The Custom Bike & Cafe Racer thread for all those great bikes we might find
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Custom Bikes & Cafe Racer
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“Street, dirt, ice… She does it all.”
The Harley-Davidson Sportster, introduced in 1957, boasts one of the longest unbroken production runs in motorcycling history — more than six decades. One of the strengths of the Sportster platform is the versatility. From the Ironhead era to the modern-day Evo, the Sportster has proven itself in a wide variety of pursuits, from flat track racer to Evel Knievel’s jump bike to cross-country Iron Butt rallies to desert racing.
In recent years, however, there seems to be a true “Sportster Renaissance.” Roland Sands and his RSD Super Hooligan flat track series has spawned a whole new breed of super hooligan machines, while Mark Atkins and his fellow madmen at Rusty Butcher have been transforming Sportsters into jump bikes and motocrossers. Recently, Biltwell raced their “Frijole 883” over 1000 miles of desert in the NORRA Mexican 1000. Truly, it seems the old Milwaukee tractor is undergoing a revival of sorts.
Enter Mike Schroeder of Red Right Hand of Moto, whose “DirtyXL” we spotted at The One Moto Show and had to learn more. Mike is the General Manager at Grizzly Harley-Davidson in Missoula, Montana, but when he’s not at work, he builds bikes out of his small home shop where, besides the basic tools, he has a hoard of old parts and scrap metal that might work for various projects.
Last year, after Mike helped reboot a local flat track club, he decided he want to run a Harley on the track. He based the build on a 2002 Sportster XL1200C. In this case, “C” stands for “Custom,” which entails a flatter factory tank, forward controls, different seat, and some other accessories — details Mike would scrap anyway. He built the bike not just to show, but to go. He’s ridden the gravel roads of Montana on this machine, he’s raced flat track, and just last weekend, he studded up the DirtyXL for some ice racing fun. Says Mike:
We especially love Mike’s signature red right grip and the acid-etched rocker box, reading RIDE FAST, TAKE CHANCES — and the fact that the “DirtyXL” was one of the few show bikes to sign up for the The One Pro Amateur Hooligan race at Salem Indoor Speedway on the Saturday night of The One Moto Show!
Below, we get the full story on this home-built show bike / racer!
H-D XL1200 Hooligan Tracker: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I have been around motorcycles since I was a kid. My dad was and still is a rider at 71. I lucked into a job at a Harley shop in Auburn CA during the summer of 1996 and never looked back. Nearly 23 years later and after a handful of different shops, I am now the GM at Grizzly H-D in Missoula. I now own a ’73 Aermacchi I made into a rat cafe, a customized Trail 90 I also showed at the One Moto this year, a ’72 Aermacchi Sprint (in progress), a ’79 CB650 that I am currently building into a scrambler/cafe for my brother, and a ’79 XR500 set up for flat track and ice riding. My daily is an ’03 FXDX, and of course my favorite, the Dirty XL.
I have a small shop at home with mostly basic tools and a ton of old parts, scrap metal and any cool thing I find that may work on something, someday. I love to just use what I have or that came on the bike and alter it to fit my build. I also do my own powder coating which is a huge cost and time saver. To sum it up, I fuc#in love motorcycles!
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
The DirtyXL is a 2002 XL1200C.
• Why was this bike built?
I had been wanting something to ride and explore the Montana dirt roads, trails and tracks so I picked up a cheap Sportster and busted out the grinder and got to work.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Last year I helped reboot an old flat track club in town and wanted to run a Harley (since I work for HD) but I also wanted something a bit more off-road. I took inspiration from flat track bikes, scramblers, Hooligan racing… Rusty Butcher with a mix of Hugo Motorcycles.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Powder coat from front to back. Chrome sucks. I shaved the lower legs, chopped the front fender and made it mount up to the fork brace. Built a headlight mount to run a bagger passing lamp, added ProTaper bars and risers from a Husky FC450, worked the hand controls to be clean and fit the ⅞ bars, eliminated all buttons and switches and added my signature red right hand grip.
Converted to a car style start with a hidden headlight switch, and deleted the rest of the wiring and lights. Mounted up an older 2.3 gal tank I had been hanging onto, matched to a Speed Merchant seat. Chopped the struts and rear fender and made a small hidden LED taillight. Used a set of XG750A shocks for height in the rear, FXRP front dampers to get the frontend lift and travel.
Tweaked a TC Bros air cleaner a bit, relocated the choke pull, acid etched Ride Fast, Take Chances onto the center rocker box. Used BMX-style pegs I found, modified a dirt bike skid plate to fit. TC Bros chain conversion, chopped the front pulley cover to expose the sprocket and matched the trim and cut on the cam cover. Running Enduro tires. Stainless exhaust by my buddy, the amazing Colin Cornberg of Number 8 Wire Moto using an old Supertrapp can I had on my first big twin. I had the design in mind and he made it happen.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
DirtyXL.
• How would you classify this bike?
Not sure, it just likes getting dirty!
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Cutting it’s weight to just over 425lbs and as minor as it is, the old school acid etching on the rocker boxes. First time since grade school that I’ve done that. And the exhaust, even though I had my buddy Number 8 Wire build it, it was my design and I wouldn’t trust anyone else to make it. It came out exactly how I had envisioned it.
Follow the Builder at @redrighthandofmoto
Source...
A truly “Handmade Motard” built for the 2018 Dirtbag Challenge…
The Dirtbag Challenge, born in San Francisco, is a self-proclaimed “low rent chopper build off,” where participants have one month and a $1000 budget to build a bike capable of riding at least 100 miles on all kinds of roads. The rules have evolved over the years, but the philosophy of building the bike you want, your way, without blowing a ton of money — has remained constant. As the founders say:
Enter Justin Martens (@Jmartens2004), a native Minnesotan who now restores and builds motorcycles out of his two-car garage in San Rafael, California. The idea for this build started innocently enough: Justin had an XS650 engine and a set of SV650 wheels lying around and decided to put them together. What he didn’t have was a frame, so he decided to build his own.
The result is the “Martens Motard XSM 750″ (as the DMV paperwork states) — a 750cc, trellis-frame Yamaha XS650 supermoto built for slaying Husky 701’s through the twisties of West Marin. Justin the frame from 1″ X .083” mild steel tubing, utilizing a manual pipe bender, MIG welder, and a jig he built himself. He rephased the XS650 crank and installed a 750cc big bore along with a slew of other goodies.
Rarely do we see builds full of such heart and ambition. What’s more, Justin built the entire bike in less then 60 days for under $1500, then rode it 300 miles on a camping trip, winning the COOLEST award at the 2018 Dirtbag Challenge. Well earned, brother!
Below, we get the full story on this canyon-carving 701-slayer.
“Handmade Motard”: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
Well, my name is Justin Martens. I was born and raised in the metro area of Minnesota but now call California my home. I’ve always been a gearhead but got into restoring and building custom motorcycles around 2013 after moving to the Bay Area. One of the biggest influences into my passion of building and riding motorcycles has to be the Dirtbag Challenge, a San Francisco local bike build-off that is just, real…truly honest, if you don’t know what I mean, you gotta check it out. I do everything out of my 2-car garage at my home in San Rafael, California. I have several motorcycles and am always getting new ones.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
The bike is a blue tag special construction “Martens Motard XSM 750” — that’s what I put on the DMV paperwork, lol.
• Why was this bike built?
I thought up the idea while sitting on the toilet texting back and forth with my buddies about motorcycles. I had an extra XS650 motor and a set of SV wheels so I decided that i was gonna build my own frame and make a custom supermoto. After making a plan, the Dirtbag Challenge was announced and I figured that I would use this 2-month time frame to get things going.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
I wanted to build a canyon-carver supermoto to ride the twisties of West Marin, so main influences were supermoto bikes in general but I knew I also wanted to a trellis frame. Function and comfort needed to be number one so I took several measurements from my KX 250 to determine seat position, height, and peg location.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
FRAME
The bike is a trellis frame supermoto hand-made using 1″ X .083″ mild steel tubing. I made a frame jig with the help of my buddy and set the steering stem angle on the neck to 27 degrees, same as my KX. Once I pinned the swing arm in, I made the top tubes that would hold the seat and connect to the upper shock mount.
Once that was fitted, I placed the motor in the frame jig getting the sprocket alignment correct and built the rest of the frame around that using a simple manual tubing bender and mig welder. Once the frame was finished it weighed 1/2 the amount of a stock XS frame at just over 26lbs. I primed then the painted the frame with Little Daddy Roth “Bad AZZ blue pearl” and finished it with some 2k clear.
ENGINE
The engine is a 1981 XS650. I rephrased the crank to 277 myself in my garage. I then installed a stage 2 cam from SmedSpeed in the UK along with a 750 kit provided by mikes XS.
I am running a 277 Pamco with Emgo Green Monster coils. The charging system has been converted to a permanent magnet setup also from mikes XS topped off with clear stator cover I hand-carved with my company logo into.
The carbs are stock Mikuni CV’s jetted and tuned. The exhaust is partially custom using the stock headers with dual D & D mufflers off a Honda 919.
WHEELS
The wheels are Suzuki SV with Pirelli superbike slicks.
REAR
The rear has a swingarm and shock is from a yz250, bandit hub, SV wheel, sprocket specialist custom sprocket, GSX-R1000 caliper/master cylinder with hand made brake stay, and hand made dropouts to fit a SV axle.
FRONT
Front forks are 55mm Conventional WP from a KTM LC4 with full floating rotor on an SV wheel, handmade brake stay with Nissin caliper and Brembo master cylinder.
COCKPIT
The seatpan is a 2014 YZ upholstered in ostrich skin. Pro taper 1 1/8 evo bars with Emig clamp on grips.
The fuel tank is handmade 16 gauge steel located under the seat with about 1.8 gallon capacity which allows for about a 70 mile range.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
“Handmade Motard.”
• How would you classify this bike?
The bike is a supermoto, 701 slayer hahah.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
I am pretty proud of the fact that the bike actually works, this thing is badass to say the least, corners like it’s on rails, accelerates like a dragster, comfortable to ride, it just feels right and I was pretty out of my depth during the whole project. Oh and did I mention I built the entire bike and then rode it 300 miles on a camping trip in less then 60 days for under 1500$ — Dirtbag Challenge 2018 COOLEST award winner.
Follow the Builder
Instagram @Jmartens2004
Email [email protected]
Source...
I guess if it can be imagined, it can be built 
TRÈS BM. Sur Les Chapeaux de Roue’s Sweet BMW R850R Roadster
Written by Martin Hodgson
The French make it easy to think fondly of their countryside; it’s here that green fields of grapes roll down to small villages producing exquisite champagne and the smell of warm baguettes is accompanied by the finest of cheeses. Sure it’s not all Dom Perignon and Lingerie, but there is an artisan approach to almost everything they do. It’s this exact philosophy that Sur Les Chapeaux De Roues take to building bikes, more watchmaker meets sculptor than simply mechanic. And from the beautiful department of Finistère they deliver their latest gift, a melt in your mouth BMW R850R.
This is by no means the first SLCDR bike we’ve covered, and whether they’re building a drag machine for Sultans of Sprint or a weekend warrior for a client, each and every build is like no other. Over the last year, head honcho, Manuel Jouan has spent considerable time and money outfitting the workshop with the latest tools and machinery so that everything can be done in-house. The factory trained mechanic can do it all and with such an artisan approach, start to finish under one roof makes a hell of a lot of sense.
