CAFE RACER DREAMS NX650

I’m starting to wonder if the NX650 is set to replace the CB750 as the favorite Honda platform for custom builders. In Europe, a Dominator is easy to find: it was the ubiquitous inner-city dispatch bike. Tough, reliable and comfortable on the dirt as well as the asphalt, it’s an underrated all-rounder.

This is another NX650-based traffic stopper from Spain’s Cafe Racer Dreams. Built for a client based in the Mediterranean town of Nice, it’s sporting an alloy tank from a Yamaha XT500. The sleek new look is enhanced by black Renthal Ultra Low bars and CRD’s own lights front and rear, also finished in black (and now on sale in their stylish online store).

The battery is now hidden under the seat, which is custom-fabricated in vintage-style brown leather—a perfect foil for the green and silver tank and sand-colored frame.

The NX650’s bulletproof 644 cc air-cooled motor—good for 50 mpg—required no modification, aside from a K&N intake and a sinuous custom-fabricated exhaust system, which now exits much lower than stock, down by the swingarm.

The standard rear shock, a weak point on the NX650, has been upgraded to an Öhlins item, and the rims are Excel. The front wheel has gone down a couple of inches in size to 19”, and the rear has gone up an inch to 18”, for a more balanced look.

Who ever thought a Dominator could look so stylish? Check out more NX650 inspiration in the Bike EXIF Archives, and keep up with CRD’s news on their Facebook page.

via BIKEEXIF

HARLEY XL1200 BY CRD

Cafe Racer Dreams have made a name for themselves with classy Triumph and Honda customs. They’ve resisted the lure of Milwaukee so far, but as with most builders, there comes a time when you need to look at the Harley-Davidson Sportster.

The Harley brand is strong in Spain, but most customs are of the fringed leather variety. So CRDmain man Pedro García decided to try a different approach, and at the same time, get the bike to corner well—by fitting 17” wheels. The result is CRD #21, nicknamed “The Stroke.”

The base bike is a 2008 XL1200, but it’s now running a tank from Storz Performance. The seat is custom-made, and fitted onto a modified rear frame. Storz supplied the pipes too, with breathing enhanced on the inlet side by K&N filters. The suspension has been upgraded with Öhlins components and the controls and brakes are from Performance Machine.

The headlight is now relocated well below the line of the bars, which sport LSL controls, and the foot controls are from Tarozzi. A complete repaint, including hand-lettering, finishes the job.

The XL1200 now looks much more compact and muscular, with a nose-down visual stance and more focus on the engine. Is this the sort of Sportster that Harley themselves should be making, do you think?

Previous CRD builds are in the Bike EXIF Archives. Keep up with CRD news on their Facebook page.

from BIKEexif

REBORN YAMAHA SR250

This slim and agile Yamaha SR250 street tracker is the first product from a new Barcelona workshop called Reborn Motors. Light and maneuverable, it’s perfect for tight city streets and gravel tracks further afield.

Reborn Motors has an impeccable pedigree. The workshop is run by Jim Palau-Ribes, a European car designer who also runs Pursang Motors, and race bike mechanic Hector Zayas, who also helped build the Kiddo Uno Honda NX650.

Why an SR250? “It’s a common bike here in Barcelona,” says Palau-Ribes, “so we thought it would be a good starting point: to take an ordinary old bike and turn it into something special.” And special this one is. The mods are well thought-out and functional, with a 34mm Dell’Orto carburetor and short-throw throttle adding to the rider experience.

The bars are from a Sherco 450i enduro bike, and the triple clamps and footrests are from a Honda CRF. Dunlop K180 tires ride on Excel Takasago 2.50 x 18” rims, and Betor shocks smooth out the ride. The SR250 also now has a kickstarter and the tank is from a vintage (and rare) Derbi Tricampeona moped. A classy paintjob from the Spanish company “Chop In Art” provides the finishing touch.

I’m betting we’ll be hearing a lot more about Reborn Motors. This SR250 is a pretty good start, wouldn’t you say?

Photography by Jose Maria Espallargas  .from BIKEexif 

THE 2012 BIKE EXIF TOP TEN

Twice a year, we compile a list of the most popular motorcycles on Bike EXIF. It’s the global barometer of public taste, with bikes selected on the basis of web traffic and their popularity across our social media channels—including Facebook, Stumbleupon and our exploding Pinterest page, which now has almost 1.5 million followers.

So here are the ten machines that our readers liked best in the second half of 2012. There are several ‘older’ bikes that are still racking up huge numbers, and would make this list if it was an all-time Greatest Hits: That includes several Rough Crafts and Wrenchmonkees bikes, plus previous Classified Moto builds and many of Cafe Racer Dreams’ machines.

Let us know in the comments what you think of this list.

1. Classified Moto KT600 [top]. When Battlestar Galactica actress Katee Sackhoff wanted a custom motorcycle, she commissioned John Ryland to build this Honda XL600. It’s already garnered well over 100,000 page views, and not surprisingly, Ryland has been deluged with orders for new builds.

2. After a track day accident, Alonzo Bodden got his Ducati 1098 (above) customized by Anglada Originals. The result is a powerful, heavily upgraded performance bike packed with top-shelf components and given a brutal streetfighter style.

3. This 1982 Yamaha Virago XV750 (above) was Eric Meglasson’s first motorcycle build, and was inspired by Classified Moto’s work on the same model. The Oregon architect now runs his own custom motorcycle company.

4. 1970s-era BMW airheads respond well to the cafe racer treatment. But you don’t often see one with a mono-shock conversion. This 1976 BMW R75/6 (above) is owned by graphic designer Casey Wilkinson of the motorcycle-mad Wilkinson Brothers.

5. It’s always fascinating to see the personal rides of bike builders. This amazing Ducati Pantah(above) belongs to JvB-moto’s Jens vom Brauck, a regular on these pages since the early days.

6. Dark and minimal is the custom trend today. But there’s always an exception, like this pale and elegant Triumph Bonneville cafe racer (above) by Loaded Gun Customs.

7. The Spanish workshop Cafe Racer Dreams transformed a humble BMW R75/5 (above) into a stunning vintage scrambler destined for the streets of Paris.

8. Holland’s Super Motor Company has turned the humble Honda Super Cub (above) into a fire-breathing salt flats racer. It’s not our usual fare on EXIF, but it was the surprise hit of the year.

9. Jason Kidd’s extraordinary Flyrite Choppers ‘Double Trouble’ (above) custom Norton has not one, but two Atlas engines.

10. A stern test for custom builders is how they handle the ‘budget’ job. This Ducati GT1000 (above) was no problem for the English workshop Spirit Of The Seventies—and won the company many new admirers.

What do you think about this selection? Is it representative of the custom scene today? And what do you think the next trends will be?

Add your thoughts below—I’ll be closely monitoring the comments from around noon (PST time in the US), and will be happy to answer any questions you’ve got.