Modified Yamaha XS 650 concept ditches the Cafe Racer’s classic appeal for a modern, punkish design

Posted on 10/05/2021 by Sarang Sheth

If your first reaction was “That looks nothing like a Yamaha cafe racer”, believe me, you’re not alone. Alex Casabo’s reinterpretation of the classic mid-size Yamaha XS 650 motorcycle is far from conventional. Bordering into an edgy, almost KTM territory, Casabo’s Concept 13 R looks less like the seasoned, mature, classic Yamaha cafe racer and more like its aggressive late-teenage son… and I personally can’t get enough of it!

The Concept 13 R’s f***boi vibe is deliberate and difficult to ignore. Look past its edgy, armor-like design and you’ll notice that tramp-stamp on its tires that reads “Love You, Fvck You”, sending mixed signals that make you even more curious about the bike. The modified concept ditches Yamaha’s iconic fuel-tank design for a low-poly fairing that is complemented by the unusual windshield plate on the front within which sits the bike’s tiny, yet powerful projector headlight. The Concept 13 R has two additional headlights too, in the form of LED strips mounted on the front spring forks. The taillight sits on the back of the seat, with the same thin LED-strip design.

Designer Alex Casabo uses panel-work to bring the bike’s design to life, resulting in edgy forms with little volume. Even the seat itself has little mass, and is just about an inch thick. The seat, however, sits on rather visible shock absorbers, providing some cushioning as you drive down on bumpy terrain. The nude, zinc-coated galvanized steel finish on the fuel tank further reinforces the bike’s raw attitude, making it look unusual, to say the least.

What makes the Concept 13 R so interesting is that it isn’t like the other mass-produced bikes from Yamaha’s factory. It has its own complex, wolf-like personality that helps it stand out against the sheep. Perhaps the only Yamaha symbol can be seen on the bike’s clutch cover. That itself gets undercut by the smiling emoji beside it and the blue-burnt steel exhausts.

The bike’s tire treats have smileys and X’s on them too, almost like tattoos on a bike-loving gear-head. If, however, the Concept 13 R’s bad-boy attitude is a little too much for you, Alex Casabo’s even made a slightly more mature and respectable-looking white and black variant… although if you personally ask me, where’s the fun in that??

Designer: Alex Casabo

Feast your eyes on this BMW Cafe Racer from the future!

Posted on 30/12/2020 by Sarang Sheth

It does seem outwardly reductionist to look at this BMW Café Racer as just a design exercise, but that’s what Concept Designer Sabino Leerentveld describes it as. The Netherlands-based designer decided it was time to work on a two-wheeler after a string of conceptual car projects, and the car DNA is very undeniably present in this café racer too! While the concept doesn’t have a formal name, Sabino likes to think of it as a cross between traditional café racers and futuristic bikes. After all, the concept’s silhouette clearly has an undeniably futuristic sports vibe.

The bike’s form is pretty linear on the top, with one single wave-shaped swooping line going from taillight to headlight; breaking just once for the dashboard visor. Its body-work is primarily a combination of metal and carbon-fiber, which makes for some interesting paint-jobs including one in Yellow, and another in Red which was lovingly dubbed as the Iron Man Edition on Instagram. The bike sports a BMW logo on its side, and in keeping with BMW’s tradition, opts for a split headlight instead of the iconic split kidney-grille. The edge-lit taillight sits on the end of the seat too, which cantilevers off the bike’s main body, creating an absolutely enchanting side-profile!

Designer: Sabino Leerentveld

This BMW Café Racer + Drag Racer bike is an edgy speed demon on the prowl

Posted on 27/12/2020 by Gaurav Sood

This bike looks seems like the perfect clone of a cruiser bike, a café racer, and a drag racer all put into one without overdoing things. Having a very front centered gravity of the rider and an elongated slinging rear, the Brutal R NineT is the work of industrial designer Fabian Breës from Antwerp, Belgium.

The basic design inspiration for the concept comes courtesy of the BMW R 80 motorcycle by BMW Motorrad. In its time the bike was an acclaimed classic road machine, having an off-road dirt bike like vibe to it. While the R 80 G/S had a very tall profile, this one by Fabian trims it down a little for a café racer like character. The front section of the ride adapts a very futuristic profile with the zero-shaped LED lights while the rear bears an aggressive character exemplified by the tail light positioned in a way to give the impression of a burning jet engine when lit up. The rear wheel’s super heavy design is reassuring and amps up the cafe racer vibe to help the bike keep going straight. In fact, the edgy front of the bike brings to mind an eagle on the prowl and you want to stay out of its way when it is on the hunt!

If you look at this muscular bike from the side, it seems so dominant on the tarmac – virtually looking like chasing its prey (other drag racers) down. That definitive sense of sticking to the road and generating maximum traction and downforce for high-speed chases. No doubt Fabian likes to mention it as the Buzzsaw too for its aggressive appeal, ready to shred the competition to bits!

Desinger: Fabian Breës

BMW’s K100 bike gets even more edgy with a F-117 Nighthawk aircraft inspired redesign!