While working away one day the familiar sound of a BMW boxer engine could be heard coming up the drive. The bike, a 1996 R850R, had been purchased new by the owner, still in totally factory spec and showing a mere 32000 km on the clock. That’s just getting a BMW warmed up and with the bodywork showing its age the proud owner was keen to hear what Manuel could do to customise his steed. The builders first impression was polite, but to the point. “Ugly, with this telelever front end,” Manuel smiles.
But as he pondered things more, he realised it was a challenge he wanted to take on. And not only build the R850R but to keep that unusual suspension setup and make it look better than it ever has before. So the deal was done and the Boxer would be reborn at SLCDR with the goal of giving the bimmer the form to match its exceptional functionality. Before the build started the very first task was to rip off the hideous 3 spoke mag wheels and replace them with new spoked GS items wrapped in Avon rubber.
Up on the bench and Manuel tore in, ripping off the seat, the ugly plastic rear end and all the accessories that obscured his vision of the barebones. Immediately he knew what had to be done, the spindly front end needed some brawn. To shield the forks he designed in his head a cover like approach that would give a single piece look. But in reality it was much more difficult to construct, “It’s 20 pieces of steel all handmade and welded by myself,” he smiles.
More shine than a French dessert
What makes the work even more brilliant is the way it seamlessly incorporates the engines oil-cooler into the structure for a muscular grille like effect. The headlight too is integrated flawlessly into the design and the whole piece moves as one with the stroke of the suspension. There is also a tyre hugging hand-made front guard in place and to improve the performance the factory single coil over shock has been upgraded to a fully adjustable part from YSS.
With the front end complete the entire rear subframe was cut off and an all new piece fabricated; the redesign transforming the dorky BMW styling into something sleek and sophisticated. The beautifully upholstered seat perfectly hugs each contour and the integrated LED lighting provides the ultimate in clean finishes. Under the seat the electronics are perfectly hidden behind aluminium covers and lattice steel. While another YSS shock gets the gig out back and rebuilt brakes complete the roller.
From the factory the four valve 850cc engine was never known for making huge amounts of power, but torque it delivers in spades. So, much of Manuel’s efforts on the mechanicals have been focused on unleashing some extra ponies. The airbox has been removed to save weight and a pair of quality BMC filters fitted. While the exhaust is a brilliant 2 into 1 system that delivers an epic sound from the high-end Spark muffler while revealing the open side of the rear wheel.
To finish it all off Manuel was joined by friend and painter David, who split the task of laying down the colour. With David focusing on the tins and brilliantly ghosting in the graphics and logos using subtle changes of hue for a million dollar finish. The controls are completed with a host of Motogadget parts to match the overall quality of the build, and from bland as butter BMW to custom sculpted masterpiece the transformation is complete. So the wine and cheese will have to wait, as this precision German utility has been given a French craftsman’s makeover that’s impossible to resist!
Manuel realises he’s hungry
[ SLCDR – Instagram | Photos by Charles Seguy ]
Written by Martin Hodgson
The French make it easy to think fondly of their countryside; it’s here that green fields of grapes roll down to small villages producing exquisite champagne and the smell of warm baguettes is accompanied by the finest of cheeses. Sure it’s not all Dom Perignon and Lingerie, but there is an artisan approach to almost everything they do. It’s this exact philosophy that Sur Les Chapeaux De Roues take to building bikes, more watchmaker meets sculptor than simply mechanic. And from the beautiful department of Finistère they deliver their latest gift, a melt in your mouth BMW R850R.
This is by no means the first SLCDR bike we’ve covered, and whether they’re building a drag machine for Sultans of Sprint or a weekend warrior for a client, each and every build is like no other. Over the last year, head honcho, Manuel Jouan has spent considerable time and money outfitting the workshop with the latest tools and machinery so that everything can be done in-house. The factory trained mechanic can do it all and with such an artisan approach, start to finish under one roof makes a hell of a lot of sense.
While working away one day the familiar sound of a BMW boxer engine could be heard coming up the drive. The bike, a 1996 R850R, had been purchased new by the owner, still in totally factory spec and showing a mere 32000 km on the clock. That’s just getting a BMW warmed up and with the bodywork showing its age the proud owner was keen to hear what Manuel could do to customise his steed. The builders first impression was polite, but to the point. “Ugly, with this telelever front end,” Manuel smiles.
But as he pondered things more, he realised it was a challenge he wanted to take on. And not only build the R850R but to keep that unusual suspension setup and make it look better than it ever has before. So the deal was done and the Boxer would be reborn at SLCDR with the goal of giving the bimmer the form to match its exceptional functionality. Before the build started the very first task was to rip off the hideous 3 spoke mag wheels and replace them with new spoked GS items wrapped in Avon rubber.
Up on the bench and Manuel tore in, ripping off the seat, the ugly plastic rear end and all the accessories that obscured his vision of the barebones. Immediately he knew what had to be done, the spindly front end needed some brawn. To shield the forks he designed in his head a cover like approach that would give a single piece look. But in reality it was much more difficult to construct, “It’s 20 pieces of steel all handmade and welded by myself,” he smiles.
“Immediately he knew what had to be done, the spindly front end needed some brawn.”
More shine than a French dessert
What makes the work even more brilliant is the way it seamlessly incorporates the engines oil-cooler into the structure for a muscular grille like effect. The headlight too is integrated flawlessly into the design and the whole piece moves as one with the stroke of the suspension. There is also a tyre hugging hand-made front guard in place and to improve the performance the factory single coil over shock has been upgraded to a fully adjustable part from YSS.
With the front end complete the entire rear subframe was cut off and an all new piece fabricated; the redesign transforming the dorky BMW styling into something sleek and sophisticated. The beautifully upholstered seat perfectly hugs each contour and the integrated LED lighting provides the ultimate in clean finishes. Under the seat the electronics are perfectly hidden behind aluminium covers and lattice steel. While another YSS shock gets the gig out back and rebuilt brakes complete the roller.
From the factory the four valve 850cc engine was never known for making huge amounts of power, but torque it delivers in spades. So, much of Manuel’s efforts on the mechanicals have been focused on unleashing some extra ponies. The airbox has been removed to save weight and a pair of quality BMC filters fitted. While the exhaust is a brilliant 2 into 1 system that delivers an epic sound from the high-end Spark muffler while revealing the open side of the rear wheel.
To finish it all off Manuel was joined by friend and painter David, who split the task of laying down the colour. With David focusing on the tins and brilliantly ghosting in the graphics and logos using subtle changes of hue for a million dollar finish. The controls are completed with a host of Motogadget parts to match the overall quality of the build, and from bland as butter BMW to custom sculpted masterpiece the transformation is complete. So the wine and cheese will have to wait, as this precision German utility has been given a French craftsman’s makeover that’s impossible to resist!
Manuel realises he’s hungry
[ SLCDR – Instagram | Photos by Charles Seguy ]
In Italian, “La Canaglia” means “The Scoundrel” or “The Rogue” — an apt name for this multipurpose Yamaha XS650 hybrid, built to tackle the “bastard configuration” of the Canadian roads, where well-paved highways are interspersed with rough pavement and dirt terrain.
The bike is the creation of Italian industrial designer Maurizio Tancredi, who studied under Miguel Galluzzi, the famed designer of the Ducati Monster, at the University of Rome before cutting his teeth at Ducati, Benelli, and finally Bombardier, where he’s now a design project leader for well-known brands such as Rotax, Lynx, and Evinrude. While he’d always wanted to design and build a motorcycle entirely by himself and for himself, he spent his days after work riding instead of wrenching or designing.
However, in 2013, his new job at BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) necessitated a move from Italy to Canada, where he found the northern climate and hard winters gave more time for bike-building:
For the build, Maurizio wanted to honor the beauty of the original Yamaha XS-1 (1970 XS650) while looking to the future. He put all of his design skills and experience into the project, utilizing industry techniques such as 3D scanning, clay modeling, and computer simulations to develop the chassis and components. What’s more, the project allowed him to connect with friends and former colleagues from across the ocean, who dedicated their free time to help with the design. Several were friends from south/central Italy:
- Giuliano Lucerna: F1 Technical Designer.
- Francesco Savino, Leonardo Romaniello: Supported all the logistics and are now part of our team.
Says Maurizio:
The result is a truly staggering machine, whose beautiful vintage engine is cradled inside a highly-engineered one-off chassis, finished with with a slew of custom-developed components and accessories. Below, we get the full story on this Yamaha XS650-powered custom bike.
“La Canaglia” Custom Moto: In the Builder’s Words
When I was a kid, a policeman family friend, he put me on his Moto Guzzi, from that moment I spent hours drawing motorcycles.
I always knew that my work had to match with my passion. I started my studies in engineering, I had in mind the romantic figure of the engineer who creates everything starting from a blank sheet like the legendary engineer Ducati Fabio Taglioni.
At the time, the engineer participated in the whole process of creating the bikes but today he focuses on specific fields. discovered Industrial Design by chance and started my studies at the University of Rome where I was fortunate to have as a professor Miguel Galluzzi (designer of the Ducati Monster).
At the end of my studies, I started my career at Ducati, where I learned to design bikes in a professional way. I then moved to Benelli where I refined my knowledge and diversified my skills by designing a personal watercraft that won the Good Design Awards.
My career took a turnaround in 2013, moving to BRP in Canada becoming the design project leader of the brands: Rotax, Lynx, Evinrude.
The Idea of the Bike
I’ve always wanted to make a bike designed and built entirely by myself and for myself, but I’ve never had time to make it in Italy. When I was not working, I was always out with my motorcycle. When I moved to Québec, I had to adapt to a new environment completely different from the European one.
Here the culture of the bike is not the same, the weather conditions not even. The winters are long and rough, so after work, I started to design and make a bike in my garage.
The Motorcycle
La Canaglia is a hybrid in terms of style, mechanics, and construction techniques that befits the bastard configuration of the Canadian roads. Here where you can find well-paved roads, rough roads or even dirt roads, the ideal is to have a safe and rigorous multipurpose means that does not even disdain escapades on the excellent roads of the US neighbors. The influences of the dirt track world, the supermotard with superbike details are clear. The vintage engine with modest performance and the weight of almost 70 kg obliges us to do painstaking work on the frame and superstructures to contain the final weight.
The design philosophy is very simple: take inspiration from the heritage of the first XS-1 and Xs-1B to honor the beauty of the original motorcycle, merging them into an object projected towards the future. A mix of shapes and materials that incorporate the codes of the past integrated with cutting-edge technology of the world of motorcycle racing.
The heart of the bike, the engine, has not been modified, the signs of time are still visible. It has been developed with an electronic ignition system and a PMA charging system. The breathing was entrusted to a pair of Keihin FCR 37 flat slide carburetors tailored by the Japanese master of Bito R&D.
The making of
I put all my know-how and my experience as an industrial designer to build my bike with the same techniques used in the industry. Form follows function and performance. Everything starts from digitizing the frame through a 3D scanner, starting from the latter we started the conception of the bike putting together the proportions and lines previously defined on paper.
Later I started working on the clay model to sculpt the fuel tank and seat shapes by hand and thus define the design of the key components.
Starting from the clay model a mold has been developed to make the final fuel tank and the seat base in tri-composite fiber like the high-end helmets.
We also developed a mold to inject the seat’s foam, a set of foams of different density were injected in search of a good comfort even when using a reduced foam thickness.
