Café racers and scramblers are two of the most popular segments in the motorcycling community. These bikes have battled several misconceptions over the years but their purpose-built nature has transcended generations. It is traditional for Café racers and scramblers to be fashioned in a manner that exudes the spirit of rebellion that also fuels these motorbikes and their riders.
Today many mainstream motorcycle manufacturers are building factory versions of these highly coveted body types. These motorcycles are automotive artworks and demand an audience that appreciates their magnificence and in today’s tech-savvy world, Instagram offers the perfect platform to exhibit these masterpieces.
10 Rajputana Customs Vigilante 650
Royal Enfield has been in operation for the better part of a century which makes it the oldest production motorcycle company in the world. The motorcycle manufacturer is responsible for offering us several game-changers over the years.
Rajputana customs used the latest addition to the company’s model portfolio unmodified it into you are regal Badass. The standard Royal Enfield Continental GT is powered by an all-new and very capable 647 cc engine that produces 47 bhp and 38 lb-ft of peak torque.
9 Auto Fabrica Type 18
Most offerings from BMW Motorrad come with exorbitant price tags but the outgoing model of the BMW R Nine T is a true bargain. The motorcycle is priced just under $10,000 and is powered by the company's iconic flat-twin motor that produces 110 horsepower and 86 lb-ft of torque.
More often than not, bargain bikes sport dreary designs but Auto Fabrica modified the street fighter and the result was an eye-catching two-wheeler featuring futuristic styling elements that draw inspiration from the aerospace industry.
8 Holy Shift KTM 390
KTM celebrates its impressive Motorsport association which helped the company develop its 390 Duke sport-naked offering. The company wanted its customers to express themselves and customize their rides to suit their personalities which is why KTM offers a wide range of accessories that make 390 Duke a perfect starter bike.
An Indian based outfit named Holy Shift decided to build a Star Wars-inspired scrambler using 390 Duke and body panels are fabricated in house. The project was dubbed Bobba and features telescopic front forks that are mated to the bikes 373 cc engine.
7 Vtopia Design Hypermotard
Like most Italian offerings the Ducati Hypermotard is one of the most beautifully and proportionately designed offerings in the segment. It also happens to be one of the very few bikes that are street-legal and can still accelerate to 60 MPH from a complete standstill in under 3 seconds.
If that wasn't exciting enough, Italian design firm Vitopia Design also modified the air-cooled supermoto offering and the final product now flaunts a flamboyant bodywork that features geometric styling elements. The company also offers a styling kit for the bike for interested Hypermotard owners.
6 Drive-In Workshop Honda CB600F
The Honda CB600F is one of the most reliable motorcycle nameplates in the segment but like many mass-volume Honda motorcycles, the CB600F also struggles to shake off its boring persona. A Russia-based creative custom-bike outfit called The Drive-In Workshop managed to transform this inconspicuous ride into head-turning futuristic café racer on a tight budget.
The project used a vandalized Honda CB600F as its foundation which was rebuilt mechanically and then modified. The sub-frame of the motorcycle was shortened and body panels were painted in a beautiful candy green color scheme.
5 Deus Customs Westlake Tagand Special Moto Guzzi
Most Moto Guzzi bikes are divine creations and Italian motorcycle purists consider it a sacrilege to take a welding torch to any of the models manufactured by the Italian bike brand but that is exactly what Australian-based custom bike shop Dues Ex Machina did with the Westlake Tagand Special.
The project was built using parts from BSA, Moto Guzzi 853, Dresda Triton, and a Triumph Norton. The motorcycle's classic bodywork features a beautiful dual-tone 'Miami Blue' and Chrome color scheme and the bike rides on refurbished 18-inch spoke wheels.
4 Cevennes Retro Motors' Ducati 750SS
Cedric Trenquir is the artistic brains behind Cevennes Retro Motors and used a Ducati 750SS as the base for his Chrome art project. Every component on this handcrafted motorcycle has been built from scratch except for the Italian L-Twin motor which is used as a structural element in the project.
The bike features an organically-shaped almost vine-like single-sided swingarm that seems to flow organically out of the engine bay which is engulfed in trellis sections. The French designer has crafted the entire body from1.5 mm double aluminum alloy.
3 Thornton Hundred Ducati
Like Cevennes Motors' Ducati 750SS, Thornton Hundred decided to use the engine of a Ducati Panigale 1299 as the main focus of the build. The entire bike is built around the 1285 cc L-twin motor that produces 205 horsepower and 100.5 lb-ft of peak torque.
The custom shop decided to re-imagine the fully-faired sportbike as a naked sport example. Many of the bespoke components on the bike are handcrafted using an English wheel and others are 3D printed like the headlamp cluster that has been designed to enhance the airflow.
2 DeBolex Kawasaki ZRX1200R
The design of deBolex Engineering’s custom-made Kawasaki ZX1200R project was inspired by AMA racing bikes of the 80s and the company intends on putting its creation into series production. The body panels of the motorcycle are made out of aluminum including the front fairing that sits atop the wide 4-cylinder motor.
The attention to detail throughout the bike is quite impressive including the pressed creases on the body panels. The headlamp cluster is also hidden behind an aluminum panel that can be detached using a quick-release chord.
1 UpCycle Garage BMW R 100RT
Johnny Nguyen is the owner of a California-based custom bike shop called UpCycle Garage and the man is also responsible for building two of the most elegantly stylized café racers that are based on BMW R100 models. The motorcycles feature retro-style fairings and the seats are made out of leather sourced from a BMW car.
The fairings have also been sourced from other BMW bike models and align in almost perfect symmetry to the bike’s fuel tank just like the contrasting color scheme that also flows on to the alloy wheels of the motorcycles.