Post Listing Update: This Guzzi cafe did not get any interest at the asking price of $17,000. Starting with a MkIII LeMans imported from Holland, the Polish seller of this bike had a cafe racer built over 8 months and it’s claimed to be in perfect condition.
Cafe’d or Stock – Pick a Honda S90
Here are two examples of my beloved S90. Both have recent engine rebuilds but the owners had different ideas on cosmetics. They’re within $400 of each other – which one would you have?
Motohangar Build – 1976 Honda CB750 Custom
Post Sale Update: This CB sold for $8,000 after 46 bids and was then relisted…then it sold for a BIN of $7,000. Built by Motohangar, this Honda CB750 was built for a friend of the owner – the friend ‘wanted the bike to show its age.’
Not That Metisse – 2014 Metisse Triumph CR900
Obviously, hearing the Metisse name should make you think of the Rickman brothers and their legendary work with the off-road frame that could accept a variety of engines. Well, turns out there’s a German company named Team Metisse that’s also in the business of upgrading motorcycles, and they’ve created a cafe kit called the CR900 for previous-generation Bonnies and Thruxtons. …
Honest Listing – 1962 Ducati Monza Cafe Project
Post Listing Update: This Monza project did not get any action at the BIN of $3,650. The pictures look like it’s pretty much all there, that most of the hard work has been done, but read the item description. Evidently the seller had a mechanic go over the project and estimate everything remaining needing to be done, and what it …
1 of 50 – 2015 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer Verde Legnano
Moto Guzzi produced just 50 of these bikes but this makes the third I’ve shared for sale this year. The short story is that they’re a limited edition based on the V7 (1st gen) that visually emulates the iconic Telaio Rosso V7 Sports from 1971. Unfortunately, I just don’t think these are nearly as special.
1975 BMW R90/6 Cafe Racer
Alright, let’s get it out of the way first – yes, this has those stupid Firestone tires that are too common on cafe racer builds. But as long as you can get over that, you may find there’s a lot to like about this 4 year-old build.
KTM Colors – 1972 Honda CL450 Cafe Racer
Post Listing Update: After 24 bids on eBay, Olivia did not meet reserve at $6,800. It relisted but bidding petered out at $6,750. Named Olivia, this CL450 custom was built by Hot Sake Cycles. The goal seems to have been to save weight, which explains the extensive use of carbon fiber. The seller says that all of the body parts …
Stock or Modified? Yamaha RD350s
This seller’s got two examples of Yamaha RD350s – one’s a cafe custom and the other is stock. Which do you prefer?
Quail Participant – 1992 Ducati 851 Custom
Post-Listing Update: This 851 did not get any interest at the BIN of $4,500. The seller originally acquired this 851 Strada as a “cosmetic basketcase” and decided he liked how it looked without bodywork. Thanks to a custom subframe, fiberglass cafe seat, and a few other pieces, you get a bike that (in the seller’s words) is “meant to ride, …
Unexpected Custom – 1965 Marusho ST 500
Post-Listing Update: This Marusho got no interest at the asking price of $7,850. A barely known Japanese manufacturer, Marusho (who built bikes under the name of Lilac) peaked in the mid 50s, though they went bankrupt in 1962 after a deal with Mitsubishi went bad. Within a year they came to life with a plan to specifically target the American …
1973 Honda CB450 Cafe Racer
View Post1975 Norton Commando Mk III Cafe Racer
In 1975, Norton released the Mark III of the Commando, which came with improvements like an electric starter, rear disc brake, and a left side gear change with right side brake to follow US laws. They also pared down the model offerings – now you could only get a Roadster or an Interstate. Here’s an example of the former that’s …
1,350 Miles – 1989 Honda GB500
Post Sale Update: This GB500 sold for $5,100 after 15 bids on eBay. Inspired by the beautiful English thumpers of the 60s, the Honda GB500 was a bike ahead of its time when it was released in the late 80s. Unfortunately, it did not sell well, and the US only got it for two years.
Black and Tan – 1978 Honda CB750K
I’ve featured a few MOTO PGH builds in the last few months – my impression is that they build rideable mild customs with a heavy cafe racer influence. This Honda based build is called the Black and Tan – what do you think?