Custom Builds From Bikebrewers

[DaveM]

Yamaha XJR1300 ready for battle

Horror inspired
It seems the British armed forces seem to have quite some of their men wrenching and riding motorbikes!
A few posts back we featured the Honda CB500T by Daniel Martin a Royal Marines commando and now we honor the brainchild of another military man; Chris Roffey.

Inspired by the Honda CB750 used by Daryl Dixon one of the lead characters in the 2013 TV series ‘the walking dead’, the star of ‘today’s show’ decided to modify a 20-year old (at the time of writing) Yamaha XJR1300.

The British protagonist of this story has spent a large chunk of his life in the Queen’s army. This brought him to places all over the world, or as he describes it: “I saw some of the triumphs from Zeus in Bangkok and particularly liked the T120 Boronze (as featured on Bonnicifation) and my final idea came from a combination of that, Daryls bike and few other ideas from the thousands (!) of pictures I downloaded. All along I wanted a Triumph but couldn’t afford it.”

Continuing: “There were so many ideas out there but I wanted something good looking but also comfortable to ride. I had a low budget agreed by the ‘long haired Colonel’ and after going from the CB750 to a Zephyr, I finally settled on an XJR1300 as I liked the base shape and style.”

Minimal spending plan
Chris set out to build his project on a minimal budget.
His military background is evident when you see his neatness in summing up the cost for all parts:
Bike: £2000
Seat: £100
Upholstery: £150
Tyres: £180
Paint: £60
Headlight £30
Other bits: £70
——
Total: £2590

Solo mission
Nearly all the work was done by our soldier himself. The only things he decided to outsource were the seat upholstery, the tank decals and the exhaust mount.
Outsourcing the seat was a wise decision, as this is a specialist’s job and often, when done by builders themselves, ruins the look of the bike if not done properly. However, in the case of this Yamaha, we think it looks mighty fine.

Involving the missus
BikeBrewers were left in the dark about whether the wife’s employer knew about it or not, but all of the building took place in the backyard of the place his love works during office hours.

We are clueless as to what kind of business Mrs. Roffey is in, but there must have been room enough for her hubby to do his thing. He removed the rear fairing and chopped off the rear framework. After that he bent the remaining bars inward so the 2015 XJR seat he bought for the project would fit snugly.

At ease!
As things were moving ahead smoothly, Chris decided to stick to the back yard and continue with the build. Next phase as per his words: “I painted the tank in VW limestone grey, which actually didn’t quite have the beige tones I was looking for, but never mind. I then painted the engine, swingarm and forks in black and added fork gaiters. I replaced the clocks for single digital speedometer with all the same lights and info apart from an oil warning light and replaced the indicators and mirrors for some smaller profile ones. I chopped 4 inches off the exhaust and then added a couple of leather saddle bags and changed the tyres for some Heidenhau K60 Scouts.”

The march continues
Rather than spending lots of time fiddling around our builder decided to just get the bike on the road and deal with further tweaking in due course.

He explains: “As a military man I prefer to continuously move forward, rather than stand still or retreat” he smiles. To continue after a short pause: “It’s still a bit rough around the edges but I now plan to gradually tweak and tidy it by painting up the callipers and discs, replacing the brake and clutch master cylinders and levers, having the wheels powder coated and possibly relocating the ignition so I can have the speedo centered. The frame may be in for a strip and powder coat over the winter months too. But I definitely prefer to ride the hell out of it during the riding season rather than tinker it to death in the shed.”

Response from the audience
Chris was surprised by the tyres, as they really made difference to the ride. According to him the bike feels fantastic on the road and he just loves to thrash it around.

Many people have already told him it reminds them of a bike from the war, which really pleases the builder as that was part of the style he was looking for. Still he may change the seat for a smaller one over the winter in order to get the right balance of seat and tank.

Famous last words
“One thing that struck me on this journey is how helpful and friendly the motorcycle community are! The forums offer brilliant advice and guidance without any of the idiots on there like other communities who would rather ridicule your questions than help.

Anyone I contacted for info and advice came back with more than I hoped for and really helped me to get my project done, and particular thanks go to Justin and Marcel who gave me some good info and guidance!

