Weekend vibes with @seeseemotorcycles and the new Indian FTR. . Photo by @scott__rounds. . . #the1moto #seeseemotorcycles #croig #caferacersofinstagram #indianmotorcycle #ftr1200
Custom Bikes & Cafe Racer
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A cool lighting setup on @kickstartgarage’s Honda CX500 build at @the1moto. Nice work Craig! . Photo by @illia.kifa. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #the1moto #honda #cx500 #scrambler
“Dirtstyle” Honda XL from Italy…
The Honda XL600 is one of our favorite dual-sport bikes of the 1980s. The air-cooled RFVC radial valve engine offered 45 horsepower — solid punch at the time — and the bike weighed a shade under 300 pounds dry. The bike performed well in the Paris-Dakar and other rallies. No surprise, the bike impressed reviewers with its off-road prowess when tested against contemporary rivals. Said the editor of Road Rider Magazine:
Enter the guys from Padova Dirt Custom, located in Padua — a small city near Venice, Italy. The three-man crew has been racing motocross and supermoto from a young age, so they’ve always been working on bikes. When a friend of theirs took them this 1987 Honda XL600 project, they decided to build a custom machine capable of tackling a wide variety of terrain and adventures:
They named the bike “Civetta” (Owl), which is the name of a local mountain. We dig the Dakar-style shape of the bike, from the small, upright front fairing to the wide solo seat. Below, we get the full story on the build, along with photos from Nicola Kalbaris.
Honda XL600 Scrambler: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
We are three guys who customize motorcycles for passion. We have a garage where we work together: Padova Dirt Custom. We live in Padua, a small city near Venice. Since we were young, we have raced with motocross and supermoto, so we have always worked on them.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
The base for this creation is a 1987 Honda XL600.
• Why was this bike built?
We had a friend who started this project in his garage but at a certain point he decided to stop the work because he didn’t have time, experience and tools. He gave us the opportunity to realize this bike.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
This build was influenced by our passion for all-terrain vehicles. The goal was to have a bike that allows you to go everywhere and discover new horizons.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
We modified the rear chassis and built the front fairing and rear fender by hand. We installed a radial master cylinder with aeronautic brake line. A small factory near us created a custom exhaust based on our design. We made the seat, which was sewed afterwards by a local upholsterer.
We replaced tank with an aftermarket one. We removed the airbox and battery compartment — therefore we had to install a conical air filter and adjust the entire wiring.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
The bike name is “Civetta” (owl), which is a local mountain name.
• How would you classify this bike?
We classify this bike as scrambler.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
We are particularly proud of the front fairing because even if it appears simple it needed many hours of work. We are also proud of the seat’s design.
Follow the Builder
FB: Padova Dirt Custom
IG: @padovadirtcustom
Ph: @nicola_kalbaris
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“There’s always a way back but do you want to take it?” - @alangoesnuts and @olmoforest . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #madrid #spain #travel
#MopedMonday . “Just finished this 70’s Puch Magnum X full restoration. It has a stretched swingarm and beefier forks to accommodate the larger wheels instead of the original 14”/12” wheels. Was 50cc stock, now it’s a 75cc ripper!! Hope you like it, cheers!” - @blank.tapes . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #moped #puchmagnum #puch
The Honda FTR250 was a factory street tracker styled after the company’s purpose-built flat tracker, the legendary Honda RS750, which broke the long dominance of Harley-Davidson in the AMA Grand National Championship, winning four championships in a row during the 1980s. The FTR250 — a Japan-only model — featured an RFVC head based on the XR series. According to our friends at Bike-urious, the bike made around 19 horsepower and became an 80s classic:
Enter Hirofumi Takeda of Ignition MC, who’s had a long career in the moto industry. He currently works at a local shop and builds customs in his free time. When it comes to custom work, his “master” is none other than Kengo Kimura of Heiwa Motorcycle — one of the most legendary builders in Japan and beyond.
The bike Hirofumi about two years to complete, working in his own space and at the Heiwa workshop in his free time. He was inspired by old motocross bikes — in particular, the narrow shape and simplicity of design. The result is “Ignite,” an FTR250 street tracker / scrambler that’s unlike any other 250 single we’ve seen. Below, we get the full story on the build.
Honda FTR250 Tracker / Scrambler: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My career in motorcycle industry is quite long. I’m now working at a local motorcycle shop. The custom work at Ignition Motorcycle is my personal project, so I have to work on the bike in my free time. That’s why it took me two years to bring the bike to completion – too much time! Haha.
By good fortune I have a great master for custom works, Kengo Kimura at Heiwa Motorcycle, one of the most famous builders in Japan. I did more than half of my work at the Heiwa Motorcycle shop and the rest at my own place. He gave me proper advice so that I could produce things out of my images. I’m very grateful to him.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
Make: Honda
Model: MD17 FTR250
Year: 1986
• Why was this bike built?
It is for personal, but also for promotion.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
The design concept was racer. I derived inspiration from motocross bikes when building this bike. The narrow shape and simplicity is cool.
• What custom work was done to the motorcycle?
It might be hard to notice the difference in the photos, though, the bike is fitted with a one-off handlebar (MXLOWBAR) which I made with my own hand bender.
The gastank is a junk item I found at an auction. I had been looking for a small one. I restored and built it up so that it fits the body well.
I processed the seat-cowl in a linear shape to make it look more racerlike.
Some custom works were done to the frame, too. Electric parts were originally in the gusset-plate of the head-pipe, so the appearance of it was not so good. In order to improve this, I removed and hid them behind the gas tank. The gusset-plate was remade into a simple one. This process took me quite a long time.
And above all, the most important custom work is the twin silencer. In order not to obstruct it, I made other components as simple as possible.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
“Ignite.”
• How would you classify this bike?
It’s like a scrambler and street tracker rolled into one.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
I rebuilt the twin silencer a hundred times so that its line can fit in its ideal position.
Follow the Builder @ignitionmc
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MOTO PHOTOS: 2019 One Moto Show, Portland, Oregon
Written by Scott Hopkin
It’s crazy to think that nine years ago we featured a few bikes from a random little show in Portland called the ‘One Moto Show’. Then it its second year, it had 75 bikes and around 1500 bike enthusiasts come through the doors to check out this ‘new wave’ of custom bikes. The show was started by a Portland local called Thor Drake. Ten years later and Thor is still cranking out this show – just at a much larger scale.
It now features over 200 bikes and thousands of people walk through the gates. Thor not only has one of the best moustaches in America, but also has created one of the best motorcycle shows in the USA – if not the world. Seriously. But just like a good moustache, it hasn’t happened overnight. The One Show has been continuously growing, leading to this year’s big one – their 10 year anniversary.
Red with envy
And we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to head over to Portland for The One Moto 10 year Anniversary Show. I’ve got to be honest, it’s been a long time coming and the build-up has been huge. As soon as we walked through the gates, there was no mistaking what country we were in and who the main sponsor was. Stars and stripes flags were proudly displayed everywhere, as were huge containers of Indian Motorcycles stacked on top of each other.
Then as you walk through the main entry to the 100-year-old foundry warehouse, there was the impressive Indian stand with a couple of Indian Scout FTR1200’s in all their glory. It’s the first time I’ve seen one in the flesh and I’m impressed with how good it looks – even better than the photos. There’s also a few Indian Scout Bobbers, a couple of stunning restored classic Indians and of course some beautiful custom bikes including the Madhouse Motors bike we featured a little while back.
The space is vast, and the first walk through was a bit overwhelming. There’s hundreds of bikes spread over thousands of square feet of warehouse space. But what was apparent, was the way it was curated. There had been a lot of thought put into each room, not just with the bikes but also the artwork adorning the walls. The bikes were mainly grouped into categories, which made it easier to digest. There’s a room with restored vintage dirt bikes, room full of choppers and cruisers, then lots of other larger rooms that had a mix of everything from restored classics, vintage enduro bikes and even some mini choppers that put a smile on my face.
