Custom Bikes & Cafe Racer

[DaveM]

WINNING BATL. 1970 Triumph Bonneville by Origin8or



Written by Martin Hodgson

So it’s pressure you’re after; how does building a custom bike for the founder of the Backyard Axe Throwing League sound? Oh, and he also owns the incredible Dyna Guerilla by Rough Crafts that the new machine must be able to match and complement. For Rob Chappell of Origin8or Custom Cycle Co it was barely pause for concern. Because from the earliest of ages he’s been drawing up designs and then spinning spanners. So it comes as no surprise that the 1970 Triumph Bonneville they call ‘BATL’ had everyone smiling when it finally rolled out of his Ontario, Canada based workshop.



“Matt Wilson is the owner and founder of the Backyard Axe Throwing League (BATL) which now has leagues and locations across North America, so my discussion with him quickly turned to making a bike he could use to help promote the business,” Rob explains. But neither had any interest in creating some gaudy theme bike, like those vomited onto our TV screens a few years ago. Instead, Matt’s request was pretty simple, “I just need it to be reliable… and black”.



Sounds easy right? Well not so fast; while Matt did already own the Triumph to use as the donor, it had been to half the shops in Toronto and still never ran right. Before finally being parked up and left to gather dust in a corner. Sometimes starting with a bike with such gremlins is more hassle than its worth, but Rob’s built enough bikes to have confidence in his craft. First he stripped down the Bonneville and quickly found the wiring loom was a bird’s nest of patch-up jobs.



With that thrown in the bin, he pulled the entire bike apart, including removing the old hardtail, until all he was left with was just the front frame. From here Rob had a blank canvas and quickly found a David Bird hardtail in the local classifieds and a vertical oil tank to match.



Now to turn it into a roller a TCBros springer front end was selected and spinning on the axle is a 21in rim wrapped in a DURO HF301. While at the rear the 16 incher was pulled out and replaced with a new 18in rim wearing a DURO HF308.



Turning his attention to the visuals Rob took one look at the rusted out stock tank and decided to look elsewhere. From Lowbrow Customs he acquired a Cole Foster tank that changes the look of the bike just enough without looking at all out of place. Behind it he’s mounted a classic Biltwell seat that is supported by an airbag from TCBros to give a cushioned ride on the rigid machine. “Matt likes classic bobbers but I am not a huge fan of the sissy bar style, so I followed the lines of the seat and the flow of the tank down the backbone to create the rear fender mounts.”



This gives the new fender a weightless, almost suspended in mid-air look that is crisp and clean. While still providing the necessary strength and rigidity to prevent the fender from flapping around. Next Rob moved to some of the detail work “I created the license plate and tail light mount on my CNC plasma to fit the sweet little LED tail light,” he tells us. With the front end being treated to a smaller than stock headlight with the grilled out look, that is perfect for an owner who slings Axes on the weekend.



Then Rob had an idea, “Without getting too ‘Theme bike’ on this build I did decide it would be cool for Matt to mount his axe to the bike so he can travel to his events prepared. The amazing leatherwork on the axe holder and the battery mount are by my friend Adrian from 8×6 Customwork.” Now the loom could be totally re-done with a tiny Antigravity 8-cell battery, new micro-switches and Pazon ignition keeping the look super clean with plenty of hidden wiring.



Twist the throttle on the handmade drags bars and the parallel twin comes to life with a hell of a bark. The custom stainless exhaust was fab’d up in-house and comes up looking a treat thanks to the polishing work of @SuperLiza. To keep Matt from burning his leg Rob made up a trick heat shield, before fitting the engine with Mikuni carburation for reliability.



Some final back and forth and Mat Tobin at Jensen’s Customs was called upon to lay down the matte deep grey paint with graphics. And Origin8or Custom Cycle was ready to pass the axe over to Matt, who now rides the perfect steed into BATL.



[ Origin8or Custom Cycle Co | Instagram | Photography by Ben Quinn ]

 

[CarlS]

Nice work.

 

[DaveM]

The Harley-Davidson Sportster has been in production since 1957, proving itself as one of the most versatile platforms for chopper, flat track, and cafe racer builds — especially if you like the throaty rumble of an air-cooled, 45-degree V-twin. More recently, we’ve been seeing the Sportster in off-road trim, serving as a base for scrambler, adventure, and dual-sport purposes. Leading examples include the Carducci Dual Sport SC3, Biltwell’s Frijole 883 desert sled, Bull Original’s MX1000 ironhead, and the various jump/motocross bikes from the Rusty Butcher — just to name a few.



