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Yes, you can turn the Victory Octane into a flat tracker

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
There’s a lot of truth in the phrase “You make your own luck.” And that’s the subtext of the story behind this striking-looking Victory Octane, built by Samuel Guertin of Montréal-based Clockwork Motorcycles.

Guertin’s star is on the rise, thanks to a stream of quality builds that capture the zeitgeist of the current custom scene. And then he found himself in the right place at the right time—which happened to be his local Polaris dealer, Mathias Marine Sports.

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
“It all started one ordinary day when I went to the dealer to buy some OEM Kawasaki parts,” Sam tells us, “and some people realized that I was ‘the guy from Clockwork.’

“I ended up at the back of the store sitting on a brand new Victory Octane, with the key in my hand and an interesting proposition on the table.”

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
Mathias Marine Sports asked Sam to build a custom Octane, for their entry into Victory’s ‘Operation Octane’ competition. Even better, they told him to do whatever he liked.

Like most of us, Sam had never seen a Victory up close before this moment. Let alone thought about customizing one. “To be honest, I didn’t really know what I was going to do with it at first.”

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
He started by removing the parts he didn’t want: the bodywork, the seat, the front end, the wheels, the exhaust system, and anything else made of plastic. “But I kept the tank, mainly because I was on a pretty tight time frame, and would just have to deal with its lines.”

Sam is not a fan of bikes built just for the show, and didn’t want his Victory Octane to end up finishing its days on a showroom floor. He wanted it to have a purpose—on the racetrack.

Flat track racing is one of Sam’s passions: He helped to set up the Fooligan Derby in Saint-Marcel-de-Richelieu, and headed south across the border for Portland’s Super Hooligan class and the Flat Out Friday in Milwaukee.

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
Mathias Marine Sports liked the idea, so Sam started by cutting the rear section of the frame and fabricating a new tail unit out of steel, designed to match the lines of the tank.

“I was happy with the final shape, but since it’s a race bike, it was too heavy.” So painter Jean-Philippe Huet made a cast of the tail section and reproduced it in fiberglass.

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
“It was about quarter of the weight, and if the bike crashes on the track—which will probably happen one day—we can easily make a new one using the mold.”

Next up was a seat inspired by the vintage Harley XR750 flat tracker, upholstered by Montréal mastermind Rod Alves.

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
The standard Victory Octane front end is obviously not ideal for flat track racing, so Sam has installed motocross-spec inverted forks from a Kawasaki KX250, lowered about five inches and revalved. The back end now has custom-made longer shocks (which were not ready in time for the photo shoot).

Sam knew he needed 19-inch front and rear wheels to fit sticky Maxxis DTR-1 rubber, so he’s chosen a set of lightweight aluminum Excel rims. The front is laced to a now-brakeless KX250 hub.

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
The rear hub was a little trickier to sort out. “The original mag wheel had a cush drive pulley system, so I started from scratch using a Harley softail hub and a bolted style pulley, which I modified to fit the swingarm and axle.”

The rest of the drivetrain was easier to handle. The Victory Octane is powered by an 1,179cc V-twin engine, similar to the Indian Scout powerplant, and pumping out a solid 104 horses.

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
“It was already up to the task, but I wanted to give it a bit more braaap. So I got out the TIG and fabricated a new exhaust system to help it breathe better.

Inspired by vintage racing, Sam decided to coat the pipes with a high temperature ceramic flat paint—as seen on the manifolds of F1 cars from the 60s. Victory supplied an upgraded intake box, and there’s also a little remapping to make sure everything works well together.

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
All that was left was the paint. Sam put a call into graphic designer Raff Labrie of Les Loups Moto Company, and soon had some cool graphics and logos in his inbox. Then Jean-Philippe Huet laid down the signal yellow paint, taken from a vintage Porsche 911 pallete. It looks perfect.

