Category: Yamaha RD350

Custom Bikes Of The Week

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date June 19, 2016

It’s scrambler time this week: A heavily modified Yamaha RD350, a limited edition version of the Viba Lara 800, and a look at Yamaha’s new SCR950. Let’s get dirty.

Yamaha RD350 by Moto Exotica In 2016, you can’t pass a fair trade organic coffee shop or axe-throwing meet without being bombarded by scramblers. They. Are. Everywhere … including this latest Bikes Of The Week.

This RD350 is the eighth build to roll out of Arjun Raina’s Moto Exotica. Beginning with a rough sketch and taking to CAD from there, ‘Eight’ is 210 pounds of tweaked, two-stroke insanity. Thanks to the in-house crafted swingarm, KTM 200 suspension and Arjun’s work on the seat, tank and tail, the RD has shed around 140 pounds of factory flab.

With TKC80 rubber and revised geometry, there are few obstacles ‘Eight’ can’t handle—although we’d want to Instagram some shots of those clean pipes before hitting the trails. The exhaust was TIG welded from 45 separate sections, including those gorgeous, stainless steel expansion chambers. [More]

Honda Shadow VLX 400 by DuongDoan’s Design This is the third time that the Hanoi-based builder has snagged our attention. The previous bikes were Suzuki GN250s, but this latest build started life as a tiny Honda cruiser—the Shadow VLX 400. It says ‘scrambler’ on the number plates, but the Firestone tires mean its natural habitat is again the fair trade organic coffee shop—and not the unbeaten path.

All kidding aside, the craftsmanship that morphs the puny boulevard cruiser into a brat/tracker is worth a second look. That includes a new subframe, revised geometry front and rear and a peanut tank with a raw finish. Plus upside down forks, complete with a dual radial mount caliper set-up. It’s an oddly appealing set of proportions that we just can’t ignore. [More]

Yamaha SCR950 Yamaha is on an absolute roll. The XSR900 is easily one of the most exciting releases of the year, the MT10 is coming soon, and the Yard Built Program has shone the light on some truly jaw-dropping builds. But despite this success, the company isn’t about to rest on its laurels.

The latest arrival is the new SCR950—a Bolt-based scrambler—and we’re betting it will soon be gracing the streets in front of fair trade organic coffee shops the world over. The SCR is yet another factory-crated, entry-level bike that’s sure to attract the spinning carbide discs and spanners of builders everywhere. Although, as it sits, it does the job quite nicely already.

With chunky rubber, spoked wheels, number plates, fork gaiters and a slightly smaller tank than usual, it has all the aesthetic bases covered—minus that exhaust. The air-cooled V-Twin is a carryover from the other Bolt-spec bikes, but features more mid-range oomph for better manners on the fire roads. It starts at US$8,699—which is $800 less than the Triumph Scrambler, and $1,300 less than Ducati’s offering. [More]

Viba Lara 800 Furygan Limited Edition When we first featured the Viba Lara 800, the reaction to the MV Agusta-powered scrambler was more than favorable. And if you were lucky enough to score one of the bikes for yourself, we have good news for you: Viba has partnered with Furygan, the French gear maker, to create a more feminine variant—so your missus can join in the fun.

Aside from a few visual tweaks, Furygan’s involvement has resulted in a custom leather saddle, leather side radiator covers, and a leather tank bag with a custom attachment system. We’re told these elements took over fifty hours of handiwork to perfect; the hides are specially treated to ensure they won’t be distorted by engine heat or exposure to the elements. Buyers also get a matching Viba x Furygan leather jacket.

But really, it’s just another incentive to buy this ultra-high-performance custom machine. We suspect the ladies who put this beast in their garages will be riding way further than their local fair trade organic coffee shop. [More]

Ducati Monster by Desmo Classico Ducati is often referred to as the Ferrari of motorcycles: Both brands have a rich racing heritage combined with passionate Italian design. So it makes sense to name a custom Ducati after one of Enzo’s handpicked Grand Prix drivers.

This machine is called the ‘Guiseppe Farina,’ after the World Champion who beat out Fangio for the title. It’s a modded Monster from Desmo Classico, and it’s the first in a series of naked Ducs inspired by the Ferrari 250 series of the 1950s and 1960s.

