Category: NCT Motorcycles

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles’ Racy Honda CX500

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date January 26, 2018

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
It seems strange to see tire warmers on a Honda CX500. The CX is known for its unique engine layout, shaft drive and gawky looks, rather than its performance. It still baffles us how this once despatch favorite became a darling of the custom scene.

Still, if there’s a shop that you can rely on to inject style into the CX500—and to go to the trouble of adding custom color-coded tire warmers—it’s NCT Motorcycles. The Austrian outfit never fails to knock it out the park, and has a knack for making every last detail count.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
This 1978 CX500 was a project without a client—something NCT regularly does to keep their minds fresh. Shop boss David Widmann penned the design, drawing inspiration from the CB1100 TR Concept that Honda debuted in 2016.

With a clear direction on the table, the team set to work, stripping the Honda down to the basics. The CX’s attractiveness is severely hamstrung by a tank that slopes backwards and a weirdly kinked subframe; no good for what the lads had in mind.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
They lopped off the rear half of the frame, ditching the CX’s original twin shock arrangement in the process. The swing arm was liberated of its original shock mounts and gifted a new one, attached to a new Öhlins unit.

Up top, NCT built a simpler, sharper subframe with a subtle kick in the tail. They then hand-shaped a new cowl and seat to cap it off. Instead of mounting up a regular taillight, the guys fitted a neat pair of multi-purpose Motogadget LEDs. The original fuel tank is still in play, but it’s been remounted at a better angle. And the filler neck’s been rebuilt to host a better-looking fuel cap.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
There’s just as much goodness going on up front—in the form of the upside-down forks and yokes from a Ducati 749. NCT had to get fancy with the steering shaft to get everything to match up just right.

The guys opted to keep the CX’s Comstar wheels, wrapping them in Avon Roadriders. But they upgraded the twin front brake setup with a new Brembo system, connecting it to a Magura master cylinder.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
Cast your eyes over the cockpit, and you’ll spot another reservoir on the left side of the bars, since NCT installed a Magura hydraulic clutch too. In fact, other than the original choke pull (which has been neatly remounted), there’s hardly anything left of the original control area.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
The clip-ons (and rear sets) are custom, fitted with a Domino throttle and a bucket load of Motogadgetry, including grips, bar-end turn signals and mini switches. The digital dash is from Motogadget too, set on a custom mount, and just in front of it is a powerful LED headlight.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
The electro upgrades go more than skin deep though. NCT rewired the whole bike around Motogadget’s new m.unit Blue controller, unlocking a host of Bluetooth smartphone functionality.

When it came to the engine, the crew opted for a refresh rather than a serious upgrade. They ditched the airbox to make way for the new mono shock, fitting a set of cone filters. Then they set about on what David says was the hardest part of the build: the exhaust.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
The entire twin-header system was hand-made from stainless steel, including the mufflers. The way they flow alongside the bike and kick up at the same angle as the tail is flawless, reinforcing the Honda’s aggressive new lines.

But it’s not just the CX’s racy new stance that has us hooked—it’s also the way every last finish is exquisite.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
The motor, wheels and frame were all finished in a rich black, but the tank and tail were treated to a stunning silver, red and blue livery, adorned with subtle gold striping and a period-correct Honda wing logo. To push it over the finish line, NCT had the forks finished in blue, and the shock spring in red.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
It’s another home run for NCT Motorcycles, which David puts down to teamwork. Manuel handled paint, framework and the seat fab, built the exhaust and mounted up the front end. Philipp stripped the bike and helped NCT’s workshop manager, Mario, put it all back together. And Mario also tackled the wiring.

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500
When all was said and done, the team nicknamed the Honda ‘Highflyer,’ after a racehorse in the 18th century that went his entire career undefeated.

Sounds about right to us, since we’ve yet to see NCT Motorcycles put a foot wrong.

NCT Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Peter Pegam

Ready to Rip: NCT Motorcycles' Racy Honda CX500

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Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s Harley Dyna ‘Eleanor’

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date September 22, 2017

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor
When Harley announced the death of the Dyna exactly one month ago, there were howls of anguish. But we’re hoping that folks who want the latest and greatest will just move their bikes onto the secondhand market, because the Dyna is a terrific platform for customizing.

We’ve seen some killer builds over the years—stand up Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts in particular—and NCT have just boosted the roster. Meet ‘Eleanor,’ a menacing, low-slung FXD with a drag bike vibe and suspension upgrades to match.

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor
Eleanor is a 2009 FXD Dyna Super Glide, and she was shipped from California to NCT’s workshop in Feldkirchen, Austria—high up in the eastern Alps.

“We wanted to give the Harley a complete new look,” says shop boss David Widmann, “and move away from the usual styles and color schemes.”

