To create a Cafe Racer using a modern sportsbike as a donor meant some drastic changes had to be made to the bikes aesthetics. The plastic factory kit was stripped and scrapped to make way for custom made bodywork and fenders designed and fabricated by the Gia Mi team. The bikes original Kawasaki tank remains in place to help reduce the cost of the build so it became a styleguide for the shape of the new bodywork. A shortened and re-shaped rear subframe supports the wasps tail rear end which features integrated LED lighting and a custom covered saddle and pillion pad. Both the front and rear fenders were reshaped and the front bikini fairing was replaced with a classical round headlamp transplanted from a Suzuki GS550.
Adjustable clip-on bars place the rider in a more aggressive riding position and a set of gum grips and Ducati GT bar end mirrors add more classic Cafe Racer design touches. All four mufflers were swapped for reverse megaphones (aww yeah!) and the airbox has a BCM filter with performance changes managed by a Power Commander engine management system.
The bold green paint scheme and custom graphics were all laid in house at Gia Mi. The colour is taken from Honda’s CB750 Four and as I mentioned is suitable for such a desirable modern custom. They said it’s a build worth doing as they haven’t seen anyone else make a Z1000 Cafe Racer, after this though I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them!