For a four-wheeler, that’s pretty rad…
On the Friday night of the show after people have been significantly lubricated, there was the inaugural ‘Dodgy Derby’ electric mini bike race which lived up to its name. It’s basically a boozy smash ’em up derby around a short course, which was a good laugh and a spectator favourite.
The One, the only… Thor Drake
The show wouldn’t happen without the people coming to check out the bikes. There was a real eclectic mix of bikers, hipsters, families and of course the bike builders themselves. Over 100 bike builders were invited and most were there, happy to chat about their creations. It was great to finally meet a lot the builders we have featured over the past 10 years on Pipeburn and put faces to the names.
The One Show isn’t just about motorcycles, it’s about music too. And it’s such an important thing that many shows leave out completely, or is included as an afterthought. The bands and DJ’s playing at night added to the atmosphere and helped turn the night into a party, with the Canadian band Black Mountain headlining the Saturday night. Being a psychedelic rock band I think they appealed to many of the locals who might just have visited their local dispensary on the way to the show.
The other huge drawcard that was part of The One Show was the flat track racing, held about an hour’s drive at the Salem Indoor Speedway – which is apparently the fastest indoor track in the USA. Around 2000 spectators (myself included) braved the snow storm and made it out to the track to watch the flat track racing, including the main event – the Roland Sands Designs Super Hooligans. I’ve gained a new-found respect for these riders who wrestle their 400 pound plus machines around a 1/8th mile clay oval at stupid fast speeds. There were loads of spills – but I think we saw more accidents on the icy highway coming back to Portland.
Nine years ago Thor said, “If 20 of my buddies show up then that’ll be great and we’ll have fun”. Well, thousands of moto loving folks turned up this year from all around the country and the world. And Thor was right, we had a hell of a lot fun and we made a lot of new friends. Can’t wait for the next one.
[ The One Moto Show | Photos by Mr. Pixelhead ]
Written by Scott Hopkin
It’s crazy to think that nine years ago we featured a few bikes from a random little show in Portland called the ‘One Moto Show’. Then it its second year, it had 75 bikes and around 1500 bike enthusiasts come through the doors to check out this ‘new wave’ of custom bikes. The show was started by a Portland local called Thor Drake. Ten years later and Thor is still cranking out this show – just at a much larger scale.
It now features over 200 bikes and thousands of people walk through the gates. Thor not only has one of the best moustaches in America, but also has created one of the best motorcycle shows in the USA – if not the world. Seriously. But just like a good moustache, it hasn’t happened overnight. The One Show has been continuously growing, leading to this year’s big one – their 10 year anniversary.
Red with envy
And we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to head over to Portland for The One Moto 10 year Anniversary Show. I’ve got to be honest, it’s been a long time coming and the build-up has been huge. As soon as we walked through the gates, there was no mistaking what country we were in and who the main sponsor was. Stars and stripes flags were proudly displayed everywhere, as were huge containers of Indian Motorcycles stacked on top of each other.
Then as you walk through the main entry to the 100-year-old foundry warehouse, there was the impressive Indian stand with a couple of Indian Scout FTR1200’s in all their glory. It’s the first time I’ve seen one in the flesh and I’m impressed with how good it looks – even better than the photos. There’s also a few Indian Scout Bobbers, a couple of stunning restored classic Indians and of course some beautiful custom bikes including the Madhouse Motors bike we featured a little while back.
The space is vast, and the first walk through was a bit overwhelming. There’s hundreds of bikes spread over thousands of square feet of warehouse space. But what was apparent, was the way it was curated. There had been a lot of thought put into each room, not just with the bikes but also the artwork adorning the walls. The bikes were mainly grouped into categories, which made it easier to digest. There’s a room with restored vintage dirt bikes, room full of choppers and cruisers, then lots of other larger rooms that had a mix of everything from restored classics, vintage enduro bikes and even some mini choppers that put a smile on my face.
For a four-wheeler, that’s pretty rad…
“It’s basically a boozy smash ’em up derby around a short course, which was a good laugh.”
On the Friday night of the show after people have been significantly lubricated, there was the inaugural ‘Dodgy Derby’ electric mini bike race which lived up to its name. It’s basically a boozy smash ’em up derby around a short course, which was a good laugh and a spectator favourite.
The One, the only… Thor Drake
The show wouldn’t happen without the people coming to check out the bikes. There was a real eclectic mix of bikers, hipsters, families and of course the bike builders themselves. Over 100 bike builders were invited and most were there, happy to chat about their creations. It was great to finally meet a lot the builders we have featured over the past 10 years on Pipeburn and put faces to the names.
The One Show isn’t just about motorcycles, it’s about music too. And it’s such an important thing that many shows leave out completely, or is included as an afterthought. The bands and DJ’s playing at night added to the atmosphere and helped turn the night into a party, with the Canadian band Black Mountain headlining the Saturday night. Being a psychedelic rock band I think they appealed to many of the locals who might just have visited their local dispensary on the way to the show.
The other huge drawcard that was part of The One Show was the flat track racing, held about an hour’s drive at the Salem Indoor Speedway – which is apparently the fastest indoor track in the USA. Around 2000 spectators (myself included) braved the snow storm and made it out to the track to watch the flat track racing, including the main event – the Roland Sands Designs Super Hooligans. I’ve gained a new-found respect for these riders who wrestle their 400 pound plus machines around a 1/8th mile clay oval at stupid fast speeds. There were loads of spills – but I think we saw more accidents on the icy highway coming back to Portland.
Nine years ago Thor said, “If 20 of my buddies show up then that’ll be great and we’ll have fun”. Well, thousands of moto loving folks turned up this year from all around the country and the world. And Thor was right, we had a hell of a lot fun and we made a lot of new friends. Can’t wait for the next one.
[ The One Moto Show | Photos by Mr. Pixelhead ]
What’s not to love? @steveyeun and @bigbaldhead about to have some fun on some Honda Z50 mini bikes in an episode of @therideamc. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #honda #z50
Here’s a build that you don’t see everyday. @26chris11 took a BMW R9T and turned it into what you see here.. custom bodywork and a sidecar to match. Nice work Chris, thank you for sharing . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #sidecar #bmw #r9t #motorcyclesofinstagram
A stunning tribute to the Shell Racing trackers of the 1970s…
Shell Thuet was one of the greatest motorcycle tuners of all time. Born in California in 1912, he had to begin supporting his family at an early age when his father was killed working in the state’s oil fields. After WWII, he built an Indian Sport Scout that he would let various racers ride for a 50/50 split of the winnings.
In the 1970s, he began working with Yamaha parallel twins. He built the XS650-based tracker that a young Kenny Roberts rode to victory in the AMA Grand National Championship. Later, in the late 70s, Shell Thuet trackers would help launch the careers of Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey. Shell and his wife, Maggie, were famous for traveling the country in their motorhome, handing out tuna salad sandwiches to struggling young racers. Truly, the Thuets were not just legends in the flat track world, but some of the most beloved people in the sport.
Eddie Lawson’s Shell Racing tracker.
Enter Josh Keel (@okwajosh), a native Californian who grew up around motorcycles. When his brother, the accomplished builder Jeff Palhegyi (www.jpaldesign.com), invited him to the 2016 Quail Motorcycle Gathering, Josh got the two-wheeled building bug. First he built an SR500, which he showed at Quail in 2017. He knew his next build would be an XS650, and he was able to buy the bare skeleton of this bike from his brother, who’d become focused on other projects.
Josh decided to build a tribute to the Shell Racing Specialties machines, a street-legal framer that pays homage to the Shell Thuet trackers of Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson. The bike is built on a J&M Racing frame, with motogadget electronics and an exhaust hand-built to mirror the pipes on the Shell race bikes. The paintwork is by artist Hal Tacker, a motocross and flat track racer in the 60s and 70s, who hand-lettered the tank. We especially love how purely track-focused the build looks, a deliberate design move:
We could not conceive of a more stunning, fitting tribute to the Shell Thuet legend. Below, we get the full story on the build.
