The Arcanum build began when I picked up a ‘78 Yamaha SR500 from a guy in Newcastle, it was an...
JoinedApril 30, 2018
Articles2,449
Geoff launched Return of the Cafe Racers in 2006 as a place to document his very first cafe racer build. He has also worked as the editor of the independent custom motorcycle magazine Tank Moto, contributed to other online publication like BikeExif and co-hosted several Australian automotive events. Geoff also regularly visits custom bike events around the world as a special guest or media partner.
“My name is Nils J. Ksienzyk and I’m a 28 year old bike builder from Germany. From the age of...
As with all our other issue Tank Moto 5 features an eclectic mix of custom builds. In this issue we...
When someone describes a bike as a clean build you usually expect it to be something pretty special and I...
The build of the K1 was undertaken by a talented group of individuals who donated their time and skills to...
And here I was thinking the best thing to come out of Belgium was chocolates and Jean Claude Van Damme!...
Cam from Stories of Bike paid the Kustom Kommue another visit a few weeks ago to film part 2 of...
The Blue Rhapsody takes its main inspiration from the 90’s race bikes Keinosuke saw on the streets of Japan in...
Busch and Busch build beautiful bikes, there’s no denying it. In fact, I was so in love with their Bultaco Matador that...
Last year I had the pleasure of attending the Mooneyes show in Japan. The builder that took out best of show...
Maybe in 1980 the Suzuki GS550e’s 49bhp was enough for your average sassy suburbanite, but Interstellar Motors head honcho Jody Wegman...
In Singapore, you can be sentenced to jail for selling chewing gum… imagine what they do to people whose exhaust...
As well as trying to update this site as often as possible I also write for Tank Moto and Fuel...
Harley’s continue to be the underdog in the Cafe Racer scene. Although I’ve featured plenty of Harley Davidson Cafe Racers...
It’s been a couple of years since I first featured one of Kevin Hills custom builds. Since then under his...
Mad Max Fury Road is due to hit cinema screens in May 2015 and they’ve just released a trailer to...
Bali, Indonesia. Beautiful beaches, lush tropical forests, killer surf, cheap shopping and Bintang beer. Bali also happens to be a...
Suzuki Katana. Honda Dominator. Kawasaki Ninja. These are all bike names that inspire visions of power and awesomeness. In some...
A couple of months back I flew to Sydney to attend one of Australia’s best custom motorcycle events. Organised by...
“I started Cognito Moto with the black and red Honda CB550 featured on Return of the Cafe Racers last year. This...
The bike that started it all. The W650 Cafe Racer I built in 2007. Photo by Jason Lau Ten years...
“My very first motorcycle was a 50cc Honda Cub. It was more of a scooter but it didn’t matter. My...
The red ‘Monster’ which was built back in 2013 for the Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and the blue...
“Two years ago, after looking at some cool bikes on the internet I decided to build one for me and...
Firstly a design was rendered in conjunction with Oberdan Bezzi Design which took styling cues from the Yamaha FZ750, a...
Living in a big city can make it difficult for anyone wanting to customise their own bike. It was one...
It is with great pleasure that I announce the release of issue 4 of Tank Moto. On friday night we...
With a workshop name like “it roCKS!bikes” the Portugese builders Osvaldo Coutinho and Alexandre Santos have set the bar high...
I can confidently say this is the first time I’ve featured a custom motorcycle that was influenced by Keira Knightley. Jeremy at...
With a life long passion for bikes and an endless desire to create custom motorcycles using “hand made” techniques, Oficina...
I love a good concept bike. An open brief and an aim to push the boundaries, breach new territory and...
Six months ago I opened up Australia’s first communal motorcycle workshop with my buddy and business partner Jimmy. Soon after...
There’s no denying that the Verona Motorcycle Show attracts some truly spectacular builds. Unfortunately this year the one bike that...
So what exactly is it that we’re looking at? The JVLT is not a functioning motorcycle, so don’t worry about...
Ring a ding ding, two strokes are where it’s at in the custom scene right now. Whether it’s an ex-farm...
Retro looks and higher build quality. That was the thinking behind Suzuki’s 1200cc Inazuma when it was first released back...
Looking back at the Renard Motorcycles build portfolio it’s easy to see why someone would want workshop owners Kaarel and Andres to...
As the lines blur between the different styles of custom bike building and builders become more adventurous, it’s getting much...
When opportunity beckons what do you do? … let it pass you by or seize it? Whilst the decision for...
Although the Kawasaki Z650 might be considered by many to be the low powered cousin of the Z1, it actually...
While the idea of belting down a freeway at a ton and a half on a big bore Cafe Racer...
Valtoron in Valdetorres de Jarama, Spain, is the workshop of two brothers, Pablo and Carlos Delgado. Since 1995 the brothers...
Is it just me or does this look like insanely good fun? There’s no denying that Yamaha’s legendary SR400 is...
On the southern coast of Wales, stretching out for 7 miles along the edge of Carmarthen Bay, is a...
While Rickman Motorcycles started out producing frames and body kits for British made motorcycles in the seventies they turned their...
I don’t know about you but when I was a kid if I went anywhere near my Dad’s car with...
After a sell out issue 2 Tank Moto is back again with a fresh serving of custom motorcycle awesomeness. Despite...
Last time we touched base with the Pozzato brothers at Officine GP Design, we were drooling over their incredible custom MV Augusta...