Considering the level of complexity, the project would have been impossible to do alone, fortunately I could count on the help of former colleagues (but first of all friends) of the motorcycle’s world who have devoted a lot of their free time on the development of some key components.
The kinematics of the rear suspension, the swingarm, the numerous parts designed in 3D and validated at an engineering level with simulations using the finite element method. A team work that consolidated our relationships even more and brought us closer together again despite the more than 6000 km of distance.
The construction of the critical components was commissioned to suppliers selected as DM Telai.
There are several components that have been developed in 3D and CNC machined in Ergal 7075 T6 or Avional 6061 T6.
Above you can see the bike in the last stages of processing and below a 3D model render that shows the finished bike.
All the accessories on the bike are designed and realized by us (like the handlebar switch and the tail light on the pictures).
Follow the Builder
Web: www.brigandmoto.com
Facebook: Brigand Moto
Instagram: @brigandmoto
Source...
From fiery basket case to The One Moto…
The Honda CB360, a four-stroke twin, debuted in the mid-70s as an alternative to Honda’s more expensive and complex lightweight fours. The 34-hp engine was tuned for a broader torque curve and light maintenance. While the CB360 may not have been the lithest or most powerful of the CB series in stock trim, for some builders, this only adds to the challenge and satisfaction of drawing the most from the platform.
Enter Xavier and David from NorCal’s Moth Vintage (@mothcustoms), who are fans of all things old and vintage, from pre-war race cars to 70s dirt bikes to BMW airheads. We saw their latest build at the 2019 One Moto Show and had to learn more. They picked up this ’75 CB360 as a fire-damaged basket case and decided showcase the potential buried in the 356cc twin CB. Says Xavier:
The bike was stripped down and lightened, with a detabbed frame, aluminum wheels, and carbon fiber rear cowl, seatpan, battery tray, and other accessories. We especially love the work the guys did on the engine, which has been punched out to 378cc with Suzuki GS850 pistons, oversize valves, titanium springs, ported head, road race cam, and more. The motor is now good for 42 wheel horsepower at 9,500 rpm!
When Xavier first brought home the bike, a crow landed on it, so they named the bike “Yatagarasu,” or “Three-legged Crow” — a creature found in East Asian mythologies. Below, we get the full story on this little beast.
Honda CB360 Cafe Racer: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My name is Xavier and I’m 37 years old. I’ve always been into old cars and only a few years ago started customizing motorcycles. My friend David and I call ourselves “Moth Vintage” and we are fans of all things old. Pre-war race cars, Airhead BMWs and 70’s dirtbikes.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
This is Honda CB360, 1975.
• Why was this bike built?
This is my personal project and I wanted to show off everything we could do in our shop.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
The bike was purchased as a basket case, had recently caught fire and was heavily damaged. I wanted to show what a CB360 could really be. While keeping it a CB360. So no modern front USD forks, monoshock, or anything that would take away that it’s still a CB360.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The most obvious is the paint – which was done in house. The bike has just about everything else done to it. Starting at the front with progressive springs, lowered slightly and clip-ons, and an aluminum-housed headlight. Switch housings were thrown out and a simple mini pushbutton switch for the still intact starter sits on the right bar.
Carbon fiber was used for the rear cowl/seatpan and battery tray which is under the cowl. Aluminum rims round out the footprint, and a slightly longer swingarm.
Frame has every tab removed, and every seam welded for rigidity, and mounts added for the high output canister coils. A 520 chain conversion with aluminum sprockets, carbon fiber and billet aluminium brake stays, license plate brackets, and exhaust collars keep the weigh low on a “barely legal” street bike (been pulled over six too many times for lack of turn signals).
Onto the engine: Lightened and rebalanced the crank, punched the cylinders out using pistons from a GS850 (as they have the right wrist pin diameter and high, but are lighter than stock and about 2mm larger in diameter) to a displacement of 378cc.
Custom laser cut copper gaskets were needed to get the clearances right. KibbleWhite oversized valves, titanium springs, and bronze guides were used, while the head was ported to allow the MegaCycles Road Race cam to breathe deeply.
Pamco electronic ignition with its own digital advance allows the motor to top 12k RPM, making peak power at about 9,500.
The top oiling system was modified to allow better flow, cutting a new passageway to the center cam journal, allowing higher pressures to the top end and also cooling the clutch basket. Work on the carburetor internals was needed to get them to work properly with velocity stacks or pod filters: secrets that go beyond simple jet changes.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
We call it “Yatagarasu.” Yatagarasu is a mythical creature of Japanese culture, it’s an omen…sometimes good and sometimes bad. The day I brought the bike home a crow landed on it, outside. It was really freaky and I had to look up mythical crows.
• How would you classify this bike?
I would call it a cafe racer.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Keeping it as much a CB360 as possible, while doing every last bit of work ourselves in our garage is satisfying!
Follow the Builder @mothcustoms
Source...
ZEE WHIZ. BGM Cafe Racer’s ’78 Kawasaki Z400 Street Scrambler
Written by Marlon Slack
BGM Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racers[/URL]’ Tonie Wishart is trying to redeem himself. Years ago his father brought a bike home, an old Kawasaki G4TR 100, which Tonie successfully pulled apart and unsuccessfully put back together. Now, years later and with a hell of a lot more experience under his belt, Tonie and the team from BGM have turned out this, a cracking 1979 Kawasaki Z400 street scrambler.
It’s even more impressive when you consider the donor bike they were working with. “I bought it off eBay for £500 back in 2014,” Tonie says, “It was a well used commuter bike with a few miles on the clock but it had great potential.”
Point me to the nearest country lane
When he talks about potential he’s referring to the initial plan for his new bike — a simple, low-budget shed-built project. But then things spiralled out of control when he met Den and Clive from BGM Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racers[/URL].
BGM is a small workshop in the very English sounding Stratford-upon-Avon. And while the plan was to have the guys on hand to help solve any problems that might crop up during the build, over the next few months they got along so well they asked Tonie to join them at BGM.
It’d be a good team to be a part of, the shop producing customs of increasing quality and scope over the past few years. And they’ve got neat stuff in the works too, chiefly a tidy RD250 and mean CB750. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Back to the Zee.
The Z400 was a happy little commuter produced by team green for ten years from the mid 1970’s. It’s certainly not a firebreather in the same vein as its bigger brother, but after some initial teething issues the lil’ Z400 found its place as a happy everyday commuter, running people to and from work with a minimum of fuss and modicum of style. That was until Tonie got his hands on it.
“The idea was to build a compact street scrambler with wide and low bars and with a flat track feel to it,” he says. Sounds easy enough, right? But tidying up a motorcycle with forty English winters behind it is no mean feat. So they went back to basics, removing the engine and stripping it down for vapour blasting. And while that was being worked on they started on the frame.
The frame was de-tabbed, stripped and the rear pillion footpegs trimmed and moved forward, in order to keep the back-end looking uncluttered. A seat loop was installed with a slight upwards kick before the whole thing was sent in for powder coating.
With it all back together the engine was mounted, fitted with a suitably angry exhaust system and twin ramair-style filters. Keeping everything clean is a new set of switches that run through the bars, twin LED headlights and a new battery box. There’s also a neat front brake arrangement, now a Brembo caliper taken from a BMW.
English Garages. Not what they used to be…
The end result of all that work is tidy little street scrambler from BGM Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL], one they’ve dubbed ‘Full Speed Ahead’ in honor of Tonie’s departed friend Geert Van Neste. ‘He was a good friend and an amazing character who believed in taking life at full speed,” Tonie says. Geert would be proud.
[ BMG [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/cafe-racer']Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racers[/URL][/URL] – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Den Ivanov ]
Written by Marlon Slack
BGM Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racers[/URL]’ Tonie Wishart is trying to redeem himself. Years ago his father brought a bike home, an old Kawasaki G4TR 100, which Tonie successfully pulled apart and unsuccessfully put back together. Now, years later and with a hell of a lot more experience under his belt, Tonie and the team from BGM have turned out this, a cracking 1979 Kawasaki Z400 street scrambler.
It’s even more impressive when you consider the donor bike they were working with. “I bought it off eBay for £500 back in 2014,” Tonie says, “It was a well used commuter bike with a few miles on the clock but it had great potential.”
Point me to the nearest country lane
When he talks about potential he’s referring to the initial plan for his new bike — a simple, low-budget shed-built project. But then things spiralled out of control when he met Den and Clive from BGM Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racers[/URL].
BGM is a small workshop in the very English sounding Stratford-upon-Avon. And while the plan was to have the guys on hand to help solve any problems that might crop up during the build, over the next few months they got along so well they asked Tonie to join them at BGM.
It’d be a good team to be a part of, the shop producing customs of increasing quality and scope over the past few years. And they’ve got neat stuff in the works too, chiefly a tidy RD250 and mean CB750. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Back to the Zee.
The Z400 was a happy little commuter produced by team green for ten years from the mid 1970’s. It’s certainly not a firebreather in the same vein as its bigger brother, but after some initial teething issues the lil’ Z400 found its place as a happy everyday commuter, running people to and from work with a minimum of fuss and modicum of style. That was until Tonie got his hands on it.
“The idea was to build a compact street scrambler with wide and low bars and with a flat track feel to it,” he says. Sounds easy enough, right? But tidying up a motorcycle with forty English winters behind it is no mean feat. So they went back to basics, removing the engine and stripping it down for vapour blasting. And while that was being worked on they started on the frame.
“But tidying up a motorcycle with forty English winters behind it is no mean feat.”
The frame was de-tabbed, stripped and the rear pillion footpegs trimmed and moved forward, in order to keep the back-end looking uncluttered. A seat loop was installed with a slight upwards kick before the whole thing was sent in for powder coating.
With it all back together the engine was mounted, fitted with a suitably angry exhaust system and twin ramair-style filters. Keeping everything clean is a new set of switches that run through the bars, twin LED headlights and a new battery box. There’s also a neat front brake arrangement, now a Brembo caliper taken from a BMW.
English Garages. Not what they used to be…
The end result of all that work is tidy little street scrambler from BGM Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL], one they’ve dubbed ‘Full Speed Ahead’ in honor of Tonie’s departed friend Geert Van Neste. ‘He was a good friend and an amazing character who believed in taking life at full speed,” Tonie says. Geert would be proud.
[ BMG [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/cafe-racer']Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racers[/URL][/URL] – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Den Ivanov ]
MIRTH, WIND AND FIRE. Mellow Motorcycles’ ‘C4’ Kawasaki Zephyr Neo-Cafe
Written by Martin Hodgson
There is something incredibly satisfying about being right, and if you’re part of the cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL] revival, then by default you are. Let me explain; in the 1990s some Japanese manufacturers were already selling retro remakes and industry experts thought this to be insane. One major magazine opined forcefully that on the release of the 1994 Kawasaki Zephyr 750 the company would have been better building a Harley cruiser clone. Now more than twenty years on Germany’s Mellow Motorcycles have taken that exact model and turned it into a stunning Neo-Cafe machine, proving the retro warriors are still winning.
You’d think the fact the Zephyr was a sell out success would have had said scribes conceding defeat. But it wasn’t until the full retro revival took off that brings us all here together today that they finally accepted the error of their ways. Call me crazy but I never took much convincing to see that stunning classic lines, low weight and rideability was a better way to go than a 500 lb luxobarge. It’s a view shared by Flo Hubert who created Mellow Motorcycles to express his deep and long-lasting passion for classic motorcycles and cars.
