Category: Revival Cycles

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Morning Glory: Revival’s custom Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
Situated at the crossroads of passion and pragmatism, the team at Revival Cycles knows when it’s time to shred the establishment, and when to walk alongside.

Morning Glory, a fine and upstanding Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer, is the latest display of craftsmanship and creativity to roll out of the Austin, Texas shop—and it’s an official build too.

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
“Moto Guzzi approached us and asked if we would take one of their newly updated models, the V9 Roamer, and customize it to our liking … carte blanche with no limitations” says Revival’s top man, Alan Stulberg.

“As Guzzi fans from way back, Team Revival jumped at the chance to make it happen.”

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
Carte blanche. That’s a big leap for a storied manufacturer such as Moto Guzzi and Revival is a company not known for holding back.

They’ve built oddities like ‘The Six’, a masterfully crafted, minimalist frame fitted with a massive Honda CBX 6-pot mill and hub steering. Plus a neon-colored Ducati ST4 Sidecarcross bike and a BMW S1000RR wrapped using ancient bodywork techniques. They’re not afraid to tear into anything.

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
As it turns out, Revival actually liked most of what they were given from Guzzi.

“That’s probably the point, it didn’t gut me to leave some things alone on this one”, Alan says with a little surprise. “We love Moto Guzzi, there’s so much soul and heart in these machines”.

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
With the heart and soul set, Revival began looking to the skin. “They call it the ‘Roamer’, and we wanted to continue along that theme by bringing in some of the early 1970’s aesthetics.”

“The fish scales, high-and-tight bars, metal flake… We decided to actually stay on-brand for a change!”.

On-brand? Perhaps. On point? Unmistakably.

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
Though the stock controls from the Italian-bred Roamer stayed, the seat, tank, tail and side covers were binned and replaced with an all aluminum unibody, painstakingly hand-formed by Andy, Revival’s resident metalsmith.

“Andy knew what to do. He’s a 70s kind of guy. He lives in a 1978 Bluebird bus with a tufted ceiling. He knows the 70s”, Alan says of his metal shaping master.

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
“The idea was to create something resembling the musings of a mad scientist from the high-pile, shag carpet era”. Extensive wire framing, hammer work, shaping, welding, and polishing rendered the desired effect with enviable accuracy.

With the seat, tank and tail setting the tone, Revival looked to massage the Roamer’s stance.

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
Not known for staying with status quo, using the stock rims was an unlikely yet astute choice for the team. “The wheels are cast alloy units from the Guzzi factory. Most people who see them think they are a custom set specifically made for this machine.”

An aftermarket girder front end was sourced, and reworked a bit, to give the functionality desired by Revival.

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
“With 4.7 inches of trail, the Guzzi has a rather stable cruising style, but still turns in well and has a reasonably light steering feel considering the narrow bars,” says Alan.

“Adding a Firestone rear tire and a skinny Avon tire up front give the bike the right stance and look and emphasize the OEM V9 Roamer wheels.”

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
After the stance was dialed and the look well underway, the merrymakers at Revival built out a fully custom stainless steel exhaust system with twin trumpets heralding the bikes presence. “They belt a mighty roar that sounds even bigger than the bike itself. The damn thing sounds GOOD!”

While it wouldn’t be unusual for Revival to rip the factory controls and electronics off and start fresh, the team agreed that many of components made the final cut straight from the factory.

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
“Uncharacteristically we chose to keep the factory electronics, switches and gauge package. Sure, we moved the speedo and LED readout to the gas tank and set it at a crazy angle, but the factory stuff is all really well done”, Alan says.

“We kept it all. The factory fuel injection is great and keeping things factory meant we also ended up with a bike that has fantastic, usable ABS brakes and traction control!”

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles
The result? A vintage whip with all things modern running the show. Passionate, yet pragmatic.

If you’re traveling through the great state of Texas and find yourself in Austin, ring the shop. Morning Glory is available for rent.

Revival Cycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Brandon La Joie

Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer custom by Revival Cycles

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Speed Metal: Revival’s alloy-clad BMW S1000RR

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
If we had to pick an adjective to describe Revival Cycles, we’d say unpredictable. You just never know what Alan Stulberg and Stefan Hertel are going to come up with next. We’ve had a Honda CBX with hub center steering, a Ducati-based sidecarcross racer and a modern-day reinterpretation of the Ernst Henne Landspeeder.

And now this: A BMW S1000RR sportbike with bodywork created using the metalworking techniques of a century ago.

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
Three years ago, BMW invited Alan and Stefan to ride the relaunched and revamped S1000RR at the Circuit Of The Americas.

Alan jumped at the chance, albeit with some misgivings. “My sportbike experience was short blasts on a friend’s modded Suzuki GSX-R750R, scaring the crap out of myself at 160 mph. I quickly decided that sportbikes simply were not for me!”

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
Instead, Alan’s need to explore the absolute edge of riding fostered an appreciation for vintage machines. “Their easily-mastered ‘slower pace’ kept me safer. I even developed a taste for pre-war bikes and beyond—and the rest is Revival Cycles history.”

But when BMW put Alan’s leather-clad butt on a 200 horsepower rocket ship, everything changed. “I saw the light,” he admits. “The light of technology, power, and grace. This mammoth machine was a docile kitten under extreme conditions, even with an amateur like myself hastily thrown on top of it.”

