Written by Martin Hodgson
For decades scribes in motorcycling publications around the globe have been consistently using one word to describes the machines of Moto Guzzi, and that’s ?beautiful.? But for a brief period in the early ’80s the company produced some real horrors, none worse than the fully faired wind brick that was the Le Mans Mk 2. So it is a testament to the absolute skill and dedication of Axel Budde of Hamburg?s Kaffeemaschine that he’s used the ugly base to build this gorgeous creature. It’s all the very best bits of Moto Guzzi, with German engineering and know how, to produce the picture perfect cafe racer code-named KM912.

Axel has been crafting stunning Moto Guzzi customs for a while now and that success has resulted in some changes at the shop. ?A partner joined Kaffeemaschine in April, so I have an employee and a much bigger and nicer workshop now. We hopefully can even increase my quality and standard that way. More output than 2-3 bikes a year, like it was, when I was on my own, would be nice, too.? explains Axel. But lifting the standard on the incredible bikes he already builds is no easy task.
The client had seen a previous build by the Hamburg outfit and loved what he saw, that bike is KM19 and the major differences requested over that previous build was to have a single seat and be an even more sporty ride. Done and done thought Axel, as he could see the design take shape in his mind, but first he had to find a donor. ...