Custom Builds From Bikebrewers

[DaveM]

REPORT: Custom Bike Show in Bad Salzuflen Germany

They say it’s the largest fair for custom bikes in Europe, and after visiting the Custom bike-show in Bad Salzuflen the first weekend of December, I’d say they are right!

As you can expect from our German friends it is well organized, from parking to lay out of the halls to food and drinks. There were more than 200 custom bikes on display, ranging from choppers, bobbers and cruisers to cafe racers and streetfighters. A special treat this year were the so-called mopeds, 50cc bikes that were legal to ride from the age of 16 without a license in the not-even-so-distant past. The highly customized examples on show here were certainly not legal – then or now – though….

The vast number of bikes on display were certainly the main attraction I would say. It started right at the entrance with a lovely Norton cafe racer, followed by a multitude of other cafe racers and bobbers. Spread around the center stage in the main hall, custom bikes were on display in all 4 directions. The streetfighters, mostly nineties superbikes with their extremely high butts and flashy colors, were another special feature of this year’s event.

But ogling all those magnificent bikes was certainly not all there was to do.
A bike build-off was going on all three days on the center stage, which was won by Indian dealer Bike Farm Melle with their bike “Purple Haze”. A classy old-skool chopper in purple – as you may have guessed – and a great sound!

Another stage was reserved for shows by the “Fuel Girls” from London, featuring a heavy metal soundtrack, spandex, and shiny chains. Bodypainting the upper torso of a young nekkid lady plus presentations of some award-winning bikes also took place on this stage, culminating in the announcement of this year’s winner – that very nice purple Indian Motorcycle.

Lots of vendors were spread around two spacious halls, some 160 in total!
A lot of them biker-lifestyle oriented; masses of t-shirts with skulls, leather pouches, tartan shirts with or without protection, helmets – WW2-inspired or with actual protection, …

A couple manufacturers gave acte de presence, Kawasaki was there, BMW and Indian had big booths with quite a few nicely customized bikes. Harley Davidson was represented by several of their dealers, each with a mix of customized and standard bikes.

Parts and accessories manufacturers like Custom Chrome and pinker-specialists Kellermann had hired a lot of space as well to show off their shiny goodies.

Odd ones out were some organizers of ‘Motorrad-Reisen’ or organized trips for bikers, there were even a few owners of specialized campings or hotels in Germany.
My interest was particularly piqued by sportcaravan.de, who showed a trailer with room for 2 bikes, sleeping 4, shower and toilet, for around 35K euros. That will have to wait a while, but a man can dream, right?

There was plenty of beer as well as hard liquor to be had from several vendors and the restaurant. This restaurant inside also served hearty food, while a few food-trucks stood outside to accommodate really hungry travelers. As this was my first visit to Germany in a while, I decided on the Bratwurst, a good choice IMHO…

So all in all, a great show! I missed the previous 15 editions (who knew?) but will try to make the trip – some 300 kilometers from Amsterdam where I live – again next year for sure!

For a short impression of the show, please check this out:

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[DaveM]

Ducati 999 Special – by Moto Adonis

A Special Story​

It is common for us to write about a motorcycle with a special story, and in a way, they are all very personal. Still, this might be the most special motorcycle we have covered to date. This is a story about a man that does not compromise.

Controversial Design​

Let’s start with the bike we have at hand. It started out its life as a Ducati 999; a controversial motorcycle designed by the famous Pierre Terblanche and produced in the Ducati factory from 2003 till 2006. Why was it controversial? Well, first off, Terblanche superseded Massimo Tamburini, the man that designed the magnificent Ducati 916, among others. Tamburini designed motorcycles for Cagiva, Ducati, MV Agusta and even founded Bimota. All of his designs were basically iconic. Does are some pretty big shoes to fill for Terblanche.

Terblanche had his own style, which wasn’t always liked by everyone. Despite the odd looking double stacked headlight, and sharp lines of the original 999 and its smaller displaced 749 sibling, Terblanche’s design grew a cult following. Also because the 999 was an incredibly capable sport bike, with various victories in the Superbike World Championship. Compared to today’s figures one might not be impressed with the specs. However, nearly 20 years ago, it was a totally different story. So far the history lesson.

A man from Twello​

So how did this Ducati 999 end up in the workshop of the dynamic Dutch duo Moto Adonis? Well, THAT’S an interesting story! This may sound like a story you would hear in a bar. Maybe one to take with a pinch of salt. Not this one. So here goes.

A few years ago, a man from Twello, a small town in the Eastern part of the Netherlands, had a traumatic accident. As a matter of fact, it was so bad, that he lost his left lower leg. Since then, he learned how to use a prosthetic leg and moved on with his life. This man had a vivid dream. He dreamt that one day he would be able to ride a sports bike. Not any sports bike, but a Ducati 999 nonetheless. He was so focused on achieving his dream, that he purchased a 999, bought a retro styled fairing kit, and tried to build the bike he had dreamt of. There was one major issue though: his leg. No matter how you look at it, a left leg and foot is needed to control the gearbox. Despite this setback, he kept moving forward, and found the boys of Moto Adonis. Together they came up with a plan.

Shifting Gears​

We’ll cut straight to the chase. To deal with the gear shifting challenge, a pneumatically actuated manual shifter was created, which allows the rider to shift gears with the push of 2 buttons on the left clip-on. To give the prosthetic leg a safe place to rest, and to keep the motorcycle in balance, a modified floorboard was created from scratch. This is what engineering is about! To make the 999 look like a million bucks, the fairing kit got customized to suit and the side panels were ditched. The tank got modified to flow with the rest of the design, which as you can see, is heavily inspired by 1970’s race bikes. The subframe had to be modified and now houses the battery.

The seat was custom made and designed to look like a horse saddle; courtesy of Miller Kustom Upholstery. Looking closer and you will see an LED taillight, which is actually of a Yamaha XSR700. A round 7” headlight adds to the classic look, as well as the round Motogadget speedo. To custom paint job really pops when you see the Ducati, with a Moto Adonis unique twist to the Italian Tri-Colori. Not red, white and green, but red, gold and blue. Ohlins suspension ensure proper tractability, and the SC Project silencers add to the audible character of the liquid cooled L-twin from Bologna. Combined with the unique, classic Ducati logo on the tank, we think this is the best looking 999 in the world!

There’s more…​

There is a little bit more to this story that we would like to share with you. The original prosthetic leg had to get irreversibly modified to allow the owner to sit properly on the motorcycle. This was a bit of a problem because he only had 1 prosthetic leg, and another one would cost a fortune. Also, not one single prosthetists was willing to modify a leg for motorcycle riding. Fortunately, the guys from Moto Adonis were willing to do the modification, provided a leg was available. When word got around, another motorcycle rider with a modified motorcycle and a prosthetic leg offered a spare prosthetic leg. Legend has it that both are now riding buddies and have become close friends. Now that is a story worth telling.

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

A Modern Legend

Intro & Ingredients​

Once in a while, you strike gold! The motorcycle I’m writing about today made its first appearance in the wild at the Big Twin Show in Houten, the Netherlands, earlier this month. In our case, we got a bit (a lot) of a head’s up. I have been personally involved since a frame and a few crates of parts were inspected and, after a haggle and a handshake, collected. We have previously posted about a Blast from the Past, and about a Modern Interpretation of the famous concept. While often considered the first cafe racer and the heritage of custom builds, these bikes are now considered unicorns. They often find a home in a living room or a museum, rather than a garage. A few years ago, we were brave enough to call it “one of the most legendary machines out there”. What I am referring to is the ‘Triton’, a Triumph engine in a Norton frame. These bikes were built in the UK between 1950 and 1970, in various attempts to put the fastest engine into the best handling frame.

Here, I would like to present one built in the Netherlands, in 2022. The basic recipe for a classic Triton is relatively simple:

1. Norton (Wideline) Featherbed frame – 1pc.
2. Triumph Pre-Unit 650 twin engine – 1pc.
3. Roadholder fork – 1pc.

Trying to source these main components is one thing, trying to make them fit each other and look good is another… Let’s get into it!

It’s all in the details​

Georges Martin, inspired by Egli, built this particular frame and swingarm based on the Norton wideline featherbed measurements. He ingeniously routed an oil line inside the frame for the crankcase breather.

Piet from Land’s End Motorcycles in Hengstdijk, the Netherlands overhauled the 650cc 360° parallel twin engine. He increased the capacity to 750cc, plugged in matching pistons, and topped it off with a T140 head to convert to a pushover exhaust. Furthermore, he installed a belt-driven Bob Newby racing clutch to transfer all 55 horses to the Norton AMC transmission. Yes, that is the same Bob Newby who won several TTs in the 1980’s. All this mounts into the frame with waterjet cut 7075-T6 aluminium brackets. Piet also serviced the Roadholder forks and mated these to the frame. He further modified the frame to also fit the polished aluminium oil tank behind the engine and underneath the seat.

