Category: Classic Motorcycles

Ride Tastefully: Union Motorcycle’s Ducati Monza

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date January 6, 2016

Union Motorcycle Classics is the kind of shop we love to hear about. It’s based in a 100-year-old barn in the 19th century railroad town of Nampa, Idaho, where Mike Watanabe and Luke Ransom fettle and restore classic British and European machinery.

This recent build is giving us a serious case of envy. It’s Ducati Monza Super belonging to Kurt Bergquist—a man of impeccable taste who uses a 1969 VW Double Cab Pick-up to transport his bikes.

The Monza was a ‘narrowcase’ 250 cc single built in the mid 60s. It’s one of Bologna’s lesser-known models, designed in response to a request from a British Ducati dealer.

“The Ducati arrived incomplete, in boxes,” Mike recalls. “Kurt had bought a Ducati Scrambler, and he got the Monza with it as a spares bike.”

“He brought it in and asked what could be done. The only constraint he gave was ‘It can’t be red’.”

The stock Monza is not the prettiest of bikes, with a bulbous tank and bread loaf seat. So Mike and Luke started from scratch, shaping a racy new seat and fiberglass fairing and tank. The tank is reminiscent of the classic Ducati 750 Sport unit: if you like it, you can get a replica from the bodywork supplier Glass From The Past.

There’s a substantial amount of metal fabrication and machining too. Alongside the mandatory rearsets and brackets for the instruments and fairing, there’s also a practical center stand.

The elegant exhaust piping is hand-made too, flowing seamlessly into a classic reverse cone muffler.

The front end is completely custom, built using parts from several orphaned forks that were lying around the shop. After freshening up the motor and wheels with new parts, it was time for the paint and polish.

“It took a while to convince Kurt that gold would work,” says Mike. “But hey, it’s not red, is it?” We reckon it looks just perfect.

When Kurt arrived in his Volkswagen to collect the bike, Mike and Luke whipped out the cameras to capture the moment.

“He originally dropped the Ducati off with it. We thought it was only fitting that he pick it up in the same rig.”

Seeing dozens of bikes a day inevitably leaves us jaded, but this set-up has given us a huge case of moto-lust.

If you’re within range of the northwestern US, it’s worth paying Union Motorcycle a visit. Especially if you’re into old British iron: the next build is going to be a pre-War Norton.

Just make sure you leave your checkbook at home.

Union Motorcycle | Facebook | Instagram

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Climb Every Mountain: Guzzi’s 3 Wheel Motorcycle

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date December 9, 2015

The most badass 3 wheel motorcycle is not a Can-Am Spyder or Polaris Slingshot. It’s this incredible go-anywhere Moto Guzzi built in the early 1960s. Designed for the Italian army, it’s sporting full-time 3WD, a six-speed transmission and a reverse gear.

It’s called the Autoveicolo Da Montagna (‘mountain car’) and it’s one of the most sophisticated military vehicles ever made. The design brief was simple: build a vehicle that could replace the mules used by Alpini troops for traversing steep mountain roads.

This example lives in a Russian museum called ‘The Motorworld by V. Sheyanov.’ Based near Samara in the southeastern part of European Russia, the museum is rammed with immaculately restored military motorcycles. But we’d take the Guzzi over anything else.

The restoration was carried out in Italy, though. It’s the work of maestro Costantino Frontalini, who runs his own museum for sidecars.

A little history: this Guzzi wasn’t the first 3 wheel motorcycle used by the Italian army. They used trikes during the Interwar years, usually hybrids—the front part of a production motorcycle, and a custom rear part, with a cargo body on two wheels. But this ‘mechanical mule’ was the first truly ground-up design.

Technically, it’s a tour de force. The front wheel is chain-driven and there’s a switchable differential between the front and rear drives. The rear caterpillars could be adjusted according to terrain, and cargo capacity was a hefty 500 kilos (1,100 pounds).

The client was General Ferruccio Garbari, who became fed up of the traditional mules used his mountain troops. Moto Guzzi gave the project to one of its most talented engineers, Giulio Carcano, and in March 1960 a prototype of the 3 wheel motorcycle was ready.