Yamaha XS650 Street Tracker: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I’m based in Sacramento California and grew up around motorcycles with my dad having a steady stream of Harleys in the garage. I’ve always been on the periphery of the motorcycle world with my brother Jeff Palhegyi being an accomplished bike builder who works almost exclusively with Yamahas. Oddly enough, I was on the hunt for a vintage car to restore in 2016 when Jeff invited me down to Carmel to check out the Quail Motorcycle Gathering. This was just the nudge I needed and within a month I had my first motorcycle project, a 1978 Yamaha SR500 which I showed at Quail the following year. From then on, I was hooked, as soon as the first bike was nearing completion, I was scouting for the second build. Jeff had built an XS650 tracker that is probably my favorite bike he’s ever built (and there have been many many close seconds). I knew bike #2 would be a tracker.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
1979 Yamaha XS650.
• Why was this bike built?
When my brother’s Kenny Roberts tribute was completed, he started collecting parts for a second XS tracker build. Fortunately for me, he quickly lost interest and/or became focused on other projects. Timing was right for me and I was able to purchase the frame, engine, suspension, and fiberglass from him and began the process of collecting the remaining parts necessary.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Right away I knew I wasn’t going to do another black and yellow speed blocked Yamaha. There were a couple of design ideas that I was playing around with but thankfully settled on the classic Shell Racing Specialties design. The more the bike came together, the more I was happy with this decision. As a tribute bike, my goal as for the bike to homage to the Shell Trackers of Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson. I wanted the bike to look as little street legal as possible by hiding the signals, tail, and headlight as much as I could. Hiding all wiring was another challenge. Fortunately, a generous amount of Motogadget bits made the job much more manageable and allowed me to pull off a very clean look.
Hal Tacker, an accomplished motocross and flat track racer from the 60’s and 70’s, did the paint work for me. I was blown away by his attention to detail and hand painted lettering on the tank.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Cognito Moto supplied the rear hub and Cheney Engineering the front, Buchanan’s supplied the hoops and laced them together for me.
Foot controls were a major challenge as I knew I had to get the positioning right and there was no specific “kit” to accommodate the J&M Racing frame. Yamaha R1 rear master, YZF450 brake pedal, and Suzuki DR650 pegs and lowering brackets got the job done with the use of brackets that I fabricated to bolt directly to the frame. I shaped the seat and had it covered locally.
The pipes had to mirror the racing style pipes on the Shell race bikes. I fabricated the header pipes out of 1.75” stainless and used Cone Engineering “Big Mouth” mufflers to accomplish the look.
• How would you classify this bike?
Street Tracker.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
For me, I just love how clean everything came together. Everything on the bike has purpose and there is a clear connection with the Shell Thuet racing machines of the 1970’s.
Follow the Builder @okwajosh
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PIPEBURN EXCLUSIVE: A Behind The Scenes Look At Royal Enfield’s New 650 Twins
Written by Andrew Jones
It’s September 26th, 2017. Through a series of events I still don’t quite understand, I’m sitting in the boardroom of the new Royal Enfield Technical Centre at Bruntingthorpe, near Leicester in the UK. Next to me is Siddharth Lal who’s the son of Vikram Lal, one of India’s richest men. ‘Sid’, as he’s called, is the CEO of Royal Enfield. Also here is Englishman Mark Wells who is their design guru and American Paul Ventura who does the thinking behind the company’s new products. Their mood is upbeat and I’m about to find out why.
A special rear-projection screen that’s big enough to show a rendered motorcycle at 100% scale is turned on. Before I really know what’s happening, we see a beautiful, orange-tanked roadster with twin exhausts appear as if it’s right there in the room with us. ‘We’ve been working on this for almost 10 years,” says Sid without taking his eyes off of the bike. My jaw drops.
The finished products. An Interceptor in ‘Orange Crush’…
The team’s distraction morphs to excitement as they tell us all about what they have been keeping secret for so long. Next we see a render of their new engine. It’s a 650 parallel twin and boy does it look good. Hell, it looks almost archetypal – like it belongs in a museum or an art gallery. Different to the thumping Royal Enfield singles we’ve seen before, it’s much more jaunty and forward-leaning with polished side covers big enough to check your new leather boots in.
All the while, Mark and Paul are like two excited peas in a pod. With a combination of youthful exuberance and top-shelf skills, they are clearly a powerhouse team that are leading the way for the rest of the company. Besides that, they are just great fun to be around. I immediately want to be best mates with both of them.
…and a GT in ‘Ice Queen’ white
Another click of the laptop and we’re now playing dress-ups with the Continental GT. Superficially it resembles the older 535 model but the more we look, the more we realise that it too is brand spanking new. Mouses are clicked and a range of accessories are added and removed. Unable to hold back my urges, I get them to strip an Interceptor of all its factory mirrors, fenders and indicators. It looks amazing. If only we could see it in the flesh…
Bruntingthorpe Test Track, September 27th, 2017
I’m at the private circuit located a few hundred metres from the Tech Centre. Every minute or so, a Triumph rider doing high-speed testing passes our position going flat-out. Next to us is Aussie legend and Enfield test rider Paul ‘Youngy’ Young. “Bloody watch yourself,” he says in his thick accent. “If he comes off at that speed, he’ll clean you up.” His message is simple; this is where the big boys play. We watch out, lest we be killed by an experimental Triumph doing an impression of a suicidal olympic gymnast.
The brand new GT enjoys a Bruntingthorpe sunset
Youngy mounts an ‘Alpha’ test bike and starts it up while a boffin plays with the lasers and loggers mounted to the bike’s rear. They’re recording masses of info from the bike, including lean angles and mucho engine data. The bike seems about a million kilometres old. If they’d told us that it’d been around the globe twice, we’d believe it.
We finish the day by sneaking into a derelict 747 that’s parked here while slowly being dismantled for scrap. It’s so old, it’s covered in moss. After eyeing it off for days, we finally build up the courage to climb the old ladder piercing its belly. Confident that we’ll be kicked out by security and/or shouted at by Royal Enfield, one of us keeps watch while the others clamber inside. It reeks of mouldy upholstery and old pot smoke from the local kids getting high. We enter the cockpit to randomly press buttons, throw levers and yell ‘MAYDAY! MAYDAY!’ at the imaginary control tower. We see Youngy off in the distance still doing test laps of the track. Thank god one of us is committed to their job.
An original ’60s Interceptor turned up, thanks to Royal Enfield America
Chennai, October 6th, 2017
We’re about 50 kilometres south of the city on a rural backroad. There’s no wind at all and the phone in my sweaty, sunburnt hand says it’s 42 degrees centigrade. Copping the full anger of the midday sun are two of the local Enfield testers who are safely dressed up in black leather from head to toe. Despite their acclimatisation to the weather, they look ready to pass out.
They are on ‘Beta’ bikes; they’re more finished-looking than Youngy’s Alpha, but still a world away from the showroom. I break every rule in the book by jumping on one and tearing off down the road. This is probably the very first time that anyone outside of Royal Enfield has ridden the bikes. I accelerate hard up through the gears until I’m having trouble seeing thanks to the oven-like gust of hot wind in my face. The bike has balls. Not 200 horsepower sportsbike balls, but bigger balls than any other Enfield I’ve ridden. And the acceleration doesn’t stop at freeway speeds. With no helmet, I wind things back at around 130 km/h with plenty of oomph left to go.
A ’64 Enfield GT. Many consider it the world’s first factory cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL]
Sydney, June 21st, 2018
News comes through from Bruntingthorpe. Like a bolt from the blue, we are told that Paul Ventura has been killed while riding home from work the previous evening. We’re stunned. Hoping someone’s made a horrible mistake, we soon find out that it’s all too real. He’s gone, leaving behind two young boys and a grieving widow. The Bruntingthorpe team are inconsolable. I’m tearing up now just thinking about it. May he rest in peace.