Desmo Classico is actually a division of Etik Motorcycles, a French atelier that has already produced over a dozen impressive builds of its own. Working with the French magazine Moto Heroes, the Etik team will produce twenty bikes for the Desmo Classico line—each with its own nuance, but all similarly influenced and impeccably clean. One can be yours for €14,500 (US$16,400). [More]

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Shooting Stars: The Best of the 2016 Quail Gathering

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date June 4, 2016

For motorcycle fans on the west coast of the USA, there’s one event you can’t miss: The Quail Motorcycle Gathering in sunny Carmel, California.

The 2016 show was the most successful in the eight-year history of the Concours d’Elegance. The manicured lawns played host to 400 display bikes, with an upgraded Custom/Modified class to cater for the growing custom scene.

As sponsors of this class, we were gratified to see strong interest from visitors and builders alike. After casting its eye over the show, Cycle World noted in its report, “Maybe the most invigorating were the customs,” with the builders being “brilliantly in command of a boundless, fertile artistic space.”

Photographer David Goldman was on hand to capture the magic for us. Here’s a personal selection of favorites.

Kawasaki W1 650 by Mike LaFountain of Raccia Motorcycles, customized to echo the iconic Matchless G45. This machine took Mike seven years to complete.

‘The Bean’ by Revival Cycles—a heavily modified Kawasaki W650. The tank is a homage to the classic Ducati ‘Jelly Mold’ design but the forks are decidedly modern Yamaha R6 units.

Devin Henriques of Cognito Moto showed a pair of stunning builds, leading with this CB750. The tank is from a later model CB750F, the wheels are 18-inch Sun rims, and the forks are from a Suzuki GSX-R 750.

Cognito’s second machine was this equally beefy Yamaha XS650, topped off with a lovely quilted seat from New Church Moto. We love those straight-shootin’ pipes too.

Nick O’Kane of K&N showed off his 1981 Honda CBX, a track bike with carbon fiber bodywork, 17-inch wheels and an incredible 6-into-1 exhaust system.

Richard Mitchell’s hardtail BSA A65L just oozes old school cool. It took over two years to build, and it shows—the detailing is amazing, right down to the tiny drilled heat guards on the pipes.

Bryan Fuller took along his BMW R75/5 ‘Bavarian Knight’ custom. It’s a mesmerizing mix of vintage and modern: the cabling is period correct, but the battery is a lithium ion. Note the gas cap with a Grolsch beer bottle style fastener.

For many visitors, the chance to see Walt Siegl’s machines in the metal was a highlight. And the man himself was there too, which was just as well: he ended up on stage to collect a well-deserved Industry Award.

A sublime example of Yamaha’s giant-killing RD350, customized by Kevin Dotson. The seat ‘hump’ gives it a classic café vibe, and just check out the welding on that exhaust…

Mitch Talcove has squeezed a replica Vincent engine into the frame of a 1973 Ducati to create the ‘Vincati 1200.’ Not surprisingly, he took home the Innovation award.

Chris Canterbury of Boxer Metal is a guy who thinks outside of the square. In a sea of cookie-cutter BMW customs, he broke the mold with this extreme twin-turbo R100. A show-stopper, literally and figuratively.

The Quail Motorcycle Gathering | David Goldman Photography | With thanks to Paulo Rosas of Pagnol Moto

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Custom Bikes Of The Week

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date March 27, 2016

A Mike Hailwood Ducati Scrambler tribute, the winner of Indian’s Project Scout program, and a killer Yamaha RD350 from Twinline Motorcycles. Meet the machines that got our motors running this week.

Harley Shovelhead by Customs From Jamesville Typically, old Milwaukee iron comes to us either chopped to within a degree of collapse or bobbed strictly for boulevard cruising. There’s nothing wrong with either style—but it’s not our general cuppa. This 1974 FX Shovelhead, on the other hand, is right up our alley.

Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, James Roper-Caldbeck specializes in the restoration and customization of Harleys built between the Great Depression and that time we learned that ‘greed is good.’ It isn’t the first time he’s popped up on our radar and undoubtedly won’t be the last.