After a year of tests and modifications, the contract was signed. The 500cc single-cylinder engine originally earmarked (and used in the 3×2 Motocarro Militare) was ditched, replaced by a new V-Twin 750cc engine dubbed the ‘Carcano V7’ in honor of its creator.

The trike was capable of tackling 31-degree inclines. But that capability became its biggest weakness as well as its strength. Several riders were killed in rollovers, and the Italian army cancelled production in 1963.

The complexity of maintenance didn’t help either: the Guzzi was harshly nicknamed Orgia di ingranaggi, or ‘orgy of gears.’

Motorworld rep Peter Moskovskikh details the history of this particular machine. “We bought it from a collector in Rimini. It wasn’t in bad condition, but it needed a full restoration. The work took about six months—the main problem was finding all the accessories.”

Those include a Beretta 38/49 light submachine gun, the ubiquitous Italian weapon of World War II, and caterpillar tracks to fit over the rear wheels. On the right side is the emblem of the Torino Alpini, one of the last remaining active mountain infantries in the world.

If you want a go-anywhere machine but modern-day adventure bikes don’t tickle your fancy, maybe a military 3 wheel motorcycle is the way to go. Just don’t expect to find one on your local Craigslist.

Motos Of War | Facebook

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From rust to gold: The Gasbox Norton Dominator

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date November 24, 2015

We love a good barn find story, but stories of wrecks transformed into custom gold are even better. This particular tale comes from Jesse Bassett, one of the finest motorcycle builders in the American Midwest.

Jesse started his career sweeping floors in a custom shop when he was just ten years old. Today he’s famous for running The Gasbox, and he usually has a dozen bikes in his Cleveland shop at any one time. Occasionally something extra special comes along, like this Norton Dominator.

“One day a friend told me he knew where some Norton Commando parts were hidden,” Jesse tells us. “We drove about an hour west of Cleveland to a large barn. It was full of British parts and bikes, just thrown in over the years, without any regard for future condition.”

“The owner mentioned having an old Dominator engine, but said I would not want that ‘rusty thing.’ But after about two hours of digging, I found my rusty gold. It must have been the first thing he put in there.”

Luckily for Jesse it was a complete drive train, still bolted into a cradle. So he made a cash deal, gathered his ‘junk’ and headed home.

The project sat around a couple of years, as restorations are wont to do. Then Jesse was visited by an Australian enthusiast who lived UK but did business in the states.

“He’d been following my work since 2010, when our 1965 BSA Lightning became famous. He loved the BSA and wanted a similar bike, but built around an engine with a little more wow factor.”

Jesse remembered the pile of ‘junk.’ And when his client saw the Dominator engine, he was sold. He’d grown up listening to the roar of Nortons on the Australian back roads.

Jesse fabricated a new rigid frame. He’s styled it like the Norton ES2 frames, but with custom geometry—to fit the rider better. While doing this, he also discovered that rigid-framed Model 7 Dommies were an Australia-only machine. “That was cool, knowing the bike will eventually reside there.”

Jesse fabricated the girder-type forks from scratch. He’s kept in mind the original Webb design, but updated elements such as the bearing style and material thicknesses.

Sticking with classic British styling, there’s a 19-inch rear wheel and a 21-inch front. (“We went with high shouldered alloy rims, and accented them with black centers and a vermillion stripe.”) The rear brake is stock Norton, but the front is from a Triumph Thunderbird.

The bodywork is hand-fabricated from sheets of steel, but Jesse’s kept the original oil and gas filler caps. The exhaust was fabricated from stainless, and kept as simple as possible.

The motor has been subtly upgraded. “The original 500cc was just not enough, so we installed a 600cc cylinder and crank—which was no easy feat.” Jesse eventually found the parts via the Norton Owners Club in England.

Once the crank and barrels were machined and balanced, Jesse installed larger valves in the head and opened up the ports for breathing. He’s also had the original cam reground with a more performance-oriented profile, and installed a brand spanking new Amal carb.

To keep the looks as sparkling as the performance, Jesse’s polished the engine cases and aluminum bits, and had the cast iron heads and cylinders nickel-plated.