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
A plan was hatched to recommission an S1000RR as a track dweller only, in the vintage style of Revival. Months later, the right deal presented itself and Revival found themselves in possession of a blacked-out, brand new machine with just three miles on the clock.

The S1000RR has a 600-mile break-in period: the ECU limits the engine to 9,000 rpm and about 150 hp. Shop manager Chris took it to the track and the local hills, and with the help of a certain ex MotoGP champion, got the bike over 600 miles. The dealer re-flashed the ECU and all 200 horses were unleashed.

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
After stripping off the plastics, the Revival crew pondered an angle of attack. “BMW has gotten the engineering and mechanical part of the equation spot on perfect,” says Alan.

“Outside of a few mods to the exhaust, and ECU tuning, we simply could not improve it. So we chose to focus our energy on the aesthetics.” This is the opposite of Revival’s usual attempts to rethink everything on a bike—but the S1000RR is well outside the norm.

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
Alan and head fabricator Andy both have a penchant for the mid-80s to mid-90s GP bikes ridden by legends such as Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, and Kevin Schwantz. “Those big, bulky fiberglass fairings and the swooping bodywork were a great initial start for the design,” says Alan.

A new stainless rear subframe now houses all the electronics, plus a lithium-iron battery, the ECU and a smattering of sensors. From there an overall bodyline developed, blending a modern kick-up tail with the vintage throwback of a number plate.

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
Then Revival shaped a full alloy front fairing, side fairing and belly pan—all fashioned by hand from aluminum.

“We also cut the top off the alloy factory tank, and built a higher-capacity tank that would hold a full six gallons to give us the capacity to go endurance racing,” says Alan. “That is, after all, our entire intention with this bike—to race it!”

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
After fashioning a custom header-back exhaust from stainless and an oversized vintage style muffler, Revival tore the bike down for final finishing.

“The biggest problem aesthetically was the anodized black aluminum frame,” says Alan. “It was rough and cast, and simply did not fit the look we were going for.” Many hours of bead blasting and hand sanding the entire frame followed, to smooth out the finish and help it to blend in with the hand-finished bodywork.

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
The BMW was reassembled with new Hayes billet alloy front calipers, and a color scheme was set in motion. “We hand-stitched a new bright blue seat material onto the custom seat pan and then took it to the track.”

“We raced it bare at COTA with nothing more than a few vinyl stickers proclaiming it as a Revival bike. But although it performed flawlessly, it didn’t seem ‘finished’.”

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
Alan asked his friend Nico Sclater (AKA the artist Ornamental Conifer) to visit Austin and spend a week putting hand-painted touches on the bike. “Nico came in with ideas of vintage Porsche paint schemes, haphazard trackside number changes and additions, and 1970s geometric patterns. I loved it.”

“We talked, he sketched, and three days later—after many cigarettes and a few beers—Nico declared it finished. He hit the road leaving us with what feels finally like a complete machine.”

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
Aesthetics aside, Revival’s S1000RR track bike weighs less and has more horsepower than stock. “I think it is a hell of a lot easier on the eyes than the factory bike,” says Alan. “And even mere mortals like me or the rest of the team at Revival can jump on it and rip long thin black strips down the straightaways at COTA—and look good doing it.”

A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles
Right now, the ‘endless project’ is nearing the end of a transatlantic journey to the UK, and will be on display at the Bike Shed show this weekend. Then it’ll take a summer tour around Europe for Glemseck, Wheels and Waves and a few other shows.

Keep an ear out for it, and if you’re lucky, you’ll hear it screaming through the gears.

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A custom BMW S1000RR by Revival Cycles

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A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ by Revival Cycles

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
The Handbuilt Show is happening this coming weekend in Austin, Texas. One of the USA’s premium custom bike events, it’s packed each year with lustworthy handcrafted machines, curated by hosts Revival Cycles.

But even though this six-cylinder, hub-steered oddity is Revival’s handiwork—and will fit right in—it won’t be at the show this year. That’s because it’s just kicked off a one-year residency at the newly opened Haas Moto Museum at Dallas.

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
Museum owner and collector Bobby Haas has been on a mission lately. The museum is home to almost 110 vintage and custom motorcycles—some of them commissioned specifically for the collection. Rodsmith’s BSA Bantam was one such bike; this masterpiece is another.

It’s also the second Revival bike Mr Haas has commissioned. The first was the groundbreaking BMW Landspeeder, an homage to the famous Henne BMW racer of the 1920s. The moment they delivered the Landspeeder, Mr Haas had a fresh idea to pitch to Alan Stulberg and crew.

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
“He wanted us to consider another bike as inspiration,” Alan tells us, “the amazingly beautiful Art Deco motorcycle called ‘The Majestic.‘ In 1929 a Frenchman named Georges Roy launched his vision to the world, and offered a new motorcycle like no other on the road.”

“Team Revival has been somewhat obsessed with its design language and flow since seeing a Majestic in photos, and then first laying eyes on one at the Barber museum years ago.”

Advertisement for the Majestic motorcycle designed by Georges Roy
With the Majestic as inspiration, Revival’s focus immediately turned to its atypical hub-steered design, and then its flowing bodywork. But before they could get started, they needed a suitable motor.

Right off the bat the guys knew they wanted a relatively modern engine—and something that wasn’t widely used in custom bikes. They quickly settled on the colossal 1,000 cc, six-cylinder mill from a 1980 Honda CBX.