Working with the kick-start-only base FX, James has done some exquisite work on modifying the Shovel’s subframe to fit his custom, tapered tailpiece. The bellypan and front cowl give the bike a racer’s stance, while upgrades to the brakes and suspension boost the dynamics. If you were lucky enough to attend the Swedish version of the Mooneyes bike show, you’d have seen this beast in person—and the award Jamesville took home. [More]

Mike Hailwood Ducati Scrambler Thailand probably isn’t the first place you’d think of to honor Ducati’s racing heroes of yesteryear. And yet, Ducati Thailand’s owner, Apichat Leenutaphong, is doing just that—quietly cementing relationships and creating ‘factory custom’ homages.

Apichat’s first work, the Paul Smart Scrambler sold out almost instantaneously, and we’re pretty sure this one will too. It’s designed to commemorate Mike ‘The Bike’ Hailwood’s ties to the Bologna brand, and sports a well-executed livery inspired by Hailwood’s incredible 1978 IOMTT-winning 900SS.

Of course, there are further changes to this limited edition Duc. A Termignoni exhaust has been fitted to help the 803-cc V-Twin sing, and custom plastics adorn the nose, side covers and tail (which features a commemorative Hailwood plaque). The hunger for factory customs like this is alive and kicking, and Ducati would do well to serve up their own offerings. [More]

Indian Motorcycles Project Scout winner Indian’s Project Scout program has already impressed us with a number of standout builds. They’re not only rolling testaments to the builders’ abilities, but also to Indian’s commitment to individuality and creativity. The trophy hardware was recently handed out, and this board tracker from Terrebonne, Quebec, took home top honors.

Built by Motos Illimitees, it’s a tribute to the white-tired, board track racing Scouts of the 1920s. This homage runs on 26-inch wheels and features some meticulous woodwork: The footrests, grips and number plate are all fashioned from white oak, and the leather seat has been given a matching grainy treatment.

The copper accents are a vintage standout for me. And while I would lose the Jack Daniels branding, the marques are both celebrating milestone anniversaries and a partnership this year. [More]

Honda CB Type II Concept If we had fears that the modern classic movement was about to stall, Triumph’s new Bonneville line has undoubtedly put them to bed. Add Yamaha’s brutish XSR family into the mix, and it seems like things are actually picking up steam.

And now, it looks Honda is poised to get in on the action. At least we hope they are. Why the greenlight hasn’t been lit yet is beyond us, but the Japanese motoring giant has just teased another stylized concept based on its CB1100.

It’s dubbed the CB Type II, and it looks the business. Clearly fashioned with the Ace Cafe in mind, the Type II features top-shelf components from Brembo, Öhlins and Showa—plus a sculpted Manx style tank and humped solo seat. Yes, that reads very similar to the spec sheet for the new Thruxton R that I enjoyed so much and, if Honda has managed to tweak some extra oomph from its bulletproof mill, the Type II should fight tooth and nail with that retro king.

Hey, Honda. Let’s turn the power of dreams into reality, then, shall we? [More]

Yamaha RD350 by Twinline Motorcycles There’s a tasteful elegance to the builds coming out of Twinline Motorcycles. The Seattle-based shop thrives on clean, minimalist construction with an emphasis on performance. Their latest experiment with an oil-burner, a 1973 Yamaha RD350, exudes this to a tee.

This isn’t the first time that Twinline has turned the spanners on an RD, but it is the first time Jeff Pochodowicz has been at the build’s helm. To set this 2-stroke apart, Jeff aimed to maximize performance and reliability while refining every detail to the nth degree. A tall order, to be sure, but we’d say he nailed it.

Woodcraft clip-ons sit atop the Racetech-equipped forks, and shocks from Works Performance keep the polished alloy swingarm planted. The already lightweight bike was given a racers diet and muscle injections, too: The airbox and OE oil tank are gone and the engine’s been ported with Super Webco heads attached. [More]

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Custom Bikes of the Week

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date October 11, 2015

A hill climbing Indian Scout, a Moto Guzzi Stelvio tweaked by a Dakar racer, and the bastard lovechild of a Yamaha RD350 and a KTM Duke. Matt Neundorf picks the most interesting customs from the past week.

