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Cafe Racer

BMW R65, the green cafe racer

22 October, 2019 by caferacer Leave a Comment

There are lots of BMW motorcycles with which Lord Drake Kustoms had worked, but this Cafe Racer based on a BMW R65 has meant a start for this new future with this brand.

BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green

“Everyone who knows me knows that I am a Harleys fan; and until that I had only worked with two BMW motorcycles (one R 1200 S and one R 1150 S)”, Fran Manen, owner of Lord Drake Kustoms, told us.

BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green
BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green

This R65 was the first BMW classic to fall into the hands of Lord Drake Kustoms. Its owner, Ana, a native of Granada (Spain) , is a lover of motorcycles and with her father she has a small collection of old motorcycles.

Ana arrived at the LDK workshop in Malaga to meet Francisco, driving a 48 Sportster, but she did not modify the Harley, she went to modify a BMW R65 that her father had given her. Although the bike was in excellent condition and despite the instructions of his father warning him not to touch her, she was clear that she wanted a very elegant and aggressive cafe racer.

BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green
BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green

“A few weeks later it would be Ana herself, the one who would bring the motorbike to our workshop in Malaga, driving it from Granada and there the story began …,” Fran pointed out.

“THE GASOLINE DEPOSIT WAS REPLACED BY THE MODEL OF THE R100 AND IT WAS PROCEDED TO MODIFY THE WHOLE SUBCHASIS”

How it was made

We started by disassembling the whole bike to blast it and paint the chassis, engine and other parts in black. Then the fuel tank was replaced by the model of the R100 and the entire subframe was modified to adapt a tail car made to measure for this occasion. To give it a more aggressive touch, higher air dampers were placed and the front suspension was lowered. The color was simple, an elegant color, all black and the green body (Racing Green) with the brown touch of seat made to measure “.

BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green
BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green

“THE COLOR WAS SIMPLE, A ELEGANT COLOR, ALL BLACK AND THE GREEN BODY (RACING GREEN) WITH THE BROWN TOUCH”

BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green
BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green

Just leave this motorcycle from the oven of Lord Drake Kustoms, it seems that BMW lovers agreed to start sending their machines to LDK in Malaga, because they are currently customizing a K100 and an R100 and in the coming weeks will begin to work with two other BMWs (one R100rs and one K1) that are apparently going to have to talk … we’ll see!

BMW R65 Cafe Racer Green

Details:

Motorcycle: BMW R65 Motor: 650 ccDepository: BMW R100
Escapes: Aftermarket and original collectors
Handlebar: Half-handlebars
Rear wing and tail: Handmade made of fiber
Subchassis: Modified
Front flap .: Modified original
Seat: Custom made and upholstered in perforated synthetic leather
Front suspension: Modified
Rear suspension: Modified with longer air shock absorbers
Wheels: Original wheels painted in matt black powder
Other: digital kilometer counter, LED pilots, cuffs, gas cap, artisan license plate holder, LED tail light, modification of the ignition cylinder, etc.

Filed Under: BMW, Cafe Racer

Cream, the “crème de la crème” of Cafe Racers

21 October, 2019 by caferacer Leave a Comment

With the “Cream” the owner of Lord Drake Kustoms, Fran Manen, intended to make a cafe racer in the purest style, without the motorcycle losing the classic touch and doing at the same time something different and especially elegant … a motorcycle to attract glances.

Yamaha XS "Cream"

The Yamaha XS model

The XS arrived in our country in the eighties, with a level of advertising in the magazines of the sector that achieved the objective of opening their eyes to products arriving from Japan. The truth is that we had lost (because of import protectionism) excellent Japanese motorcycles of the sixties and seventies, but many models with these acronyms were unpublished, absolutely unknown to the vast majority, when they were originally created for internal consumption and even destined to countries like the USA One of them is the one used in this case by Fran Manen. It is a very special model, aesthetically similar to that sold in Spain with a DOHC engine, but with one less cylinder: the Yamaha XS750.