Rolling along​

In the front, Haan Wheels in Schijndel laced a Grimeca 4 (!!!) leading shoe hub with stainless steel spokes and a 19″ Morad high shoulder rim. The 18” rear around a weight-reduced conical hub. Both were drum-polished to achieve that top shine finish. Bridgestone Battlax BT45 rubber ensures optimal contact to the road surface.

A touch of modern​

Not all on this bike is a collection of old and refurbished parts from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, the UK, and the US.

If you look closely, the vintage Tommaselli Matador levers neighbour modern Motone CNC milled aluminium push button controls. This is one of the hints at what lies underneath the shine. When laying new wiring, one might as well go all the way and replace analog fuses and switches with a digital control unit. In this case, a MotoGadget mo.unit replaces all relays and fuses, and simultaneously simplifies the wiring. The pulse switches control the unit via a low current circuit, allowing for small diameter wires inside the clip-ons. The thicker wiring for 12 volt supply to the power draining components are thus no longer routed via the switches. Yes, I’m looking at you, H4 headlight!

The chrome headlight bucket also houses a digital voltmeter and LED indicator lights for the high beam, oil pressure, and the indicators. Bright as the sun, these tiny LED indicators are another hint at the high-tech core of the motorcycle. We concidered and accepted these modernisations, because the original manufacturer of Triumph and Norton lights, Lucas, is jokingly known as ‘the Prince of Darkness’.

When you are on the bike, you can clearly see the indicator lights and voltmeter when you peak between the original Smith’s tacho and speedo. Bob Carter in the US rebuilt these, since some things are best left to the experts.

Hand built​

Behind these beautiful gauges sits la pièce de résistance, a handbuilt aluminium petrol tank. It subtly dips below the spine of the frame, yet perfectly aligns with knees where it narrows to meet the seat. Combined, the curvature of the tank and the seat play a large part in the aesthetic that stops people in their trot. They often utter something along the lines of “I have no idea what it is, but it’s beautiful”. The seat hump houses the lithium ion battery and control unit. Maarten, or Yellow Rider, Zevenaar, famous for converting Yamaha’s into vintage racers and board trackers, made it by hand, since the available humps did not follow this curvature. The broad silver band aligns with the metal strap that secures the tank. Seats are his specialty, and his craftsmanship shows!

One of the largest challenges with this build was to find parts that fit. And when you cannot find something, you fabricate it. There is a lot you can bolt on nowadays, almost all manufacturers offer parts to personalise your bike further. Aftermarket suppliers often go as far as offering various types of entire kits to convert your motorcycle. Just sometimes, your hand tools are not sufficient to fabricate the parts needed, and that’s when you call the cavalry.

Maarten also crafted the base plate and adapted the subframe hoop before it went to powder coating. RAL 6005 with a structured finish is a unique combination that is a tad lighter than the famous BRG. British Racing Green. It really makes the bike pop and sets it apart from that traditional black, chrome, red colour scheme. Finally, Maarten fabricated stainless steel actuator and anchor rods for the rear brake and gearbox, as well as the brackets for the Norton Peashooter exhausts.

Big (T)winner​

At the show, we’re getting very curious about the sound. And with us, a few other people in the audience looked at the cafe racer category winner at the Big Twin Bike Show with great anticipation and hope. Luckily, after tickling the Amal 930 carbs, a firm kick draws in the air via DNA filters, the Beck electronic ignition generates a spark, and the parallel twin roars. Just a tad louder than the crowd

Photo credit: Jan Eggink Photography

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[DaveM]

The Mastodont – BMW R1100GS by Moto Adonis

Dakar History​

Long before BMW gained popularity as the adventure motorcyclist weapon of choice, thanks to Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s escapades and their Long Way-series, BMW already had a reputation for building bullet-proof adventure bikes. It had everything to do with the company’s Dakar rally history, where it all started with the R80G/S back in 1980. BMW was a force to reckon with in the 1980’s all the way up until the end of the 1990s. The R80GS grew into the R100GS, which eventually transformed into the R1100GS; which was a completely different bike compared to the ones before.

Adventurers’ choice​

When the R1100GS was first introduced back in 1994, it was a bit of an odd-looking machine, most notably because of the famous “beak”. Combined with BMW’s proprietary front Telelever suspension, it took a lot of people some time getting used to. Nevertheless, BMW built an extremely capable dual-sport machine, which took countless of travelers around the world. It was also extremely popular as a commuter and touring bike. There is a reason why you see so many BMW GS’s when you travel around in Europe. They’re comfortable, powerful, easy on fuel, reliable, and most of all, hassle-free. It doesn’t matter where you are in Europe, BMW can get you any spare part that you need, within 3 business days. And they’re usually faster than that.

Extraordinary​

Which brings us to the topic at hand: the BMW R1100GS. Turning something as sacred as the a GS into something more aggressive and unique is not an easy feat. Luckily, we know a couple of guys who never back down from a challenge. As a matter of fact, Moto Adonis really do dare to do things differently. Like the Honda Monkey they built for Rusty Stitches. This particular BMW R1100 used to be owned by Job Leussink, co-founder of Moto Adonis. He sold it to a customer, who later decided that he wanted to have it built into something special and extraordinary. A sketch was made, and after approval, the angle-grinder was put to work.

The owner gave the craftsmen of Moto Adonis the full reigns and had only one hard condition: a flat bench. Achieving that on the GS meant removing the factory subframe and fabricating a new one from scratch. The seat was custom made by Miller Kustom Upholstery and finished in a luxurious brown leather. The fuel tank looks massive and is the centerpiece of this project. It’s a one-off unit built in-house by Moto Adonis. It’s big, bold, and makes the BMW look mean as hell. To complement the aggressive look, a custom 2-in-1 exhaust was fabricated by MAD exhausts, finished in a special black coating. A pair of custom-made fenders were built to match the rest of the bike. The original BMW wheels were retained and received a fresh coat of black paint and some aggressive Bridgestone rubbers.

Devil in the Details​

It may not look that way at first, but there are a ton of details on this particular project. There’s the push-in screw fuel cap that looks very classy. The scrambler headlight, Biltwell grips, YSS shocks and small digital speedo courtesy of Acewell add just enough flavor to the mix. The steel braided brake lines ensure sufficient stopping power. All these parts work together really well. Combined with the blacked-out metal parts, green fuel tank, and brown leather seat, this BMW R1100GS has transformed into a real neck-turner. Hate it or love it, you most definitely won’t be able to keep your eyes off it!

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

Rough Rogue – Indian Scout Rogue by Hardnine Choppers

The saga continues
We wrote about Danny Schneider’s first build for Indian Motorcycle back in July 2021.
The then new partnership between the man behind Hardnine Choppers and Indian Motorcycle was launched with a custom built 1931 Scout.

Last week he was back on the scene when Indian Motorcycle revealed his latest custom build during EICMA in Milan. the bike was presented alongside the new 2023 models from Indian Motorcycle on their freshly designed booth.

Bagger inspiration
With its distinctive paint scheme inspired by the factory’s King of the Baggers racers, stripped back front end and performance parts, Danny’s Scout Rogue was an eye-catching addition to the Indian Scout lineup on the booth, inviting visitors to take photos and discover the finer details of this intriguing build.

From action hero to creative icon
As a former FMX star and award-winning vintage custom builder, Danny Schneider has honed a reputation for exciting, performance orientated custom bikes and is no stranger to working with Indian Motorcycle. In fact, the build he credits as his best ever was the aforementioned 1931 Indian Scout, the bike that started his love of (and partnership with) Indian Motorcycle.
“Ever since they launched the FTR, I’ve been hooked,” says Danny.

Roughing up the Rogue
“My idea when I first saw the Scout Rogue, I actually liked it a lot, was performance racing – this is where I’m coming from – I really wanted to craft it to suit my hard riding style and we’ve done everything we can to enhance the machine with performance parts. We started out with the Öhlins front forks and Öhlins rear shock, suspension is the most important thing for me coming from a motocross background.”

Modifying the triple trees to accept the Öhlins front forks, the handlebar has been replaced with a 22mm higher ProTaper unit fitted with ProTaper soft grips and the Scout Rogue’s mini-fairing adapted to work with the new bar placement. The stripped back, racing feel is also enhanced by miniature turn signals and the removal of the front fender.

Racing look
The racing look and spec continues with performance tracker wheels from Roland Sands Design allowing the use of twin OEM discs grabbed by dual Beringer calipers operated by a Beringer master cylinder/lever with Danny creating bespoke adapters and mounts for the wheels and the braking system. For performance gains during starts and gear changes, the clutch lever is also by Beringer with a Dynojet quickshifter ensuring the slickest of shifts and a one-off 2-into-1 exhaust by Jekill and Hyde ramping up the soundtrack.

