Luna

An affinity for café racers seems to be in the Sallings’ genes. Most of Jan’s sons own and work on vintage motorcycles of their own—many of them cafés—and hold them central to nearly all they do. Once Jan’s son, Max, introduced his then-girlfriend, now-wife, Jeanie, to the world of café racers, she never looked back. In 2014, she worked with her future father-in-law to build this interstellar 1964 Honda CB160 café racer known as Luna.

After years of riding as a passenger on Max’s Ducati Monster, Jeanie was itching to pilot a motorcycle of her own. She got her chance when Jan brought home a bunch of neglected vintage motorcycles, one of which was a 1964 Honda CB160.

When my father-in-law, Jan Sallings, bought several old bikes that had been sitting for a while, I had to jump on the Honda CB160. I have a petite build, and I thought the CB160 would be a perfect starter bike for me.

Jeanie Sallings

Jeanie had always loved 1960s fashion, so it was only natural for her to appreciate the classic café racer aesthetic as well. Both genres lauded minimalism, expression, and class. She sought to merge the two styles in this build.

I love the sexy and classic look of café racers. I love the clean and retro look of them and the simplistic and streamlined appearance they have.

Jeanie Sallings

Stock 1964 Honda CB160s already exhibit many characteristics of 1960s fashion. The backbone chassis and slant-engine allow for a minimal profile with clean lines and the bubble-shaped tank with chrome side panels looks like something from the Space Age Fashion trend of the decade. Jeanie wanted to preserve these elements to retain the bike’s retro appeal, but streamline the rest in true café racer fashion.

To give it a more sleek look, I got rid of a lot of the bulky stock parts. I wanted it to look clean and somewhat minimalistic.

Jeanie Sallings

While Luna may adhere to traditional café racer standards, it’s not your standard café racer. Tinges of Jeanie’s personal style are apparent throughout the build, coalescing into this retro-futuristic motorcycle that resembles something from a ‘60s sci-fi flick.