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Ask-A-Cop Part Two

Motorcycle Officer Garrett Gales answers the questions you submit via Facebook in this new segment from Motorcycle Cruiser.
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7th Quail Motorcycle Gathering. May 16, 2015.

I repeat it since the inaugural edition. The Quail Motorcycle Gathering is one of the finest events featuring some of the rarest collections of vintage and modern motorcycles displayed on the stunning green grasses of the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, California. A…

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New Rushmore Road Glide iPhone/GPS Mount

The Rushmore Road Glide iPhone/GPS Mount by Iron Aces positions virtually any electronic device within the riders’ field of vision for added safety while maintaining the sleek, unobtrusive lines of the redesigned Road Glide instrument panel. A companion to the Road Glide…

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Another Very Faulty Concept Motorcycle

Concept motorcycle renderings are always entertaining. These ones by Alex Padwa and Davidi Gilad, 2 designers who don’t pretend to know about motorcycles, just about lines. Maybe this type of work could be the pretext for a game of the 7 errors to find in less than 1 minute…

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Alien Run 2015

Alien Run 2015: riding, drinking, probing, camping…
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Teeth Gnasher: Thor Drake’s Scrambler bike

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
Thor Drake’s love for motorcycling and his desire to go beyond the ordinary can be seen in his latest project, a race-ready 2010-spec Triumph Scrambler. It’s at home on the track, in the woods and on the road.

Drake, part-owner of Portland-based See See Motor Coffee Co., has an easy smile and boyish exuberance. But it hides a tenacious spirit.

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
You need true Norwegian grit to organize the One Moto Show and operate a busy motorcycles-and-coffee shop. But Drake then spends every spare moment racing, planning races or helping others to race.

Why? “Racing makes man better,” he says. “Without racing and without a reason to try harder, why would you ever do anything?”

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
That competitive thinking led Drake to begin the scrambler bike project. He wanted an aesthetically pleasing bike: one that could perform well on the track and in the wooded hills around his home, but still feel good on the streets. The Triumph Scrambler emerged as a possible platform.

“Triumph built a bike that wasn’t ‘really good’ at anything, but you can do just about anything on it,” Drake says of the 900cc EFI Scrambler. “It’s not meant for racing, but you can race it.”

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
Drake mustered his Viking courage and asked Triumph for a bike to modify—or “destroy,” as he puts it.

He wasn’t holding his breath, but it worked out. “A magical wizard appeared one day and delivered a motorcycle. I was like, ‘Well, that was cool. Guess I’ve gotta follow through on everything I said I could do.’”

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
Drake knew the bike needed to be pleasing as well as functional. “All the little details, all the stuff that you touch, has to be metal. So I’ve essentially removed everything that’s plastic. I tried to give it a bit of a throwback to the scramblers you would see back in the day.”

Low-rise Renthal handlebars stay clean with See See’s own mini-switches, giving the Scrambler a quick ‘flat-track’ visual hit—while providing a comfortable riding position on and off the road.

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
Fenders from Lowbrow Customs hug gold anodized Sun rims from Buchanan’s, shod with a set of (soon to be replaced) flat track tires. “I need to get some proper tires before I give ‘er hell,” Drake notes.

A modified 2-into-2 high pipe exhaust from British Customs adds to the scrambler look, while providing an aggressive audio experience. (Plus extra horsepower, thanks to a mild remapping of the EFI system.) Speed Merchant engine cases match the polished cylinder fins and give the bike a ‘machined’ appeal.

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
On the topside, Drake leveled and ribbed the tank. “It’s something you used to do, because that’s where they welded the tank together. It’s adding more weight to the bike, but I like the way it breaks it up. It makes the tank look a little less massive.”

Cockpit mods include a custom seat pan with a 007-esque compartment for your wallet, phone or other important items. Ginger McCabe at New Church Moto provided the finishing touch—a covering of fine Langlitz leather.

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
After some minor work on the frame, Blakely Powdercoating sealed everything in a harmonious gray. “Then Tony’s Customs did the paint, as per my design,” says Drake. “He said, ‘Are you sure this is all you want? You don’t want me to pinstripe it?’ I said ‘No! Get your brush away from here.’ Though there is a time and place for pinstripe.”

With the look finally dialed in, Drake swung into action. “I’ve had it on the flat track, and I did a track day with it. Did a race, too: I think I was last place, but I didn’t expect to win. I was just trying it out. I’ve taken it out on the trails a little bit, and it’s really fun out there. You wick the throttle and it’s a lot of juice, especially for a dirt bike.”