“Opened in early 2016, Mellow Motorcycles have already made a name for ourselves by creating unique, award & race winning custom bikes that collectors, celebrities, enthusiasts and motorcycle companies have become the proud owners of,” he tell us. But rather than go searching for a donor bike for their next project the Kawasaki literally rolled into the shop when the owner came for a coffee. With the Zephyr only showing 8000 miles on the odometer it was the perfect canvas, “Our aim was to build a Neo Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racer[/URL] and put some modern influences to an old motorcycle,” explains Flo.
But one of the problems with customising this particular Kwaka is not revealed until you take her clothes off, and it’s here that many have given up. Where the tank ends the frame kicks sharply down before resuming its journey reward. On a custom this destroys the clean lines all are trying to achieve, so there was only one thing for it. The angle grinder was fired into life and the entire rear section of the bike including the subframe was cut off. A hand-built rear chassis was then entirely fabricated in house before being welded to the frame at an equal height to the backbone.
Further transforming the chassis was the idea to ditch the standard swingarm, with the replacement plucked from a Zephyr 1100. Measuring 55mm over, it along with the new frame construction gives the bike a longer, leaner look. All of which is accentuated by the beautifully prepared factory fuel tank that’s had a pop-up style filler welded into place. Along with the modern headlight’s bucket, the tank is the only other piece painted on the bike, finished out in resplendent grey pearl magic. With added class coming from the two-tone Alcantara and leather seat by Tailor Leathers, another of Flo’s companies.
With the top half of the bike looking so good, something had to be done about the less than attractive three spoke mag wheels. New hubs allow for a set of 17 inch rims to be used front and rear, with stainless spokes providing the strength. These are wrapped in sticky Shinko rubber, with the tread pattern looking like sticks of dynamite the crew now had a name for the bike; the C4 Zephyr! The big twin 300mm discs provide plenty of stopping power swinging from lowered forks. While out back new fully adjustable progressive shocks allow the bike to be tuned for the rider.
Despite the low miles on the always dependable Kawasaki air-cooled 738cc donk, Mellow decided it should still be treated to a full overhaul. Every part was pulled down, checked to make sure it was still in spec and the engine rebuilt with all new seals and gaskets. The cylinder head has been flowed on the inlet and exhaust side and is now supplied fuel via a bank of new Keihin carbs with stunning locally machined velocity stacks. Finishing off the mechanicals is a full stainless exhaust system venting out via a weight saving carbon Akrapovic muffler.
To keep everything neat and tidy the Kwaka has been given a totally new wiring loom based around Motogadget’s m-unit. The popular companies products complete the electronics package with a stunning mst vintage speedo fitted to the modified upper triple clamp. While the LSL clip-on bars sport new grips, switch gear and bar end indicators all from the big M. With the brake and clutch controls a combination of Magura, Brembo and LSL ensuring wherever you look on the Zephyr there’s quality.
To finish out the build Flo wanted to give the bike an aggressive riding position to make the most of all the go fast bits. So a set of ABM rearsets have been adapted to fit, being mounted considerably further back to get you tucked in and ready to roar. Which is exactly the sound that emanates from the Akra pipe when the throttle is cracked and C4 Zephyr is fired like a missile down the streets of Southern Germany. If those old school scribes still think a cruiser clone is better, then they don’t deserve the explosive entertainment you get from owning some Mellow Motorcycles C4!
[ Mellow Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Flo Hubert ]
Written by Martin Hodgson
There is something incredibly satisfying about being right, and if you’re part of the cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL] revival, then by default you are. Let me explain; in the 1990s some Japanese manufacturers were already selling retro remakes and industry experts thought this to be insane. One major magazine opined forcefully that on the release of the 1994 Kawasaki Zephyr 750 the company would have been better building a Harley cruiser clone. Now more than twenty years on Germany’s Mellow Motorcycles have taken that exact model and turned it into a stunning Neo-Cafe machine, proving the retro warriors are still winning.
You’d think the fact the Zephyr was a sell out success would have had said scribes conceding defeat. But it wasn’t until the full retro revival took off that brings us all here together today that they finally accepted the error of their ways. Call me crazy but I never took much convincing to see that stunning classic lines, low weight and rideability was a better way to go than a 500 lb luxobarge. It’s a view shared by Flo Hubert who created Mellow Motorcycles to express his deep and long-lasting passion for classic motorcycles and cars.
“Opened in early 2016, Mellow Motorcycles have already made a name for ourselves by creating unique, award & race winning custom bikes that collectors, celebrities, enthusiasts and motorcycle companies have become the proud owners of,” he tell us. But rather than go searching for a donor bike for their next project the Kawasaki literally rolled into the shop when the owner came for a coffee. With the Zephyr only showing 8000 miles on the odometer it was the perfect canvas, “Our aim was to build a Neo Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racer[/URL] and put some modern influences to an old motorcycle,” explains Flo.
But one of the problems with customising this particular Kwaka is not revealed until you take her clothes off, and it’s here that many have given up. Where the tank ends the frame kicks sharply down before resuming its journey reward. On a custom this destroys the clean lines all are trying to achieve, so there was only one thing for it. The angle grinder was fired into life and the entire rear section of the bike including the subframe was cut off. A hand-built rear chassis was then entirely fabricated in house before being welded to the frame at an equal height to the backbone.
“But one of the problems with customising this particular Kwaka is not revealed until you take her clothes off, and it’s here that many have given up.”
Further transforming the chassis was the idea to ditch the standard swingarm, with the replacement plucked from a Zephyr 1100. Measuring 55mm over, it along with the new frame construction gives the bike a longer, leaner look. All of which is accentuated by the beautifully prepared factory fuel tank that’s had a pop-up style filler welded into place. Along with the modern headlight’s bucket, the tank is the only other piece painted on the bike, finished out in resplendent grey pearl magic. With added class coming from the two-tone Alcantara and leather seat by Tailor Leathers, another of Flo’s companies.
With the top half of the bike looking so good, something had to be done about the less than attractive three spoke mag wheels. New hubs allow for a set of 17 inch rims to be used front and rear, with stainless spokes providing the strength. These are wrapped in sticky Shinko rubber, with the tread pattern looking like sticks of dynamite the crew now had a name for the bike; the C4 Zephyr! The big twin 300mm discs provide plenty of stopping power swinging from lowered forks. While out back new fully adjustable progressive shocks allow the bike to be tuned for the rider.
Despite the low miles on the always dependable Kawasaki air-cooled 738cc donk, Mellow decided it should still be treated to a full overhaul. Every part was pulled down, checked to make sure it was still in spec and the engine rebuilt with all new seals and gaskets. The cylinder head has been flowed on the inlet and exhaust side and is now supplied fuel via a bank of new Keihin carbs with stunning locally machined velocity stacks. Finishing off the mechanicals is a full stainless exhaust system venting out via a weight saving carbon Akrapovic muffler.
To keep everything neat and tidy the Kwaka has been given a totally new wiring loom based around Motogadget’s m-unit. The popular companies products complete the electronics package with a stunning mst vintage speedo fitted to the modified upper triple clamp. While the LSL clip-on bars sport new grips, switch gear and bar end indicators all from the big M. With the brake and clutch controls a combination of Magura, Brembo and LSL ensuring wherever you look on the Zephyr there’s quality.
To finish out the build Flo wanted to give the bike an aggressive riding position to make the most of all the go fast bits. So a set of ABM rearsets have been adapted to fit, being mounted considerably further back to get you tucked in and ready to roar. Which is exactly the sound that emanates from the Akra pipe when the throttle is cracked and C4 Zephyr is fired like a missile down the streets of Southern Germany. If those old school scribes still think a cruiser clone is better, then they don’t deserve the explosive entertainment you get from owning some Mellow Motorcycles C4!
[ Mellow Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Flo Hubert ]
New Croig.co Build Unveiled!
Earlier this month was the 10th annual edition of The One Moto Show in Portland, Oregon, created by See See Motorcycles. In a decade, “The 1 Moto” has become one of the most legendary custom motorcycle shows in the world, showcasing a vast array of bikes, builders, and races — all while maintaining the inclusive spirit of the PNW:
“Frijole 883” by Biltwell.
For 2019, the show featured over 200 custom, classic, concept, and rare motorcycles from all over the world. But the show organizers stress that the show is about more than just bikes:
This year, our man on the ground was Troy White (@flockaburrrd) of one of our favorite West Coast shops, Spoken Moto of Bend, Oregon. We first hooked up with Troy when he took the shots for one of favorite bikes of 2018, Spoken Moto’s mad Yamaha YZ/RD supermoto, “Zed.”
This year’s 10th annivesary show was a ridiculously good time. Below, we’ve included some of the highlights from the show.
The One Moto Show 2019: Custom Bike Highlights
All photos by Troy White of Spoken Moto.
1966 Triton by Aaron Britton.
1982 Honda MB5 by Alex Edleman.
“El Matador 2.0” 2005 Triumph Bonneville by Analog Motorcycles.
1976 Yamaha XS650 by Andy Kawa
1987 BMW by Basan Metalworks.
Frijole 883 by Biltwell.
2017 Indian Scout by Blaschko Builds.
1949 Harley-Davidson by Blatant Moto.
2018 Alta Redshift by Blatant Moto.
2019 S&S by Ricky Bongos.
1975 BMW R90S by Boxer Metal.
200mph Twin Engine Ducati by The Super Rat / Buildhouse.
200mph Twin Engine Ducati by The Super Rat / Buildhouse.
1974 Honda CB550 by Casey Horner.
Honda CB900F by CJ Bonura.
Honda CB900F by CJ Bonura.
2018 Yamaha XSR900 by Classified Moto.
Supercharged “Evel XG” by Colin Cornberg / Number 8 Wire Motorcycles.
Revival House XG750 by Colin Cornberg / Number 8 Wire Motorcycles.
Ducati 900 GTS by Colin Evans.
Sportster 1200R by Combustion Industries.
1949 Norton by Dan Thorsen.
1965 BSA by David Bright.
1983 Yamaha Virago by Destijl Moto.
1971 Triumph by Dirt Biscuit.
Ducati Alaskan by Earle Motors.
1966 Harley-Davidson XLCH by Eric Thompson.
1973 Honda CT70 by Geoff Morrison.
BMW Dakar by Gregor Halenda.
BMW Dakar by Gregor Halenda.
1977 Yamaha TT500 by Haggard & Proud.
1975 Yamaha XS650 by Holiday Cycles.
2012 Yamaha Zuma by HRH Fab.
2018 Zero FXS by Huge Moto.
1978 Honda CB550 by Ian Halcott.
1961 Triumph by Ian Howie.
“Colonel Butterscotch” ’99 Suzuki Bandit by Icon Motorcycles.
BMW R1000GS by James Goldsmith.
’71 BSA Lightning by Jarrett Bones.
Suzuki Savage by Jeff Thomford.
2001 Harley-Davidson Sportster by Jason Hanson.
Honda CR500 by Jim Bozony.
1937 Indian Scout by Jim Meadows.
1968 Indian Super Scout by Jim Meadows.
1966 Triumph T100C by Joey Ukrop.
Suzuki RG500 by John Clemens.
1941 Indian by Jon MacDowell.
1964 Cousteau Lightning Rocket by Kelly Green.
1984 Kawasaki KLR250 by Kevin Bergeron.
Late 50s BSA / Jap Drag Bike by Kevin Busch.
1972 Jawa 500 Speedway by Kick Start Garage.
Triumph Street Tracker by Kraus Moto.