The Octane is now being tested on the track, to get it fettled in time for its race debut—which will be at the Flat Out Friday in Milwaukee, during the Mama Tried Show.

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker
If Sam is nervous at the thought of his baby hitting the deck or blowing up, he doesn’t show it. He’s planning to enter several races during summer 2017, including his local Fooligan Derby.

“Can’t wait to see this beast sideways!” he says.

Clockwork Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Victory Motorcycles | Images by Charles Etienne Pascal

Canadian builder Sam Guertin turns the Victory Octane into a flat tracker

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Clockwork x Crowe: A Cross-Country BMW R100

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
Ever customized your own bike? Then you’ll know that sometimes, even the simplest plans can get out of hand.

The owner of this BMW R100 wanted to turn it into a classy cross-country tourer, just like the one James Crowe built. So he ordered the same subframe and luggage rack combo from James’ shop: Crowe Metal Co.

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
But once the owner had the parts in his hand, he realized he’d bitten off more than he could weld. So he called up his nearest bike builder: Samuel Guertin of Clockwork Motorcycles.

“He’d realized that building a bike, and doing it right, is not easy as it looks,” says Sam. “So he decided to bring the bike to me.”

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
The client wanted Sam to fit the Crowe Metal Co. rear end, and complete the rest of the build around it. Little did he know that it would spark an intriguing collaboration.

“I was already a fan of James’s work,” says Sam, “but it was out of question to use a complete subframe made by James and put a Clockwork tag on the bike. So I contacted James to see if we could push the idea further, and tackle the project as a collaboration.”

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
“He accepted right away and was pretty excited about the idea. We are both Canadian—me from the East and him from the West, Quebec x British Colombia. I loved the idea of a collab involving two people of the same country, but 5000 kilometers apart.”

With the bike in Montreal, distance would be the team’s biggest challenge. To work around it, James fabricated and tested the parts on his own BMW airhead, and then sent them to Sam to be fitted.

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
Sam quickly stripped the bike down and fitted the subframe and luggage racks. The guys then decided to upgrade the front forks to Suzuki DR650 units—a conversion that James had done previously. So he machined a wheel spacer and new brake disc (to match the DR650’s caliper).

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
The stock mag wheels were kept and powder-coated black. They’re wrapped in Continental TKC80s, for a good balance of road manners and off-road grip.

James also sent over a new set of custom-made handlebars, controls and a throttle. “He did an awesome job fabricating those parts,” says Sam. “I can’t stop staring at them!”

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
Sam completed the front-end with a one-off aluminum fender, and a double-headlight setup—perfect for off-the-beaten-track trips that could run into the night.

With those mods done, the bike was torn down again for coating and finishes. Sam de-tabbed the frame, adding a new mounting point to hide a Motogadget m-Unit control unit under the tank.

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
The frame now has a two-tone finish: gloss black for the front, and nickel-plating for the subframe, racks, front fender and handlebars. The same treatment was given to the foot pegs and shifter—parts that Sam made himself.

The seat pan went off to mutual friend Ginger at New Church Moto, who wrapped it in burgundy leather.

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
Sam did some basic maintenance to the engine, before having it soda blasted and left bare. Upgrades include a set of Mikuni TM38 flat-slide carbs, and a custom stainless steel exhaust system—tucked in for maximum ground clearance.

The wiring’s all new, complete with a Motogadget speedo and switches. The battery now sits in a Crowe Metal Co. battery box, just behind the transmission, and the charging system’s been upgraded with a hefty 450W EnDuraLast kit.

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
“The bike was running great, and the only thing missing was some luggage,” says Sam. So a set of waterproof waxed canvas bags were made by one of James’ friends: Kassy at Old Fashioned Standards in Vancouver.

The BMW now looks like it could cross the 5,000 kilometers that it was built over.

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.
And, in fact, it pretty much will: the owner plans to ride it from Montreal to Whistler, crossing the Rockies and numerous forests along the way.

