Author: Matt Neundorf

Custom Bikes Of The Week: 15 July, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date July 15, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and bobbers of the week
Another jaw-dropping Ducati from deBolex, a stunning endurance-style Yamaha DT250 by Enginethusiast, a 160 hp V-twin speedway racer, and a Harley cafe racer swathed in carbon fiber.

Custom Yamaha DT250 by Enginethusiast
Yamaha DT250 by Enginethusiast The Pacific Northwest, and in particular Portland, is home to a hotbed of talent in the motorcycle world. And one of the clear standouts is Anthony Scott, better known as Enginethusiast. He’s not only mastered the command of light via his stellar work behind the lens, but also figured how to build impressive machinery.

‘Engine 25’ is Anthony’s latest creation. He originally had a flat tracker in mind but that plan was scrapped due to timing, parts availability and crucial bodywork that just weren’t going to make it. So he settled on a endurance racer build, and we’re glad he did.

Custom Yamaha DT250 by Enginethusiast
Tapping into the resources around him, Anthony had top-class help to achieve his vision. Glass From the Past handled the gorgeous bodywork, and LED Performance Engines tackled a full rebuild of the air-cooled single and crafted a new pie-cut expansion chamber.

A friend from Project Moto PDX lent Anthony shop space to put things together and New Church Moto began work on that beautiful seat. The result is absolutely stunning, and when it was unveiled at Portland’s The One Show earlier this year, it rightly earned Anthony the Ichiban Award from Yamaha Motor USA. [More]

Custom Scrambler Ducati 1100 by deBolex
Ducati Scrambler 1100 by deBolex Engineering We’re debating which deBolex Scrambler we like better around here: The fully faired Scrambler Racer we featured earlier in the week, or this slightly milder take based on the all-new Scrambler 1100.

Any other shop would have their hands full with one Ducati Scrambler on the bench, but deBolex isn’t ‘any other shop.’ And Des and Calum love a challenge. With only three weeks to work something out, the 1100 was quickly sussed and a cafe racer design was sketched out.

The bodywork may look reminiscent of the plastics from Bologna, but every bit of kit here is aluminum, hand hammered, rolled and formed into an expertly crafted bikini fairing, mudguard and perfectly shaped tail.

Custom Scrambler Ducati 1100 by deBolex
To make the transition from bars to clip-ons, a new top yoke was machined and then the pegs were scrapped in favor of rearsets from Rizoma, to get the ergonomics of cafe racing just right. A custom cat-back exhaust was TiG welded together and finishes just aft of the tail with an HP Corse silencer.

As Wes reported earlier, the deBolex boys are flirting with the idea of creating limited series builds—and while this 1100 is still a ‘1 of 1’ creation, we hope it previews a future endeavor. [More]

MSM (Meirson Sprint Motor) speedway bike
MSM speedway bike by Royal-T Racing Every now and then a bike pops up that leaves us gobsmacked at Bike EXIF HQ. Like this Meirson Sprint Motor (MSM) V-Twin prototype, which was painstakingly put together by Patrick Tilbury of Royal-T Racing. There’s obvious attention to detail on the fit, finish and execution of this build. But equally fascinating is the story behind it, because this is the only bike of its kind in the world.

The Meirson engine powering this beaut is a one-off motor that was developed in 1967 by a father-son sidecar team from Australia. At 1,000cc in full race-prep, the V-Twin would develop 160 hp thanks to a F1-derived valve train, a heady 15:1 compression ratio and the go-fast knowledge being flexed by Clarry and Allan Meirs.

MSM (Meirson Sprint Motor) speedway bike
Patrick happened upon the engine, which had disappeared for 50 years, while working for Jesse James at West Coast Choppers. After sussing out its history, he contacted Allan Meirs and hatched a plan for a speedway racer. The engine was fully restored by Bill Combs of B&B Racing while Patrick began work on fabrication.

The frame is a surgically clean stainless steel unit that absolutely nails the proportions, while making a big twin seem right at home. Silodrome has the whole story on this one and you’d do well to pour a cup o’ joe and head there to read it all.

Custom KTM 510 SMR scrambler by KMPH of Finland
KTM 510 SMR by KMPH There’s just something about a vintage-styled Husky with high pipes that puts a smile on our faces. And this scrambled 2006 KTM from Finland’s KMPH Oy is definitely twisting lips.

Shop boss Panu Laakkonen had a vision for his build, based the mid-70s Husqvarna CR360—and in particular its tank. As luck would have it, Panu then found a client with a Husky racing history, who worked with him along the way.

With the tank sourced, Panu made minor modifications to the frame and shortened the swingarm by four centimeters. This not only helped with the aesthetics and stance of the bike, but also made the move to outboard shocks a little easier.

Despite its young age, the 510cc thumper was treated to a full rebuild and one of the most beautiful cooling systems of any trail bike we’ve seen. The twin radiators are Panu’s own design and were crafted from copper and brass. Up front, a custom set of triple-trees was 3D-designed and now clamp down on the forks from a Kawi ZX-6R.

The hoops on both ends are a nimble 17-inch size, which may limit off road abilities but help retain the Husky’s SuMo roots. [More]

Harley-Davidson Sportster cafe racer by Danmoto
Harley-Davidson Sportster by Danmoto Thanks to its omnipresence in the moto landscape, the Sportster has been transformed into all manner of customs. But few come close to matching the levels of show and go delivered by this exquisite Harley cafe racer from Danmoto, a performance parts manufacturer hailing from The Biggest Little City in the World—Reno, Nevada.

Little remains of the hog, save its V-Twin engine. The frame and swingarm are now custom aluminum units, with the frame being modeled on the Fritz Egli style from the 60s. That means the oil now resides in the bike’s beefy spine before being fed into the engine—which is a stressed member—via a vertical rib. Not only has that decluttered the number of hoses, but also helps shed 60 kilos off the weight.

Harley-Davidson Sportster cafe racer by Danmoto
The swingarm is a wider and lighter unit that meant thicker and stickier rubber could be fitted. The monoshock setup is from a Ducati Monster, and the suspenders up front are courtesy of a GSX-R, mounted via a custom, CNC’d set of clamps.

The carbon fiber bodywork had to be laid out twice, because the first attempt wasn’t to the liking of Wei Liya and his crew. The result of their patience and perseverance is a scalloped and flowing tank that meets one of the tidiest tails to ever grace a Harley. [More]

Harley-Davidson Sportster cafe racer by Danmoto

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 8 July, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date July 8, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and bobbers of the week
Roland Sands massages the R nineT into a vintage-styled thing of beauty, plus the strangest official BMW Motorrad concept bike we’ve ever seen, and a sneak peek at the 2019 Norton Atlas scrambler.

BMW R nineT by Roland Sands Design If you’ve been keeping score over the past few years, you’ll know that Roland Sands has incredible vision. No matter which direction he chooses to pursue—tracker, bobber, chopper or racer—the result is invariably spot on. And this build is no different, with an R NineT massaged into the perfect mix of old and new.

Drawing inspiration from the ovals of the Hooligan series and the elegance of BMW’s extraordinary R5 Hommage, Sands’ R NineT is part bobber and part tracker. The aesthetic mix created by the 19-inch hoops, custom rolled fenders and iconic 1950s ‘Pagusa’ solo seat sounds weird on paper, but is a stunner in pixels. And the fenders aren’t the only new bits of metal either.

BMW R nineT by Roland Sands Design
The bodywork, including the frame covers above the intake, was all shaped in house. And even thought the frame has been left mostly stock, it has been detabbed to clean up overall appearance. That bone-white paint, courtesy of Chris Wood at Airtrix, doesn’t hurt either.

