Moto lady @thegocvp on the gorgeous BMW R100 #crd61 by @caferacerdreams. One of our favorites, thanks for sharing! . Photo by @alangoesnuts. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacerdreams #caferacer #bmw #r100
Custom Bikes & Cafe Racer
- Thread starter DaveM
- Start date
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Looking forward to seeing the Rickman Revival Velocette by @revivalcycles at the @handbuiltshow this year. It’s going to be a good weekend! . Photo by @brandon_lajoie. . . #crojg #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #cota #revival #revivalcycles #motonerd #velocette
The world’s biggest mono gets the French treatment…
The Suzuki DR800 — aka the DR Big — was inspired by the Paris-Dakar Rally racers of the 1980s, large displacement off-road machines designed to roar across whole nations of unpaved earth. The big, air/oil-cooled mono cylinder offered 53 horsepower and 43 lb-ft of torque — serious thump! — along with two balance shafts to minimize vibration. Said Suzuki of the bike in 1991:
Enter Yves Chassaignon of YC Design, who still remembers, from his teenage days, the sound and vibratory power of his neighbor’s Laverda 750 SF:
Later, his father smuggled him into the 1972 French Gran Prix, where he’d been ordered to help maintain the telephone network. Two years later, young Yves fully contracted the motorcycling virus when he learned to ride a Suzuki GT125 two-stroke. In the years to come, he would follow the siren song of the “Continental Circus” of European GP racing, customizing a 125 Suzuki in the team Suzuki Texaco Heron livery of Barry Sheene, before discovering the world of enduro.
A firefighter by trade, Yves would serve with the elite BRPP (Paris Fire Brigade) and later the Firemen de Clermont in his home region of Auvergne, all while customizing a wide stable of bikes: Suzuki GT380, Honda CB550, Honda GL1100 Goldwing, and a 570cc Yamaha XT500 built for “madness” — which appeared in a 1984 French motorcycle magazine.
In the mid-1980s, the big Japanese four-strokes piloted by such legends as Eddy Lawson, Wes Cooley, and Freddie Spencer in AMA Superbike would inspire him to build a Suzuki GS1000S. He would spend much of the next decade competing in enduro racing on big-block thumpers he’d customized, and he never missed attending the legendary Gilles Lalay Classic, the world’s original — and some say most difficult — hard enduro event.
The year 1995 would mark Yves for life. He would have his first encounter with the mighty Yamaha V-Max, whose 145-horsepower V4 engine made it the fastest-accelerating production bike in the world:
He would spend more than a decade customizing the V-Max through many iterations and evolutions. In the last decade, however, Yves has expanded his horizons again, building a wide variety of bikes in various styles. Today, we’re thrilled to feature his 1993 Suzuki DR Big scrambler.
Suzuki DR Big Scrambler: In the Builder’s Words
(Translated from French by BikeBound.)
In the spring 2017, I bought this DR 800 outside Aix en Provence. It was a second hand 1993 model, set up for supermoto with an inverted fork from a Kawasaki KLX650, Suzuki 600 Bandit rims, a 320 mm floating disc pinched by Tokico four-piston calipers, a stainless steel Lazer silencer, and a rectangular mob headlight.
The original…
No odometer, so no idea of its exact mileage — probably about 40,000 km. On the good side, everything worked: starter, clutch, gearbox, RAS. On the other hand, the valves clicked and the bike pissed the fuel from the carb. After a quarter of an hour of discussions on the selling price, we concluded on a price and I left the world’s biggest mono.
First, I removed the carburetor for meticulous cleaning and rebuilding. I went back to the original settings (needed) and installed the carb repair kit. The fuel leak came from the brass exterior duct, which was broken flush with the carburetor body. This conduit comes from the tank and feeds the starter. After extracting the small piece of broken brass in the aluminum, I seal the pipe with aluminum epoxy resin. This should hold. Reassembly and opening of the petcock: no leak — well played, Bobby.
From there, I can adjust the valves. Ho, the bastards! Did it click! I find almost 2mm of lash in the exhaust and 1.5 mm on intake, when 0.20 and 0.15 is provided by the manufacturer. I adjust them and the engine runs immediately better.
I want to remove the air box to replace it with a K&N, but for that I have to make an intermediate “sleeve”. Here is my method: out of wood, I make the entry and exit of the sleeve. I assemble them and I cover them with tape. I then sacrifice a sports sock to wrap the whole thing. I resin the sock and let it dry. The resin does not stick on the tape, I unmold and I get that. Not bad, is it?
November, it’s getting cold in my garage, so I put the DR in the basement to continue the work in a warmer environment. I want to equip the DR with 17-inch spoked wheels. Width: 4.25 with 150 tire for the rear and 3.00 with 120 tire for the front. I buy two sets of new spokes (at Chambrier Père et Fils) and I lace the two rims without any particular problem. I take the opportunity to change the brake discs, rebuild the calipers, and bleed the assembly.