Can we come too, please?

Clockwork Motorcycles | Instagram | Facebook | Crowe Metal Co. | Instagram
Images by Charles-Etienne Pascal

Clockwork Motorcycles and Crowe Metal Co. build a cross-country BMW R100.

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: The Vintage Edition

The best custom motorcycles and cafe racers of the week
There’s a vintage vibe to this week’s selection. Going under the grinder are a Honda CB750, a BMW K75, and an SR400 and XS750 from Yamaha. Plus a Czech-made Cezeta scooter with a hidden secret…

Yamaha SR400 by Omega Racer
Yamaha SR400 by Omega Racer Having a reliable supply of parts for a custom build is an obvious advantage. But you also need the skills and knowledge to make everything work together.

Markus Pintzinger clearly has the right head and hands for the job. He’s the man behind Omega Racer, a Bangkok-based online shop selling parts for Kawasaki W650s, Triumphs and Yamaha SRs. The ‘Sunmaster 14’ is Markus’ own SR400, and every detail has been sweated over to create a track-focused homage to the racing bikes of the 60s and 70s.

It took Markus 18 months to put Sunmaster 14 together. The aluminum fairing, tank and seat cowl were all custom made, and there’s a diamond-stitched seat from the craftsmen at neighboring shop The Sports Custom. Markus plied his own hands at the detail pieces like the leather tank strap, the brass badges and the laser-etched Plexiglas fender. Handling and horsepower were also given some extra attention, and an external oil cooler was fitted to cope with Bangkok’s dog days. [More]

Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles Squat, dark and sexy: This is the only way to describe ‘Phantom,’ the latest CB750 to roll out of Clockwork Motorcycles’ Montreal, Quebec workshop. The lines, coloring and proportions on Samuel Guertin’s newest creation exemplify his minimalist approach—but we hear it took maximum effort to get to this level.

The bike arrived with an engine DOA, a tank riddled with holes, and years of ‘patina’ on every nut and bolt. So the engine was completely rebuilt, including new pistons, rings and an exhaustive machining of the valve seats.

Fully stripped, the frame was modified and de-burred before joining the shortened forks and wheels for a trip to the powdercoater. The OE Honda fuel tank was also brought back to factory quality, but almost everything else has been swapped out, modified or binned. Progressive Suspension shocks were installed in the rear with new springs fitted up front, while a new battery box was crafted and all of the wiring has been fed through a Motogadget m-Unit to keep things clean and functional. [More]

Cezeta 506 Electric Scooter
Cezeta 506 Electric Scooter I’ll be the first to admit that electric bikes will never be my thing. And scooters seem to park themselves in that same section of my brain. And yet, as soon as the Cezeta 506 sizzled my retinas, I started to giggle with delight.

It’s impossible not to be smitten with the post-modern monocoque design on this soon-to-be released homage to Cezeta’s past. Unlike the 501 and 502 from the days of Elvis, the Czech-made 506 won’t suffer the handling woes of having a fuel tank perched over its front wheel. It’ll be powered by a three-phase brushless electric motor mounted in the rear hub that will help this silent puddle-cutter hit highway speeds.

Range is expected to be around 150 kilometers, but will vary should you opt to crank performance to 11 7 with an included Cezeta app. The 506 will feature an onboard charger to allow quick and easy top ups, and begins shipping in fall to tree-hugging mods and Po-Mo nerds like me. [More]

BMW Kappa by Chris King
BMW K75 ‘Kappa’ by Chris King The BMW K-Series is no stranger to the cafe racer treatment. I’m still drooling over Philipp Wulk and Mathias Pittner’s two K100s, because they raised the bar for ‘flying brick’ customs. But this new build from automotive designer Chris King may have nudged that bar a touch higher.

