“The Lazer lost in time”

We first came across the term “cafeped” through the Instagram account of the same name, @cafepeds. The account features café inspired mopeds from across the world, including customized makes from Minarelli, Puch, Jawa, Cobra, and more. Since we don’t have much experience with mopeds, we looked to the definition from the Cafepeds t-shirts :

/ˈmōˌped/ (noun)

1. A small motorcycle that can be pedaled like a bicycle.
2. A completely badass, headturning, noise-making, awesomeness on two wheels.

We quickly got in touch with Sam Gressel, who runs the account. Sam is a huge fan of the moped, who believes that these machines are “lost in time” and “cannot be forgotten.” Although we love a high-powered Honda CB750 build as much as anyone, there is something about these two-stroke, small-displacement cafe racer mopeds that calls up a vision of Italian teens racing cafe to cafe on modified speeders.

Below, we’re proud to feature Sam’s own 1978 Lazer Sport 50.

Lazer Sport Cafeped:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

My name is Sam I am a 21 year old mechanical engineering student with a lifelong passion of beautiful machines on two wheels. I was riding bikes at a young age, mostly dirt bikes, but I’ve always had an eye and love for all things vintage. My workshop like most, is my garage (with some mediocre lighting)

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

This moped is a 1978 Lazer Sport 50 with a striking bright orange color and an Italian engine for its heart.

• Why was this bike built?

This bike was not built it was recovered. Recovered from an older gentleman who had it sitting in his garage since 1981 when he stopped using it. I saw it there with dust and thankfully not rust and I had to take it. It was a personal build since I added my own flare to it to keep it original but also threw on a little cafe racer spice to this old machine.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

The influence for me was to bring back a machine that was lost, lost in time.  Mopeds are a thing of the past. I believed these amazing machines cannot be forgotten about and just sit in some grandpa’s shed for the next 50 years. I wanted to bring it back in time. I also loved cafe racer motorcycles and I wanted to bring that similar design to my moped.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Just the basics, nothing crazy. Lowered Handlebars, bigger and jetted carburetor to give it some kick, as well as a slightly bigger intake for a little more noise and better air flow. Nothing done body wise as I wanted to keep the original dings, dents and small scratches.

• How would you classify this bike?

This is a bike is a cafe racer inspired build. A “cafeped” as I call it.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

It’s not what I’ve done to this bike that I’m proud of, I am most proud of being the owner of such machine. Everywhere I ride or park someone somewhere asks me “what is this thing” or tells me “I have not seen one of these in years.” To me that brings joy and a smile to those admiring my bike and that makes me most proud.

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Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cafepeds/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/cafepeds/
Online Store:  https://teespring.com/stores/cafepeds

The Honda CM250 was a 234cc air-cooled parallel twin produced from 1981-1983. The bike — a predecessor to the Rebel 250 — had decidedly “cruiser-ish” styling, though European-spec models offered a healthy 27 horsepower for the displacement.

Enter Max Inhulsen of The Netherlands, who bought his 1982 Honda CM250 for $250 from a man living in a former mental hospital in the woods. Max, who spent his teen years wrenching on mopeds, saw the potential behind the cruiser styling. He admits the bike build became an incredible help and rebound during a two-year period of personal challenge — something a lot of us can relate to, including yours truly.

Without further ado, we get the full story from the man himself.

Honda CM250 Scrambler:  In the Builder’s Words

Three years ago I was tired of daydreaming about wrenching on bikes and really missed the joy I had while wrenching on mopeds whilst in my teen years. I decided I wanted a small bike to begin with, since the only place I had to work on it, was in the garage of my granny.

After a couple of months searching on the internet I came across a Honda CM 250, which really wasn’t the most sporty or adventurous looking. But I could really see some potential underneath the chopperish look.

Before I knew it I was on my way to the seller. He lived in a former mental hospital in the midst of a forest, pretty haunting place it was, but the guy was super friendly and for 250 bucks I was the new owner. Back home I rode around on it for some time, while I did not have my licence yet, so it was a good adrenaline rush nonetheless.

I had a pretty clear idea of how I wanted the bike to look or ‘feel’ like. Something you would find underneath a cloth in a old barn. Not too clean looking, but rough around the edges. The old Steve Mcqueen videos where he shreds trough the desert, were a big inspiration!

I stripped the bike to its bones and went from there. Powdercoated the frame and wheels with a matte black finish. Refurbished the front shocks and mounted new rear shocks. The bike did not have a kickstart, but some earlier models did. The castings were the same, so the original hole got Cnc-ed and an earlier model kickstart shaft went into the bike. Starter motor was removed. Made a seatpan which Silver Machine upholstered really nice!

An old Honda CB 360 tank was mounted, which in my opinion is the most beautiful tank Honda ever made and aesthetically appeals to any bike out there. (Originally planned to customize a Honda CB 360, but could not find one in my price range.) I bent a custom handlebar to look as similar as an old Triumph bar. 70’s style handlebar controls were fitted as well.

Picked up an old French fog light to use a headlight. Brake light is a nice one from Prism Supply. To finish the look, a custom 2-into-1 exhaust was fabricated with a Cone Engineering muffler.

I really like the way this project evolved. I did not draw anything but only went with the ideas I had in my mind. To let things go naturally felt great. Former bike builder Chris Dekker from Tin Can Customs helped me along the way with fabricating stuff and I learned a lot from him as well.

This build helped me a lot during the time when I was going through some personal challenges, and didn’t feel the happiest during two years of struggling. It was the perfect rebound for any problems I had during that time, especially when my former girlfriend broke up with me. (Let’s make it into a corny story, shall we? Haha.)

The bike has a really great growl to it and fits the bike nicely.

I think that’s all!

Build Specs

• Tires:
  Rear: Bridgestone Trailwing
  Front: Heidenau K 60
• Seat:
  Seatpan: custom
  Seat: Silvermachine.nl
• Headlight: Rally fog light, brand unknown
• Rearlight: Prism Supply.
• Batterybox: Custom made box with a Lithium Antigravity battery.
• Rearfender: Universal scrambler fender cutted and mounted.
• Airfilter: DNA filters
• Ignition/wiring : New coils and digital regulator. Brand new wiring harness.
• Exhaust: 2 into 1 with Cone Engineering muffler.

Follow the Builder @max_inhulsen

Tom Gilroy, the founder of Australia’s Purpose Built Moto, has been making a name for himself in the custom moto scene. Besides turning out a herd of custom bikes, which can be seen ripping around Australia’s Gold Coast, Tom produces a veritable arsenal of custom part, including LED Lights, Headlights, CNC triple clamps, stainless steel mufflers, and more. More and more often, we’re seeing his parts turn up on custom bikes, such as the Purpose Built muffler on this Yamaha XS650 street tracker we featured recently.

Tom’s builds generally err toward the knobby-tired, dust-happy, go-anywhere machine. For this reason, the 1973 Honda CB350 brat cafe you see here was quite the departure — a “super classy aesthetic,” complete with a nickel-plated tank, hand-brushed, and an array of hot rod-inspired touches, such as whitewalls and bone-white paint.

Below, we get the full story on this classy brat.

Honda CB350F Brat Cafe:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I’m a parts designer and manufacturer of LED Lights, handlebar switches and other electronics as well as mufflers.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1973 Honda CB350F

• Why was this bike built?

It was previously a café racer converted 350 Four, but the current owner wasn’t quite happy with the fit and finish and overall look of the bike. We wanted to make this bike his own.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I haven’t done a lot of truly classic style bikes so I wanted to leverage on that idea and come up with a style that held a super classic aesthetic with some hot-rod inspired touches.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

The engine and carbs were previously done so apart from some minor performance upgrades — Purpose Built Moto exhaust and new rear suspension — the rest was all about the style.

A new subframe hoop was fabricated to accommodate both the new brat style seat and keep wheel travel in check. The seat was hand made and shaped to suit then stitched in a worn tan leather. The guard were re-mounted to house the whitewall Shinko tyres and everything but the tank was finished in a bone white. The tank was completely stripped panel geat and was sent out for nickel plating.

When I received it back I brush-finished the tank painstakingly by hand for hours until I was completely happy with it. Once that was done a devised a detail design and colour pattern and sent it to my mate Justin at PopBang Classics for a lick of paint. Upon assembly the CB350 was treat to a host of Purpose Built Moto parts including our brand new lighting control relay, “the Black Box”, LED turn signals and our super slim handlebar switches.

• Please include a list of the changes made/parts used.

Purpose Built Moto Parts:

• V2 Black Box control module
• LED turn signals
• 3 Button + 2 Button Switch
• 53mm Tropedo Muffler

Other Parts:

• Gazi rear suspension
• After Hours Choppers Tail Light

• How would you classify this bike?

Brat Style with a touch of classy classic.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

The tank on this bike has to be the best feature, taking the brushed nickel plating and complementing it with the white and black hot rod inspired design turned out great. And PopBang Classics really went to town with the paint, it’s flawless!