At Motos Pièces Clermontois, I find a Yamaha XS500 tank in good internal condition despite some pocks. The petcock requires a repair kit and the cap works well, it is waterproof. I make and weld the bindings front and rear. The seat backrest comes from a 1978 Kawasaki KZ650 and the side covers, off a Yamaha Fazer 600.
Not knowing the exact mileage and the presence of a very noisy rattling in the high engine rpms encouraged me to open the engine to identify problems and fix them. Camshaft and rockers were out of order. Probably a problem of lubrication. I tidied up engine with new gaskets, valve timing, and adjusting the valve clearance. The distribution chain and guides were within the manufacturer tolerances.
For aesthetic concerns, I replaced the taillight with new LEDs. Then I finalized the number plate and front lighting. I modified the optical LEDs in the stacked configuration instead of side-by-side. And finally a daytime LED running light positioned vertically. A white paint stroke and it’s done.
Then I turned to the decoration of the body by working on the PC to get some ideas and selected one pattern. Then I attacked the paint/decor myself: I determined the general lines to start masking to paint the blue stripes. Twenty-four hours of drying were required before continuing with dark blue stripes. When the basis of the decor was complete, I protected it with a polyurethane varnish.
Finally, I get to the exhaust silencer because the last one installed is still too noisy. At 800cc, it’s a strong pulse, and it is difficult to release the exhaust without making too much noise. My third attempt is good: I modify a WR450F enduro silencer and I connect it to the stainless steel tubing. A test drive confirms the validity of my amendment. The big mono breathes and is no longer noisy.
And the DR 800 is finished. I call it “BIG ONE.”
Follow the Builder Here: Y.C. Design
Source...
BALLS & 
. 485 Design’s Tough Yamaha XV920 Cafe
Written by Andrew Jones
We wear our hearts on our sleeves when it comes to Yamaha’s good ol’ Virago Vee. We bloody well love ‘em but boy, we’ve seen a damn heap of them. So needless to say that it takes something a little special for us to notice them nowadays. Enter Denver’s 485 Designs and their rather unique chain-driven XV920. And by ‘unique’, we mean ‘tough, stanced and with a technically sublime Ducati rear end.’ Check it out…
“We’re located just south of Denver, Colorado,” says the shop’s Nick Mercer. “We’re always staying busy doing something interesting with these old bikes. It is just me and my co-worker, who’s also named Nik.“ Sounds confusing. “The other builds consist of a couple more Viragos – one being a turbo build. We have also been working on marketing our products including exhausts, sub frames, powder coating and fabrication. We will be attending the 2019 Handbuilt show with this very bike.“
Nick 1 says that he feels most people would consider it a ‘cafe’ but he can’t – or would prefer not to – put a label on what style it is. “Technically, it’s a Yamaha XV920R from 1982. But the build didn’t exactly start out as a complete bike. I acquired the motor off Craigslist about two years ago and had it shipped to the shop from Maine. I started gathering parts from there to build a complete bike.”
Pastels and power
The boys say that their inspiration for the build was to simply make a clean finished product. “We see so many Viragos out there that get a lot of exposure and still look half finished; we paid very close attention to the details and we made sure everything came out looking exactly how we wanted it.” More inspiration was found in the technical obsessiveness of the chain drive conversion and the addition of the lovely laced wheels. “The overall goal was to make a Virago unlike any other, which is hard to do now that the platform is so common.”
“The build process was extensive. By starting with just a motor, it simplified things a lot by not having to disassemble a stock Virago and then throw 85% of the parts into the trash. From there we got a frame and started working on that, but we had to have the rear end components sorted out beforehand. The rear end was the most in-depth part of the whole build, as the Ducati swingarm needed to work properly with the XV920 frame and the chain-driven motor. Everything had to be precise and come out looking perfect.”
A very well camouflaged Motogadget Mini
Next, the frame was notched for the Ducati suspension and the subframe was modded to mount the shock. Also note the updated rear disc brake. “The whole rear end speaks for itself as to how much work it really took,” says Nick. All the electronics are under the tank including the new battery. “After finsinhing the rear end we were able to get it on the ground with the GSX-R forks in place and were able to really dial in just how we wanted the overall stance of the bike to be. The sportsbike front end paired with the fat Ducati rear end gives the bike a completely new look.”
“The hardest part of the build was definitely making the Ducati rear end fit the bike and work as it should with the linkages and brackets. Once it was on the ground, tweaking the height and rideability of the bike was also very tricky and it took a lot of adjustments with the shock and plenty of grinding and welding; all while maintaining the proper look. Mating the swingarm to the Virago rear frame bracket was also extra challenging.”
Musique Non Stock
“What we like most about the bike is the combination of having the old Virago chassis updated with the front and rear ends,” concludes Nick. “It gives the old machine a complete facelift and merges it together with some modern technology while still having the old school cool factor. This gives you the plus of having disc brakes front and rear, modern suspension that responds well to corners, a better overall feel and it obviously looks much cooler, too. We really like having something unique that you haven’t seen before. Something that would make people wonder what it was.”