Yamaha XS "Cream"

The great exclusivity of this model is due to the configuration of its engine and its origin. He chose the Triple USA Custom model; one of the limited three-cylinder models of these XS that was only marketed in the USA and where this unit came from.

How it was made

And here the changes begin. The rear tail is made of metal – and by hand – in the image and likeness of the fuel tank, as the angles remain faithful. The rear turn signals have been embedded in the subframe bars that have been modified by losing their double seat support function, to accommodate only a single seat and single seat.

Yamaha XS "Cream"

The front suspension was also shortened, to give the general line to this motorcycle, now much more in line with the cafe racer standards. The result is greater rigidity in its suspensions despite the greater rear travel with a pair of shock absorbers with separate gas tank. The new more aerodynamic driving position is achieved with a two-piece handlebar anchored directly to the suspension bottles.

Yamaha XS "Cream"

Technical data

Name: “Cream”
Style: Cafe Racer
Brand: Yamaha
Model: XS750 Triple USA Custom
Year: 1981
Engine: 750 cc
Transmission: Gimbal
Front wheel: 19 ”Wheel with copper paint powder effect
Rear wheel: 18” Wheel with powder paint copper effect
Tires: Firestone Deluxe Champion
Fuel tank: Original
Front suspension: Modified by LDK
Rear suspension: Rise +3 ”air absorbers
Front fender: Manufactured by LDK
Rear seat: Manufactured by LDK by hand and in metal
Seat: Manufactured by LDK
Exhausts: 3 in 1
Air filters: K&N
License plate holder: Manufactured by LDK
Rear turn signals: Inserted in the chassis
Lighting: Front light, rear light incorporated into fenders, front turn signals and rear LEDs on seatposts and dampers
Other modifications: Handlebars, cuffs, handles , gas cap, mirrors …

Filed Under: Cafe Racer, Sin categoría, Yamaha

“Red Baron” Cafe Racer takes off with a vengeance

16 October, 2019 by caferacer Leave a Comment

Cafe racers are on the rise these days. Roll down to your local watering hole, and there’s a reasonable chance that you’ll see a grimy cafe’d CB750 or SX650 with enough duct tape on the seat to make a decent lean-to. Grabbing a little 70’s flair is as easy as kicking some life into a cheap Japanese craigslist find, hence all the would-be rockers that have sprung back onto the scene with a vengeance lately. Sure, trends are a dime a dozen, but carefully crafted motorcycles? Well, they’re much harder to come by. 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

Which brings us to Red Baron, the cleanly rendered Dyna Low Rider-based cafe racer you see here, named to pay tribute not only to the famed German World War I flying ace but also the favorite Spanish rock band of all time, the builder told us. Beginning with one of Milwaukee’s best all around Big Twin cruisers, Fran Manen of Lord Drake Kustoms has done something truly amazing, both in concept and execution. 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

How this Cafe Racer “Red Baron” was made

All customization is rebellion, but taking a fundamentally good Dyna and turning it into street-stalking cafe racer is almost off the wall. “It’s possibly one of the first Big Twin cafe racers in U.S.,” Fran points out, adding that he feels the model is undervalued in the United States. Deraked with shortened forks and taller external reservoir shocks, Red Baron’s conservative factory geometry has been pushed to its limits with quicker steering, more weight on the front wheel and room for increased lean angles, the likes of which a stock Dyna couldn’t dream of. 