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• Purpose Built Moto:  Facebook | Instagram | Web

More Honda CB350 Customs

Honda CB350 Restomod by Offset Motorcycles - Craquelure, (/ˈkrakˌlo͝or/):  a network of fine cracks in the paint or varnish of a painting. That’s the name of this 1970 Honda CB350 “resto brat,” built by Jason Lisica of San Francisco’s Offset Motorcycles. Jason […]

Honda CB350 Brat by Purpose Built Moto - Tom Gilroy, the founder of Australia’s Purpose Built Moto, has been making a name for himself in the custom moto scene. Besides turning out a herd of custom bikes, which can be seen ripping around […]

Honda CB350 Street Tracker by Vintage Iron - During our Florida swing last fall, we were fortunate enough to meet “Presidente Daniel” of the Vintage Iron Club, a community of like-minded vintage bike enthusiasts based in Palm Beach County. He let us know […]

Honda CB350F Cafe Racer by Will Hight - Arkansas. There must be something in the water.  First we starting seeing the incredible “neo-vintage” builds from One-Up Moto Garage in Fayetteville, such as this CB600 featured on Return of the Cafe Racers, which made […]

The husband and wife team of Droog Moto has been steadily turning out a stable’s worth of signature builds. While the donor platforms vary, the Droog Moto style has become unmistakable — raw, burly builds that would look right at home in the nuclear winter, eating up broken pavement and muddy trails in equal measure.

This, the tenth build in their Moto series, has earned the name Moto-X. Appropriately enough, the donor bike was one of the most legendary factory rides for the desert and woods:  the Honda XR600R. The client lives in Israel, and Droog Moto set out to create a machine that zip around Tel Aviv during the week and rip the trails on the weekend.

Below, we get the full story on this Honda XR600R scrambler, Moto-X.

“Moto-X” XR600 Scrambler:  In the Builder’s Words

We had a customer all the way from Israel reach out to us who wanted a Droog Moto! He was really into our Moto-2 XR500 scrambler we did a while back so we were super excited to get to re-create something similar. This build is our 10th Moto series build so we decided to give it the name, “Moto-X.”

Being that the bike was going to be ridden on and off-road we set out to find the perfect donor bike. We had a few limitations on what model/ year we could go up to, but in the end we found a kick ass Honda XR600R. As we all know, the XR600R is one bad bike that has taken multiple championships in the Baja 1000, so we knew this was the bike to use.

After we got the bike, we tore it down and started on our lines. We did our best to consider the look of the Moto-2 but made this bike unique to its own. We did a custom steel tracker plate and perforated guard which covers a 4 pod LED headlight. The stock front end was replaced with one from a CR250r for more adjustability and a more modern look.

The bulky stock fuel tank was removed and replaced with a smaller vintage tank with custom mounts and modifications to fit the frame. The subframe was then cut off and we fabricated a new one to follow the new tank lines and incorporate the new seat.

We then built a removable rear rack that can be used for gear and to hold the MSR fuel canister, which will be awesome for when you’re out in the desert!

The rear shock was re-used and re-built. This model year has the dual carburetors so choosing good POD filters was important to us and to allow us to fit in the frame properly. The filters come with a second layer you can cover them with for better protection against dirt, dust, sand etc.

The motor was gone through to ensure all was good and ready to ride. The rear lighting is all LED along with the brake, tail and signals. We wanted to give the customer a bike that can be ridden around Tel Aviv during the week and hit the trails on the weekend, with a raw one of a kind look. We chose to wrap the wheels with Kenda Big Block tires that have great capabilities on and off the road. We can’t wait to get pictures from the customer in Israel in the future!

As a side note, we are offering customers free shipping on all builds in the US and a credit to over seas customers. Check out our website for details!

Follow the Builder

Follow Droog Moto:  Email | Facebook | Instagram | Web

Droog Moto Custom Bikes

Honda XR600R Scrambler by Droog Moto - The husband and wife team of Droog Moto has been steadily turning out a stable’s worth of signature builds. While the donor platforms vary, the Droog Moto style has become unmistakable — raw, burly builds […]

Honda CB650 Nighthawk Scrambler - The husband/wife team of Droog Moto has become one of our favorite builders. Their bikes are burly, raw, knobby-tired machines built to blast down fire roads and tackle the daily commute. These are not the […]

Suzuki Savage Scrambler by Droog Moto - Max and Erica Droog — the husband and wife team behind Droog Moto — have quickly become one of our favorite builders.  Their signature style seems to fuse the desert sled heritage of the American […]

Honda CX500 Scrambler by Droog Moto - The husband/wife team behind Droog Moto has quickly established a signature style, building post-apocalyptic trackers, scramblers, and desert sleds that Mad Max would love. Recently, Max and Erica Droog moved from scorching Arizona to Washington […]

Yamaha FZ-09 Street Tracker by Droog Moto - Arizona’s Droog Moto has quickly established their own rough-and-ready style, building post-apocalyptic desert sleds that put the “wild” back in the Wild West.  Now the husband/wife team of Max and Erica Droog is back with […]

Kawasaki KLR650 Tracker by Droog Moto - Droog Moto is a husband/wife team out of Phoenix who build some of the baddest, post-apocalyptic desert sleds ever to chase rattlesnakes and jump curbs. It was only a matter of time before the duo took on a KLR650 build. This one they are calling their KLR650 Trackster, and she's a desert-burning doozy.

Kawasaki KZ750 Brat Tracker by Droog Moto Concepts - Only a handful of the world’s builders have an unmistakable style, allowing you to identify one of their builds at a glance.  Droog Moto Concepts, run by the husband/wife team of Max and Erica Droog, […]

KTM 690 Duke Scramblers by Droog Moto Concepts - Max Droog of Arizona’s Droog Moto Concepts has been turning out some of the meanest scramblers ever to jump a curb or burn down a backroad.  Now he’s back with a pair of KTM 690 […]

Honda XR500 Scrambler by Droog Moto Concepts - Max Droog of Droog Moto Concepts, based in Phoenix, has been turning out some incredible builds.  Recently we featured his CM400 scrambler build, and now he’s back with this burly scrambler based on an ’81 […]

Honda CM400 Scrambler by Droog Moto Concepts - The Honda CM400 was an air-cooled parallel twin available from 1979 to 1982.  It was a precursor to the Rebel, and known as a particularly bulletproof starter bike.  Max Droog of Phoenix’s Droog Moto Concepts […]

Craquelure, (/ˈkrakˌlo͝or/):  a network of fine cracks in the paint or varnish of a painting.

That’s the name of this 1970 Honda CB350 “resto brat,” built by Jason Lisica of San Francisco’s Offset Motorcycles. Jason — formerly of Black Fox Fabrication — created the new brand Offset Motorcycles to “build bikes for working people that want a legitimate vintage riding experience.”

One of his favorite methods is showcasing original patina, which we rarely see with custom bikes. Thus the one-of-a-kind tank on this CB350, which has “craquelure texture in the white stripes, gentle fading in the black stripes, and plenty of sun-faded purple ranging from grape to violet.” As Jason says, such an effect would take 45 years to replicate.

The bike has plenty of other well-thought modifications, including a 2″ extended swingarm, last generation (K4) engine to complement the first-gen frame, new electronics, and more. Below, we get the full story on the build.

Honda CB350 Retro Brat:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

The move from Blackfox Fabrication to Offset Motorcycles was mainly a way to gain more control and flexibility in the direction of the builds. I believe the custom-built-vintage market is really beginning to mature, and I look up to brands that have paved the way. Cognito Moto and Lossa Engineering are two great examples. Cognito has done a couple corporate builds, and has a nice line of carefully selected products to complement their custom built bikes. Lossa Engineering is a little different. The company differentiates itself by having a fantastic high-end branded parts business, and a busy shop here in SoCal.

Offset Moto is its own entity though. My bikes don’t intend to be show quality and never will. That’s why they’re “off set”, the Hollywood cafe-racer bikes can have the spotlight, my bikes live behind the scenes. I build bikes for working people that want a legitimate vintage riding experience. We have great terrain here, and lots of outdoor activities right nearby. I have never been a fan of the “retro” thing, so my bikes aren’t that, they’re a balance of preserved and upgraded. One of the things that Offset Moto intends to do is to showcase patina or layered/weathered paint that is original to the era. The technique has been around in the car scene for some time, but its still a new thing in bikes. If you Google Image search “patina paint”, all you see is 60’s era pickup trucks and street rods. You won’t see flames or racing stripes in that scene. Its a cool look and requires a little something more than masking tape to get right.

I think there is a sweet spot between vintage restoration and full-on custom vintage bikes, and that’s exactly where this 1970 Honda CB350 sits. The stuff that appeals to a vintage enthusiast like myself stays, and all the worn out stuff gets replaced with modern technology. The result is a bike that looks like it belongs in the window of a high end clothing store, or museum coffee shop. If you look very closely at the tank on this bike, there is a craquelure texture in the white stripes, gentle fading in the black stripes, and plenty of sun-faded purple ranging from grape to violet. Its going to be hard for me to let go of this bike because of that appreciation. It’s truly a one of a kind tank… and you can’t pay somebody to replicate it, it would take them 45 years.

The mufflers are original, they’re survivors. The drag bars, extra chrome, and twisted square-bar kickstand recall an era where the chopper scene started to bloom.