[ 485 Designs – Instagram – Facebook | Photos by Alexander Joyce ]
. 485 Design’s Tough Yamaha XV920 Cafe 
Written by Andrew Jones
We wear our hearts on our sleeves when it comes to Yamaha’s good ol’ Virago Vee. We bloody well love ‘em but boy, we’ve seen a damn heap of them. So needless to say that it takes something a little special for us to notice them nowadays. Enter Denver’s 485 Designs and their rather unique chain-driven XV920. And by ‘unique’, we mean ‘tough, stanced and with a technically sublime Ducati rear end.’ Check it out…
“We’re located just south of Denver, Colorado,” says the shop’s Nick Mercer. “We’re always staying busy doing something interesting with these old bikes. It is just me and my co-worker, who’s also named Nik.“ Sounds confusing. “The other builds consist of a couple more Viragos – one being a turbo build. We have also been working on marketing our products including exhausts, sub frames, powder coating and fabrication. We will be attending the 2019 Handbuilt show with this very bike.“
Nick 1 says that he feels most people would consider it a ‘cafe’ but he can’t – or would prefer not to – put a label on what style it is. “Technically, it’s a Yamaha XV920R from 1982. But the build didn’t exactly start out as a complete bike. I acquired the motor off Craigslist about two years ago and had it shipped to the shop from Maine. I started gathering parts from there to build a complete bike.”
Pastels and power
The boys say that their inspiration for the build was to simply make a clean finished product. “We see so many Viragos out there that get a lot of exposure and still look half finished; we paid very close attention to the details and we made sure everything came out looking exactly how we wanted it.” More inspiration was found in the technical obsessiveness of the chain drive conversion and the addition of the lovely laced wheels. “The overall goal was to make a Virago unlike any other, which is hard to do now that the platform is so common.”
“The build process was extensive. By starting with just a motor, it simplified things a lot by not having to disassemble a stock Virago and then throw 85% of the parts into the trash. From there we got a frame and started working on that, but we had to have the rear end components sorted out beforehand. The rear end was the most in-depth part of the whole build, as the Ducati swingarm needed to work properly with the XV920 frame and the chain-driven motor. Everything had to be precise and come out looking perfect.”
A very well camouflaged Motogadget Mini
“The sportsbike front end paired with the fat Ducati rear end gives the bike a completely new look.”
Next, the frame was notched for the Ducati suspension and the subframe was modded to mount the shock. Also note the updated rear disc brake. “The whole rear end speaks for itself as to how much work it really took,” says Nick. All the electronics are under the tank including the new battery. “After finsinhing the rear end we were able to get it on the ground with the GSX-R forks in place and were able to really dial in just how we wanted the overall stance of the bike to be. The sportsbike front end paired with the fat Ducati rear end gives the bike a completely new look.”
“The hardest part of the build was definitely making the Ducati rear end fit the bike and work as it should with the linkages and brackets. Once it was on the ground, tweaking the height and rideability of the bike was also very tricky and it took a lot of adjustments with the shock and plenty of grinding and welding; all while maintaining the proper look. Mating the swingarm to the Virago rear frame bracket was also extra challenging.”
Musique Non Stock
“What we like most about the bike is the combination of having the old Virago chassis updated with the front and rear ends,” concludes Nick. “It gives the old machine a complete facelift and merges it together with some modern technology while still having the old school cool factor. This gives you the plus of having disc brakes front and rear, modern suspension that responds well to corners, a better overall feel and it obviously looks much cooler, too. We really like having something unique that you haven’t seen before. Something that would make people wonder what it was.”
[ 485 Designs – Instagram – Facebook | Photos by Alexander Joyce ]
Tag a friend who would do this. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #motorcyclevideos #funny #motorcyclesofinstagram
BOXER REBELLION. Matt Hart’s Classic BMW R65 Scrambler
Written by Marlon Slack
Matt Hart’s a photographer – and a damn good one at that. Trawling through his drool-worthy Instagram shows his passion for racing old Porsches and other, lesser marques. But when he was young he lived and breathed bikes, belting around on a little 80cc Yamaha. And lately the moto bug has bitten again. So much so he went out and built this, a gorgeous 1984 BMW R65 scrambler.
“I’m always looking at classifieds for old cars and bikes just for curiosity,” Matt says. “I found this for a good price not far from where I live.” He saddled up and headed out to take a look at the R65 Beemer. “When I arrived I already knew the owner, which was a bit of a coincidence,” Matt recalls. The old boxer itself had been sitting baking in the sun for a while but was otherwise mechanically sound. He wasted no time in getting it back to his garage.
“That same afternoon I was stripping it down to a rolling frame and I went about creating a plan,” he says. Which is seemingly easy, given the gamut of custom BMW airheads out there. But there’s a flip side to tackling such a common base for a custom build. “Black wheels, cut rear subframes, monoshock conversions… they all looked the same to me,” he says.
