Front end details on @zillers_custom_garage’s Vincent build. Incredible! . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #design #inspiration #metalwork
Custom Bikes & Cafe Racer
- Thread starter DaveM
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A middleweight CBX inspired by Colin Chapman’s Lotus 43…
The Honda CBX550 Four, introduced in 1982, boasted some interesting signature elements at the time. Most notably, there was the distinctive 4-into-2 exhaust system, featuring crossover pipes in front of the engine — overall, a lovely set of serpentine chrome. Then there were the inboard disc brakes with ventilated, drum-like enclosures, which gave the bike an unexpectedly retro vibe. The engine itself was an all-new 752.5cc air/oil-cooled design offering 65 horsepower and , and the air-assisted, oil-damped forks featured Honda’s TRAC anti-dive control. While the bike was never officially imported into the USA, it’s one of the more interesting middleweight sport bikes from the 1980s.
Enter Tuscany’s Luca Sereni (@sereniluca), an engineer who shares a passion for vintage motorcycles with his father, Alberto. When Luca came across this 1983 Honda CBX550F in Florence, he decided to create a unique cafe racer. We love that Luca chose to retain the signature elements of the bike, including the 4-into-2 exhaust and inboard brakes, along with the subtle details of this build, including colorway of British racing green and yellow-tinted glass, inspired by the 1966 Lotus 43 of Colin Chapman — designer of some of the most elegant, fearsome F1 racers in history.
1966 Lotus 43
Below, we get the full story on the build!
Honda CBX550F Cafe Racer: In the Builder’s Words
In Florence, Italy, an ‘83 Honda CBX550 captured my imagination — to create a unique Honda CBX550 cafe racer. My concept focused on the addition of classically styled bodywork. Up front, we opted for a 900SS styled half fairing, which was modified to suit the CBX’s geometry.
Surprisingly, the stock eighties fuel tank tied in with the vintage aesthetic so it remained in place. The side covers we’ve trimmed to emphasize a diagonal line that leads to the bike’s custom tail.
For a clutter-free finish, rear end lighting is limited to an integrated LED unit in the hump.
Up front, there’s a pair of tiny Motogadget m-blaze pin indicators nestled beneath the fairing.
For obvious reasons, the 4-into-2 factory CBX exhaust headers were retained, although cafe-styled megaphones replace the original mufflers.
The inboard brakes and Comstar rims were also retained. After they were rebuilt we finished them in satin black to match the engine. They were then wrapped in Lasertec rubber from Metzeler’s classic range.
Mechanically, the CBX was running strong, so it was only given a basic service and fresh paint before fitting it back in the frame. Despite being the latest thing back in the eighties the Pro-link rear shock lacked feel so there’s a 900 Hornet monoshock in its place.
When the time came to select a colour for my Honda CBX550 cafe racer, we took inspiration from the Formula One history books. The green scheme is a nod to Colin Chapman’s Lotus 43 of 1966. To make it pop the rest of the bike was shot in satin black.
Follow the Builder @sereniluca
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DOPE DIRIGIBLE. Kacerwagen’s ‘Zeppelina V72’ Board Tracker
Written by Martin Hodgson
They were the original kings of the race track, but you won’t ever find a replica of one hanging out at your local cafe bike meet. However over recent years with TV shows like Harley and the Davidsons and Sons of Speed, along with the input of America’s best builders like Billy Lane and Rick Petko, the board tracker is back with a vengeance. But what do you do when you live in a country where finding a ’20s Indian in a barn is as likely as finding the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? You do what Spain’s Kacerwagen Cycles have done and build your own from scratch; it’s a bitchin‘ boardie called ‘The Zeppelina V72’.
Giant’s of the industry, Harley Davidson and Indian, made their names by winning on Sunday and selling on Monday in the highly lucrative sport of board track racing at the start of the 20th century. Crowds of nearly 100,000 people would pack into the biggest tracks and the prize money was out of this world. But two world wars, huge track maintenance costs and horrific deaths – both on the track and in the stands – put an end to the sport.
But as the custom scene has looked back through the ages for inspiration it was only natural that eventually some would land back where it all began. For Gsus Valencia from Mazagón, Andalusia, on the Atlantic Coast of Spain, everything about those early Indian race bikes got his blood pumping. His workshop, Kacerwagen, turns out a range of tasty customs based on bikes old and new. But for this project it would be a case of building the chassis, sourcing an engine and then making do with whatever else he could find.
Like all board trackers, they begin and end with the engine; going around a steeply banked track as fast as you can meant the first thing on the bike lift is the motor and everything else is just adapted to fit. But without access to any hundred-year-old Indian engines, Gsus made a wise choice from left field; a 350cc V-Twin from an off-road Moto Morini Kanguro 350. Yes, you read that right. The format looks the part, it has the perfect soundtrack and it even has some old school pushrod charm.
So, after a rebuild to ensure it was running reliably and pumping out more power than the original racers with less than half the cubic capacity, attention turned to dressing it up. The block, jugs and valve covers were all ground back and shaped to give it a vintage-style look. While extensive use of brass on the side covers, clutch cover and in the form of beautiful inlet trumpets give it the perfect period feel. The short side exit exhaust – all wrapped up and barking mad – giving the boardie a booming, beastly beat.
To frame the engine, Gsus wanted to stay as true to the originals as possible and the designs were always similar to a push bike, if not taken from the very thing. Only the bottom half of the swingarm is from the Moto Morini, the rest was TIG welded at Kacerwagen, with each piece crafted and shaped from high-grade steel. The whole process was done in a jig to ensure perfect alignment, with special attention paid to sprocket placement, an error that was easier to fix in the pre-unit days.
There’s a right time and place for everything. Even exhaust wrap
With the engine in place, the rigid tail could be completed with the Morini arm hard tailed to the centre post with two pieces of round stock for a uber bicycle-effect. Up front and a Yamaha hub with drum brakes forms the basis of the rolling assembly, with the new rim wearing an old school Avon Speedmaster tyre. Out back, a Morini hub and sprocket deal with the modern power, while a bigger rim gets wrapped up in a Shinko E270.
