We’re always proud of the extensive research doe by Cafe Racer’s contributors in finding the most inspiring and unexpected custom speedbikes around. In our December/January issue that goes on sale tomorrow, Chief Photographer Simon Everett has outdone even his usual diligence by bringing us a unique machine nobody could have imagined. This time, Simon managed to find a late-model Kawasaki Ninja 650 engine shoe-horned into a Norton featherbed chassis. This oddball combination of components from 50 years apart represents a large part of why we love cafe bikes- there’s seemingly no limit to what an owner’s imagination and technical expertise can cobble together n the quest for high-speed laughs. The bike in question has an equally interesting backstory, having been purchased with a small inheritance in several pieces before being fabricated into a working, modern custom bike. Along the way, there was even a nearly-disastrous engine fire, problems getting the various running gear bits to play nicely together and all sorts of issues that make imagining, building and ultimately riding a home-brewed special so satisfying. Check it out along with a road test of our long-awaited 1995 Triumph Trident 900 on sale now.