So Instead, Matt went back to the bike he had when he was a kid – the old Yamaha MX80. “As a seven-year-old I loved that thing, jumping it and getting it sideways. I was hooked.” So Matt drew on a collection of hundreds of pictures of old scramblers, desert sleds and 6 day trials bikes to help with inspiration to find out exactly what he wanted. But there was a bit of a caveat with the build.
Like many of us Matt’s got limited garage space. So he had to farm out some of the more difficult parts of the build. That proved one of the more difficult parts of the process – getting the runaround from workshops who weren’t up the task. But thankfully for us all he’s persevered, and we’ve ended up with what you see here. So onto the bike…
The subframe was cut and modified with superfluous tabs and footpegs removed. The wiring, which is still a bit of a work in progress, now now all runs through a Motogadget M-unit box with mini switches, mini speedo and M-lock while the controls are a gorgeous pair by Kustomtech in Italy. In terms of bolt-ons the R65 also sports Ventura bars and Domino throttle and grips. It’s got a one-off seat and the rear was lowered by 2” after mounting some Harley shock absorbers.
There’s also some killer little parts that went a long way to pushing the mid 80’s BMW into the realm of something a little older. There’s an alloy fastback engine cover from Better Boxer in New Zealand and backdated rocker covers, choke pulls, and engine air breather kit from staples of the BMW scene, Boxer metal.
Mechanically the Beemer was in stellar condition and all it needed was the usual touch-up for a bike that’s been sitting idle for a while. That’s fork seals, oil, some new springs and also a rejet for the new exhaust, which was made by Tinworks Inc in Sydney – one of people Matt engaged with who definitely did know what they were doing.
The highlight of the bike is the old slimline Honda CG125 gas tank that really helps lighten up the lines and push it further away from the look of many other airhead customs we’ve seen. A lick of paint was provided by Sydney’s Colourfuel. It caps off an excellent twist on the usual boxer customs we feature. “The modern bits are a bit trick on an old bike like this,” Matt says, “I’ve purposefully kept some patina and tried to tie in the new parts with the old. I’m not a bike builder as such and I didn’t build it to enter shows, I just want to ride it.”
And so do we, mate.
[ Photos by Matt Hart ]
Written by Marlon Slack
Matt Hart’s a photographer – and a damn good one at that. Trawling through his drool-worthy Instagram shows his passion for racing old Porsches and other, lesser marques. But when he was young he lived and breathed bikes, belting around on a little 80cc Yamaha. And lately the moto bug has bitten again. So much so he went out and built this, a gorgeous 1984 BMW R65 scrambler.
“I’m always looking at classifieds for old cars and bikes just for curiosity,” Matt says. “I found this for a good price not far from where I live.” He saddled up and headed out to take a look at the R65 Beemer. “When I arrived I already knew the owner, which was a bit of a coincidence,” Matt recalls. The old boxer itself had been sitting baking in the sun for a while but was otherwise mechanically sound. He wasted no time in getting it back to his garage.
“That same afternoon I was stripping it down to a rolling frame and I went about creating a plan,” he says. Which is seemingly easy, given the gamut of custom BMW airheads out there. But there’s a flip side to tackling such a common base for a custom build. “Black wheels, cut rear subframes, monoshock conversions… they all looked the same to me,” he says.
So Instead, Matt went back to the bike he had when he was a kid – the old Yamaha MX80. “As a seven-year-old I loved that thing, jumping it and getting it sideways. I was hooked.” So Matt drew on a collection of hundreds of pictures of old scramblers, desert sleds and 6 day trials bikes to help with inspiration to find out exactly what he wanted. But there was a bit of a caveat with the build.
Like many of us Matt’s got limited garage space. So he had to farm out some of the more difficult parts of the build. That proved one of the more difficult parts of the process – getting the runaround from workshops who weren’t up the task. But thankfully for us all he’s persevered, and we’ve ended up with what you see here. So onto the bike…
The subframe was cut and modified with superfluous tabs and footpegs removed. The wiring, which is still a bit of a work in progress, now now all runs through a Motogadget M-unit box with mini switches, mini speedo and M-lock while the controls are a gorgeous pair by Kustomtech in Italy. In terms of bolt-ons the R65 also sports Ventura bars and Domino throttle and grips. It’s got a one-off seat and the rear was lowered by 2” after mounting some Harley shock absorbers.
There’s also some killer little parts that went a long way to pushing the mid 80’s BMW into the realm of something a little older. There’s an alloy fastback engine cover from Better Boxer in New Zealand and backdated rocker covers, choke pulls, and engine air breather kit from staples of the BMW scene, Boxer metal.
“There’s also some killer little parts that went a long way to pushing the mid 80’s BMW into the realm of something a little older.”