The seat is another thing that you don’t see much. The leather and diamond pattern on there was hand crafted by Mike Franzini, a guy that works full-time with his brother Don at an upholstery shop passed down from their father:  www.franzinibros.com.  That’s why this bike stands out, its real… not retro… not replica… not repop.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1970 Honda CB350 (K2) with 1973 Honda CB350 (K4) engine, 3000 original miles. It’s for sale right now on Craigslist in SF and in LA.

• Why was this bike built?

Sale bike, and promotion for the new brand.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

Idea was to have the first generation frame with the last generation engine, best of both worlds. Low mileage, perfect performance, and original patina.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

2″ extended swingarm. Lithium battery and modern electronics with completely new wiring harness from scratch. Custom upholstery. Carburetors completely rebuilt with new vacuum diaphragms, tubes, and jets. Adjustable remote reservoir rear shocks. Steering stem bearings. Wheel bearings. Fork seals, and all the other replaceable wear items.

• How would you classify this bike?

Resto-brat.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

The best thing about this build was putting the tank, engine, and extended swingarm together in one package. The patina tank and low mileage engine were really hard to find, and the swingarm is a one off. Offset Moto has an extended swingarm “kit” soon to be released with everything you need to do that job yourself. Excited to build another CB350 using that kit. There are a handful of other builders that have used a 3″ or similar extension to make the CB350 really stand nice and long. I think it’s the key to have a cool looking modded cafe or brat. The stock CB350 was always a little snubby in the back. My kit will make it look a little badder, and a little longer.

Follow the Builder

• www.offsetmotorcycles.com
• https://www.instagram.com/offsetmoto
• https://www.facebook.com/offsetmoto
• https://twitter.com/OffsetMoto

Today, we’re proud to showcase the Honda CX500 Rose Edition, the third CX500 custom in the X-AXIS fleet. After years of competitive racing, two-time British motocross (MX1) champion Billy MacKenzie created the X-AXIS workshop to pursue his love of building and riding custom bikes.

This build began in the hands of “shit-hot welder” Ben Rose, who built the custom rear subframe, brat style seat, and the incredible custom exhaust. While the X-AXIS team handled the rest of the mechanicals, the engine itself was placed in the hands of the legendary Amor brothers — Keith and Guy — of Isle of Man TT fame.

We featured the first iteration of this custom CX500 recently. Since then, Billy and team have stepped up the build, most noticeably with the traditional rose art of Spanish tattoo artist Monki Diamond, whom Billy met in Edinburgh. The CX tank proved a fitting canvas for the piece.

Below, we get the full story on this CX500 brat tracker from Billy MacKenzie himself.

Honda CX500 Rose Edition:  In the Builder’s Words

The third Honda CX500 in the X-AXIS fleet was given up for adoption by our on the pro welder Ben Rose.

Ben saw the beauty in the CX like we did, and went to town with a fully custom rear subframe and brat style seat. We can’t hold it against him for neglecting the mechanical side of things after the love he put into the HRC spec factory fitted exhaust system, but we both knew that to pull this bike into the light it would take a full overhaul as he fell out of love with it when the stator packed in.

I wasn’t a fan of the styling and knew it needed beefed up. The tyres were thin and scrawny, and the tank looked like a piece of grey plasticine on pram wheels…. The exhausts are a work of art though and I knew how to pull the natural lines out of the often overlooked standard fuel tank.

I handed the engine over to the Amor brothers who gave next level attention to engine and wiring loom detail. From Ben’s limited engine knowledge, into the hands of the the experienced Isle of Man TT race craft of Guy and Keith. Immaculately prepped and finished, the engine became a subtle backdrop for the showpiece exhausts Ben had spent so long creating.

With all of our CX 500’s, the first thing was to fill the gaps with a fresh set of Firestone Champion Deluxe tyres. A swing arm modification was needed to fit the 18 – 4.50 on the rear and with only millimetres left we managed to slot the 19 – 4.00 on the front.

An already upgraded front end from a 2009 CBR600R and a Brembo 19mm front master cylinder for maximum stopping power and handling, minimal domino MX style throttle, Rental grips, and Motogadget buttons, the cockpit of this Honda CX 500 is a statement of simplicity.

Final design details came together with the help of Monki Diamond’s traditional Rose taking prime position on top of the fuel tank. A Spanish tattoo artist I met in Edinburgh, I became fascinated with her artwork, she wanted to tattoo me but I’m too white for tattoo’s so told her I’d use the CX tank as a canvas. It was a fitting tribute to Ben’s CX creation and a vision of using Monki’s traditional tattoo art when X-AXIS began its roots in Edinburgh.

Everyone that has been on this little X-AXIS trip with me all had a part in the final steps of the Rose Edition CX500, it’s nice trusting the skills of everyone involved.

Follow X-Axis

• Web:  www.x-axis.co
• Instagram:  @xaxis.co
• Facebook:  xaxis.co

Jan M. Sallings — the man behind JMS Customs of Arkansas — has had a love of motorcycles since an early age. He still remembers the thrill and music of twisting the throttle on a friend’s 1964 Honda 150 Dream. A love of mechanical things has stayed with him throughout his life, from working in automotive repair to designing and fabricating large composting machines.

His shop, JMS Customs, is quite the family affair. Jan has six sons and two daughters-in-law who ride. In fact, we featured his daughter-in-law Kat’s Honda CB175 cafe racer, as well as his son Sean’s Honda CL350 brat. Jan’s own CL350 cafe racer graced Bike EXIF.

The Honda CL350 bobber you see here makes good on Jan’s build philosophy:

My personal opinion is that if I said “I built this bike,” then that is exactly what it should mean.

The bikes is composed of stories and parts from throughout Jan’s life, including a reworked fender from an H-D Superglide he bought new in 1976! Without further ado, we get the full story from the man himself.

JMS Customs:  Background

I guess my background has been an involvement in and love for mechanical things since I was very young. Someone gave me an old lawnmower engine when I was about 10 years old; I spent 2 whole days just completely engulfed in trying to figure out how it worked.

When I was 13, I got to ride a friend’s 64 Honda 150 Dream. It’s difficult to describe the thrill of twisting the throttle and hearing the music of the engine. Those two sensations have never left, although they’re somewhat subdued by age and mileage. Since then, most of my career and leisure time has been focused on something mechanical, from automotive repair training to designing and fabricating large composting machines to restoring and customizing bikes.

As far as JMS Customs is concerned, that somewhat got started as a family thing when I was building my red Honda 350 cafe racer. My youngest son, Sean, who does computer graphics, designed and made me some tank badges with a really cool skull logo on them. (I seem to have a thing for skulls).

Daughter-in-law Kat on her CB175 “Moxxi”

Since then, it has stayed pretty much a family thing; I have 6 sons and 2 daughters in law who ride. We built bikes for the two girls, (they were heavily involved in the builds, check the upcoming issue of Cafe Racer magazine), and we are currently working on a cool Honda 350 for one son, a Yamaha XS 650 bobber for another son, and a radical Honda 400 Hawk for another son. I have some interesting ideas for 3 or 4 more bikes, I just need more time and more money.

CL360 Bobber, “Purple Haze”:  In the Builder’s Words

I fabricated the frame, front end, fuel tank, battery box, engine mounts, brass pegs, pedals, and fuel cap, Craftsman wrench kickstand, seat mount, license plate mount, and a few other pieces.

The headlight is an antique military spotlight modified for a 12 volt H4 bulb.

The taillight is an antique Schwinn bicycle front fender light re-shaped and modified for a 12 volt dual element bulb. The rear fender is a re-worked 1976 Harley-Davidson Superglide front fender from a bike I bought new in 76.

There are many stories about the parts and inspiration involved in building this bike. My personal opinion is that if I said “I built this bike”, then that is exactly what it should mean. I have had a love for motorcycles since I was about 6 years old, and it has never left.

Follow JMS Customs on Instagram:  @JMSCustoms

From 1949 to 1997, French manufacturer Motobécane built a series of Mobylette (or simply “Moby”) mopeds. In French, the word “Mobylette” has come to mean nearly any moped — not surprising, given that nearly 14 million of these machines were built.

Many of the machines were licensed under Motobécane, but built by other manufacturers. In Spain, SP50 and SP90 machines were popular in the 1970s-80s, as the country had lax road laws, allowing moped owners to ride on public roads without insurance, helmet, or license.

In France, postal workers delivered the mail on yellow Mobylettes. Our friend Pepo Rossell of Spain’s XTR Pepo set out to customize a 1975 Moby SP90 — a “street” version of the Campera line, calling the bike “PTT.” Of the name, he says:

Why PTT? PTT is the acronym of the French LA POSTE (the mail). Poste, Telegramme, et Telecomunication.

In France the “facteur” (post man) delivered the mail on yellow Mobylettes, with the logo La Poste in the side panniers in the rear.

This is a tribute to these “Facteurs” who would like surely to have a “GP” Mobylette for making urgent deliveries

As with most of his builds, Pepo took inspiration from the endurance racers of the 1970s, with XTR clipons, Regina gold chain, modified SP90 fuel tank, and incredible XTR custom bodywork painted by Pintumoto, including the front fairing and solo seat.

The beautiful mag wheels and forks are from a Moby Cady.