1983 Yamaha XS650 by Logan MacDonald.
1982 Honda XL250 by Loryn Cole.
1991 Ducati by Lossa Engineering.
1957 Indian by J. Shia (Madhouse Motors).
2018 Ducati Panigale by Marc Friedman.
2004 Triumph Thruxton by Marty Johnson.
1972 Suzuki TM250 by Matthew Johnston.
1993 Yamaha YZ125 by Max Miille.
1988 Sportster by Michael & Stacia Foster.
1966 Triumph TR65R by Mike Ball.
1941 “Lute Fisk” by Morto.
1941 “Lute Fisk” by Morto.
1948 Indian Chief by Moto Galore.
1948 Indian Chief by Moto Galore.
2014 KTM 300 by Moto Mucci.
2014 KTM 300 by Moto Mucci.
2001 Husky by Moto Mucci.
1968 Kawasaki 650 by Nathan Jones.
Otto Cycles Prototype.
Otto Cycles Prototype.
Yamaha XS650 by Petrovich Garage.
1919 Excelsior by Paul Brodie.
Honda CB750 by Raccia Motorcycles.
1981 Yamaha XT500 by Red Clouds Collective.
1979 Yamaha XT500 by Red Clouds Collective.
1979 Yamaha XT500 by Red Clouds Collective.
Both Red Clouds XT500 builds side-by-side!
2002 H-D Sportster by Red Right Hand of Moto.
1971 Honda Trail 70 by Red Right Hand of Moto.
1983 H-D Shovelhead by Ryan Bumgardner.
1980 Vespa P200E by Scooter Swap.
2015 Yamaha Zuma by Scooter Swap.
1986 Honda CR125R by Sean Copenhaver.
1986 Honda CR125R by Sean Copenhaver.
1969 Triumph by Sketchy Pete.
Panhead Custom by Sosa Metalworks.
BMW RnineT by Sosa Metalworks.
Speakeasy Custom by Speakeasy Motors.
1967 Honda CT90 by Spoken Moto.
1991 BMW K75 by Spoken Moto.
1976 Honda CB750 by Stephen Jesse.
1913 Excelsior by Steve Knepper.
1913 Excelsior by Steve Knepper.
1975 Honda CB350 by The Heap.
1979 H-D Shovelhead by The Iron Society.
“Lil Sucker” Honda S65 by Tim Klosterman
Custom Moto Guzzi by Todd Eagon.
2004 H-D Custom by TPJ Customs.
Hyper Scrambler by Untitled Motorcycles.
Hyper Scrambler by Untitled Motorcycles.
1977 BMW by Venhuis Motor Co.
2018 WSM Adventure by Walt Siegl Motorcycles.
1975 Honda by CB360 by Xavier Stewart.
1959 H-D Panhead by Wrecked Metals.
Source...
The Yamaha XV750 — aka the Virago 750 — was a V-twin cruiser with an air-cooled, 55-hp engine and shaft drive. Introduced in 1981, the middleweight Virago would remain in production until 1998 — one of the longer production runs in modern motorcycling. While the bike was a sales success in the ’80s and ’90s, Yamaha engineers and executives surely never anticipated that the Virago would find itself at the heart of the world’s premier custom motorcycle shows some twenty years after the series was discontinued.
Enter Sean Hogan of Portland’s De Stijl Moto, who’s been in love with motorcycles ever since he pictured himself as Ed Furlong speeding around Los Angeles on his dirt bike in Terminator 2 — a man after our own heart. At 12 years old, he hung photos of the Britten V1000 across the walls of his room, but Sean would not own his first bike until he was an adult, a 1977 R100 that he built into a cafe. Since then, he’s accrued a fair collection of tools and does most of his own fabrication. He’s even taking CAD classes at the local community college:
Earlier this month at The One Moto Show, we saw Sean’s Yamaha XV750 build and had to find out more. Sean says the bike was built for passion and personal growth, stressing the patience it takes to build a motorcycle:
We think it does, Sean — yes, we do. Below, we get the full story on this Virago “cafe racer / brat / street fighter / restomod,” along with some delicious photos from the likes of @flockaburrrd, @mrpixelhead, @ridewell, and Sean himself.
Virago 750 Custom: Builder Interview
Photo: @mrpixelhead
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My name is Sean Hogan. I am a salon owner and hairdresser in Portland, Oregon. I have loved motorcycles since I was very young but was never allowed to have them. I remember my dream bike being a 1992 Yamaha TW200, or a Kawasaki KX250. I think more so the TW because it was street legal and I pictured myself being like Ed Furlong in Terminator 2.
The June 1992 cover of Cycle World solidified this when I saw the Britten V1100. I had never seen anything like it! At 12 years old I had no idea about engineering or fabrication but I loved how stripped down and mechanical the bike looked. I hung the pictures from the magazine all over my walls in my room.
I actually didn’t own a bike until I was an adult. My first bike was a 1977 R100 which I built into a cafe. As a business owner I work 25 hours a day 8 days a week but any free time I have is designated to building bikes. I have amassed a decent collection of tools and am able to do most fabrication in my home workshop. I am taking classes at my local community college for CAD currently. I made a promise to myself a few years ago that any interest I had I would attack it fully and never make any excuse for why it was out of reach. I’d love to turn motorcycles into a business creating and fabricating parts.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
1983 Yamaha XV750 (virago).
• Why was this bike built?
It was built for passion and personal growth. I wanted it to be a learning experience that I could apply to other facets of my life. I did everything the hard way. Building a motorcycle helps hone skills and build patience. People ask me often if I meditate and I say does staring at a half built rusted out motorcycle for hours on end count.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
I wanted the bike to look fast and have a modern feel. There are so many amazing bikes out there to get inspired by. I’m not a purist. I like when things get modernized and still keep some semblance of the feel. It will always be a bike from 1983. But hopefully it’s also a pleasure to ride in terms of suspension and braking. I wanted the stance to be aggressive and simple. I pull inspiration from other builders and made specific tweaks based on my own wants or desires. Other than that, I let the bike speak to me. I maybe had ideas that fell through because when I put them on the bike said no, do it this way.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The only original parts on the bike are the motor, frame, swing arm, and tank. It has a 2001 R1 front end, 2004 R6 rear suspension in which I designed a bolt-on adapter to fit the part. Exhaust was built using pie cuts. And seat pan upholstered by Roxan Jane (@rangeneedlework), subframe with integrated tail light. Clip ons, Daymaker LED headlight, battery box to fit battery in front of the rear wheel. Digital tach/speedo. Tarozzi rearsets. And lots of small shifts that would take too long to mention.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Not yet, not sure it ever will.
• How would you classify this bike?
Cafe racer/ brat/ street fighter/restomod. I don’t really know. It has elements of all.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
This bike was my introduction to welding, so I’m most proud of getting good geometry and fit up in the fabricated parts.
• What’s the story behind the name De Stijl Moto?
de stijl was a Dutch art / design movement from 1917-1931. It translates to the style. It encompasses the idea of reductionism. Not necessarily minimalism but more or less removing the superfluous elements from design. Determining basic function of a piece and then exploring the aesthetic value with equal importance’s give to both form and function. In my opinion the best design happens when we have confines or are solving a problem. When given complete freedom in design the results are often times scattered and have no conceptual idea. The practitioners of the movement also disagreed on occasion and found themselves eventually parting ways developing various iterations of the original movement. I saw this as an opportunity to adapt, having strong guidelines but nothing concrete. I utilize these principals for everything in my life, whether it be building a bike, or making a desk for my home office, or arranging the layout of anything really.
Photo Credits
Follow the Builder
- Web: www.destijlmoto.com
- Instagram: @destijlmoto
Source...
COOL RUNNINGS. Banb Motorcycle’s ‘Zumax’ Suzuki GSX750 Inazuma Racer
Written by Andrew Jones
Ostentatious oil coolers have been a stock-in-trade item for Japanese car customisers for decades. Lifted from racing car stylings of the 70s and 80s, the more ridiculous its placement and the route the oil lines take, the more street cred the cars seem to have. Now an essential part of the Japanese ‘Shakotan’ style, it’s part of a plethora of cool custom ideas developed in Japan since the dawn of time. But has it ever been attempted on a custom bike? Well, it has now. Meet the ‘Zumax’ Suzuki GSX750 racer from France’s Banb Motorcycles.
Shop owner Alban Jaunay works as a freelance product designer in Marseille, in the south of France. He’d been thinking of building himself a custom motorbike for a few years, but he really got serious after he went with his girlfriend to the Café Racer Festival near Paris. “While we were there she asked me, ‘Why don’t you build yourself a custom bike like these? I’d rather see you spending hours wrenching on a bike than browsing Pipeburn.’ And so it began. This is the point in my life where my passion for creation and motorbikes would become a reality. So, I launched my own custom motorbike workshop. I call it Banb Motorcycles.”
Blurring genres, Alban tells us that he considers the bike to be a cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL], probably thanks to the fact he’s stripped it to make it go faster. But we’re also seeing touches of ‘80s endurance racers and even a little rat style. What a killer combo. “The donor was in fact a ‘99 Suzuki GSX750 Inazuma. Ironically, I bought it from a guy who bought it to create a custom bike, but he never really had the time to start. Then the R nineT Scrambler came out, and it was very close to the custom bike of his dreams, so he decided to buy the BMW and sell the Inazuma. I was lucky, as it was still in very good condition.”
And what about the name, ‘Zumax’? We’re glad you asked. “Probably thanks to the bare metal, the patina finish and the placement of the oil cooler, everybody asks me if it is a bike that was inspired by the Mad Max movies, so I named it ‘Zumax’ – a shortened version of Inazuma Max.” Mad Max influenced, you say? You won’t hear any complaints from us, then.
The bugs won’t stand a chance
“I was born in Le Mans,” smiles Al. “I have always loved going to events like the MotoGP or the 24 Hour events, so naturally my inspiration comes from the racing world. I like the mix of simplicity and brutality you see in racing machines; I think there is a real elegance to them. With its twin shocks, the big inline four and the tube frame, the Inazuma was a perfect choice to create an interpretation of the US Superbike series from the 80’s. My main goal was to give it a stripped down and racy look, very much like the bikes from Racefit Exhausts.”
The build started with a rusted gas tank from a Suzuki GS1000. “I had to adapt it to the frame, clean it and coat the inside with resin. The outside has been sanded and clear coated to show the bare steel. I wanted the oil cooler to hang at the very front of the bike, as with some superbikes I took my inspiration from. The big round headlight has been removed and a Setrab racing oil cooler with Goodridge braided lines took its place. Then, two smaller lenticular lights were hung on its side. Also, the set of factory instruments has been replaced by a much simpler Koso tachometer.”
Avante cool
After deftly relocating part of the wiring harness under the tank, a set of wide and low LSL handlebars were adorned with Progrip’s finest and bolted on. “At the other end of the bike, I cut the subframe and installed the rear and side fairings from an ‘82 Kawasaki Z750. I kept their decals and emblems as a kind of nod to the actual engine capacity of the bike. The standard seat was then modified to make it a single-seater. The small rear lights and turn signals were integrated in the rear fairing and the battery case was transformed to tidy up the rear a little bit.” Lastly, Al swapped out the muffler for a very tasty Yoshimura R&D number.