To keep the electrics humming along nicely, magneto specialist Skip Brolund rebuilt the generator and original BTH magneto. The lighting is vintage—no LEDs or mini-blinkers here—and runs off a Lucas 6-volt system. There’s a single restored Smiths gauge: “Just lightly cleaned, so as not to disturb too much history,” says Jesse.

The result is a one-kick machine worthy of the title ‘Dominator.’ It’s a style that looked good six decades ago, and looks even better today.

If there’s a motorcycling definition of ‘timeless,’ this is it.

The Gasbox | Facebook | Instagram

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Sunburst: NYC Norton’s dazzling 1972 Commando

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date October 7, 2015

If you live on the east coast of the USA and you need work doing on your Norton, there’s only one person to call: Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton in Jersey City, just outside Manhattan.

Kenny’s a household name on the global Norton scene. It’s not hard to see why—his builds are an exquisite blend of performance and style. And, as with most old British iron, there’s usually a good story too.

“Sunburst started with a call from an overseas number on the shop phone,” Kenny tells us. “On the other end was a pleasant voice with an unidentifiable accent. It was Joe, calling from a small country in the middle of the Mediterranean.”

Joe had just bought a pristine Norton Commando in the States, and asked Kenny if he could add some performance and reliability mods. “We love that kind of work,” says Kenny. “But Joe’s Commando was just too nice to tear down.”

A new concept was required, and a ratty 1972 Commando appeared on the radar. It had lived a rough life: the crankcases even had a sloppy weld on the drive side half, a telltale sign a rod had broken through.

Kenny decided to use as much of the donor as he could, while fitting some robust and reliable racing parts. He sourced a Maney lightweight crank, alloy cylinders, a Fullauto head, and JE 73mm forged pistons. The crank was balanced to 74%, the same factor used by NYC Norton’s championship-winning Seeley Commandos.

Other goodies include a Webcam racing cam and one of the last Maney exhaust systems ever to be made. “We kept the compression close to 10:1,” says Kenny. “High enough so the bike can be ridden on the street, while still being able to run on hi-octane pump gas.”

Carbs are Keihin FCR35s, with manifolds adapted to the Fullauto Norton cylinder heads. “The heads are the single biggest boost of power you can add off the shelf for your Commando. Proof is in the pudding, and the eating is good.”

Metal-bending artist Roger Titchmarsh supplied a mint Seeley Mk2 replica chassis from the UK, and Kenny started fabbing up custom engine plates. “We spent a lot of time spacing the AMC gearbox over to the left, five millimeters from the motor centerline, to give better chain clearance for the back tire.”

A pair of custom alloy fork yokes went on, set up with a pinch-bolt top for quick geometry changes. Falcon shocks were fitted to the rear.

For the front wheel, Kenny bolted twin Hemmings 11.5-inch disks to a 6-bolt hub using AN aircraft bolts. The fork sliders are Norton Production Racer items and the disks have been drilled—removing 1.3lbs from each rotor. The calipers are AP Racing, pumped by a 16mm Brembo master cylinder.

The rims are 18-inch unflanged alloy, WM3 at the front and WM4 at the back. A neat touch: the rear wheel was built using a two-piece Triumph T140 replica billet hub, along with a Maney cush drive to give the gearbox a little relief from quick shifts and injudicious throttle use. Tires are Bridgestone BT45 Battalaxes.

The primary side of the bike was built using a 30mm belt drive that increases the primary ratio—meaning less torque shock to the gearbox. There’s also a trick high-output alternator, keeping a low profile behind the alloy belt guard cover.

The bodywork is equally divine. “Joe turned us on to FlatRacer in the UK and their Sprint 1/2 fairing,” says Kenny. “It’s heavier than the racing bodywork we often use, but that allowed us to alter the shape of the fairing to get the custom fit we needed.”

The vibrant color scheme is certainly a departure from the more conservative natural alloy or black and gold chosen by most of NYC Norton’s Seeley customers.

“Joe knew he wanted something bold, but he wasn’t sure exactly what. After much back and forth, we seemed to stall a bit.

“Later, while sitting in my home studio, an idea dawned on me as I sat plunking out some parts on my guitar. I realized this was a motif that was very important to me—the cherry sunburst of my favorite vintage Gibson Les Paul.

