, was easy to ride and wasn’t just another sports bike. What the Monster became was a lifeline for the company that turned their profits around and became the best selling Ducati of all time.
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At what point do you have enough helmets? Some might say one will do. Others might have a full garage wall dedicated to them. For that second group here’s something to keep in mind when it’s time to add just one more lid to your collection. It’s from a retro revival collection by Brazil’s Urban Helmets. Urban teamed up with Taurus Helmets back in 2014 to design a brand of classic and vintage helmets that’s quickly become one of the top selling brands in its native South America. New for 2018 is the Big Bore helmets – they’re full face, lightweight, and look like something straight out of the seventies.
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This story first appeared in Spanish magazine ‘Revival of the Machine’

When Mandello del Lario set out to build a muscle bike in 2010 they got the dynamics right, but the styling failed to follow suit. As such the Moto Guzzi Bellagio passed through the market without making so much as a ripple. Recognising the Bellagio’s shortcomings South Garage embraced the challenge it presented. The resulting creation is a superb new motorcycle reborn from the Bellagio’s ashes, which South Garage have called the ‘Fenice’ (Phoenix).
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