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
“The CBX six is a truly impressive feat of mechanical engineering,” says Alan. “It’s wide, powerful and stunningly well engineered; it was a perfect starting platform.”

With consensus on the basic concept, Team Revival spent the drive home from Dallas pondering the details, and how they’d go about building such a unique machine. “The main goal of all Revival builds,” explains Alan, “is that they have to function even better than they look.”

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
“Hub-center steering motorcycles are nothing new, and custom builders as well as manufacturers are still building them. But, to us, none of the hub-center design bikes are elegant in their aesthetic design. They all seem too complex visually, and end up looking more robotic and mechanical than beautiful.”

“Our main goal was to break that norm, and build something complex functionally, but simple appearing. This was not an easy thing to pull off.”

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
Revival’s first solid design anchor was the idea of using large diameter wheels, to match the proportions of the monstrous motor and the overall visual language. They found a 28” Firestone clincher replica tire, made by Coker, which fit the bill. With wheels and tires in hand, Alan and head engineer Stefan Hertel began sketching out the chassis.

Using a CAD drawing of the Honda CBX engine, Stefan created a twin swing arm design that was functional, beautiful and adjustable. The control arms not only steer the front hub, but also control the suspension angle.

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
That means that the arms have complete control over the steering angle and trail measurements, no matter where the front wheel is in its travel. Matched to opposing steel cables and a pair of linkage-actuated Öhlins shocks, it makes for a very stable setup that handles sharper than you’d think.

Everything’s been built in-house—from the beautiful one-off front hub, to the single-side aluminum swing arms. The frame’s a mix of stainless and mild steel tubes and plates, powder coated in a finely textured black. Revival built the rear hub too, and a small aluminum fuel tank.

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
There’s so much great engineering to geek out on. Just look at the rear brake; there’s a jackshaft design on the drive sprocket, and an inboard brake. It uses a Brembo master cylinder and caliper, a CNC-machined rotor carrier and a custom built Sniper II brake line.

The controls are equally impressive, with stainless steel handlebars fitted with an internal throttle and clutch. Gears are changed via a custom-made hand shifter mechanism to the right of the tank. The leather grips, and that stunning saddle, were both upholstered in-house.

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
On the mechanical side, Revival have treated the motor to a howling six-into-six exhaust system. The engine cases have been powder-coated gray, and are further protected by a custom-made alloy plate.

There’s also a C5 ignition system, with cloth-covered spark plug leads. An Antigravity 8-cell battery, a regulator/rectifier from Rick’s Motorsport Electrics, and billet aluminum push button switches complete the wiring package.

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
By now, you’re probably wondering why The Revival Six doesn’t resemble a Majestic. That’s because it’s devoid of any bodywork. “The original Majestic had this beautiful flowing bodywork,” explains Alan, “with a mouth shape at its opening.”

“When Georges Roy built the Majestic he was proving that pressed steel frames could be used on motorcycles, as they were in cars—so the cost of fabrication would be cheaper as well. Covering up the unsightly pressed steel frame just made sense.”

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
“We set the bar design-wise at ‘elegant,’ so what we ended up building did not need to be covered up by bodywork and flowing lines,” says Alan.

“Once we got the bike running as a rolling chassis, and all the mechanical bits were finished, our plan and preference suddenly changed. We stared at the bike on the bench, rode it around the parking lot and just couldn’t get over how much we liked all the pieces we were about to hide under a carbon fiber shell.”

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
The team had even started designing various shapes in CAD, and built wire mockups and wooden bucks. Even when they scaled back the idea to just encasing part of the swing arm, it still felt heavy-handed and unnecessary.

“It seemed to be covering up the best thing Revival had ever built,” shrugs Alan. “Ultimately we spoke with our client, and explained that we would really like to simply finish it as a naked bike, so that the engineering and design of all that it took to build underneath would remain on full display. He agreed.”

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
Revival were chuffed with how it turned out—but there was one more box to tick. The day before delivering the bike to the Haas Moto Museum, they took ‘The Six’ to the world-class Circuit Of The Americas down the road, for a shakedown.

Alan was understandably nervous; this was extreme engineering, even by Revival’s standards. “The question is always running through your head when you first throw your leg over something this alien,” says Alan. “’Will it hold together or will it throw me off like a rag doll?’”

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles
“The math was there, the planning was there, the testing was there, but still…will theory translate into function as it was intended? I cannot say if it was luck or good planning and execution, or a combination of all three, but riding The Six for the first time was amazing.”

With 105 horsepower on tap and a 9,500 rpm redline, and weighing 75 pounds less than a stock CBX, Alan and Stefan took turns building up their confidence on track. “It felt light and agile and truly capable of being ridden for many comfortable and fun miles.”

“This is no museum queen!”

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The Six can exclusively be seen at the Haas Moto Museum in Dallas, Texas between now and April 2019, when the intention is to show it off just once at the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Austin, Texas, over MotoGP weekend.

A Modern-Day Majestic: ‘The Six’ with Honda CBX power, by Revival Cycles

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Second Chance: Revival resurrects the BMW R1200S

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
When the R1200S landed in showrooms in 2006, it was the most powerful production boxer that BMW had ever made. Performance was rapid, with 122 horsepower and a claimed dry weight of just under 400 pounds. But the R1200S was dropped from the catalog after just two years, making way for the HP2 Sport.