Today, we’re thrilled to feature what might be our favorite off-road Sportster yet: this “883 Scrambler” by Chikara Ueyama, CEO of Japan’s K&H Co., Ltd — makers of various motorcycle accessories and seats since 1976. This is Ueyama’s personal bike, in which he combined his love of big adventure machines like the BMW GS series with that of the 90s Sportster, taking three years to complete the build. He made much of the carbon bodywork himself, and the bike boasts a custom swingarm, shifted pivot point, and new subframe to accommodate the Ohlins TTX rear suspension. Meanwhile, Ueyama chose to keep certain signature elements of the Sportster intact, such as the headlight visor and air cleaner cover.



We love how this “883 Scrambler” remains clearly identifiable as a 90s Sportster despite the burly suspension and off-road prowess. Says Ueyama:

“Commuting, road touring, dirt touring, rally events — Everything is FUN with this 883 scrambler.”

Below, we get the full story on the build.

XLH883 Scrambler: Builder Interview



• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I became CEO of K&H Co., Ltd in 2013, taking over it from a founding owner. It was established in 1976, starting with production of exterior motorcycle equipment made of FRP — now our main products are seats.



• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

Harley Davidson ’98 XLH883.



• Why was this bike built?

This is my private machine. I started making it because I wanted to enjoy off-road. It took me three years to reach completion.

I love XLH883 of that time and I also have another original XLH883, 1996 model — nothing custom other than installation of our seat and bubble bag for model ‘96.



• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I wanted a dual purpose machine — that’s why I made it. I enjoy riding adventure machines like the BMW R1250GS, Africa Twin, KTM Adventure, and so on.



• What custom work was done to the bike?

I made CFRP tank, rear fender, skid plate, seat base, and some other carbon parts by myself. I even made a mold to form sponge.



To install long Ohlins TTX rear suspension, we shifted position of the swing arm pivot and created a different swing arm.



The subframe, which lowers the position of the pegs and exhaust pipe, are also my creation.



I insisted on keeping genuine HD equipment in some areas, as they are the characteristics of Sportster of this era; for example, the head lamp visor, headlight, speedometer, air cleaner cover, oil tank, and rear fender support cover are original.



The 883 engine is also stock.



• Does the bike have a nickname?

883 Scrambler.



• How would you classify this bike?

Dual purpose, scrambler.



• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

Commuting, road touring, dirt touring, rally events — Everything is FUN with this 883 scrambler.



Follow the Builder

Web: K＆H (ケイアンドエイチ)
Blog: https://blog.kandh.co.jp/
Facebook: @kandh.co.ltd/
Instagram: @kandh.co.jp/

Metal works by Fujitake Kinzoku Kogyosho
藤竹金属工業所、ホームページ（仮）へようこそ！。

Riding shot by Kenji Okubo.

Source...

 

[CarlS]

That is a good looking build.

 

[DaveM]

PAST & PRESENT. BMW R nine T by Untitled Motorcycles



Most people love the classic looks of a vintage motorcycle, but not everyone loves the maintenance and performance issues that normally go hand in hand with older bikes. So when a customer approached Untitled Motorcycles (UMC) in London wanting to build a BMW R nine T with a vintage airhead vibe, it was like they had been waiting for a project like this for a while. “We’ve built dozens of older BMW’s but never had the chance to customise the R nine T, so we jumped at the chance,” says head designer Adam Kay. To kick the project off, Adam sat down with the customer Nick Wooller to throw some ideas around and work out how this Urban GS should look.



After they had both agreed on the final design, Adam had Ian Galvin illustrate how the final custom would look for Nick – so there were no surprises when the bike was completed. Nick was really happy with what he saw and gave the green light to start work.



Then the fun began, Nick picked up a brand spanking new R nine T GS Urban from Parklane BMW in London and rode it directly the Untitled workshop. “I stripped off everything that wouldn’t be needed,” says Adam. “Subframe, airbox, handlebars, rear and front guard, headlight cowl, indicators, tank, cat and headers, silencer, rear foot rests, mirrors and side panels.”



Once all these parts were removed Adam started to add the new subframe in sections to see what could work. “I didn’t want to cut or weld the frame so it had to be a bolt on and off job. I had to make the new / old BMW toaster tank fit onto the new subframe in a way to clear the ABS system and keep the same amount of fuel capacity of the original tank the same.”