Pepo is never one to leave an engine alone. The motor was overbored to 70cc by a Mobylette specialist, and received a lightened crankshaft, aluminum flywheel, Amal 16 carburetor, MTV rotor and electronic ignition, and that beautiful Metrakit racing exhaust. Pepo says:

The engine has gone from 2 hp to 10 hp (estimated) and was made by a tuner specializing in Mobylettes from Valencia  in the east of Spain), where these bikes are used in street races in the little Valencian towns (there is a moped championship).

The cockpit offers a Domino quick-turn throttle, Gonelli levers, and one of our favorite additions:  a Motoplat electronic tachometer. How we would love to crack open that Domino throttle and watch the revs climb!

In all, the bike is narrow as a blade, capable of knifing through traffic like a tiny GP racer.

Below, we have the full build sheet on this little screamer!

Moby SP90 Cafe Racer:  Build Sheet

Donor Bike : Mobylette SP90 ( 1975).

• Mobylette Cady front fork.
• Mobylette Cady front and rear wheel.
• XTR clip ons.
• XTR front fairing Bracket.
• Gonelli brakes levers.
• Domino Quick open gas throttle.
• Domino grips.
• Motoplat electronic rev counter.
• XTR rear regulable schocks.
• XTR aluminium footrest.
• Mobylette Cady swingarm.
• Mobylette SP 90 frame modified.
• Regina gold chain.
• Engine overbored to 70cc and worked intakes, crankshaft balanced and lightened.
• Amal 16 carburetor.
• XTR air filter.
• Metrakit racing exhaust system.
• MVT Rotor and electronic ignition.
• Aluminium flywheel.
• Malossi racing rubber belt.
• Modified variator.
• XTR front mudguard.
• XTR Front fairing.
• XTR solo seat.
• Modified SP 90 fuel tank.
• Painting: Pintumoto.
• Pictures : Cesar Godoy

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XTR Pepo Custom Bikes

Mobylette Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - From 1949 to 1997, French manufacturer Motobécane built a series of Mobylette (or simply “Moby”) mopeds. In French, the word “Mobylette” has come to mean nearly any moped — not surprising, given that nearly 14 […]

BMW R nineT Paris Dakar Scrambler - If you know the Paris Dakar rally, you have heard the name Hubert Auriol. Auriol was the first man to win the Dakar on both a bike and in a car. In 1981 and 1983, […]

Ducati Monster Custom by XTR Pepo - Nobody builds bikes quite like the “master constructor,” Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo. His bikes tend to take their inspiration from the realm of motorsport, with paint schemes and high-performance engines, suspension, and brakes that […]

Triumph Legend TT Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo continues turning out incredible builds at a staggering rate, each of them with its own history, influences, and homages to racers and builders of both past and present. Now Pepo […]

BMW R100R Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo has turned another stunner. This time it’s a 1992 BMW R100R endurance racer. The bike is nicknamed “Don Luis.” Says Pepo: About the name of the bike, this is the […]

Ducati 860 GT Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - The Ducati 860 GT was built in 1974 and 1975, a highly stylized Italian standard with a 60-horsepower v-twin heart and 109-mph top speed.  The highly angular design of the fuel tank and engine covers […]

Ducati Monster Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - Pepo Rosell, the master “bike constructor” behind XTR Pepo, is one of our favorite builders. He is a man who builds machines that consistently defy classification and convention, and this ’94 Ducati Monster 750 is […]

Custom Ducati Scrambler by XTR Pepo - We are huge fans of Pepo Rosell, formerly of Radical Ducati. Pepo closed down that shop two years ago, went on a sabbatical, and returned to open XTR Pepo. Now the master “bike constructor” is […]

Yamaha SR250 Tracker by XTR Pepo - Pepo Rosell was the man behind one of the biggest names in the custom bike scene, Radical Ducati. Nearly two years ago, Pepo closed down Radical Ducati and took a 12-month sabbatical. When the master […]

“The Vincent Black Shadow of 1979” — Cycle Guide

The Honda CBX (or CBX1000) had one of the most incredible engines ever produced, a 1047cc air-cooled inline six that offered 105 horsepower at 9000 rpm. Upon its introduction, Cycle Guide lauded the bike as “the Vincent Black Shadow of 1979,” while Cycle said:

“The objective — to build the fastest production motorcycle for sale anywhere in the world-has been met…The CBX engine is as responsive as a racer, the nicest cycle motor to ever reach the street.”

Testers were able to run the bike through the quarter mile in 11.36 seconds at 118 mph. However, the CBX was hampered by the suspension and brakes of the era — insufficient for the six cylinder slug of power.

Enter Tony Calasso of Milan’s Tony’s Toy Custom Motorcycles. Tony is an former professional racer and tester — a European World Cup 600ss champion, as well as a test rider for Motociclismo magazine and instructor for BMW Motorrad’s Italian riding academy. He wanted to preserve the charm of the six cylinder while updating the suspension and brakes.

Honda CBX Streetfighter:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

Tony’s Toy Custom Motorcycles Milano is a brand created by Tony Calasso, former national and international renowned rider, driven by the constant desire to surprise and passion for the motorcycle one day he decided to embark on the special/cafe racer.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

-Honda CBX 1000 Pro-Link 1982

• Why was this bike built?

-For a custom project, and for sale.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

-Honda Cbx 1000 has, perhaps, one of the most incredible engines ever produced for a motorcycle, but all the rest was deeply lacking. Our purpose was to create a vehicle that kept intact the charm of the Japanese six cylinder engine, but also to make it great even in driving sensations.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Basically we decided to keep the original frame, engine and tank. All the rest, springs, swing arms, wheels and brakes, comes from bikes of recent years.

• How would you classify this bike?

-Streetfighter

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

What really make me proud of the project was to be able to put together the style of the eighties of the CBX with the performance of the recent parts.

Photography:  Andrea Padovani  (@andreapadovani1972)

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• Website:  www.tonystoy.net
• Instagram:  @tonystoy87
• Facebook:  Tony’s Toy

The Sallings clan of Arkansas are quite the motorcycle family. Patriarch Jan Sallings of JMS Customs has six sons and two daughters-in-law who ride. We have featured Kat Sallings’s Honda CB175 cafe racer, as well as son Sean Sallings’s Honda CL350 brat.  Now the family has made the cover of Cafe Racer magazine!

In the center is none other than Jeanie Sallings and her 1964 Honda CB160 cafe racer, “Luna.” Says Jeanie:

When I got her, she was in rough shape and not running for who knows how long. I asked my father-in-law, Jan Sallings to help me fix her up. After 1 year and MANY greasy hours later, we finished her up on her 50th birthday and it was one of the best experiences of my life!

As you’ll read below, this was quite the special build, with Jeanie working closely with Jan, learning every square inch of the bike. Without further ado, we get the full story from Jeanie herself!

Honda CB160 Cafe Racer:  In the Builder’s Words

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I am a dental hygienist and absolutely love it. Playing the drums is one of my passions and is what I spend a majority of my time doing. I have a really cool 1 year old son with Down Syndrome. I love to work with my hands and learn new things, so restoring my bike was one of the best experiences of my life. The tools we use to work on teeth are just miniature versions of the ones we use to work on my bike and I love that a few of my passions share that link.

I have been the passenger on bikes for years, but I was tired of being in the back and wanted to take control of my own personal bike. It’s too much fun not to! When my father-in-law, Jan Sallings, bought several old bikes that had been sitting for awhile, I had to jump on the Honda CB160. I have a petite build, and I thought the CB160 would be a perfect starter bike for me.

I bought a few manuals, started studying them front to back, and we began the build! We would meet 2-3 times a week, and build it little by little. I became an expert at finding various parts needed for the bike. After 1 year, we finished her up and she’s been running great for almost 4 years now.

We worked out of Jan’s shop, JMS customs. He had all the equipment that we needed to do the custom work and fabrication including a mill, lathe, and welder. I do maintenance work from my home.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1964 Honda CB160

• Why was this bike built?

Personal. I saw an old neglected bike that would fit me perfectly and it had my name written all over it. It had so much potential and I needed to get my hands on it!

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I love the sexy and classic look of cafe racers. I love the clean and retro look of them and the simplistic and streamlined appearance they have. To give it a more sleek look, I got rid of a lot of the bulky stock parts. I wanted it to look clean and somewhat minimalistic.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

• Battery box removed from frame and relocated under seat cowl
• Stock seat- replaced with Brass cafe seat pan and cut out section for tail/break light LED stip.
• Holes cut into front hub- added Brass wire mesh accents
• Custom exhaust pipes and exhaust brass tips
• Rear sets with custom brackets fabricated with custom brass foot pegs
• Clubman handlebars
• Powder coat frame, hubs, wheels
• All new paint and freshly polished/chrome metal parts.
• Spacers fabricated to fit new size fork seals due to unavailability of original seals
• Updated rear shock absorber air suspension from RFY
• Cone air filters
• New spokes and brass nipples
• Bass accents to frame, exhaust pipes, and seat cowl, foot pegs, etc.
• In the process of retrofitting a 5-speed transmission from sloper 175 cc. engine

• How would you classify this bike?

