Ad Hoc Café Racers have reached the tipping point. After a few years of banging his elbows in a small Barcelona workshop, owner David Gonzalez has taken the plunge and is currently in the process of building a 350m² facility to keep up with the pace of his growing business. We've always been fans of David's bikes and his slightly left of field creativity, but despite the backbone of the custom scene being individuality some people simply want a reliable motorcycle with a taste of the Ad Hoc flavour. A series of low cost SR250s are planned, and this is the first one off the bench. The SR engine might be bombproof but these days customer loyalty and patience is not so reliable. If you're a pro-builder the room for excuses is nearly non-existent with customers expecting older bikes to work just like new ones. So the first job for David is to pop the motor out and open it up. Thankfully parts are in plentiful supply so a full refresh is usually a headache-free process. The single carb runs a foam Unifilter , re-jetted to suit, with a more open Mivv exhaust to unleash a bit more performance from the under-stressed 249cc single. Cases, the barrel, head and carb are painted satin black with a few contrast pieces left bare alloy. The frame has been de-tabbed and shortened, finished-off with a loop that incorporates bosses for the rear mudguard. If you're struggling to spot the battery box, it's hidden beneath that properly proportioned saddle. Brat style seats might have been all the rage a couple of years ago but a more retro sized unit allows extra hiding places. A Ballistic lithium battery and abridged wiring harness live beneath the cowhide saddle and a zip at the rear gives access to a pocket, voluminous enough to swallow an iPhone, keys, a multi-tool and a pack of fags. Wiring is run internally where possible, inside frame tubes, something Harley builders have been doing for years but it's taken a while for the new wave custom scene to wean themselves off the omnipresent cable tie. David endeavours to keep their use to a minimum. The cockpit is low-key with enduro bars and Oury grips while a Koso speedo serves-up all the vital info. The fork has been rebuilt and along with the 16" wheels, coated in satin black. Despite the Dakar inspired fuel tank (have a guess what it's from) the Ad Hoc SRs are destined for predominantly urban environments, so the fork is dropped slightly in the yokes and road biased Metzeler Tourance tyres are fitted. Out back a pair of Koni shocks level the bike out visually and provide plenty of comfort for rider and pillion. So, answers on a postcard, what's the origin of the fuel tank? I'd been through all the Yamahas in my head and started Google searching Hondas from the eighties but thought it quicker to just drop David a line. XL200, with modified frame mounts. It would have taken me a while to guess that one but I like the capacious proportions, bucking the trend for tiny, impractical vessels. David isn't trying to break new ground with the SR series but hopes to offer the Ad Hoc Café Racers brand at an affordable price. For full specs and answers to questions give David a shout and maybe you could arrange to collect your bike from his new workshop. Send us pics if you do, we missed our visit a couple of weeks back. More from David and Ad Hoc on Bike Shed Archive | Web | Instagram | Facebook