Feedback from you, our readers plays a very large part in deciding what sort of custom motorcycles to feature in the pages of Cafe Racer. This is invaluable information to have as with a readership that covers a vast demographic spectrum – our youngest subscriber is aged 14, the oldest 83 – there are many individual tastes to serve. For every twentysomething who doesn’t quite get the appeal of classic British bikes, there’s someone three times their age who doesn’t quite consider a water-cooled streetfighter a rightful part of the Ton-Up lexicon. Nevertheless, we’ve noticed a global trend towards customized, stripped-down superbikes, motorcycles that offer seriously arm-stretching acceleration and track-bred handling but when stripped of their fairings are modern cafe racers in every sense. This trend we first noticed at Germany’s Glemseck 101 event a few years back and now, with the prices for used, late-model sportbikes falling faster than a racer on a cold, wet circuit, they’re becoming more and more prevalent. The photo above is a bike we’ll feature in the upcoming June/July issue. Built by Pittsburgher Sean Galacic, the Ducati 1908 superbike looks even more menacing and fast sans some 50 pounds of what proved to be excess bits and bobs. We intend to bring you more of these high-performance, modern specials and if you’ve built one, please get in touch at rockersrule@caferacermag.com