Cafe racer

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I loved getting into the heart of an internal combustion engine. Riding a bike that I know every square inch of and have physically touched is something I’m quite proud of. I loved getting my hands dirty and learning about the tools needed to get this incredible machine to exactly what I had envisioned. I had the best teacher to help me as well. I love how my visions of how i wanted the bike to look became a reality, particularly the custom work. I have had a few minor kinks to work out over the years, but it has been a pretty solid bike since it was completed so of course, I’m proud of that.

More specific to the bike — I love the custom rear sets and pegs as well as the other custom work done to the hubs and tail light.

Photo credits: Jason Hunter, Jenny Lawson, Branch Photography

Follow Jeanie on Instagram:  @Kimchi_dreams21

A $1000 Dirtbag Chopper gets turned into a Big Sur banger…

Jason Lisica of San Francisco’s Offset Motorcycles has been involved with the city’s Dirtbag Challenge. The challenge, which has been the subject of two documentaries, has only four rules. Here they are, directly from the Dirtbag Challenge website:

1. One month build time:  You can start your bike on the day that we announce the Dirtbag Challenge, one month before the day of the actual show.
2. One thousand dollar budget:  This includes the price of the donor bike, all parts, and all work. Yes you could cheat but then you’d be a loser.
3. One hundred miles:  On the morning of the show, meet up with the other Dirtbags and ride with us. We will ride at least one hundred miles over every type of road. There probably won’t be a chase vehicle.
4. No Harleys:  This is to keep it fair, to give everyone the chance to shine. We like Harleys, we ride Harleys but this is about being different and thinking outside the box.

Jason built the first iteration of the CL (Craiglist) 360° you see here as an entry for the Dirtbag — a chopper with a 5-inch extended swingarm that had to make it through the city, down the freeway, along the coast, through the mountains, on the dirt roads, then compete in the end show and party.

After the show, Jason found himself with a fairly useless $1000 chopper, so he decided to “get it up high.” He sourced a 21-inch wheel from an SL350 and a pair of dune buggy shocks to lift the bike. The bike survived some heavy off-roading in Big Sur and continues to run to this day, taking all sorts of abuse. She ain’t no show queen — she’s a go queen.

Below, we get the full story on the build.

Honda CL360 “Adventure Bike”: In the Builder’s Words

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

Offset Motorcycles has been a long time coming. In addition to building resto-mods and brat-scramblers for customers, I intend to make home-building some of these bikes a reality. When I talk to customers, they always show me the same 10-15 bikes on Pinterest or PipeBurn. Most have common traits that distinguish them as professionally built, and set them apart from the home builds. It’s always proper frame work that requires welding. In the chopper world you’ll see raking the forks by cutting and welding the backbone. Then in the cafe world you will see an extended swingarm and/or an upside down fork conversion. It’s just a matter of time before those things become bolt on, and that’s what I’m working on. I have a 3″ extended swing arm kit for Honda CB350 to be in stores by spring, and development of a USD fork conversion for the same bike, to come later in 2018. The swingarm kit will come everything you need except a longer chain.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike

This one is a 1975 Honda CL360 that I got in a trade from my retired racer friend Mike (the bike) Gould. He’s an old school Honda mechanic that does fantastic engine work. So I knew the engine was in good shape. I traded him a clapped-out CB175 for it. It was a good fit for both of us. We both got free project bikes that we were familiar with.

• Why was this bike built?

I got the bike as a donor for the Dirtbag Challenge here in San Francisco. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a one of a kind chopper build-off that was set into motion 15 years ago as a reaction to the big money “American Chopper” fad that had been sweeping the nation until recently. Now those $40,000 choppers are on sale on Craigslist for $8,000 and its pretty funny. The Dirtbag Challenge is a different kind of build-off for sure, and really gets its roots from hearty inner city San Francisco bike scene. There are a few cities that have the kind of specific need and certain dangers that come with motorcycling here. London is one of them, and that’s where the cafe racer scene sprung up. Here we have Dirtbag, where you can still be appreciated if you know how to score a $400 bike and make it run, then you score a bunch of other crap from your friends’ junk piles and build a chopper for yourself. It’s really a lot of fun, and that’s why we do it. The founder, Poll Brown, participates every year, and has a new film coming out soon called Rigid, on which he takes a rigid frame 70’s Yamaha XT500 across the country, spanning the entire TransAmerica Trail.

Jason’s CL360 chopper burning out at the Dirtbag Challenge

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

The Dirtbag Challenge is a contest with only three rules. $1000, one month build time, and it’s got to be able to go at least 100 miles. You can cheat, but guess what, we all find out during the ride. For instance, this year somebody borrowed his friend’s rack of flat-slide Mikuni’s and yeah, but sorry if those parts come on the ride, then they count. No Harleys for that same reason. The bike as a whole has to be worth no more than $1000 any way you slice it. If you make it through the city, down the freeway, along the coast, through the mountains, and on dirt roads, then you compete in the end show and party. There are two full length feature films about the event and culture, Dirtbag and Dirtbag II, both available on Amazon Prime. I built the first iteration of this bike as an entry to the event. Then after the event I had a pretty useless chopper with a full 5″ of extended swingarm… so I thought, hey maybe now instead of making it as low as I can, I’ll try to get it up high.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

The first thing I did was find a 21″ front wheel from a Honda SL350, which was only produced with that wheel for two years, then figured out what would jack it up in the back, and ended up with dune buggy shocks. After that it was just fit a cool looking old school seat, dirt tires, headlight, fenders, muffer, then throw on some dirt bike bars and ride. It was all just to turn my chopper back into a scrambler that had more to offer than the original.

Right after I did all that it took it off-roading with my buddies up in the mountains in Big Sur. It performed beautifully. To this day it still runs and still takes a ton of abuse. People underestimate the durability of the 360. Everyone thinks it’s just a cheaper heavier 350, but it really isn’t. The build quality is pretty good.

• How would you classify this bike?

It’s definitely a vintage adventure bike. LOL.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I guess the coolest thing was the swingarm. 5″ is a lot and I used it to lower the bike on the chopper rendition, and then used it to raise it in the adventure edition. Pretty cool mod.

Follow the Builder

• Web:  http://www.offsetmotorcycles.com
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/offsetmoto
• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/offsetmoto

Two-Stroke Street Weapon…with Patina

If you’ve been following us for any length of time, you know we love the smell of two-stroke oil in the morning. Smells like…victory. Enter Ewen Macdonald and his 1974 Suzuki GT550, which he bought for less than £500! At first he had no real design concept other than to fit the Harris swingarm to the frame and go from there.

The GT550 was the middleweight entry in Suzuki’s series of 70s-era two-stroke street triples, each named after a race track:  GT380 Sebring, GT550 Indy, and GT750 Le Mans. The GT550 had a ram-air system developed from Suzuki’s T500 racer, and Cycle World called the 50-hp 550 two-stroke light and narrow enough for “deft canyon road maneuvering or hustling through traffic.” The bike had a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds and wailed through the 1/4 mile in 14.59 seconds at 87.8 mph.

Ewen Macdonald — a construction foreman — worked with friends in various areas of expertise to produce the hybrid two-stroke cafe racer / streetfighter / custom you see here. We especially like the tank patina, with the Vincent-esque custom logos that pay homage to Ewen’s grandmother, as well as the way Gus from Muddy Beach Customs was able to paint-match the plastics to the original patina of the tank.

Below, we get the full story on this two-stroke street banshee.

Custom Suzuki GT550:  In the Builder’s Words

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I’m a construction foreman and I’ve always enjoyed mucking about with old motorbikes. I’ve restored a few and sold on. I’ve done a bit of racing when I was younger. I work on my bikes in my garage after work.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

Suzuki Gt550 1974.

• What was the story behind the build? What custom work was done?

I first seen a picture of the MotoHangar Honduki in Motorcycle News and felt like I needed to do something similar. Years later I bumped into an friend who offered me his old scrap Gt550 and happened to have a Harris Swingarm as well. So the lot was purchased for £480.

Motohangar Honduki: Ewen’s Inspiration

Next, a mate (Willie from Dynotech eccosse) said Yantosh from bluntforcetrama_inc could help me realise my build. He cut and fabricated the frame to suit the single seat unit and shock as well as making the GSX-R1000 K1 front end fit with a one off top yoke. He also fabricated the oil tank located under the tail unit.

The tank is patina not touched since 1974. I cleaned it out and sealed it. I wanted to do something to commemorate my grandmother and loved the Vincent logo. So I changed it to suit (MHD) Macdonald Hastings Design. Then had the stickers made up and lacquered in.

Gus from Muddy Beach Customs matched the plastics to the patina of the tank.

The engine caused a bit of trouble. Had to be rebuilt 3 times. But that’s another story. The seat I made to suit the space and had a upholstery company cover it.

• How would you classify this bike?

Not sure.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

The tank, and the way Gus from Muddy Beach Customs paint-matched the plastics to the patina of the tank. The hard work Yantosh put into the fabrication.

Photos:  Dave Manning

The Carver twins of Texas are quickly becoming two of our favorite builders.  Brothers Eli and Tyson began riding motorcycles together about 6.5 years ago after the loss of their parents. As it has been for so many — yours truly included — riding and building become a form of therapy, community, and passion in the wake of loss.