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At the heart of the Triton is a special blend of Triumph engineering. A ’61 Pre Unit 650cc engine was...
Making another mans dream a reality isn’t something many of us can claim to have done. For the team at...
Santi García has been contributing to the build portfolio at the Barcelona workshop of La Carono motorcycles for the past...
After more than 35 years of production, the Yamaha SR400 has had little in the way of design modifications. The...
Back in 2012, I was contacted by Vaughan in Sydney who had just finished hammering out the bodywork on his...
Subtle this bike ain’t, but what else would you expect from Radical Ducati? Their latest build uses a donor bike...
Back in the early two thousands, Steampunk was all the rage. Popularised by films like Sky Captain and the World...
Last week I returned from Japan after fulfilling a 5 year dream of attending the 2013 Mooneyes Yokohama Hotrod &...
If you’re into motorcycles and you haven’t heard of Max Hazan you’ve probably been on a solo trip in the...
Although they call each other allies the US and the UK never quite see eye to eye. One area where...
It’s been a while since I’ve paid Japan a visit on the site, but this beauty of a Bobber from...
The Eau Rouge Yamaha XJR1300 features a plethora of custom fabricated components made in house by the Deus Italian workshop....
Back in 2012 Raider custom built the GB and labelled it their SLS (Salt Lake Sickle). It was created as...
Back in the early nineties Jim was customising Yamaha SR’s and British bikes under the influence of the Japanese custom...
This weekend in Melbourne, Australia there’s a lot more happening than just a few midgets riding horses around in circles....
The Nero Mark 2 is a blacked-out, limited edition version of his Nero Mark 1 that was released back in...
It’s not often motorcycles remind me of people, but this Suzuki GSX400 with its “dark, rather cruel good looks”, instantly looked familiar....
“Years ago I rode a ’72 Yamaha XS650 from California to Sturgis. I was wearing a Walmart rain suit in...
The Interceptor may be an unexpected development from Radical Ducati, but it certainly isn’t a disappointment. They’ve created a high...
I was left disappointed after Kawasaki released the W800 back in 2011. The switch to EFI (damn emission laws!) and...
For an employer, there’s nothing better than hiring a kick-arse staff member. I’m sure that over at the Venice Beach...
After months of hard work and seemingly endless nights of writing, issue 2 of Tank Moto is ! Just like...
There are many amazing, readily available secondhand bikes to choose from when finding a donor for a custom build, but...
Cosimo and the team at Rock Motorcycles (formerly Gia Mi Racing) in Italy were given the task of customising the bike...
There’s something strangely compelling about raw, handmade bodywork. To me it’s one of the finest demonstrations of skill and creativity....
Considering they have been around since the early 1950’s and that they have produced a few historically significant motorcycles in...
I’ve been following the development of the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 Cafe Racer closely since it was showcased at...
The 2008 EFI Triumph Bonneville “Soul Train” is the work of the crew at Ton Up Garage in Portugal, who...
Europe’s largest Cafe Racer event, the Glemseck 101, just took place in Stuttgart, Germany. Now in its 5th year, the...
This drastically customised BMW R80 is the brainchild of Oaky and JJ from Griffin Spares in Sydney. “Sometimes the best...
Small details. That’s what separates a good build from a great build. Of course there’s a whole heap of work...
British vs Japanese engineering. It’s a debate that I’ve often heard between motorcyclists. It’s easy to see why each party...
Ahh Slovenia, home of the oldest vine in the world, the first ever musical instrument, birth place of the first...
In the early sixties, the Domiracer was a heavily tuned Norton Dominator that produced around 55bhp and was capable of...
The budget was set at 3500 Euros ($4670 USD) and a nice condition Savage purchased for 1700, with 1800 Euros...
Some people profess to being obsessed by a brand because they own 2 or 3 things said brand has made....
Looking at this stunning example of a 1981 Moto Guzzi V35 Imola you might think it’s the work of a...
“I live in the small but beautiful island of Cyprus (population 700,000) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. I’ve always been...
Ever since seeing the “We R Winning” short documentary about Twinline Motorcycles I’ve been a huge fan of the Seattle...
Produced by Aussie filmmaker Cam Elkins, he is reaching out to riders in Sydney to share their own experiences in...
When I launched this site all those years ago Cafe Racers were my focus, but I’ve always been into all...
What’s black and white and bad ass all over? Take a look at this killer build from Moto Guzzi specialists,...
In Cafe Racer terms the Triton was the ride of choice for Rockers of the 60’s and 70’s. The combination...
The mighty Yamaha XS650 has been a hot favourite in the custom scene for decades and a personal favourite of...
The following is an excerpt from Tank Moto Issue 1 “As Close As It Gets” Replica Honda CR750 article –...
This happens when one of the world’s most creative custom workshops decides that they need to customise their shop bike....
This week I headed back to my home town of Perth to celebrate my Gran’s (or should Super Gran’s) 100th...
Before I get into this feature let me first say hello to my Indonesian readers. I know you guys make...
At 1.3 million people the country of Estonia isn’t exactly bursting at the seams. On the Estonian tourism website their...
“The Spirit of Munro is a fully custom-built, the Spirit of Munro is an all-metal tribute to the racers and...
As you can imagine I spend a lot of time staring at photos of custom motorcycles. I don’t know if...
The official film of Dirt Quake II. “A global gathering of crackpot riders flat track racing the most inappropriate bikes, plus...
