Motion, Two Wheels

The BOTT XC1 Cafe Racer

View all 19 Photos

Most cars are designed with a streamlined look and elegant curves to help you visualize them in motion and to imagine yourself in the driver’s seat. Motorcycles are designed the same way, and the 2008 Buell Lightning Long XB12Ss illustrates this perfectly thanks to organic curves that move across its body. Engineer and racer David Sanchez has teamed up with designer Hugo van Waaijen to create the Bottpower XC1 Cafe Racer model, which is inspired by the Buell Lightning Long.

This version is kit-based, so anyone who has read Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance can put together their dream motorcycle without having to cut or weld any material. But if that is too much work, Sanchez and his team will gladly build one for you. This particular masterpiece features charming details like a single headlight with an extruded and oversized shape, lending the XC1 a retro look. The cafe racer handlebars that give the bike its name hold a lone speedometer for both aesthetic reasons and for better focus on the road. But the crowning achievement of this design is the seat and fuel tank duo. The body spells confidence with shapes that are less organic and more futuristic. A red line runs across the two pieces accentuating the elegant streamlined effect. This vehicle’s unique character is displayed through the contrast between the trapezoid and waved bright white seat which boasts clean lines, and the industrial accents of the exposed machinery. The effect is stylish and modern, signaling a new direction in motorcycle design. To order your own custom-made motorcycle, simply go to the Bottpower website.

the-bott-xc1-cafe-racer-gessato-4

the-bott-xc1-cafe-racer-gessato-6

More for you

SONO Residence by Atelier Carl...


Architecture

In Wentworth-North, Quebec, Atelier Carle designs a secondary home for two friends wh...

Stalla d’Zura


Architecture

In Borgonovo, Switzerland, Alder Clavuot Nunzi adapt a Val Bregaglia stalla — the rur...

Ses Clotades by Marià Castell...


Architecture

In Formentera, a house of white volumes, timber shutters, courtyards, and collected r...

Casa Caimán


Architecture

Vernacular architecture and the beauty of the Oaxacan coast have inspired the design ...

Casa San Francisco


Architecture

A five-volume vacation house that gives a nod to monastic architecture while drawing ...

Elmhurst by O’Sullivan Skouf...


Architecture

In Canonbury, the London studio renovates a 1930s terrace into a family home and arch...

Around the world

Kymaia, Playa El Puertecito


Around the World

A 22‑suite coastal retreat shaped by stepped, earthen volumes, palm shade, and slow p...

Mala Vila


Around the World

Designed with mirror walls, these four cabins perfectly reflect the surrounding woodl...

Kimpton Las Mercedes Hotel


Around the World

A Historic Landmark Reimagined: Kimpton Las Mercedes Brings New Life to Santo Domingo...

Staff Picks

Architects for the Birds

Ridge Barn by Worrell Yeung

Limestone House

Cj Hendry’s “Keff Joons”: Balloon Sculptures, Deflated and Reimagined

Stay Updated

FacebookPinterestRedditLinkedInEmailWhatsAppX