Of course, the RSD catalog was consulted at length as well. The master cylinders at both front and rear are RSD units—as are the foot controls, valve covers and the gorgeous breastplate that adorns the mighty boxer. And that boxer respires a touch easier, thanks to a set of carbon K&N filters that replaces the old airbox, plus an RSD slip-on exhaust. [More]

Yamaha Virago by KSC Speedshop Remember a few weeks back when we featured a stunning Virago in this column that wasn’t a Greg Hageman project? Well here’s another one. And it may be even prettier.

‘MC02’ is the product of Massimo Carriero and his partner Fabian. They run Italy’s KSC Speedshop, an outfit that specializes in designing and developing aftermarket moto parts. They wanted to create a modern cafe racer, with performance that tipped its hat to racing roots. That meant ditching the Yamaha’s bars and mid controls for clip-ons and rearsets—but it wasn’t a simple affair. A new set of triples was machined and an R1 front end was clamped in to fit.

Yamaha Virago by KSC Speedshop
That meant an immediate upgrade to both handling and braking up front, so the rear was modified to suit. The swingarm was massaged a touch and a Sachs piggyback unit levels stance and keeps things under control.

The bodywork on the Virago is a mix of old and new, featuring a tank from a mid-eighties Kawa GPZ, a Ducati Panigale front fender, and a few CAD-developed one-offs. The rear hugger and the seriously stubby subframe are KSC originals, as is the new front fairing. [More]

Child's custom Pagani Mini Cross scrambler
Pagani Mini Cross by El Pasillo Is this this toddler-sized scrambler what the world needs to convince young ‘uns to embrace two-wheeled culture? The brainchild of Gonzalo Carranza, this custom Pagani Mini Cross scrambler was designed for his moto-loving two year-old son.

The lad immediately proclaimed “Dad, this bike is so good!” and we couldn’t agree more. The 50cc 2-stroke Pagani (called ‘Little Killer’) was designed with an old Jawa ML180 in mind, because Gonzalo’s son Hipolito always gravitated to one in the El Pasillo garage—but couldn’t quite swing his tiny legs over its saddle.

Child's custom Pagani Mini Cross scrambler
The plastic Pagani gas tank hit the recycle bin, and in its place now sits a custom 2-liter ¾ size peanut. As with many full size customs, the subframe is gone too, in favor of a custom perch that delivers a flattened scrambler stance. The new headlight admittedly looks a touch small on this Pagani, but proportionally speaking, everything else seems well sorted. And speaking of sizing, even Hipolito looks like he won’t outgrow the Little Killer any time soon. [More]

BMW R nineT concept by Blechmann
BMW Motorrad x Blechmann R nineT concept You may not believe it, but this futuristic bit of tinkering started out as an R nineT too. Commissioned by BMW Motorrad, Bernhard Neumann has churned out a concept that’s equal parts Magpul, Ridley Scott and moto designer Ola Stenegärd.

Neumann calls his bizarre creation Giggerl, which translates from German to ‘chicken’ in the King’s English. Because, as he puts it, “I have built a chicken with underarms and headlamps.” But don’t think for a minute that means that Neumann didn’t take the job seriously. He may have a penchant for obscure naming practices, but his abilities forming metal are second to none. Hence his own nickname ‘Blechmann,’ which means ‘tin man.’ In fact, the Tin Man has handcrafted everything here, apart from the levers, handlebars and forks.

BMW R nineT concept by Blechmann
The frame, tank, subframe, seat, exhaust and bodywork are all one-off units. One flows into the other and into the next with impeccable accuracy. Say what you will about the concept—which we really dig—but the execution is absolutely incredible. Observed alongside BMW’s in-house concept that we featured here a few weeks back, maybe it hints towards a new sci-fi infused design language for the Bavarians? [More]

Norton Atlas scrambler concept-1
The new Norton Atlas scrambler Triumph is set to reveal a bigger and even-scramblier Scrambler later this year, and the standout offering in the Scrambler Ducati range is the Desert Sled. So it’s not surprising that other brands want in on this action. What may surprise though, is that it’s Norton that wants your dirty money. And based on these renderings, we’re optimistic.

Norton has certainly pegged the Desert Sled as its design inspiration, but has stayed traditionally British as far as the motor is concerned. The 2019 Norton Atlas will be powered by the front half of Norton’s V4 superbike engine and is rumored to come in three levels of performance: mild (70 hp), wild (100 hp) and bonkers (175 hp supercharged).

Norton Atlas scrambler concept-1
Our guess is that this Scrambler will debut with the mild version of that motor and, from what we see here, should be decently outfitted for less-travelled paths.

There are spoked wheels at both ends, with what we’re guessing is a 19-inch front—which should keep things nimble in both paved and dirty conditions. The wide bars and tapered waistline should offer decent control from a standing position and, as long as it’s not made from tinfoil, that skid plate should keep the internals staying internal. Here’s hoping final executions don’t stray too far from digital intentions. [More]

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 24 June, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date June 24, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and bobbers of the week
A Ducati Monster hot-rodded to within an inch of its life, a Yamaha SR250 so clean it looks like a Photoshop render, and proof that the modern Honda CB1100 can look as good as the slinkiest CB750 cafe racer.

Custom Yamaha SR250 by Free Spirit Motorcycles
Yamaha SR250 by Free Spirit Motorcycles Did you think the images of this incredibly clean SR250 were renderings? I certainly did. It’s just so impeccably put together (and shot) that you doubt human hands have ever touched it. But they have, and they were the hands of Slavo Danko and his son, Matus, from Slovakia’s Free Spirit Motorcycles.

The 1981 SR250 that found its way onto Slavo’s bench was in well-kept shape. But regardless, the bike was completely stripped. The factory subframe has been binned and a new hooped unit installed, with an LED brake/taillight integrated rear and center. The saddle sitting atop that tubing is crafted from a piece of vintage hide that Slavo stitched together using an old industrial sewing machine, and the grips and gorgeous key fob come from the same heifer.

Custom Yamaha SR250 by Free Spirit Motorcycles
The tank is the original Yammie unit, but it’s been massaged to deliver the shape you see here. The streamlined bodywork adorning ‘Primus’ is all crafted from 1.5mm aluminum and is a masterclass in shaping and weld work. And speaking of weld work, check out that exhaust! If you can find a seam, you’ve got much better peepers than I. Not bad for a first time effort. [More]

Ducati Monster cafe racer by XTR Pepo
Ducati Monster by XTR Pepo Pepo Rosell earned his fame (under the Radical Ducati banner) with a plethora of take-no-prisoners, performance focused custom Ducatis. Since moving on to start XTR Pepo he’s shifted his gaze to include non-Italian donors—and they’ve been pretty damned sweet, too. But with his latest creation ‘Ulster,’ Rosell reminds us why is considered a master of the Duc.

This endurance racer extraordinaire is based on a 2001 Monster 750. The stock trellis frame needed some hot work to make components fit and deliver an attack-mode stance.

Ducati Monster cafe racer by XTR Pepo
The new tank comes courtesy of a retired 749R racer that gives the L-Twin plenty of room to keep cool heads, and Pepo’s also built a tidy little tail that echoes the tank’s lines. The front fairing is a modified unit that used to call a Yamaha TZ250 home, and again, lines up perfectly for Ulster.

Ducati Monster cafe racer by XTR Pepo
At the performance end of things, Rosell has never been one to balk—and this build is no different. The 750SS engine has been rebuilt with ported heads and new carb jets to increase fueling. The exhaust is a Wolfman 2-into-1 unit capped by a Spark silencer. The suspension has also been given an upgrade with Andreani internals fitted into the forks and a YSS shock handles the action out back. [More]

Honda CB1100 by South Garage With the much anticipated CB1000R ‘Neo Café’ set to hit dealer floors in the coming months, it’s easy to forget that Honda has another modern classic mostly ignored by riders—the CB1100. So look at what a beauty it can become, when worked on by the right hands.