Indian Scout: The Black Hills Beast Built as a showpiece for this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the Black Hills Beast is a hill climbing hellion—with enough attitude to keep the bar and shield crowd in check. Unbelievably, this modified Indian Motorcycles Scout from Doug Siddins and Nick Jaquez started out with some simple bolt-on parts from the Indian catalogue.

Of course, things escalated from there. The call from Indian was to “build a hill climber,” so Doug and Nick went to work by stretching a swing arm and adding chunky, chain-wrapped rubber to the rear. New tailor-made bars were installed up front, along with a number plate with integrated LED lights. The final touch was a new set of pipes to make sure every one of the Scout’s hundred angry horses could be heard throughout the Black Hills.

BMW K100 TT Cafe Racer by BSK Speedworks You might say motorcycles are a family tradition for BSK Speedworks owner Ben Kingham. His grandfather owned one of the first bike shops in the USA, and Ben and his father continued the legacy by building and racing their own creations in vintage events. Now Ben’s shop is turning out some of the prettiest K-Series builds going—just a few blocks from his grandfather’s original shop locale.

The BMW K100 was one of the first bikes to feature fuel injection. But mapping and tuning a 30+ year old ECU can be an exercise in futility. BSK specializes in transplanting modern ECUs into inline Bavarians, and this TT Cafe Racer is the latest example of their expertise. Built as a homage to Georg Meier’s 1939 TT winner, this K-series has had its frame chopped, its suspension swapped (for longer travel out back), clip-ons added, and a set of in-house BSK rearsets fitted. It’s an extremely clean build and, thanks to deft tuning, runs with the best of them.

Eagle Cross MKI by Bruno Birbes Bruno Birbes is a Dakar Rally veteran. He made it to Stage 4 on a BMW in 1987 before injuries forced retirement, and completed the 1994 campaign in a truck in 10th place. So the inspiration behind his oddball Guzzi makes sense.

Beginning with an omni-capable Moto Guzzi Stelvio, Birbes went to work stripping unnecessary bulk and heft. The modern amenities of a big ADV bike serve no purpose for speed, so approximately 50kg of luxuries are gone. There’s a one-off tank with a svelte waistline more in tune with the demands of desert riding, a custom exhaust, and thick chunky rubber.

From a distance it looks like a supermotard with an identity crisis, but up close, Birbes’ detail work shines. If Ewan McGregor had laid eyes on this beast, The Long Way Round may have looked very different—and ended in half the time.

Royal Enfield 350 Thunderbird by Bull City Customs They’re based in New Delhi, India, so it’s no surprise that Reginald Hilt of Bull City Customs favors Royal Enfields for his builds. For this latest creation, Reginald reworked a 350 Thunderbird into a sinister Brat-style cafe racer.

The rear sub-frame was tweaked to allow for the custom, stretched swingarm and monoshock suspension, and then painted crimson. That deep garnet pigment draws eyes like moths to a flame, set off by the champagne-silver paint on the custom tail and the angular, one-off tank. The 346cc twin-spark thumper powering this brat remains mostly stock though—save for a free-breathing intake and shielded exhaust. Although, I get the feeling from the well-worn pipe wrap, this Bird still thunders.

RD Duke by Inline3 Start talking about the good old days of 2-stroke, and the nostalgia will fill a room quicker than the smell of mixed gas in the pits. Just eavesdropping on an “angry can of bees” at full tilt in the distance is enough to cover any pistonhead’s body in goose bumps.

This love of every stroke being a power stroke is precisely why Chandigarh, India based Aseem Singh Pawar envisioned giving new life to an old favorite. Of course, with an University education in design, simply restoring an old oil-burner wasn’t enough. Enter the RD Duke: a hybrid between a Yamaha RD350 and a KTM Duke. What sounded simple was far from it, and the project took Aseem over three months just to fabricate effective engine mounts. Learning about his limitations but sticking with his design, Aseem enlisted the help of local experts to translate his ethereal shapes into sheet metal reality.