Despite the short production run, the R1200S is a good motorcycle with plenty of fans. And one of them is Alan Stulberg of Revival Cycles in Texas. He likes the bike so much, he broke his own rule and took on a failed project from another workshop.

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
“We prefer to avoid projects that other shops have failed to complete,” he told us. “They normally come with a string of problems, and/or a client who could be impossible to resolve.”

“But we took on the R1200S because we were motivated by the model of bike—and the client’s desire to build something unseen in the current red hot BMW oilhead/airhead custom scene.”

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
Alan’s crew are no strangers to airhead builds: They built their first way back in the mid 2000’s, before the BMW boom, when they were underappreciated by most custom builders. “They all seemed to be owned by older guys, who appreciated smooth-riding, reliable machines.”

Flash forward ten years or so, and times have changed. “There are so many custom airheads on the scene,” Alan sighs. “And most of them seem to have the standard fork setup from the /5, /6 and /7s, or the modern R nineT.”

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
Back in the mid-2000s, BMW ‘R’ bikes were technically similar to today’s R nineT—aside from the ‘Telelever’ front wishbone suspension system. “Even the powerplant used in the R1200s was nearly identical to today’s R nineT.”

The Telelever was superior to standard forks in many ways, separating the steering function from braking and suspension duties to improve handling and stability. But the average buyer was probably put off by the looks, and the setup was more costly to produce than standard forks.

BMW R1200S fairing design
“I think the ‘wishbone’ setup is better looking than a standard fork,” says Alan. “So we set out to build a bike that put the wishbone on full display—and pay homage to its technical superiority.”

On the factory R1200S, there was a bulky ‘sport’ fairing that covered up the Telelever (above). “I’m guessing this was BMW acknowledging that the average rider didn’t care for the look,” says Alan.

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
With the 2006-spec R1200S stripped of its plastics, the Revival crew started beating out a custom alloy tank. It harkens back to the famed ‘Hoske’ endurance tanks of the 1960s and 1970s. “The profile of our bike is inspired by those extremely beautiful, handmade pieces coveted by collectors,” says Alan.

The subframe is new too, with a hand-shaped alloy tail section complementing the tank—and a custom seat unit, covered in leather in-house by the ‘Revival Limited’ artisans.

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
There’s also a small custom headlight surround—machined from solid alloy, and nestled tightly between the forks. Just below is a small alloy fender that discreetly calls further attention to the Telever.

The mighty boxer motor now breathes through a full custom stainless exhaust, from header to tailpipe. And the running gear is top-notch, with Kineo spoked wheels, Öhlins shocks, and stainless brake lines. “The upgrades make this the best handling R-variant BMW we’ve ever ridden,” says Alan.

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
Revival are huge fans of Motogadget gear, so there’s a full complement of Motogadget electronics, plus bar-end turn signals, a Motoscope gauge, and a hidden ignition switch. “It was a massive undertaking to rewire much of the bike,” says Alan.

“It would have been a serious problem for an impatient builder; we spent many days simply trying to get everything to talk to the factory electronic systems.”

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
Revival also spent many hours sanding, cleaning and polishing the inevitable production line blemishes and casting marks. Then the alloy body was finished in multiple coats of solid black and a very deep dark metallic blue, for a subtle multi-hue effect. (“It becomes much clearer in daylight,” says Alan.) Also noticeable in bright light are upgraded carbon fiber head covers and timing chain covers.

‘Wishbone’ has got us thinking about the untapped potential of the R1200S as a donor bike. It may not have been a huge hit for BMW, but it’s prime raw material for customizers. These days, you can pick up a secondhand R1200S for just over $5,000 in the USA—which has to be one of the great bargains of the motorcycling world.

Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles
“We hope there’s a resurgence of interest in these bikes,” says Alan. “They are still excellent modern riding machines.”

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Custom BMW R1200S by Revival Cycles

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As New: Reviving a Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica

As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles
There are purists who baulk at the thought of changing even one bolt on a classic motorcycle—and then there’s folks like us. When you spend your days curating the world’s finest custom motos, you can appreciate a tasteful set of mods on even the most sacred of machines.

But there are some motorcycles that even we wouldn’t dare alter. It’s a short list, but the Ducati 900 MHR is near the top.

As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles
If you’re not a member of the Ducatista, or a classic racing fan, allow us to enlighten you. Back in 1978, Mike Hailwood staged a legendary comeback at the Isle of Man TT, winning the Formula 1 class aboard a Ducati 900 SuperSport. The following year, the production Ducati 900 MHR (Mike Hailwood Replica) was born.

Under the hood it was essentially a 900 SS. But it was styled just like Hailwood’s race bike and treated to a few notable upgrades like Brembo brakes and Conti silencers. By 1984 it had evolved, with a new 973 cc motor making 76 horsepower, thanks to a bigger bore, bigger valves and a redesigned crankshaft.

As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles
Now called the MHR Mille, it also featured an electric start, a redesigned instrument panel, folding foot pegs with rubber inserts, adjustable Verlicchi clip-ons, and a hydraulically actuated clutch. About 7,000 Mike Hailwood Replicas were produced up to 1985, but only about 1,100 of these were Milles. Oh, and they were the last bevel-drive twins that Ducati produced.

So if you found one, would you change a thing? We wouldn’t, and neither would the good people of Revival Cycles. The Austin, Texas-based shop is known for going deep on its projects, and we’ve seen some extensive custom work from them over the years. But when a customer rolled in with a recently acquired Mike Hailwood Replica, they knew what had to be done—and what not to do.