Oragadam Test Track, July 22nd, 2018
With Paul’s loss still on our minds, we arrive at Enfield’s local test track west of Chennai. While the location looks a lot like any other test track, in typical Indian style it seems to be a little more relaxed than you’d expect. “Dodging stray bloody dogs that wander onto the track when you’re going flat-out is real fun,” says a sarcastic Youngy.
All three generations of Royal Enfield GT at Bruntingthorpe. Trainspotters rejoyce!
The bikes themselves have now transformed into pre-production models. It’s also the first time we get to see the new Interceptor in the flesh. No offence to the GT, but this roadster is the one everyone seems to like. It has a kind of hotrod-ish look that allows it to be both sporty and comfortable. And that orange tank…
Youngy makes a spontaneous and insane offer. “What about you shoot me and Paco from the middle of the high-speed corner? We can ride past you flat-out, one bloke on each side.” Feeling like naughty school kids discussing whether or not to start a fire in the local park, we stupidly agree. The brutal reality of it all doesn’t really dawn on us until we see the two bikes coming straight at us doing 180 km/h.
Youngy (L) and his fearless sidekick, Paco (R) before ‘the corner incident’
Extreme excitement mixes abruptly with
-your-pants fear as 400 kilos of angry metal screams past us. It’s so fast and so close that we instantly regret doing it. The fact that the bikes are barely a meter or two apart and are laid over at an unexpectedly sharp angle means there’s mere centimetres between us. Life lessons are quickly learned: (1) Youngy and Paco are gun test riders with absolutely no fear, (2) we are way too keen to risk our lives for cool shots, and (3) we’re now uniquely qualified to tell you that the bikes are rock steady through a full speed corner.
A summer sunrise on the Pacific Coast Highway
California, August 14th, 2018
Royal Enfield’s vision of surf culture being as important to the Interceptor as cafe racing is to the GT sees us visit California. Half way between the beaches of Ventura and the legendary dry lakes of Maricopa to the north, we hang out in the town of Ojai. It’s pretty much a desert itself, with locals still talking about the deadly bushfires of 2017.
Now consummate professionals at borrowing bikes from unsuspecting manufacturers, we nick the wheels that will soon be used for the global press launch on these very roads. We are told that they are pretty much identical to the bikes you or I would be buying from our local dealers. With nothing to do but waste a day causing trouble on some of America’s best roads, we pass countless rows of local orange trees while heading north on the 33.
Wheeling through Wheeler Springs
We ride through the oasis-like Wheeler Springs before climbing up into the mountains south of Dry Lake ridge. Empty roads combine with spectacular views and hundreds of deftly cambered corners to create a genuine bucket-list ride. The bikes never scream for our attention or demand to have their hands held. Instead they are just there, enjoying the ride and working with you to get the most out of the road. As we move north, the treeless foothills give way to Los Padres National Park that’s full of pines, Yogie Bear-esque log cabins and postcard rock formations. Then, just as you’re getting an urge to book a ski lodge and hunt some grizzlies, the rocks part to reveal the surreal Maricopa desert.
And yes, I have been avoiding the technical details of the bikes. While we waited for years to have the bikes’ finals specs revealed, you’ll probably know most of them already. But just in case you don’t, the air and oil-cooled 648cc parallel twin with a rumbling 270˚crank puts out 50-odd horses and 52 Newton metres of torque into a six-speed gearbox that feels remarkably slick. Shocks are from the Italian manufacturer Paioli, while the brakes are from ByBre, Brembo’s budget line. The well-adjusted fuel injection is by Bosch and the factory rubber is the capable Pirelli Phantom Sport. While not overly impressive on paper, the 198 kilo (or 436 pound) bikes do go harder and feel lighter than you’d expect.
Sunset in Maricopa with an original ‘60s Interceptor (R) and her brand new little sister (L)
Sydney, February 8th, 2019
A guests of Royal Enfield Australia for their local Twins launch, I’m now approaching Sydney’s famous ‘Nasho’ – more formally known as the ‘Royal National Park.’ Bounded by the Pacific ocean on its eastern side, the 140-year-old park’s most picturesque parts are its dense rainforests, sparkling waterfalls and untouched white beaches. If there’s one road in the world I can truly say I know, it’s this one. Hell, I literally grew up here.
With the road a very pleasant foregone conclusion, I can finally draw some of my own conclusions on these new bikes. As you’ve probably guessed, I think that they are really very good. No, they aren’t going to blow you away with their arm-snapping acceleration, razor-sharp handling or spectacular equipment levels, but for these roads they are pretty much spot-on. Everything works well, they go and stop better than you’d expect them to and they more than look the part. What Royal Enfield have here is a world-class, credible, capable and fun bike that shows an implicit understanding of what makes us riders happy. They feel like a truly global offering that signifies a new era for an old brand that’s no longer satisfied relying on the Indian market to pay the bills.
In the ‘Nasho’ on an Interceptor with optional S&S pipes. They sounded incredible
Of course, we can’t have an honest discussion about Royal Enfield bikes without touching on the bike’s reliability. And while I do think that it’s too early to put my hand on my heart quality-wise, what I can say is that I have witnessed first hand the incredible efforts they have gone to for the 650 twins. While your average Bullet or Classic are built in a remarkably similar fashion to how they were 50 years ago, the twins are very different. They built a megabuck Tech Centre in the heartland of their ancestors and hired some of the world’s best engineers to staff it. Their engines are assembled by the same robotic machines that BMW, Triumph and Yamaha are using. Japanese quality assurance experts have been hired and listened to. 1200 point quality checks are now conducted on each and every bike that rolls off their brand new production lines.
California dreamin’
You’d be right in pointing out that I couldn’t have gone through all of this while remaining unbiased, but I’d have to be deaf not to hear what many of my contemporaries – custom builders included – are saying. Royal Enfield have reinvented themselves to make this a reality and the end result are bikes that defy you to not buy them. They’re great fun and great value-for-money without feeling cheap or compromised. They’re modern bikes but with some real heritage to their name. They do everything you’d need without any noticeable flaws and remarkably, they bridge the gap between beginner and experienced riders by being ‘proper’ enough to satisfy both camps. I think Royal Enfield have a hit on their hands; the only thing that’s more exciting than riding them will be finding out what other new models they have up their sleeves for 2020.
[ Photos by Andrew Jones & Ben Galli ]
Written by Andrew Jones
It’s September 26th, 2017. Through a series of events I still don’t quite understand, I’m sitting in the boardroom of the new Royal Enfield Technical Centre at Bruntingthorpe, near Leicester in the UK. Next to me is Siddharth Lal who’s the son of Vikram Lal, one of India’s richest men. ‘Sid’, as he’s called, is the CEO of Royal Enfield. Also here is Englishman Mark Wells who is their design guru and American Paul Ventura who does the thinking behind the company’s new products. Their mood is upbeat and I’m about to find out why.
A special rear-projection screen that’s big enough to show a rendered motorcycle at 100% scale is turned on. Before I really know what’s happening, we see a beautiful, orange-tanked roadster with twin exhausts appear as if it’s right there in the room with us. ‘We’ve been working on this for almost 10 years,” says Sid without taking his eyes off of the bike. My jaw drops.
The finished products. An Interceptor in ‘Orange Crush’…
The team’s distraction morphs to excitement as they tell us all about what they have been keeping secret for so long. Next we see a render of their new engine. It’s a 650 parallel twin and boy does it look good. Hell, it looks almost archetypal – like it belongs in a museum or an art gallery. Different to the thumping Royal Enfield singles we’ve seen before, it’s much more jaunty and forward-leaning with polished side covers big enough to check your new leather boots in.
All the while, Mark and Paul are like two excited peas in a pod. With a combination of youthful exuberance and top-shelf skills, they are clearly a powerhouse team that are leading the way for the rest of the company. Besides that, they are just great fun to be around. I immediately want to be best mates with both of them.
