“Spit and Sawdust” is a term that is usually taken up to informally describe an old British pub, where the floors originally used to be covered in sawdust. It is this feel of grit and glory that inspired Caffeine Custom to name their latest build Caffeine #03 “Spit and Sawdust”, as the build takes inspiration from classic racing motorcycles from the 1940s.

Just like the old-school British pubs, Caffeine #03, which is a Honda 125cc cafe racer fits perfectly to its period correct appeal. While the hand made metal bits are pained in racing red, the seat gets a contrasting appeal with a fine handmade tan leather. And while the leather strap on the tank is sheerly for aesthetic appeal, it does make the Honda Cafe Racer look quite elegantly draped. So well actually that the custom build was granted the Symbolic Distinction Award at the Porto Alegre Edition of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.

Caffeine #03 is the combined effort of Tiago Zilli and Bruno Costa who have created the custom build from their rustic wooden shed in Serra Gaúcha, Brazil. Caffeine Customs was born in 2014 and this Honda cafe racer is the third custom build that the Brazilian motorcycle atelier has brought out. Tiago and Bruno both are big fans of purely handmade design that have references from the past. With Tiago’s knowledge of graphics design and Bruno’s background in automotive design, the duo always try to strike a balance between traditional processes and modern minimalist design.

Caffeine was born in 2014 to celebrate the classic motorcycles and all that can be creative and manually built in a garage. Our style makes reference to a past of purely handmade designs, combining the use of raw materials and traditional processes with a minimalist design to create unique motorcycles.

Images by Caffeine Custom

Caffeine #03: The Spit And Sawdust Honda Cafe Racer Specifications

Technical Details

Release Date: September 2016
Engine: Honda 125cc, single cylinder, air-cooled
Front Brake: Mechanical Disc
Rear Brake: Drum
Tires: On road Rinaldi 90.90.18 Front and rear

Styling Details

Frame: Redesigned for a single seat, minimalist styling.

Tank: Repositioned, with new fixing and leather straps with exclusive Caffeine logo “El Motero” in molten metal

Mudguards: Front and Rear handmade in steel

Seat: leather upholstery with cross stitch

Battery: In steel with side covers manually stamped in aluminum

Front and rear lighting: Headlamp and lantern tub made of steel

Blinkers: Machined in-house with aluminium

Footswitches: Designed in-house by Caffeine in aluminium