Adam enlisted the help of Dom from Brighton Motorcycles. Dom used to work with Adam at UMC so he knew he was the right guy for the fabrication job. “I wanted the bike to be as clean of parts as possible. Rizoma stop, rear light and indicators were fitted at the rear and just indicator lights at the front. Dom 3D printed the front indicator mounts to clean up the section the old indicators had left behind.”



A new fuel cap mount was needed to give the bike that classic look, so a broken BMW R80 tank was cut up and the fuel mount section was welded into the toaster tank. “The great thing about the Toaster tank is how slim it is. When sitting on the bike you really see the engine sticking out either side. You truly know what you’re riding.”



Once the fabrication was completed, all the little parts had to be done. “Moving the ECU, battery and throttle box to clear the frame and seated up the rear section. I also wanted to fabricate new side panels to hide parts that you just can’t remove or hide – unless you make the tank really small by putting them underneath the tank.”



As the stock pipes and silencer was removed, a new silencer was fabricated by Pro Race Exhaust Systems. “They made it small enough to allow as much of the rear wheel be seen. They also made it for me while I waited. I wanted this custom to be as usable as it was intended to be. The tank has the same fuel capacity as the original, the ride is more comfortable due to the larger padded leather seat made by the talented Glenn Moger.”



The bars were made higher than standard to help Nick who is well over 6 feet tall. When it came to the colour choice on the tank, Nick wanted to have the classic Motorrad triple treat. The guys at Image Design Custom used those traditional Motorrad colours, but made them look faded over the years – to add to the vintage look. To visually slim the height of the toaster tank, a black bottom section was painted to follow the new sub-frame line.



When it came to unveiling the final bike, Nick was blown away with how the UMC classic styled version of the R nine T had turned out. He was last seen tearing up the streets of South East England with a grin from ear to ear.





[ Untitled Motorcycles London | Instagram | Photographer Ludovic Robert ]

 

[DaveM]

The 2019 Handbuilt Motorcycle Show, hosted by Revival Cycles and BMW Motorrad USA, took place during Austin’s MotoGP in April. Since its inception, the show and its creators have aimed at reviving the culture of physical craftsmanship and the beauty formed by human hands:

“This renaissance of working with our hands has helped create the movement that is the custom motorcycle scene. It is our vision that those that visit The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show will be inspired to pick up tools and use their hands to make something of their own.”

For 2019, the show took place once again at the Austin American Statesman venue adjacent to Town Lake. On Saturday, Team Revival and the Roland Sands Hooligan series hosted a Super Hooligan Race right in the parking lot, and later that night there was a feature screening of Gareth Roberts’s new documentary Oil in the Blood.

Below, we list some of our two-strokes from the show — one of the perennial favorites from the show.

2-Stroke Custom Motorcycles: Handbuilt Show 2019


Yamaha RD400 “Bullet Bob Special” by Jared Morris of Atlanta’s Bullet Bob Moto.

Yamaha TZ750 of Chris Baucom (Triumph Addict), restored by Jeff Palhegyi.

Penton 400 (1974½) by PJ Grakauskas / Chicago Jerry of Chi-Jer’s Vintage BikeWorks.

RD350-powered Board Tracker by Mark Miller (@nojoke2stroke).

KTM 300 XC-W Six Days by David Mucci of Chicago’s Moto-Mucci.

Suzuki GT380 by ᵀᴴᴱMOTOWORKS.

Yamaha RD400 / TZ250 “2 Stroke Attack” by Roland Sands Design.

Yamaha TZ350 (?) — builder unknown.

Greeves road racer — builder unknown.

Kawasaki enduro / scrambler — builder unknown.

Source...

 

[Rocky]

Interesting, but not my style and I would have no use for any of them.
To be honest, I cringe when I look at some of them.
But to each his own.

 

[CarlS]

I am not into cafe racers; but I admire the engineering and work that has gone into some of these creations. I do like and would not mind owning some of the scramblers.

 

[DaveM]

CAFFEINATED SINGLE. Honda Dominator NX650 by MécaServices92



Written by Martin Hodgson

Long before YouTube there was Claude Lelouch’s epic 8 minute masterpiece, C’était un rendez-vous, showing the French are as mad as the rest of us. Fellow Parisian Isidore Delgrosso shares that need for speed but prefers to get his kicks on two wheels. From his workshop MécaServices92 near the heart of the city, he utilises his engineering talent to produce some of the countries finest customs. Now he’s back with a ’90s Honda NX650 Dominator café racer that’s been touched in all the right places.