Al says that the real key to the project was getting the tank right. “I had almost no equipment, no workshop and it was my first build. I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it. It took me forever to reshape the underside to adapt it to the frame. Then the fuel petcock was in the way of the airbox. I quickly learned how much work is needed to customize a motorbike. Sanding it in the living room of the apartment was also a great moment. It is the only part of the bike where I needed some help; a big thank you to my dad and my friend Steven.”
No surprises, then, that the tank is also Alban’s favourite part on the finished bike. “I love the look of the bare steel. Steven did an amazing job coating it. Its shape also transforms the look of the bike. Going from the roundish standard tank to the sleeker one from the GS1000 makes the bike much more elegant. It’s a good reference to the racing superbikes of Wes Cooley.” Al also takes time to call out that Setrab oil cooler.“ I love this kind of overtly racy part. It gives the bike a very aggressive look.” Long live Shakotan!
[ Band Motorcycles – Facebook | Photos by Alban Jaunay ]
Written by Andrew Jones
Ostentatious oil coolers have been a stock-in-trade item for Japanese car customisers for decades. Lifted from racing car stylings of the 70s and 80s, the more ridiculous its placement and the route the oil lines take, the more street cred the cars seem to have. Now an essential part of the Japanese ‘Shakotan’ style, it’s part of a plethora of cool custom ideas developed in Japan since the dawn of time. But has it ever been attempted on a custom bike? Well, it has now. Meet the ‘Zumax’ Suzuki GSX750 racer from France’s Banb Motorcycles.
Shop owner Alban Jaunay works as a freelance product designer in Marseille, in the south of France. He’d been thinking of building himself a custom motorbike for a few years, but he really got serious after he went with his girlfriend to the Café Racer Festival near Paris. “While we were there she asked me, ‘Why don’t you build yourself a custom bike like these? I’d rather see you spending hours wrenching on a bike than browsing Pipeburn.’ And so it began. This is the point in my life where my passion for creation and motorbikes would become a reality. So, I launched my own custom motorbike workshop. I call it Banb Motorcycles.”
“Why don’t you build yourself a custom bike? I’d rather see you spending hours wrenching on a bike than browsing Pipeburn.”
Blurring genres, Alban tells us that he considers the bike to be a cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL], probably thanks to the fact he’s stripped it to make it go faster. But we’re also seeing touches of ‘80s endurance racers and even a little rat style. What a killer combo. “The donor was in fact a ‘99 Suzuki GSX750 Inazuma. Ironically, I bought it from a guy who bought it to create a custom bike, but he never really had the time to start. Then the R nineT Scrambler came out, and it was very close to the custom bike of his dreams, so he decided to buy the BMW and sell the Inazuma. I was lucky, as it was still in very good condition.”
And what about the name, ‘Zumax’? We’re glad you asked. “Probably thanks to the bare metal, the patina finish and the placement of the oil cooler, everybody asks me if it is a bike that was inspired by the Mad Max movies, so I named it ‘Zumax’ – a shortened version of Inazuma Max.” Mad Max influenced, you say? You won’t hear any complaints from us, then.
The bugs won’t stand a chance
“I was born in Le Mans,” smiles Al. “I have always loved going to events like the MotoGP or the 24 Hour events, so naturally my inspiration comes from the racing world. I like the mix of simplicity and brutality you see in racing machines; I think there is a real elegance to them. With its twin shocks, the big inline four and the tube frame, the Inazuma was a perfect choice to create an interpretation of the US Superbike series from the 80’s. My main goal was to give it a stripped down and racy look, very much like the bikes from Racefit Exhausts.”
The build started with a rusted gas tank from a Suzuki GS1000. “I had to adapt it to the frame, clean it and coat the inside with resin. The outside has been sanded and clear coated to show the bare steel. I wanted the oil cooler to hang at the very front of the bike, as with some superbikes I took my inspiration from. The big round headlight has been removed and a Setrab racing oil cooler with Goodridge braided lines took its place. Then, two smaller lenticular lights were hung on its side. Also, the set of factory instruments has been replaced by a much simpler Koso tachometer.”
Avante cool
After deftly relocating part of the wiring harness under the tank, a set of wide and low LSL handlebars were adorned with Progrip’s finest and bolted on. “At the other end of the bike, I cut the subframe and installed the rear and side fairings from an ‘82 Kawasaki Z750. I kept their decals and emblems as a kind of nod to the actual engine capacity of the bike. The standard seat was then modified to make it a single-seater. The small rear lights and turn signals were integrated in the rear fairing and the battery case was transformed to tidy up the rear a little bit.” Lastly, Al swapped out the muffler for a very tasty Yoshimura R&D number.
Al says that the real key to the project was getting the tank right. “I had almost no equipment, no workshop and it was my first build. I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it. It took me forever to reshape the underside to adapt it to the frame. Then the fuel petcock was in the way of the airbox. I quickly learned how much work is needed to customize a motorbike. Sanding it in the living room of the apartment was also a great moment. It is the only part of the bike where I needed some help; a big thank you to my dad and my friend Steven.”
No surprises, then, that the tank is also Alban’s favourite part on the finished bike. “I love the look of the bare steel. Steven did an amazing job coating it. Its shape also transforms the look of the bike. Going from the roundish standard tank to the sleeker one from the GS1000 makes the bike much more elegant. It’s a good reference to the racing superbikes of Wes Cooley.” Al also takes time to call out that Setrab oil cooler.“ I love this kind of overtly racy part. It gives the bike a very aggressive look.” Long live Shakotan!
[ Band Motorcycles – Facebook | Photos by Alban Jaunay ]
FORREST THUMP. Red Clouds’ Twin Yamaha XT500 Enduros
Written by Marlon Slack
The Red Clouds Collective are a Portland-based outfit that make bomb-proof waxed cotton moto gear. They make pants, shirts, bags, panniers and tool rolls that are harder wearing and longer lasting than their owners could ever be. And luckily for us Seth and Casey Neefus, head honchos at Red Clouds, also use the business as a front for making gorgeous custom bikes, like this pair of incredible Yamaha XT500s.
“We were at a swap meet at the Portland International Raceway, talking about how we passed on a recent XT500 on Craigslist,” Seth says. “As we were talking about this and walking around we saw the front end of an XT500. We started walking faster and then practically started running to the bike. But we had to act calm or else we wouldn’t be able to get a good deal.”
“After many attempts of bump starting it we got it running, agreed upon a fair price and took her home — making our dreams of owning an XT500 come to life.” After a clean up the brothers started belting around on the old chook-chaser*, exploring the logging trails and single tracks that surround Portland. And they also found that the ol’ XT could be a blast in town.
*(n.) INFORMAL•AUSTRALIAN A clapped out trail or motocross bike. Taken from bikes used on farms to chase chickens, or ‘chooks’.
You had us at ‘XT’…
“Nothing compares to riding a motorcycle that can rip through the woods and catch air and slide around turns but also roar through city streets, popping wheelies and jumping off cub cuts on sidewalks.” That love for the vintage one-lunger only grew when the XT was up on a workbench with its tank off. Out of curiosity Seth and Casey dry fitted some older and smaller VMX tanks. It looked good. Damn good. What if they were to go all out and create a real head turner?
“We decided that if we were going to get serious about building a custom XT500 we might as well each build one, or build them together and we both get to have our own when we are done,” Seth says. A Craiglist search found another XT a few hours away so the brothers loaded up their van and after six hour round trip they had a second XT in the shop and wasted no time getting underway.
“We started by removing everything that was not necessary and seeing if we could make some other tank options work,” Seth says. “With a little effort we modified some tanks to securely mount onto the frame.” The engine came out for blasting, fresh paint and a top end rebuild while the electrical system was changed from 6 to 12 volts. While the engine was out being rebuilt the frame was detabbed and the real fabrication work started. And Seth and Casey didn’t hold back.
PIAA lights really complete the look
“We cut about 5 inches off of the rear end of the bike and found some old Wassel fenders that had the right look. That worked seamlessly, but we wanted to add a front fender rack so we could strap a tool roll to it while on the trails. We designed and fabricated the rack and mounted it nice and high right under the headlight. We wanted to make these bikes trail worthy and keep the look of an aggressive vintage Yamaha dirt bike.”
“So we fitted Piaa headlights and shaped some fibreglass seat pans,” Seth says. Wider footpegs and mounts were made and Red Clouds Collective stainless steel ‘bars were fitted. Of note here is that the team didn’t just go trawling through the glut of aftermarket XT500 parts you can find online. They made it all.
“At this point we didn’t know that we were going to make antique white leather seats or what our tank graphics would be,” Seth recalls. “We just wanted to see the two bikes with all of their freshly cleaned and polished parts that we worked so hard on come back to life. As we reassembled the motorcycles we talked endlessly about colors and graphic ideas and even developed ideas working in photoshop.”
The end result of all that discussion is a gorgeous colour scheme that manages to highlight the best things about the old XT’s without drawing anything away from them. They’re perfectly proportionate, clean bikes. We love our VMX bikes here at Pipeburn, and Red Clouds’ latest offerings look absolutely stunning and sacrifice nothing in the way of rideability. In our opinion it’s an early double-tilt at our bike of the year.
[ Red Clouds Collective – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Seth & Casey Neefus ]
Written by Marlon Slack
The Red Clouds Collective are a Portland-based outfit that make bomb-proof waxed cotton moto gear. They make pants, shirts, bags, panniers and tool rolls that are harder wearing and longer lasting than their owners could ever be. And luckily for us Seth and Casey Neefus, head honchos at Red Clouds, also use the business as a front for making gorgeous custom bikes, like this pair of incredible Yamaha XT500s.
“We were at a swap meet at the Portland International Raceway, talking about how we passed on a recent XT500 on Craigslist,” Seth says. “As we were talking about this and walking around we saw the front end of an XT500. We started walking faster and then practically started running to the bike. But we had to act calm or else we wouldn’t be able to get a good deal.”
“After many attempts of bump starting it we got it running, agreed upon a fair price and took her home — making our dreams of owning an XT500 come to life.” After a clean up the brothers started belting around on the old chook-chaser*, exploring the logging trails and single tracks that surround Portland. And they also found that the ol’ XT could be a blast in town.
*(n.) INFORMAL•AUSTRALIAN A clapped out trail or motocross bike. Taken from bikes used on farms to chase chickens, or ‘chooks’.
You had us at ‘XT’…
“Nothing compares to riding a motorcycle that can rip through the woods and catch air and slide around turns but also roar through city streets, popping wheelies and jumping off cub cuts on sidewalks.” That love for the vintage one-lunger only grew when the XT was up on a workbench with its tank off. Out of curiosity Seth and Casey dry fitted some older and smaller VMX tanks. It looked good. Damn good. What if they were to go all out and create a real head turner?
“We decided that if we were going to get serious about building a custom XT500 we might as well each build one, or build them together and we both get to have our own when we are done,” Seth says. A Craiglist search found another XT a few hours away so the brothers loaded up their van and after six hour round trip they had a second XT in the shop and wasted no time getting underway.
“We started by removing everything that was not necessary and seeing if we could make some other tank options work,” Seth says. “With a little effort we modified some tanks to securely mount onto the frame.” The engine came out for blasting, fresh paint and a top end rebuild while the electrical system was changed from 6 to 12 volts. While the engine was out being rebuilt the frame was detabbed and the real fabrication work started. And Seth and Casey didn’t hold back.
