An electric bike from Brooklyn The pretty cafe racer you’re looking at is based around a downsized-version of a Norton Featherbed frame and fitted with brushed aluminum bodywork. But, the motor isn’t an ancient parallel-twin, it’s electric. It’s the first prototype from a new startup that’s trying to design the perfect electric motorcycle for New York, then build and sell it in Brooklyn. We sat down with Jim Carden a... By HFL Staff News - Apr 24 2011 -
Custom: Manx Norton Moderne If you wanted to capture the spirit of the original Manx Norton in a modern bike, which would you choose? Sebastien Beaupere picked the Buell XB because of its powerful air-cooled motor. Originally intending to stick that engine in a featherbed-style frame, he became convinced he couldn’t best the stock Buell item. He did swap in an original Manx seat, hand-formed aluminum bodywork and air-intak... By HFL Staff News - Mar 15 2011 -
Custom: Radical Ducati Mika Racer “It’s named Mika Racer because the nickname of the French owner is Mika and the bike is a Café Racer,” Radical Ducati tells us. Mike must be proud because his racer is the perfect modern interpretation of a modern cafe racer. Based on a Ducati 1098 it drops weight and gains power while looking totally unique. “It turns strong, is lighter than the original 1098 and with the modification... By HFL Staff News - Feb 14 2011 -
$2,895! Cleveland CycleWerk’s Ace OK, forget I told you the price already. Look at this bike and tell me how much you think it costs. Even after I told him it was a Cleveland, Grant guessed $3,800. Forget what you already know about the brand and you’d likely think over $4k. Solid looks, components like upside down forks, wavy brake rotors and beefy spoked wheels at this price? The 250cc Cleveland CycleWerks Ace is going to be a... By HFL Staff News - Feb 5 2011 -
Custom: Metric Motorbike CB200 Metric Motorbike is a new shop in Portland, Maine specializing in practical, reliable, appealing customs based on old Japanese bikes. This Honda CB200 is their first build and a good indication of where they’re going; it’s sweetness personified, but practical and affordable too. Photos: Tom McPherson Update: an HFL reader purchased this bike last night. “I’ve been riding and working... By HFL Staff News - Jan 27 2011 -
Custom: See See SR500 You know modern cafe racers. Thousands of hours spent on paint, authentic NOS components too valuable to see rain. Frames chopped-by-hand at home. Just like their chopper equivalents five years ago, they’re about as functional as rolling paperweights. But, Thor Drake tells us this SR500, which took only eight hours to build at his Portland shop, can (and has) land jumps like this all day. Photo... By HFL Staff News - Jan 18 2011 -
Cleveland CycleWerks Misfit: the missing link? “Cool is being able to afford a bike that looks good and makes the owner feel good, but does not break the bank,” says Cleveland CycleWerks’ Scott Colosimo. He designed the bike you see here. When the 250cc Misfit goes on sale in March it’ll cost just $3,195, providing an affordable, desirable city bike or commuter. The Misfit weighs 80lbs less than a Ninja 250 and, according to Scott, can... By HFL Staff News - Nov 29 2010 -
Henry Manney III’s Manx Norton The argument over best-loved automotive writer of all time would last far into the night, but among the finalists has to be the late Henry Manney III. No finer wordsmith ever grasped a steering wheel or set of handlebars. For decades his pieces were required reading in Road & Track magazine, especially his "At Large" column, which often signed off with his trademark shorthand coda, Yr Faithfl Srvn... By David Edwards News - Oct 30 2010 -
Itsy bitsy, teenie weenie Deus Bali customs All the bikes below — this cafe racer, the street trackers, the hill climber and the scrambler — all look just like normal Deus Ex Machina, that’s no coincidence, they were built by the Australian builder’s new shop in Bali. There’s one thing very different about them though: none has an engine larger than 225cc, they’re freakin’ tiny. The Bali Dog The “Bali Dog”, is a dista... By HFL Staff News - Oct 22 2010 -
Details: 2010 Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic Having seen the two-wheeled embodiment of sex that is the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, it’s easy to forget that there’s another attractive cafe racer already available in the V7 range. The 2010 Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic looks hot in green, but can it perform? Photos: Kerry Pierno The good: — The torque reaction. Hit the electric start button and the whole bike kicks over to the right as the en... By HFL Staff News - Sep 17 2010 -
Moto Guzzi V7 Racer: for reals First the Moto Guzzi V7 Clubman was on, then it was off. Now, it’s on again, and how. Now known as the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, it’s a limited production model and it’s coming to the US next year. Bellissimo. A strikingly faithful adaptation of last year’s concept bike, the Racer appears to only change its name and lose its heat-wrapped exhaust pipes in translation to reality. With its leathe... By HFL Staff News - Sep 14 2010 -
Ryca CS-1: my first cafe racer You've got 10 seconds to guess which 650cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine and steel cradle frame form the basis of this Ryca CS-1 cafe racer. Hint: it's got a low-maintenance belt final drive. Got it? No you don't. It's not anything dirt-based and it's not anything from Milwaukee. >Los Angeles-based Ryca Motors has figured out a way to easily convert a Suzuki S40 to a cafe racer. The convers... By HFL Staff News - Jun 14 2010 -
Mac Motorcycles considers switch to Yamaha power Just months after announcing it intended to offer a range of cafe racers based around the Buell Blast's single-cylinder engine, Mac Motorcycles was blindsided by Harley's declaration that large-scale production of the Blast would cease. Left without a cheap supply of air-cooled singles, Mac is considering the liquid-cooled engine from the Yamaha XT660Z. That would mean more power if less pure look... By HFL Staff News - Sep 7 2009 -