Now she was nearly rolling and the custom front end was out of its own jig, complete with drop bars. The Zeppelina was ready to put together. Wanting to hand craft as much of the bike as possible Gsus built the tank, with the design simply coming straight from his hands, inspired by the classic lines of days gone by. The seat too has a stunning artisan look of old, a hand-beaten pan utilises twin springs for a little nod to comfort and more of that vintage, old school appeal. The black leather top comes from local friends at Senen LeatherWork.
The hard copper lines, faux total loss oiling system, brilliantly constructed pedals and their linkages all add to the charm. But to finish the job required the incredible skills of Buba Custom Paint, who mixed up a solution that would give all the mismatched materials a singular, patinaed appearance. It was the make or break aspect of the build, but as you can see the combined assets of Kacerwagen Cycles and their friends have delivered in spades. It’s a fitting moto tribute to where it all began and the perfect example to let you know that no matter how much the world changes, our addiction to speed will always prevail.
[ Kacerwagen Cycles – Facebook | Photos by Nfoco Digital ]
Written by Martin Hodgson
They were the original kings of the race track, but you won’t ever find a replica of one hanging out at your local cafe bike meet. However over recent years with TV shows like Harley and the Davidsons and Sons of Speed, along with the input of America’s best builders like Billy Lane and Rick Petko, the board tracker is back with a vengeance. But what do you do when you live in a country where finding a ’20s Indian in a barn is as likely as finding the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? You do what Spain’s Kacerwagen Cycles have done and build your own from scratch; it’s a bitchin‘ boardie called ‘The Zeppelina V72’.
Giant’s of the industry, Harley Davidson and Indian, made their names by winning on Sunday and selling on Monday in the highly lucrative sport of board track racing at the start of the 20th century. Crowds of nearly 100,000 people would pack into the biggest tracks and the prize money was out of this world. But two world wars, huge track maintenance costs and horrific deaths – both on the track and in the stands – put an end to the sport.
But as the custom scene has looked back through the ages for inspiration it was only natural that eventually some would land back where it all began. For Gsus Valencia from Mazagón, Andalusia, on the Atlantic Coast of Spain, everything about those early Indian race bikes got his blood pumping. His workshop, Kacerwagen, turns out a range of tasty customs based on bikes old and new. But for this project it would be a case of building the chassis, sourcing an engine and then making do with whatever else he could find.
“Gsus made a wise choice from left field; a 350cc V-Twin from an off-road Moto Morini Kanguro 350.”
Like all board trackers, they begin and end with the engine; going around a steeply banked track as fast as you can meant the first thing on the bike lift is the motor and everything else is just adapted to fit. But without access to any hundred-year-old Indian engines, Gsus made a wise choice from left field; a 350cc V-Twin from an off-road Moto Morini Kanguro 350. Yes, you read that right. The format looks the part, it has the perfect soundtrack and it even has some old school pushrod charm.
So, after a rebuild to ensure it was running reliably and pumping out more power than the original racers with less than half the cubic capacity, attention turned to dressing it up. The block, jugs and valve covers were all ground back and shaped to give it a vintage-style look. While extensive use of brass on the side covers, clutch cover and in the form of beautiful inlet trumpets give it the perfect period feel. The short side exit exhaust – all wrapped up and barking mad – giving the boardie a booming, beastly beat.
To frame the engine, Gsus wanted to stay as true to the originals as possible and the designs were always similar to a push bike, if not taken from the very thing. Only the bottom half of the swingarm is from the Moto Morini, the rest was TIG welded at Kacerwagen, with each piece crafted and shaped from high-grade steel. The whole process was done in a jig to ensure perfect alignment, with special attention paid to sprocket placement, an error that was easier to fix in the pre-unit days.
There’s a right time and place for everything. Even exhaust wrap
With the engine in place, the rigid tail could be completed with the Morini arm hard tailed to the centre post with two pieces of round stock for a uber bicycle-effect. Up front and a Yamaha hub with drum brakes forms the basis of the rolling assembly, with the new rim wearing an old school Avon Speedmaster tyre. Out back, a Morini hub and sprocket deal with the modern power, while a bigger rim gets wrapped up in a Shinko E270.
Now she was nearly rolling and the custom front end was out of its own jig, complete with drop bars. The Zeppelina was ready to put together. Wanting to hand craft as much of the bike as possible Gsus built the tank, with the design simply coming straight from his hands, inspired by the classic lines of days gone by. The seat too has a stunning artisan look of old, a hand-beaten pan utilises twin springs for a little nod to comfort and more of that vintage, old school appeal. The black leather top comes from local friends at Senen LeatherWork.
The hard copper lines, faux total loss oiling system, brilliantly constructed pedals and their linkages all add to the charm. But to finish the job required the incredible skills of Buba Custom Paint, who mixed up a solution that would give all the mismatched materials a singular, patinaed appearance. It was the make or break aspect of the build, but as you can see the combined assets of Kacerwagen Cycles and their friends have delivered in spades. It’s a fitting moto tribute to where it all began and the perfect example to let you know that no matter how much the world changes, our addiction to speed will always prevail.
[ Kacerwagen Cycles – Facebook | Photos by Nfoco Digital ]
Some airhead appreciation courtesy of @vintage.room.motorcycles. Diggin’ the wooden seat cowl, nice touch! . Photo by @zlatanovic.dragan. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #bmw #vintage
How cool is this?? The front wheel powered engine used by @craigrodsmith on his latest build for the @haasmotomuseum. . Check out the full build with images by @grantschwingle on @bikeexif. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #bikeexit #haasmotomuseum #inspiration
The Honda SLR650 was a stripped-down, more street-focused version of the popular NX650 Dominator. The 44-hp SLR had a smaller 19-inch front wheel, lower seat height, and the bike was slightly lighter, making for improved acceleration. All in all, a no-frills big single thumper that could double as a daily commuter and weekend curb-jumper.
Enter Maurizio Carraro, founder of Italy’s Imbarcadero14 Venice, whose KTM LC4 scrambler we previously featured. Maurizio, who grew up racing off-road, wanted to build a bike to compete in the world’s premier international motorcycle show, Moto Bike Expo 2019, which welcomes over 170,000 visitors each year in Verona.