PIAA lights really complete the look
“We cut about 5 inches off of the rear end of the bike and found some old Wassel fenders that had the right look. That worked seamlessly, but we wanted to add a front fender rack so we could strap a tool roll to it while on the trails. We designed and fabricated the rack and mounted it nice and high right under the headlight. We wanted to make these bikes trail worthy and keep the look of an aggressive vintage Yamaha dirt bike.”
“The team didn’t just go trawling through the glut of aftermarket XT500 parts you can find online. They made it all.”
“So we fitted Piaa headlights and shaped some fibreglass seat pans,” Seth says. Wider footpegs and mounts were made and Red Clouds Collective stainless steel ‘bars were fitted. Of note here is that the team didn’t just go trawling through the glut of aftermarket XT500 parts you can find online. They made it all.
“At this point we didn’t know that we were going to make antique white leather seats or what our tank graphics would be,” Seth recalls. “We just wanted to see the two bikes with all of their freshly cleaned and polished parts that we worked so hard on come back to life. As we reassembled the motorcycles we talked endlessly about colors and graphic ideas and even developed ideas working in photoshop.”
The end result of all that discussion is a gorgeous colour scheme that manages to highlight the best things about the old XT’s without drawing anything away from them. They’re perfectly proportionate, clean bikes. We love our VMX bikes here at Pipeburn, and Red Clouds’ latest offerings look absolutely stunning and sacrifice nothing in the way of rideability. In our opinion it’s an early double-tilt at our bike of the year.
[ Red Clouds Collective – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Seth & Casey Neefus ]
A badder, madder Honda Rebel…
In 2017, Honda released their completely redesigned Rebel 300/500 with great fanfare. Cycle World named the Rebel 300 the “Best Lightweight Streetbike” of 2017, while Cruiser named the bike their “Cruiser of the Year.” The more powerful Rebel 500 — also known as the CMX500 — is powered by a 45.5 horsepower liquid-cooled straight twin from the CBR500R. While the modern bobber styling is light years ahead of the tired, shrunken cruiser look of the original Rebel, it still begs to be customized.
Enter Tokwa Party Garage, a Manila-based shop founded in 2015. The crew began working on their own bikes on the weekends and posting their builds on social media. From there, they began getting inquiries from prospective customers. Before long, they decided to quit their day jobs and build full time:
For this build — aka “Mad Bob” — the team worked with the customer to carry out the design concept. Below, we get the full story!
Honda Rebel Bobber: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
We are Tokwa Party Garage, a bike customization shop in Manila, founded November 2015. It started as a hobby and soon became our bread and butter. We started with our own bikes and worked on it during weekends. We created a facebook page and posted our bikes there. Soon we got followers and inquiries about customizing bikes. We got our first few clients and we decided to quit our day jobs. So here we are, building bikes.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
2018 Honda Rebel 500.
• Why was this bike built?
It’s a customer project.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
The design concept came from the customer. The influence is a Triumph Bobber custom.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
We fabricated the front fork covers and provisioned holes for the front turn and park lights.
We also fabricated the front fender, rear fender and belly pan using an aluminum sheet.
We replaced the seat and had it re-upholstered. We also fabricated a new battery box to make the rear fender fit.
We replaced the exhaust pipe and repainted the whole bike.
Rear turn and brake lights were replaced with Kellerman Lights.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
“Mad Bob.”
• How would you classify this bike?
Bobber.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
I am actually proud of the whole bike, the customer’s idea and ours went well together. It was a challenging yet fun project. The bike won 1st place in the Bobber category a few months back and we are very happy about it.
Follow the Builder
Facebook: tokwapartygarage
Instagram: @tpgcustombuild
Photos By: Jerish Abac
Bike Owner: Paolo Bernaldo
Source...
The “Full Aluminum Flat Tracker” from Argentina…
The Suzuki DR-Z400, introduced in 2000, has become one of the most popular middleweight dual-sports in the world. The Australian Army uses a slightly modified version for their operations, while commuters appreciate the bike’s ability to jump curbs and dart through urban gridlock. The main criticism of the liquid-cooled, 39-hp thumper has been the 319-lb wet weight. Says MCN of the machine:
Enter Juan Taurel of Low Budget Customs — aka LBC Motorcycles — based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When a customer, Ramón, gave the LBC crew free reign to customize his 2012 DR-Z400, Juan knew it was the perfect platform for a project he’d had in mind for a long time:
Whereas Juan and the team transform many bikes into tracker-style builds, they decided to make this DRZ tracker perform as well as on the track as the street — a bike ready to race on Sundays and work on Mondays. Says Juan:
Below, we get the full story on this “Full Aluminum Flat Tracker.”
DR-Z400 Street (Flat) Tracker: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was always passionate about old bikes and one day in 2012 I opened the garage with a couple of friends and started to modify new bikes to look like old bikes and one thing leads to another until today, when we have modified more than 350 motorcycles at LBC Motorcycles.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
Suzuki DRZ400, 2012.
• Why was this bike built?
This project was made for a customer, but very personal too. Ramón came to the shop with the DRZ and tell to me: “Do whatever you want. I trust 100% in your taste.”
The thing was that I was in love with the idea of a super light full aluminum Flat Tracker since a long time, so when the DRZ arrived I knew that was the perfect bike for that project.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
We customize lots of bikes in LBC that look like a Flat Tracker racing bike, but they are all just an appearance to use on the street. The idea with the DRZ was to make a bike that not only looks like a real racing flat tracker, but also has the lightness, the power and the correct wheels. So, we can say this bike is our first Tracker ready to race on Sundays and to go work during the week. My perfect kind of bike, if you ask me.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
We replaced the original 18″ and 21″ wheels with two 19″ Excel and Shinko Flat Track tires. The angle of the sub-chassis was modified slightly to give it a more parallel line to the floor. We build the gas tank and seat in aluminum to lower the weight as much as possible. We build the stainless steel exhaust pipe and link a Yoshimura. LED lights forward and back to use it in the streets. Front suspension modified and we put a lithium battery, Pro Taper handlebar, UNI air filter and improve the carburetion.
Possibly she receives a nice painting design soon.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Not really, is just a “Full Aluminium Flat Tracker.”
• How would you classify this bike?
Street (Flat) Tracker.
Follow the Builder
Concept Design: Juan Taurel (@jtaurel)
Builders: Juan Taurel, Hernan Alco, Luciano Gimenez.
Instagram: @lowbudgetcustoms
Facebook: Low Budget Customs
Website: www.lbcmoto.com
Source...
MOTO VIDEO: The Sultans of Sprint Season Highlights
Just a quick post tonight to throw the spotlight onto the 2018 highlights video from our good friends at the unique, exciting and ever so slightly crazy Sultans of Sprint race series.
After a great 2018 that included bikes like Bernard Mont’s spectacular ‘Nowhere Faster’, along with the VTR Spitfire BMW and the Schlachtwerk ‘Skinny Beast’ Yamaha that went on to win, we decided to work even more closely with the SOS crew in 2019.
Expect the series to be even bigger and better this year. There will be more speed, more customs and (don’t say I told you this) even more manufacturers. Hell, we might even join in the fun ourselves. But I’ve probably given away more than I should. All I’ll say right now is that if you like custom bike sprint racing and seeing grown-ass adults partying in Sesame Street costumes, keep you TVs tuned to this very station. More soon.
[ Sultans of Sprint ]
Just a quick post tonight to throw the spotlight onto the 2018 highlights video from our good friends at the unique, exciting and ever so slightly crazy Sultans of Sprint race series.
After a great 2018 that included bikes like Bernard Mont’s spectacular ‘Nowhere Faster’, along with the VTR Spitfire BMW and the Schlachtwerk ‘Skinny Beast’ Yamaha that went on to win, we decided to work even more closely with the SOS crew in 2019.
Expect the series to be even bigger and better this year. There will be more speed, more customs and (don’t say I told you this) even more manufacturers. Hell, we might even join in the fun ourselves. But I’ve probably given away more than I should. All I’ll say right now is that if you like custom bike sprint racing and seeing grown-ass adults partying in Sesame Street costumes, keep you TVs tuned to this very station. More soon.
[ Sultans of Sprint ]
COOL CHANGE. Benjie’s Classic Harley Softail Bobber
Written by Andrew Jones
When the new wave of Japanese customs rocked up in the late noughties, it was like the 70-odd years of custom bike history before that point didn’t exist. We barged into the room with our new-fangled cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL], brats and trackers and turned up our noses at pretty much anything that wasn’t ordained as that month’s hot new trend. But as many shops now ponder their 142nd cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL] build, the trends that prevailed in the 70s, 80s and 90s are now being seen with new, more forgiving eyes. In that spirit, New Jersey’s BCR Designs set themselves a challenge; go back to the future with a classic Harley Softail bobber. Here’s the results.
It’s clear that for some custom shops, it’s about quantity and throughput. For them, reproducibility is a good thing. But at Benjie’s Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racers[/URL] – aka BCR Designs – they believe that a proper custom bike shop should always be challenging themselves. “When we started the business, we mostly built cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL], scramblers and dirt track-style bikes,” says Benjie. “We were recently asked to build a bobber-style bike from a ‘97 Harley Softail Fatboy. Though bobbers aren’t part of the typical BCR style, we accepted the challenge and embraced a new frontier for us in design.”
“When we first received the bike, it was wearing some custom work from the early 2000s; it had bright orange and black paint with lots of chrome and some huge ape hanger handlebars. The owner – an avid rider – wanted something different from the usual bobber look. He wanted something he could ride without discomfort for both short and long rides. And clearly, he didn’t want subtle.” Cue team Benjie.
After stripping the bike to its bare frame and suspension, Benjie and the team started thinking big and throwing shapes. First item on the cardboard box list was the gas tank. “Along with the motor, the gas tank is the centerpiece of any motorcycle,” notes Benjie. “For this build, we wanted something small & narrow. We scrapped three different tank mock-ups before settling on a teardrop, peanut-style gas tank. Following the lines of the frame’s backbone, we mounted the tank on an angle while sticking with the stock Harley gas cap and adding some newer Softail OEM tank badges.”
Around the front of the Softy, Benjie got rid of the stock chrome shrouds and deftly fabbed up some stainless steel fork covers with a brushed finish. Unable to find a suitable headlight, signal lights, or a tail light that fit the build, they custom fabricated their own that perfectly suited the overall look and finish of the bike. “The headlight bucket and ring were made from scratch out of stainless steel and the back cover was made from aluminum.” For the signal lights, BCR wanted something small yet visible and they wanted the tail light just that little bit bigger. So some brackets were fashioned out of stainless steel rods to make it look like the tail light was floating above the rear fender.
Zen and the art of motorcycle customisation
“For the seat, we wanted to avoid a conventional single that’s so commonly found on bobber-style bikes. We wanted something different and more comfortable. We styled the seat with a bump that blended nicely with the tank, providing a smooth shape into the rear fender. The seat bump was designed with the Mad Hatter in mind. It’s notched in the back to clear the rear fender when the suspension compresses and it has some added stainless steel trim details with beautifully ribbed black suede upholstery.”
For the exhaust the owner wanted something a little, ahem, obnoxious. At least he was honest. “He wanted something that would stand out, something loud and something that complemented the rest of the bike’s design. So we made a 2 into 2 exhaust out of stainless steel with a segmented pie cut for additional detail and then fabricated twin fishtails with a ⅜ inch perforated enclosure to slightly dampen the sound of the exhaust.” The neighbours will thank Benjie later.