“I’ve added some custom touches, by cutting down the primary cover to the minimum that’s still safe but making it lighter and giving it a more performance look and I’ve also added wider footpegs to suit my riding style. But, look closer and you’ll see the gold leaf applied to the iconic insignias on the engine and the gas cap, the gold stitching in the seat which all complement the awesome paint by Vince Customs.”

More to come
“I’ve been building bikes for about 10 or 12 years now. But I stopped for a while as I’d lost a bit of the passion. When it came to the Rogue, it just came back, the light just fired up again. Indian Motorcycle engineering is amazing, they think further than other brands. If you need to do something, it’s done super quick. This is what I love.”

“Now it’s just a case of setting up the bike, dialling in the suspension and going for a ride. Riding to me is everything. It’s absolute freedom.”

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/avHMZdTFWGI” width=”800″ title=”Indian Motorcycle Scout Rogue by Hardnine Choppers”]

Builder details:
Builder: Hardnine Choppers
Address:
Zentweg 15
3006 Bern
Switzerland
email: [email protected]

Instagram
YouTube

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[DaveM]

Rusty Stitches commission – Honda Monkey Z50 by Moto Adonis

The Monkey and the Ape

By now you should have a pretty good idea about who Rusty Stitches are and what they are all about. They are the David to the motorcycle riding gear industry’s Goliath. And they’ve been growing recently…fast! Although their mascot is a big hairy ape, the Rusty Stitches management team thought it would be a good idea if the giant ape had its own ride. And what better bike to start with than a Honda Monkey!

If you want to get technical about the difference between a monkey and an ape; a monkey has a tail and is relatively small by size, and an ape has no tail and can grow much larger than a monkey. This is the story of the ape and the monkey!

The Honda Monkey was first introduced to the public in 1961, after increasing popularity as a children’s ride at a Japanese amusements park. Originally it was a 100cc minibike called the Z100 but quickly gained popularity amongst people in its 50cc trim as the Z50 a.k.a. “the Monkey”. Not a bad name considering it is one of Honda’s longest produced models in the company’s history. We’re not going to bore you with performance specs. What we can say is that people who owned them, loved them! It was an ideal vehicle to take on a trailer or on a camper. It’s lightweight, small, frugal with fuel, and easy to work on.

Cult status

The Honda Monkey has gained something of a cult status. In 2018 the late Beatles singer John Lennon’s old Honda Monkey Z50 was auction for a whopping $80,000! Not bad for a bike that initially cost about $250. What also increased the popularity of the Monkey is the availability of aftermarket parts. You can turn a standard 50cc Monkey into a fire-breathing, tire smoking, little ripper, capable of serious speeds.

Moto Adonis

This is where part 2 of the story begins. Enter: Moto Adonis. The Dutch based team consisting of Arthur Renkema and Job Leussink have been dabbling in the world of customization for some time now. As far as Rusty Stitches were concerned, Moto Adonis the go-to guys to get their custom Honda Monkey built. It was clear from the beginning which direction they wanted to go with this little bike. It had to look a lot meaner than the original Monkey, and they knew exactly how they were going to do that.

The little Honda got stripped of all its parts and received a complete rebuild from the ground up. One thing that wasn’t changed was the engine displacement. The reason for this was that the Honda will serve a promotional purpose only, travelling around to various Rusty Stitches dealerships and motorcycle shows. Besides, increasing the displacement would also mean going through a series of mandatory tests and complete re-registration; quite pointless for what is intended. What the engine did receive was a dry-ice vapor blast treatment, and a complete respray in black and white. Other than that, very little was kept of the original Monkey.

The original wheels were removed and saved for later. Instead, a pair of 12” oversized wheels were added with Maxxis NSR knobbly tires. To accommodate for the wheels, the front shocks were replaced as well as the triple clamps for wider units. Both front and rear shocks now have an increased travel. A round LED headlight was mounted using a unique set of custom brackets. Using an LED light was made possible by upgrading the original 6 Volts system to a more modern 12V power supply. A black aluminium handlebar is now in place, coupled with a beautiful set of white Biltwell grips to stay with the black & white theme. The front brake has been beefed up with a 2-piston caliper and bigger disk brake.

More than just a few parts…

Moving to the rear we can see an extended and widened aluminium swing arm. The little drum brake from the rear has also been replaced with a 2-piston disk brake conversion kit. The final drive was changed to a bigger rear sprocket. The subframe has been custom built and houses a café racer style hump seat. The seat has been custom made by Miller Kustom Upholstery. Look closely and you will notice the white stitching and lettering. We love such craftsmanship! It is worth mentioning that the entire rear seat was built from scratch.

There are 2 other real eye-catchers on this little Monkey: the tank and the exhaust. Let’s start with the tank. It is the original Honda tank but it received a fresh coat of black paint. What makes it special though, is the pin-striping that was applied by hand; an art form we don’t see much anymore. It was done by Huid & Staal’s very own Frank Bouwmeester. The other eye-catcher is the exhaust system, which was built from the ground up by MAD Exhausts. We have heard this Monkey in real life, and it sounds more like a Gorilla than a Monkey!

Trailer

That’s it then, right? Wrong. Remember the original wheels that were saved for later? They were repurposed to be used on a custom-made trailer. Built to resemble a giant banana box, the trailer was completely built from nothing to serve as a prop. That also means that the Monkey has a trailer hitch, and we think that it’s the cutest thing we have ever seen. The little engine that could…

Photo credits: Rob Willemsen

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

Happy go naked – Indian FTR tracker by Arctos Collection

Swiss Sense
The last few years we have been receiving less good news from Switzerland. There is some numbnut who is trying to convince the world we will only be happy when we own nothing.

Well, after laying eyes on this bike, we could not disagree more with this character and his crazy ideas. Let’s be honest, who would not like to own this magnificent machine?

Presenting the Tracker
It is the collective from Emmental, Switzerland, who are responsible for our flash of gluttony. They go by the moniker Arctos Collection, which is steady collaboration between Ulfert Janssen’s industrial design studio, Gannet Design, and Stefan Fuhrer’s custom bike workshop, Fuhrer Moto.

Ulfert Janssen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, USA
His partner is Stefan Fuhrer (Fuhrer Moto), a former racing mechanic of Dominique Aegerter and Tom Lüthi (now Moto2), with the latter he became the world champion in 2005 in 125cc class.

Under the umbrella ‘Arctos Collection’ Ulfert and Stefan are “brothers in crime” for the Gannet custom builds.

Stefan brings his racing know-how, precise engineering skills to the party and his team of artisans are the perfect addition to create what you would call a dream team. Their workshops being just around the corner from one another, makes for smooth and quick interaction.

It is likely that the client that rode in the 2021 Indian Motorcycle FTR 1200 into Ulfert’s design studio, was looking for the best of both workshops.

Brainstorm
Ulfert explains: ‘We thought it would be cool to have a flat track theme on the bike and the brand Indian Motorcycles has a strong DNA in flat track racing.
Together with the client we decided that it would be great to fully expose the beautiful trellis frame of the FTR which in original is partly covered by the plastic “tank covers” which are housing the airbox.“

Continuing: “We immediately became aware why Indian designers decided to partially cover the frame as everything is asymmetrical on that tubular frame, especially with the mono rear suspension. But we decided to take on the challenge and expose the beautiful trellis frame in full. It gave us a lot of headache, but it was totally worth it and the result with the exposed frame painted in pearl white is stunning.”

From sketches to clay
The Swiss team set out with initial design sketches. The renderings were first translated into a clay model to find the form in 3D in preparation of the metal work.

Enter the team of aforementioned artisans. This is a very specific skill and these guys worked their magic by forming and tinkering the actual parts out of metal.

One of the features we really find original is the speedometer screen. This piece of equipment was integrated into the tank cover and made it ‘inlay and flush’ as the team describe it themselves. We think it adds to the cleanness of the FTR. Its handlebar design is more pure and racing, without the gadgets that normally cloud the front end.

Another spec of this Indian Motorcycle the BikeBrewers team appreciates, is the decision to substitute the original plastic tank under the seat with an aluminium flat track racing tank and add a tail section designed by Roland Sands. You can’t lay bare the beautiful foundations of a bike like this and end up with some ugly piece of plastic in plain sight.

Stefan adds: “Our goal was to integrate all the technical requirements and adjustments without affecting the concept. That was a real challenge because of incredible tight space issues for all the components and we had to replace many parts in other locations on the bike and reroute the cables and electronics.
It was important to us that we solve and adapt the individual components in such a way that there is a coherent overall picture to get a very sleek and technically perfect racer.”

More stuff
Other details that make this FTR into a true piece of art are the Jetprime’s all-black racing control buttons and footpegs from Gilles. But also the small tail light and the two small high tech headlights from Highsider Germany add to the excitement.

Topping it off are the small tail light as well as the two small high tech headlights also produced by Highsider Germany.