Called ‘Hedo’ as a truncated hat-tip to the pursuit of pleasure, this CB is the latest custom to roll out of Milan’s South Garage Motor Co. It’s based on a 2016 CB1100 and was designed for Honda, to show the potential of their aging standard.

Honda CB1100 by South Garage
The first order of business was a simple tweaking of the rear subframe. The result is a shortened tail that substitutes minimalist lighting for the bulbous OE lenses, and a tightly upholstered, leather, humped seat. Up front, the big and comfy bars have been swapped for clip-ons, and the headlight has shrunk accordingly.

From there, everything possible was treated to a heavy dose of darkness to deliver a sinister appearance befitting its new stance. The result is a tidy take on the cafe racer style that has us poking around the classifieds. [More]

Indian Scout Sixty by Anvil Motociclette With the announcement that Indian has (finally, thankfully) greenlit the FTR1200 for production, a good chunk of us enthusiasts have started counting and hoarding our shekels. But just a few hours before Indian’s top brass made dreams come true, Anvil Motociclette were pulling the wraps off an Indian tracker of their own, based on the smaller Scout Sixty.

Dubbed ‘The Shrimp,’ this completely custom flat tracker was built by Marco and Alessandro to pay homage to racing legend Albert ‘Shrimp’ Burns. With over 300 man-hours going into the build, the hands of Anvil and their cohorts have touched almost everything. The new frame has a beefy backbone, with a single downtube to add lightness and aid in setting up the new geometry.

The triple trees are a custom unit, carved from chunks of billet, and feature integrated risers. Out back, the swingarm is mounted to a custom bracket and Öhlins tackles the suspension at both ends. The new subframe is a spartan unit, but has been tweaked to house the battery and other e-essentials.

The smaller, Scout Sixty V-Twin needed a new set of mounts to get it to sit right. Cooling is now tackled via a twin set of rads that hang on either side of the downtube, and a Zard custom exhaust delivers a dirt-quaking soundtrack. [More]

Yamaha TW125 by Atelier Medusa Post-apocalyptic builds aren’t everyone’s cuppa. But if you’re a fan of the style, whether it’s in the movies or on a bike, you might be intrigued by this dark and sinister TW125.

Helmed by two French engineering students with a deep fascination for the end-times, ‘Tank’ is Atelier Medusa’s first completely handcrafted build. Some of the standout features are the El Solitario-inspired wireframe work on the forks and swingarm, and the use of a tractor’s spent piston as the new headlight.

Yamaha TW125 by Atelier Medusa
Medusa aimed for a bulletproof aesthetic, so the bodywork and other custom touches have upped the TW’s weight to around 180kg. Which isn’t the typical formula for success, especially with such a tiny powerplant. But you’ve got to remember the post apocalyptic inspiration: if that huge Coronal Mass Ejection finally comes and wipes a good chunk of us out, the moto-enthusiasts who survive will cobble together anything they can. [More]

Yamaha TW125 by Atelier Medusa

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 3 June, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date June 17, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and bobbers of the week
British motocross champion Billy MacKenzie builds an incredible CBX750. Royal Enfield reveals a +100 hp Continental GT dragster. And Rua Machines turn the Moto Guzzi Nevada into a thing of beauty. It’s been a week of surprises.

Royal Enfield LockStock drag bike
Royal Enfield LockStock We were all pretty excited when Royal Enfield pulled the wraps off their new line of parallel twin motorcycles. Not only did it mean there’d be another couple of classically styled bikes on our roads, but also two new bases from which builders could choose.

This custom is LockStock, a bottle-fed dragster based on the Continental GT. Outside of the new engine and some bits of the Conti’s cradle frame, little remains of the stock bike. The subframe has been re-engineered in-house for quarter-mile attack, and the lengthened swingarm no longer swings—it just keeps the bike planted.

Royal Enfield LockStock drag bike
A steering damper has been installed to reduce straightline chatter at speed and the ergonomics dictated by those U-shaped bars should keep the rider from attempting any drastic changes in direction.

In stock form, the 648cc twin musters up 47 hp of puff, but LockStock can take a hit from a little blue bottle for extra oomph. S&S Cycle helped bump power to over 100 hp with bored-out barrels, a competition camshaft and high-comp pistons, taking capacity to 865 cc. Make this available as a kit please, Enfield. [More]

Custom Honda CBX750 by X-Axis
Honda CBX750 by X-Axis We should have known when we sussed out X-Axis’ CX500 that the New South Wales shop has a knack for transforming quirky Hondas into rolling works of art. This time around, a 1984 CBX750 found its way onto their bench—and the results hit that mix of neo and retro in all the right places.

I’m probably showing my age, but a set of twin rectangular sealed beams will pique my interest every time. And despite my hatred of the 80s when I lived through them, the nostalgia is all so very real nowadays. According to shop leader (and former British MX-1 champ) Billy Mackenzie, the styling was influenced by the iconic Ferrari GTO of that era, hence the swooping lines on the tank, the Rosso Corsa colorway, and the aforementioned front end.

Custom Honda CBX750 by X-Axis
Nothing came easy on this build. To create a retro ride that would outperform today’s showroom sitters, Mackenzie and his crew fabricated quite a few special bits. To fit the new CBR600 front end, the CBX’s original wheel needed some serious work to mount up with the twin discs. And a new stem needed machining to have everything come together.

There are plenty more details that are worth your time and effort, so it’s a good idea to click on over to Return of the Cafe Racers for the full report.

Custom BMW K100 by Les Ateliers du Dr Joë
BMW K100 by Les Ateliers du Dr Joë When Pyrenees-based tattoo artist Joël Alba found himself looking for a new mechanical project, his mind wandered to the BMW K-series. More specifically, Dr. Joë wanted to turn a flying brick into something that would resemble a race-bred, factory machine.

The K100 he sourced was promptly disassembled, and the transverse mounted engine was treated to a full teardown and rebuild. While the internals were being buttoned up, the Beemer’s frame had all of the tabs ground down, smoothed out and the whole kit was given a fresh coat of black lacquer.

Custom BMW K100 by Les Ateliers du Dr Joë
But it’s the bodywork that steals the show here. Dr. Joë fabricated the new front fairing, windshield, tank, tank housing, seat and cowl in house. And, in our eyes, he’s done some splendid work. The way that front fairing finishes where the roundel would normally appear on the tank makes me smile. The fact that those roundels were swiped from a BMW Z4 and function as side markers is a crowning stroke.

It shows some serious dedication to getting proportions just right, adding depth to the visuals and a flair for the original. Which shouldn’t surprise, since Dr. Joë is also pretty handy with the hot needle too. [More]

Yamaha Virago by Jody Milhouse Whenever we run across a custom Virago, Greg Hageman’s name is typically on the build sheet. But the Yamaha V-Twin machine is starting to find favor amongst others as well. This one comes from 22-year old Jody Milhouse of Thornton Hundred Motorcycles, who some of you may remember from the CR500 we featured last year. And he’s done another cracking job.

If you were at this year’s Bike Shed show, you undoubtedly drooled over the Speed block liveried, monocoque tank and tail that Jody created for this tracker build. The lines are spot on and give this ‘83 Virago a muscular appearance it never had in stock form. More impressively, the sheet metal work is Jody’s first attempt to shape the stuff on a professional build.