Working with friend and fellow collaborator Guido Furlanetto, Maurizio wanted to build a bike inspired by the Honda Monkey — Big Red’s enormously popular Z series of minibikes, with their tiny wheels and fat tires — along with the Honda Cub EZ90, which inspired the build’s bodywork. Says Maurizio of the “U-Turn” nickname:
The bike won the Honda award at MBE 2019 and will be displayed at The Bike Shed 2019! Below, we get the full story on the build, as well as some lovely photos from Nicola de Marchi.
Honda SLR650 Urban Enduro: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My name is Maurizio Carraro and I am 47 years old. Imbarcadero14 was born about seven years ago with a workshop near Venice. My history with motorcycles starts from a young age, with the competitions in motocross and enduro.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
1998 Honda SLR650.
• Why was this bike built?
This bike was built to compete for the Honda prize at Motor Bike Expo 2019. I did win the Honda award! The owner is a dear friend of mine named Guido Furlanetto. With him, I have studied and built other motorcycle projects.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
The idea to build this motorcycle comes from two Honda icons: the first is the Honda Monkey, with big tires and small-diameter rims. The second is the cubic Honda, which inspired the bodywork.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Aluminum rear frame, hand-worked aluminum body, aluminum fender. Rear swingarm modifications, aluminum plates machined from solid block. Rim diameter is 16″, tires 130/90/16. New electrical system, new controls, radial brake pump. Aluminum risers were machined from solid block, and handlebars have variable section. Complete exhaust system, engine completely overhauled and painted black.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
It’s name is “U-turn.”
• How would you classify this bike?
I do not know how to classify this motorcycle, I tried to create a new style.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
I’m proud because this bike came out just how I’d envisioned. Once achieved, it gave me a big emotional charge — I felt it was the perfect motorcycle for my mind.
Follow the Builder
Imbarcadero 14
Website: www.imbarcadero14venice.com
Facebook: Imbarcadero14 Venice
Instagram: @imbarcadero14_venice
Photographer: Nicola de Marchi
Source...
JEWEL, BRITANNIA. Old Empire’s ‘Gypsy’ Honda CB360 Cafe Racer
Written by Marlon Slack
When you’re as good as Suffolk’s Old Empire Motorcycles you don’t need to go hunting for work. Hell, their incredible history of customising classic motorcycles has customers practically begging them to create a bike. And that’s what’s happened with their latest creation, a 1976 Honda CB360 that the client had to harass, harangue and coerce them into building. And we’re all the better for it.
The customer initially approached the team after ogling one of their first custom jobs, a killer little Vulcan CB250. Old Empire, snowed under with work, had to politely decline another project. But the customer wasn’t one to take no for an answer. He disappeared into the ether and started squirreling away parts for the bike he envisioned. A donor motorcycle. Aprilia RS125 forks. And then a year later he struck again. Thankfully for us all they took on the build.
And it was an interesting time for the team, with the customer so smitten with their original CB250 it gave Empire’s Rafe and Alec a chance to reassess their original build. “As with anything we’ve completed, once it’s done we always look back and wish we had changed this or that or done something differently,” Alec says. “In this case we had a look at what we disliked about the Vulcan. It wasn’t much, but there were some small things.”
“First was the stance,” Alec says, “It was too high at the front. So the first thing we did was shave an inch of the Aprilia forks and lowered the top yoke right down onto the headstock. Secondly was the tank. She always did need a diet up top, so on the Gypsy the tank was carefully narrowed, angled and tapered to get the right profile.”
Don’t just stand there… ride the thing!
Lastly, the team decided the initial engine lacked a bit of chutzpah, so they imported a 360cc engine from the States along with some fresh Mikuni VM carbs. Sorted, right? Well, not quite. “The fun began when we found out the engine actually needed a full rebore and rebuild,” Alec says. The engine was given a thorough going-over by local engine guru Willy Valentine. Some soda blasting and a repaint and it was good to go. But that’s fairly straightforward when you take a look at the work they did on the frame.
It was cut and shortened, with a new tighter loop installed at the rear, complete with brake lights and new rear shock mounts. In one of the tidiest bits of lighting trickery we’ve seen in a long time the indicators, an Old Empire designed item, are mounted on top of the shock mounts. They perfectly match the indicators at the front – they’re actually attached to the pinch bolts on the bottom yoke. How neat is that?
“Wheel wise we re-laced the original hubs to 19″ stainless rims,” Alec says. “We shod them in maybe not the most well performing tyres but that certainly looked the part.” New brake discs and a CNC adapter plate was made up by Demeanour Customs to get the front stopper working correctly.
The understated metallic paintwork reeks of class
Up top things are particularly neat. A small aluminium cowl was crafted around the triangular headlight, and underneath that Old Empire controls and Kustom Tech levers were fitted to the clip-ons. The Gypsy is outfitted with a whole new charging and ignition system, Shorai battery and Motogadget wizardry, all held together in one of the neatest looms ever, constructed by Richard at the Motorcycle Wiring Specialists.
There’s a whole lot more going on with this bike. The leather grips and footpegs made by Old Empire. The hand-stitched seat made by GB Upholstery. The glorious paintwork done by Black Shuck. Ceracoating by Flying Tiger Coatings. Hell, even the customer-made saddlebags are jaw-dropping. It all rewards a close look. And if the photos aren’t enough, check out the kick ass video the team produced.
For all his dedication and persistence – we can’t thank the customer enough!
[ Old Empire Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Rafe Pugh ]
Written by Marlon Slack
When you’re as good as Suffolk’s Old Empire Motorcycles you don’t need to go hunting for work. Hell, their incredible history of customising classic motorcycles has customers practically begging them to create a bike. And that’s what’s happened with their latest creation, a 1976 Honda CB360 that the client had to harass, harangue and coerce them into building. And we’re all the better for it.
The customer initially approached the team after ogling one of their first custom jobs, a killer little Vulcan CB250. Old Empire, snowed under with work, had to politely decline another project. But the customer wasn’t one to take no for an answer. He disappeared into the ether and started squirreling away parts for the bike he envisioned. A donor motorcycle. Aprilia RS125 forks. And then a year later he struck again. Thankfully for us all they took on the build.
