Month: May 2017

If there’s one type of build we don’t see enough of, it’s the 80s and 90s sport bike resto-mod. We love those endurance-style racers with their chunky bodywork—harking back to a time when motorcycles were still fairly straightforward, and technology was only on the cusp of becoming complicated.

It’s a style that the Wrenchmonkees have pulled off spectacularly here—except they didn’t pick an older bike for their project. Instead, this wild retro is based on an even wilder donor: the supercharged Kawasaki Ninja H2.

The commission (and bike) came from Dutch gear manufacturer, REV’IT!. They wanted a bike that followed the same ‘Tailored Technology’ philosophy as their urban range; casual and stylish on the outside, high tech on the inside.

REV’IT! already had a soft spot for the H2: their sponsored rider, Kenan Sofuoğlu, hit the 400 km/h (249 mph) mark on one just last year. There’s no question around its performance—but the futuristic styling is an acquired taste (and we haven’t quite acquired that taste).

The Wrenchmonkees‘ design ethos lies on the other end of the spectrum. Often raw and dark, their bikes have a presence about them that’s hard to pin down. So they got the nod to inject the H2 with a heavy dose of their signature styling.

With a brand new H2 on the bench in their Copenhagen workshop, Per Nielsen and Nicholas Bech began the arduous task of reworking the modern superbike—without sacrificing an iota of performance. That meant anything functional that was ripped off had to be replaced, or rebuilt.

First on the block was the H2’s excessive bodywork. Starting from the front, the Wrenchmonkees fitted a modified Kawasaki ZX-7R fairing. Look closely, and you’ll notice a hand-made aluminum section hiding behind it on each side: the left is an air duct that feeds the charger, while the right supports a small coolant reservoir, and hides a ton of wiring.

Behind the fairing is a monocoque tank cover and tail section, hand-made with fiberglass, and capped with a firm neoprene seat pad.

The H2 normally hosts a fuel cell under the main tank cover, but the guys removed this in favor of two custom-made aluminum cells. One sits under the tail hump (the filler cap is up top), the other under the seat. The rear feeds the front, which houses the stock fuel pump; both can be removed as one unit, and total about nine liters of fuel.

The Wrenchmonkees also fabricated a new aluminum subframe to attach everything to, complete with new shock mounts. The rest of the H2’s frame saw minimal changes—like a new bracket for the relocated steering damper, and a culling of any unnecessary tabs.

Per and Nicholas went to great lengths to keep the endurance racer vibe strong. An Antigravity Lithium-ion battery pokes out through the ‘tank’, with a quick-release mount to easily remove it. The fairing attaches with just five bolts, and the monocoque body with just two, making for a rapid teardown. And the bike’s still rideable if you remove it.

Even though the stock H2 is no slouch on the performance side, the Wrenchmonkees threw an array of tasty upgrades at it. The engine was left untouched, but was treated to a SC-Project silencer and a Sprintfilter air filter.

The front suspension was rebuilt with Hyperpro internals, and now sits 15 mm lower with full adjustability. There’s a tubular aluminum swingarm from GIA Engineering out back, hooked up to a fully adjustable Hyperpro shock.

A set of Dymag CH3 magnesium wheels went on too, along with Dunlop GP Sportmax race slicks. Beringer supplied new front brake discs, front and back calipers, and brake and clutch controls, hooked up via braided steel lines. There’s also a RK racing chain, a Talon rear sprocket, and a new top yoke and foot pegs from Uhrewerk.

Everything else is stock, including the cockpit and electronics. The guys just moved things around wherever they could, to get everything neat and compact, modifying bits like the speedo mount in the process.

With retro lines, an all-white frame and wheels, and a paint job that rides the line between menacing and playful, the ‘Revmonkee’ has us captivated. And it’s quicker now too—reading 198 hp at the rear wheel, and weighing in at 485 lbs.

It’s the perfect blend of class and brute force, and it’s even plated. So you could take it on your next breakfast run—if you’re brave enough.

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With thanks to: Dunlop, SC Project, Dymag, Beringer, Gia Engineering, Sprint Filter, Hyperpro, Uhrewerk and Arai.