Having previously built a modern custom killer from a Honda 650 Vigor with the same single cylinder RFVC as the NX, Isidore wanted to take things further. Not that the original Honda build was underdone, with a fully built engine, single-sided swingarm and new R1 Forks. But with his talented team around him he knew they could go one better and when he got a call about a true barn find NX650 covered in dust he knew it was time to “transform this dual-sport bike into a real café racer.”



With one of his employees left to tear down the bike, Isidore pulled the engine and set about a rebuild that would turn the humble single pot into a stone cold killer. Sandblasted and then torn down to the last bolt the gearbox was given all new parts, while the stators flywheel was machined to lose some weight. A new clutch basket was next in with aluminium friction discs replacing the steel and a clear clutch cover installed to show it all off. While this was being done the cylinder was out for a rebore to take capacity out to 675cc.



Piecing the engine back together the polished crank now swings a forged conrod with a high compression piston thrown in for good measure. While the head has been given the works with new bronze guides, HRC supplied camshaft, a port and polish, before everything was coated in a low friction DLC treatment. To supply the necessary fuel a Mikuni TM40 carb was jetted appropriately for the combination and draws air through a custom alloy box with velocity stack. While all the gases from this monster mill exit via a custom stainless exhaust and twin Marving mufflers.



With all that work done there was no way Isidore was fitting up the engine to any old frame and he and his team set about crafting something equally as special. With a full alignment and repaint the front section of the frame is joined by a custom fabricated subframe that utilises a twin hoop tail. Not only does this provide enough room for the full electronics package but makes for ultra stiff mounting for the new twin shock setup. To make this possible the single shock pro-link is chucked aside with a new caged section added to the swingarm to support the one-off Fournales dampers.



The front end is no less as impressive with modern USD forks pulled apart and rebuilt to suit the bikes weight and internally lowered 20mm. To make them fit a new steering stem is installed into the CNC machined triple trees that were designed in-house before being milled by USV Racing. The braking is just what you’d expect from a team that doesn’t cut corners with twin 298mm floating discs providing plenty of power for the lightweight bike. While the 4 piston calipers have been machined down and sport all new braided lines.



Dressing up the package, the bodywork is required to totally transform the bike from old plastic warrior to smooth steel cafe racer. With the tank they were after found, it was treated to only the best in panel work, with a new filler cap welded in. The tailpiece was designed to match the lines and Carbon Shape took care of its manufacture from carbon reinforced glass fibre. It’s topped off with a seat by SQP Motors in red with white stitching. While the front fairing designed by Nuno Capêlo is mounted on adjusters for perfect positioning, genius.



There are little bits of brilliance wherever you care to look, the tail light a combination of machined shell and red lens made by a stained glass craftsman. While the decision to use perimeter spoked wheels meant that the hubs had to be machined from scratch and more mastery comes with the foldable rear sets that click-lock into multiple locations to allow the kickstarter to swing freely.



To finish it all out Jean Eric Tallemet laid down the paint and a set of sticky Bridgestones fitted up. It’s impossible to imagine what else you could do to make a humble NX650 any better and it’s this no stone left unturned approach of MécaServices92 that delivers such an incredible result.



[ MécaServices92 | Photography by Denis Boussard ]

 

[DaveM]

A Sportster from the father/son founders of BikeBound…

From the editor, Taylor Brown: Today, I’m excited to feature one of our own personal bikes: my 1989 Harley-Davidson XLH1200 Sportster — “Blitzen” — which my father and I built, working side-by-side in his home garage during holidays and vacation time. Tragically, we lost my old man — Rick Brown — less than a year after this build. On October 16, 2017, a concrete truck pulled in front of his motorcycle just north of the Georgia-Florida line. Though we lived in different states, I’d ridden that same highway, that same morning, on this very motorcycle — during a 1000-mile ride from North Carolina to New Orleans via the old coastal highways.



For that reason, Blitzen holds a very special place in the heart of the BikeBound family. It was the last motorcycle my father and I worked on together. Just after the memorial — and thanks to a mother with nerves of steel, who gave her assent — I finished the ride to New Orleans in honor of my old man, riding the bike we’d built.



Some of you had the pleasure of meeting my father at various events: Riding into History, Handbuilt Show, Barber, Mid-Ohio Vintage Days, or various shop visits. For those who didn’t meet him, I encourage you to read my recent eulogy for him, published in Garden & Gun magazine: “Two for the Road: A Son’s Eulogy for his Father.”


