Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Youtube or subscribe to our newsletter.A café racer project all starts with one simple question: which bike should I use as a donor / base motor?In this post we list some of the most popular models which are very suitable to turn into a café racer and are affordable for the most of us. Classic icons like Nortons, Moto Guzzi’s BMW’s and Triumphs are some truly cool bikes to turn into a café racer, but come also with a five figure price (we’ll write an article later on these ;)).Also check my list of the 17 Best Café Racer Bikes and a step by step Café Racer Building Plan.When selecting a bike for a café racer project, it’s important to know where to start. Do you have some references or ideas? On which bikes are your references built? Just pick this model.Not quite knowing what to build? Search for bikes you like, starting on Pinterest or Google Images. There are a lot of cool projects which can help you get inspiration.

It’s important to keep your budget in mind and be realistic. Starting with a rare Moto Guzzi for your first project is not a good idea if you’re on a tight budget.Also keep in mind that every bike is different and if it’s your first project it’s better to pick a mainstream model with a lot of online help and info.Another tip before you start building your café racer: make a plan! It’s sounds so easy, but if you’re failing to plan, you’re planning to fail. lufkin motorcycle sales and salvage incYou have to make a proper plan. motorcycle helmet huntington beachIf you’re not that handy mechanic: choose a common bike with a lot of café racer parts available which you can relatively ease “bolt on”. motorcycles for sale in pasco wa

Awesome front shocks, a custom monoshock subframe, a handcrafted fuel thank: they are beautiful but also come with some real craftsmanship.It’s also not a bad idea to stage your café racer project. For example: work to a rideable first version with some small customizations (making a list is very helpful!) so you can ride your bike in the summer. Go back to your garage in the winter and work towards another rideable version 2 of your bike and so on. used motorcycle for sale in sialkotBecause riding your bike will help you keep your enthusiasm for the project before the bike is ending up as an “unfinished project” on eBay… motorcycle shop draper utThis happens a lot, also because some ambitions are greater that the willingness to learn: working on a motorcycles requires technical knowledge and skills and if you don’t have them, you have to be patient enough to learn.motorcycle dealerships in concord nh

We can’t actually point out THE #1 base bike for your café racer project, but there is one type that stands out: the Honda CB.The Honda CB-series were very successful in the 70’s and 80’s, so there are a lot of them on the market. Their success resulted in a huge selection of aftermarket products, and a lot of “custom ready products”. Their engines are very reliable and easy to work on. Though, the popular CB’s like the CB500, CB550 and CB750 are not the cheapest to get, the parts are relatively cheap and know a very wide variation. motorcycle shop marysville waFor example: there are complete front fork conversion kits available for just a few bucks. And sites like Ryca Motors and Benjie’s Café Racer offer complete café racer kits: just bolt it on and go!Another big plus of the Honda is, since it is used a lot in cafe racer projects, there are a lot of examples available and you can find experiences and solutions for common problems almost everywhere online.

So if it’s your very first café racer project, we strongly recommend to pick one of Honda CB’s!Also check out our Top 10 Honda CB Café Racers!The BMW R-series are very popular by motorcycle builders and that’s for several reasons: BWM is one of the most sold motorcycles around the world, so there are plenty of them. The R-series are proven to be very, very reliable. It has a shaft drive, so it needs less maintenance. They are quite powerful, “torqey” and have a low center of gravity, which give the bike a solid handling. There are a lot of different types en versions from 500cc up to 1000cc’s and maybe the best of all: the twin boxer have an amazing sound.Since there are so many around, there is a lot to find in words of parts as well as information.Also check the 9 best custom BMW R nineT’sSimilar to the Honda CB are the Yamaha XS-series: there are a lot of them on the market and a huge world with aftermarket products. The most popular and powerful bike is the XS650 with a true bulletproof engine which generates a lot of torque and an amazing sound.

The cruiser Yamaha Virago is built from the early 80’s to mid 90’s. This was the first V-twin of Yamaha and the Virago was one of the first production bikes with a monoshock rear suspension. Unfortunately, in 1984 (2 years after the introduction) Yamaha switched back to dual shock rear suspension. The bike is shaft driven, which means less maintenance and comes with engines from 500cc up to 1000cc’s.Just like the with the Honda’s, there is a big Virago community and a lot of spare and aftermarket parts to buy.The so called “poor men’s Guzzi” with a great 2 cilinder engine which can give your café racer an extra cool look and generates an awesome sound. Needs a bit more work than the Honda CB and Yamaha XS to get the well known straight café racer line because of the higher front. The bike is a lit less popular, but there are still a lot of info and the parts are easy to get by.The Suzuki LS650 is very popular because of it’s massive, fully chromed single cilinder 650cc powerhouse and the fact that it’s powered by a belt drive.