We’re back with an extremely oddball selection: possibly the world’s ugliest MV Agusta, a Yamaha XSR700 homage to Claude Fior, a gorgeous Honda CB400 Super Four cafe racer and an absolutely monstrous BMW R1150R scrambler. Grab a coffee and let’s go.
MV Agusta 750 Twin Turbo Prototype We associate MV Agusta with some of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made. The F4 is impossibly good looking, and even the entry-level Brutale draws a crowd.
But it was not always that way. Corrado Agusta commissioned this prototype in the mid 70s from American Tommy Barber, apparently as a test bed for a forced-induction engine. On 105-octane fuel and with an unfeasibly high 12.5:1 compression ratio, output was quoted as 150 horsepower—and the top speed was reportedly 186 mph (300 km/h).
The MV went under the hammer at the Rétromobile auction in Paris last month, with an estimate of between €140,000 and €220,000 (US$160,000 to US$250,000). Despite it being listed as a ‘no reserve’ sale, it failed to sell. Anyone surprised? [Via]
Yamaha XSR700 by Down & Out Lately, we’ve associated England’s Down & Out with the fat-tired scrambler look, which they turned into a signature style. But this new XSR700 from the Rotherham workshop is something radically different. It’s also proof that builders Shaun and Carl are no one-trick ponies.
The XSR700 is called ‘Fior,’ after fabricator and engineer Claude Fior—who designed a Yamaha XS1100 track bike for the Bol d’Or endurance race. That bike had a telelever front suspension, and had a slightly gawky tank as a result. (You can see where this is going …)
D&O haven’t quite turned the XSR700 into a graceful swan, but with the help of designer Kar Lee they’ve delivered one of the most attention-grabbing Yard Built bikes of recent years. Our favorite bit? The twin 5″ halogen headlamps mounted to the fairing for that authentic 80s racebike vibe. [More]
Honda Rebel 500 bobber by Tokwa Party Garage In its 500cc guise, Honda’s quirky little Rebel is the perfect bike for short hops—or cruiser fans who value agility over size. It’s already making waves on the custom scene and this aggressively-styled bobber from the Philippines is one of the best yet.
The Manila-based crew at Tokwa Party Garage built ‘Mad Bob’ for a customer, who supplied the design concept as well as the cash. Loosely inspired by Triumph’s own factory Bobber, the look is dominated by the beefy fork covers, which disguise the spindly stanchions of the stock bike.
Tokwa also fabricated new fenders, the belly pan and a new battery box to clean up the rear. There’s a new traditionally stitched seat too, which replaces the smooth standard perch. The finish on the new parts is all black—to match the existing engine and frame finish.
It’s a classic example of making a little go a long way, in the great tradition of Southeast Asian builders. Not surprisingly, ‘Mad Bob’ won first place in a recent Filipino custom bike show. [More]
Honda CB400 Super Four by Papnman Modified By the time the 90s rolled around, Honda’s CB series had lost some of its iconic status. Most models had become somewhat bland roadsters with middling performance, overshadowed by competitors from other marques.
The CB400 Super Four was one of those forgettable bikes—a smaller capacity machine built for Asian markets. Fortunately, it’s a prime candidate for customization now, and relatively easy to modify.
The Papnmam Modified garage in Indonesia has done a superb job with this elegant café racer, shot by Gastank Magazine. The brief was extremely tight: The frame was nipped and tucked, a Benelli Mojave-style tank was installed, and the Honda was topped-and-tailed with a simple fairing and a waspish tail unit.
Oversized pistons, rejetted carbs and a free-flowing 4-into-2 exhaust system give the engine a little more oomph, and the suspension has been rebuilt to offset two decades of wear and tear. A simple but effective Honda cafe racer. [More]
BMW R1150R by Cowboy’s Chopper We’re all for elegance and understated style, but there’s also a place for bikes that are right in your face. This monolithic BMW R1150R scrambler comes from Cowboy’s Choppers of Taipei, a shop that usually works on small Japanese commuter bikes and Harley choppers.
BMW boxers are a rare sight in Taiwan, and that’s what attracted builder Alex Gao to this machine. High import duties and engine displacement taxes make them toys reserved for an exclusive crowd, and Alex bought this R1150R off a gangster. “It inspired him to create something as menacing as the bike’s previous owner,” we’re told.
The bodywork and subframe were removed very carefully, as the bike would need to be returned to stock for bi-annual safety inspections. A monstrous fuel tank that mimics those on BMW’s endurance racing bikes was hammered and shaped out of sheet metal, and the air box was ditched in favor of pod filters.
Everything that could be powder coated was refinished in black, apart from the handlebar grips and the new leather seat—both finished in grey. The BMW now looks like a bike befitting an intergalactic super villain, but after a strange turn of events, it’s now in the possession of a teacher. [Cowboy’s Chopper]