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor
But this is no cosmetic job: the Dyna was stripped right down to pieces, with the engine removed and heavy modifications to the back of the frame by fabricator Manuel Tilke.

The subframe is now just enough to support a neat blue leather solo seat: nothing more, nothing less. The leather is dyed to the same blue used for the tank logo and striping, and the brake calipers. The front caliper is Brembo; the rear two-piston gripper is branded with an ‘Eleanor’ logo.

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor
The tank is from the striking Harley Street custom that we featured a couple of months ago, and was a surprisingly easy fit: “We just had to renew the mounting points,” David reveals.

The suspension required more work. The stock 49mm aluminum forks are gone, replaced by higher-spec Showa USD items. And the standard real coilover shocks have been upgraded to Öhlins piggybacks.

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor
Sneaking between the classic Dyna twin shock setup is the Akrapovič muffler for the rear cylinder, exiting to the right of the vestigial rear fender. The equally stubby front cylinder outlet sits low down, just above the bottom frame rails.

The engine has been thoroughly overhauled, but the internals are stock. With 96 cu. in. (1584 cc) of capacity, there’s no shortage of stump-pulling torque.

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor
It’s probably enough to spin up the back wheel, if you’re clumsy with the clutch. But the sticky rubber will resist: It’s Michelin’s radical new Power Super Moto compound—in 120/70 R 17 at the front, and 160/60 R 17 at the back.

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor
The heart of the new electrical system is a Motogadget m.unit control box, which NCT fit to all their custom builds.

Motogadget also supplied the speedo that is flush-fitted into the headlight mounting bracket, the front turn signals, and the tiny push-button m.switch units—which are sitting on lightweight carbon LSL bars. The master cylinders and reservoirs are from Galespeed and Rizoma.

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor
Like most of the best paint jobs we see, this one is simple but expertly applied: bronze on the tank and the new fenders and side panels, and black for the frame and hard parts.

Eleanor is a showpiece build for NCT’s top-level skills, and was one of the headliners at the European Bike Week a couple of weeks ago. But she’s no trailer queen: she’s now David’s daily rider. “She’s a totally comfortable and powerful bike,” he says.  

We have to admit to a twinge of jealousy there. But anything that keeps the Dyna in the public eye has to be good news, ja?

NCT Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram

Gone In 60 Seconds: NCT’s custom Harley Dyna called Eleanor

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Has NCT just built the best-looking Harley Street ever?

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date July 19, 2017

While some motorcycles are more capable than others, there are very few bad ones on the market today. Modern machines might not be as stylish as old timers, but they go, turn and stop better.

That’s why engine, suspension and brake upgrades are common on classic custom builds. But if you’re working with a brand new bike—and your budget and time are both limited—isn’t it better to focus your energies elsewhere?

That’s the call Austria-based NCT Motorcycles had to make with this 2016 Harley-Davidson Street 750. A Harley-Davidson dealer, Motodrom Sintschnig, handed the bike over with a mandate to rework it into a raffle prize for the upcoming 20th annual European Bike Week.

NCT have no trouble going to town on a build. But with a set budget—and their Feldkirchen workshop already overflowing—they had to do things a little differently.

“When you have only a little budget, you have to concentrate on one thing,” the guys tell us. “So what do you want—a new look, or new tech? We decided to put the money into a new design and not in technical parts, because they are still fine.”

So while NCT have left the Harley’s wheels, suspension and brakes alone, all of its bodywork’s gone straight into the bin. In its place are a hand-made tank, tail section, front fender and side covers, all designed to give the Street a radically different visual vibe.

The tank turned out to be the hardest piece to fabricate, but it’s paid off. The new unit is a lot slimmer than stock, and provides a solid cornerstone for the rest of the revamp. “It took so many hours to achieve a good looking and clean result,” says the team, “but it is also the part we like most about this bike!”

A fair amount of fettling went down at the back too. NCT cut and looped the frame, touching up the paint along the way (rather than stripping the bike right down for a full frame powder coat). The new seat cowl includes a tidy LED taillight, with upholstery done in cow leather.

The stock headlight’s been left up front, but it’s no longer wrapped up in the OEM headlight shroud. Kellerman supplied new turn signals: two are mounted behind the rear shock mounts, and the other two are bar-end numbers. The original handlebars have also made way for a more aggressive bend from LSL.

With everything nipped and tucked, the Street’s hefty exhaust system looked way out of place—so NCT trimmed the stock muffler for a more compact effect. As a final touch, they nudged the forks down a bit to tweak the angle of attack.

Although the Street 750 was a bid for Harley-Davidson to reach a wider audience, we’ve always felt that it didn’t quite shake off its cruiser DNA. But by just changing the bodywork, NCT have transformed it into a sharp street tracker-cum-cafe racer.