And why 80, you ask? “It’s the same number of victories the Red Baron himself earned,”

While the XLCR paved the way for Sportster owners who lusted after a little more lean, this sort of chassis treatment is new to Big Twins. Fran only arrived in the United States to set up shop in Miami four years ago, but he has a strong sense of mechanical history and he’s clearly brought his own flair to the machinery we hold so dear on these shores. Take a look at how far the the Vance & Hines pipes are angled up, a testament to the serious changes that have taken place to the stance. It’s an eye-catching detail, and one that lends a unique profile to a bike that came out of the factory with such radically different intentions. 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer
Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

The lines of the bike become even more racy thanks to the addition of spoked DNA wheels, a 19” hoop in the front and an 18” in the rear. Spokes and rims are color matched to the aggressive black and red color scheme that’s evident in small and large details all over the bike, from custom engine covers and panels to the fork legs and even a horn cover proudly emblazoned with Lord Drake Kustoms’ initials. 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer
Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

The theme is carried over to custom number plates, with the number 80 carefully cut into the panels and then filled with accenting black mesh. And why 80, you ask? “It’s the same number of victories the Red Baron himself earned,” Fran puts simply. The fork brace received a similar treatment, with contrasting black mesh laid under the hole in the brace itself. 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer
Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

More fabrication was required in shaping the bodywork, a key feature on any cafe build. The tail section was done in house at Lord Drake Kustoms, from shaping and molding the tail itself to adding foam under the seat cover for a little more comfort than those tape-slathered cafe bikes I mentioned earlier. Fran even grafted in a slick LED taillight along the back. The tank was modified with a custom dash panel, and then painted carefully to pull the two-color paneled paint scheme in a flowing line from the tank to the seat and across the tail. A bikini fairing adds a hint of wind protection for the rider, while helping create the clean, tapered profile that most cafe racers seek. 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer
Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

Bars are a pair of beautifully machined Roland Sands Design clip-ons, mounted above the top triple tree for a racy but reasonable riding position. The mid controls were retained, and for good reason: you can’t really hustle a bike like this through the twisties with your legs fanned out in the breeze, dragging your pegs on every apex! RSD was also the source for other modern details, like the Clarity Line cam and clutch covers that unwrap some of this bike’s internal workings. 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

Speaking of those workings, the already substantial 88” Twin Cam was left in a relatively mild state of tune. So how is this bike supposed to live up to its racy billing, you ask? Good old-fashioned power to weight ratio, the credo that any true cafe racer lives by.

Just as Baron von Richthofen brazenly ventured into unknown territory, this Red Baron stepped onto the stage to do battle at the longest running custom bike competition […]

Why add power when you can simply strip weight? With the absence of so many Big Twin accessories, the Red Baron’s power plant motivates the bike respectably. Remember, most cafe builders start with 350’s, 400’s, maybe a 750 if they’re feeling aggressive. Red Baron’s packing almost twice the displacement of a 750! 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

That being said, a little more air in and out never hurts. Those Vance & Hines pipes I mentioned are responsible for the exhaust side, while an S&S tuned induction system draws air in through the larger 58mm S&S carb. And it wasn’t just the engine breathing hard when Fran brought the bike to Daytona this March to compete at the world-renowned Rat’s Hole show.

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

Just as Baron von Richthofen brazenly ventured into unknown territory, this Red Baron stepped onto the stage to do battle at the longest running custom bike competition—the Rat’s Hole Show—during America’s prestigious national scene—Daytona Bike Week—for the first ever showing of a machine built by Lord Drake Kustoms. And thanks to the bold choice of platform and artful execution, Red Baron took first place in the Cafe Racer category. 

Rock on, Red Baron. Manfred Von Richthofen would be honored. 

Red Baron Dyna Cafe Racer

Red Baron Specifications 

Name: Red Baron
Owner: Fran Manen, Lord Drake Kustoms, Miami, FL
Builder: Fran Manen, LDK 

GENERAL 

Year, Make & Model: 2001 HD Dyna Low Rider
Assembly/Builder: LDK
Timeline: 6 weeks 

FORKS 

Year/Model: 2001 H-D Narrow Glide
Builder: H-D
Type: Telescopic
Triple trees: H-D 
Extension: 3” under 

