We all know that the cafe racer originated in Britain?but these days, the bikes themselves are just as likely to be Japanese. And one of the best Japanese cafe racers we?ve seen lately comes from?Poland.
This fine example of cross-pollination comes from Lukas and Sylwester of Eastern Spirit Garage. The boys keep a fairly low profile, but every build seems to take them a step closer to perfection.

Their English isn?t too good, but they?re fluent in the lingua franca of custom building. As this 1979 Suzuki GS 550E shows, bought from a friend who no longer wanted to maintain an old beater.
?It had been repaired a few times,? explains Sylwester. ?Totally normal for a 35-year-old motorbike. In the end the owner had enough, and shouted, For sale!?
Eastern Spirit’s last GS build?a 750?went down a treat. It also gave Sylwester and Lukas an overflow of ideas to pump into their new project.
?I had an idea and a bike,? says Sylwester, ?but we believe that great looks are not all that make a great bike.? A checklist was formed: improve the brakes, bring the weight down, and create a vintage?yet sporty?look.

To get the visual balance right, the guys tore into the frame?cutting, bending and welding until they were happy. They then reshaped the tank, and fabricated a traditional bum-stop to match.
The new bodywork’s just the tip of the iceberg?there’s a mountain of work hiding below. ?Despite the fact that the Suzuki engines are very durable,? explains Sylwester,...