Of course there’s more than just fancy bodywork going on here. The frame has been treated to a full bout of detabbing and a new subframe was put together too. The front end from a Monster 821 was fitted up front, and a conversion was made to a Magura hydraulic clutch. The 750 V-twin now inhales through a single Mikuni TM40 carb and exhales via a trick, custom exhaust setup that Jody capped with a handmade silencer. [More]

Moto Guzzi Nevada cafe racer by Rua Machines
Moto Guzzi Nevada by Rua Machines When it was introduced, the Nevada 750 was applauded for its light, agile and quick handling. However, the cruiser stance didn’t advertise that fact—and it wasn’t exactly what we’d call a looker, either. On the other hand, this honey of a cafe’d version by Portugal’s Rua Machines looks ready to connect the dirty dozen apexes at Estoril and drop jaws along the pit lane.

Much of Mandello del Lario’s original handiwork has been cast aside. The bodywork is long gone, and the frame has been tweaked to give a flattened, racer stance. Armando Fontes and Victor Rocha looked to Guzzi’s Le Mans for inspiration and did an absolute stellar job on the new subframe, seat and tail section.

Moto Guzzi Nevada cafe racer by Rua Machines
The tank is actually from Bologna, once laying atop a Ducati 350 GT, and the roots of the Verde Boreale paint can be traced back to Milan and Alfa Romeo. Set against the deep mahogany of the seat and grips, it’s a knockout combination.

Longer travel Bitubo shocks were hitched up to the rear, and the front forks have been rebuilt and renewed for a more sporting ride. This is helped with the more aggressive ergos delivered by the clip-ons and rearsets. Performance has been addressed by that gorgeous under-mount exhaust and a free breathing K&N air filter. [More]

Moto Guzzi Nevada cafe racer by Rua Machines

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 3 June, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date June 3, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and bobbers of the week
Moto Guzzi’s Bellagio gets a glamorous new set of clothes. Vladimir Putin gets a new motorcycle, with a little help from Kalashnikov. And the French photographer and racer Dimitri Coste gets acquainted with the Indian FTR1200 prototype. It’s been a pick’n’mix kinda week.

The Rostec Izh: A motorcycle designed for President Putin
Rostec Izh concept Ever wondered what bike Vladimir Putin would ride, when he’s not shirtless on a horse? Wonder no longer. The Izh is a concept motorcycle developed by the Russian corporate juggernaut Rostec and the makers of everyone’s favorite assault rifle, Kalashnikov.

With a nine-and-a-half foot long wheelbase and a curb weight of 1,124 pounds (510 kg), the Izh probably isn’t the most nimble of machines. You may be thinking it’s because in Soviet Russia, bike rides you—but the extra payload comes from bodywork designed to stop bullets. Which seems unnecessary, since the rider is still fully exposed but looks and sounds as badass as Ivan Drago with a broadsword.

The Rostec Izh: A motorcycle designed for President Putin
Despite this, Kalashnikov cites a 0-60 mph time of an impressive 3.5 seconds: at 133 lbs-ft, there’s enough torque to uproot a Siberian Elm. They also claim 250 kph (155 mph) as the top speed for this beast, so we hope the binders are well in check too.

Details on the powerplant are scant but it’s obviously a boxer motor, presumed to be liquid cooled, with a reported 148 hp on tap. The first batch of Izh are apparently being commissioned as we speak, specifically for Putin’s motorcade, but you can expect a few oligarchs to place orders soon after. [More]

Moto Guzzi Bellagio cafe racer by South Garage
Moto Guzzi Bellagio by South Garage The crew at Milan-based South Garage has a reputation for subtlety: a nip here, a tuck there and smooth lines everywhere else. Their sublime creations exude style and attention to detail, and really grab the peepers around here.

The Phoenix is SG’s take on the Moto Guzzi Bellagio, Mandello del Lario’s cruiser-ish roadster from about a decade ago. The Bellagio’s shortcomings stemmed from odd proportions, so SG went to work in the fabrication shop to right those wrongs.

Moto Guzzi Bellagio cafe racer by South Garage
The new tank is a handmade aluminum unit, sculpted to look at home in a Guzzi showroom, and the rear is now a hand-laid, one-piece carbon fiber unit topped with an Alcantara seat. The visual change is utterly sublime and suits the bruiser stance to a T.

In terms of performance, the Phoenix has been treated to a plethora of niceties including carbon fiber Kineo wheels, custom mounted Öhlins suspenders, and extra sticky Pirelli rubber. But it doesn’t stop with the changes you can see. Engine work, combined with a custom exhaust, has coaxed an extra 20 ponies from this transverse twin. [More]

Suzuki Katana race bike by Team Kagayama
Suzuki Katana by Team Kagayama If you wanna see Chris, Wes and I nod in unison, roll up on a Hans Muth-designed first gen Katana. If you wanna see us start to salivate, roll up on this one—a race ready custom with the powerplant from a 185 hp Gixxer Thou.

This jaw dropping piece of 80s nostalgia is the creation of the Team Kagayama racing outfit, and the goal of team boss Yukio Kagayama is to win the ‘Taste of Tsukuba’ race. But there’s much more at play than a simple engine swap. The GSX-R1000 needed a full suite of custom electrical work to make everything communicate, and the lower half of the frame had to be custom built to fit the new motor and beef up rigidity for race duty.

Suzuki Katana race bike by Team Kagayama
When the original Katana hit the streets in 1980, Suzuki claimed it was the fastest mass production moto on the market. This one is undoubtedly faster, but rumors abound that a new Katana may be heading to market. Here’s hoping they follow Kagayama’s lead and look to the past for the aesthetics. [More]

Custom Yamaha SR400 by Benjies Cafe Racer
Yamaha SR400 by Benjies Cafe Racer Unfortunately, for most of us, lane splitting is a two-wheeled advantage we just can’t exploit. Despite the many documented benefits for traffic flow and rider safety, most legislation simply won’t follow the logic. But that didn’t stop Benjie Flipprboi from creating this lithe traffic scalpel when a local Yamaha dealer tapped him for a custom creation.

Custom Yamaha SR400 by Benjies Cafe Racer
‘Lane Splitter 54’ is based on a 2016 Yamaha SR400, and its width has been shaved to a slender 54 centimeters (21 inches). The work began with ditching the SR’s subframe, as the stock unit was just too bulky to get where Benjie wanted. A stainless steel tail and seat assembly was fabricated and mounted on the new, elevated perch. The metalwork is spot on and the custom exhaust exits through the tail unit.

Custom Yamaha SR400 by Benjies Cafe Racer
The front fairing and tank are both hand formed aluminum units, again designed to minimize girth while maximizing style. The dash has been re-jigged; the tach has been frenched into the tank and the speedo now resides below the windscreen. The only feature that added any width during this build is the disc brake: it now has an art deco-inspired vented cover, again crafted from aluminum, which looks fantastic. [More]

Dimitri Coste rides the Indian FTR1200 Every enthusiast with petrol pulsing through their veins must be waiting with bated breath for Indian to finally pull the wraps off the civilian-spec FTR1200. This pending street-tracker, provided it comes from the same mold as the prototype, is the exact weapon Indian needs to grab the extra market share it fervently desires. And just to make sure we’re all still paying attention, they’ve loaned a prototype out to photographer Dimitri Coste.

Dimitri Coste rides the Indian FTR1200
Dimitri didn’t just throw some diffused light onto the bike for PR shots, either. He’s pretty handy at going fast and turnin’ left too, and he got the chance to thrash the FTR1200 around the dirt oval, the way it deserves to be. He’s dubbed this bike ‘The Mistress’ because, in his own words, “Your wife’s gonna be jealous.”

Well, until an FTR1200 lands in our garage, we’re the jealous ones. So hurry up Indian! [More]

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 20 May, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date May 20, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and trackers of the week
A Triumph Trident that ran in the 1972 Bol d’Or, a Moto Guzzi Strada dripping with vintage charm, and a chiropractor-approved version of the R nineT Racer from JvB-Moto.