…and a GT in ‘Ice Queen’ white
Another click of the laptop and we’re now playing dress-ups with the Continental GT. Superficially it resembles the older 535 model but the more we look, the more we realise that it too is brand spanking new. Mouses are clicked and a range of accessories are added and removed. Unable to hold back my urges, I get them to strip an Interceptor of all its factory mirrors, fenders and indicators. It looks amazing. If only we could see it in the flesh…
Bruntingthorpe Test Track, September 27th, 2017
I’m at the private circuit located a few hundred metres from the Tech Centre. Every minute or so, a Triumph rider doing high-speed testing passes our position going flat-out. Next to us is Aussie legend and Enfield test rider Paul ‘Youngy’ Young. “Bloody watch yourself,” he says in his thick accent. “If he comes off at that speed, he’ll clean you up.” His message is simple; this is where the big boys play. We watch out, lest we be killed by an experimental Triumph doing an impression of a suicidal olympic gymnast.
The brand new GT enjoys a Bruntingthorpe sunset
Youngy mounts an ‘Alpha’ test bike and starts it up while a boffin plays with the lasers and loggers mounted to the bike’s rear. They’re recording masses of info from the bike, including lean angles and mucho engine data. The bike seems about a million kilometres old. If they’d told us that it’d been around the globe twice, we’d believe it.
We finish the day by sneaking into a derelict 747 that’s parked here while slowly being dismantled for scrap. It’s so old, it’s covered in moss. After eyeing it off for days, we finally build up the courage to climb the old ladder piercing its belly. Confident that we’ll be kicked out by security and/or shouted at by Royal Enfield, one of us keeps watch while the others clamber inside. It reeks of mouldy upholstery and old pot smoke from the local kids getting high. We enter the cockpit to randomly press buttons, throw levers and yell ‘MAYDAY! MAYDAY!’ at the imaginary control tower. We see Youngy off in the distance still doing test laps of the track. Thank god one of us is committed to their job.
An original ’60s Interceptor turned up, thanks to Royal Enfield America
Chennai, October 6th, 2017
We’re about 50 kilometres south of the city on a rural backroad. There’s no wind at all and the phone in my sweaty, sunburnt hand says it’s 42 degrees centigrade. Copping the full anger of the midday sun are two of the local Enfield testers who are safely dressed up in black leather from head to toe. Despite their acclimatisation to the weather, they look ready to pass out.
They are on ‘Beta’ bikes; they’re more finished-looking than Youngy’s Alpha, but still a world away from the showroom. I break every rule in the book by jumping on one and tearing off down the road. This is probably the very first time that anyone outside of Royal Enfield has ridden the bikes. I accelerate hard up through the gears until I’m having trouble seeing thanks to the oven-like gust of hot wind in my face. The bike has balls. Not 200 horsepower sportsbike balls, but bigger balls than any other Enfield I’ve ridden. And the acceleration doesn’t stop at freeway speeds. With no helmet, I wind things back at around 130 km/h with plenty of oomph left to go.
A ’64 Enfield GT. Many consider it the world’s first factory cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL]
Sydney, June 21st, 2018
News comes through from Bruntingthorpe. Like a bolt from the blue, we are told that Paul Ventura has been killed while riding home from work the previous evening. We’re stunned. Hoping someone’s made a horrible mistake, we soon find out that it’s all too real. He’s gone, leaving behind two young boys and a grieving widow. The Bruntingthorpe team are inconsolable. I’m tearing up now just thinking about it. May he rest in peace.
Oragadam Test Track, July 22nd, 2018
With Paul’s loss still on our minds, we arrive at Enfield’s local test track west of Chennai. While the location looks a lot like any other test track, in typical Indian style it seems to be a little more relaxed than you’d expect. “Dodging stray bloody dogs that wander onto the track when you’re going flat-out is real fun,” says a sarcastic Youngy.
All three generations of Royal Enfield GT at Bruntingthorpe. Trainspotters rejoyce!
The bikes themselves have now transformed into pre-production models. It’s also the first time we get to see the new Interceptor in the flesh. No offence to the GT, but this roadster is the one everyone seems to like. It has a kind of hotrod-ish look that allows it to be both sporty and comfortable. And that orange tank…
Youngy makes a spontaneous and insane offer. “What about you shoot me and Paco from the middle of the high-speed corner? We can ride past you flat-out, one bloke on each side.” Feeling like naughty school kids discussing whether or not to start a fire in the local park, we stupidly agree. The brutal reality of it all doesn’t really dawn on us until we see the two bikes coming straight at us doing 180 km/h.
“The brutal reality of it all doesn’t really dawn on us until we see the two bikes coming straight at us doing 180 km/h.”
Youngy (L) and his fearless sidekick, Paco (R) before ‘the corner incident’
Extreme excitement mixes abruptly with
-your-pants fear as 400 kilos of angry metal screams past us. It’s so fast and so close that we instantly regret doing it. The fact that the bikes are barely a meter or two apart and are laid over at an unexpectedly sharp angle means there’s mere centimetres between us. Life lessons are quickly learned: (1) Youngy and Paco are gun test riders with absolutely no fear, (2) we are way too keen to risk our lives for cool shots, and (3) we’re now uniquely qualified to tell you that the bikes are rock steady through a full speed corner.
A summer sunrise on the Pacific Coast Highway
California, August 14th, 2018
Royal Enfield’s vision of surf culture being as important to the Interceptor as cafe racing is to the GT sees us visit California. Half way between the beaches of Ventura and the legendary dry lakes of Maricopa to the north, we hang out in the town of Ojai. It’s pretty much a desert itself, with locals still talking about the deadly bushfires of 2017.
Now consummate professionals at borrowing bikes from unsuspecting manufacturers, we nick the wheels that will soon be used for the global press launch on these very roads. We are told that they are pretty much identical to the bikes you or I would be buying from our local dealers. With nothing to do but waste a day causing trouble on some of America’s best roads, we pass countless rows of local orange trees while heading north on the 33.
Wheeling through Wheeler Springs
We ride through the oasis-like Wheeler Springs before climbing up into the mountains south of Dry Lake ridge. Empty roads combine with spectacular views and hundreds of deftly cambered corners to create a genuine bucket-list ride. The bikes never scream for our attention or demand to have their hands held. Instead they are just there, enjoying the ride and working with you to get the most out of the road. As we move north, the treeless foothills give way to Los Padres National Park that’s full of pines, Yogie Bear-esque log cabins and postcard rock formations. Then, just as you’re getting an urge to book a ski lodge and hunt some grizzlies, the rocks part to reveal the surreal Maricopa desert.
And yes, I have been avoiding the technical details of the bikes. While we waited for years to have the bikes’ finals specs revealed, you’ll probably know most of them already. But just in case you don’t, the air and oil-cooled 648cc parallel twin with a rumbling 270˚crank puts out 50-odd horses and 52 Newton metres of torque into a six-speed gearbox that feels remarkably slick. Shocks are from the Italian manufacturer Paioli, while the brakes are from ByBre, Brembo’s budget line. The well-adjusted fuel injection is by Bosch and the factory rubber is the capable Pirelli Phantom Sport. While not overly impressive on paper, the 198 kilo (or 436 pound) bikes do go harder and feel lighter than you’d expect.
Sunset in Maricopa with an original ‘60s Interceptor (R) and her brand new little sister (L)
Sydney, February 8th, 2019
A guests of Royal Enfield Australia for their local Twins launch, I’m now approaching Sydney’s famous ‘Nasho’ – more formally known as the ‘Royal National Park.’ Bounded by the Pacific ocean on its eastern side, the 140-year-old park’s most picturesque parts are its dense rainforests, sparkling waterfalls and untouched white beaches. If there’s one road in the world I can truly say I know, it’s this one. Hell, I literally grew up here.
With the road a very pleasant foregone conclusion, I can finally draw some of my own conclusions on these new bikes. As you’ve probably guessed, I think that they are really very good. No, they aren’t going to blow you away with their arm-snapping acceleration, razor-sharp handling or spectacular equipment levels, but for these roads they are pretty much spot-on. Everything works well, they go and stop better than you’d expect them to and they more than look the part. What Royal Enfield have here is a world-class, credible, capable and fun bike that shows an implicit understanding of what makes us riders happy. They feel like a truly global offering that signifies a new era for an old brand that’s no longer satisfied relying on the Indian market to pay the bills.