I’m looking forward to many years ahead and hopefully some more projects.”

Well, Chris so do we and please keep us posted on further upgrades on this bike!

Yamaha XJR1300 in its original state

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[DaveM]

American in Japan – Triumph Bonneville ‘Sexy AF’

An American in Japan
“One man. On a mission. In Japan.” If you’ve read that with a dark Hollywood voice, then you can probably guess what Peter von Gomm does for a living. Peter is an American professional voice actor who has been living in Japan for the past 20+ years; it’s safe to say that he has settled in nicely there. Because he is grateful for his life in Japan, and because he is a biker who rides daily to work in Tokyo, he wanted to create a custom bike that would be a homage to his life in Japan.

Triumph-ing
Peter always had a weak spot for the Triumph Bonneville. He doesn’t need to explain that to us, just take a look at our content on BikeBrewers, and you will see what I’m talking about. The British motorcycle is, at the moment, by-far, the most popular bike for builders to use as a base bike to customize. The sound of the parallel twin, the length to height ratio of the frame, the fuel tank shape and size. It just begs to be tinkered with. So that’s what happened: a 2009 Bonneville SE was sources, and project ‘Sexy AF’ commenced. You may wonder why Peter didn’t choose a Japanese bike instead. He promised us that it is on his ‘next project’ list, so we’ll have to sit tight and wait to see what he will have in store.

Botticelli’s Birth of Venus
Since the fuel tank of the Bonneville looks so clean, Peter came up with the idea to treat it with a unique piece of art. The concept of the tank art: Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. If you’re unfamiliar with Botticelli’s original painting, in short, it shows the arrival of the goddess Venus after her birth, together with other ancient mythological gods. However, on Peter’s tank, there is a twist to it. The characters in Botticelli’s masterpiece got swapped out with Japanese icons. Venus is now a Sumo wrestler, Zephyr is Godzilla clutching Hello Kitty, and the Hora of Spring is Ultraman. The challenge here was finding a really talented artist. Peter actually hired 2 artists, one in the United States and one in Germany. The American, Court Jones, drew the illustration of the concept, and the German, Marcus Eisenhuth of Berlin Airbrush, painted that illustration onto the tank. They both are world-class artists.

Replacement parts
We don’t like stock and neither does Peter. The idea was to get rid of as many of the original parts on the Bonneville as possible, without compromising the quality and the beautiful lines of the bike. Mind you, it still had to remain ‘Sexy AF’. Nearly all the parts that were bought were found on the internet. The slip-on exhaust came from Gasser Customs, the leather bags were found at Leatherworks, indicators, bar-end mirrors, sprocket cover, speedo bracket, all came from different suppliers around the world. The most notable parts are the leather seat, fenders and rear end kit that came from the French custom bike builders at BAAK Motocyclettes. Very tasteful if we may add!

Industrial details
Aesthetics were important when this bike was built. Peter was aiming for an industrial edge with his Bonneville, which can be seen in the side covers. It was a tedious process and involved a lot of experimenting. In the end, the covers were treated with aluminum leaf, distressing them to achieve that industrial feel and adding a thick layer of urethane as a top coat. The numbers on them refer to the year Peter moved to Japan ’99 and the year both his son and the Bonneville were born ’09. Coincidence?Another custom mod was carried out on the leather bags that are attached to 3 points on the frame. In line with the industrial feel Peter was going for, these bags received an Angelus Leather Paint treatment in the colour Metallic Pewter to match with the tank and side covers. To finish the bike off, a set of Continental Twinduro dual-sport tires were mated to the alloy wheels, making it ready to take over the urban Tokyo jungle both on and off the road. How does she ride? Beautifully, according to Peter, and it sound badass too.

We can’t wait to see what this bike builder from Japan will have in store for us next.