Joe was 100% on board. “This made it very personal. The last philosophical hurdle had been cleared.”

Kenny’s go-to guy for paint is Brent Budgor from the Vintage Vendor. “As we worked through the shading process of the sunburst motif, I learned that Brent too had a Les Paul that he’d stripped and painted—so he understood the concept from the get-go.”

Brent laid out the Norton logo and pins in a gold undercoat, then sprayed the major color over. Once the bodywork was back, the bike was buttoned up in short order. Kenny called his old friend and fellow racing competitor, the photographer Doug MacRae. It was time to shoot.

“This is a serious bike,” says Kenny. “It’s pretty, but its foundation is a top-spec, competitive 750 racer weighing 300 pounds, adapted for the street.

“The bike starts on first kick and is an absolute blast to ride. It has the famous Seeley handling and Commando torque, without any sacrifice. No, it is not Papa’s Norton, and perhaps the cobblestones of NYC streets might rattle its tight suspension a bit.

“But there’s not a back road in the world this bike can’t eat alive.”

The NYC Norton site has a wealth of riveting detail on this build. But don’t head over there unless you’ve got time to spare—and a firm grip on your credit card.

NYC Norton | Facebook | Images by Douglas MacRae | Instagram

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Heavenly Hardtail: Factory Metal Works BSA A65

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date July 18, 2015

BSA A65 hardtail by The Factory Metal Works.
Classic hardtails aren’t our regular fare, but we can’t resist the subtle beauty of a Factory Metal Works build.

Three years, shop boss Lucas Joyner blew our socks off with an amazing Triumph built for Mooneyes. And now he’s back with a beautiful BSA A65, its lovely engine cradled in a hand-fabricated dual-downtube frame.

BSA A65 hardtail by The Factory Metal Works.
Joyner is a metalworker extraordinaire, but his path to the motorcycle business has been somewhat unusual. He’s been a heavy metal promoter in LA, a recording studio owner and a NASCAR chassis builder.

Thankfully he’s now found his true love, and it’s of the two-wheeled kind.

BSA A65 hardtail by The Factory Metal Works.
The frame is the showpiece of this perky, chunky-tired build. It’s not stretched, but it’s got a 25-degree rake and a 1.5-inch drop, plus slightly shortened sliders to level out the stance.

The engine is from a 1971 BSA, so it’s the twin carb model. Joyner has completely rebuilt the 654cc twin and it looks even better than ‘factory.’ The exhaust headers are stock, but topped off with slightly upswept ‘cocktail shaker’ endpipes—a perfect match.

BSA A65 hardtail by The Factory Metal Works.
The fuel and oil tanks are Triumph items (unit and pre-unit respectively). The classy black leather seat is a Factory Metal Works piece, and there’s an equally stylish ribbed fender from The Baron’s Speed Shop over the rear 18-inch rear wheel, anchored with custom-fabricated struts.

BSA A65 hardtail by The Factory Metal Works.
The rear hub is a pre-1970 Triumph spool hub, laced to a chrome rim. Up front is a Triumph twin leading shoe wheel laced to a 19-inch rim.

Everything is clean and simple: nothing flashy, nothing out of place. The bars are uncluttered and the pinstriping is low-key, setting off the dark metalflake paint.

If you’ve got a soft spot for understated retro customs based on classic British iron, head over to Joyner’s website. It’s hardtail heaven.

The Factory Metal Works | Instagram | Facebook | Images by Clint Quiz

BSA A65 hardtail by The Factory Metal Works.

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The Black Douglas: A Two-Wheeled Morgan

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date March 25, 2015

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.
Fabio Cardoni is a man after our own hearts. “Steel is more beautiful than plastic, and simplicity is more appealing than complexity,” he says.

Sig. Cardoni runs The Black Douglas Motorcycle Company, which makes the vintage-styled machine you see here. Called the Sterling, it’s the two-wheeled equivalent of a Morgan car: a coachbuilt machine with the charisma and craftsmanship of a bygone age.

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.
Regular readers may recall that we covered Black Douglas a couple of years ago. We’re revisiting the company because the Sterling has been developed into a significantly better bike, and there’s now a dealership network on the way.