Mechanically the Beemer was in stellar condition and all it needed was the usual touch-up for a bike that’s been sitting idle for a while. That’s fork seals, oil, some new springs and also a rejet for the new exhaust, which was made by Tinworks Inc in Sydney – one of people Matt engaged with who definitely did know what they were doing.
The highlight of the bike is the old slimline Honda CG125 gas tank that really helps lighten up the lines and push it further away from the look of many other airhead customs we’ve seen. A lick of paint was provided by Sydney’s Colourfuel. It caps off an excellent twist on the usual boxer customs we feature. “The modern bits are a bit trick on an old bike like this,” Matt says, “I’ve purposefully kept some patina and tried to tie in the new parts with the old. I’m not a bike builder as such and I didn’t build it to enter shows, I just want to ride it.”
And so do we, mate.
[ Photos by Matt Hart ]
Nice craftsmanship and engineering.
On March 30, 2019, in the little town of Reynolds, Georgia, an event of outsized fun was held: the 4th annual MX5000. The brainchild of master pinstriper/sign writer/tattooist Chastin Brand, the MX5000 revives the age-old tradition of grassroots, red dirt, run-what-ya-brung fun. Says Chastin:
There are cross country, motocross, and flat track races, complete with a variety of classes, including the always-entertaining “Inappropriate” class, where Goldwings and Milwaukee tractors have been known slide tail-happy around the track.
Racers at this year’s MX5000 included none other than AMA hall-of-famer Dave Aldana (!), who’s still racing hard at 70 years old, along with our friends from One Down Four Up and Atlanta’s Brother Moto.
Hall-of-Famer Dave Aldana (13)!
The good folks from Chattanooga’s Speed Deluxe Vintage & Bespoke Motorcycles, which organizes the Vintage 500 and Vintage 1000 rallies, were in attendance, of course, and a contingent even drove down all the way from Wisconsin. Photographer Bob Adams (@rjadamsphoto) was kind enough to share these incredible photos from the weekend, and we caught up with race organizer Chastin Brand to learn more about the event.
MX5000 Race: Organizer Interview
Could you tell us a little about yourself, your history with cars and motorcycles, and the hand-painted work you do?
I’m Chastin Brand, I’m 30 years old from the town of Butler, GA. My dad owns an auto body shop and has always messed around with old cars, and that sparked my love for all things vintage. I started trying to learn pinstriping at the age of 13, I enjoyed it and kept at it, practicing on whatever I could find around my dad’s shop. Eventually I started doing lettering and hand-painted signs as well. That kept me from having to get a real job and between the two I am able to make a living.
I built and drove a ’65 ford truck throughout high school and have owned and driven old cars since then. At about 19 I ended up getting a shovelhead Harley in a trade and that’s what I learned to ride on. I went through a few more street bikes after that before realizing I needed something a little more off-road capable. I picked up an XT500 Yamaha and fell in love with vintage dirtbikes. It’s the perfect mix of the authenticity of a vintage machine and the excitement of something like skateboarding or BMX.
How did the idea of the MX5000 Race come about?
The idea for MX5000 was something my buddy Luke H. Kessinger and I came up with. I watched a lot of motorsports racing growing up, but it always seemed unachievable without a lot of money invested. We wanted something pretty much anybody or bike could race and have a good time. We thought up a stupid name to scare off any racers that would take it too seriously.
The first couple of years was held at a private mx track in a town nearby.
It was a really nice track but unfortunately was shut down by the neighbors. At that point my wife, Lauren, and I were preparing to relocate to the country and live on some family land. So we figured we would just host the event there. It was a ton of work clearing land, building a flat track, designing and laying out the motocross/grasstrack in addition to cutting a 2 or 3 mile Woods course. We accomplished all that in between moving our home, shop, and studio while also renovating a vintage Spartan trailer to live in.
How has the event grown since 2016?
I have always been impressed with how many people have been willing to drive out to the middle of nowhere to come hang out at our little, unorganized race. We’ve pretty much tripled attendance in the past 4 years but it’s still manageable. Not sure how much larger I would like it to get, I still want to keep that small homegrown feel. Either way I feel like everyone really gets what we are trying to do and its been great.
The One Down Four Up setup!
Any 2019 highlights you’d like to share, and/or favorite bikes or bike/rider combos?
This year my buddy Jay Haisten surprised us with some pretty serious lighting so we were able to do some nighttime flat tracking, I feel like that really added to the experience. We also had a great crew from Wisconsin make the long drive down, their attitudes and bikes fit the event perfectly. Legendary flat track racer Dave Aldana showed up unexpectedly, it was pretty great seeing him race with my buddies in my front yard. Also since the beginning we had wanted to have a ladies class so I was stoked to see that come about.
Overall I feel like we couldn’t ask for a better weekend. The weather was wonderful, the racing was close and competitive, the camping was nice and the people were great and very respectful of us and the property.
What can we expect from MX5000 2020?