As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles
“This machine had been in the same home for many years, but its owner seemed to have fallen out of love with it,” we’re told. “It was marred with cracked and chipped paint, worn suspension, an incredibly shaky kickstand, electrical gremlins and carburetors that were never tuned quite right. It took all the pleasure out of what used to be an amazing machine.”

This poor little MHR needed a ‘Revival’ of the highest order.

As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles
With too many hard-fought miles under the belt for basic maintenance, a full restoration was on the cards. So Revival tore the bike down to the bare frame for powder coating, replacing every bushing and bearing along the way.

They rebuilt the Ducati’s stock Marzocchi forks, but opted to ditch the worn out rear shocks for a new set from Progressive Suspension. The gorgeous wheels were brought back to their original gold luster, and every last shiny bit was re-chromed to better-than-new condition.

As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles
Revival naturally tore into the engine too, giving it a good refresh before re-sealing it with new gaskets and seals. Then they set their focus to ironing out the old 900’s numerous wiring issues.

Leaving no stone unturned, the guys treated the cockpit to a serious refresh too. They did make a few changes though: along with the new rear shocks, they’ve added custom-made brake and clutch hoses, a custom-built side stand, and reinforced the center stand. They also installed a pair of K&N filters, rejetting the carbs to match.

As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles
But nothing could compare to the love and sweat poured into the Ducati’s race replica bodywork. Years of abuse and shoddy fiberglass repairs had taken their toll—and aftermarket Mike Hailwood Replica body panels aren’t exactly in abundant supply.

Countless hours of body and repair work later, the MHR was finally ready to receive its original livery in a better-than-factory finish. Revival took their time, laying down the original decals perfectly and adding layer after layer of clear coat for a deep, rich effect.

As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles
“That—and the roar of the mighty bevel drive breathing fire again at our Twist Off event—made for one happy Ducatista!” the guys tell us.

After seeing these shots, we believe them. Like they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

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As New: A Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica brought back to life by Revival Cycles

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A Most Obnoxious Ducati: Revival’s sidecarcross ‘Odioso’

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
We can normally recognize a Revival Cycles build immediately. The bikes have top-level craftsmanship, perfect proportions and tasteful finishes.

But this bizarre contraption had us puzzled. Sure, the hand-made bodywork and crafty engineering pointed towards Revival… but what about the three different neon hues, and that weird sidecar?

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
And what possessed the Austin, Texas shop to take a Ducati ST4 and turn it into, well… this? Alcohol, apparently. And a love for the mental sport of sidecarcross.

As the name implies, sidecarcross involves racing motocross with sidecar-equipped bikes. “It’s a sanctioned motorcycle racing series based in Europe,” Revival tell us, “and it’s popular in Australia and New Zealand, but an almost unheard-of secret in the US.”

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
“Like many of our ideas, this idea percolated years ago around the team. This time Andy James, our head fabricator, and Stefan Hertel had been out for a night of drinking, and realized that we should some day build a sidecarcross bike out of something totally inappropriate, to show our friends in the US just what it’s all about.”

The idea resurfaced when Rebel Yell asked Revival to build a custom for them, to give away in the Rebels Uncaged contest.

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
“The best part of the Rebel Yell build,” the guys tell us, “is that they gave us total creative freedom to build whatever bike we wanted. We decided on a sidecar-cross bike, and took a stroll through the shop considering all of the bikes we had sorta laying around.”

“The choice was a Triumph Bonneville, a MV Agusta Brutale, a Moto Guzzi Centauro or a 1999 Ducati ST4. With many factors to consider, we knew NONE of them were actually appropriate for the task. But of the unwanted children in the shop, the Ducati stood out as the best choice for our purposes.”

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
With Ducati’s legendary 916cc, 4-valve, DOHC Desmodromic ‘L-twin’ at its heart, the ST4’s good for 107 horses and 89 Nm of torque. And it has a pretty sweet power curve too; an audacious machine to go ‘crossing with.

“The Ducati ‘Odioso’ (‘Odioso’ is Italian for obnoxious) has now become, to our knowledge, the world’s first Ducati sidecar-cross bike ever.”

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
Revival started—as they usually do—by stripping the bike down to the frame and engine. They then began the arduous task of designing and fabricating the sidecar. The framework’s been constructed from chromoly steel, with a healthy dose of ‘monkey bars’ to give the sidecar rider (AKA the ‘monkey’) plenty to hold onto.

The sidecar also features its own long-travel swingarm and shock setup. Revival moved the radiator, oil-cooler and a Lithium-ion battery all over to the sidecar too, to free up space on the Ducati.

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
That left enough room to fit a set of rebuilt and beefed up 48mm WP Suspension forks from a KTM, giving the bike the ability to soak up those landings. The rear setup consists of an alloy Ducati Monster swingarm, mated to a custom-built Öhlins shock.

The suspension is fully adjustable at both ends, and the brakes are Brembo throughout, with a Brembo clutch master cylinder and upgraded lines. All three wheels are 17” Warp 9 units, wrapped in Metzeler Karoo 3 tires.

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
Revival’s legendary fabrication skills are on full display here. The angular fuel tank and sidecar fender are one-offs, made from lightweight alloy. The fenders are modded Honda SL350 units, but the headlight surround, fork guards and radiator panel are all one-offs.

