Your complete guide to Harley cafe racer motorcycles, from classic Ironheads to modern-day Sportster specials. Here you’ll find everything from traditional-style cafes to the latest cutting-edge restyles based on newer models. Discover the parts, seats and performance upgrades that’ll take your own Harley to the next level.
A sleek frame, a mechanical aesthetic, a distinct lack of plastic and a lot of polished metal. This Harley-Davidson Ironhead Sportster café racer must be from Craig Rodsmith. Based just north of Chicago, the Australian ex-pat’s mastery over the dark art of metal shaping is evident in everything he builds. A few years ago, Craig…
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If there’s a bike that symbolizes the uneasy relationship between Harley-Davidson and sporting performance, it’s the VR1000. Developed in the late 80s to compete in the AMA Superbike series, it finally appeared on track in the mid 90s. By that time it was down on power compared to the competition, and despite excellent handling, never…
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The market for modified Sportsters is crowded. Most builders of repute in the USA know their way around the venerable platform, and the array of aftermarket parts is dizzyingly large. It takes something very special to stand out—like this custom-framed, limited production special from Cohn Racers. The man behind the Florida workshop is Chet Perez,…
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Charity motorcycle giveaways are a dime a dozen, but this one is a cut above the rest. If you live in the US, it’s your chance to win a current model Sportster reworked by four top American builders: J Shia from Madhouse Motors, Cristian Sosa, Jay Donovan and Joe Mielke. Funds from the project are…
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Even though they require similar skills, the custom motorcycle and car worlds are vastly different. But they do sometimes meet. In the…
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We’d love a glimpse inside Max Hazan’s head. His machines are elegant and visceral, and we’re left wondering how he actually builds…
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Two years ago, Harley-Davidson flew Winston Yeh to Barcelona to test ride the new Milwaukee-Eight big twins. And like most riders at…
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Blacktrack Motors have got cafe racer design down to a fine art. Their first build was one of the sharpest Honda CX500…
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Deus cracks the style code for a Sportster cafe racer. Plus a custom Ducati Paul Smart owned by the principal of a…
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Harley’s global dealer custom competition launches with a fusillade of very tasty European builds. We’ve also got a Kawasaki KX450 with amazing…
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Harley-Davidson has just launched two new Sportsters: the Iron 1200 and the Forty-Eight Special. Both have throwback styling and graphics to commemorate…
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There aren’t many builders with a strike rate like Pepo Rosell. Since the early days of his Radical Ducati shop, he’s been…
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