As far as 2020 and the years to come, the tracks will continue to morph and change a little as we ride them throughout the year. More woods sections. Also more streamlining of the race day operations. We also have a couple of other similar events in the works, so we don’t have to wait a full year. So stay tuned. Thanks for the interest and support.
2019 Race Classes
| Cross Country: |
|
|---|---|
| Motocross: |
|
| Flat Track: |
|
Woods / MX Racing Shots
Follow the Race / Photographer / Organizer
MX5000
Web: speeddeluxe.com/mx5000/
Facebook: @mx5000race
Instagram: @mx5000race
Photographer Bob Adams
Instagram: @rjadamsphoto / @rjadamsphotography
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/people/52563404@N02/
Organizer Chastin Brand
Web: chastinhandpainted.com/
Instagram: @chastinbrand
A Final Note…
As an aside, here at BikeBound.com we have our own personal connection to the town of Reynolds, which has an area of 1.3 square miles and a population of 1036 people. Says BikeBound’s founder, Taylor Brown, a native of the Georgia coast:
Source...
Shop vibes at @thracianbikes with their clean CB750 on display. Gorgeous, thanks for sharing! . Photo by @didoriginal. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer #honda #cb750 #custom #motorcyclesofinstagram
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Plan B’s ‘Flyin’ ’57’ Bianchi Moonshine Racer
Written by Martin Hodgson
As closely related as they are the custom worlds of two and four wheels rarely meet, having developed entirely distinctive cultures over the last hundred years. But that wasn’t always the case. The original Hot Rodders and Cutdown bikes of all kinds shared a common philosophy of shoving the biggest engine into the smallest frame possible. Now Italy’s Plan B Motorcycles has taken things full circle and in the age of high-tech, they have built a proper Moonshine Racer. From the carcass of a Bianchi Tonale comes the ‘Flying ’57’, a bike that’ll outrun any cop on your late night liquor run.
Step inside the Northern Italian home of Plan B Motorcycles and it’s instantly apparent that this is a place of old-fashioned hard work. Amongst the welders and workbenches are some of the incredible machines that Christian Moretti has constructed. From historic racing motorcycles, to classic custom cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL] and tyre shredding drag bikes, if it’s mechanical he can make it! But for his latest build he had a fresh idea, to create a barn find motorcycle from an alternative universe, an Italian “moonshine racer” packed with ingenuity and hidden details.
Bianchi is the world’s oldest bicycle manufacturer with enormous sales success and wins at the Tour de France. But for a 70 year stretch they also produced motorcycles, largely for the commuter market while also enjoying some racing success and sadly a supercharged four-cylinder that never quite made it to market. But with so much invested in the bicycle industry it’s clear a few of the engineers joined the motorcycle division, as the frames were known for being a little too flexible for anything more than pedal power.
So when a client of Christian’s showed up with a 1957 Bianchi Tonale 175 frame in one hand and a big engine in the other, he knew he had his work cut out for him. At first there was some cutting and grinding before the engine was offered up. But it quickly became clear that this build was going to require far more drastic work. So the grinder was spun into life and everything from the down tubes back was chopped off and thrown away. Now the single cylinder Rotax engine fit perfectly, with one small problem, there was really no motorcycle left.
The solution? Around the engine Christian constructed his own frame, engineering in both extra strength and improved geometry while keeping everything as tightly packed as possible. The quality of the work speaks for itself; from the beautifully crafted twin centre posts to the stunning tapered steel subframe that flows organically rearward, you simply have to drink it all in. Once the frame was complete the swingarm was slotted in, with more masterful work to ensure the mass was centralised before it was all sent off to be Zinc coated and polished.
But there was a problem brewing at Plan B that hadn’t gone unnoticed, in fact it was an excuse to get creative. Behind the comparatively big engine there was now no longer any room for a suspension setup and a hardtail would be taking the easy way out. So with his genius like brain running at high rpm, Christian fabricated all the bits and pieces to front mount the rear shock, now nestled between the down tubes. John Britten would be proud and he wouldn’t half love the Italian forks either that play host to a glorious racing front drum brake assembly.
Adjustable forks? This Bianchi never had it so good
That Rotax engine is a sight to behold and with years of tuning under his belt Christian knew how to get some extra ponies from her. Pouring in the fuel is an air gulping, side mounted Mikuni flat-slide carb bolted to the blacked-out engine with polished fins. While adding to the Hot Rod mix is an MSD Blaster 2 coil to ensure every cycle produces a big bang. The exhaust gets creative by necessity, with the length required coming by way of rearward running ceramic headers belching flames out of forward facing chrome mufflers.
The exposed belt and toothed pulley give that classic supercharged look usually found in the muscle car world. With the rest of the visuals no less impressive in truly capturing the theme of the bike; and the notched Bianchi tank is simply a thing of beauty. Perfect paint, flawless chrome and the sort of decal and pinstriping work you have to find an old master to perform. With the distressed leather seats and bead rolled front number board straight from the Hot Rod playbook. Plus copper lines and winged oil tanks, the perfect fit for a machine called ‘Flying ’57’.