Triumph Trident 750 'Koelliker'
Triumph Trident 750 ‘Koelliker’ Auction previews are a good way of reminding me how much money I could burn through, if only I had it: Aste Bolaffi Auctions of Turin is teasing with a small but elegant collection set to go under the hammer on May 23rd. Of their baker’s dozen, Lot 6 in particular—this Triumph Trident 750—has me wondering what a donor organ can fetch these days.

This bike is one of three Tridents that were race prepped by Italy’s main Triumph importer, Bepi Koelliker, to run in the 1972 Bol d’Or 24-hour motorcycle endurance race.

It has a specially fabricated frame, born from the hands of Stelio Belletti, as well as a Lockheed Racing braking system and a gorgeous set of seven-spoke magnesium mags.

Triumph Trident 750 'Koelliker'
Everything is in stunningly clean shape, from the sculpted, period correct endurance racer bodywork to the twin tanks and the racer’s perch. Which is a surprise, because this bike spent time as a racing test mule as well. Early expectations peg the price at around €30,000 (US$35,000), not including the 15% auction surcharge. I’d wager they’ll get that easy—or maybe €12,500 and a slightly used kidney. [More]

BMW R80 by Elemental Custom Cycles When it comes to builds based on a BMW R80, IWC’s The Mutant sets a seriously high water mark. And while this cafe’d version from Neustadt’s Elemental Custom Cycles isn’t breaking the same barriers, the fit and finish are exemplary and deserving of our attention.

The original 1985 R80 rolled into the shop with barely 7,000 km on the clock. But that didn’t mean the work ahead was easy. The build still demanded a total teardown; the frame needed some detabbing work and the subframe had to go. In its place, the new hooped perch rides high but follows the lines at the base of the tank perfectly.

BMW R80 by Elemental Custom Cycles
That treatment gives the new YSS monolever so much negative space, the rear appears almost delicate. Contrast that to the beefy front end and new fat n’ sticky rubber and there’s just enough aggro on display as well.

I’m torn over the custom underslung muffler, but I appreciate the creativity and can’t fault the execution. And it’s the paintwork that truly captures eyes here. The Audi Daytona grey and teal accents are buried, jewel-like under seven coats of clear coat. We’re told the process involved some 40 drafts before final approvals and figure it was worth the effort. [More]

Custom Moto Guzzi Strada 750 by LaBusca
Moto Guzzi Strada 750 by LaBusca Motorcycles The freedom that comes with no client to answer to and no real deadline to fear must be refreshing. The creative shackles are off, and a builder can just do what he or she does best. Jez, the headman from LaBusca Motorcycles of Lancaster, England, recently had that chance with a low mileage Strada 750. And boy, did he deliver.

Black Betty is the near-perfect combination of purity and function in motorcycle design. It has a large, 17-litre teardrop tank to help devour miles. There is a substantial luggage rack out the back, which sits above an equally effective rear fender. And the solo seat has enough padding to make use of that tank’s volume.

Custom Moto Guzzi Strada 750 by LaBusca Moto
But more than that, everything superfluous is gone. The frame has been de-tabbed and everything unsightly has been moved behind those custom side panels.

The overall style is clearly vintage. But don’t think for a minute that this late 80s Moto Guzzi hasn’t been modernized. Motogadet now tackles the electricals, complete with a Motoscope Tiny that’s been mounted within the Triumph Thunderbird headlight bucket, and Sachse now handles the ignition. And while some may lament the chunky rubber, Jez felt it suited Black Beauty just fine: “This is a machine designed for taking your time on, and so the trade-off in grip compared to a more road orientated tire was deemed acceptable.” Sounds reasonable enough to us. [More]

BMW G310R by DKdesign BMW’s entry level G310R may not be built by the hands of Bavarians but it’s widely acclaimed as worthy of its roundel. Of course, the diminutive Beemer is built to a budget and, as such, is a little fugly when bone stock.

Thankfully, creatives like Dakar Chou from Taiwan’s DKdesign Motorparts are around to beautify things. His shop specializes in developing bolt-ons for the G310 as well as the Rnine T, and every now and then churns out a one-off as showcase. With his latest build, and second G310R, Dakar has created a tasty little cafe he’s calling Rogue.

BMW G310R by DKdesign
The change to a classically shaped R100 tank does the heavy lifting on this bitsa. Combined with the new headlight and cowl, subframe delete and rubberized seat from a R50 it blends copious amounts of heritage and style into a tiny, attractive package. If BMW was ever thinking of expanding their heritage line down into the 310 family, a treatment like this or Dakar’s earlier scrambler version, would be an automatic win. [More]

BMW R nineT Racer by JvB-moto When Jens Vom Brauck sent us images of his latest crack at BMW’s Rnine T, it was a fraction too late to make it into our last BOTW two weeks ago. But it’s been worth the wait. On the surface, the changes are fairly simple—but this Racer is packing a look we’d reckon most owners would dig.

JvB just happens to be a parts producing specialist, so many of the changes here can be quickly sourced and easily installed. After riding a stock Racer for a spell, Jens was convinced the best way to improve it was to make subtle ergonomic changes, to improve rideability without spoiling its good looks.

BMW R nineT Racer by JvB-moto
To that end there are new bars and a tweaked seat unit to correct the Racer’s contorted riding position. A new LED headlight conversion sits above JvB’s minimalist front fender and the new triples and bars come courtesy of LSL.

Other tweaks include a newly sculpted airbox cover that better fits with the Bavarian’s overall design and of course that beauty of a rear seat, complete with integrated LED’s for tail and braking lights. The transformation is tasty and simple, showcasing an already very attractive bike. Although if it were in my garage, I’d opt away from the wheel covers.

BMW R nineT Racer by JvB-moto

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 6 May, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date May 6, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and trackers of the week
A perfect wooden Honda Motocompo tribute, a BMW R80 with new monocoque bodywork, a turbocharged Harley Sportster, and a drop-dead gorgeous classic Benelli from France.

BMW R80 cafe racer by it roCkS!bikes of Portugal
BMW R80 by it roCkS!bikes A signature style is something every builder hopes to achieve—but only the best seem able to do it properly. For Osvaldo Coutinho and Alex Santos of Portugal’s it roCkS!bikes, that signature is found in exquisite monocoque bodywork, and we’d say it’s been honed to perfection now.

Their latest build is this slick, cafe’d airhead, which went up on the bench as a used and abused BMW R80. Working from a set of sketches, the Beemer was torn down completely before the rebuild began. The engine was given a refresh and, more importantly, punched out to a full 1000cc—to deliver extra grunt for running the ton.

BMW R80 cafe racer by it roCkS!bikes of Portugal
To keep the bike stable and lower its stance, the suspension was also completely revised: the swingarm from an R1100 RS was fitted out back and a R1 surrendered its suspenders up front.

But it’s that bodywork that steals the show here. Aluminum was hand formed by the duo to create a truly sensuous shape that sits perfectly atop the R80’s chassis. “We like them clean, simple, elegant and fast!” says Alex. Well, so do we. And you guys nailed it, yet again. [More]

The Laser Compo by the Kirkshop

Laser Compo by the Kirkshop Using wood on a bike always raises something around here. Sometimes it’s eyebrows, other times it’s vitriol. This time around, it’s not just a few accents with a grainy veneer—it’s the entire bike. But this one will fit in the palm of your hand, so anyone can put one together. And it will look absolutely cracking on the corner of your desk.

The Laser Compo by the Kirkshop
We figure the Laser Compo is the one bike with wood that will make everyone smile. It’s based on the Honda Motocompo—the cute-as-hell city scooter from the 80s that was engineered to fit in the trunk of equally tiny Honda kei cars.