In the ‘Nasho’ on an Interceptor with optional S&S pipes. They sounded incredible
Of course, we can’t have an honest discussion about Royal Enfield bikes without touching on the bike’s reliability. And while I do think that it’s too early to put my hand on my heart quality-wise, what I can say is that I have witnessed first hand the incredible efforts they have gone to for the 650 twins. While your average Bullet or Classic are built in a remarkably similar fashion to how they were 50 years ago, the twins are very different. They built a megabuck Tech Centre in the heartland of their ancestors and hired some of the world’s best engineers to staff it. Their engines are assembled by the same robotic machines that BMW, Triumph and Yamaha are using. Japanese quality assurance experts have been hired and listened to. 1200 point quality checks are now conducted on each and every bike that rolls off their brand new production lines.
California dreamin’
You’d be right in pointing out that I couldn’t have gone through all of this while remaining unbiased, but I’d have to be deaf not to hear what many of my contemporaries – custom builders included – are saying. Royal Enfield have reinvented themselves to make this a reality and the end result are bikes that defy you to not buy them. They’re great fun and great value-for-money without feeling cheap or compromised. They’re modern bikes but with some real heritage to their name. They do everything you’d need without any noticeable flaws and remarkably, they bridge the gap between beginner and experienced riders by being ‘proper’ enough to satisfy both camps. I think Royal Enfield have a hit on their hands; the only thing that’s more exciting than riding them will be finding out what other new models they have up their sleeves for 2020.
[ Photos by Andrew Jones & Ben Galli ]
I think they have a hit on their hands too. I hope it does well.
Toy goals with @moschoccheeze Which one would you choose? . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer
@kevils1’s Yamaha SR500 looks like one fun city ripper. Gotta love the mag wheels Thanks for sharing! . Send photos of your build to [email protected] to be featured, link in bio. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #bratstyle #yamaha #sr500 #sr400
Two-stroke tracker from a professional BMX rider…
The Yamaha RD400, built from 1976 to 1979, was a lightweight giant-killer, a 44-horsepower two-stroke twin capable of embarrassing many of the era’s larger four-strokes. The bike simply begged to be flogged, to have the throttle cracked open and the front wheel lifted high from the pavement, leaving a ghost of blue-white smoke in its wake. Said Cycle magazine of the bike:
Enter Eber Temperan of Argentina, a professional freestyle BMX rider and the coach of the Argentine selection of the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) World Circuit. Eber grew up racing karts and working in a karting workshop. After a year spent living in Barcelona for his BMX career, his passion for motorized machines was reignited. Now, in addition to riding and coaching BMX, he builds custom bikes, including the incredible Yamaha RD400 tracker you see here. Says Eber of the RD:
The bike was inspired by his childhood love of speedway and flat track bikes, as well as the videos he’d seen of none other than “King Kenny” Roberts — whose speed block livery became synonymous with domination in the 1970s. Below, we get the full story on this stunning two-stroke street tracker, along with some killer shots from Eber and photographer Martin Adorno (@cocodesanluis).
Yamaha RD400 Tracker: Builder Interview
• Tell us a little about yourself, your motorcycle history, and your workshop.
I grew up competing in karting and working in a karting workshop. Then, over time, I started to do very well in freestyle BMX, so I left mechanics in order to dedicate myself to BMX and travel the world. In 2013, I lived a year in Barcelona where I saw a lot of modified bikes and my enthusiasm returned. When I returned to Argentina, I built a Suzuki AX100, increasing displacement to 125cc, with carbon fairings, Dell’Orto carburetor, etc. Then my friends started asking me to build motorcycles for them. I’ve been building custom bikes for about three years now, and of course I’m still riding BMX.
• What is the make, model, and year of the bike?
Yamaha RD400, 1979.
• Why was this bike built?
I like many 2T engines, and I remember when I was little that this bike was very aggressive in its time, and still is! It was a personal project.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the construction?
I think it was the memories I had of the old races. In my childhood, I liked speedway bikes a lot, and of course I saw some videos of Kenny Roberts.
• What personalized work was done on the motorcycle?
The chassis was modified at the rear, the suspension was improved on both sides, and the engine was improved with flat carburetors, carbon flaps, exhaust, electric ignition for a spark, front brake and KTM fork. All the extra weight was removed, of course, without affecting its structure and security.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Not yet!
• How would you classify this bike?
I think it would be a flat tracker, or a nice hybrid I do not know.
• Was anything done during this construction of which you are particularly proud?
If I am very proud of being able to achieve a good bike, a safe ride, and incredible power.
Follow the Builder
Instagram: @eberbmx
Facebook: ERiders
Photos: By Eber himself and Martin Adorno (@cocodesanluis).
Source...
KESSEL COFFEE RUN. Ironwood’s ‘Latte Stormtrooper’ BMW R80 Bobber
Written by Andrew Jones
Since 2012, Dutch shop Ironwood Motorcycles have pretty much dominated the classic BMW custom market in Western Europe. So much so, that their style has pretty much become shorthand for an entire genre of custom Beemers. And while many may have copied, it’s their ability to break the mould and think outside the square of their own fame that proves they’ve still got what it takes. Like this ‘85 BMW R80 bobber, for instance. Just like a old-school southern haircut, it’s classic at the front, but with a nice little party out back.
“It’s a bobber,” begins Ironwood Motorcycles’ boss, the impressively named Arjan Van Den Boom. “A bobber, but with a cruiser look & feel. Then again, it’s called ‘The Latte’ because I was toying with cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL] and coffee ideas in my head. I guess you could say it’s a bike that’s had a dash of hot steamed milk.” No, we’re not quite sure what he’s talking about, either. A lesser man would make a joke about Amsterdam cafés right about now, but any bike that’s got both cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL] and Star Wars influences has to be a very good thing, no?
Mr Boom went into detail about how Ironwood’s range of bikes work. “We now have two Ironwood bike series: one is called ‘The Deathtstar Series’, and is based on R80 and R100 twin-shock bobbers with chunky tires. The second is ‘The Stormtrooper Series’, featuring R80 monoshocks with a higher stance and sporting vintage compound rubber.” Got it. But what’s a ‘Latte Stormtrooper, then? “It’s a Stormtrooper on steroids,” chuckles Arjan. It sounds a lot like an upcoming J.J. Abrams Star Wars Franchise piece; think Darth Vader meets Rocky Balboa.
Put the needle on the record…
The bike was sourced from Arjan’s go-to powder coater; he’d purchased the donor R80 and started some customising work on it before the project ground to a halt. If we had a dollar… Arjan saw a chance for another shop-funded flagship build and pulled the trigger. “Finally, an open brief build in between our ongoing customer jobs,” he says. “Most of what we do is base on vintage BMWs, so we wanted it to be something a little different, but still recognizable as an ‘Ironwood style’ BMW.”
Loving the look of covered rear wheels for years, Arjan decided it was his turn to have a go. “To make it ours, we applied some flanges on the aluminum discs to give it a unique look and applied some Ironwood branding to the finished items.”
Next, stance was handled by chopping 60mm off the fork tubes and replacing the rear suspension with a fresh YSS shock. The ’bars were upgraded to a Renthal Fatbar and stocked with Motone controls and some Motogadget mirrors and grips. “Inside, we replaced the piston rings and clutch before the painted engine got married back into the powder coated frame. The welded seat tube provides a nice, upright seating position together with the floating bobber seat. To let the motorcycle breath, we’ve equipped it with custom piping and a beefy BMW R nineT Akrapovic muffler which was mounted upswept.”
Like cocoa powder on a good coffee, the almost complete bike was finished off with a 7″ LED headlight and matching running lights with integrated blinkers on both crash bars and two Kellermann Atto DF lights underneath the seat providing understated looks with ultimate visibility on the road. Shinko E270 classic rubber with sawtooth tread connect the bike to the floor and a Miller Kustom Upholstery seat does the opposite for your butt cheeks. Finally, many coats of Audi Mocha Latte were laid down by Jacco from Royal Kustom Works. It’s not a colour you’d usually gravitate to when thumbing through a swatch book, but boy does the end result look the business.