We like the spoked Kineo wheels, but are less enthusiastic about the choice for two different colours (black and gold). That also goes for the fitted Michelin Anakee Wild knobby tyres. We understand the choice from a heritage and design perspective, but it is a choice which is often revised due to uncomfortable handling of the bike. But to each his own and discussions on taste are useless.

We got more hands raised in our team when we got to the exhaust system. It is a special titanium version made by Zard and gives the lovely blue tint. The slip-on is a SC-Project exhaust and gives a round note to the two cylinder engine according to Ulfert and Stefan.

Worth mentioning is the seat, which is a custom upholstery job by Zwahlen NIZ.

Prizeworthy
An interesting note is that news on the bike was picked up by Indian Motorcycle Benelux. Immediately after the first pictures hit the digital highway, Ulfert received an invitation to ship the bike to the Netherlands.

It will be exhibited at the booth of Indian Motorcycle Benelux during the 2022 Bigtwin Expo. To add a little more excitement, they have also entered the bike in the competition on behalf of the Swiss team.

Let’s see what the jury has to say; “The Netherlands, may we have your votes please?”

As far as the BikeBrewers team are concerned, this build deserves an award.
We will be visiting the exhibition to get a good first hand look of the quality to the work the Arctos team have performed.
Make sure to check out the pictures on our social platforms!

Builder details:
Builder: Arctos Collection
Website
email: [email protected]
Instagram
Facebook
phone: +41 (0) 79 179 69 46

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[DaveM]

Is Royal Enfield going to score a hattrick? First ride with the HNTR350

The new Royal Enfield HNTR350, aiming to win over a younger audience​

With this model, Royal Enfield tries to make motorcycling and commuting by motorcycle accessible and attractive to a younger audience. Think new riders, students, young working professionals, perhaps even as a second, lighter motorcycle. The lines remind of us of the British heritage. It would not look out of place in a line-up with the moderns classics like Triumph.

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Riding experience​

The little thumper produces 27Nm of torque and 22 BHP of power that are predominantly experienced through the mid-range of revolutions. It is third in line after the very successful Classic and Meteor model (check out our First Ride Review and this Starship custom). It is based on same the 350cc J engine. This single cylinder bike has an entirely different geometry and thus creates a very different riding experience. The reduced rake (25°) and trail (94mm) combined with the 1370mm wheel base make the bike feel light and agile, perfect for city riding. The motorcycles we rode were brand new. Pushing them to their limits, testing peak power at 6100rpm, would have been disrespectful to the technology and torturing the machines. We will save that for another ride…

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It easily climbs through the revs and the black dial speedo with white numbers clearly displays increasing velocities. 60km/h to 100km/h in fourth gear is a comfortable acceleration without discomforting vibrations. These do show up at 80km/h in fifth gear, so do not short shift it!

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That said, the engine is very forgiving in second and third due to the heavy flywheel. This makes it very suitable for city riding. Unpredictable and abrupt city traffic stops are the responsibility of the 300mm single front and 270mm rear brake rotor. Combined with the dual channel ABS, these do the job.

Room for improvement​

Room for improvement can be found in the suspension and in the exhaust. The cobblestone pavement in the historical centre of Dijon and surrounding villages, and the French country lanes did put the suspension to the test. Observations: the linear rear shocks are rather hard, the front suspension is rather soft, a little unbalanced. Though, rear suspension upgrades can be performed rather easily at home. As to the exhaust, for city riding it is, to our taste, too loud and not a pleasant, well-rounded thump one would expect from a little thumper. Plus, I experienced that with a very average EU size 42 I found the heel of my boot touching the exhaust more often than not. A small nuisance, yet I image it to be worse for people with larger feet. Taken both into account, if I would own one of these, I would swap the exhaust for an aftermarket (slip-on) exhaust as soon as they would become available.

Make it your own!​

Besides the exhaust and suspension, other work on the bike to do at home would be personalisation of your HNTR. And this is where it becomes even more exciting. We try to provide a platform to inspire motorcycle owners to personalise and customise their motorcycles. Therefore, we are happy to see that RE offers a plethora of accessories. These range from mirrors and indicators to engine guards and tail tidies that are easily bolted on and maintain the warranty. Especially the tail tidy with the ribbed seat will make it look very elegant in our eyes! There are two themes available from the dealers, urban and suburban, that include a selection of the accessories.

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The suburban comes with black crash guards, a (although somewhat flimsy) pannier plus rack, touring mirrors, a pillion back rest.

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The urban caters more to the (undoubtedly inspired by café racers) roadster image, a fly screen, a level seat, LED indicators, engine guards, and bar end mirrors.

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What plays a large role in the outstanding looks of the HNTR350 is the paintjob. It is available in 6 colours, divided into a single colour and two-tone series, called ‘dapper’ and ‘rebel’, respectively. The former includes white, ash, and grey, the latter blue/white, black/white, and red/black. Personally I tip my hat to RE for not making the same mistakes as many other motorcycle (gear) producers when aiming to engage women riders. They offer predominantly white/pink and black/pink colour schemes. These nicely painted petrol tanks hold 13 litres of fuel, good for a couple hundred kilometres with reported consumption of 2.63 L/100km.

In all, I had a great time riding this very fun motorcycle! It is excellent for its intended purpose, so it might just be that the hattrick is not too far off. Of course, we all look forward to seeing what you do with these cool little rippers when it comes to customisation!

(Photos by Florian Meuret and Rodolphe Herpet)

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[DaveM]

BMW R80 – The Dude by UNIKAT

We have become accustomed to the motorcycles that leave the workshop of Unikat. The Warsaw Poland based outfit have their own unique take on a number of different motorcycles. That’s why their motto is: “1-of-1”. As in, there is and will only be 1 model of each of their handcrafted machines. From a business point of view this could be seen as risky. But from an artistic point of view, well, there is no other way.

Luckily for us, the standard is pretty high when it comes to their custom built motorcycles, and the BMW you see here today is no exception. Built on behalf of Bartek Prokopowicz, a Polish movie director and lifelong petrolhead, Grzegorz Korczak decided to do something different this time. What started out as a standard BMW R80 police style motorcycle, has been transformed into a cafe racer styled tracker. What makes this 1978 BMW even more special is the treatment all surface areas were given to get a very distinct look. Take a closer look and you’ll see what we mean. Some parts look a bit rusty, and maybe even a bit rough and dirty. Make no mistake, this was done on purpose, through a series of rigorous processes, to achieve this unique, patina look. As if this BMW was built a long time ago. Very cheeky!

It’s clear that this BMW R80 is meant to look a bit rough and used, but that’s just one part of the story. Underneath the surface, everything was redesigned. Let’s start with the most notable changes, like the rear subframe. Or rather, the lack thereof. We see that on top of the minimalistic subframe a beautifully stitches single seat is resting. It almost looks as if it is floating. Some of the worlds’ smallest LED brake and indicator lights can be found underneath the seat.

To keep a clean look, the battery had to be relocated somewhere less obvious; underneath the bike. A custom battery bracket was fabricated to allow for the relocation. This gives the BMW a clean look. The engine and air intake has been kept stock for a change, and we love that! Everything was done to ensure the 800cc boxer is up to snuff, thanks to a thorough inspection and service. At the front the suspension was upgraded to YSS springs and received a pair of fork gaiters. A set of YSS fully adjustable twin shocks take care of business at the rear.

But there is more! Although the rest of the front looks stock, most isn’t. First there is the Motogadget speedo, that looks a lot smaller than the factory cockpit. A black aluminium handlebar replaced the stock steel unit. The handlebar grips have been wrapped with leather, and at the end of them, a pair of Motogadget bar-end indicators have been mounted. A classic oversize black round headlight adds to the distinguished look. The custom short fenders, the blacked out exhaust headers, and the twin brushed end cans all add to the classiness of this R80. No wonder it took almost a year to complete this project!

In the end, UNIKAT managed to create yet another timeless looking custom motorcycle. It’s hard to imagine that they built another bike simultaneous to this project. And yet, they did just that! Stay tuned for more, here on BikeBrewers.

Photo credit: UNIKAT

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
Website
Instagram
Facebook
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[DaveM]

Review: 2022 Kawasaki Z900 RS SE

The big one
Well no, it’s not a coincidence that this bike has been photographed in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). And maybe yes, it might be a cliche. As the bike is a cross between modern and classic, we thought it would be cool to match the background, so here it is.

This is the Kawasaki Z900RS SE and I want to start off by saying: I like the Z900RS. If you’re looking for a bike that has it all, this might just be a candidate. And although that might be a matter of opinion. As a matter of fact, I am writing this piece entirely based on my personal opinion. Nothing to do with facts or statistics, just the experience. You may have read my previous articles by now (if you haven’t: they are on this site somewhere) so by now you may know that I like to write different stuff than the usual.