We were fortunate to see each of their bikes at this year’s Handbuilt Show. Since then, we’ve featured Tyson’s Yamaha XS650 tracker, as well as Eli’s Honda CB550 brat cafe — which he built in his front yard!

Since that first CB build, Eli has had his eye on a BMW airhead custom build.  After remodeling a new house — this time with a garage! — he got to tackle build number two:  the 1975 BMW R75/6 you see here, nicknamed “Dumbo.”

It’s always a thrill to watch a builder’s evolution, and this build shows so many innovations, learnings, and details. Not only did Eli learn to weld during this build, he completely rewired the bike on his own…not bad for someone who’s color-blind! We love the seat and luggage rack, which can be configured for two-up riding, and the concho plug — a tribute to Eli’s mother, who did custom leatherwork.

Without further ado, we get the full story on the build from Eli himself.

BMW R75/6 Café / Scrambler:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

My name is Eli Carver and I’m from Wimberley, Texas. I began riding bikes, along with my twin brother Tyson, after the loss of our parents about 6 ½ years ago. We lost our folks two months apart and just as something to do together and keep us close, I bought a bike at the urging of my brother, who had wanted a bike for a while. It didn’t take much convincing for me to get into it, but that is where the fire was started for me.

I rode a Vulcan 900 bobber for a few years then decided to build my first bike, a CB550. I then sold my Vulcan and bought a Suzuki V-Strom, which is now my “practical” bike. I took that bike on a trip to Alaska and back, but that’s a whole other story.

Anyway, I’ve had my eye and brain on an airhead build for the past few years. I was looking for an old BMW on Craigslist and when I didn’t have any luck, I switched over to housing. I ended up finding a house that needed a full remodel less than a mile from where I lived. This house had more bedrooms (good when your first kid was on the way), more yard (good for when your first kid is in the way), and a 2 car garage (good when your last build was done in the front yard). I went ahead and bought and remodeled the house over the course of about a year while dreaming of finishing it up and having a garage to do a Beemer in.

I got the house done about a year ago and as soon as we moved in, I was building out the garage as a shop and I was back on the search for a BMW. I am a carpenter by trade originally so with this build, I acquired more metal working tools such as a welder. I now have a pretty good work space for whatever it is I want to tackle.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

The bike is a 1975 BMW r75/6. It is titled at a ’76 but the production date is 8/75 therefore the engine was manufactured to the 1975 specs so I’m calling it a ’75. Its name is Dumbo.

• Why was this bike built?

I built the bike because an airhead was just something I wanted to learn about and ride. I chose a BMW because the folks who like BMW’s are mostly diehard fans and I was interested to know what all of the hoop-la was all about.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

The design that was in my head was a custom built, vintage bike that was reliable and could be taken on a weekend camping trip. I always liked the high front fender look so that was at the top of the list. I also wanted to have some sort of rear rack and small soft luggage, but the option to have a 2-up seat as well. As I had done with my CB550 build, I created a folder of pictures that I had seen of other bikes with certain details that I liked. I used this compilation of other builds to pick, choose, and expand on their ideas.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

I started with an almost stock bike that I acquired on EBay and after riding one tank of gas through it, I tore it down to the frame. A custom sub-frame was fitted to the frame and new fenders were installed using handmade stainless brackets. I also rebuilt components such as the forks, brakes, and bearings. Then I laced new stainless spokes into the original aluminum rims.

I replaced the /6 headlight bucket with an earlier /5 model and fitted it with an LED H4 headlight bulb, Motogadget turn signals, Bumm mirrors, and a GPS speedometer/tachometer unit. New handlebars were outfitted with Motogadget mini buttons, Domino throttle and controls, and Oury grips.

I made some brackets for the PIAA lights on the crash bars and also modified a Suzuki V-Strom skid plate for the BMW to keep the engine safe. I also used this build as a way to learn to weld. I bought a little MIG welder and with this, I modified a fork brace, built an electronics tray, rear turn signal brackets, a license plate bracket, modified the passenger peg area of the frame, and a few other things.

One of the biggest tricks that I wanted to accomplish was to have the option between a 2-up seat or some sort of luggage. I purchased a small aluminum luggage rack and designed the seat so that the rack bolted into the frame and seat pan through grommets that were installed into the custom seat. I then figured out a way to attach small, waterproof soft bags to the rack itself. I also used the original foot peg hardware but designed a way to attach Biltwell off-road style pegs.

The concho (coin) that is pictured is a custom plug I made for the original speedometer cable that was no longer needed. The concho was used as a nod to my late Mother who used these conchos as her trademark in her custom leatherwork years ago.

I also fully wired the bike myself, which is a trick when you’re colorblind, with the help of an M-unit. I even designed the original /5 key to work in the electrical system and wired it to run the PIAA lights when the key is rotated.

The paint was done by a local Wimberley guy and the upholstery (seat, knee pads, and battery cover) was done by Ballin’ Customz in San Antonio. The original headers were ceramic coated and small Cone Engineering mufflers were paired up to give it a pretty good tone. There was also a LOT of cleaning and polishing of parts so they didn’t look so old and crappy.

I started riding the bike again a couple weeks ago and though it’s running pretty well, it does have a pretty good oil leak that I was not aware of before I tore the bike down. I have now pulled the engine to address the oil leak and I’ve decided that while I’m messing with the engine, I might as well install new jugs and pistons, thus making it a 1000cc. I’m really looking forward to getting this project totally completed because I have a funny feeling that this thing might be a little rowdy when it is complete.

• How would you classify this bike?

Hmm. I would say that it is a café/scrambler style. I’ve been told that is looks like an old BMW GS that was designed before they were released.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I am proud to just have another bike build under my belt. This build was much more in depth than my first one so it was a lot of fun to take things to the next level. I would say that with this project, learning to weld is what I am most proud of however. I am by no means a great welder but it is really nice, and almost essential as a bike builder, to have the ability to fab custom metal parts using a welder.

Photos by Karly Kothmann and myself

Follow Eli on Instagram: @eli22carver

The Kawasaki KZ440 is the larger bore brother of the Z/KZ400, offering a 443cc air-cooled parallel twin instead of the smaller sibling’s 398cc engine. Unlike the mighty Z1 and other KZ Series brethren, the KZ440 never had much in the way of sporting pretensions — these were built to be tough, utilitarian bikes for riders across the globe. Trim levels included the C1, C2, and top-of-the-line LTD.

Enter Anton White (@Psycho_Chopps), a custom motorcycle builder working out of Russia’s Gad13 Garage.  Anton wanted to build a “skrambler” for his own private use, turning this 1975 Kawasaki KZ440 LTD into the type of down-n-dirty, hard-as-nails scrambler we love.

Below, we get a few more details about this build.

KZ440 LTD Scrambler:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop?

Since childhood, my passion is motorcycles. I work in workshop gad13 castes.

•What’’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

Kawasaki KZ440 LTD, 1985 year

•Why was this bike built?

There was a strong wish to construct a skrambler. I built for private use.

•What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

Specially I didn’t paint the gasoline tank and I didn’t smooth out seams on aluminum.

•What custom work was done to the bike?

The frame rear and seat was remade. The back wheel of 19 inches was installed, the brake drum left — gives a retro a look. Titanic exhaust pipes. Retro gasoline tank. LED light. Protection of the crankcase of the engine. Wings.

•Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I am proud of everything that made in this motorcycle.

Photos by @dmitriev_leonid

KZ440 in Action!

Follow Anton on Instagram @psycho_chopps

We have been watching the builds of Andrew Greenland ever since his red Honda Dominator custom was featured on Bike EXIF years ago. Since then, Andrew has turned out a stable’s worth of froth-worthy Honda customs — many of which we plan to share in the coming weeks.

First up is his newest build, this hybrid Honda XR/XL/NX Dakar Project. Although the bike began life as an XL600R, the bike now carries XR600 suspension, XR500 plastics, LMF tank/seat, and an NX motor with electric start. Best of all, the bike is for sale!

Honda XL600R Dakar Scrambler:  In the Builder’s Words

My 1980’s inspired Honda XR/XL/NX now finished. Took it out today for a shakedown and did not disappoint, rides as good as it looks. Started life as an XL600, modified to accept XR600 suspension, 1984 XR500R plastics, tank and seat came from a 1986 XL600 LMF.

one-piece supertrapp silencer (sounds so good). All electrics now reside in the airbox, Honda Dominator engine with electric start.

Bike rides real nice and looks pretty trick too!

Follow Andrew Greenland at NX650elsinore.blogspot.com

Cafe Racer SSpirit of Spain has become one of our favorite builders in recent years. Their build process is highly collaborative with their customers. They like to say they take a journey with their clients, from concept to execution of the rider’s dream.

This BMW R100R scrambler — CRSS #021 — is no exception. The client first visited their shop on his brand new BMW R1200GS — as it turned out, he wanted a vintage BMW to match his modern one, complete with aggressive styling and scrambler-oriented details:  TKC 80 tires tires, enduro pegs, heavy-duty brakes, minimized controls, etc. He specified no fenders, as his GS would be the steed of choice in foul weather conditions.

