1969 Honda CB450 Cafe Racer

Up on eBay right now is this super nice 1969 Honda CB450 Cafe Racer. The seller did such a good job of describing, that I just cut and paste all the factoids below. I really appreciate the fact that the seller was honest with the comfort factor (it isn’t) since so often eBay sellers neglect to inform…



The bike is a 1969 Honda CB450 with 3,160 miles on it. Bike has had many upgrades, while the perfect running engine has remained stock.
The front end is modified with Cb750 F forks and tubes with CB550 triple trees and new roller bearings.
The rear suspension is gas dampening adjustable with preload adjustment and raised 1.5″ to lower rake and trail. A custom fork brace was made (you can’t buy one of the shelf for this hybrid front end) and looks great while really making the front end for so much more confident. The bike handles great with this suspension and setup.
The headlight is a custom fiberglass bucket with built in tachometer (1974 CB550 tach used as its larger but still has same ratio). The bike has no speedometer in the pictures but uses a digital setup similar to a bicycle computer as to not be visually obtrusive.
The handle bar switches have been replaced with a smaller unit as there are no longer turn signals on the bike (legally not needed, and a commonly removed item when cleaning up the looks and making the bike lighter).
The tail light is a 1930’s replica English design.
Exhaust is custom made and is full 304 stainless steel. Complete system is less then half the weight of the original but is also much louder.
Tires are matched Avon Road Riders.
The seat was hand made from a sheet metal and also is much lighter then the stock seat. Padding is around 1″ and was modeled off of what these bikes used in their prime when modified to “cafe racer” duty.
Bike has electric and kick start. Paint is House of Kolor raspberry pearl (very close to original candy color but is urethane base, clear coat. Color is much more beautiful then pictures let on to.
*******the engine cases and cam covers have been polished since the pictures*******

*******the drive chain has also been replaced since the pictures*********
This bike would make a great addition to your collection and displays the style that was popular back in its day. Please email to setup time to view this beauty. Bike is very rideable but not necessarily comfortable. This should be noted so that the new owner is happy with their new addition. Riding the bike an hour at a time isn’t out of the question, but longer rides will make you ache, and want to get on your cruiser. Then after you see 5 cruisers just like yours or hit the curves, you’ll want back on this one!

1967 BSA B44 Shooting Star Cafe Racer

Here’s a nice BSA currently up on eBay with about 2 days left. Unrestored and very cool looking, this bike is currently at around $1K. It has the original black with yellow license plate so you can pretend you really are back in the ’60s bombing down the PCH north of Los Angeles. I wonder if this bike will reach the ton…

BTW, the seller of the bike has it listed as a B441, not a B44. Does anyone know the difference? Everything I’ve found only refers to a B44.

1972 Yamaha DS7 Cafe Racer

A few months ago, I posted a non-converted DS7. This is almost its perfect doppleganger, minus the clubman bars and the ratty seat foam. These bikes seem like a perfect alternative to the ubiquitous R5 or RD. They are beautiful motorcycles that look great with the simple addition of clip-ons or clubman bars. Period correct, and that great cafe styling. This one has supposedly had a stripped-to-the-frame restoration/rebuild, but no photos to back it up. Click through for more photos and description…

1965 Benelli 125 Cafe Racer (with title!)

Wow! A 44 year old motorcycle with a title! That is reason enough to post it…

Up on eBay right now is this Montgomery Wards 1965 Benelli 125 that has been cafe’d. I think I posted it before, but it is a reasonably nice bike to buy as a regular ride without worrying about whether or not your jacket scratches the tank while you are riding it. It has all the necessary cafe conversion stuff done to it, it has a title, but the seller won’t say if it runs or not (see below for a quote). It does need some clean-up work, and the footpegs/rearsets should be redone/fixed. The price is reasonable right now (2d 8h left), and it’s within driving distance of my house, but now that I am working again, I got to catch up before buying anything…

“Have you tried to start it?
I have not tried to start it. When placed in storage the fuel was drained from the tank. I have kicked the bike and it turns over just fine.
I am staying away from the bike because I know once I get it started I will ride it and not want to sell.”

Upon further inspection (pics included below), this bike needs LOTS of help with the foot pegs and shifter/brake pedal. Be aware before you bid…

Uh... Where's the footpeg???

There it is!!!

Polished Aluminum Cafe Racer Tank

I think I have posted before that the tank can make or break the look of a cafe racer. It is the biggest problem with my Sportster. The peanut tank is, well, a peanut tank. True/pure cafe racers don’t generally have peanut tanks.

So if that’s a problem that your bike faces as well, this tank might just be the solution. The seller has a number of cafe-related parts up for sale on eBay with this being one of the nicer items. He does mention a dimple in the tank somewhere, but apparently it is small enough that the camera has trouble picking it up. I’m not an expert at mounting custom gas tanks, but there appears to be enough room in the tunnel for a fairly robust frame backbone.

8 hours left in this auction. Good luck!

1961 Aermacchi 250 Cafe Racer

Here’s a really nicely customized 1961 Aermacchi 250cc bike that has been fully cafe racerized. Cool, one-off details abound. My favorite touches are the widened fuel tank with the fuel gauge placed in the side, and the pretty clean custom rear-sets. Overall, this is a beautiful bike.

From the listing…
Info on bike:

32mm Ceriani forks
Flanged rims
4 leading shoe Grimica front drum brake
350 Aermacchi rear drum brake with custom drilled cooling holes with stainless mesh installed
Stainless spokes
Custom made rear sets
Custom made stainless steel muffler
Works Performance rear shocks
Custom seat with cowl
Original frame with reinforced section in back by shocks
Benelli gas tank widened 2 1/2 inches with a custom glass fuel gauge installed and custom vented with billet gas cap
sealed battery
12 volt conversion with solid state rectifier and electronic ignition
custom tach drive
Original carb
Complete motor rebuild with hot cam
Custom made steel fenders
Custom levers and clip-ons

Suzuki GSF600 Cafe Fighter

I’ve posted a couple of street fighters before, but here is one that splits the difference between street fighter and cafe racer quite nicely. Based on a GSF600 Bandit post-tip-over, this bike brings a bit of classic cafe styling to a modern-ish bike with current suspension, wheels/tires, and brakes. Nice details abound, from the paint job to the fuel filler cap, and it looks like the whole bike was done with an eye on a clean finished product.

Although I wish the seller well in his bid to get $8,500 for the bike, I think he will have better luck with the Best Offer feature in his listing. I’ll be sure to do a “How Much Was It Worth?” post after the sale…

Ducati Monza 250 Cafe Racer

Up for auction right now is this nice conversion of a stock 1968 Ducati Monza 250 into a cafe racer with the simple addition of clubman bars. It has undergone a partial restoration, but is mostly original and includes the stock bars with purchase.

I do have to say that there is something about the bars from an aesthetic standpoint that strikes me as odd. Maybe it is the angle at which they are mounted, or maybe it is the width. Not sure, but I would swap them out for clip-ons if I bought the bike.