And it was an interesting time for the team, with the customer so smitten with their original CB250 it gave Empire’s Rafe and Alec a chance to reassess their original build. “As with anything we’ve completed, once it’s done we always look back and wish we had changed this or that or done something differently,” Alec says. “In this case we had a look at what we disliked about the Vulcan. It wasn’t much, but there were some small things.”
“First was the stance,” Alec says, “It was too high at the front. So the first thing we did was shave an inch of the Aprilia forks and lowered the top yoke right down onto the headstock. Secondly was the tank. She always did need a diet up top, so on the Gypsy the tank was carefully narrowed, angled and tapered to get the right profile.”
Don’t just stand there… ride the thing!
Lastly, the team decided the initial engine lacked a bit of chutzpah, so they imported a 360cc engine from the States along with some fresh Mikuni VM carbs. Sorted, right? Well, not quite. “The fun began when we found out the engine actually needed a full rebore and rebuild,” Alec says. The engine was given a thorough going-over by local engine guru Willy Valentine. Some soda blasting and a repaint and it was good to go. But that’s fairly straightforward when you take a look at the work they did on the frame.
“The team decided the initial engine lacked a bit of chutzpah, so they imported a 360cc engine from the States.”
It was cut and shortened, with a new tighter loop installed at the rear, complete with brake lights and new rear shock mounts. In one of the tidiest bits of lighting trickery we’ve seen in a long time the indicators, an Old Empire designed item, are mounted on top of the shock mounts. They perfectly match the indicators at the front – they’re actually attached to the pinch bolts on the bottom yoke. How neat is that?
“Wheel wise we re-laced the original hubs to 19″ stainless rims,” Alec says. “We shod them in maybe not the most well performing tyres but that certainly looked the part.” New brake discs and a CNC adapter plate was made up by Demeanour Customs to get the front stopper working correctly.
The understated metallic paintwork reeks of class
Up top things are particularly neat. A small aluminium cowl was crafted around the triangular headlight, and underneath that Old Empire controls and Kustom Tech levers were fitted to the clip-ons. The Gypsy is outfitted with a whole new charging and ignition system, Shorai battery and Motogadget wizardry, all held together in one of the neatest looms ever, constructed by Richard at the Motorcycle Wiring Specialists.
There’s a whole lot more going on with this bike. The leather grips and footpegs made by Old Empire. The hand-stitched seat made by GB Upholstery. The glorious paintwork done by Black Shuck. Ceracoating by Flying Tiger Coatings. Hell, even the customer-made saddlebags are jaw-dropping. It all rewards a close look. And if the photos aren’t enough, check out the kick ass video the team produced.
For all his dedication and persistence – we can’t thank the customer enough!
[ Old Empire Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Rafe Pugh ]
Double the fun. Two BMW R100s, both perfect in their own way. The blue one was built by @niftyjon and the white one by @unionmotorcycle for @alsongarcia. Thanks for sharing!! . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #bmw #r100 #airhead
“So happy how the Honda CB550 has turned out after 8 months working on it! Just needs the jetting done and the duel front brake before she’s ready for summer!!” - @shorty900 . Photo by @johny.cook. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #honda #cb550 #bratstyle #vintage
A clean Scrambler Ducati built by @jigsaw_customs. Nice work! . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #ducati #scrambler #scramblerducati
“The Scrambled Duke”: An alternative to the “new” Ducati Scrambler…
Long before they revived the name for the modern L-twin Scrambler in 2015, Ducati produced their original “Scrambler” series of air-cooled singles in 125, 250, 350, and 450 cc displacements. Introduced in 1962, these bikes were built at the behest of the American importer, who wanted a lightweight all-purpose bike to appeal to young people. Says one rider who’s owned his 450 Scrambler since 1971:
Enter Wreckless Motorcycles of the United Kingdom, a Pro/Am “tag team” consisting of two friends who’ve known each other for 15 years. Rick Geall is “the Amateur” — he designs, welds, fabricates, and source parts out of his small brick barn, located near Silverstone Race Circuit:
Iain Rhodes is “the Pro” — a professional mechanic with his own shop, who does the engine work and final assembly on the builds, and makes sure they run.
The project you see here was triggered by the 2015 revival of the Ducati Scambler name, attached to a bike that many have lamented as being too street-oriented to warrant the name. Says Rick of the build:
Together, Rick and Iain have managed to tranform a “wide case” 1970 Ducati 350 Scrambler into a modernized stunner — a resto-modded Scrambler that hasn’t lost touch with its roots. We especially love the attitude behind the work:
Indeed, indeed. Below, we get the full story on the build, along with some stunning shots from photographer Daniel du Cros at the studios of Junction Eleven.
“The Scrambled Duke”: In the Builder’s Words
Donor: 1970 Ducati 350 Scrambler Widecase Single
The idea for the Scrambler build was triggered by two things – Ducati’s re-launch of the “new” Scrambler in 2015, and also the timing of acquiring an original 1970’s bike in late 2016.
The bike started life as a black and yellow 350 imported into the UK many years ago from South Africa. It was a running bike but a little tired and unloved, but a period correct Ducati, virtually original from the factory.
Like many bike (and car) producers, some of their most evocative machines came out of the late 60’s and early 70’s, a great period in design generally but especially automotive design.
The design brief was to try and retain and enhance the early Scrambler style and feel (with more than a nod to the Ducati 400/450 RT, which I believe was mainly a US export version), but give it a modern 2018 twist. I wanted more “scrambler” rather than the “street” direction Ducati took. I still hope Ducati will do an MX style bike at some point, but I guess it is a big and already crowded market of very fine bikes.
To recreate that 70’s Scrambler look, stance would be challenge no. 1 — get it sitting a lot higher and recreating an MX style, making it a little more extreme, ultimately a caricature of the original which is really our style.
Given the original motor had a slightly wheezy but fun 24 horsepower, clearly some weight saving wouldn’t go amiss, achieved broadly by losing the original forks, wheels and exhaust that were very heavy items. Styling, overall, was to remain vintage, so a retained but modified frame, hand-made aluminium panels all round, the original tank and a completely refreshed, re-bored, rebuilt, original motor were all to be a focal point for the build.
