Not to take anything away from guys who build bikes for a living, but not everyone has $15-20k to spring for a custom build or ground-up overhaul. So, awhile back, we came across this great and pretty detailed overview on CafeRacersUnited that covers how to build a cafe racer on a budget.
The ten steps provide just enough detail so as to not be overwhelming and to get you started, but if you’re not familiar with some of the elements within each step, you may need to look for more info. This also includes a couple of videos showing the really hard stuff – like how to pull an engine without breaking your back!
Ultimately, the amount you spend on building a cafe racer is up to you, but this article makes it easy for anyone with even the slightest mechanical ability to tackle such a project…and have something of your own to ride like hell when you’re finished.