Garden & Gun: “Sharing a love of motorcycles with his father brings author Taylor Brown a lifetime of lessons along the South’s back roads—including how to say goodbye.”

Below, we thought it only fair that I get subjected to the very same interview I’m accustomed to giving our featured builders here on BikeBound Thank you to the lovely AJ Grey for the photography.

“Blitzen Tracker”: Interview with Taylor Brown

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I’m 36 years old, born and raised on the Georgia coast, and currently reside in Wilmington, North Carolina. I live something of a double life, as I’m the founder/editor-in-chief of BikeBound.com by day and a novelist/author by night. I have three novels in print: Fallen Land, The River of Kings, and Gods of Howl Mountain — published by St. Martin’s Press.

Like many, my history with motorcycles started with my old man, riding on the back of his various bikes. He once owned one of the fastest street-legal Sportsters in the state, as well as a highly-modified Wide Glide 90th Anniversary Edition, a Suzuki SV650 track bike, a Kawasaki ZZR1200, a Ninja 1000, and a Kawasaki KZ650.


DGR 2016 with the old man.

He was in the middle of completing an XS650 street tracker at the time of his death. He was a graduate of the Kevin Schwantz Superbike School and Penguin Racing School, and in 2014 he rode coast-to-coast, circling the country in a journey of more than 9000 miles.


The old man in New Orleans during his cross-country trip…

When I was a kid, I would go with him on poker runs, post-work loops around town, etc. In my teens, we got a pair of Honda XR200 trail bikes and spent our weekends cruising the back roads with the thumpers in town, looking for places to ride. Fire roads, borrow pits, abandoned construction sites, and off-road parks were our domain. Later, I got my first street bike, a Kawasaki KLR250, later followed by an 883 Sportster, and we made trips to Daytona, Sturgis, and more. We watched one of our favorites, Nicky Hayden, win the MotoGP race at Laguna Seca in 2006, and dreamed of one day attending the Isle of Man.



I founded BikeBound.com in 2015 and my dad, who’d just retired, quickly became a close partner in the project, acting as our “senior correspondent” and making shop visits and cover events all over the American South and beyond. My own workshop consists of the two-car garage in the same building that now serves as BikeBound’s office/headquarters, but for this project, we worked out of my father’s modest home garage in Georgia.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1989 Harley-Davidson XLH1200 Sportster.



• Why was this bike built?

Blitzen was a father/son project and also to serve as a sort of “flagship” for BikeBound.



• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

With BikeBound, from the beginning, we’ve tried to emphasize custom bikes built to be ridden hard rather than show bikes or trailer queens. In fitting with that theme, we wanted a practical scrambler/tracker/bobber that was reliable enough to serve as a daily commuter, comfortable enough for 300-mile days in the saddle, and modified to handle some light off-road adventure — all while looking mean-as-hell.


Before some of the upgrades.

We’ve always been big fans of muscle cars and hot rods as well as scramblers and street trackers — all of which influenced this bike. What’s more, we’d both owned and developed a fondness for solid-mount, chain-drive Sportsters. In fact, in the 90s, my old man used to own something of a Sportster sleeper — a 100+ horsepower street-sweeper that looked almost completely stock



We didn’t set out to purchase a 4-speed donor like this one, but it was a solid-mount Evo at the right price. As it turns out, the 4-speed transmission makes the bike some 40+ lighter than the 5-speed models — though I’ve wished for the burliness of the newer gearbox at times.



• What custom work was done to the bike?

Besides some dress-up, like the black paint on the heads and chrome covers, the engine itself is largely stock. My old man had dealt with hot-rodded, temperamental Harley V-twins in the past, and we wanted a bike that wouldn’t leave me on the stranded on the side of the road hundreds of miles from home.



The bike does have a Dynatek ignition, aftermarket breather from the good folks at Get Lowered Cycles, and I just installed a coil relocation kit with new top motor mount from Lick’s Cycles. The exhaust is a custom version of Kinetic Motorcycles’ 540R Laterals — built in 304 stainless steel, TIG-welded, with Apex mufflers. We came up with a rear bracket welded to the frame, but constant heat cycles and metal fatigue caused the bracket to fail a couple times. Finally, I got with Joe at Performance Cycles and we came up with the idea to use a simple horn damper to rubber-mount the rear hanger, which seems to have resolved the issue.



This exhaust system is designed to make room for rearsets, which we got from Shane at Chainsikle and paired with a set of 1-inch lowered foot pegs from Randy and Alicia at Knight Design — fine-tuning the riding position for yours truly. The rear shocks are 15-inch Burly Brand Stiletto shocks — the tallest they make for the Sportster. The front suspension is stock except for slightly heavier weight fork oil and rubber gaiters to keep out the dust during dirt-road adventuring.



