Categories
Cruising Other Motorcycle Blogs

H-D Contrast Accent Quilted Jacket- Tested

One warm flannel for the winter

H-D Contrast Accent Quilted Jacket tested and reviewed…
Categories
Cruising Other Motorcycle Blogs

Alchemy Cycles 'Bonsai Bike'

Bikes

BMX meets Sportster in the best way

Part BMX, part board tracker, part drag bike. The Bonsai Bike Sportster from Alchemy Cycles may be the smallest Harley-Davidson ever built.
Categories
BikeExif cafe racer Custom Motorcycles Ducati NCT Motorcycles Other Motorcycle Blogs

More Racer Than Cafe: NCT’s stunning Ducati 848 Evo

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
Superbikes don’t typically make us weak at the knees—but if we had to spring for something racy, it would probably be Italian. We wouldn’t say no to the 140 horsepower Ducati 848 Evo, for example.

So when NCT Motorcycles told us they had just finished an 848, we assumed the bike had been crashed. But no: the Austrian shop just wanted to build a sporty cafe racer—with classic looks married to modern tech.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
“We wanted to customize a bike that’s younger than the ones we normally work on,” says NCT’s David Widmann. “And we wanted to have a second reference bike for our work, after the Black Stallion.”

“These days it’s fine when you have a lot of customers, but sometimes you need to build a bike just for yourself, and to represent your company. Of course we will sell it one day—but right now it’s just for us, and to show off our skills.”

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
Together with his partners in crime—Kurt Kosjek and Manuel Tilke—David wheeled the Ducati into NCT’s Feldkirchen workshop, and got down to business.

The guys started by stripping the bike down to the basics, before piecing it back together with a custom subframe. Perched on top is a hand-made aluminum tail unit, complete with combination leather and fabric upholstery, and a neatly embedded LED taillight.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
All the original bodywork is gone, save for the fuel tank. There’s now a full complement of aftermarket carbon fiber bits, including new front and rear fenders. NCT fitted new carbon side covers too, but since they were designed for a stock 848, modified them to fit visually with the reworked seat area.

The 848 Evo handles well enough out the box—but that didn’t stop the NCT crew from removing the Showa forks and installing new Öhlins suspension at both ends. The new forks are held in place by custom-milled triple clamps, sporting integrated push buttons.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
The stock Brembo brakes stayed behind, but the cockpit’s been treated to adjustable levers and prettier reservoirs. Other new bits include grips and bar-end blinkers from Motogadget, and rear-sets from Ducabike. The headlight is an LED unit from Truck-Lite.

NCT then hand built a new exhaust system, terminating it with a stumpy Akrapovič silencer. They also gave the motor a good service, installed K&N filters, and re-mapped the ECU to compensate for the new configuration. The wheels are now wrapped in Diablo Supercorsa SC2 rubber, Pirelli’s highest performing street legal race tire.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
The bike’s been rewired too, which proved to be pretty challenging. “Working on such a new bike is completely different to working on vintage based ones,” explains David. “There are many more wires, and when you rewire all of them you have to make sure that it still looks clean!”

Turning to Porsche’s heritage for inspiration, Manuel Tilke shot the Ducati in a simple olive green scheme. The trellis frame and the wheels went off for black powder coating.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
NCT have turned the already gorgeous 848 into a real head turner. It’s just a pity it’ll never go slow enough for anyone to get a good look.

NCT Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Peter Pegam

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria

Categories
Builders Custom Motorcycles Events Other Motorcycle Blogs

Harley-Davidson Reports Fourth Quarter, Full-Year 2016 Results.

For the full-year 2016, worldwide Harley-Davidson retail motorcycle sales were down 1.6 percent compared to 2015. U.S. retail sales decreased 3.9 percent, partially offset by international growth of 2.3 percent. In the fourth quarter, worldwide retail sales of new…

This is a content summary only. Click on headlines for full links, images, other content and more!

Categories
Chassis Custom Motorcycles Customs Editorial Other Motorcycle Blogs

Super Low 6” Flare™ Windshield For Harley Roadglide

Klock Werks added a low windshield option to their line-up. The company introduced the 6” Super Low Sport Flare™ Windshield for 2015+ Road Glide (FLTR). The Super Low will be available in dark smoke and black. “This Flare™ compliments the aggressive stance of the new Road…

This is a content summary only. Click on headlines for full links, images, other content and more!

Categories
Custom Motorcycles Editorial Events Other Motorcycle Blogs

Recall For 2016-2017 Triumph T120 Bonneville

The Triumph Bonneville T120 and T120 Black models come with heated grips. When turned on, these heated grips can expand and cause the throttle to stick open, creating a risk of crash. Under number SB 546, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published…

This is a content summary only. Click on headlines for full links, images, other content and more!

Categories
Moto Where Motorcycle Travel Other Motorcycle Blogs

Way past Saito

Click here to view this route

This route passes through: Utouzaka

Length: 0.49km / 0.30mi

View recent routes in:
Japan »
Gifu »
Gifu

View all routes from akashiclassics

Categories
Moto Where Motorcycle Travel Other Motorcycle Blogs

From Saito to next Cross Country

Click here to view this route

This route passes through: Saito

Length: 0.59km / 0.37mi

View recent routes in:
Japan »
Gifu »
Gifu

View all routes from akashiclassics

Categories
Moto Where Motorcycle Travel Other Motorcycle Blogs

Mitake to nearly Saito

Click here to view this route

This route passes through: Near Saito

Length: 3.52km / 2.20mi

View recent routes in:
Japan »
Gifu »
Gifu

View all routes from akashiclassics

Categories
Cruising Other Motorcycle Blogs

How To Customize a Motorcycle Seat

Saddle sore?

Feeling saddle sore? You could always customize your motorcycle seat to suit your needs. Here’s how…