This laser-cut model has 180 pieces and can be assembled in about 2 to 3 hours. To ensure a precise fit, designer Kirk Shinmoto has laser-cut each and every part out of maple and walnut, and the Laser Compo even has rolling wheels and functional steering. The seat folds in, just like the original.

The Laser Compo by the Kirkshop
Pop off the body panels and you’ll notice a detailed miniature wooden version of the 2.5 hp AB12E thumper. And the shocks, muffler and kicker are just as impressive. If you’re looking for something a little more involved than Lego but less intimidating than a full-size bike build, this is the kit to buy. [More]

Yamaha RX 115 cafe racer
Yamaha RX115 café racer It’s no secret that Indonesia has a thriving culture when it comes to custom bike building. The creativity and ingenuity, especially with small displacement machines, seem to know no bounds. And those skills aren’t exclusive to pro shops either.

Yohanes Prasetya Jati (aka Yohansuper) is, in his own words, just an enthusiast. But his cafe’d Yamaha RX115 tells us he’s got some damned fine skills. Built for last year’s Kustomfest, aside from the frame and engine, nearly everything here has been hand built. And the materials to build it all were plucked from the junkyard.

Yamaha RX 115 cafe racer
The tank was formed from a 1mm sheet of steel plate while the bars and new swingarm were discarded lengths of seamless tubing. Even those beautifully knurled pegs started out as steel plate before Yohanes plied his magic.

For the more mechanical items on the build, Yohanes pillaged what he could from other bikes. The front forks came from a Yamaha RX 135, and the front hub from an AS3 helped the skinny 18-inch front mount up. The work is truly impressive and Yohanes was super stoked when his two-stroke got the nod for inclusion in Kustomfest. Hopefully that spurs him to keep at it; he’s certainly got a knack for it. [More]

Turbo Harley Sportster by Bryce Schmidt Since it was the bike I learned to ride on, the Sportster has always had a spot in my heart. Even in fully-blinged ‘Custom’ trim, I could feel the racier roots that were originally baked in—and tried my best to exploit them whenever I could. Thirty-four year old Bryce Schmidt has done it better, though. He put one on his garage bench and figured he’d expose those roots in the best way he knew how: with a turbo.

The 1200cc, V-Twin now breathes through a whirring T15 turbo. And to help give it enough fuel for its more ferocious fire a 45mm Mikuni HSR has been bolted up as well. Of course, getting that impeller to spool took some creative work with the pipes; Bryce did a great job pie-cutting the custom headers to keep things as neat and tidy as possible. But there’s more going here than just a game of suck ’n’ blow.

Bryce also crafted a new subframe for his Sportster and converted the bike to a monoshock design while adding some 3.5-inches to the swingarm for stability. The belt-drive was binned in favor of a chain and sprocket and a Ninja’s rear wheel roasts rubber in the rear. Up front, a set of cartridges from Progressive Suspension replaced the old Milwaukee internals and braided lines were installed to up braking feel and performance. [More]

Benelli Quattro Corsa restoration
Benelli Quattro Corsa When my lotto numbers finally come up, after a visit to Walt Siegl I’m heading to France. Legend Motors in Lille is easily one of the finest shops going when it comes to precision vintage machinery. There is little they’re selling that any one of us wouldn’t want to buy. And even though this achingly gorgeous Benelli Quattro Corsa is no longer up for grabs, it deserves to be appreciated.

Restored by friends of the shop, Maxime and Florent Bodin, there is a lot to drool over here. The work was all done with a tribute to Renzo Pasolini in mind—hence that splendid bodywork—and every inch of it exudes that late 70s TT ethos. Since every nut, bolt and washer has been either replaced or re-engineered, the bike was listed in ‘as new’ condition.

Benelli Quattro Corsa restoration
Of course, Christophe Bodelot and his crew weren’t happy to just buy and flip this Benelli, so they took apart the engine to improve the internals. New pistons, valves and cams were slotted in and a Lionti exhaust fitted up.

We’re not sure how much this sold for, or who was lucky enough to put it in their garage. But if you’re reading this (and my lotto numbers do finally come in), please feel free to get in touch. [More]

Benelli Quattro Corsa restoration

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 22 April, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date April 22, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and trackers of the week
A spectacular Ducati designed to celebrate Alpinestars’ 55th anniversary, a Kawasaki GPX 600 R built by a lecturer in economics, an electric dragster from Alta, and a cafe racer … rocking horse from Germany.

Kawasaki GPX 600 R cafe racer
Kawasaki GPX 600 R by Jordi Soldevila The Golden Ratio is a mathematically driven design technique that, when applied properly, should render appealing, natural looking creations. It’s some pretty high-level stuff, which typically takes industry pros years of practice to get right. And I’d argue it’s even more complicated when the creation needs to be ridden. In Jordi Soldevila’s case, it took about 27 months.

Yes, you read that correctly. This is financial consultant and economic lecturer Jordi’s first ever custom. He’s not a seasoned bike builder, but he is a passionate perfectionist with a long history with bikes.

Kawasaki GPX 600 R cafe racer
Not wanting to make things easy for himself, Jordi began with a plastic-fantastic Kawasaki GPX 600 R and promptly scrapped everything but the engine, frame and wiring loom. Everything else on this bike was hand built, shaped and welded by Jordi. He also rebuilt the engine, swapped both the front and rear suspension with those from a modern Gixxer, and machined the necessary bits to make it all fit together.

Jordi then started on the bodywork, which he transformed from sketch to wireframe and buck, finishing with a very pretty fiberglass fairing, tank and tail. Oh, and he had to teach himself how to do all of these things along the way. Unbelievable only scratches the surface with the ‘Darkus Madness 598 R’ here. [More]

Alpinestars 55th Anniversary Ducati 750 Sport As my wife reminds me, anniversaries are special events that deserve commemoration with equally special gifts. To ring in their 55th, Alpinestars tapped Michael ‘Woolie’ Woolaway to create a custom—one that would capture the history of the iconic brand, while also playing to its technological strengths. And in typical Woolie fashion, he knocked it outta the park.

Alpinestars 55th Anniversary Ducati 750 Sport built by Michael Woolaway
Starting with a race-built engine from a ‘74 Ducati 750 that was found still sitting in a crate, Woolie turned to Jeff Cole to help fuse up a modern frame. A gorgeous trellis design was settled on for strength, rigidity and lightness, and capped with minimal flowing bodywork. The tank, seat and tail are all bespoke units, expertly shaped by Woolie himself to deliver a vintage racer’s stance.

There are some other old school nods thrown in for good measure, too. The rear brake is actuated by a thumb control, like Mick Doohan’s Ducs in the 90s, and the seat was designed to echo Nicky Hayden’s from his days with the Italian marque.

Alpinestars 55th Anniversary Ducati 750 Sport built by Michael Woolaway
But other than that motor and its vibe, nothing on this bike is an antique. The suspension is an all-new set of goodies from Öhlins, the brakes are Brembo and the bike is riding on Marchesini wheels. The exhaust is from Akrapovič and was built to a full MotoGP spec, and Michelin provided the slicks—which we imagine Alpinestars CEO Gabriele Mazzarolo will be roasting appropriately this weekend in Austin.

The Crapshoot: an electric dragster from Alta Motors

Alta Motors ‘Crapshoot’ If you were fortunate enough to make it to the Outlier’s Guild Motorcycle Show in L.A. a few weeks back—or the One Show in February—this stunning little drag bike probably popped up on your radar. The Crapshoot is an all-electric collaboration between Alta Motors and local acquaintances that has us embracing our electron-fueled future like never before.