The result is nothing short of staggering. Aseem has since begun courses in metal work with hopes of making Inline3 one of the next big names in the Indian custom bike world. We’ll be watching.

Yamaha XS650 by KickMoto When the call came in that a friend had “a few XS650s squirrelled away in his mom’s basement,” Nova Scotia-based KickMoto got down to business. This donor bike, a 1981 Yamaha XS650, was the best of the bunch—but it still needed major work. Previous mods and years of inactivity had left it a little lacking in every department.

Stripped bare, the rebuild began by deburring the frame and welding in a rear hoop. The front forks were shortened and rear shocks swapped for Hagons, to give XS650 its fighting stance. A set of spoked wheels from a 1972 XS2 were fitted and the engine was re-wired to be kick-start only—a KickMoto signature. This cleaned things up even more, so the bespoke details could stand out. The matching exhaust tips and foot pegs are all in-house, lathe-turned and absolutely exquisite. The custom seat, flush-mount LED rear lights and custom battery box mounted just above the swingarm, finish off this impressive build. Oh Canada, indeed.

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Smoking hot: Peter Rowland’s Yamaha RD350

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date August 28, 2015

Peter Rowland races vintage motocross and dirt track in Australia. And when he’s not cracking the throttle wide open, he likes to build specials using gear lying around in his shed.

This super-slick Yamaha RD350 is Peter’s latest production. What makes it even more amazing—given that even high-end pro builders often farm out tricky jobs—is that Peter handled every aspect of the build with his own hands.

“I enjoy the challenge of turning a bunch of old parts into a race bike,” Peter tells us, “and I try to do it on a budget.”

The RD350 cost around AU$1500 (around US$1,100) all up. And about $500 of that was the high-performance PVL ignition—a component that cannot be built without specialist equipment.

“I got the bike from a mate for free,” Peter. “It was very rough—it’d been sitting in his shed near the ocean for many years.”

Starting out, Peter cut the original side rails, the top bar and the rear loop from the frame—and pulled the head angle back to 25 degrees. He then welded in the top bar and rear loop from a Yamaha DT2, allowing him to fit a conventional Knight tank. The tailpiece is an old XR750 copy that Peter found on eBay.

Pulling the head angle back shortened the wheelbase considerably. So Peter made a new swingarm to stretch it back out to 55 inches, a little longer than a stock RD350.

To get the desired amount of trail for the decreased rake, Peter has installed an old set of MX Yamaha triples with a favorable offset. Then he built up a 19-inch front wheel with an MX Yamaha conical hub: “We have to run a front brake over here.”

The forks are from a Kawasaki 250, cut down and rethreaded for the fork caps, with a lug welded on for the brake plate stop. The rear wheel is from a KLX250: “A nice light hub, with an effective brake.”

Luckily the 347cc air-cooled, two-stroke parallel twin was in surprisingly good condition, with quite low miles. “All I did was replace the seals, bearings and gaskets, and fitted new rings after honing the bores.”

Peter did machine the cylinder heads though, to set up the squish and compression, and fitted spacers in front of the reed valves to un-shroud the boost ports. Otherwise the engine is stock except for the PVL ignition.

“That enabled me to get rid of the ignition, alternator, rectifier and battery,” he says. “I also cut down the alternator cover, which narrowed the left hand side of the motor considerably.”

The carburetors are stock, but re-jetted to suit the pipes and pod filters. “I designed and made the pipes for more mid-range than top end. I didn’t want a big hit when it came on power, and it works well. The bike is very quick, being considerably lighter than a stock RD350.” (Which, we should add, was no slouch and known as a giant killer in its day.)

It’s a classic example of an extremely talented ‘amateur’ whose skills put some so-called pro builders to shame. Peter did everything in his own workshop except for the seat cover—including the painting, powder coating, plating, polishing, machining, welding and sticker cutting.

And the ‘RDT350’ name? “I make up model identifiers for the specials based on the origins of the major components,” he explains. “On this one the top bar, rear loop, triple trees and front wheel are from a Yamaha DT250.

“And with it being a dirt tracker, I think it fits the bike perfectly.”

Images by Matthew Coppins-Skinner.