The result is a beastly, burly R100R scrambler with aggressive lines and detailed execution. Below, we get the full story from Hugo López, headman of CRSS.

BMW R100 Scrambler:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

www.bikebound.com/tag/cafe-racer-sspirit (hehe)

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1993 BMW R100R. Very interesting model to customize: 1000cc engine, mono swing arm, Brembo brakes.

• Why was this bike built?

The BMW R100R bike was brought by a French customer. He visited us a while ago on his brand new BMW R1200GS and loved our builds. He wanted a bike to match his GS and he had clear the next bike had to be a BMW too.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

The scrambler tyres were clear. He wanted an aggressive looking motorcycle, but which felt comfortable when riding. He also took care about the final details because he wanted a good looking and elegant bike.

Black color was also in his mind, but finally decided to keep the red BMW tank color (R100 Rs model tank in its original paint). The bike is without fenders because he was clear this bike will just be used when sunny.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

• Whole subframe
• CRSS seat
• 7-inch LED headlight
• Rizoma handlebar + holder
• Rizoma grips
• Adjustable levers
• Brembo brake
• Ducati clutch
• Rizoma brake fluid reservoir
• Domino twist grip
• Motogadget side front blinkers
• Simplified controls
• Enduro footrests
• Battery relocation
• Aluminum air filter cover
• K&N air filters
• Daytona speedo
• Integrated smoked taillight
• Side mirror
• Mufflers
• Key starter relocation
• Engine side-guards back
• Fog light
• Side license plate holder
• CRSS aluminum logo in engine
• Heat resistant paint on engine
• BMW R100RS gas tank
• TKC 80 tyres

• How would you classify this bike?

Not quite sure! Scrambler we guess

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

Simplified commands even in the headlight, choosing between inner circle or outer LED

Innovative material on the seat upholstery. 100% bike restoration, even the engine re-newed.

BMW R100 Scrambler Video

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• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/caferacersspirit/
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CafeRacerSSpirit/
• Web:  http://www.caferacersspirit.com/crss-21-bmw-r100r-1#new-page-1
• Photos: @hugolopezurt

Today we’re thrilled to present our 10 Best Custom Motorcycles of 2017, as judged by you, our readers. Your visits, likes, comments, and shares serve as votes, and we ranked these bikes according to their popularity among our readership. This is the most objective ranking we could achieve.

We noticed a few big themes in this year’s 10 Best:

• Non-Cafe Racers:  Only 1-2 of the bikes on this year’s list could really be termed “cafe racers” — the rest are scramblers, trackers, adventure bikes, restomods, and bikes that simply defy classification.
• Two-Strokes:  You guys obviously have a love of two-stroke smoke, as three of our 10 Best Customs were 2-strokes — much like 2016!
• Garage-Builds:  Nearly half of these builds were the work of garage-builders instead of well-known professional shops, proving that determination and a keen eye for stance, proportion, and geometry can still supersede a big budget and arsenal of tools.

Don’t see one of your favorite bikes?  Stay tuned for our 2017 Best Scrambler & Trackers and 2017 Best Cafe Racers list coming soon!

Without further ado, here are our 10 Best Custom Bikes of 2017.

Honda CX500 Tracker by Brick House Builds

The Honda ATC250R was the hottest 3-wheeler of the 1980s, with a 2-stroke screamer of a motor, manual clutch, and air-assisted suspension. BJ English of Brick House Builds LLC decided to build “a bike that Honda Racing would have built if they wanted a street version of a wild 250R.” His platform was another strange child of the 1980s, the Honda CX500.  The CX5 has become a favorite of custom builders in recent years, but we have yet to see anything even close to Brick House Builds’s nostalgic build, nicknamed the CX500R.

Sportster Adventure Bike: Carducci Dual Sport SC3 Adventure

The SC3 Adventure is no simple amalgam of knobby tires and longer shocks. Jim designed this Sportster adventure bike from the ground up, utilizing the latest in 2- and 3-D design, structural analysis, and even air flow simulation. The result is one of the most incredible H-D builds we have seen, which William Harley and Arthur Davidson would surely love.

Honda CM250 Scrambler by Max Inhulsen

Max Inhulsen of The Netherlands bought his 1982 Honda CM250 for $250 from a man living in a former mental hospital in the woods. Max, who spent his teen years wrenching on mopeds, saw the potential behind the cruiser styling. He admits the bike build became an incredible help and rebound during a two-year period of personal challenge — something a lot of us can relate to, including yours truly.

Honda CR500 Supermoto by Dab Design

To mark the one year anniversary of Dab Design, Simon Dabadie decided to build his last custom of 2017 based on a very special bike:  the Honda CR500. As he says, he wanted to present an extreme bike. The Honda CR500 was the most powerful motocross bike the company had ever built, offering 52.8-56 horsepower at just 223 pounds — lighter and more powerful than a modern 450 four-stroke. The powerband was explosive, even violent — at one point in the midrange, power jumps 18 horsepower in 1500 rpm. Indisputably, the CR500 is a modern legend, and a fitting platform for this build.

Custom Honda CX500 by X-Axis

British motocross racer Billy MacKenzie has quite the racing pedigree.  He’s a 2x British MX1 Champion, riding for Factory Kawasaki and Honda teams, and 3x overall Gran Prix winner. After decades of competitive racing, he’s teamed up with the legendary Amor family to create the workshop X-Axis. Billy bought this bike largely complete from fabricator Ben Rose, whom he calls a “shit-hot welder,” but Billy had his own ideas he wanted to push forward on the build. Since entering the X-Axis workshop, the bike has received a full overhaul, including rebuilt engine, modified swing-arm, and more.

Honda XR600R Scrambler by Droog Moto

The husband and wife team of Droog Moto has been steadily turning out a stable’s worth of signature builds. While the donor platforms vary, the Droog Moto style has become unmistakable — raw, burly builds that would look right at home in the nuclear winter, eating up broken pavement and muddy trails in equal measure. This, the tenth build in their Moto series, has earned the name Moto-X. Appropriately enough, the donor bike was one of the most legendary factory rides for the desert and woods:  the Honda XR600R. The client lives in Israel, and Droog Moto set out to create a machine that zip around Tel Aviv during the week and rip the trails on the weekend.

5-Cylinder Kawasaki 2-Stroke by Allen Millyard

British MoD engineer Allen Millyard has a brilliant habit of building the wildest motorcycle specials on the planet. He’s the man behind the 500-horsepower Millyard Viper V10 and the Flying Millyard, powered by a 4804cc v-twin. Amazingly enough, Millyard builds these OEM-looking monsters in a small garage workshop with little more than hand tools. The lucky owner of this 883cc, 5-cylinder, 109-rwhp Kawasaki KH500 Millyard Special is Pip Davidson — a diehard 2-stroke fan. The joining of the engine cases is just seamless, making this one of the great “double-take bikes,” which you could mistake for OEM before your brain registers the width of the engine.

Honda XLV750R Street Tracker by L’établi Garage

The Honda XLV750R is a rare sight these days. This 749cc dual-sport — a predecessor to the mighty Transalp and Africa Twin — offered a 61-hp, 45-degree V-twin and shaft drive. Enter Quentin Lambert, the 21 year-old founder of L’établi Garage in Eure, France. Quentin, who has a degree in motorcycle mechanics, built this bike in collaboration with a friend and design student. There is so much to love about this build: the geometric lines, the rare platform, the motocross and flat track design cues, and the fact that this is the work of such a young builder.

Suzuki GT380 Café Racer by Keith Carlson

Keith Carlson, who builds out of his home garage in Indiana, has become one of our favorite builders. With a background in vintage motocross, he has a preference for two-stroke street screamers that are, as he says, “all show and all go.” His CRF-framed RD400 custom was one of our most popular builds ever. Now Keith is back with yet another two-stroke street smoker, a Suzuki GT380 cafe racer built for his annual trip to the Tail of the Dragon.

Honda CB750 Restomod by Hoy Vintage Cycles

Next up is Keith Carlson’s buddy Steve Hoy of Hoy Vintage Cycles, who built this incredible 1975 Honda CB750 restomod in just 60 days. Nicknamed “Carrot,” the bike pays tribute to the early CB750’s — the predecessor of today’s inline four sportbikes — while offering modern suspension and power upgrades for serpentine kinks and corners of the Dragon. There’s nothing more fun than the battle of two-stroke versus four-stroke — especially among friends.

Our hearts always leap when a new XTR Pepo comes our way.  This time, it’s a 1973 Bultaco Lobito 125 MK7 flat tracker. The Lobito (“Little Wolf”) was an enduro built from 1966-1976, most popularly in the 74cc form, though we have here the 125cc version. The 74cc Lobito was originally designed for a speciific demographic — 16 riders with only their A1 card — but the bike’s aggressive styling and mixed-use urban agility made it a lasting icon of the 1970s — even, some say, a “sociological phenomenon.”

The MK7 you see here had an 11.2-hp two-stroke motor, weighed 88kg, and had a yellow tank with blue stripes — iconic of the Lobito.

Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo turned this Lobito 125 — nicknamed “Astro” — into a 2-stroke tracker, complete with a Yamaha SR250 swingarm, Honda Hornet 600 front forks, Derbi supermoto wheels, and a load of one-off XTR components. As for name, Pepo says:

“Astro was the name of  a bike that Bultaco made specifically for racing in the USA Dirt track championship. It was name Astro because one of the tracks where they raced was in the Astrodome of Houston.”

Bultaco Astro

Below, we have the full build sheet on this two-stroke tracker.

Bultaco Lobito Flat Tracker:  Build Sheet

Donor bike : Bultaco Lobito 125 MK7 (1973)

• Modified frame
• Yamaha SR 250 swingarm
• Hagon rear schocks
• Honda Hornet 600 front fork
• Derbi Senda Supermotard front Wheel
• Bultaco lobito rear hub with Derbi Senda Supermotard rim.
• LSL conical handelbar
• Gonelli quick open gas throtel
• Gonelli natural ruber grips
• Gonelli levers
• Bultaco Mercurio 155 (1963) fuel tank.
• XTR seat and upholstry
• XTR number plates
• XTR fork protector
• Ducati footpegs.
• Bultaco Matador MK10 (1979) 350 cc blueprinted engine
• Regina chain
• Bing Carburator
• XTR air filter
• Super Mario hand made race exhaust.
• Pintumoto painting
• Pictures: Cesar Godoy.

Follow the Builder

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XTR Pepo Custom Bikes

Bultaco Lobito Tracker by XTR Pepo - Our hearts always leap when a new XTR Pepo comes our way.  This time, it’s a 1973 Bultaco Lobito 125 MK7 flat tracker. The Lobito (“Little Wolf”) was an enduro built from 1966-1976, most popularly […]

Mobylette Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - From 1949 to 1997, French manufacturer Motobécane built a series of Mobylette (or simply “Moby”) mopeds. In French, the word “Mobylette” has come to mean nearly any moped — not surprising, given that nearly 14 […]

BMW R nineT Paris Dakar Scrambler - If you know the Paris Dakar rally, you have heard the name Hubert Auriol. Auriol was the first man to win the Dakar on both a bike and in a car. In 1981 and 1983, […]

Ducati Monster Custom by XTR Pepo - Nobody builds bikes quite like the “master constructor,” Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo. His bikes tend to take their inspiration from the realm of motorsport, with paint schemes and high-performance engines, suspension, and brakes that […]

Triumph Legend TT Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo continues turning out incredible builds at a staggering rate, each of them with its own history, influences, and homages to racers and builders of both past and present. Now Pepo […]

BMW R100R Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo has turned another stunner. This time it’s a 1992 BMW R100R endurance racer. The bike is nicknamed “Don Luis.” Says Pepo: About the name of the bike, this is the […]

Ducati 860 GT Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - The Ducati 860 GT was built in 1974 and 1975, a highly stylized Italian standard with a 60-horsepower v-twin heart and 109-mph top speed.  The highly angular design of the fuel tank and engine covers […]

Ducati Monster Cafe Racer by XTR Pepo - Pepo Rosell, the master “bike constructor” behind XTR Pepo, is one of our favorite builders. He is a man who builds machines that consistently defy classification and convention, and this ’94 Ducati Monster 750 is […]

Custom Ducati Scrambler by XTR Pepo - We are huge fans of Pepo Rosell, formerly of Radical Ducati. Pepo closed down that shop two years ago, went on a sabbatical, and returned to open XTR Pepo. Now the master “bike constructor” is […]

Yamaha SR250 Tracker by XTR Pepo - Pepo Rosell was the man behind one of the biggest names in the custom bike scene, Radical Ducati. Nearly two years ago, Pepo closed down Radical Ducati and took a 12-month sabbatical. When the master […]

We are huge fans of scramblers and trackers here at BikeBound. Apparently so are you, our readers, as fuly half of the machines on our Best Custom Motorcycles of 2017 are running knobby tires and riser bars. We decided to follow up with a list of last year’s most popular scramblers and trackers, based on traffic and social shares.  Without further ado, here are the BikeBound Best Scramblers and Trackers of 2017, presented in alphabetical order by builder.

Honda CX500 Scrambler by Brick House Builds

Brick House Builds’ previous build, a CX500 tracker inspired by the two-stroke Honda 3-wheelers of the 1980s, was a huge hit on the blog and beyond, making our list of last year’s Top 10. But in 2017, BJ managed to build a second CX unlike any we have seen, this time a 1980 Honda CX500 scrambler named “Ranger Green.” He went for a purpose-built, “government issue” design inspired by the National Park Service. The result is a bike that any park ranger would be thrilled to ride.

BMW G310R Scrambler by DKdesign

Dakar Chou of DKdesign has been doing interior design for more than twenty years, but he’s loved motorcycles ever since he can remember. He rode his motorcycle when he was 12, and it became a dream of his life to build his own. Then, in 2015 he got his chance through the recommendation of Ben Chen — manager of BMW Motorrad Taiwan. Since then, DKdesign has brought out four different custom BMW bikes, based on Dakar’s love of the 70s-90s heyday of motorcycling. His latest is this BMW G310R Scrambler.

Honda CR500 Flat Tracker by C’s Garage / Earnest

The Honda CR500 was perhaps the most wicked dirt bike ever produced — a 53-horsepower, liquid-cooled 2-stroke beast, with a hair-trigger throttle and the power band of a Saturn V rocket. As this Craiglist seller once advertised “Breathe on the throttle and the front wheel is up.” Enter Adam Hedges of C’s Garage and the Earnest company, who is a competitive drifter and race car fabricator.  Adam asked one very brilliant question, and we are so happy he did:  “What if in 1985 Honda produced a factory flat track bike…?” That question led to the incredible Honda CR500 tracker you see here.

Honda XL600 Dakar by Andrew Greenland

We have been watching the builds of Andrew Greenland for years. Andrew has turned out a stable’s worth of froth-worthy Honda customs, most recent of which is this hybrid Honda XR/XL/NX Dakar Project. Although the bike began life as an XL600R, the bike now carries XR600 suspension, XR500 plastics, LMF tank/seat, and an NX motor with electric start. A dual sport restomod beast!

Yamaha XSR700 Tracker by John Hand

John Hand is the grandson of Rob Rhind-Tutt, founder of the legendary Wasp Motorcycles, who have been building off-road sidecars and vintage scrambler frames for more than 50 years. Young John decided he wanted to do a more modern take on the classic scrambler, but with hints of the classic look. The result is this stunning Yamaha XSR700 “Super Scrambler,” built on a bespoke frame that John himself designed, cut, bent, and welded from aircraft-grade chromoly and T45 steel.

Honda Goldwing Street Tracker by HCG

Based in Buenos Aires — the “Paris of the South” — builders Federico Lozada and German Karp of Herencia Custom Garage (HCG) specialize in a style we love: the street tracker. The duo is never afraid to set their wrenches on an atypical platform, as evinced by this Honda GL1100 Goldwing street tracker. They wanted to build “the biggest tracker ever.” Given the size of this beast, it’s no wonder that HCG named this, their 39th build, the “Tracker XL.”

Suzuki DR800 Electric Street Tracker

The team at Jambon-beurre Motorcycle of France wanted to build a street-legal electric street tracker, and artist Jean-Louis loved the idea and told them, “OK, I love the idea, make one for me!” They chose a 1993 Suzuki DR800 for the base platform, as the beefy dual-sport frame could handle the size and torque of the 107-hp, 80kw brushless motor from PYMCO Technology — inspired by Tesla motor technology.

Husqvarna FE 501 Street Tracker by LOON

David and Dominik from Germany’s LOON wanted to create a functional custom bike, retaining its emphasis on performance. The result is the LOON BS 501, based on the most powerful machine in Husqvarna’s hard enduro lineup, the FE 501, a 501cc single offering 60+ horsepower at a weight of just 240 pounds dry. Incredibly enough, this bike was created with no alteration of the frame or wiring harness. In fact, LOON plans to offer this bike as a custom kit, with a bolt-on subframe, fuel tank, and plug-n-play electronics!

Honda GL500 Scrambler by Other Life Cycles

We were lucky enough to meet Sean Zeigler of Other Life Cycles at this year’s Handbuilt Show and get a sneak peek of this build in-process. Sean whipped out his mobile and showed us a photograph of the “Supermoto Scramblerstein” in his workshop. The bike was far from finished, but the winning lines of the build were already evident. Fast forward a few short months, and Sean had outdone himself, exceeding our expectations with this GL. The build nods to the asymmetry of the original while taking the machine to a startling new level. Bravo!

Honda XL100 Scrambler by Revolt Cycles

The Honda XL100, first produced in 1974, was a near-unkillable little enduro, capable of thumping away for decades under the harshest conditions, with the barest of maintenance. Revolt Cycles has created a fitting tribute to this machine with RVLT 15, dubbed “Lantuag” — a dialect word meaning “to roam.” This XL100 tracker is certainly capable of that, and we love the Paris-Dakar dual headlight setup and surfboard rack — a common accessory in the Philippines.

Last Year’s List

Here is the link to the 2016 Best Scramblers & Trackers. Also, here’s a link to our popular articles Best Bikes for Street Trackers and What is a Street Tracker?