In the rear, we have a raw aluminum Lowbrow Customs Tsunami fender — it’s designed for 2004+ Sportsters, but we modified it to fit the ’89 frame, giving it a bit more of a raked angle in the process. On top of that, we mount a Biltwell Banana seat. The saddle might look thin, but I’ve done hundreds of miles a day on this setup without issue — really comfortable. Stubby fiberglass front fender for keeping the rain and grit out of my face.



We swapped the king tank the previous owner had installed for a factory “peanut tank.” This was intended as a temporary solution. In fact, I spent hours buffing, sanding, and prepping a raw tank for clear-coat. But once we got it back from the painters, the stock tank and factory colorway had grown on us. It seemed very “of the era” and we decided to keep it. Besides, we’re from Georgia, so the colors red and black are in our blood



People always ask about the bars. They’re the Burly Brand Scrambler bar in chrome, and they are simply my favorite handlebars ever. In terms of riding position and feel, they make the bike. Lately I added a set of stainless handguards from JD Customs Shop — they allow me to wear thinner gloves in winter and I love the “oversize enduro look” they give the bike. Grips are from the Oury — the same ones I have on all of my bicycles.



Last but not least, we just swapped the stock mags for a set of 19/16-inch spoked wheels from TC Bros, wrapped in Bates Baja tires from the fine folks at Germany’s W&W Cycles. We hand-painted the sidewall lettering for that old-school muscle look.



With the wheel mounting and lettering, I have to thank my girlfriend, AJ Grey, who is not only an incredible artist, photographer, and all-around woman — but she’s a damn fine help in the garage, too. Also, I wanted to thank Ted at Savannah’s Sport Cycle, who was always willing to lend a listening ear or helping hand when we ran up against an issue.

• Does the bike have a nickname?

“Blitzen.” The reindeer name seemed fitting given the high and wide handlebars, almost like chrome antlers, and the fact that we did much of the work over the Christmas holiday. While the bike isn’t a proper street tracker, I sometimes call it the “Blitzen Tracker” because it sounds like Blitzen Trapper — one of my favorite bands



• How would you classify this bike?

The bike doesn’t fit neatly into one of the ready-made categories. I reckon it’s a scrambler/tracker/bobber hybrid.



• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

While there are plenty of bikes that are much more customized, with tons more skill and fabrication on display, the bike is perfectly what I needed and wanted. What’s more, I’m proud of the miles, adventures, and downright love that’s part of this bike’s story and history. It’s one I’ll never let go.


NOLA-bound!
Special Thanks

I’d like to give a special thanks to several people, shops, and companies.

• AJ Grey: www.ajgreyartist.com
• Cody at Burly Brand: www.burlybrand.com
• Shane at Chainsikle: chainsikle.com
• Randy and Alicia at Knight Design: www.knightdesignllc.com
• Kinetic Motorcycles: www.kineticmotorcycles.com
• Joe at Performance Cycles: www.facebook.com/perfcyclesnc/
• Ted at Sport Cycle: www.facebook.com/Sport-Cycle-201181323267125/
• Harold at W&W Cycles: www.wwag.com

Source...

 

[DaveM]

Best in Class: Garage-built neo cafe racer from a former USAF tech…

The Honda CB900F — aka the Bol d’Or, named after the legendary French 24-hour endurance race — was an air-cooled, DOHC roadster descended from the company’s RS1000 endurance racer. The 901cc engine offered 95 peak horsepower with loads of midrange punch, good for a quarter mile time of 11.84 seconds according to Motorcyclist, and many reviewers said the bike challenged the European makes in handling. Honda was proud of the machine, calling it:

“A thundering Super-Sports bike with devastating performance and an unwavering stamina.”

Enter James Berreau, who purchased his first motorcycle — an ’87 CBR600 — while serving as an aircraft electrician in the USAF. Later, he attended the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) in Phoenix, and played with a custom ZX-11 and CBR-based track bike before getting his hands on an ’81 Honda CB900F — the first year the model was available in the USA. Says James:

“Initially, I was thinking of a simple cafe conversion. Then, slowly it transformed into a full blown, tear down creation. Every nut and bolt is new, refurbished and/or modified in some way.”