Modern components, designed for the KTM SX small bike range (65 and 85) became the backbone of the significant modifications. We added a set of unique billet triple clamps from Fastec Racing in the UK (that caused Danny a few headaches and head scratching when he realised what I was asking for). We went to Fastec as they already produced a very nice aftermarket clamp set for the KTM SX range so figured we were halfway there!? The brief was to machine them to retain the existing 1970 Scrambler head geometry but be able to take the KTM SX WP’s up front — this set the taller stance we wanted.
This was balanced at the back via some lengthy Ohlins twin shocks at the rear (370mm eye to eye), modified, assembled and supplied by Ben at BG Motorsport Silverstone. We lengthened the swingarm as well, just to give it a more stretched out look, less compact.
Brand-new SM Pro Platinum wheels designed for KTM application completed the look while up front along with Beringer’s very pretty full MX front braking kit for the KTM SX series, putting the stopping power on the nose (literally). Thanks to Christophe and the team at Bike Design in Belgium as ever for sourcing the Beringer components we needed.
We debated long and hard about whether to run a rear brake, but I wanted to keep the styling nice and clean at the rear, and show off the oversized rear hand machined one-off sprocket from a 49T Renthal blank.
The usual array of goodies from Renthal, Rizoma and Daytona all add the finishing touches. A brand new seat pan was fabricated in house and covered in a mix of soft black leather with a perforated and stitched seating area from Matt at Herbert Ellison Upholstery in Stockbridge.
Paint was chosen to give a vintage feel, with a nod towards the yellow and orange hues used by Ducati in the 70’s.
That carb’d single sounds nasty via the brand new hand-built exhaust mated to a modern Akrapovic end can designed for the current Yamaha R3.
I’m not sure how you’d categorise the bike, so lets just say it’s a Scrambler, a nod to the original icon and its very cool MX cousin, the 400 RT, whilst celebrating what’s best in modern on road/off road components.
The overall build meandered over an 18-month period, mainly because the eventual build no.1 (Kawasaki W650 – sixfiveoh) took over the build slot and focus during a lull in proceedings on the Scrambler. The real timetable was more like 30 weeks to do this particular bike.
Getting the triple clamps machined took time, as did sourcing the genuine 70’s parts for the motor, piston, carb etc. (a big thanks to Barry at Classic Ducati for his patience and support in finding me the things I needed – I’m not 100% sure he’ll like what I did with it all but that’s custom, you won’t please everyone). The benefit of using the modern parts designed for KTM was helpful from a sourcing point of view, but getting it all to marry with the frame presented lots of fitment challenges that Iain skillfully (as usual) mastered.
The lack of rear brake might make this an MOT challenge ultimately if a buyer comes along for it, so perhaps we will revisit this in good time, but for now, the combination of the vintage range Heidenau K67 Trials tyres and those Beringer stoppers make it a hoot to ride.
Summary of main changes
- Reduced and reshaped original rear fender – brand new KTM SX85 aftermarket UFO front fender
- New seat pan fabricated and covered in premium smooth black leather with perforated leather insert
- New “vintage” 7.7inch headlight and grill (painted Traffic Black) hung with two tone machined aluminium fork hangers
- Original gear shifter extended, with new rubber
- New WP front forks for the KTM SX65/85 range
- New Ohlins Black Edition rear twin shocks adapted from a Honda application
- New Beringer MX Race Kit and Aerotec cable clutch with 4 fingers levers both sides of the bars
- New Scrambler style 7.7” headlight with mesh grill insert
- New Venhill tailored brake and clutch cables and Venhill throttle
- Engine sprayed and cases polished
- New Beringer MX Aerotec front disc
- New Renthal 754 22mm bars, and Renthal firm grips, with Rizoma Scugardo bar end indicators
- Modified aftermarket KTM bar risers
- New Daytona Velona 80mm 9K analogue & digital single combination clock
- Brand new SM Pro Platinum wheels for the KTM SX85 (12-17) in Gloss Black rim and hub, Stainless spokes, nickel nipples combination. 19×1.6 F and 18×2.15 R
- New Heidenau K67 Trials 3.25 x 19 54T TT on the front and 4.00 x 18 64T TT tyres on the rear
- New chrome vintage style horn
- New generator, CDI, custom fuse box
- New Lithium battery and Lithium charger
- Bevel gear gazer from DiscoVolante
- New nuts, bolts, gaskets, seals, washers, engine plate mounts, valve guides, tank bracket, battery case etc. 100% overhaul of every small item
- Engine – new gearbox bearings, full strip down, crankshaft grind, valve lap, barrel honed and ceramic coated, piston honed, new rings clips and pin
- One off billet triple clamps, stem and stem nut from Fastec Racing
- New custom wiring loom
- Original DEllorto VHB carb, sonic cleaned, overhauled, and refurbished as new
- New vintage look bellmouth
- All panels custom made in marine grade aluminium
- Refurbished original tank, complemented by original cap
- New DID VX GB chain and sprockets (530 x 13F and a “blank 49 tooth Renthal rear)
- New aftermarket steel adventure pegs grafted onto existing footrest mounts
- Custom Wreckless design decals onto new paint scheme plus the use of a small original Ducati Meccanica decal on the rear, WP fork decals etc.
- Original Swingarm lengthened 40mm
- Original frame shortened at the rear, de-lugged and new electrics tray
- New Rizoma Iride S Rear bi-directional running light, brake light, indicators all in one
- Frame and swing arm powder coated Traffic black
- New one off handmade side stand mounting point grafted to original frame and peg mounting plate, plus aftermarket tall side stand designed for KTM EXC range from Trail Tech
- Kick starter and gear shifter all original with new rubbers
- Custom hand assembled wiring loom
The tank, fenders and panels were painted a combination of Traffic Black in gloss and Traffic Yellow in gloss. Inset Wreckless logos on the tank and Wreckless logo and bespoke design decals for the side panels. Frame and swingarm were powder coated Traffic Black.
Photography Credits
The photo-shoot took place locally in Banbury at the studios of junctioneleven, the stills taken by the highly talented Daniel Du Cros.