Builder details:
Peter von Gomm
Website
Instagram
YouTube
Website

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[DaveM]

Ducati Monstrosity – Café Racer by Marc Roissetter

Inspiration
Marc Roissetter is an Aussie motorcycle enthusiast from the highest order. He’s been riding and working in the motorcycle industry for a long time, and at the time of this project, he was based out of Dubai. As a motorcycle hobbyist, he enjoys the process of making something unique from a standard machine, always looking for ways to make them better than stock. Initially, he was looking for an air-cooled V-twin that was NOT a Harley-Davidson, and the idea was to actually find a Yamaha Virago. If you’ve seen some of the Yamaha XV (Virago) builds it doesn’t take a lot to imagine why: they look like the bees-knees! But finding a solid Virago in the United Arab Emirates was not an easy task, since they were never officially imported into the country. Instead, he found a Ducati Monster 1100 EVO from 2011 that looked like it went through hell. It was crashed, written off, and left behind as junk. The engine and frame however, were solid, so it became the perfect bike to use as a base.

Full rebuild
As you can image, the Ducati was picked up pretty cheap and needed to be built from the ground up. All parts were stripped from the bike, in order to eliminate unnecessary bits and to clean and send the frame for powder coating in bright white. The original Monster wheels were in decent condition and got the same powder coat treatment as the frame. In interesting part of this bike was the customized Ducati 996 fuel tank. It needed a lot tinkering to get it to look good on this bike. It got cut and welded to fit the frame, and it received a new fuel pump. Marc wanted the subframe made in a way that it looked like the rear seat was suspended and to have a clear view of that beautiful Ducati singles swingarm. A classic café racer visual cue. This meant that the rear subframe had to be built from scratch, but it was Definity worth the efforts. In the front, a custom-made triple clamp was added to allow for a cleaner and racier look.

Vision accomplished
With all of Marc’s builds, he wants a minimal looking machine, engine, wheels and basic controls. “I like the stripped-down light weight look of any café racer and the more mechanical it looks with moving parts such as drive belts, clutches etc the better.” Being able to see the air filters like classic inline 4’s was one of the goals, so he really wanted to make it as minimal as possible. About 40 hours were spent on the wiring loom and harness alone, just tucking it up and trying to leave as much as possible out of sight. If you are unfamiliar with modern Ducati’s, you should know that it’s not an easy task with all Ducati’s wiring, ECUs and sensors!

Welded piston
With every build there are unique sets of challenges. With this bike, the wiring harness and ECU combinations where the hardest thing to overcome. The ECU used is a Siemens version with very little aftermarket support or ability to re-program. Due to this Marc had to keep the standard gauge cluster and ABS sensors (no ABS plumbed in) as speed of the bike used a separate ECM that interfaced with the main ECU. This also meant he had to keep but hide the standard key for immobiliser as security comes from the dash ECM. Very annoying if you want the bike to looks as clean and minimalistic as possible. The other big challenge was having to re-build the entire engine after the project was completed. Even though when he got the bike a compression test showed that the engine was fine, the bike never ran until everything was done. It turned out a valve had gone through one of the pistons at some point and instead of replacing the piston the previous owner just pulled it out, welded it up, grounded out a valve seat with a grinder and popped it back in…

Custom parts
There is an extensive list of custom parts that took many hours to get fabricated or modified. Aside from the subframe, fuel tank, and triple clamp, the gorgeous seat and cowl have been custom made to fit the bike. What we see often with builds like these, is that the way the seat it attached to the subframe seems to be a challenge for many builders. It rarely looks like it belongs there. Not with this bike though! The shape, size, and even the colour really complements this Ducati. The ‘Monstrosity’ also received brakes from another Ducati, the Multistrada, a SC Projects GP-style exhaust, and a LED headlight. The overall stance of the bike is astonishing, it has a classy but raw and mechanical vibe. And the combination of the deep red body work with the white frame and wheels, it could have been an expensive Ducati option for their high-end models.

The results of this authentic shed-build project are astounding. The Monstrosity is aggressive looking, and does well on the track as well. It looks so cool; it could even just sit in my living room as an art piece too. But with this Ducati café racer. It’s not all about show, it has some go as well.

Photo & video credits: Twist & Grip

Builder details:
Marc Roissetter
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

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[DaveM]

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Christmas 2020
A year not lightly forgotten.
Many of us have been suffering physically, economically or in other ways.