Highlights include the modified and reinforced frame, CB400F tank, Triumph swing-arm, Ducati subframe, Showa forks, Ohlins shock, Aprilia wheels, ported cylinder head with 1mm over pistons, lightened crankshaft, permanent magnet alternator conversion, Moto-gadget m-Unit Blue, and more. The result is simply stunning, a highly-executed neo cafe / restomod that James built in the garage where he keeps grandfather’s lathe, TIG welder, and a lift:

“It is a true garage build. I have almost two years and well over 500 hrs into it creating, machining and welding Tokyo Nights.”

All that work has been paying off. “Tokyo Nights” recently won won Best in Class at Mark’s local Minneapolis VJMC (Vintage Japaneses Motorcycle Club) show, and he has more shows lined up.



Below, we get the full story on this air-cooled stunner.

Honda CB900F Cafe / Restomod: Builder Interview



• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

Both my father and step-father were into motorcycles. While in the USAF, as an aircraft electrician, I was able to purchase my first motorcycle, a 1987 CBR600. Then the ZX-11 came out. I vowed to get one. After the Air Force I attended MMI in Phoenix. Moved back to MN, then finally found my ZX-11. I proceeded to swap forks (ZX-10R) and wheels (Ducati 999). Rebuilt the engine, ported the head and it pulled like a freight train. Meanwhile I built a track bike, frame and motor from a CBR600F2, Renthal bars, R1 forks and GSX-R wheels.

As far as my “workshop,” it consist of just the third garage stall (heated) with grandpa’s lathe, a TIG welder, and a lift.



• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1981 Honda CB900F.



• Why was this bike built?

Personal, I wanted to do a full build.



• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I started seeing bikes from AC Sanctuary and loved the concept of modern hardware on an older bike. Rob and Chris Chappell’s CB900 sold me on the bike I wanted to start with, and I like the colors of “FatMile” by Hans Muth. I tried to emulate the quality of builders like that.



• What custom work was done to the bike?

Hand fab’ed: Headlight bracket, upper triple, fender brackets, oil cooler brackets. Fuel tank hybrid, frame to accommodate single shock.



Modified a Ducati Monster subframe. Machined spacers and turned all the heads of the stainless bolts. Wire harness from scratch.



• Does the bike have a nickname?

Tokyo Nights.



• How would you classify this bike?

Almost a café/restomod.



• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

Besides the whole project; the fuel tank I thought was quite challenging. I’ve never done much sheet metal work/welding. To take a new tank then cut the bottom out of it to fit a the bottom of a 1981 tank. Then not have it leak on top of that.



Source...

 

[DaveM]

THE ART OF IKIGAI WITH SHINYA KIMURA



Words and photos by Phoenix Naman.

In a time where instant gratification is a commodity, we’re quickly forgetting the value of true craftsmanship. The craftsmanship that comes from repetition, and repetition, in today’s culture, is not that cool. We’re all suckers for the quick dopamine hit. Be it the newest iPhone, or swiping left or right. It seems that ‘Next, Next, Next’ is the mantra of the times. Being still is a rebellion. A rebellion that Shinya seems to have mastered.

Far removed from the influencers of Venice beach, there stands Chabott Engineering. A workshop that upon entering, looks like entering Nebuchadnezzar of the Matrix trilogy, while Shinya San likened to a current day Morpheus.



The day I visited Shinya was a balmy, quiet, California afternoon. It’s a short 45 minutes cruise on the opposite side of the road from where we were staying. Three-quarters of the way there, the road opened up to a vista of mountains. I parked my trusty rental, a Ford Futura Hybrid right next to Shinya’s ride a classic Dodge truck that was sticker bombed to the nines. The back of the Dodge was a pilgrimage for those who visited Shinya, and felt compelled to leave their mark on his truck.



Shinya is one of the most humble people I’ve met, and definitely not one to talk about himself, albeit having many noteworthy achievements. He generously showed me around his workshop and gallery upstairs. I was like a kid over Christmas, gawking at motorcycles, paraphernalia, and the vintage artifacts. He then introduced me to his partner in crime, Ayu. All of us stood around reminiscing about the salt flats together.



There are tools everywhere, new tools, old tools, and tools to make tools. Chaos to an untrained eye, yet to Shinya it is a well-organised machine. Everything has its place, and everything has a purpose. Shelves full of old parts, fuel tanks, vintage posters hanging on the wall, angle grinders, oils, welding equipment, and pretty much anything to build a running motorcycle from scratch. Not to mention a handful of vintage motorcycles lined up like horses in a stable. If there was ever a place where you’d be glad your bike broke down, this is it.