Web: www.junctioneleven.com
Twitter: @JunctionEleven
Instagram: @junctioneleven
Follow the Builder
Instagram: @wrecklesscc
Facebook: @wrecklessmotorcycles
Web: www.wrecklessmotorcycles.co.uk
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Café racer and Chill. @greasy_hands hanging out with the @caferidercustoms BMW R80 built for @lifeofabedouin. Love the bike, nice work Fahim! . Photo by @robovery. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #bmw #r80 #dubai
#MopedMonday featuring this sick Mobylette racer built by @xtrpepo out of Madrid . Found via @mopedsofinsta. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #mobylette #moped #mopedsofinsta
Going Equilateral: Long-Armed CL350 from San Francisco…
The Honda CL350 was the scrambler version of the beloved CB350 twin, featuring a high-mount exhaust and 19-inch front wheel. While the 346 curb weight and 33 horsepower OHC parallel-twin engine did not make for staggering performance, the CL350 scored high on the fun scale. Says Honda guru Charlie O’Hanlon:
Enter Jason Lisica of Offset Motorcycles, a San Francisco Bay Area restoration and modification shop whose bikes we’ve featured previously on the blog. With some 30 custom builds under his belt, Jason has decided to start supplying builders with a few limited-production parts. In order to showcase his CB350 extended swingarm kit, he’s build this 1972 Honda CL350 “brat scrambler”:
As Jason says, the extended swingarm gives the bike just enough “papi chulo” — a stretched bobber with pullback bars. Below, we get the full story on the build.
Stretched CL350: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
Offset Motorcycles is dedicated to making vintage custom bikes that people can ride today. Rounding the corner on 30 bikes now, it felt like it was time to start creating some purchasable parts. I find that the more customer builds I take on, the more it’s just one or two pieces of fabrication that make or break a whole bike. My hope is to supply builders with that one special bolt-on piece that helps them get over the creative hump, and onto an inspiring new build they made with their own two hands.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
1972 Honda CL350. Classic swap meet special. I picked up the bare frame for cheap and started sourcing parts.
• Why was this bike built?
The bike was built primarily to showcase a product I have brought to a limited production run, the CB350 extended swingarm kit. I have two different models listed on my website and for sale on eBay. The swingarms come with new bushings and a bunch of other stuff to help you get the stance adjusted and extended the linkages if you like. The kit is $289 plus shipping, and you get it on eBay (1968-1973 Honda CB350 extended swingarm kit - cafe racer brat scrambler tracker | eBay) or cheaper if you contact me through my website and mention BikeBound.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
I wanted to show off what a 3” extended swingarm can do to the stance of a CB350. There have been a handful of builders that have created an equilateral triangle using an extended swingarm and shock combination. I have always admired those bikes. One in particular was from 5 years ago on BikeEXIF, and it never left my consciousness. A Finnish industrial design student named Timo Karinen had the same idea (before it was cool) but he didn’t lower his front end to make the bike sit level. I did that here. I also had an idea to build a bike that could satisfy my cravings for a 1940’s bike, and I think I nailed it. It’s hard to explain the riding position, but it’s exactly what I was looking for, a stretched bobber with pullback bars.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The first step was to match the odd CL tank slope to the brat seat I bought from Tran at OC Cafe Racer in Orange County. This is my third featured bike on BikeBound with one of Tran’s seats.
So, I lowered the front tank mounts both down and back a half inch and that helped me to squeeze the slopes together. After that I put my extended swingarm kit on there and made my perfect triangle. Buying shocks the right length wasn’t hard, but then I had to lower the front end to make the whole bike sit level. With this early triple tree assembly, you can’t just mount the fork legs higher in the clamps, so I heated up the outer fork springs and compressed them using a spring compressor to get them to mash down to the right height. Then I cut a section out of the fork legs and rewelded them.
The tank and headlight ears were stripped to bare metal and torched with propane to give it a burnt pipe look. All the electronics are mounted under the seat in a flat tray like I do all my bikes. This one was done with no electrics on the handlebars at all. The bike starts with a turn-key ignition, like in a boat, and the headlight switch is under the headlight itself.
Finally on the exhaust I had some help from my friend Alan, who owns this KZ400 café racer featured on BikeBound. We got two left side CL350 exhausts and cut one of them apart to make the right side rams-horn effect. The two sides aren’t identical because the engine cases are different, but it turned out great.
• How would you classify this bike?
Brat-scrambler.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Just the way the bike sits. I really love this stance. It’s got just the right amount of “papi chulo”. This bike is special to me because building it made me realize that the cheap 70’s donor bikes are almost gone, and they aren’t coming back. The more we keep hacking them apart, the more valuable they will become.
Follow the Builder
Web: www.offsetmotorcycles.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/offsetmoto
Instagram: @offsetmoto
Source...
This looks like a fun one, a Yamaha Fazer built by @benta.handmade.machines Thanks for sharing! . Send photos of your builds to [email protected] to be featured, link in bio. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #scrambler #yamaha #fazer
Honda Garage Dreams is the first motorcycle customization contest in the history of Honda Spain-Portugal, aka Honda Motor Europe Iberia. In January, 13 Honda dealers across Spain and Portugal started with the same platform, the Honda CB1000R from Big Red’s vintage-inspired Neo Sports Café range.
The CB1000R, first introduced in 2008, is currently powered by a 144-horsepower, 998cc version of the CBR1000RR superbike engine, featuring forged pistons, ride-by-wire throttle control, and street-friendly tuning, optimizing midrange power. Cycle World has called the 2018 version “ultra-polished” and “ready to play,” pairing “elegance and performance.” Quite the review!
For the Honda Garage Dreams contest, each dealer had a maximum budget of 3000 euros in parts and accessories for each build, as well as 2000 euros for paint. Working against the clock, and on top of their day-to-day work, they have managed to build 13 stunning CB1000R customs. We love how different the each build turned out,
Below, we have a rundown of each build, along with stunning photos from none other than Diego Bermúdez, director of Revival of the Machine. From April 4-7, you can vote for the winner here: www.hondagaragedreamscontest.com. The winning custom will be announced April 7, 2019, at Vive la Moto Salon (Barcelona).
Autoferro Murcia
This CB1000R has a decidedly jet fighter aesthetic, with bold dark lines, racing slicks, and a suede seat that should keep the rider planted during track antics.