ENGINE 

Year/Model: 2001 Twin Cam
Displacement: 88 C.I.
Lower End: H-D
Pistons: H-D 
Cases: H-D
Heads: H-D
Cams: H-D
Lifters: H-D
Carb: S&S 58 mm
Air Cleaner: S&S
Pipes: Vance & Hines
Ignition: H-D 

TRANSMISSION 

Year/Modifications: 2001/None
Primary Drive: Chain
Secondary Drive: Belt 

FRAME 

Year: 2001
Designer/Builder: H-D 

ACCESSORIES 

Bars: RSD clip-ons
Risers: None
Fenders: LDK
Gas Tank: Sportster, modified by LDK
Oil Tank: Stock 
Headlight: Modified by LDK
Taillight: LDK
Speedo: Stock, bracket fabricated by LDK
Pegs: Performance Machine
Electrics: H-D
Seat: LDK
Fork brace: LDK 

WHEELS/TIRES 

Front Wheel: 19” DNA Fat Daddy
Front Tire: Metzeler
Size: 19” x 100
Rear Wheel: 18″ DNA Fat Daddy
Rear Tire: Metzeler 
Size: 18” x 160
Hubs: DNA
Rotors: DNA
Brakes: H-D 

PAINT 

Bodywork/Molding: LDK
Painter: LDK
Color: Fire red and black
Powdercoating: LDK 

Filed Under: Cafe Racer, Custom, Dyna, Harley Davidson

BMW K100 RACE: the unique urban Cafe Racer

15 October, 2019 by caferacer Leave a Comment

Fran Manen (owner of Lord Drake Kustoms) told us about this BMW K100 RACER: “Perhaps it’s one of the least attractive models for LDK, when it comes to doing a work of customization; That is why it was a small challenge to make the final result aesthetically pleasing for both the client and the entire LDK team.”

BMW K100 RACER

Currently the BMW K are one of the most demanded motorcycles to customize. Specifically, this model is a K100 from 1984 and arrived in excellent conditions at the mechanical and aesthetic level, so basically we didn’t have to worry much about updating the motorcycle mechanically, as is often the case with motorcycles of this type. He practically went into action and immediately began to disassemble it to see how something aesthetically beautiful and sporty and something Racing could be done.

Perhaps it’s one of the least attractive models for LDK, when it comes to doing a work of customization; That is why it was a small challenge to make the final result aesthetically pleasing

BMW K100 RACER

How was made this BMW K100 RACER

Once naked, the first thing that Fran Manen did was modify the front suspension to lower it and give it a more aggressive touch with the installation of semi-handlebars and an oval-type headlamp.

BMW K100 RACER

The entire rear part has been trimmed and modified to install a tailor-made tail, making the back part slightly raised. This position could be accentuated a little more thanks to the new air bottle damper, which is somewhat longer than the standard one.

BMW K100 RACER

The exhaust has become a 4: 1 with supertrapp tail, which has given it a very powerful sound.

BMW K100 RACER

Finally, the entire motorcycle was dismantled to paint the chassis, engine, tires and practically the rest of the pieces with black tones or a combination of red, gray and silver in the case of the tank and the rear tail.

BMW K100 RACER

All this was decorated with numerous details, among which stand out the flashers and led’s pilot, seat with hand-made upholstery, details on the rear wheel, speedometers and rev counter, license plate support, etc …

BMW K100 RACER
BMW K100 RACER
BMW K100 RACER

This motorcycle has been transformed into the workshop that Lord Drake Kustoms has in Malaga (Spain); and in a few days you can see it rolling through the streets of Marbella from its owner.

Photos: Álvaro Manén

Filed Under: BMW, Cafe Racer

The “Envy” of Cafe Racer motorcycles.

14 October, 2019 by caferacer Leave a Comment

“Finally, and after several very hard months and many hours of work, I have actually made a project that had been around in my head since 2013 when I finished the famous Red Baron in Miami (USA), although with so much crossing the puddle that separating the USA from Spain, it has been very difficult to focus on a Cafe Racer project like this, ”Fran Manen (owner of Lord Drake Kustoms) tells us.

Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms

Fran explains: “You can’t imagine the emotion and nervousness I feel every time I approach this motorcycle, which I have finally finished .. I don’t believe it! I still feel a tilt in my stomach when I see her.

Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms
Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms
Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms
Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms
Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms

This work is the summary of a stage of my life, my concerns and my aspirations, a cafe racer tribute dedicated to all those people who during all this time have been part of my family, social or work environment … and that I have decided capture it on a motorcycle. We wanted to pay tribute to the famous “Boardtracker” with that peculiar style, so vintage, but giving it a current look; and I think the resulting mix has lived up to our expectations … at least it’s something totally different.

Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms
Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms

“We wanted to pay tribute to the famous” Board-tracker “with that peculiar style, so vintage, but giving it a current look”

The colin, the tank, the handlebars, the back, the front mask, the fender or the front grille; These are some of the pieces that have been made exclusively for this motorcycle. Note that all wiring is internal (inside the handlebar, chassis, etc., etc.). In addition to the endless details, the Twin Cam engine has been embellished with a set of transparent covers, with leather details on the footrests, handlebars or on the front face itself with the integrated headlamp.

Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms
Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms
Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms
Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms

The number “76” was very easy to choose. For such a special motorcycle it could only be a number with special significance, and what better than the year of birth of a very important person for me and responsible for Lord Drake Kustoms being today what he is: my wife.

“The acceptance and response of the public with this motorcycle is being incredible, to the point that it has already received two orders to make two units with a design similar to that of the“ Envy ”

Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms

This cafe racer motorcycle was finished on March 10 (LDK owner’s birthday) … “Best impossible gift,” Fran tells us. It was presented to the public a few days later in Spain in the Motor Show “MotoMadrid 2016” at the stand and by the magazine “Biker Zone” and “Classic Motorcycle”. In the coming months (and if it is not sold before) a small tour of LDK promotion events in Europe (Paris, London, Slovenia, Austria or Germany) will be some of the places where “ENVY” and Lord Drake Kustoms will be present during 2016). Fran tells us that the acceptance and response of the public with this motorcycle is being incredible, to the point that he has already received two orders to make two units with a design similar to that of the “Envy”, which will go to English lands and the East Next.

And remember: “Envy” is bad, very bad, “envy” kills. Don’t envy anything or anyone, just work hard and everything will come … transform envy into inspiration and motivation … that’s the secret!

Softail "Envy" by Lord Drake Kustoms

Technical data

  • Base: Harley-Davidson Fat Boy 2001
  • Engine: H-D 1450 cc a Twin Cam carburetion
  • Modifications in …
  • Chassis and swingarm.
  • Transmission converted to chain.
  • Hydraulic clutch.
  • Inside wiring of handlebars and chassis (clutch, accelerator, brakes, electrical installation, etc.).
  • Front suspension: Change of bars, bottles, internal springs and +3 seatposts.
  • Rear suspension: Lowering kit.
  • Wheels: Fat Daddy wheels 21 “front and 18” rear.
  • Exhaust and air filter.
  • Handlebars, hand controls, odometers, switches and indicator lights.
  • Fuel tank, rear seat, seat.
  • Oil tank and hoses.
  • Transparent covers in motor and primary.
  • Front mask made of metal and lined in leather.
  • Brake discs, front brake caliper.
  • Side dorsals, exhaust trim, front numbers.
  • Headlamp, rear turn signals on swingarms, front turn signals on seatposts.
  • Covers seatposts (Racer) with leather interior.
  • Fuel and oil cap.
  • Foot controls.
  • Paint in tank and colin, powder coating on the rest of the motorcycle; Chrome and gold bath in several pieces and many other things …

Filed Under: Cafe Racer, Custom, Harley Davidson

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