Working with a three-cylinder K75, Chris’ bike started with a rough sketch that quickly came to life with a gorgeous custom trellis frame. Then the tank was modeled using foam and clay, creating a unique and lustworthy ‘split’ design. The horizontal, back-link style rear suspension is a one-off unit that looks like it would ride on the firm side, so the padding on the humped cafe seat is probably welcome. The entire build took Chris approximately one year to complete. [More]

Yamaha XS750 by Al Baljeu
Yamaha XS750 by Al Baljeu As soon as the paint dries on the ‘46’ adorning the number plates of any custom Yamaha, a light goes on at Bike EXIF HQ. Eyes squint to see whether the anointed bike has the go to back up its show.

This latest tribute to The Doctor comes to us from Al Baljeu of Sarnia, Ontario, who used a Photoshop concept and CAD rendering to keep a keen eye on his Yamaha’s dimensions and proportions during the build. The stock Yammie tank was lengthened 3½ inches and a new subframe was crafted to give the XS750 an aggressive stance. To up the handling ante, the front end now features the forks and calipers from a Honda VFR750, and an R6 was tapped for the rear binders. Al hand-sewed the seat with his vintage Singer machine and molded all of the fiberglass bits himself. In fact, all the fabrication was carried out in Al’s two-car garage, and we figure he’s done a bang up job.

Oh, and as to whether this cafe can race…90 pounds were shed during the build, and that triple sings a touch louder, thanks to a 3-into-1 header and velocity stacks. [More]

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Weird and Overgeared: A 10-Speed Honda CB900

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
The CB900 Custom is one of the strangest motorcycles Honda has ever made. It has shaft-drive, an enormous 62-inch wheelbase, and a ten-speed transmission.

In stock form, it’s a humdrum cruiser. But you’d never guess from this stunning build by Clockwork Motorcycles.

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
This CB belongs to a motorcycle enthusiast who picked up the 1981-spec bike on the cheap. After a couple of months, he booked it into the Montreal workshop.

“He asked me if there was something cool I could do with it,” says builder Samuel Guertin. “But the CB900 Custom has very long forks, strange angles at the back of the frame and, weirdest of all, a ten-speed gearbox.”

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
Yes, you read that right: ten speeds. Honda’s super-long ‘factory custom’ was a parts bin special, matching the Euro-spec CB900F engine to the GL1100 final drive unit.

To connect the two, Honda used a pair of cross shafts—and turned them into a two-speed ‘Select Range’ secondary transmission, much like the high and low range on a 4WD vehicle.

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
“This bike needed a little more work than usual to achieve great, flowing lines, and a mean stance,” says Samuel. “I told my customer I like a challenge…”

Perfecting the stance proved to be a considerable task. Samuel lowered the front forks by a whopping four inches, and binned the soft stock air shocks. The bike now runs on longer, sportier Progressive Suspension units.

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
Samuel then shifted his focus to the bodywork lines. “The stock teardrop tank wasn’t going to make it,” he says. “I found a Suzuki tank in an old barn, which I believe is from the GS series—but I can’t tell which one, nor the exact year.”

Samuel has brought the electrics up to date with a Motogadget M-unit and a Lithium-ion battery. The Motogadget-ry extends to the cockpit too—with a speedo, grips, switches and bar-end turn signals.

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
With the tank mounted, Samuel lopped off and rebuilt the subframe, and made up a new seat pan. Ginger McCabe at New Church Moto handled the leather and suede upholstery. “I decided to go with a bulky seat to fit the fat engine and size of the bike,” says Samuel.

The ‘fat’ engine received some love too. The quirky ten-speed box is still there, but the engine itself was bored out to 985cc with a Wiseco kit.

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
Further additions include Keihin CR31 carbs—kitted with custom-made aluminum velocity stacks from Prism Motorcycles, and tuned to perfection. And then there’s the exquisite, stainless steel four-into-one exhaust.

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
The wheels are the originals, but now refinished in black. The brakes are stock too—but they’ve been upgraded with stainless steel lines and drilled EBC discs. Pirelli MT66 rubber, designed for tourers and cruisers, was picked for its combination of looks and grip.