There is no sign of a screen anywhere in the workshop, apart from an old laptop that sits in the gallery upstairs. The gallery is kitted out with some of the most beautiful pieces of art in the form of motorcycles, and frames of more of the same. Calling it a workshop doesn’t do it justice, it is more than that. It is a museum of its own. The motorcycles that come out of this shed are more than automotives. They are a mash-up of moving machinery, minimalism, and art.



It is safe to say, that I know exactly where I’ll be headed if there is ever an apocalypse.

After a few hours of hanging out, taking photos, and shooting the breeze, it was time for me to hit the road. Whilst I got into my hybrid rental, they jumped on their hand-built custom motorcycles and headed the other way waving goodbye. Thank you to Shinya San, and Ayu San. It was a pleasure, and I hope to come back and ride with you one day.





















[ Phoenix Naman > Instagram | Chabott Engineering ]

 

[DaveM]

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show is one of our favorite custom motorcycle shows on the planet. Created and hosted by Revival Cycles, the show aims to revive a culture of physical craftsmanship:

“The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show is an inspiring showcase of works from builders and craftsmen that combine knowledge, skill, and ingenuity to create one-of-a-kind truly hand-built machines…It is our vision that those that visit The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show will be inspired to pick up tools and use their hands to make something of their own.”

The 2019 show, hosted by Revival Cycles and BMW Motorrad USA, took place at the Austin American Statesman venue, where more than 150 bikes were on display. Below, we list some of our favorite scramblers, trackers, and adventure bikes from the show. All photos courtesy of Revival Cycles.

Handbuilt 2019: Scramblers, Trackers, Brawlers, etc.


Yamaha XS650 by Old Soul Young Blood.

Royal Enfield Scrambler 650 by Revival Cycles.

KTM Duke 390 by Colt Wrangler.

Turbocharged Sportster by Bryce Schmidt — a bike we featured previously on the blog!

BMW R65 by One-Up Moto Garage — a bike we featured previously on the blog!

Ducati 749 by Seba Achaval.

Penton 400 by Chi-Jer’s Vintage Bikeworks.

Honda CB750 “Casper” by Atlanta’s Vandals Moto — a bike we featured previously on the blog! More of these are for sale!

Honda CL350 “Wondertwin” by Atlanta’s Fitz and Flores.

Harley-Davidson “Sandster” by OLC Moto, built for Big D Speedshop.

Yamaha RD400 “Bullet Bob Special” by Jared Morris of Atlanta’s Bullet Bob Moto..

Yamaha TZ750 of Chris Baucom (Triumph Addict), restored by Jeff Palhegyi.

KTM 300 by Chicago’s Moto-Mucci.

Kawasaki Ninja 650 “Nightmare” by Ryan Maloney — a bike we featured previously on the blog!

Kawasaki KZ400 “Womp Rat” by AspiRe Cycle — a bike we featured previously on the blog!

Honda XR600R “Blarth” by John Green aka Juan Verde (@RotaJG) — a bike we featured previously on the blog!

Sportster 1200R “OVRLANDR 003” by Combustion Industries.

650-swapped Honda CX500 by Phil Hudson of 6th City Cycles.

Suzuki DR650 “Retro-Moto” by Parr Motorcycles of Indianapolis — another bike we’ve featured on the blog!

BMW R100GS Dakar by Gregor Halenda.

Supercharged (!) “Evel XG” by Colin Cornberg of Number 8 Wire Moto.

Yamaha XT600 “Tobacco Tracker” by Ava Wolff, commissioned by Tobacco Motorwear.

Triumph Bonneville / Allied Racing #72 by Super Hooligan racer Paul Hartman.

Triumph street tracker — builder unknown.

Source...

 

[CarlS]

Some very work here. Some are butt ugly, though.

 

[Rocky]

Some very work here. Some are butt ugly, though.

I don't like to dump on the creations of many of those builders, but I have to wonder where the beauty and attractiveness of most of them is.
Butt ugly is what I think of most of them too.
Oh well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess

 

[CarlS]

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder judging from some of these!

 

[Rocky]

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder judging from some of these!

Trying out the font size.

 

[DaveM]

Looking at these builds just made me think that I cannot remember when last I have seen a Yamaha around our parts.

 

[Rocky]

Looking at these builds just made me think that I cannot remember when last I have seen a Yamaha around our parts.

The old XS650 is very popular around here and we have several in our club.

 

[DaveM]

I used to see plenty of them around at one time as well.