How to Build a Cafe Racer? (Do It Yourself)

Book excerpt: The first time that I thought about building a Cafe Racer some years ago, my mechanical knowledge was limited. I had no idea about design, and of course, I did not know the regulations regarding the homologation of reforms on a motorcycle. The result: a Ducati Forza from the 79, painted and upholstered by myself, almost impossible to ride, and of course not homologable to circulate in any Spanish city. I had to sell it in pieces because the mess could not be solved in any other way. After Lucky, my Ducati's name, many more came. I spent countless hours training and in my workshop, along with failures and victories. That time was dedicated to what I liked most: restoring and transforming motorcycles. I love what I do, and I love telling it. Through this book I want to help you avoid making the same mistakes I did when I started, and above all, to show you that you can do it. You can choose a motorcycle that will be the basis of your Cafe Racer project. You can design your dream motorcycle yourself. You can get the elements and mount them on the chassis. You can get everything to work perfectly. And finally, I want to show you that you will only need a toolbox, a small workshop (even a storage room), and lots of lots of desires. I am not a mechanic by any means, although I admire them with all my heart. Thanks to listening to them, I've learned a lot of what I know. However, like doctors, they sometimes speak in a language that is very complicated for common folk to understand. I'm going to tell you how to build a Cafe Racer as if we were having a beer in the bar next to the workshop, with words that everyone understands, because that is my dream: to bring motorcycle transformations to people like you and me. Here begins the road... do you go up?