The final steps got the details all buttoned down. The all important oil tank was made out of mild steel with added aluminum side covers to match the gas tank and seat. The ignition switch was relocated to the side of the oil tank with exposed lines for some cool additional detailing. The foot controls, lever and floorboards were made out of stainless steel & aluminum, as was the rear fender. The final, crowning glory was the bike’s sissy bar – replete with a golden-winged skull.
Soft tail, hard ass
And there you have it. The bike was handed over and its new owner rode obnoxiously off into the East Coast sunset. Everything old is new again. Tomorrow will be like many moons ago. And the future for the classic bobber looks just a little bit like the Softail’s ape hangers: big, bold and very bloody comfortable.
[ Benjie’s [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/cafe-racer']Café Racers[/URL] – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Ben Chan & Dante Dizon ]
Written by Andrew Jones
When the new wave of Japanese customs rocked up in the late noughties, it was like the 70-odd years of custom bike history before that point didn’t exist. We barged into the room with our new-fangled cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL], brats and trackers and turned up our noses at pretty much anything that wasn’t ordained as that month’s hot new trend. But as many shops now ponder their 142nd cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL] build, the trends that prevailed in the 70s, 80s and 90s are now being seen with new, more forgiving eyes. In that spirit, New Jersey’s BCR Designs set themselves a challenge; go back to the future with a classic Harley Softail bobber. Here’s the results.
It’s clear that for some custom shops, it’s about quantity and throughput. For them, reproducibility is a good thing. But at Benjie’s Cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']Racers[/URL] – aka BCR Designs – they believe that a proper custom bike shop should always be challenging themselves. “When we started the business, we mostly built cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL], scramblers and dirt track-style bikes,” says Benjie. “We were recently asked to build a bobber-style bike from a ‘97 Harley Softail Fatboy. Though bobbers aren’t part of the typical BCR style, we accepted the challenge and embraced a new frontier for us in design.”
“When we first received the bike, it was wearing some custom work from the early 2000s; it had bright orange and black paint with lots of chrome and some huge ape hanger handlebars. The owner – an avid rider – wanted something different from the usual bobber look. He wanted something he could ride without discomfort for both short and long rides. And clearly, he didn’t want subtle.” Cue team Benjie.
After stripping the bike to its bare frame and suspension, Benjie and the team started thinking big and throwing shapes. First item on the cardboard box list was the gas tank. “Along with the motor, the gas tank is the centerpiece of any motorcycle,” notes Benjie. “For this build, we wanted something small & narrow. We scrapped three different tank mock-ups before settling on a teardrop, peanut-style gas tank. Following the lines of the frame’s backbone, we mounted the tank on an angle while sticking with the stock Harley gas cap and adding some newer Softail OEM tank badges.”
“Some brackets were fashioned out of stainless steel rods to make it look like the tail light was floating above the rear fender.”
Around the front of the Softy, Benjie got rid of the stock chrome shrouds and deftly fabbed up some stainless steel fork covers with a brushed finish. Unable to find a suitable headlight, signal lights, or a tail light that fit the build, they custom fabricated their own that perfectly suited the overall look and finish of the bike. “The headlight bucket and ring were made from scratch out of stainless steel and the back cover was made from aluminum.” For the signal lights, BCR wanted something small yet visible and they wanted the tail light just that little bit bigger. So some brackets were fashioned out of stainless steel rods to make it look like the tail light was floating above the rear fender.
Zen and the art of motorcycle customisation
“For the seat, we wanted to avoid a conventional single that’s so commonly found on bobber-style bikes. We wanted something different and more comfortable. We styled the seat with a bump that blended nicely with the tank, providing a smooth shape into the rear fender. The seat bump was designed with the Mad Hatter in mind. It’s notched in the back to clear the rear fender when the suspension compresses and it has some added stainless steel trim details with beautifully ribbed black suede upholstery.”
For the exhaust the owner wanted something a little, ahem, obnoxious. At least he was honest. “He wanted something that would stand out, something loud and something that complemented the rest of the bike’s design. So we made a 2 into 2 exhaust out of stainless steel with a segmented pie cut for additional detail and then fabricated twin fishtails with a ⅜ inch perforated enclosure to slightly dampen the sound of the exhaust.” The neighbours will thank Benjie later.
The final steps got the details all buttoned down. The all important oil tank was made out of mild steel with added aluminum side covers to match the gas tank and seat. The ignition switch was relocated to the side of the oil tank with exposed lines for some cool additional detailing. The foot controls, lever and floorboards were made out of stainless steel & aluminum, as was the rear fender. The final, crowning glory was the bike’s sissy bar – replete with a golden-winged skull.
Soft tail, hard ass
And there you have it. The bike was handed over and its new owner rode obnoxiously off into the East Coast sunset. Everything old is new again. Tomorrow will be like many moons ago. And the future for the classic bobber looks just a little bit like the Softail’s ape hangers: big, bold and very bloody comfortable.
[ Benjie’s [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/cafe-racer']Café Racers[/URL] – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Ben Chan & Dante Dizon ]
For Sale: 900cc “Cafe Sleeper” from the Polish Master…
The shaft-driven Yamaha XJ650, introduced in 1980, is an often-overlooked machine. The bike boasted an air-cooled, twin-cam, 650cc inline four good for 73 horsepower. With a top speed north of 115 mph, Bike magazine called the XJ a “genuine ton up cruiser.” Stateside, the XJ650 Maxim offered the funky mini-cruiser styling so popular of the 1980s Japanese “Specials,” while the Seca was more of a “Eurobike” — low, slim, and smooth, with a more sporting stance and ample room for luggage.
This XJ is for sale! Contact Sylwester at Eastern Spirit Garage for details!
Enter Sylwester from Poland’s Eastern Spirit Garage, whose builds have been featured all over the world. Last year, we featured ESG’s stunning Ducati “Rumble 400” Cafe Racer, and Sylwester’s Honda NX650 motocrosser just graced the pages of Pipeburn. Today, we’re thrilled to feature one of the Polish master’s early builds, a Yamaha XJ650 with a 900cc sleeper engine.
Says the original owner of the bike:
At the time, Sylwester was working on the Honda CB550 four he named no. 666. This Yamaha XJ650/900 became no. 665. Since then, the ESG builds have been named in decreasing order:
- Honda CX500 no. 664
- Yamaha DS 650 no. 663
- Honda CB550 no. 662
- Kawasaki KZ750 no. 661
- Kawasaki KZ750 (w/ budowie) no. 660
- Honda CX500 no. 659
- Yamaha SR250 no. 658
- Honda CX500 no. 657
- Suzuki GS750 no. 656
- Suzuki GS550 no. 655
- Suzuki GS550 no. 654
- Suzuki GS550 no. 653
- Yamaha XS650 no. 652
- Honda NX650 Dominator no. 651
- Ducati Scrambler 400 no. 650
- BMW R80 no. 649
Whereas platforms like the Yamaha SR500, XS650, and Honda CB750 were getting more attention, Sylwester decided to go with something different. He says of the XJ:
They decided not to pressure the bike into a retro look. Instead, they tried to combine the classic cafe racer style with the 80’s idea of modern-tech. They set the new subframe higher into order to make a perfect straight line with the gas tank and seat.
The gas tank was taken from the bike’s little sister, the Yamaha XJ550. The airbox ended up in the trash and the battery was set between two stock exhausts. Sylwester created a light and open construction with a big engine combined with a big headlight from an MZ TS.
All this work made the motorcycle lighter and faster than similar bikes, but it wasn’t enough:
In the end, ESG created a Sleeper with a classic cafe racer look. Says Sylwester:
This XJ is for sale! Contact Sylwester at Eastern Spirit Garage for details!
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Photo: @that_yamaha_r1der
The Yamaha R5, introduced in 1970, was the first of Yamaha’s new generation of two-stroke parallel twin “giant-killers” — a design architecture which would evolve into the RD350, RD400, and even the liquid-cooled RZ350/RD350LC. Lee Wilcox of Curbside Classic describes the first time he grabbed a handful of throttle on a 350cc R5:
Photo: @that_yamaha_r1der
Enter one of our favorite two-stroke fanatics, Eric Zanutto of California’s Zanutto Engineering, who started building bikes with his old man at an early age. Auspiciously enough, Eric’s first street bike was his aunt’s French blue 1977 Yamaha RD400 — what a cool aunt!
Fast forward nearly two decades, and Eric’s wife, Melanie “Yogi” Dyogi Zanutto (@theluckyyogi), decided she wanted a vintage two-stroke of her own. She’s owned and ridden many modern bikes, but this would be the first bike the duo built together. They picked up a rusted, mismatched ’71 R5 in Rancho Palos Verdes. The bike had an RD350 engine transplant, but it was in very rough condition. Together, the pair managed to salvage and refurbish most of the parts, building one of the sleekest, cleanest 350 Yamaha smokers we’ve seen — complete with a Kenny Roberts paint job they shot themselves!
Photo: @that_yamaha_r1der
Below, we get the full story on this glorious husband/wife build.
350 Yamaha 2-Stroke Cafe Racer: In the Builder’s Words
This is my wife’s first vintage bike and first two stroke, it’s also the first bike she’s helped me build. She has owned and ridden plenty of other more modern bikes though. Neither of us do this for a living, we both have day jobs, it’s just a hobby/passion of ours.
From a young age I started building old bikes with my dad. My first bike, that I got around year 2000 in high school was my aunt’s old French blue 1977 Yamaha RD400. That bike taught me a lot at a young age and it’s why I’m now pretty particular to Yamaha, two strokes, and old bikes in general.
My wife Melanie (@theluckyyogi) and I (Eric, @zanutto_engineering) picked up this 1971 Yamaha R5 with a 1975 RD350 engine transplant from Rancho Palos Verdes about a year ago. The bike was in extremely rough shape with rust on pretty much every part imaginable and a bunch of mismatched parts. In the end we were able to salvage most of the parts and refurbish them.
We completely tore the bike down to the frame and detabbed it, then had it powdercoated. We completely tore down the (RD350) engine, which was caked in a quarter inch of sludge (and black widow eggs), and rebuilt it ourselves.
We hand polished the drum brake hubs and installed new shouldered aluminum hoops with Buchanan’s spokes. All new EBC pads went in the hubs and new Bridgestone tires installed. Up front we hand polished the forks and installed an All Balls Racing tapered bearing set in head tube.
Progressive shocks went in the rear along with new bronze swingarm bushings, RK gold chain, Speedy Siegl Racing aluminum brake arm, and an Airtech Streamlining TZ250 fiberglass seat.
The gas tank had a lot of rust so we cleaned it out with muriatic acid and sealed it with Caswell epoxy tank sealant.
The engine itself, although we installed all new seals and gaskets during the rebuild, remained mostly stock mechanically. We did however install a Power Dynamo CDI ignition (not running a battery), RZ intake boots with cross over tube, Boysen reeds, KN y-boot filter, motion pro throttle, Jim Lomas expansion chambers, and we’re running the old Mikuni carbs from my 1984 Japanese spec RZ350RR.
Since the CDI ignition had a pretty complete wiring system, we finished off the rest of the wiring with a custom wire harness we made. Lastly, we did a Kenny Roberts themed paint job. Shot it ourselves in our backyard with a Devilbiss gun, finished off with a lot of wet sanding by hand and polishing with a rotary buffer.
Roller shot on the Coronado Bridge! Photo: @that_yamaha_r1der
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Follow the Builders: @theluckyyogi and @zanutto_engineering)
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The best ones of all have to be the old Indians, Triumphs, Harleys,