Let’s have a look at the Kawasaki then. I had the pleasure to know this bike from the beginning, having been present at the press presentation back in 2018. At the time, it impressed me just as much as it has this time and I’ll tell you why. In this day and age, we have gotten used to some pretty edgy design, frontrunning electronics, power beyond measure and handling beyond our wildest dreams. So far so good, you might think. But that’s not the case for everyone. Sometimes, you don’t want more. Sometimes, you want a little less.

Retro
Kawasaki jumped on the retro band wagon with the Z900RS, and for good reason; who remembers the legendary Z1? Kawasaki did decide to things slightly different from their competitors, by not building a full retro machine, but a retro inspired modern motorcycle. Just take a look at those flashy wheels and design, or the USD front fork with radial mounted brakes. That’s not just for looks, it’s an honest upgrade. Then, the engineers went a little step further and tweaked the engine. Just a little less power (only a few hp) from the top, but with a trade off for some more torque and a bulkier midrange. That’s where my interest was caught, because even though power is nice, it’s only good when you can use it. On a desolate Spanish backroads where we usually ride at a presentation, that’s okay. But in real life, when or where would you be able to use its full potential?

To really top things off, they even went so far as to tweak the fuel injection so it doesn’t run as perfect as it could at idle, just like it’s an actual old carburettor bike. Now that’s eye (or ear) for detail. Another big difference is the seating position. Gone is the high rising fuel tank or passenger seat, instead you get a much flatter seat unit and tank. And if you ask me, it’s a godsend. The seating position on this bike is just perfect. I have to admit, this is a trick other brands also use, but in those cases it also works. Because of this, ‘retrofied’ middle class machines are just plain awesome.

Special Edition
This is not your average Z900RS. This is the SE model which has a new color. And also some parts. It’s not the first time Kawasaki adds a little bit tricked out model to the lineup. Usually it’s a little sprinkle of performance parts that are pre mounted and as a package costs just a little less than you’d pay for the individual parts. So that’s a win-win. However, it would be a little bit weird to present a Performance model of the retro bike, so they went a different way.

In earlier years Kawasaki had also enticed the public with a special ‘R’ version, like back in 2011 with the Z750. That included an upside down fork, radial mounted brake callipers and I think a little beefier rear shock. And now here’s the 900RS SE edition. This bike now has Brembo callipers instead of the standard Tokico and an Öhlins rear shock instead of the standard one. And although that’s really all they did, it does make a difference.

Picturesque
It’s a great looking motorcycle too. When I was taking the pictures, I had to regularly answer questions and almost always people were surprised when I told them it’s actually a brand new bike. So if you were still wondering if this is retro enough for you, there’s your answer. But there is an extra. The retro community is thriving, and it has been for years. In that respect, you can also see the RS as an homage to that scene.

Now as for ride quality, I can be brief; I like this bike. It feels nice, it runs great, especially with the ECU tweak down under, to make it respond like a carbed motorcycle, it handles and performs like a modern bike and that is, I believe, a big part of the appeal of this bike. Buy something cool, get something without any technical issues. It does have fuel injection, so it runs just fine. ABS is standard, so no issues with that. It has modern wheels and tires, so you can ride it like any other modern bike. And as an extra it also has 3-way adjustable traction control, just like most modern motorcycles. I could have been fine without it, but I can only speak for myself. It’s a safety feature, so it’s fine. And also it’s easy to switch off if you like. Just for the pictures, of course, officer.

Kawasaki haven’t just picked any bike. They went for the one that would fit the plans as good as possible. So with the 900, we get a four cylinder engine that performs but also fits the space under the tank beautifully. And it’s even finished with some faux air-cooled ribs on the side. As for the rest of the bike, well, you can see the pictures. The seating position is just like you’d expect, upright and commanding. It does feel a bit bulky when manoeuvring at stand still, but that’s exactly how bikes used to feel ‘back in the day’. And there are so many details I haven’t mentioned yet… the tank logo, the side logos, the cockpit (did you know the angle the dials make when it’s off is an exact match to the original Z900?), the list just goes on. Don’t take my words, just take a look.

So well, that’s my summer holidays well spent. I’m going back to work, but you just never know when I present you with a new adventure. And maybe I can think of an excuse to do some more riding on this bike.

Make sure you head over to your nearest Kawasaki dealer to check out what they have in store for you.

Special thanks to Kawasaki Motors Europe NV for making this Z900RS available for review.

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[DaveM]

Bangkok’s Bike Builder – Zeus Customs

Mooyong Zeus is the founder, owner, designer, builder and all-round nice guy of Zeus Customs in Bangkok, Thailand. I last met Mooyong during my visit before Covid – so I was mighty curious how he is doing now that the pandemic-storm has subsided a bit.

Mooyong started Zeus Customs in 2014, when he decided his love for motorcycles – and customizing them – was more important to him than his secure income as a software developer… He started out customizing 150cc Stallion bikes, lightweight Chinese bikes which are very popular in Thailand, these are basically the same bikes as those sold under the brand name Mash in Europe. His first workshop was just a room in an apartment building, but he had to look for another place pretty soon as the neighbors complained to the landlord about the noise… That happened again with his next location, so then he moved to a large more industrial building on the outskirts of Bangkok. That’s where I met Mooyong three years ago. Covid was a difficult time for Zeus of course, but he survived! After Covid, he moved to a slightly smaller but more central place in a nice neighborhood of Bangkok, where he now has a much more intimate and really pleasant place with a great showroom, plenty of bikes on display and couches to hang out on, as well as a fabulous yard with more bikes and tables to enjoy your coffee or a drink…

Given his software developer background, no surprise that Mooyong is an avid and expert user of social media. His Instagram posts went viral in Thailand and before long he got requests to customize bigger bikes. After he did a first brat-style conversion based on a Ducati scrambler for a lady which got a lot of attention on Instagram, demand skyrocketed. Still, cutting up a big expensive bike for the first time was a big step, so Mooyong bought a Triumph to work on for himself first. But he only cut into the frame after a strong push from his girlfriend!

So now Mooyong does a max of 30 full customizations per year, not more to maintain quality, together with his 2 mechanics – which he kept on staff during all the difficult Covid period.

Zeus customizes mainly for Thai customers and long-term expats. His Thai customers tend to ask for full customization of for instance café racers, and then use the bikes mainly for special events and to decorate their homes. The expats usually do use their bikes on a daily basis, their modifications range from again full café racers to scramblers – depending on their need for comfort on the road… Zeus also do more light conversions for both groups, such as just handlebars and seats.
While Mooyong is very interested in exporting his customs, a lot of times the regulations of his customers’ countries get in the way. But while an export to Germany serves as a decoration piece because the owner cannot get it legalized, another bike is out on the streets of Moscow, Russia – as the rules seem less strict over there. He does have a partner in Japan now specifically for fully customized Honda Monkeys, which are wildly popular over there.

Right now, Zeus is converting 8 Royal Enfield Himalayans to competition-ready flat-track bikes, commissioned by the factory who want to open a flat-track school in Thailand! He is also working with Suzuki Thailand on a full café racer custom to inspire more customers to buy that particular model, and they then plan to auction it off…

Zeus’ main exports to Europe today are his homemade leather side-bags and tank straps. Custom parts are a little harder as specifications can differ even for the same model bikes.
He also sells quite a bit of merchandise to tourists who visit the shop to get some new ideas or just hang out. T-shirts, caps, mugs, bag-tags, you name it… These are all his own designs – great stuff if you ask me!

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[DaveM]

PRESS RELEASE: Knox expands distribution in Europe

Knox have appointed Jopa Racing Products as their sole distributor in Germany, Benelux, Denmark and Austria.

This collaboration is part of Knox’s strategic plan for growth over the coming years by forging strong, long term export partnerships.

Quote from Margaret Travell, Sales Director at Knox.

“We are really excited to announce the appointment of a new European distributor, Jopa, who will be looking after Knox in Germany, the Benelux region, Denmark and Austria. Jopa are an experienced company with a great set up and team and we agree Knox will fit well into their existing portfolio.

The team at Jopa are focussed on supporting our existing dealers in these countries and then building a network of excellent stockists that align with the Knox brand”.

Quote from Matthijs Verbei, Director at Jopa.

‘Because of the unique philosophy and products of the brand Knox, we strongly believe that Knox is an absolute key-player in the future of motorcycle garments. We are convinced that we can be the bridge between Knox and dealers/customers to get these absolute top products there where they belong; on the road!’

About Planet Knox

Knox is a British company, based in the beautiful UK Lake District. Since it started in 1981 the brand has had an innovative and unique approach to the development of motorcycle rider protection and apparel.

For Knox, making protective gear is much more than just the next wonder material, more than just the science of kilo newtons, CE levels and impact testing, more than a CE certificate. It’s a passion for making great products, developing new materials, designing better feeling, better looking, better performing garments that work for all riders in any climate and on any bike.