Paying homage to the quarter-milers of yore, Alta’s John McInnis wanted to show that, with some ingenuity and zero electrical-engineering degrees, an Alta Redshift could go from rad to bad. Of course, that didn’t mean that the builders behind this weren’t valedictorians in other areas of expertise.

The Crapshoot: an electric dragster from Alta Motors
Working from a CAD drawing, Red Hub’s Vinnie Falzon fired up the welder to create the hardtail frame. The bodywork is a modified batch of glass from AirTech Streamlining that San Francisco’s DK Design transformed into the glistening, single piece unit that you see here.

In total, there are over 100 man-hours that have been dedicated to this build and every one of them was worth it. Oh, and if you were wondering, yes they did cap the project off with one hell of a smoky burnout before it hit the show circuit. [More]

EBay find: Husqvarna 450SM tracker Have you got a tax refund quietly smoking away in your pocket? Looking to add a show bike to your fleet for a fairly reasonable investment? If you were at last year’s Mama Tried or Handbuilt show, you may have spotted this 2007 Husqvarna making appearances. Well, it’s now for sale.

Fully street legal and showing only 4,100 miles on the odometer, I’m feeling a little tempted by this one myself. That’s because the 2007 Husqvarna 450SM that started on the bench was treated to a bevy of tasteful modifications.

The stock subframe was replaced with an all-new aluminum unit to pick up the perch and deliver some custom character. The tail and tank are both hand built aluminum pieces and all paint and pinstripe work was hand done, too.

This Husky rides on matched 19-inch Warp 9 wheels shod with Shinko tracker-style rubber. The airbox is long gone and the thumper now breathes through a Uni filter that sidesteps the custom undertail exhaust. It may not be the prettiest Husky we’ve seen around here but she’s damned fine in my eyes and the asking price is attainable. [More]

Motorcycle rocking horse by Felix Monza
Moto Rocker by Felix Monza The North American motorcycle market has been ageing for some years now, and the manufacturers are all keen to introduce a new generation of riders to the culture, lifestyle and passion we love. And while taking your kids out to races and bike nights could help, the German industrial designer Felix Monza figures we should just get ‘em hooked as early as possible—with his Moto Rocker.

Designed to replace the ubiquitous rocking horse that most of us grew up with, Moto Rocker is a fresh take on imaginary travel that can be ordered in one of three flavors: cafe, brat or tracker. Regardless of choice, the Moto Rocker centers around a faux 125cc thumper, and has custom touches that echo many of the dream rides featured here. At €1,295 (US$1,590) it’s a very pricey piece of furniture, but if it helps the future of our sport, we’d say it’s money well spent. [More]

Motorcycle rocking horse by Felix Monza

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 15 April, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date April 15, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and trackers of the week
A Ducati Monster tracker ready for the Superhooligans, a monstrous Indian Chief-powered cafe from Germany, a gorgeous Honda built for Steve Caballero by Denton Moto, and a heavily patina’d Honda CB450 from … Nepal.

Indian Chief cafe racer by Detlev Louis Motorrad
Indian Chief by Detlev Louis Motorrad Indian has its engine game on lock down: everyone loves the performance of the 100-horsepower beast in the Scout, and the looks of the gorgeously finned Thunder Stroke 111. To further bolster that point, the huge European parts dealer Detlev Louis Motorrad has taken an Indian Chief and built a bruiser of a cafe racer dubbed Engina.

It’s more than just a pretty bike. Out of the box, the Thunder Stroke delivers 119 ft-lbs of torque, which is plenty impressive. But after a new set of cams were swapped in, airflow was redirected, the heads were re-touched and the ECU was flashed, engine specialist Ulf Penner dug up an incredible 70% increase. Engina now develops about 125 horses and could probably shred the Earth’s mantle with an angry right wrist.

Indian Chief cafe racer by Detlev Louis Motorrad
All that could have been done to a stock Chief if they wanted. Instead, an all-new lightweight frame was welded together, a USD front end was fitted up, and a Wilbers rear shock was bolted onto the swingarm. A set of custom Kineo wheels was laced up and big, beefy Brembos were enlisted to scrub speed. Detlef Stüdemann and Martin Struckmann are the wrenches behind this madness and their hard work has been rightfully collecting awards since its debut at Glemseck 101 last September. If you’re headed to Wheels and Waves later this year, keep an eye (or an ear) out for it. [More]

Ducati Monster tracker by Behind Bars Customs Just over a week ago, Ducati announced their partnership with Lloyd Brothers Racing to run a Monster-based racer in the American Flat Track Grand National Series. And while the 821-powered bike being piloted by Steve Bonsey looks the business, so does this tracker from San Diego based Behind Bars Customs—which tips a hat to Paul Smart.

Built using a 1995 Monster 900 as its base, the plan was to have a streetable machine that would split lanes and loft the front end on a whim. Of course, also being able to handle its own amongst the Superhooligans at the dirt oval sounded like a good idea too. So it’s more than just lipstick and mascara going on here.

With a frame, swingarm and engine lying in separate spots in the shop, the team went to work on putting together a tighter and faster package. The frame received some additional gusseting up front to eliminate twist when going slideways, and a matched set of 19-inch Dubya wheels were laced up to balance stance. The Duc’s original tank has had its voluptuous love handles shaved down to match the width of the trellis frame. Which, let’s be honest, will always look a stunner in Sea Green. [More]

Steve Caballero’s Honda CL175 racer Just over a year ago, I was at Willow Springs for a track day with some Californian friends. And while I was prepping a loaned XSR900 for tech inspection, I saw a childhood hero unloading a 1944 flathead, with a jockey shift no less. Steve Caballero’s love of motorcycles has been well documented, but I was still blown away by how he muscled that old Harley around Big Willow.

Steve probably wanted something a little more lithe for the upcoming AHRMA season, so he’s partnered with Texas-based Denton Moto to create this Honda CL175 called Cabracer360. But unlike most customers commissioning a build—especially celebs located out of state—Steve was involved in every aspect of the project.

Steve Caballero’s Honda CL175 racer
The 1969 CL175 donor was completely stripped and the engine was fully rebuilt, complete with an overbore to a more boisterous 209cc. New Keihin carbs were fitted to a set of shorter intakes, and a race-derived Cappellini oil pump was installed. On the handling end of things, the suspension at both ends has been modernized, and new clip-ons and rearsets deliver a proper racer’s tuck. And that tuck is shielded by an exquisite piece of fiberglass, courtesy of Glass From The Past.

Hopefully, next time I make it out to Willow Springs I’ll have the chance to see Steve and the Cabracer360 in action. Until then, these shots will have to do. [More]

Scrambler Ducati by Eastern Spirit Garage The votes are in for this years Scrambler Ducati Custom Rumble contest. The winners won’t be announced until World Ducati Week in July, but we have a feeling that this cafe’d version from Eastern Spirit Garage and Ducati Poland will take home top honors in the dealer category.

Credit the extensive use of negative space for making our mouths water around here. The relocation of the oil cooler and subsequent deletion of its bulky, plastic guards delivers a long-necked look that immediately draws the eye. ESG’s head wrench Sylwester Matusiak then created an excellent balance point by cleaning up the rear triangle, which helps showcase the Duc’s L-Twin and that gorgeous work on the exhaust.

Scrambler Ducati by Eastern Spirit Garage
The bodywork is equally impressive: the lines on the tail unit match those from the tank near perfectly. The new headlight bucket, held in place by an elegant set of ears and complete with frenched-in gauge placement, is spot on for the overall style. And the candy-apple red and gold colorway is classically inspired. [More]

Honda CB450 by RS Moto Nepal surely isn’t one of the first places that comes to mind when speaking about custom motorcycles. Raajib Sayami, the man behind Kathmandu’s RS Moto, aims to change that—and with builds like this CB450, he’s well on his way.