Hakuba Santander
This custom CB1000R employs traditional Honda colors and race-inspired livery, along with race slicks and a muscular, streetfighter shape.
Impala Barcelona
The CB1000R flat tracker of the bunch, complete with number plates, integrated seat/tank/fender, and true flat track prowess, as demonstrated in the photos below.
Mallorca Motos
Nicknamed “Monkey Kong,” this funky CB1000R is inspired by Honda’s beloved Z series of “monkey bikes.”
Motocircuit Castellon
This CB1000R has a lovely Arrow exhaust system, along with patina-effect paint for a retro, vintage look that harks back to the air-cooled CB Fours of yesteryear.
Motorsport Madrid
The paint and seat of this build are stunning, flowing from blue to white/silver/gold to red at the rear. The rich red seat and different-colored wheels are striking.
Motorway Lisboa
This red and bronze-gold beauty hails from Libson, Portugal — the color accent in the engine flow perfectly with the wheels and headlight halo.
Mototrofa Porto
This custom CB1000R, hailing from Porto, Portual, has a striking bloodred and white livery that recalls Formula One cars of old. We love the street-oriented focus of this build.
Ortasa Bilbao
This CB1000R has a retro muscle bike look, with a custom-painted headlight fairing, radiator cowling, and the traditional Honda wings painted in iridescent red on the matte white bodywork.
Otobai Madrid
This futuristic,urban brawler looks like it would be right at home underneath a blade runner. Killer work on the front fender and tank effects.
Servihonda Malaga
This post-apocalyptic CB1000R “Survivor” looks straight out of Mad Max, complete with a custom jerry can rack and snakeskin motif on the bodywork. Possibly the most original of the bunch!
Towca Granada
This CB1000R “Neo X” has an obvious scrambler / enduro influence, complete with rock guard on the headlight, radiator protection, dual sport tires, and a rock guard for the headlight.
VC Sabadell
VC Moto went with an endurance racer theme that will surely garner quite a few fans. We love the dual headlights and retro fairing, along with the beautiful dual output exhaust and boxy, 80s racer tail cowling.
Follow Honda Motor Iberia
Honda Motorcycles Portugal: www.honda.pt/motorcycles.html
Honda Motorcycles Spain: www.honda.es/motorcycles.html
Follow Revival of the Machine
Web: www.revivalofthemachine.com
Facebook: @Revivalofthemachine
Instagram: @revival_of_the_machine
Source...
Form follows function. Incredible details on @vagabund_moto’s BMW R100 build. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #design #inspiration
Animal Farm. Purpose Built Moto’s Yamaha XT250 MX Scrambler
Written by Tom Gilroy
When you mention a Yamaha XT to any bike enthusiast a few things come to mind. Yamaha’s XT series set the bar in off-road racing for a long time, and since then they’ve been synonymous with durability, performance and reliability. So of course, I have one rolled into the garage that looks anything but. Ex-farm bike. Rolling chassis, motor, box of parts and three words, “Make a scrambler.”
The easy route would have been to mount a nice, rounded fender and a run-of-the-mill round tail light with roll-stitched seat – probably lower it so it looked nicer – throw some 50/50 tyres on and be done with it. But I don’t tend to take the easy way out and the Yamaha XT250 MX scrambler wouldn’t be any different. Why not build a custom motocross bike? I couldn’t think of a good enough reason, so that’s exactly what I did.
The tear down was simple; I think the only thing I removed was the old front fender. The rest was already missing. The light frame plus the monoshock of the XT250 lends itself to a simple design. The top seat rail was maintained with the bracing modified to better suit my ideas for the tail and exhaust. Next, I dropped the forks through the triple clamps to sit nice and high on the front and modified the rear suspension to suit. Overall, I lifted the little Yamaha about 35mm.
Stand up and be counted
The wheels were stripped out, the rims were polished up and re-laced with stainless steel spokes. They were then wrapped in a Dunlop K606 off-road tyre with a 17″ rear and a 21″ front. Once the bike was back on its own two feet, the exhaust was fabricated. A stainless steel header was put together piece by piece and finished off with a modified FMF Powercore 4 muffler. The muffler was cut and shut outside and in, and the link pipe was fabricated to snake inside the subframe. This is one of my favourite little details and I think it looks pretty trick.
Taking further styling cues from the motocross bikes I grew up on, I went about hand-making an aluminium fender to finish off the rear of the bike. Built to house an LED brake light and a minimal mud guard, the tail-piece was shaped and welded to accentuate the bare knuckles, off-road feel of the project. An important detail for me here was the opposing angles of the muffler and rear fender from the side; them crossing over each other just slightly is something you’ll often see on 4-stroke motocross and enduro bikes, and something that I always liked the look of.
Completely hidden under the seat, the electrics on this bike are fairly minimal. A 12-volt conversion was needed, with the addition of an Antigravity Battery. There’s no starter motor and the lighting circuits were further simplified with the use of the Purpose Built Moto Black Box control module. It also has a kill switch circuit and it takes care of pretty much everything electrical. It was then run through a set of push-button switches on the handlebars, which delivers a super clean finish.
The XT250 scrambler bars are a Renthal low-rise MX units with standard levers, pro-grip grips, and some custom scrambler mirrors that you can learn how to make here. Staying on the front of the bike, a universal super motard fender was fitted over the 21″ front wheel and a custom aluminium front plate was built to house two LED bar lights plus some of our hollow-tip LED turn signals. The headlight mounting plate was finished with some stainless steel brush guards, which I now know – thanks to Bruce at Iron & Resin Garage – look like a set of kitchen drawer handles!
. I guess these things happen when you spend your life in a garage isolated from the outside world. The digital gauge mounted off the top triple clamp is a Koso enduro style dash, with warning lights and a built-in tacho.
With the styling all but sorted the motor was dropped out, cleaned up and a new clutch put in to handle the mighty 13.5 horses this ball-tearer was putting out. The carb and intake were also upgraded with a Mikuni flat slide carburettor and DNA air filter was put on. When re-building the carburettor I was shocked to see someone had painted INSIDE the intake. Yep, some 100% A-grade matte black was used to make sure the carburettor was blacked out. For those playing along at home, don’t paint the inside of your carburettor. Every time someone paints the inside of their carburettor, a motorcyclist buys a step-through scooter. And nobody wants to see that. Once wired up and firing, the XT250 was serviced and tuned on the dyno by an old mate of mine – Jamie at Dynomite Moto in Brisbane.