It’s about the synergy and balance between protection and motorcycle clothing, so they work in harmony.

About Jopa

Jopa Racing Products is an international distributor of road, racing and motocross products. Jopa serve a wide network of dealers throughout Europe with brands such as Sidi, Rusty Stitches, Furygan, PMJ, Just1, Simpson, FLY and many more.

With a close-knit team of enthusiastic staff, Jopa is committed to serving their customers every day. For more than 40 years, Jopa Racing Products has been the partner in road, racing and motocross products. Despite the growth, the philosophy remains the same: Jopa only want to provide you with the best possible products and service.

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[DaveM]

Racing on ice with spikes – Electric style!

If you are ready for a fika, join RGNT Motorcycles in Årsunda (Sweden) next weekend 24-25th February, where they are looking to set a new electric motorcycle speed record on ice!

What is a fika you might ask? Well, it is a Swedish custom where you take a break from your activities to drink coffee, eat cake, and relax with others.
So, we’ve been invited to join the fika, but what’s going on over there in Sweden?

Well, RGNT Motorcycles is a young (founded 2019) Swedish electric motorcycle manufacturer who pride themselves on sourcing and manufacturing all components of their motorcycles as locally as possible. They also say they are wildly ambitious, aiming to push new boundaries all the time. And what better place for a native Swedish motorcycle brand to do that, than on a frozen Swedish lake?
To beat the World Speed Record on Ice for EV-motorcycles, they started project Aurora – bringing together all RGNT’s 40-some employees during evening hours and on weekends to build a complete in house designed and hand-built custom motorcycle.

While RGNT “plan to silence boulevards, backroads and beaches globally by quickly expanding”, what sets them apart – in my view – in the fast-growing market of electric motorcycles is that they are also passionate about iconic motorcycle design. Their bikes – in any case the two models they brought to market so far, the Classic and the Scrambler, are, in their words: “an ode to classic design – from the days when machines were built to last.” “Premium components, groundbreaking tech and hand-crafted details add up to an exclusive, state-of-the-art motorcycle.”

This desire to not only perform but also look great really shows in the Aurora project.
Taking the RGNT No. 1 Classic SE production model as its starting point, the team modified several components in the battery to maximize power output. They unlocked the software and power output of the drivetrain, and built a full aerodynamic lightweight fairing. Resulting in an EV racer with a peak power of close to 30 kW (standard 21 kW). Add spike-studded tires and you’re ready to go! RGNT-engineer Timmy Eriksson is all geared up to race Aurora next weekend, aiming to break the current electric motorcycle speed record on ice….

Check www.landracing.events for more details of the races at Årsunda, and check out RGNT’s site for more info and pics: rgnt-motorcycles.com.

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[DaveM]

Full Circle – The Muscle Racer 2, a Harley Davidson Sportster

Setting the scene​

Sometimes in life things come full circle. Allow me to sidestep and take you back. On a sunny day in November 2017, I wanted to unwind from a scientific conference I attended in Miami, Florida. Looking for shade I ended up at Brothers & Brawlers, where I found a beautiful space, an excellent cup of coffee, and an atmosphere that made me want to stay until the end of time. The gray concrete, black steel, and natural wood gave it an industrial vibe, yet the space felt light and leather seats and sofas were soft and pleasant. The helmets, accessories, and garments displayed tickled my fancy. A couple of custom motorcycles were on display. This is what most of us see in our imagination when we hear ‘man cave’. Sebastian Ramirez, owner and founder of DiRocco Eyewear, provided the finishing touch. He set up the space as a living advertisement that you could breathe, smell, and taste.

Inspiration​

Next, I saw a motorcycle that planted a seed in my imagination. The seed of building a custom motorcycle (at the time I owned a practically bone stock 2010 Triumph Bonneville T100). As we talked about the space and the concept, a van pulled up. Chet and colleagues jumped out, a bike rolled in. And we ended up giving them a hand in putting it up on a platform for display. The motorcycle was a Triumph Thruxton, designed by a well-known, dapper, masked rider, the first in the Snaefell series by Cohn Racers. Little did I know that 5 years later, I would write about another series of motorcycles the Spanish-born, Miami-based builder Chet P Ilzarbe would produce.

Previously we featured their Harley Davidson XR1200X Muscle R series. Now it is time to update you about their new line, the Muscle R2. In a second part, we will give you more insight into Cohn Racers and its founder.

Background​

First, some background. The Muscle R2 came out of the original Muscle R, as most racers and builders can agree: there is always room for improvement. During the production of the original Muscle R, Chet started identifying and testing these small improvements. Adapting, modifying, and testing on a motorcycle one builds for one’s own garage is part of the process. However, this is out of the question when you set yourself high standards for motorcycles you build for clients across the globe. So where can you take these improvements, and express your problem-solving skills? Correct, in a second series, the MR2. The profits from the first series were used to hire Joan Mataro and Anton. The first a mechanical engineer with a passion for motorcycles, the second a carbon fibre specialist, who worked at Scuderia Toro Rosso and Koenisegg. The remaining funds were invested in machinery, including 3D scanners, software and 3D printers. This setup allows for reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, and evaluating data.

However, despite the improvements in the shop, the original concept remained: a Harley Davidson Sportster with real power, proper brakes, improved handling, and an elegant yet mean stance reflective of its rider. To improve the handling, the team engineered a new frame with optimised geometry for superior comfort and rideability. Secondly, increasing the power output of the engine and decreasing the weight resulted in 26% more horsepower and 22% less weight, further improving both handling and rideability.

Frame​

Again, a Sportster model provided the engine and frame as starting points. They 3D scanned both and included an additional XR1200 frame as well. Using the resulting digital mesh with millions of recorded data points, other components could be added digitally. After adding the suspension and wheels, the first prototype was simulated to test behaviour and ergonomics. Several prototypes were then printed from PETG plastic. After several iterations, they settled on a 3-piece assembly that bolts together with four M8 bolts in the front, and four M10 in the back. Master welder Josh Lewis built a welding jig to perfectly align every component prior to assembly. Thus, any alloy can be used to weld up a frame in the perfect geometry. Currently they use Titanium GR5 future MR2 owners. Using these high grade alloys results in a final frame weight of less than half of the original sportster frame.

Weight Savings​

Moreover, using Titanium throughout the bike ensures the aforementioned weight savings. The originally steel front and rear axles, head stem, and exhaust are all newly made of titanium. Even the original steel bolts are replaced with titanium bolts. A swing arm of billet cnc aluminium is a piece particularly hard to come by, usually limited to MotoGP and elite racing. Therefore, the team designed a 5-piece that is welded together and adjusted to the client’s height. It provides strength, reduces weight, and introduces just the right amount of flex. Again, digital simulation was used to finetune these parameters into the final design.

Suspension​

Further improving the handling, stock suspension is swapped out for fully adjustable Öhlins FGRT 200 series forks in proprietary cnc billet aluminium triple clamps and dual rear shocks. The spring rate and valving will be adjusted to every client’s specifications.

Wheels & Tyres​

The stock Harley Davidson hubs spoked with stainless steel and lavcd with 18×6.0 and 18×3.5 rims, give the bike a bit of a flattrack feel. Clients have a wide array of options for tyres with this configuration, yet dual sport tyres seemed to be a popular choice for the first series. Rims made of carbon fibre, titanium, and aluminium are currently under development and will be available as an option only to MR2 owners.

The Powerhouse​

Driving all this forward is a 100HP power plant based on the original motor. One of the most challenging parts to engineer and manufacture is the proprietary down draft air intake system. The aluminium manifold is cnc-milled from a solid block on a 6-axis machine. Oxygen is provided via two beautiful mesh covered ducts in the front. Fuel is provided from a laser cut and bent 2mm aluminium sheet that is welded and covered with a carbon fibre shell. A small oil cooler was integrated to reduce oil temperature and the original oil tank under the seat was kept to ensure a sufficient volume in the system. On the back end of the engine are two titanium headers with pie cut bends, giving it a rainbow array of colours after multiple heating cycles, topped off by two Akrapovic exhausts. For future clients willing to trade in some reliability, the output can be increased even further.

Leatherwork​

To sit atop this powerhouse, clients will have to pick their own hide for the handcrafted upholstery. The hides are sourced from Scotland and artisans then craft the seat, tank strap, and optional other parts to ensure unity throughout. This ties both ends together and shows the level of detailing that goes into these bikes!

Detailing​

Carbon fibre is used throughout the build. Their inhouse specialist with an impressive background has optimised the process of impregnating carbon fibres with resin and curing it in an autoclave (think: industrial pressure cooker) to ensure the optimal resin to fibre ratio. This makes for a very light and simultaneously very strong material. Over 20 parts on the MR2 are made this way. In our eyes, this intensive, expensive process is justified by the outcome! What a visual spectacle to observe!