Even during this special time of the year when everyone is wanting to spend quality time with their loved ones, many are limited by heavy COVID restrictions.
The BikeBrewers team hope you will all find ways to celebrate life and the warmth of your family, friends, and people you care about in some shape or form.

Looking ahead
Let’s take a moment to reflect, and look ahead with positivity.
There WILL be light at the end of the 2020 tunnel and we SHALL continue to ride in style.

BikeBrewers are looking forward to a new year filled to the brim with exciting projects.
Our team has grown this year and we are working hard on new features to present to you in the months to come.

Travel & apparel
Especially for those longing to navigate those winding country roads to rendez vous with old friends and meet new ones along the way.
We will offer you a new service making it easy to plan your trip and find those hidden gems along the way.

We have had many requests to make branded merchandise available.
A lovely selection of goodies will be on offer within the next six months.
Not only will you have a choice of ‘BikeBrewers’ apparel, but we have invited designers across the globe to share their motorcycle related art with our faithful readers too.

Power to the builders
BikeBrewers would not exist without the creativity and craftsmanship of all you builders around the world!
We will continue to celebrate your awesome artistry and look forward to offering you an even bigger audience in the near future.
Whether you are burning midnight oil in your private shed while creating your ‘Magnus Opus’ or if you are lucky enough to professionally create beauty in a well lit and clean workshop, please forge ahead and continue to share your projects with us.

Do not hesitate to reach out to submit your brew.

Join the team!
Last but not least, if you like what we do, you love to ride, meet new people, test bikes and gear and want to contribute by writing about all of it, please let us know!
BikeBrewers have BIG plans and we would welcome new team members as correspondents from all over the globe.

Send us your details and a proof of your writing skills.
We look forward to receiving your news: [email protected]

Love & Peace
Ron, Adnane, Thierry, Martijn & Joeri

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[DaveM]

UNIKAT Triumph Scrambler “SuperMoto”

Cafe Racers and Scramblers in Poland
UNIKAT is a motorcycle customizing workshop in Wrocław, Poland and is specialized mainly in café racer and scrambler style motorcycles. It was established to combine the passions for speed and visual arts. As stated in earlier posts, the founder of UNIKAT, Grzegorz Korczak, is actually a cinematographer, Oscar nominated special effects director, and visual artist whose work has been exhibited in some of Poland’s most prestigious museums. Since 2013 he’s been using his skills to create some of the most visually and aesthetically pleasing motorcycles we have ever seen.

And it shows, with over 100 builds, several of which have been featured by “CafeRacerTV” and “Return of The Cafe Racers”, to name a few. But since 2016 (!) he and his crew have been regulars on the ‘BikeBrewers’show’ and we are always happy to receive news from him.
Most of the bikes are built by individual order, making each motorcycle that leaves their workshop unique, hence the name “UNIKAT 1 of 1”.

UNIKAT Process
Each build is designed from the ground up. First Grzegorz starts with a virtual drawing of what he has in mind before going to work with his hands. He believes that the details make the difference, therefore he focusses a lot on those. This is the key to consistency and consequently, his success.

So, when a customer contacted him with a request to build something special based on his Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE, Grzegorz couldn’t resist. Now, we have seen some very interesting Triumph builds over the over the past few years, often based on the ever-popular Bonneville. We have also seen quite a number of “Scramblerized” models of the same brand. But these Scrambler 1200 XE bikes are something else completely! Designed by Triumph to conquer the world from the factory, off-road ability and performance are paramount. Modifying this bike was a challenge from the outset even more than ever before.

Brand new
Working on a brand-new bike is like painting on a blank canvas. Zero mileage means no additional engine overhauling or tedious rewiring. Nothing compared to working on an old, used bike. right after Marek, the owner of the Triumph, rolled his bike into the workshop it got stripped down and the concept work was initiated. Grzegorz kept sending the customer visualizations until he finally gave the green light.

Then the hard part of the building process came into sight: budgeting.
It is always fun and games when our imaginations get free reign, but when it comes down to talking money, the mood might change dramatically. It is UNIKAT’s rule to specify the cost of a project precisely before proceeding to build. It requires a great deal of imagination and experience to anticipate the cascade of consequences that entail certain changes in the design of the motorcycle. It took two days of checking over the spreadsheets and making calls around the world in order to arrange the offers from subcontractors. Once that was done, a virtual handshake was given, and the actual work began.