Arjan said the rear wheel disc and exhaust was shaping up to be the build’s biggest challenge until good friend and metal worker Marcel from The Custom Factory stepped up to lend a helping hand, fabbing up the aforementioned pieces according to Boom’s exacting specifications. Turns out, these are also Arjan’s favourite pieces. “The wheel discs with our brand name on them look fantastic. And the muscular BMW R nineT muffler provides the airhead with a tough, muscular appearance.” Darth would be proud.
It’s Boom time…
[ Ironwood Customs – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Paul van ML ]
Written by Andrew Jones
Since 2012, Dutch shop Ironwood Motorcycles have pretty much dominated the classic BMW custom market in Western Europe. So much so, that their style has pretty much become shorthand for an entire genre of custom Beemers. And while many may have copied, it’s their ability to break the mould and think outside the square of their own fame that proves they’ve still got what it takes. Like this ‘85 BMW R80 bobber, for instance. Just like a old-school southern haircut, it’s classic at the front, but with a nice little party out back.
“It’s a bobber,” begins Ironwood Motorcycles’ boss, the impressively named Arjan Van Den Boom. “A bobber, but with a cruiser look & feel. Then again, it’s called ‘The Latte’ because I was toying with cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL] and coffee ideas in my head. I guess you could say it’s a bike that’s had a dash of hot steamed milk.” No, we’re not quite sure what he’s talking about, either. A lesser man would make a joke about Amsterdam cafés right about now, but any bike that’s got both cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racer[/URL] and Star Wars influences has to be a very good thing, no?
Mr Boom went into detail about how Ironwood’s range of bikes work. “We now have two Ironwood bike series: one is called ‘The Deathtstar Series’, and is based on R80 and R100 twin-shock bobbers with chunky tires. The second is ‘The Stormtrooper Series’, featuring R80 monoshocks with a higher stance and sporting vintage compound rubber.” Got it. But what’s a ‘Latte Stormtrooper, then? “It’s a Stormtrooper on steroids,” chuckles Arjan. It sounds a lot like an upcoming J.J. Abrams Star Wars Franchise piece; think Darth Vader meets Rocky Balboa.
Put the needle on the record…
“It sounds a lot like an upcoming J.J. Abrams Star Wars Franchise piece; think Darth Vader meets Rocky Balboa.”
The bike was sourced from Arjan’s go-to powder coater; he’d purchased the donor R80 and started some customising work on it before the project ground to a halt. If we had a dollar… Arjan saw a chance for another shop-funded flagship build and pulled the trigger. “Finally, an open brief build in between our ongoing customer jobs,” he says. “Most of what we do is base on vintage BMWs, so we wanted it to be something a little different, but still recognizable as an ‘Ironwood style’ BMW.”
Loving the look of covered rear wheels for years, Arjan decided it was his turn to have a go. “To make it ours, we applied some flanges on the aluminum discs to give it a unique look and applied some Ironwood branding to the finished items.”
Next, stance was handled by chopping 60mm off the fork tubes and replacing the rear suspension with a fresh YSS shock. The ’bars were upgraded to a Renthal Fatbar and stocked with Motone controls and some Motogadget mirrors and grips. “Inside, we replaced the piston rings and clutch before the painted engine got married back into the powder coated frame. The welded seat tube provides a nice, upright seating position together with the floating bobber seat. To let the motorcycle breath, we’ve equipped it with custom piping and a beefy BMW R nineT Akrapovic muffler which was mounted upswept.”
Like cocoa powder on a good coffee, the almost complete bike was finished off with a 7″ LED headlight and matching running lights with integrated blinkers on both crash bars and two Kellermann Atto DF lights underneath the seat providing understated looks with ultimate visibility on the road. Shinko E270 classic rubber with sawtooth tread connect the bike to the floor and a Miller Kustom Upholstery seat does the opposite for your butt cheeks. Finally, many coats of Audi Mocha Latte were laid down by Jacco from Royal Kustom Works. It’s not a colour you’d usually gravitate to when thumbing through a swatch book, but boy does the end result look the business.
Arjan said the rear wheel disc and exhaust was shaping up to be the build’s biggest challenge until good friend and metal worker Marcel from The Custom Factory stepped up to lend a helping hand, fabbing up the aforementioned pieces according to Boom’s exacting specifications. Turns out, these are also Arjan’s favourite pieces. “The wheel discs with our brand name on them look fantastic. And the muscular BMW R nineT muffler provides the airhead with a tough, muscular appearance.” Darth would be proud.
It’s Boom time…
[ Ironwood Customs – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Paul van ML ]
To each his own of course, but that one makes no sense to me at all.
Congrats to @zachbox for celebrating two years with his love, a 1983 BMW R80T 
Beautiful bike! . Send photos of your bike to [email protected] to show it off on our page, link in bio. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #bmw #r80
Beautiful bike! . Send photos of your bike to [email protected] to show it off on our page, link in bio. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #bmw #r80
The Kawasaki GPz1100 was one of the last kings of the air-cooled superbikes — the brutal, big-block speed machines fated to die at the hands of the liquid-cooled, 16-valve, alloy-frame sport bikes to come. Says MCN of “the Daddy GPz”:
Enter Dave Solomon, the mad Englishman behind Butchered Classics — a community dedicated to pre-1990 bikes modified in a non-purist fashion, from braced swingarms to crazy engine swaps. Dave himself has earned an “evil reputation” for “butchering” classic Kawasakis, including his Bandit-engined KZ1000 and his beautiful Z1000 restomod.
So, it’s only appropriate that Dave would turn his mad eye to the famed GPz1100. Starting with just a frame and tank, Dave built the “Kawasaki GPz1157” you see here, so-named due to the 1157cc engine from a Suzuki Bandit 1200! Strangely enough, the 98-hp, 16-valve Bandit engine fit into the stock engine mounts!
Below, we let Dave — one of our favorite storytellers — give us the full story on the build.
Kawasaki GPz / Bandit 1200: In the Builder’s Words
So, the most iconic litre-plus bike of the eighties same may argue is the mighty Suzuki Katana with its sharp stealth-like lines and massive fuel tap. For me, the GPz1100 stole the show. I found that as much as I liked to stare at the big Suzuki as a spotty teenager I found all the design effort was focused on the front part of the bike and from the seat back was… let’s just say lacking any effort!
I had my array of big bikes back in the day and really enjoyed my 24 months of Unitrak ownership in the late eighties / early nineties, then (as ya do) I moved on. Now, as you or may not be aware, I’ve got an evil reputation for “butchering” classic Kawasakis. I’ll never, however, take the grinder to one that’s complete and in good working order, but I will take a chassis or bare frame that’s only next destination is the local junk yard.
This is one said example. A friend had a frame and a tank for sale and I had a few months of “nothing planned,” so decided to have a go at something a tad different… Now Mr. Kawasaki has produced literally thousands upon thousands of Kawasaki motorcycles with Kawasaki motors. I could’ve gone out and bought the right parts, but instead I took the opportunity to fit an equally-deserving replacement from a donor Suzuki 1200 Bandit.
This donor came with some nice additions. Ohlins rear suspension gave the JMC dual-braced swingarm a nice stance and the polished GSXR1100 wheels were held in place up front with some nicely polished forks. The wheels were dospatched to custom painter John Tooze of ReBorn to be Wild fame, who applied the Candy Gold over the polished alloy and clear coated ’em, then with a matte lacquer. Meanwhile the bodywork went in a different direction, to Chris Davison who paints from his six foot square garden shed and did the build proud.
A new stem was supplied by Neill Curtis of Burlow Engineering and surprisingly enough the motor went straight in on stock Kawasaki front ‘n rear engine mounts. The seat was posted to Scotland where Tim Dudley of T D Trimmings gave it a “Corbin” bespoke cover in a Lawson style to retain some of its eighties heritage. Standard foot peg hangers were also retained in a hope to keep the eighties alive and to stay within budget (most important LOL).
