Motorcycles and surfing are uneasy bedfellows. If you like to ride your bike, you’re statistically more likely than most to enjoy riding the waves too. (A fact that the organizers of the Wheels & Waves festival in Biarritz know very well.) But on the other hand, a motorcycle is rarely the ideal vehicle to transport your log.
Over the years, several custom shops have added surfboard racks to their motorcycles, with varying degrees of success. Many will have taken inspiration from the Deus outpost in Canggu, Bali, where they’re more likely to be waxing their boards than moustaches.
“We decided it was time to revisit something we had done before, but with a slightly different approach,” says Deus’ Tom Hawkins. And so we have the ‘Sea Sider’—with the surprising choice of a humble Honda Super Cub C70 as the base.
“We wanted to build ourselves a new surf-commuter for around Canggu,” Tom explains. “Previously, it would have needed off road capability, but the roads in the area are now smoothly paved. So we decided to give this new build more of a ‘bicycle feel’ to it.”
The ‘Sea Sider’ started its life as a 1974 C70. But a mere six horsepower, even at a heady 9000 rpm, didn’t cut it. So Deus have dropped in the engine from a 1995 Honda Astra—a pretty bog standard scooter in Bali. “This gave it a touch more oomph and the convenient bonus of an electric start.”
To add lightness to the little C70, Deus then sourced vintage bicycle pieces from a neighboring island and restored them, such as the handlebars and the front light.
Another cycle-inspired addition was the front basket: A custom metal frame was cut and welded up, with wooden slats added to give it the perfect touch of nostalgia.
“We wanted the bike to be as lightweight as we could make it,” says Tom, “so we also used imported rims from Japan, stripped the frame of unneeded parts, and kept things as simple as possible.
“The exhaust was hand made, along with the surfboard rack. The leather seat was made in a little shop just down the road, and the bars are sporting small Japanese switches.”
We reckon ‘Sea Sider’ is a refreshing counterpoint to the mantra of bigger, stronger, faster. Granted, it’d have difficulty pulling the skin off a rice pudding—especially with a surfboard on the side. But if you live in Southeast Asia and need wheels for tootling down to the beach to catch the waves, or to watch a kaleidoscopic sunset, we can’t imagine anything better.
The ‘Sea Sider’ C70 has just rolled onto the showroom floor at Deus’ Temple of Enthusiasm in Canggu. If you’re lucky enough to be in the neighborhood, drop by and check it out in person.
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