‘Screw this. I’m gonna write for Pipeburn full-time!’
The one thing that was retained on the XT from the factory was the tank. One of the last tin tanks on these bikes, the white, yellow and grey combo was too good to change. A set of reproduction factory decals were painted in with the new fenders and hand-made guards were sprayed to suit. The custom MX-style bar seat was finished and upholstered by Jamason from Timeless Autotrim (we share a shop) with some grey and yellow accent pieces.
From where the Yamaha XT250 MX scrambler is now, you would never think it was a once neglected and mistreated farm bike. As with all scramblers, you know you’ve done a good job when they look good clean, but even better dirty. Test riding this bike on a farm property with a few gravel roads and mud puddles soon proved my assumption was right. A motocross-inspired custom scrambler would be a shitload of fun. Box ticked, and onto the next build.
[ Purpose Built Moto – Facebook – Instagram – Store | Photos by Andy Jackman ]
Written by Tom Gilroy
When you mention a Yamaha XT to any bike enthusiast a few things come to mind. Yamaha’s XT series set the bar in off-road racing for a long time, and since then they’ve been synonymous with durability, performance and reliability. So of course, I have one rolled into the garage that looks anything but. Ex-farm bike. Rolling chassis, motor, box of parts and three words, “Make a scrambler.”
The easy route would have been to mount a nice, rounded fender and a run-of-the-mill round tail light with roll-stitched seat – probably lower it so it looked nicer – throw some 50/50 tyres on and be done with it. But I don’t tend to take the easy way out and the Yamaha XT250 MX scrambler wouldn’t be any different. Why not build a custom motocross bike? I couldn’t think of a good enough reason, so that’s exactly what I did.
The tear down was simple; I think the only thing I removed was the old front fender. The rest was already missing. The light frame plus the monoshock of the XT250 lends itself to a simple design. The top seat rail was maintained with the bracing modified to better suit my ideas for the tail and exhaust. Next, I dropped the forks through the triple clamps to sit nice and high on the front and modified the rear suspension to suit. Overall, I lifted the little Yamaha about 35mm.
Stand up and be counted
The wheels were stripped out, the rims were polished up and re-laced with stainless steel spokes. They were then wrapped in a Dunlop K606 off-road tyre with a 17″ rear and a 21″ front. Once the bike was back on its own two feet, the exhaust was fabricated. A stainless steel header was put together piece by piece and finished off with a modified FMF Powercore 4 muffler. The muffler was cut and shut outside and in, and the link pipe was fabricated to snake inside the subframe. This is one of my favourite little details and I think it looks pretty trick.
Taking further styling cues from the motocross bikes I grew up on, I went about hand-making an aluminium fender to finish off the rear of the bike. Built to house an LED brake light and a minimal mud guard, the tail-piece was shaped and welded to accentuate the bare knuckles, off-road feel of the project. An important detail for me here was the opposing angles of the muffler and rear fender from the side; them crossing over each other just slightly is something you’ll often see on 4-stroke motocross and enduro bikes, and something that I always liked the look of.
Completely hidden under the seat, the electrics on this bike are fairly minimal. A 12-volt conversion was needed, with the addition of an Antigravity Battery. There’s no starter motor and the lighting circuits were further simplified with the use of the Purpose Built Moto Black Box control module. It also has a kill switch circuit and it takes care of pretty much everything electrical. It was then run through a set of push-button switches on the handlebars, which delivers a super clean finish.
The XT250 scrambler bars are a Renthal low-rise MX units with standard levers, pro-grip grips, and some custom scrambler mirrors that you can learn how to make here. Staying on the front of the bike, a universal super motard fender was fitted over the 21″ front wheel and a custom aluminium front plate was built to house two LED bar lights plus some of our hollow-tip LED turn signals. The headlight mounting plate was finished with some stainless steel brush guards, which I now know – thanks to Bruce at Iron & Resin Garage – look like a set of kitchen drawer handles!
. I guess these things happen when you spend your life in a garage isolated from the outside world. The digital gauge mounted off the top triple clamp is a Koso enduro style dash, with warning lights and a built-in tacho.
“Everytime someone paints the inside of their carburettor, a motorcyclist buys a step-through scooter. And nobody wants to see that.”
With the styling all but sorted the motor was dropped out, cleaned up and a new clutch put in to handle the mighty 13.5 horses this ball-tearer was putting out. The carb and intake were also upgraded with a Mikuni flat slide carburettor and DNA air filter was put on. When re-building the carburettor I was shocked to see someone had painted INSIDE the intake. Yep, some 100% A-grade matte black was used to make sure the carburettor was blacked out. For those playing along at home, don’t paint the inside of your carburettor. Every time someone paints the inside of their carburettor, a motorcyclist buys a step-through scooter. And nobody wants to see that. Once wired up and firing, the XT250 was serviced and tuned on the dyno by an old mate of mine – Jamie at Dynomite Moto in Brisbane.
‘Screw this. I’m gonna write for Pipeburn full-time!’
The one thing that was retained on the XT from the factory was the tank. One of the last tin tanks on these bikes, the white, yellow and grey combo was too good to change. A set of reproduction factory decals were painted in with the new fenders and hand-made guards were sprayed to suit. The custom MX-style bar seat was finished and upholstered by Jamason from Timeless Autotrim (we share a shop) with some grey and yellow accent pieces.
From where the Yamaha XT250 MX scrambler is now, you would never think it was a once neglected and mistreated farm bike. As with all scramblers, you know you’ve done a good job when they look good clean, but even better dirty. Test riding this bike on a farm property with a few gravel roads and mud puddles soon proved my assumption was right. A motocross-inspired custom scrambler would be a shitload of fun. Box ticked, and onto the next build.
[ Purpose Built Moto – Facebook – Instagram – Store | Photos by Andy Jackman ]
@kalapea_garage on the streets with his Honda CB1100. Nice work, looks great! . Send photos of your builds to [email protected] to be featured, link in bio. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #honda #cb1100 #motorcyclesofinstagram