The Ducati’s subframe is all-new too, with a custom seat sitting up top. Revival even hand-shaped their own aluminum coolant hard lines, complemented by braided oil cooler lines and AN fittings.

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
The Desmo now breathes in through a pair of K&N filters, and out through a custom-built stainless steel two-into-one system, capped off with a Termignoni muffler. Revival rewired everything around a Motogadget m-Unit controller too, using one of their own Revival Deluxe Wiring kits, and added LED lighting all round.

Up top are Renthal Twinwall bars, with a Domino Mostro single pull throttle. The mini switches and tiny digital speedo—mounted right behind the headlight—are from Motogadget.

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
“After completely rewiring the entire bike and upgrading the fuel, braking, and suspension systems, the final bike weighed in at just over 380 pounds, without the sidecar,” Revival tells us.

“The factory ST4 weighed over 521 pounds, so shaving over 140 pounds off the factory bike comes in handy when you’re landing a 10 foot jump.” (And if you’re wondering, the sidecar adds roughly another 100 pounds to the scale.)

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
As for the not-so-subtle, 80s color palette, that was a no-brainer for the Texan crew: “When it came down to it we realized that the colors had to speak to the fun that this bike was likely to unleash.” There’s neon pink, green and blue everywhere you look, and the seat’s even been covered in metallic grey vinyl, with green and pink thread.

Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles
It’s a pretty bold move—but then again, this is a 107 hp sidecarcross bike. And it doesn’t get much more off-the-wall than that.

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Ducati sidecarcross motorcycle by Revival Cycles-1

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Destination Austin: The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
For one weekend in April, Austin, Texas is the home of motorcycling. The Grand Prix of The Americas features the fastest riders on earth, defying the laws of physics and showing off their Texas lean. But a few miles down the road, the cultural heart of two wheels beats on E 5th Street, at the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show.

Hosted by Revival Cycles, the show (now in its fourth year) continues to attract increasing numbers of the builders, bikes and enthusiasts that are setting the beat in this growing industry.

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
The recipe is simple. A clean, organic space, spacious displays, tasty cocktails and a grassroots mentality to showcasing excellence in design. No less than 103 captivating motorcycles filled the Fair Market this year, all there by invitation.

Revival founder and head wrench, Alan Stulberg, explains the selection process: “Builders and bikes are selected as a whole in how they compliment one another, and not based on favoritism, professional builds or public profiles. We do our best to bring in the bikes and builders that fit.”

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
There are other mainstays, too. Charlie Ransom challenged the MotoGP paddock for intestinal fortitude on his Wall of Death, while a plethora of clapped-out home builds sweated horsepower onto the Austin streets nearby.

A collective of enthusiasts from all walks of motorcycling life filled the 80-year-old venue, to exchange opinions and stories of the bikes they saw, those they had ridden and the ones they still clamour for. Over 30,000 people passed through the doors through the course of the weekend—the Handbuilt Show’s biggest turnout yet.

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
“The Handbuilt Show started from the very simple idea that putting great motorcycles into a room with the right presentation and an inclusive, inviting vibe, would attract an appreciative moto-hungry crowd,” says Alan. “It sounds overly simple, but my experience with attending almost all other motorcycle-centric events left some obvious room for improvement.”

“To me it is definitely the subtle details that make the difference in a great motorcycle, and it is also the subtle details that make the difference in an event of any kind. From the beginning my intent has been to create an experience that makes an impression and leaves the crowd wanting more—and more motorcycle riders is, in the end, the ultimate goal.”

Here’s a look at some of the bikes that bent necks at this year’s Handbuilt Show…

Craig Rodsmith's 'Margery'
Craig Rodsmith’s ‘Margery’ One of the show’s immediate standouts, this Loopframe custom Guzzi featured a hand-formed dustbin fairing. The product of hours of hand forming by Craig Rodsmith, show goers were drawn to it like moths to a flame. (We’ll have a full report on this one soon).

Shinya Kimura's 'Pantera Verde'
Shinya Kimura’s ‘Pantera Verde’ This used to be a Kawasaki Z1, before Shinya Kimura plied his trademark aesthetic. The raw metal finish has always been a bold move, as imperfections can’t really hide. Go ahead and look; you won’t find any.

Sosa Metalworks' 'Space Traveler'
Sosa Metalworks’ ‘Space Traveler’ The amount of work and level of craftsmanship executed on this 1946 Knucklehead is absolutely stunning. Christian Sosa of Sosa Metalworks had his hands on every aspect of this build, from the oval tubed frame to the intricate linkages and rolled bodywork.

Brough Superior SS101
Brough Superior SS101 This one needs no introduction—just some undivided attention. It’s the famous Lawrence of Arabia Brough Superior SS101.

Hazan Motorworks' Ducati 860GT
Hazan Motorworks’ Ducati 860GT Max Hazan continues to push the bounds of engineering and craftsmanship with his latest—this Ducati Square Case Turbo. I recommend you start your gaze in the rear on this one; the cut on that exhaust matches the tail so perfectly, that you could barely slide a dollar bill between the two.

Mark Atkinson's 'Alpha'
Mark Atkinson’s ‘Alpha’ Featured right here on Bike EXIF, this BMW K100 was the result of a collaboration between Utah-based Mark Atkinson, and Istanbul-based designer Mehmet Doruk Erdem. And it’s an absolute show-stopper.