Mad Max, eat your heart out
There are more custom touches than we could possibly list, but even the purchased parts have a story to tell. “The non-handmade parts come from a long list of different bike models, cars and even a tractor, but everything was disguised to look just right in the mix,” explains the Plan B boss. With modern lightweight rims and new Dunlop rubber capable of on and off-road use, the rodded Bianchi is ready to fly. And you better believe she does, with over 60hp and weighing just 110kg you better drink your Hooch when the hauling’s done, as this little lady has a mean kick when you crack the throttle!
[ Plan B Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Sergio Tenderini ]
Written by Martin Hodgson
As closely related as they are the custom worlds of two and four wheels rarely meet, having developed entirely distinctive cultures over the last hundred years. But that wasn’t always the case. The original Hot Rodders and Cutdown bikes of all kinds shared a common philosophy of shoving the biggest engine into the smallest frame possible. Now Italy’s Plan B Motorcycles has taken things full circle and in the age of high-tech, they have built a proper Moonshine Racer. From the carcass of a Bianchi Tonale comes the ‘Flying ’57’, a bike that’ll outrun any cop on your late night liquor run.
Step inside the Northern Italian home of Plan B Motorcycles and it’s instantly apparent that this is a place of old-fashioned hard work. Amongst the welders and workbenches are some of the incredible machines that Christian Moretti has constructed. From historic racing motorcycles, to classic custom cafe [URL='https://www.pipeburn.com/home/tag/racer']racers[/URL] and tyre shredding drag bikes, if it’s mechanical he can make it! But for his latest build he had a fresh idea, to create a barn find motorcycle from an alternative universe, an Italian “moonshine racer” packed with ingenuity and hidden details.
Bianchi is the world’s oldest bicycle manufacturer with enormous sales success and wins at the Tour de France. But for a 70 year stretch they also produced motorcycles, largely for the commuter market while also enjoying some racing success and sadly a supercharged four-cylinder that never quite made it to market. But with so much invested in the bicycle industry it’s clear a few of the engineers joined the motorcycle division, as the frames were known for being a little too flexible for anything more than pedal power.
So when a client of Christian’s showed up with a 1957 Bianchi Tonale 175 frame in one hand and a big engine in the other, he knew he had his work cut out for him. At first there was some cutting and grinding before the engine was offered up. But it quickly became clear that this build was going to require far more drastic work. So the grinder was spun into life and everything from the down tubes back was chopped off and thrown away. Now the single cylinder Rotax engine fit perfectly, with one small problem, there was really no motorcycle left.
The solution? Around the engine Christian constructed his own frame, engineering in both extra strength and improved geometry while keeping everything as tightly packed as possible. The quality of the work speaks for itself; from the beautifully crafted twin centre posts to the stunning tapered steel subframe that flows organically rearward, you simply have to drink it all in. Once the frame was complete the swingarm was slotted in, with more masterful work to ensure the mass was centralised before it was all sent off to be Zinc coated and polished.
“The quality of the work speaks for itself; from the beautifully crafted twin centre posts to the stunning tapered steel subframe.”
But there was a problem brewing at Plan B that hadn’t gone unnoticed, in fact it was an excuse to get creative. Behind the comparatively big engine there was now no longer any room for a suspension setup and a hardtail would be taking the easy way out. So with his genius like brain running at high rpm, Christian fabricated all the bits and pieces to front mount the rear shock, now nestled between the down tubes. John Britten would be proud and he wouldn’t half love the Italian forks either that play host to a glorious racing front drum brake assembly.
Adjustable forks? This Bianchi never had it so good
That Rotax engine is a sight to behold and with years of tuning under his belt Christian knew how to get some extra ponies from her. Pouring in the fuel is an air gulping, side mounted Mikuni flat-slide carb bolted to the blacked-out engine with polished fins. While adding to the Hot Rod mix is an MSD Blaster 2 coil to ensure every cycle produces a big bang. The exhaust gets creative by necessity, with the length required coming by way of rearward running ceramic headers belching flames out of forward facing chrome mufflers.
The exposed belt and toothed pulley give that classic supercharged look usually found in the muscle car world. With the rest of the visuals no less impressive in truly capturing the theme of the bike; and the notched Bianchi tank is simply a thing of beauty. Perfect paint, flawless chrome and the sort of decal and pinstriping work you have to find an old master to perform. With the distressed leather seats and bead rolled front number board straight from the Hot Rod playbook. Plus copper lines and winged oil tanks, the perfect fit for a machine called ‘Flying ’57’.
Mad Max, eat your heart out
There are more custom touches than we could possibly list, but even the purchased parts have a story to tell. “The non-handmade parts come from a long list of different bike models, cars and even a tractor, but everything was disguised to look just right in the mix,” explains the Plan B boss. With modern lightweight rims and new Dunlop rubber capable of on and off-road use, the rodded Bianchi is ready to fly. And you better believe she does, with over 60hp and weighing just 110kg you better drink your Hooch when the hauling’s done, as this little lady has a mean kick when you crack the throttle!