A unique bike deserves unique finishes, and Guertin hasn’t disappointed. He’s given the tank and rear fender a raw-brushed, blackened and clear-coated finish. Just about everything else has been blacked out.

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.
Clockwork’s last build was a CB750 that made it into our annual Top 10.

Good to see M. Guertin maintaining the high standards.

Clockwork Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Photos by Cimon B Photography

This Honda CB900 Custom from Clockwork Motorcycles has 10 speeds.

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Ultra Noir: A blacker than black Honda CB750

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
Murdered-out customs used to be all the rage. But lately, builders have been favoring more diverse color palettes. Which is a real pity: done right, black-on-black can be downright beautiful.

Clockwork Motorcycles‘ Samuel Guertin proves it with his latest offering: a 1978 Honda CB750 with a brawny stance and subdued finishes.

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
“It needs to be all-black” was his client’s primary request—and the helicopter-mechanic-turned-bike-builder was more than happy to comply. But first, he had to get the CB back on the road.

“The bike was a non-runner,” he explains, “and was worked on by some mysterious guys with questionable skills. Just the fact that a concrete screw was screwed in the engine head, to hold the valve cover in place, was enough to scare most.”

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
Thankfully, Samuel believes that no motorcycle deserves to die. From his workshop just outside of Montréal, Canada, he stripped the engine down and began rebuilding it.

Even the heads themselves were damaged, so J-Precision were called in to resurface them, cut new valve seats and install a new guide. All of that was put back together with a 836cc Wiseco big-bore kit, SuperFlow valves, Beehive racing springs, heavy duty studs and a performance camshaft.

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
Samuel also rewired the entire bike around a Motogadget m-Unit control box, and installed a new electronic ignition and high output coils. Adding a little more grunt are a set of Keihin CR29 carbs with K&N filters, and four-into-two headers terminated with less restrictive mufflers.

Shifting his attention to the CB’s lines and proportions, Samuel trimmed the rear of the frame—adding a new loop and trimming any superfluous tabs in the process. The front forks from a Suzuki GSX-R1000 were installed, via a custom aluminum front hub and top triple tree—both machined by Devin at Cognito Moto.

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
The rear shocks are from Hagon, with the springs powder coated black. To balance out the bike’s stance, Samuel laced up a pair of 18” wheels with stainless steel spokes and nipples. The GSX-R offered up its dual-disc front braking system too—which he admits is slightly overkill for the older CB750.

A custom seat was made up, and sent to Ginger at New Church Moto to wrap in black leather. The effect is echoed on the leather-wrapped grips, shift lever and kick starter.

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
Moving to just under the seat, Samuel built a small box to house the electrics. He decided to retain and expose the CB’s stock oil tank—treating the opposite side to a one-off side cover with a brushed, blacked-out metal effect.

The same effect’s been applied to the fuel tank’s filler cap cover, with the addition of a nifty Clockwork badge. The tank itself has had its stock emblem brackets removed to neaten it up.

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
Thanks to a full complement of Motogadget componentry, the cockpit’s as minimal as can be. M-Switch push buttons, an m-Lock keyless ignition and a tiny Motoscope mini gauge have all been installed. (The latter’s been dropped into the triple clamp itself, along with a set of LED warning lights.)

Other finishing kit includes a neatly tucked-away LED tail light, a smaller headlight and turn signals, clip-ons and new foot pegs.

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles
To honor the client’s initial request, just about every component has been finished in gloss, satin or matte black. Only a few metal highlights punctuate the darkness—like the fasteners and the stainless steel spokes.

The final effect is both alluring and menacing; a well-balanced classic with modern performance, handling and braking.

Merci to Samuel for saving it.

Clockwork Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Photos by Cimon B Photography

Blacker Than Black: custom 1978 Honda CB750 by Clockwork Motorcycles