Posted on 20/12/2020 by Shawn McNulty-Kowal

The BMW K100 cafe racer is rolling in hot with a fresh look and tank from Crooked Motorcycles. A team of designers took to a 1986 BMW K100 and customized it for the streets of today, dubbing it, the Nightcrawler. Crooked Motorcycle’s newest custom motorcycle beams as the product of teamwork, each part of the cafe racer being handled and designed by specialized team members like welders and upholsterers.

Inspired by the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, an American stealth attack aircraft, and constructed using DC01 cold rolled steel, the Nightcrawler’s tank is perhaps the bike’s main event. Created in 3D and designed by Ivan Lit, the tank’s enigmatic personality was achieved through measured cutting via water jet and a welding job given by German metal-shaper, Fred Flitzefuß. Once the designers found the tank’s geometric build, it was time for a matte black paint job, given by Dieter Bals, and construction. In order to get the Nightcrawler ready for the streets of today, Crooked Motorcycles sent its 1986 motor to SW Motorradtechnik, a small motorcycle shop, for some new OEM parts. Outfitted with the latest, Nightcrawler brings a swing arm for rear-wheel vertical pivot capabilities, along with a gearbox from BMW K1100 to match and Wilburs shocks. Nightcrawler’s exhaust system comes equipped with a Cobra SPX Carbon muffler and custom triples were designed by RT CNC to fit with the new custom job. Overall, the Nightcrawler has a lot to brag about. Amidst a long list of bespoke additions, Crooked Motorcycles welded a custom subframe for Nightcrawler, integrated a new air filter from DNA Filters, a Motogadget control box, TRW bars, and bare LED headlights for nighttime cruises.

With a longitudinal engine, the K100 was before its time and became one of BMW’s most prominent successes. When you look at the K100, it screams the 1980s, with gaudy headlights and a rigid frame, an ideal motorcycle for its time, but out of place for today’s highways. Compared to the Nightcrawler, whose geometric and confrontational personality, yet reserved and slick-as-ice body hits the street with composed confidence. The 1980s brought a lot of noise and the Nightcrawler cut through it all.

Designers: Crooked Motorcycles

Michael “Woolie” Woolaway facelifts Zero Motorcycles SR/S into a retro-futurist café racer

Posted on 14/10/2020 by Gaurav Sood

When master fabricator Michael “Woolie” Woolaway gets down to fabricating a bike using old school techniques – it results in pure magic. A visually-pleasing form that resonates with the perfect symmetry of shapes that evoke a sense of excitement even before one pushes the throttle. For a change, Michael embarked on creating a custom electric bike – the first electric motorcycle that he has laid hands on for a thrilling collaboration. The collaboration between Zero Motorcycles and Deus ex Machina – courtesy of Michael’s creative inputs has resulted in a stunning custom-made all-electric SR/S café racer.

Zero Motorcycles SR/S was introduced in February this year, and it instantly resonated with buyers given its superior design and better range over the street bike Zero SR/F. Rewind back to last year when Woolaway came across Zero Motorcycles Race Team engineers at the 98th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb competition in Colorado Springs – the idea to customize a Zero electric motorcycle was sparked in the legendary fabricator’s mind. And what better way to do it than on the Zero Motorcycles SR/S – it’s a clean slate that can be modified with creative freedom. That’s because there are no gas tanks and the presence of a trellis frame makes it ideal to weave the magic. He was sent a stock SR/S before its unveil and even though he had to counter the difficulties related to coronavirus lockdown, Woolaway used decades of industry connections to keep things going. As he elaborated, “I wanted to do something kind of old and new, old shapes that I grew up with and new technology, no computer work, just foam, plastic, shaping and measuring tools, transfer tools and kind of the old school way.”

The custom SR/S capable of churning out 114 hp and a top speed of 124 mph is crafted from a single carbon mold of carbon fiber composites and Woolaway also took help from aerospace engineers from Lockheed Martin who helped with the monocoque assembly. Of course, there are custom inclusions like hand-blown windscreen from Zero Gravity, race car-style winglets, a brand-new seat from Saddlemen, custom thumb brake from Spain, Showa suspension, and ultra-light Dymag carbon wheels. Apparently, this is the first time the master crafter has been able to unleash his creative bits to organically shape something. As he added, “You’re thinking about function and seating position and weight distribution, distance to the pegs… I’ve never been able to just organically create a shape for a motorcycle like this ever. And it was a great experience and I hope everybody likes it.”

Designers: Zero Motorcycles with Michael “Woolie” Woolaway

A Retro-ultra-modern Cafe Racer

Posted on 13/12/2018 by Troy Turner

honda_00

In addition to having a unique riding stance, cafe racer-style motorcycles are known for having a distinct chopped or stripped aesthetic that was popularized by rebellious Brit kids zipping around from cafe to cafe. Staying true to its roots — but with a modern twist — this design, dubbed the Honda Neo Fighter, by Arik Schwarz imagines the cafe racer of the distant future as being melded together from spare robot parts!

The wild looking result retains the low-handlebar look and short seat cowl admirers have come to appreciate, but adds in a laundry list of ultramodern innovations such as a solar tank, aluminum/helium frame, and adaptive brakes. Aesthetically, it looks just as mean (and certainly just as uncomfortable!) as you’d expect from a cafe racer.

Designer: Arik Schwarz

honda_01