Revival Cycles' 'Odioso'
Revival Cycles’ ‘Odioso’ Sure, it may look playful and innocent with those neon accents, but this Ducati ST4 rig from show hosts Revival is nothing short of beastly. With 140 hp on tap, knobbies and extra long suspenders, there’s little you and the missus couldn’t tear up on this thing.

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
This year in Austin marked my second chance to partake in both the Handbuilt Show and MotoGP. Their two worlds seem a universe apart, but the folks snapping pics, chatting, laughing and looking on in admiration are all very much one and the same.

Whether it’s form or function that turns your two-wheeled crank, for one weekend in April, Austin has it all.

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show | Facebook | All images by Revival Cycles

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Crash hot: Revival Cycles rebuilds a damaged Hellcat

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
Most builders like to treat a bike as a blank canvas when it arrives in the shop. But when a Confederate arrives—well, that’s like trying to paint over a Rothko artwork. The X132 Hellcat has a brutal style you can see from a mile off.

But this Hellcat turned up at Revival’s Texas workshop with crash damage, due to a brake failure. And rather than just get the bike repaired, the owner wanted a change. He asked Revival for a transformation.

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
Of the dozens of builds Revival has finished since 2008, this was the most challenging from a design point of view. “It isn’t exactly an empty canvas that will easily accept changes,” the guys point out.

Fortunately, the technical side wasn’t so bad—the original chassis and most of the electrics could stay.

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
Revival founder Alan Stulberg started gathering ideas—sketching out drawings, finding images and shapes, and making cardboard bucks and taped line drawings.

After input and feedback from the Revival team, the design was ready—one that properly paid homage to the original, but took it a few steps further. And now the look is even more sculptured and brutal than Confederate’s original, with a 1950s science fiction art vibe.

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
A hand-formed alloy fuel tank was fashioned to fit the Hellcat’s backbone and align with a new, more upright seating position. Then Revival attached a CNC-machined new subframe—fabricated in a similar way to the original, but with a more organic shape.

The seat height has been raised a little, and there’s new leather-clad seat pad with a slight upkick at the back, just like the original. (Which is handy when you have over 120 horsepower at your disposal.)

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
The tail section is hand-formed alloy too, and Revival have fitted complementary asymmetric panels to cover the oil cooler on the left side and the air intake on the right. A mesh screen was laser cut to match the primary cover screens.

The most unusual styling is right up front in the nosepiece: It’s hiding a xenon projector headlight from an Audi S8, in a porthole-style surround.

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
On the original Hellcat, the header pipe from the rear cylinder of the S&S motor snakes forward across the right side of the engine, covering it up.

So Revival have hand-built a completely new stainless steel exhaust with a 2-into-1 silencer that hangs down and exits beneath the engine, towards the ground. “The grumble and sound is intoxicating,” we’re told.

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
One of the finer touches of the earlier Hellcats was a combined belly pan and muffler. “This was removed on later models due to fabrication failures. As a homage, a new hand-shaped alloy belly pan has been fabricated to conceal the exhaust and engine underside.”

Hidden exhaust cutouts and a mesh air scoop insert allow for more airflow, and a smooth, clean appearance.

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
To make this Hellcat more comfortable and controllable, the factory clip-on bars are gone. Conventional bars are locked in place with a custom clamp, machined to carefully blend with Confederate’s triple clamps. “This improves the ergonomics and means a day-long ride won’t kill the rider.”

Revival Cycles’ own push-button alloy housings have been fitted to the bars, along with alloy push buttons. It’s now a simple cockpit that feels and functions as good as it looks.

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles
The Confederate has already been out on the road for a shakedown, and has been renamed The Revival 140. “Any motorcycle that weighs less than 500 pounds and has 140 foot-pounds of torque deserves to be known by that name.”

To see it in the metal for yourself, head over to Austin, Texas, for the Handbuilt show on April 21-23. It’s a fine celebration of traditional skills and physical craftsmanship—exactly the qualities the Revival crew have imbued in this most unlikely of builds.

Revival Cycles | Facebook | Instagram

The 140: A custom Confederate Hellcat by Revival Cycles

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Rhapsody in Blue: Revival Cycles’ Honda FT500 Ascot

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
Think of Revival Cycles and you probably picture big budget, genre-smashing customs like the BMW Landspeeder. But Alan Stulberg and his crew are quite happy to work their magic on the humblest of machines. And they don’t get more humble than the early 80s Honda FT500 Ascot.

The ‘FT’ apparently stands for ‘flat track,’ but that was wishful thinking on Honda’s part: You can safely discount any notion of the Ascot tearing it up on the ovals. Rather, it’s a solid little commuter bike that you can pick up for less than $2,000 in the classifieds.

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
Making an FT500 Ascot look cool is a big challenge. But it has an electric starter, a big 500cc single cylinder thumper engine with lots of torque, a low curb weight, and a reputation for reliability. Most of all, it’s good choice for rookies because it’s nimble and super easy to fling around.

That made it ideal for Revival’s client, a new rider who wanted a full custom. The brief was to build a lightweight, fun to ride motorcycle with just the right amount of flash and lots of subtle one-off features.

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
Revival had an old Ascot lying around that another builder had hacked up by cutting the frame backbone and leaving it unfinished. But it had a good motor and a title, so the Texas workshop decided to turn it into something pretty. Which is no easy task: The Ascot wasn’t exactly beautiful to begin with.