Other aesthetically pleasing details are the lights and indicators. They are fully integrated into the bike. The tail, brake, and indicator lights are integrated into the fender with just two parts! All wiring is carefully hidden from sight, indicator wiring for example is integrated into the handlebars. The gauge is backlit in blue, just as the buttons, a subtle and elegant touch that improves operating them in the dark. This is another indication that the builders prioritised the rider’s point of view. The gauge displays analog revolutions and all other information digitally, keeping it clean and timeless. The front of the gauge is covered with carbon that crowns the bike with a wax mould cast, polished 24K logo.

Last call!​

Only 99 bikes will be built, according to client specifications. Most of the options that are modified inhouse are included. Adjustments will be made to the ride height, suspension stiffness and other small details that will ensure the most comfortable fit to the client. Special wishes can also be catered for. Pricing is progressive, the first one starting at $45,000 USD.
Do you want to get started? Email

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[DaveM]

From Trash Bag Special to Sleek Caferacer

So what do you do when you want your vintage 1969 Honda CL350 turned into a caferacer – to not only bomb around the city on, but which also turns heads wherever you take it?

You stuff the bike in the back of your VW Golf, throw in a couple trash bag full of parts that either fell off or you had already gathered, and drive the 90 miles or so from Seattle up north to Bellingam, WA. Cause that’s where Moto Design Garage are based, a motorcycle building shop who like to do everything themselves, including CNC-ing parts from scratch. Plus – they are big fans of 3D printing and design, another great way to reproduce obsolete parts or even better – reimagine them!

For this bike, the customer’s original plan to keep the dual shocks was abandoned in favor of a mono-shock setup. A Ninja 650R rear shock was mounted with custom CNC-cut brackets. This proved to be quite a challenge, as a mono shock conversion drastically changes the ergonomics of the bike and they had to to find proper spring rate, movement, etc… They did reuse the stock hub, refurbished and powder coated it, laced it to a new rim and voila – a smoother ride, and the back part of the bike looks really clean and mean now!

The whole front end was replaced with one from a GSXR and fitted with all new 17” SunRims and billet front hub. New headlight was joined to the bike with in-house 3D-printed headlight fork clamps and CNC-cut headlight brackets.

And then for the important part in the middle, the motor. It did not just get that stylish black and Evo gray finish, lots had to be done before it was ready to hit the street again! The motor needed a new cylinder, a good used one was found and serviced along with new piston and rings. All seals and gaskets where replaced and the top end went through. Plus, a new Shockwave electronic ignition system, VM30 Mikuni carbs, and an appropriately loud 2-1 exhaust setup…

And it does not stop there: the entire electronics tray, which you can see under the seat, was 3D-printed in-house. Reinforced with trellises and underbracing to provide structural strength, it holds an M-unit and a AG801 battery.

The only custom work not done by themselves was upholstering the seat cover, which they outsourced to a long-time partner who they trust, gets their style and makes the seat look good to boot!

When asked about the end result of this cool conversion, Moto Design Garage said: “It rides so well! Keeping in mind it is a 1960’s machine with new parts but it still has that old school feel. It vibrates, it smells, it needs to be spoken nicely too haha but it is a fun nostalgic type of ride for sure!”

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[DaveM]

UNIKAT Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883 Low

On a cold winter day in Wroclav

It was a cold winter day when BikeBrewers took the trip to pay a visit to the digs of UNIKAT Motorworks. It had been a visit which was long overdue.

We have been writing about Grzegorz Korczak and his team of highly skilled professionals for many years and each time he has managed to surprise us with incredible gems that rolled out of their workshop.

It was a long ride to get there from the, but fortunately there was no heavy snow in Poland at the time, which made for a long but comfortable ride. Grzegroz was already waiting for us with a nice cup of coffee and local pastries, but we were in for a bigger treat.

About UNIKAT

Grzegorz Korczak– a graduate of the Lodz Film School (trained as a cameraman), repeatedly awarded at international festivals; director of special effects (including an Oscar nomination for “Rabbit a la Berlin”). As a visual artist, he has exhibited his works in the most important museums in Poland, and thanks to his creativity and creative courage, he has collaborated with artists around the world.

Now he uses his creative skills to spoil custom bike afficionados with the magnificent fruit of his imagination.

Every machine we have been writing about is even more special than the one before. A recognizable feature of UNIKAT machines is their extraordinary appearance, taken to the limit of perfection.

A true modern day creator, Grzegorz motorcycles are designed virtually, before his colleagues start fabricating the bike in their well equipped workshop.

It is often from scratch they start their work on a bike, turning a, sometimes decades old, machine into a true head turning piece of art.

Harley Davidson Sportster 883

This can also be said of the 2006 Harley Davidson Sportster. In just a few years it will be celebrating its 20th birthday. Gearing up for this occasion, its owner decided to let the UNIKAT team handle the intensive mechanical spa treatment.

With the coffee in our hands we walked to the showroom where the blue diamond was shining rays of light, illuminating the place and silently screaming for attention.

Gazing at the Harley we asked Grzegorz how this project came together.

His response: “I’ve met the owner at the little event where our bikes and motorboats where presented.

He was there with his wife and they admitted that their motorcycles had been stashed away far too long in the garage, and were now covered in dust. But being confronted with our 1/1 craft and design the passion was re-sparked and they were eager to have work done on the white Sportster Low.

Two weeks after the show Piotr called me and said he could no longer resist the urge to customise his machine. He said he had no specific idea except for two factors:

1. he wanted his HD to be a comfortable and easy to handle ride
2. he wanted me to also enjoy the project and have fun

To be very honest; these are the type of clients you normally can only dream about!

I came up with the concept of a “city scrambler” and Piotr instantly liked first digital visualisations of the new lines and shapes.

We spend some more time on choosing the perfect colour match, than we did on the design of the bike” the designer laughs.

Continuing: “Numerous colour schemes were discussed. From all black to silver with golden pinstripes…

Finally we decided on the light-grey-blue and we added stripes and logos to perfectly match with the copperish tone of the Öhlins piggyback rear suspension.

To sum it all up; the cooperation was purest of pleasures, as Piotr was involved but trusted the professionalism of the UNIKAT team at the same time. It’s yet another client that became a friend and we are still in close in contact. Now this exactly is why I love this job so much!” he smiles broadly

Taking it all in

We took another sip of our coffee and took our time to take in the polished beauty of this bike. It is interesting to discover all the bits and pieces that have lovingly been reshaped into exquisite elements that make up the total picture.

Sportsters that leave the Milwaukee plant are nice machines, but they make even better canvas for builders who know how to mold them into an even better shape. The first thing you notice when sitting on the XL883, is the completely changed geometry of the bike. A change for the better that is.

This is largely due to structural modifications related to the use of high shock absorbers, the position of the swing arm and motorcycle drive.

Unfortunately the weather was not good enough to take the Harley out for a spin, but we are convinced the modifications will make up for a much better and sportier ride than originally designed.

Modifications

Let’s zoom in on the most important details and enjoy the pictured elements:

Front

– spoked, custom made 19” wheel

– Dunlop flat track tire

– shortened front fender

– wider and lower handlebars

– leather, hand-crafted grips

– mo.blaze disc front turn signals from Motogadget

– classic, old-school Highsider mirrors

– LED lamp insert

– relocation of the speedometer mount and controls

– Arlen Ness accessory air filter

Rear

– spoked custom made 18” wheel

– Dunlop flat track tire

– new handcrafted (in-house) motorcycle frame end loop,

– new seat made from scratch and upholstered (covered with alcantara)

– Öhlins rear suspension 39 cm long

– rear, minimalistic fender

– Bates Style LED rear lighting

– Kellermann Atto rear turn signals

– side license plate mount

– new, unique blue paint with subtle copper details

The post UNIKAT Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883 Low appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

Royal Enfield’s Super Meteor: a cruiser bike honoring its heritage

Back home in Amsterdam, we just had the first ride of the year cut short due to rain, really cold rain that is…

So, when I got invited to test the new Royal Enfield (RE) Super Meteor in the South of France, ‘yes please’ was the only possible answer!

Our hosts Motomondo and Sima had prepared a bunch of brand-new bikes for us to ride in Marseille, most of them with 10km or less on the clocks. So careful with the tyres on the first kilometers! Especially as we had some rain in the early morning, fortunately the only rain we’ve seen that day….

The RE Super Meteor is a retro cruiser – with all the cruiser characteristics you might expect – low seat, hourglass shape seen from above, large tank, forward controls, high and wide handlebars. You sit upright with your arms and legs stretched forward. Not really familiar for a sportsbike rider like myself, but I have to admit, it’s comfortable and allows you to keep riding all day long!