Teeth Gnasher: a race-ready Triumph Scrambler bike.
Drake concedes that ‘Teeth Gnasher’ isn’t a full-blown custom, but it’s what he was hoping for. ” It’s a working man’s custom. Something you’re not afraid is going to get stolen, but something you can be proud of.”

The thought of having Thor Drake destroy your bike doesn’t sound so bad after all, does it?

See See Motor Coffee Co., 1642 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Patrick Farrell

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Kabuto Kamui Helmet Review

High-quality sport-touring helmet is loaded with features that are surprising at this price.

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I Am Sturgis: Ride in the Movie

I Am Sturgis needs your help to get made, and now your support can earn you a place riding in the film!
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Harley-Davidson Releases Cafe Sportster Parts

Classic-styled dropped bars and a slim new solo seat from Harley-Davidson…
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Eye Candy: Two New Walt Siegl Leggeros

Ducati Leggero cafe racer by Walt Siegl.
We make no apologies: we’re featuring the latest two customs from Walt Siegl because we can’t tear our eyes away from them. And we’re not alone—a few days ago, Wall Street Journal reporter Jonathan Welsh fell for the charms of these Ducatis too.

We’ve already covered the story behind the Leggero bikes in depth here and here. But Walt’s new builds show how the concept can be stretched without losing its appeal. The commissions came from clients with very different requirements, so we have a ‘naked’ bike with a classic look, and a faired machine with a more modern vibe.

Ducati Leggero cafe racer by Walt Siegl.
“The choice of color and graphics can dramatically change the ‘language’ or feel of the machine,” says Walt. “I know this is largely true for any bike, but I think it’s especially true for the Leggero.”

The faired machine has a more modern exhaust system than usual, and a contemporary aluminum swingarm—55 millimeters longer than most Leggeros.

Ducati Leggero cafe racer by Walt Siegl.
“It puts more weight on the front wheel, and gives more stability coming out of turns on the power,” says Walt. “The rider gets more front-end feel, with the same trail as the shorter chassis. It makes the bike look less compact though—which is not necessarily a bad thing.”

Siegl is happy to adapt his design to client requirements, hitting the sweet spot between (relative) affordability and full customization. He makes small runs of key parts—such as the ultra-light frame—and uses computerized CNC data to turn out smaller components when needed.

Ducati Leggero cafe racer by Walt Siegl.
“I get to know what my clients need, and not just by asking for their height and weight so we can tune suspension and ergonomics. We also talk about their cars, their watch, their riding habits, and the colors they like in the motoring world.

“We talk about the kind of performance they are looking for, where they live, and what they will end up doing with the bike. With these particular builds, it was obvious I was working with two very different men.”

Ducati Leggero cafe racer by Walt Siegl.
The Leggeros, we’re told, are ‘tight and light’—which you can sense just by moving them around. Siegl has worked hard to get the geometries right and reduce weight, by using magnesium wheels, Kevlar bodywork, and cromoly frame tubing.

There is no shortage of power. The 900SS-derived motors are rebuilt and blueprinted by ace technician Bruce Meyers, who adds big bore 944 kits and ported and flowed cylinder heads. “He is simply the best engine builder and Ducati expert in North America,” says Walt. “Truly a legend in the Ducati racing community.”

Ducati Leggero cafe racer by Walt Siegl.
Another legend involved in the Leggero story is painter Robbie Nigl of Peach Pit, who conveniently has a workshop an hour north-east of Siegl’s base in the old New Hampshire mill town of Harrisville.

“I love to work with people at the top of their game, and Robbie Nigl is the best painter I’ve come across,” says Walt. “Over the last twenty years I’ve seen his work on many racebikes, including mine. He puts so much pride into his craft, and won’t let a part leave his shop until he and the customer are both 100% satisfied.”

Ducati Leggero cafe racer by Walt Siegl.
Blistering performance and traffic-stopping looks: it’s an irresistible combination. And the potential to fine-tune the Leggero configuration adds an extra layer of danger.

It’s a good job Walt doesn’t have one of those carmaker-style configurators on his website. We’d lose hours of valuable riding time specc’ing up the ultimate cafe racer.

Walt Siegl | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Anthony Blasko

Ducati Leggero cafe racer by Walt Siegl.