Vintage Cafe Racers - Katee Sackhoff's custom Honda XL600

It seems every other motorcyclist I speak to recently wants an old motorcycle that can be --or has been already-- converted to a vintage cafe-racer inspired custom bike. I'll admit that I'm one of those motorcyclists.

The reality is that despite all the talk, very few of us will actually ever have the vision, the drive, the skills and the funds to build our own bike. That shouldn't stop us from dreaming though. So here's my first post dedicated to a dreamy custom built vintage motorcycle.

This bike was built by Classified Moto of Richmond, Virginia. Don't let the bike's celebrity owner or the fact that it's going to be featured on Discovery Channel's Cafe Racer TV fool you; this is a legitimate vintage bike build.

Based on a 1987 Honda XL600R, Katee's motorcycle uses the retro dual sport's original frame and matching motor along with a single sided swing arm from a 2006 Triumph Sprint 1050 ST and the front end from a 2005 Kawasaki ZX6-R. Classified Moto credits California based Progressive Suspension for their help with sorting out the right suspension set-up for the bike calling it ‟the toughest part the build.” This mostly Honda bike also features a 70's CB350 tank and custom stainless steel pipes.

Fans of Katee Sackhoff can perhaps catch glimpses of the star riding her new cafe racer on the streets of L.A. or simply wait for season 4 Cafe Racer TV --scheduled to air early 2013. Classified Moto hints that they will produce replica's of the aptly named KT600 for non-Battlestar Galactica cast members in the near future.

Classified Moto is a small motorcycle workshop that has gained world-wide recognition for their custom builds in recent years. Don't be surprised if specimens from their mix 'n match style vintage bike builds find their way on to my Vintage Cafe Racers segment again.

Photographs by Adam Ewing