And complementing the new lines is an equally slick paint job—an eye-catching coat of brilliant turquoise. “We know the color is not to everybody’s taste,” the guys tell us. “But these days, with more and more good bikes driving around, you have to catch someone’s eye with a freaking color scheme and design!”

NCT are also well aware that there’s room for more work. But for now, they’re just waiting to see who the new owner will be. “Maybe the fortunate owner will come back to our workshop with the bike to get the rest done,” they say.

Round two, anyone?

NCT Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Peter Pegam

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Perfectly scrambled: NCT deconstructs the BMW R nineT

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date February 28, 2017

Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles
It seems like the Austrian outfit NCT Motorcycles can do no wrong. Since they exploded onto the custom scene a little under a year ago, they’ve churned out hit after hit—sprinkling their magic over anything from vintage Guzzis to modern Ducati sportbikes.   

Now they’ve reworked the BMW R nineT Scrambler, with equally spectacular results. We loved the Scrambler for its playful nature when we first rode it, but NCT have just cranked the good times up to eleven.

Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles
‘Gelber [Yellow] Baron’ is the third ‘in-house’ project in a row for the Feldkirchen trio of David Widmann, Kurt Kosjek and Manuel Tilke. When they brought it home, it had less than a mile on the clock—but looking at it now, those miles are bound to rack up fast.   

Even though this R nineT came straight from the showroom, NCT started by stripping it right down. “Yes, we know—the bike is new and rides fine,” says David. “But we wanted to rebuild the whole rear frame.”

Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles
So rebuild the rear they did—looping it off and capping it with a svelte new perch. A partner company handled the striking blue upholstery: a combination of leather on the sides, and a grippier fabric up top.

There’s even more visual trickery going on up front. NCT wanted to give the nineT more of a vintage look, so they retrofitted the fuel tank from a classic BMW R100 RS. Not only did they need to get the tank and frame to play nice, but they also had to incorporate the modern Beemer’s internal fuel pump too.

Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles
Moving lower down, the guys removed the Scrambler’s airbox, opting for hand-made filter housings instead. They then closed off the frame with custom-made side covers—reminiscent of those on classic airheads—and mesh inserts.

The BMW is blessed with an array of good-looking OEM bits, so NCT opted to leave some of these in place. The handlebars, headlight and front fender are all original—but they’ve been repainted, along with the triple clamps and risers.

Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles
The neat single dial is also stock—but the brake and hydraulic clutch controls were swapped for complete units from Magura. Motogadget supplied the bar-end turn signals and mirror. Out back, the crew fabricated a swing arm-mounted bracket to hold the license plate and an LED tail light.

Out the box, the Scrambler comes fitted with cast alloy wheels—but this one’s sporting BMW’s factory-fitted, spoked-yet-tubeless numbers, with Metzeler Karoo 3 tires. It also usually comes with sweet sounding, dual Akrapovič silencers, but NCT opted for something more unique—a low-slung muffler from MotoGP suppliers SC Project.

Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles
Manuel handled the final paint, shooting the bike in yellow, with a period-correct pinstripe. We love the monochrome tank badges, and the matching blue coil on the rear shock.

From the wacky yet inspired color choice, to the compact proportions and clever nods to the past, ‘Gelber Baron’ is one of the most perfect street scramblers we’ve ever seen.

Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles
NCT are on a winning streak, and it’s all down to their attitude. “When you love what you do,” says David, “you work every day, working hard to achieve your goals, and you don’t need to sleep!”

How can they fail with passion like that?

NCT Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Peter Pegam

Custom BMW R nineT Scrambler by NCT Motorcycles

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More Racer Than Cafe: NCT’s stunning Ducati 848 Evo

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date January 31, 2017

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
Superbikes don’t typically make us weak at the knees—but if we had to spring for something racy, it would probably be Italian. We wouldn’t say no to the 140 horsepower Ducati 848 Evo, for example.

So when NCT Motorcycles told us they had just finished an 848, we assumed the bike had been crashed. But no: the Austrian shop just wanted to build a sporty cafe racer—with classic looks married to modern tech.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
“We wanted to customize a bike that’s younger than the ones we normally work on,” says NCT’s David Widmann. “And we wanted to have a second reference bike for our work, after the Black Stallion.”

“These days it’s fine when you have a lot of customers, but sometimes you need to build a bike just for yourself, and to represent your company. Of course we will sell it one day—but right now it’s just for us, and to show off our skills.”

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
Together with his partners in crime—Kurt Kosjek and Manuel Tilke—David wheeled the Ducati into NCT’s Feldkirchen workshop, and got down to business.