The 648cc engine – the same basically as the engine on the Interceptor INT 650 or the Continental GT 650 bikes – is a 4 stroke, Air-Oil Cooled Parallel twin. A so-called ‘mid-segment’ bike, not as big – or intimidating if you prefer – as your typical Harley or Indian cruiser. But plenty of ‘oomph’: 47 horsepower, accelerates quite quickly, lots of torque with 80% of the power delivered below 3.000rpm, and a very steady and comfortable ride at highway speeds.

As mentioned above, I’m a sportsbike rider, so especially cornering had a bit of a learning curve for me. Having the peg feelers scrape the asphalt in nearly every turn – most of them are 180 degrees on the fabulous ‘Route des Crêtes’ – was a bit scary at first. But you learn to lean less and not to worry too much about the scraping.

And then you’re set – this is a bike that is very easy to ride. Smooth throttle, effortless shifting, good acceleration, more than adequate braking by the single disc brakes front and back. There even is ABS on board. Plus USD forks with a 120mm stroke, an RE first. The bike has a low center of gravity, feels quite stable on the straights and is easy to steer into the corners. This can be attributed to the 16” rear wheel and the 19” front wheel in true cruiser style, but, according to RE, is certainly also courtesy of the new frame and swingarm which have been developed in conjunction with Harris Performance in the UK.

When you first sit on the Super Meteor, it feels higher than you’d expect standing next to it. But that height works – for me, I’m of average height at 1m75, but also for the more ‘vertically challenged’ colleagues on the ride, and even for those exceptionally tall Dutch guys that were riding with us.

Moving to the looks then: the Super Meteor is unmistakably a cruiser with its narrow waist and big teardrop-shaped tank. It also reflects the RE heritage quite well, for example by its chrome tank badges with historic RE logo.

The Super Meteor 650 is available in five colors: black, blue, dark green, grey and dark red. There is a minor price difference between the single color painted ‘Astral’ models and the two-tone ‘Interstellar’ models.

However, what really struck me is that for €300 more, you get the Super Meteor 650 Tourer, which comes with a nice luxury one-piece touring seat with embroidered logo, windscreen, and a pillion backrest. That seat does not only look great, but is a bit softer and more comfortable as well. So even if you’re not into backrests or windscreens, I would still go for the Tourer model and just store the windscreen and backrest.

All in all, the RE Super Meteor was a blast to ride on the curvy roads of the Route des Crêtes. The only minor setback were the tyres, which were no match for the brakes and lacked some grip at an angle. So I would shell out for a pair of more grippy touring tyres pretty quickly I guess.

The RE Super Meteor is a very reasonably priced mid-segment bike with an engine that has proven its worth, and featuring high-end components such as ABS, upside-down front suspension, and LED lighting. Plus TBT (Turn By Turn) navigation, linking to your smartphone. We did not get to test this however, as we were just trying to keep up with Joel, RE’s Marseille dealer, who clearly knows these roads very well…

So who’s this bike for? Well, obviously you have to dig the cruiser style, but RE had some specific target groups in mind when they built this bike:

• female riders, looking for a classic style and easy-to-ride bike
• returning riders, looking for a classic-looking, dependable weekend toy
• Royal Enfield afficionados who want an upgrade or more modern bike
• first time buyers looking for a lot of value for money, a brand with history and an un-intimidating riding experience…

Prices vary in Europe due to different taxes for new motorbikes (still…), but range from €7.200 for the single-color Astral model, €7.400 for the two-tone Interstellar and €7.700 for the Tourer in Italy, to €9.499 for the Astral, €9.799 for the Interstellar and €9.999 for the Tourer in the Netherlands.

So go and try one out at your local RE dealer if you’re interested…

The post Royal Enfield’s Super Meteor: a cruiser bike honoring its heritage appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

LM Creations R00: The Revolutionary BMW R-Series Electric Motorcycle

Are you tired of the noise and pollution of your conventional motorcycle but still want to experience the thrill of riding? Luuc Muis of LM Creations has created a solution that will let you have the best of both worlds. Say hello to the BMW R00, the world’s first bolt-on electric drivetrain for vintage motorcycles.

The idea for the R00 came from the trend of converting classic cars to electric power. While this is relatively easy for cars, it becomes a challenge when it comes to motorcycles. The original design of vintage motorcycles, with their exposed frames, makes it hard to hide the electric powertrain. Additionally, most electric motorcycle conversions lose the iconic characteristics of the bike due to their bulky battery boxes and hub motors. However, LM Creations set out to design an electric drivetrain that would replace the existing crankcase, maintain the gearbox, and keep the motorcycles’ engine characteristics intact.

The BMW R-Series was chosen as the starting point for the R00 due to its iconic engine design and popularity in the custom scene. However, any pre-unit drivetrain, such as BMW, Moto Guzzi, vintage Triumphs, Harley Davidsons, URAL, and English brands, are suitable for conversion. The engineering involved in designing the new casting for the motor housing and battery pack that fits the original frame, as well as all the necessary and safety components, was a significant undertaking.

The LM Creations team wanted to uphold the excitement of riding a custom or vintage motorcycle, including the sound and experience of shifting, revving, torque, and turning heads. The R00 has a unique sound, combining the whine of a supercharger and a JET turbine, along with incredible torque. Instead of a fixed-geared E-drive, the R00 maintains the gearbox, allowing riders to take off in any gear and switch gears any way they like. The ability to play around with the torque and power wheelies was never possible with the original BMW R-Series engine.

In a nutshell, the R00 has a 72V power unit capable of a max peak up to 20kw and 72Nm with a max RPM of 7500. It has a new aluminum cast housing, which comes in black or silver. The urban range is 80km, thanks to the 4.3kwh battery pack that weighs just 24kg, only 2kg more than the original gas tank. The charge cycles are more than 2000, equivalent to approximately 160,000 km. The charger comes in two options, a 1.8 or 3.3 kw 230V charger, and a gel coat paint-ready fiberglass shell. The R00 is bolted on to R-type airhead engines from 1969 to 1995 (R45-R100).

The BMW 11kw EV kit 4.3kwh battery with a 1.8kw charger retails for €8950, while the BMW 11kw EV kit 4.3kwh battery with a 3.3kw charger costs €9450 (excluding shipping). For pre-orders, LM Creations includes a free ROEG helmet. LM Creations also offers an option to have the kit installed for an additional €1450 (cover paint and gearbox rebuild not included), and custom modifications to the bike are available for an extra cost.

The R00 is a revolutionary electric motorcycle that offers the best of both worlds. It maintains the excitement and experience of riding a vintage motorcycle while eliminating noise and pollution. LM Creations has taken up the challenge of designing and engineering a bolt-on electric drivetrain for vintage motorcycles and has done an exceptional job. The R00 is the first of many innovations to come, and we can’t wait to.

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[solomon]

In a nutshell

This is brilliant. Cylinders present would have been fakery. Cylinder heads floating there, it's the ghost of BMWs past.

Retaining the gear box seems a bit mad. It must be the fastest accelerating bike in the world up to 7mph though. Probably best to start in second, fastest up to 15mph.

 

[DaveM]

Moto Adonis Delivers Another Custom Masterpiece with BMW 416 R100RS Build

Moto Adonis is a custom bike workshop located in the Netherlands, known for their sleek and clean designs. They recently took on a BMW R100RS build, which was a stock bike with an aftermarket subframe and a specific request from the customer for to use the color Carbonschwarz metallic 416.

The Moto Adonis team got to work and transformed the bike into a custom machine with a high level of attention to detail. They added gold double striping to the new paintwork, which matched the golden front fork, and fitted a GSXR front fork, upgraded brakes with GSXR calipers, and a set of Moto Master brake discs with a golden center.

Moto Adonis also incorporated a full Motogadget system, including a speedometer and #mo.blaze bar end turn signals. They used high-quality parts such as Renthal bars, Motogadget mirrors, YSS shocks, Biltwell handlebar grips, and Tarozzi foot controls. They installed a Motone fuel cap and a Sp connect phone mount and charger, along with a custom leather seat by Mr. Miller. To top it all off, they made a stainless exhaust with MAD exhaust mufflers and DNA air filters, resulting in a great sounding bike.

The BMW 416 R100RS build is a perfect example of how Moto Adonis puts their touch on custom bikes, making them not only visually appealing but also enjoyable to ride. As Moto Adonis puts it, “We like to build bikes with high-quality parts and a high level of attention to detail, resulting in great-looking and great-riding machines.”

Moto Adonis has been making waves in the custom bike scene for some time now, and this BMW build is just another example of their craftsmanship. If you’re interested in seeing more of their work, check out our previous article on Moto Adonis’ Harley-Davidson Sportster build, where they turned a stock bike into a beautiful cafe racer.

The BMW 416 R100RS custom build by Moto Adonis is an impressive machine with sleek lines and high-quality parts. Moto Adonis continues to show their expertise in the custom bike scene and makes another customer happy with their dream bike. You can check out more of their work on their Instagram page (@moto_adonis) or their website (MotoAdonis.com).

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