Unfortunately the LED tank display was “no more” — however, a Chinese supplier from that famous online auction page supplied me with a more than satisfactory replacement display that shows temperature and a Vol meter which was supplied and delivered to my home within a week for under ten English pounds…crazy!
Not to everyone’s taste I’m fully aware, but it’s one less bike frame on the scrap pile and one more bike on the road, built within three months and to a budget most can afford… What’s not to like about that?
More Butchered Classics
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Bandit-Powered 1977 Kawasaki (K)Z1000 Custom - Today we’re thrilled to present this incredible restomod Z1000 from Dave Solomon of Cheltenham, UK. Dave is a friend of Darren Carter, whose BSA Hill Climber and custom Z650 have each graced the blog. We’ve […]Source...
BOXER BULLION. Untitled’s ‘Silver City’ BMW R80 Street Scrambler
Written by Marlon Slack
We’ve had more airheads through here than a cheerleading college. We’ve had bobbers, choppers, cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL], trackers and everything in between. So we here at Pipeburn can pick a killer R-series BMW build from a mile away. And here’s one of the best, a glorious BMW R80 by Untitled Motorcycles dubbed the Silver City.
It’s been a bittersweet twelve months for the crew at Untitled. Business has been kicking over nicely at their London and San Francisco offices, but last year their in-house electronics guru tragically away from cancer. “It’s taken us a few months to come to terms with this loss,” Untitled’s Adam Kay says, “and even now it feels very odd to look at Anita’s workbench and not see her there singing along to her favourite tunes.”
But the show must go on, and such a shift in the vibe of the shop has led Adam to reflect on what’s changed in the custom scene over the last nine years they’ve been running. “It used to be we worked on mainly 1970’s classics,” he says, “rebuilding engines and gearboxes. And that takes time and money. Now we’ve we’ve got more time it gives us the freedom to do what we really love. Design and fabrication.”
So to keep the custom bike part of the business ticking over Adam Kay is always on the lookout for potential donors. Hell, he’s got two T3 Moto Guzzis just sitting around and waiting dormant for a customer to commission something from them. So when a guy rode up to their London workshops office on a workingman’s BMW R80 they knew they had to have it.
“It had parts from quite a few different ages,” Adam recalls, “Including an off-road Kawasaki front end. The owner wanted to sell it there and then and I could see the potential in customising it some time in the future.” That time arrived sooner rather than later, with a client wanting them to build him a sweet-ass commuter bike. And what better donor than the R80?
“We wanted to turn it into a GS-style bike with a large Dakar tank,” Adam says, “but after a long chat we went for the toaster as it would suit the town riding the customer wanted.” Untitled Motorcycles started the ball rolling with an illustration by in-house Photoshop guru Ian Galvin, with a plan for the black and silver colour scheme to match the owner’s taste in watches. “We planned for the tiny dash of colour on the Silver City matches the second-hand on his favourite watch,” he recalls.
Minimal Motogadget speedo looks right at home
Then it was time to get their hands dirty. “We got the engine and running gear out and took it back to a factory-fresh state,” Adam says, “then we got the tank on the bike ASAP to work on the lines from the front to the back, making sure that everything is in a straight line.” With the outline of the bike mocked up, Adam and the team made the subframe and seat pan. “We also wanted to make our own silencer to keep the rear wheel totally clean of anything,” he says.
Sometimes, it’s better left original
You can tell by his matter-of-fact way of speaking that Adam knows his way around an old Beemer. “It’s not hard-working on them because we’ve done so many now,” he says, “But what is difficult is getting everything coordinated to make the flow of the build go well. A missing or delayed part can slow the job down and have a big impact on our other jobs in the shop.”
The front ended was changed back to standard BMW forks, fitted with double Brembo calipers and a spoked wheel. The rest of the bike is a gorgeous example of ‘less is more’, with a host of Motogadget parts keeping the front end light, the battery being moved below the swingarm and a few other tricks pulled from Untitled Motorcycle’s hat.
The end result is another knockout build by Adam and the team in London. And they’re as proud as punch with the way the Silver City presents. “The overall look of the bike is just right,” he says. “From the stance to how it rides.” Hell, we’ve featured some of the best BMW’s from around the world here at Pipeburn, and this gloriously understated street tracker ranks up there with the best of them.
[ Untitled Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Si Melber / @w1photos ]
Written by Marlon Slack
We’ve had more airheads through here than a cheerleading college. We’ve had bobbers, choppers, cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL], trackers and everything in between. So we here at Pipeburn can pick a killer R-series BMW build from a mile away. And here’s one of the best, a glorious BMW R80 by Untitled Motorcycles dubbed the Silver City.
It’s been a bittersweet twelve months for the crew at Untitled. Business has been kicking over nicely at their London and San Francisco offices, but last year their in-house electronics guru tragically away from cancer. “It’s taken us a few months to come to terms with this loss,” Untitled’s Adam Kay says, “and even now it feels very odd to look at Anita’s workbench and not see her there singing along to her favourite tunes.”
But the show must go on, and such a shift in the vibe of the shop has led Adam to reflect on what’s changed in the custom scene over the last nine years they’ve been running. “It used to be we worked on mainly 1970’s classics,” he says, “rebuilding engines and gearboxes. And that takes time and money. Now we’ve we’ve got more time it gives us the freedom to do what we really love. Design and fabrication.”
So to keep the custom bike part of the business ticking over Adam Kay is always on the lookout for potential donors. Hell, he’s got two T3 Moto Guzzis just sitting around and waiting dormant for a customer to commission something from them. So when a guy rode up to their London workshops office on a workingman’s BMW R80 they knew they had to have it.
“It had parts from quite a few different ages,” Adam recalls, “Including an off-road Kawasaki front end. The owner wanted to sell it there and then and I could see the potential in customising it some time in the future.” That time arrived sooner rather than later, with a client wanting them to build him a sweet-ass commuter bike. And what better donor than the R80?
“We wanted to turn it into a GS-style bike with a large Dakar tank,” Adam says, “but after a long chat we went for the toaster as it would suit the town riding the customer wanted.” Untitled Motorcycles started the ball rolling with an illustration by in-house Photoshop guru Ian Galvin, with a plan for the black and silver colour scheme to match the owner’s taste in watches. “We planned for the tiny dash of colour on the Silver City matches the second-hand on his favourite watch,” he recalls.
Minimal Motogadget speedo looks right at home
Then it was time to get their hands dirty. “We got the engine and running gear out and took it back to a factory-fresh state,” Adam says, “then we got the tank on the bike ASAP to work on the lines from the front to the back, making sure that everything is in a straight line.” With the outline of the bike mocked up, Adam and the team made the subframe and seat pan. “We also wanted to make our own silencer to keep the rear wheel totally clean of anything,” he says.
Sometimes, it’s better left original
You can tell by his matter-of-fact way of speaking that Adam knows his way around an old Beemer. “It’s not hard-working on them because we’ve done so many now,” he says, “But what is difficult is getting everything coordinated to make the flow of the build go well. A missing or delayed part can slow the job down and have a big impact on our other jobs in the shop.”
“You can tell by his matter-of-fact way of speaking that Adam knows his way around an old Beemer.”
The front ended was changed back to standard BMW forks, fitted with double Brembo calipers and a spoked wheel. The rest of the bike is a gorgeous example of ‘less is more’, with a host of Motogadget parts keeping the front end light, the battery being moved below the swingarm and a few other tricks pulled from Untitled Motorcycle’s hat.
The end result is another knockout build by Adam and the team in London. And they’re as proud as punch with the way the Silver City presents. “The overall look of the bike is just right,” he says. “From the stance to how it rides.” Hell, we’ve featured some of the best BMW’s from around the world here at Pipeburn, and this gloriously understated street tracker ranks up there with the best of them.
[ Untitled Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Si Melber / @w1photos ]