Although he has his work cut out for him—Nepalese laws prohibit modifying motorcycles—Raajib decided to throw caution to the wind and fire up the grinder anyway. The rear subframe has indeed been chopped and a new hoop welded up. It’s topped by that oh-so-controversial material, wood, for the seat. But the wood for this saddle actually has er, roots, as a religious artifact in Nepal. That gorgeous, dark top sheet was given shape by adding Canadian maple ply, so a little sacrilege certainly won’t hurt the cool factor.

Honda CB450 by RS Moto
The tank has been hand painted, sanded down and touched up again by a local artist to create a faux-patina that I think suits the bike’s overall look. The exhaust was hand built to work with the original header pipes, and the suspension has been Frankensteined by mating the fork tubes of a SR400 with the CB450’s lowers. In the rear, new shocks were ordered and shipped from Dime City Cycles, of all places. [More]

Honda CB450 by RS Moto

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 25 March, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date March 25, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and trackers of the week
A peek at the turbo’d Yamaha that took top honors at the Forged Invitational show, a wild FZ-09 by Droog Moto, Chris Nelson’s custom Ducati Scrambler, and a modded Ducati 749 that tips the scales at just 378 pounds. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.

Custom Yamaha FZ-09 scrambler by Droog Moto
Yamaha FZ-09 by Droog Moto Concepts Arizona-based Droog Moto Concepts seem to have a penchant for post-apocalyptic builds. Their latest project is this FZ-09 based scrambler that looks ready to run down a fleet of flesh-eating zombies.

It’s riding on TKC80s and fitted with a front fender barely big enough to rest a beer bottle on—so the mudslinging potential of this triple-powered build is outshone by its brawler appearance. The rear subframe is an all-new, snubbed unit that supports an elevated perch. In fact, everything is elevated here, because the suspension has been reworked to deliver an extra two inches of travel.

Custom Yamaha FZ-09 scrambler by Droog Moto
LED lighting keeps things legal while maintaining the stealthy approach, there’s a custom tracker-style plate up front, and the wheels are fitted with solid inserts. The tank is sporting the signature Droog finish, and the cockpit has been reworked with a new set of bars and Biltwell grips.

The speedo has been relocated atop the front plate and announces that this bike is “Not Like the Others.” If Droog-level aggression stirs your imagination, around $15k will get you started on a bike along these lines. [More]

Yamaha XJ750 Maxim by Derek Kimes The Forged Invitational is a custom bike and car show running out of Jekyll Island, Georgia featuring builds hand picked by local identity Bryan Fuller. The 2018 show happened last weekend and, despite an invite list that included Analog, Revival Cycles and LC Fabrications, it was Georgia native Derek Kimes who took home the show favorite award.

Derek’s called his 1982 XJ750 Maxim ‘Turbo Maximus,’ and over a year of effort went into transforming the old Yamaha cruiser. It’s now the culmination of 80s awesomeness and dear god, was it worth it. Everything has been touched, fiddled with, rebuilt or created anew (and beautifully photographed here by Steve West).

Yamaha XJ750 Maxim by Derek Kimes
An XJ900 engine was stripped down, blueprinted and fitted with forged pistons and a little water jetting before the forced induction was bolted up. Which, speaking of, has some of the most incredible plumbing work I’ve ever seen. There’s even a nifty little cutout in the Yammie’s tank that houses a blow-off valve, which must sound incredible between shifts.

And if the intricacies of mechanicals don’t have you drooling, there’s no doubt the bodywork will. With some subtle tweaks to Airtech Streamlining fairings, Kimes has absolutely nailed the enduro-racer aesthetic from front to back on this build. And the paintwork is totally spot on. This boosted build is a showstopper. [More]

Custom Ducati Scrambler by Chris Nelson of Iron & Air and Lucky Wheels Garage
Ducati Scrambler by Chris Nelson It’s one thing to modify, customize and rework a bike you’ve ridden for years. It’s a completely other thing to take a fresh-out-the box runner and start hacking it to bits.

Chris Nelson, the executive editor at Iron & Air, talks about the process of bringing his Ducati ‘Bully’ to life in the latest print edition. It’s a good read and we encourage you to check it out—but before you do, here’s the finished product. Working with LA-based Lucky Wheels Garage, Nelson knew he wanted to transform the Scrambler Icon into a unique cafe racer.

Custom Ducati Scrambler by Chris Nelson of Iron & Air and Lucky Wheels Garage
To help with that effect the rear subframe was chopped in favor of a hooped unit. A tuck-rolled seat, finished in waxed canvas, was fitted in matching profile and one length of the 2-into-2 exhaust was bent to follow suit. The sound it bellows is impressive and, as I’ve experienced, Chris can be heard coming from well across town. An asymmetrical approach was applied to the aesthetics on the Sixty2 tank and many of the electronic extras have been hacked away.

On the performance end of this project, K-Tech has been tapped to sure up suspension, Galfer tacked slowing Bully down, and Dynojet cured some of the electronic evils to keep things running smoothly. [More]

Custom Ducati 749 by Jett Design
Ducati 749 by Jett Design When it first hit the market, the Ducati 749 (and its bigger 999 equipped brother) weren’t exactly the styling homeruns that the Italian marque was hoping for. But they were superior to their predecessors in terms of handling and performance. And, after some years, the unique styling has garnered some fans.

With a tip of his hat to Pierre Terblanche’s iconic work, Andrew Jett has applied his signature style to this Ducati 749. If you’re previously unfamiliar with Jett’s work—as were we—then know that this is down to the bikini fairing and chopped windscreen approach, and it’s an attitude we’re digging around here. Plus the fact that this 749 tips scales at 378 pounds (171 kilos), which is 37 pounds less than stock if you’re keeping score.

Custom Ducati 749 by Jett Design
Working from initial sketches, Jett tapped the lads at MotoRelic to help translate his lead into rolling art. And while they were making that happen, parts were being swapped to enhance the Ducati as a runner.

Penske suspension has been bolted up, a quick-shifter installed and there’s billet aluminum for the battery tray, triple trees and rear sets. The Duc’s chattering clutch was swapped for a Yoyodyne unit and the flywheel is now a much lighter at 1.5 pounds. The new exhaust follows the same path, but the exit, like the rest of this build, is much more dramatic. [More]

Honda CL175 Scrambler by Colt Wrangler With a handle like ‘Colt Wrangler,’ there’s a certain level of badassery that’s expected in everything you do. Or at least, I’d imagine there is. My name doesn’t pack that kinda cool. And neither does my custom Triumph, at least compared to Colt Wrangler Lyons’ Honda CL175.

Built for Texas based collective Bexar Goods Co., Colt’s scrambled Honda was destined to travel with the craftsmen in their Airstream pop-up shop. So Colt knew he needed a scrambler bike that would be small and capable of the rough and tumble—so a little CL175 went up on his bench.

Honda CL175 Scrambler by Colt Wrangler
The frame was hooped and detabbed and a minimalist battery tray was incorporated into a new seat pan design, which was topped by the hands of Bexar’s leather experts. A tank from a CB200 received some minor attention before it was fitted up, and then eyes turned to the engine. Nothing major was needed but a fresh coat of black and some new hardware will work wonders.

The most technical part of the build happened up front. Colt wanted his scrambler to run with a set of USD forks, so the front end from a Kawasaki KX100 was co-opted. To make it all work, the steering stem from the Honda was pressed in place, after some machining, with new bearings fitted throughout.

Not bad at all, especially considering this is the first full ‘frame off’ build from young Colt. [More]

Honda CL175 Scrambler by Colt Wrangler