How to Build a Japanese Cafe Racer

There are two schools of cafe racers: Traditional and Japanese. The Traditional cafe racer demands a British chassis and a British engine. The Japanese cafe racer - based most typically on a Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha - does not and thus appeals to a wider audience simply because there are more motorcycles available and the basic motorcycle is less expensive. And that in turn attracts a younger participant. Rest assured that the Japanese cafe racer is not second best. Both the building and riding experience - let alone the lifestyle - is often described as 'better' than that of the Traditional if only because the creative process is easier and the resulting custom motorcycle likely more effective and reliable. "How to Build a Japanese Cafe Racer" is a very detailed, step-by-step account of the build-up of four motorcycles: A Honda 750 4-cylinder, just like the cover bike of Mike Seate's Cafe Racer: The Motorcycle; two Honda CB 450s, each one in a unique style, one built with a minimal budget; and an XS 650 Yamaha twin, today perhaps the most popular chassis of all. Seate has just launched Cafe Racer, a quarterly magazine, with over 3,000 subscribers before the second issue is published.