The guys started by stripping the bike down to the basics, before piecing it back together with a custom subframe. Perched on top is a hand-made aluminum tail unit, complete with combination leather and fabric upholstery, and a neatly embedded LED taillight.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
All the original bodywork is gone, save for the fuel tank. There’s now a full complement of aftermarket carbon fiber bits, including new front and rear fenders. NCT fitted new carbon side covers too, but since they were designed for a stock 848, modified them to fit visually with the reworked seat area.

The 848 Evo handles well enough out the box—but that didn’t stop the NCT crew from removing the Showa forks and installing new Öhlins suspension at both ends. The new forks are held in place by custom-milled triple clamps, sporting integrated push buttons.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
The stock Brembo brakes stayed behind, but the cockpit’s been treated to adjustable levers and prettier reservoirs. Other new bits include grips and bar-end blinkers from Motogadget, and rear-sets from Ducabike. The headlight is an LED unit from Truck-Lite.

NCT then hand built a new exhaust system, terminating it with a stumpy Akrapovič silencer. They also gave the motor a good service, installed K&N filters, and re-mapped the ECU to compensate for the new configuration. The wheels are now wrapped in Diablo Supercorsa SC2 rubber, Pirelli’s highest performing street legal race tire.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
The bike’s been rewired too, which proved to be pretty challenging. “Working on such a new bike is completely different to working on vintage based ones,” explains David. “There are many more wires, and when you rewire all of them you have to make sure that it still looks clean!”

Turning to Porsche’s heritage for inspiration, Manuel Tilke shot the Ducati in a simple olive green scheme. The trellis frame and the wheels went off for black powder coating.

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria
NCT have turned the already gorgeous 848 into a real head turner. It’s just a pity it’ll never go slow enough for anyone to get a good look.

NCT Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Peter Pegam

Ducati 848 Evo cafe racer by NCT Motorcycles of Austria

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Black Beauty: NCT’s wild custom BMW R100

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date December 3, 2016

Custom BMW R100 motorcycle by NCT
There’s a time for building practical, sensible bikes—and there’s a time for hanging loose. Like when you’re working on a shop bike, with no client or brief in sight.

You’re looking at National Custom Tech‘s latest in-house project—a BMW R100 RT dubbed Black Stallion #28. Like any good showpiece, it’s loaded with tasty upgrades—and a few crazy tweaks.

Custom BMW R100 motorcycle by NCT
The NCT crew of David Widmann, Kurt Kosjek and Manuel Tilke pulled no punches here. In their workshop in Feldkirchen, Austria, the crew stripped the old boxer right down to its nuts and bolts, before rebuilding it.

The engine’s had a serious refresh, with new pistons, cylinders and camshafts, and a new coat of paint. A quickshifter from KLS Motorsport is the cherry on the cake.

Custom BMW R100 motorcycle by NCT
Gone is the airbox, replaced by a set of velocity stacks. NCT also welded up an elaborate exhaust system, complete with a custom-made expansion chamber and ending in a stubby Akrapovič muffler.

Kurt then tore into the wiring, re-doing everything with a Motogadget m-Unit and a Lithium-ion battery, hidden under the engine. He also installed a keyless ignition and an alarm system, for good measure.

Custom BMW R100 motorcycle by NCT
NCT saw to the suspension too. There’s a new Öhlins shock out back, and a set of Showa upside-downs—borrowed from a Ducati 900 Super Sport—up front. They’re held in place by custom triple trees, and kitted with a pair of hand-made stanchion guards.

New Brembo brakes help the BMW stop a lot quicker. For tires, NCT picked out a set of dual-sport Heidenaus—which look aggressive, but offer a surprising amount of grip on the asphalt.

Custom BMW R100 motorcycle by NCT
Up top, NCT liberated the Beemer of its subframe—fitting a solo cowhide seat instead. A neat rear fender hugs the wheel beneath it.

The riding position is cafe racer-esque, thanks to rear set controls and a pair of clip-on bars. The rest of the cockpit is tricked out with a recessed speedo—and switches—from Motogadget, and upgraded controls. An LED headlight lights the way.

Custom BMW R100 motorcycle by NCT
Manuel added the final touch: black paint, with a distressed pinstripe, and the NCT logo, in gold. The frame and wheels went off for powder coating, with the wheels getting an extra hit of gold.

Sure, Black Stallion #28 is probably not going to win any ‘commuter of the year’ awards. And with no taillight or plate holder in sight, it’s probably not going to be popular with the fuzz either.

Custom BMW R100 motorcycle by NCT
But what the hell. We’re hooked on those brawny looks and the compact, super-aggressive stance. NCT have a Gewinner!

NCT Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Peter Pegam

Custom BMW R100 motorcycle by NCT