Less than two months ago, the lid was lifted on the official Lotus motorbike. Avoiding its high-tech approach and futuristic design, Budde has instead remained faithful to the classic café racer appearance for his homage to Colin Chapman’s legendary racing team. Budde developed the concept at the behest of his Berlin-based client Arnd Rohrlapper: “My initial idea was to create a two-wheeled counterpart to the 1978 F1 title-winning JPS Lotus,” explains Budde. “The customer liked the idea and gave me a free hand – he’s now so enthusiastic about it that he’s asked us to paint his helmet to match.”
Moto Guzzi Le Mans 3 as a basis
Beginning life as a Moto Guzzi Le Mans 3, the bike was given a complete overhaul of the drivetrain, with the engine being rebuilt. The exhaust system is custom built and based on an original 1970s racing item, while the tank is a Magni replica. Many other parts were modified or built by Kaffeemaschine from scratch; the end result is a truly commendable tribute to one of the greatest F1 teams (and liveries) ever to exist.
