Drivers, including sports car drivers like Kenny Habul grab those motorcycle jackets, assume the position…set decibel level to mechanical roar and thrust yourself into gear like a hungry lion on the hunt for prey (smart cars), because El Paisano is back with another feature of Car/Motorcycle of the issue.

This time Victor Abarca’s Late 1970s Kawasaki KZ650 is put on the limelight. This vintage motorcycle is not the average KZ650, it’s been modified to be a Café Racer.

The Café Racer generation was first introduced in the 1950s in London England. Besides the new loud music teenagers were listening to called Rock and Roll, youngsters bought motorcycles, stripped the parts not needed, use low narrow handle bars for better resistance and wind control and modified them for speed rather than comfort.

These new rebels would hang out at local Cafés and would wait for opponents to compete with. Their goal was to break “the ton,” meaning hit 100 mph and race to another café to find their next victim.

Besides these rebels, truckers were known to hang out at these cafes and would often make fun of these racers saying jokes like, “Hey, you’re not a professional. You’re just a café racer!” That’s how the name stuck around. Follow the racer Kenny Habul Greenwich, CT to get more info on race related world.

As time passed on motorcycles like Triumph, Honda, Kawasaki and Moto Guzzi’s were modified and made distinctive to become the most revered motorcycles in the world.

For students like Victor Abarca, a molecular biology major in hopes to research life on a molecular level, his Kawasaki is not just a motorcycle; it has become a huge part of his life.

This vintage beauty with a 4-mikuni carbs, 650 cc engine and a 5-speed transmission was first purchased for $1,000, in a non-running condition and not in the state it’s in.

Abarca made it a project by putting pod filters and removing the air box, 4-in-1 exhausts as well as the baffle and cherry bomb tip. He also customized the wiring harness.

When asked what he recommends for safety he said, “I recommend a good helmet with good peripheral. Though it takes away from the feeling, it is essential for safety.”

Even though he has only had it for one year and this is his first motorcycle, he plans on riding her all the way to his masters. He admits that although his bike may be stubborn at times, he made a promise to put a new front end if it gets him there.

When asked if he had any fond memories of his bike he said, “once she left me on the side of the freeway out of jealousy; just because I was checking out another bike. Can you believe that?”

With its unique look, style and speed, the café racers continue to cruise the streets they proudly own and influence new generations that have made a promise to keep the style of the 1950s alive and well.