The first job was to fix the stamped steel frame lines, which quickly escalated into building an almost entirely new frame from scratch instead of trying to fix what was there.

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
But there’s more than just a modified rear subframe section. The frame neck, lower backbone and down tube have all been modified too.

It’s reassuring to learn that the Revival guys don’t just guess at rake and trail: For proper handling, they use CAD to determine the best steering angle, trail and swingarm pivot points, based on kinematic models, to ensure a great performing motorcycle before a single tube is welded.

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
Using conventional Suzuki GSX-R forks keeps the classic looks, but adds the upgraded performance of modern suspension—plus serious braking power. Ian Barry of Falcon motorcycles (yes, he’s still around) flogged the Ascot over the hills of coastal California for ‘testing,’ and gave it two thumbs up.

The swingarm is from a Suzuki SV650, because its mounting width is ideal for the FT500 engine. Dual progressive shocks were added for a vintage look, with custom shock mounts fabricated.

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
The last step for the rolling chassis was fabricating adapters for the 18-inch Yamaha RD400 mag wheels. They’re now shod with Pirelli Scorpion tires.

For the electrics, only the best would do, and Revival love MotoGadget gear. So an m-Unit control box was installed, along with a Motoscope mini speedo.

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
There’s also a pair of 4-cell Antigravity batteries for the cleanest possible electrical packaging—hooked up to a full wiring harness that was built from scratch. Revival also upgraded the ignition and charging systems with modern components.

With the rolling chassis sorted out, a Benelli Wards Riverside fuel tank was heavily modified to fit over the frame—providing smooth curves without the expense of a full custom tank. Right behind is a hand-formed alloy seat pan, wrapped in black leather, and all done in-house.

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
The lustrous blue paint is a Porsche Cayenne option. The delicate 911 hue ‘Geyser Grey’ was used for the frame, suspension and the panel atop the fuel tank, edged with with metallic gold pin striping.

By the lofty standards of the famous Austin, Texas workshop, this is a budget custom. But it’s perfect for their client, with a wet weight of just 289 pounds (131 kilos), modern suspension and brakes, and a neutral riding position.

Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles
According to Revival, the FT500 is “A blast to ride, and sounds as tough as nails.”

To that we’d add: It’s probably the best-looking FT500 in the world.

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Custom Honda FT500 Ascot by Revival Cycles

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Used And Abused: Revival Cycles’ Buell Ulysses scrambler

A fast and raw Buell Ulysses scrambler by Revival Cycles.
The thought of a liquor brand commissioning a bike conjures up images of gaudy, logo-slathered choppers from the West Coast. But Revival Cycles had other ideas when Rebel Yell knocked on their door.

They took a stock Buell Ulysses XB12X, and transformed it into the dirt-shredding monster you see here. It’s the sort of thing that happens when you give Revival Cycles an open brief.

A fast and raw Buell Ulysses scrambler by Revival Cycles.
“We have always loved the Ulysses,” says the Texan shop’s Alan Stulberg. “It’s an inexpensive, capable machine with plenty of reliable horsepower and torque on tap at any time.

“Sure…Ulysses S. Grant helped squash the ‘Rebel Yell’ of the Confederates, but we found the irony played out well with our bike of choice.”

A fast and raw Buell Ulysses scrambler by Revival Cycles.
The Ulysses is the closest thing to a dual-sport bike that’s ever come out of Milwaukee. But it’s no hard off-roader. Revival’s version—dubbed ‘The Bueller‘—is an entirely different animal.

“Our goal for this build was to keep the budget in line, as we didn’t have much room for error,” says Alan, “and to prove that you can properly jump, air and land a bike of this heft.”

A fast and raw Buell Ulysses scrambler by Revival Cycles.
“All too often, we see other builders simply putting knobby off-road tires on every street bike out there, from a vintage inline-four Japanese bike to a modern 160 horsepower Ducati superbike,” says Alan.

“While entertaining and fun to look at, this does not make an off-road bike—or even an ‘adventure’ bike.”

A fast and raw Buell Ulysses scrambler by Revival Cycles.
Step one was to strip the Buell right down, ditching all non-critical items and finding places to shave weight. Swapping out the battery helped: The new lithium-ion unit is seven pounds lighter than stock.

The factory subframe is pretty porky too. So Revival designed a new one in CAD, then cut out the sections from heavy gauge aluminum before welding it all up. It’s capped off with an upright, narrow seat that Alan says is still pretty comfortable.

A fast and raw Buell Ulysses scrambler by Revival Cycles.
Revival saw no need to mess with the Buell’s effective fuel-in-frame design. So they simply ditched the dinky plastic faux tank, and fabricated a better-looking one from aluminum. The airbox (usually located underneath) was replace by a K&N filter.

The ‘tank’ space now houses the battery, a Motogadget m-Unit and all the important electrical bits. It’s a shame it’s all hidden: Revival have become known for their electrical prowess, and we’d love to see one of their rewires up close.

A fast and raw Buell Ulysses scrambler by Revival Cycles.
“We sell and install more high-end gadgetry from Motogadget than anyone else in the world,” says Alan. “The tidy nature of the Buell frame, and our reworking of the design, has resulted in a subtle and almost invisible installation of the modern technology.”

There’s even a Buell Racing ECU at work, making for snappy, 115 horsepower acceleration. Pure madness for a dirt bike.