[ Plan B Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Sergio Tenderini ]
Everything is right with this photo. @deustenement and @coolnvintage with the setup . Found via @ironandair. . . #croig #caferacersofinstagram #caferacer
Love that Bronco and the bike! 
“Looks like a brat, goes like a flat!”
For years, the Suzuki GN250 served as a capable 250cc runabout. The air-cooled, SOHC single cylinder engine offered some 22 horsepower and the bike was fairly lightweight at 281 pounds. While the bike has been largely overlooked by donor for customization, the crew of Trintaeum Motorcycles have a fondness for this “underdog”:
Indeed. What’s more, this was a special build for the Portugal-based crew, as it was commissioned by none other than their videographer, Simão, who didn’t want a show queen, but a flat track-inspired bike for daily use:
The team completely rebuilt the engine, punching it out to 300cc, and reworked the subframe. As per Simão’s request, they built the smallest seat that could while still being comfortable, rewired the electrical system, and re-laced the hubs to 18-inch hoops with both a road and dirt configuration. Below, we get the full story on this “GN300” brat tracker.
Suzuki “GN300” Brat Tracker: In the Builder’s Words
The Suzuki GN250, what about this bike!? It is known that it got neglected in the custom scene — it’s kinda of an underdog. Still it has everything you want from a base bike. It has a unique engine that sounds beautiful, is simple in its construction and, apart from the sub frame, it has some pretty nice lines.
We could go on and on but to shorten the story out, we, at team thirty & one, love using the GN250. We’ve built several GN based bikes and decided to put all our knowledge and experience into this challenge. This request came from Simão! A very special request from an even more special dude! Simão is our videographer, an artist when it comes to capture the perfect shot and someone who loves flat track bikes! So, his request was a flat track bike that can endure any occasion, one he could use everyday and everywhere, on and off road.
With flat track bikes there is nothing more important than performance, but, here at thirty & one, looks are also at the top of our list, even more if we are talking about a bike that also has to shine on the road. So for this compilation, the boys had to aim for the best balance between both worlds.
We started by upgrading from the Suzuki stock cylinder to a 300cc configuration. The engine was completely dismantled for glass blasting and everything was buttoned with new rings, gaskets and a new chain of command.
When it came time to work on the fuel system, the team resorted to an already tried and tested method by installing a new Mikuni carb with a capsule filter, so getting an exhaust system to support intake was vital. As for the frame, we revised the rear end with a new look by installing the small turn signals inside the subframe tube. The seat was a challenge, mostly because we knew that it was going to be the main piece responsible for adding some comfort to the ride. Simão didn’t make it any easier, “I want it small, make it small, but comfortable!” he said.
The wheels were fully disassembled and the 18/18 conversion applied, with new spokes, bearings and seals. The tires choice for the road version were the Avon mk2 400/18 and for the dirt track version the Duro HF.
Now, suspension! In the rear end we went with the appearance of a brat, modifying its interior for better road and off-road stability. The front suspension was totally refurbished and lowered to get that brat look offering performance on flat track. The electrical system was completely redone and a new box was applied with a lithium battery, and a key ignition system installed (car type).
That’s it! Another job done and happy days for Simão! “Looks like a brat, goes like a flat!”
Follow the Builder
Follow Trinta&Um Motorcycles: Facebook | Instagram
Follow Simão: Instagram
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In the few years, the Honda NX650 Dominator has been a popular donor for customization. The 44-hp RFVC engine is nigh-unkillable, and the robust build quality made the bike the perfect urban enduro. Said MCN of the Dominator:
The NX650 is, of course, a near relative of the Honda XR series of thumpers — the air-cooled pinnacle of which, the XR600R, became known as the “King of the Desert” for its dominance in crosscountry desert races like the Baja 1000. We especially love NX650 builds that recall this Baja heritage and pedigree, such as this “Baja Dominator” built by Adrian Lilla of Poland’s LL Motorcycles. Below, we get the full story!
Honda NX650 “Baja Dominator”: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I’m 25, living in Poland. Ten years ago I started playing with customizing Honda Dax and this led to my love of cafe racers and then to other styles. I start building big bikes three years ago — before that, I’d been playing with small restoration projects and general maintenance.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
Honda Dominator 650 1996
• Why was this bike built?
A customer bought this bike with some changes and I had different vision.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Previous owner did a really good job with front, like in the Honda Baja 250, so I want to keep this style but go to more ‘70s scrambler look.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Subframe was changed, powder coated, new exhaust, new custom made seat, UFO vintage mudguards, mesh side covers, front wheel get 18” rim.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
I usually call him “Baja Dominator.”
• How would you classify this bike?
Scrambler
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
I really like the bike looks good from every angle.
Follow the Builder
- Facebook.com/lllmotorcycles
- Instagram: @roughdeer
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