A pair of Yamaha TZ racers that have never even been started up, a most unusual 1980s MZ two-stroke, a beastly Honda CBX1000, and a Royal Enfield Bullet 500 gets the steampunk treatment.

MZ ETZ 250 by Kraftrad Noeda Some bikes lend themselves to being turned into cafe racers. According to Martin at Kraftrad Noeda in Germany, a dusty old 1980s MZ two-stroke is not one of them. After being coerced into buying this 1985-model MZ ETZ 250, Martin simply stuck it in the corner of his shop, reluctant to actually work on it.
When he did start tinkering, he and his team quickly realized what they were in for. The stance was all wrong, and the ETZ has an unusual top clamp?so Kraftrad Noeda had to fabricate a new set of triples. Then they extended the swingarm, to increase the MZ’s short wheelbase to something more reasonable.
The new arrangement called for a set of shocks with an uncommon length, so a set of YSS units were milled to fit. But the swingarm’s new angle was causing the chain to rub against the frame, so Martin and his team had to design their own roller guide.

The rest of the work was equally extensive. The motor was rebuilt and taken up to 300 cc, and an exhaust system was built using parts from a KTM 300 and an aftermarket muffler. A Yamaha XS500 tank was reshaped and fitted to the bike, along with a custom-made tail unit. Even though it’s intentionally scrappy-looking, this little MZ should be surprisingly fun to ride. [More]

A pair of unto...