Blog — cafe racer

Bike Shed London 2018 - Tom Bing

We've worked with Tom Bing pretty much since he returned from a truly epic riding and surf trip through North and South America, where he and wife Sally challenged their little Hondas through some of the most inhospitable terrain capturing some truly stunning wanderlust inducing images along the way. Back in the groove of 'normal life' Tom and Sally tour around in their aged Talbot Motorhome with baby Billy while working for the DTRA, Built Magazine, Yamaha and a number of custom bike publications. Tom covered the show for us last year and thankfully he returned for 2018 and managed...

Son of Time XSR900 Æon

Manufacturer collaborations can be a contentious issue for those purists who feel the mainstream is pillaging the roots of the current custom scene. Splicing brands with products seemingly synonymous to a marketing team has the propensity to result in bikes lacking depth and character. But Dutch horologists TW Steel have form when it comes to bold collabs and we've not only featured the fruits of labour on these pages but also exhibited the bikes at our shows. So, we're biased and must say nice things. Bolloks to that. What TW Steel have done is enabled a few custom builders to...

Lions Den Motorcycles Dirt Racer

There are numerous reasons people have set themselves up as custom bike builders, hopefully by now those still contemplating it will be aware that huge profits and a lavish lifestyle aren't synonymous with creating unique machines. If late, solitary nights in the workshop surrounded by 17 versions of a simple bracket and empty cans of Red Bull sounds like there perfect pastime - fill your boots. Dan Thomas from Lions Den Motorcycles is one of those grafting creative types who derives more satisfaction from challenging himself rather than filling the bank account, which is evident from this build which was...

Rua Machines *8 Guzzi Nevada

We were having such a great time at our own show that we forgot about Portugal's largest custom event, Lisboa Art&Moto that was on the same weekend in May. What's impossible to forget though is the impact Portuguese builders have had on the European scene over the last few years. I have my own theories and some Lisbon and Porto locals have shared theirs but for now let's just say that there must be something in the water. Rua Machine must down gallons of the stuff as they've yet to fail in sending us bike photos that provoke an immediate...

Paul Milbourn Customs Guzzi 'Titanium'

Superleggera isn't a term that even the most patriotic and loyal Moto Guzzi employee would have been able to use to describe even the racier versions of their old V11. It's the character and charm at the heart of this heavy old Hector that appealed to many though, including Paul Milbourn. Paul has form when it comes to completely over engineering bikes. He's the sort of chap I admire, eminently skilful with a distinct lack of self questioning. Why take an old air-cooled lump of a bike and remake it out of titanium? There's only one answer... because you can....

Ducati Scrambler Café Racer

A couple of weeks ago at the world launch event in Bologna, Ducati added yet another flavour to their Scrambler menu - the Café Racer. Or was it the Scrambler Café Racer. Or the Scrambler Ducati Cafe Racer? I’m just going to call it the Café Racer as that seems easiest. As the name blatantly gives away, it’s a café racer themed Scrambler, which, don’t worry, doesn’t make much sense to me either - there’s nothing visually "scrambler" about it, unlike, say, the Desert Sled - but more on that later. Ducati chose a brilliant location to launch the Café...

Moto Studio Guzzi 1000 SP 'Moto Lino'

Miami based Moto Studio have shot another stunning Guzzi across Bike Shed's bows. We make no secret, or apologies, about our admiration for their work and have always clamoured to feature their creations when possible. For a background on the team behind the bikes check the Bike Shed archive here. This 1980 Moto Guzzi 1000SP might be the latest to roll off the bench but it was in fact the first to project undertaken by Bruce McQuiston, Moto Studio's founder, five years ago “this was simply a pet project, an outlet for my sculpture background and motor-head mind set. One...

Yamaha XSR900 Abarth

Growing up I was obsessed with the exploits of the heroic drivers who pedalled featherlight, rocket propelled coffins around the public roads of Sicily and mainland Italy to compete in the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia races. The underfunded garagista Abarth team fielded some of the most fabulously uncompromised machinery which, to a school boy, looked like they were travelling at warp speed at all times. But Karl Abarth started out life as a motorcycle frame designer and racer, a quick one too, whooping the factory rider's arses, aged just 16. The 1970s saw Fiat take hold of Abarth's reigns...