There are already showrooms in the UK and Italy, with Germany and Austria set to open soon. Australia is next in the queue, and there’s a kit version of the Sterling available for the USA.

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.
To develop the Black Douglas, Cardoni brought on board a prototyping company owned by an engineer well known to both Ducati Corse and Yamaha Motorsport. Together, they’ve ‘industrialized’ the Sterling for production, creating the Mark 5 version.

“It was difficult and expensive,” says Cardoni, “but also fun. Especially when you’re trying to convince a racebike specialist that you need a girder fork.” The forks are no longer bought in from an outside supplier: they’re hand-made from 7075-aluminum alloy, and individually machined on lathes.

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.
They’re also a little shorter, with one degree less rake to sharpen the steering response. And there’s now a discreet adjustable shock absorber that improves the movement of the forks.

The tank is now built using ‘Peraluman’ alloy, bent and welded into shape. You get a choice of two engines: a 125 and a 230, with a 400 on the way. The engine components are produced in Taiwan but assembled in the Italian factory.

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.
The other upgrades are mostly in the detail—increasing build quality and the riding experience. The tires are slightly chunkier, the seats are handmade in-house, and the electrical wiring is wrapped in cotton, vintage-style. 

The exhaust is now catalyzed, and the Black Douglas has passed homologation tests in Europe. “We can now stamp our own frame numbers, and offer a two-year warranty,” says Cardoni.

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.
Right now, he’s working on homologation for Australia and Japan. Next will be EPA compliance, so that built-up bikes can be sold in the USA.

“We’re also working on a wicker wood sidecar and other extras such as different handlebars, headlights, seats, fuel caps and more,” says Cardoni.  Also on the slate is an Italian designed and built 350cc engine, which will equip a premium model to be called the Sterling Imperial.

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.
We’d happily take the current Mk 5 Sterling, though. Tipping the scales at just over 100 kilos, it’s considerably lighter than its predecessor, it brakes better, and the riding experience is smoother.

Prices start at €4500 (around US$5,000) for the kit bike, or €8750 (US$9,600) plus taxes for a fully built-up machine.

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.
That’s the kind of money some folks pay out to modify a stock bike. The Black Douglas order book is full for the next couple of months, and we’re not surprised.

Now, where did we put those plus-fours?

The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co. website | Facebook | Instagram

Like a two-wheeled Morgan: the Sterling Mk 5 from The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.

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The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date March 4, 2015

The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó
In the small Spanish town of Molins de Rei lives Pere Tarragó, a motorcycle builder of quite extraordinary skill. His bikes are completely unrideable—but that’s only because they’re 1:5 and 1:6 scale models.

These motorcycle models are nothing like the Revell or Tamiya kits you played with back in the 70s. In photographs, Tarragó’s creations are virtually impossible to separate from the real thing.

The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó
In many ways, Tarragó’s process is similar to that of a regular custom builder: it involves lathes, milling and welding. But normal tools are often useless for this kind of detail work, so Tarragó has made his own.

The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó
He starts a build by taking photographs, making drawings and copying decals from a full-scale bike. The subjects are usually classic Spanish machines like Bultaco, Montesa or OSSA—although there’s the occasional venture further afield, with Italian marques such as MV Agusta and Moto Guzzi. And the odd Henderson and Indian from across the Atlantic.

The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó
Once he’s satisfied with the blueprint, Tarragó returns to his workshop and begins construction, using authentic materials such as steel, aluminum, brass and soft-tempered Nappa leather.

Weeks later, he’s ready to make a test assembly of the model, and check the operation of the brakes, clutch, wheels and transmission. Yes, the controls are usually functional.

The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó
On some builds, operating the brake lever will move the brake pads in the drum, and the front suspension will operate via friction plates and leaf springs.

The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó
Tarragó then takes the model apart and applies the finishing touches—polishing, plating with nickel and chrome, and painting. The final assembly takes between 250 and 400 hours.

The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó
You can read more about Tarragó’s motorcycle models at the Internet Craftsmanship Museum. Isn’t it wonderful to see such a fine display of craftsmanship in a mass-produced world?

Classic Motor Models website | Facebook | Pere Tarragó website

The Amazing Motorcycle Models of Pere Tarragó