CAFÉ RACER 76: TON UP GARAGE R45 PURE

They all make it look so easy. The volume of brilliantly executed custom bikes flooding our computer screens from both pro and amateur builders alike belie a key fact. Building a beautiful custom bike is not as simple as we hope. A quick trawl through the graveyard of ebay yields any number of machines filed under “Cafe Racer”, “Scrambler” or “Custom” that just do not work. The best intentions, a smattering of new parts, some creative fabrication and a wealth of inspiration have culminated in an unfortunately failed attempt. As the donor market becomes ever more ploughed for suitable base models these halfway attempts are slipping into the potential project category. This is one such lucky machine that has been saved from its previously butchered custom state and reinvented to realise the ambitions that stirred its initial transformation.

This little R45 landed on its feet. It found itself seeking redemption within the walls of Ton Up Garage in Portugal where Daniel and Pedro have established themselves in the upper echelons of the pro build league. On the Ton Up Garage Bikeshed page you will find a trio of their splendid custom Bonneville’s and a stunning Kawasaki Zephyr build, but this is the first Ton Up Boxer to make it’s way into the Shed. You can see the Ton Up DNA running through the bike.

The name of this bike epitomises the mission statement of the build. Pure. “This bike reflects at best the essentials of a motorcycle” – “We made it without having a costumer for it, so all decisions of what to do with it were completely ours with no foreign input”. As you can see, the boys need no advice on how to put together a super clean motorcycle.

With a small 474cc engine and 35hp the R45 is a natural city dweller, preferring the commute to long legged touring. Daniel and Pedro prepared the bike with off road tyres to tackle the crumbly city streets of the old town, to match the tyres and absorb the potholes the shocks were upgraded and the forks overhauled. They report she is very well balanced and tackles the worst of the city streets with ease.

The old school off road theme continues with the spoked wheels and a custom fabricated stone guard over the headlight. Chrome mudguards were cut and fitted, the rear nestling tightly in the adapted rear subframe. High braced MX bars with a small cream faced speedometer complete the running gear.

As with all Ton Up builds the colour scheme has been thoroughly thought out and beautifully executed. “We decided to paint the bike in white purity and earth brown.” For me, I can’t look at the thing without craving a beautiful cup of coffee.

The brown finds its way onto the cylinder heads, grips, stone guard, the beautiful branded seat and the exhaust wrap. The white curiously surfaces on the exhaust cans and again on the headlight shell tying in with the front section of the tank.

The overall palette is beautiful and cohesive, the yellow tinted light and original fork reflectors adding some contrast.

Ton Up report that this little beauty is for sale thought their web page. If you don’t trust yourself with the spanners why not save some poor bike the distress of a failed makeover and get yourself this twice rejuvenated R45.