Instant modifications
First things first, every part of the bike that looked metallic or silver got sandblasted and powder coated black. We’re talking: swingarm, oil pan cover, injectors cover, leg guards, levers, plates, sleeves, the whole lot.

Next the rear fender got reworked, making it shorter without losing function. LED strip lighting that functions as a tail-light, brake light and with integrated indicators, was added to the subframe, which gives a subtle minimal look to the Triumph. It may look as if the subframe has been shorted, but looks can be deceiving. The rear subframe remained uncut, which allows for bolt on kits to be installed by anybody through kits from UNIKAT. If you recognize those wheels then you are not mistaken. Those are custom 17” wire spoked wheels by KINEO, converted to tubeless. These wheels are super light and strong.With the addition of the blue nipples and the Heidenau Supermoto tires, they look mean.

Anything else?
Well, the list is long, but here goes:
– Leather seat upholstery
– Leather handcrafted grips
– Black anodized front suspension forks
– Motogadget mirrors
– Motogadget bar-end indicators
– High front fender
– Headlight cover
– Side plate holder with a mini-LED diode
– ZARD exhaust system
– McLaren inspired two-tone paint job
– RIZOMA brake fluid reservoirs
– Aluminum fuel filler cap

The is just a sample of the mods made, but the results are breathtaking. According to Grzegorz, the Triumph now “moves like a ballerina and sounds like a beast”.
BikeBrewers’ are convinced 2021 see a continuous stream of builds coming out of the UNIKAT workshop. Last quarter they have just been warming up.

Our wish for next year: Keep ‘em coming Grzegorz!

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

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[DaveM]

TOP 5 Custom Build Bikes – Editors’ Choice

2020.
To many of us it will almost sound like a swear word, you can’t even say it out loud without pulling a face like you smelt something rotten.

Although it is very likely you may want to put the past twelve months behind you and move on, we should not forget that a large number of very tasty and beautiful machines have been built the past year. Those were the shining diamonds that kept us smiling while they were radiating with beauty. We like the idea of spending more time in the shed and less in the office. And so do many builders, it shows.

Editor’s note
Since everybody loves lists, the team at BikeBrewers are no different, we wanted to create a list of some of 2020’s most notable pro-workshop and shed-babies. Sure, our list may be different than yours, and even within the BikeBrewers team the debates got heated quite quickly and we found it hard to agree. There are preferences for café racers, other colleagues are adamant scramblers are the one to go for, or brats… and it goes on and on and on.
Still, we put our differences aside and managed to brew this totally arbitrary list of the top 5 custom build bikes of 2020.

As usual we are still debating fiercely as we hit our deadline, so regard this as a first overview. We feel we need to do justice to a number of notable builds we have seen in 2020.

In other words: “We’ll be back!”

1. Kawasaki Desert Sled by Martin Schuurmans

I remember seeing this bike the first on the streets of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) some time ago. I had to blink twice to fully see what was going on. It looked like a Yamaha XT500, but it sounded different, meaner, louder. Then I noticed the “W650” written on the side cover of the bike. I’m not gonna lie, I wanted to own this bike really bad! That, to me, is a clear sign of a perfectly built bike.

All the proportions are well balanced, this is the bike Yamaha should have built instead of the XSR700, and I don’t mean that as an insult to Yamaha, I love the XSR700. But this Kawasaki W650 looks correct to the “T”. Big fat padded seat, XT500 classic fuel tank, color combo, chrome handlebars, golden rims with knobby tires, headlight and taillight, it even has a kickstarter. It is such a well thought through machine. If Martin Schuurmans, the builder, would sell a kit for the W650 making your bike look like this, it would sell out in a heart-beat. And I would be the first buyer!

Builder: Martin Schuurmans Design
Photo credits: Ronald Smits and Lennard Schuurmans

2. Kawasaki ZRX1200R by deBolex Engineering

Let’s be clear, as far as we’re concerned, green is the only color that suits a Kawasaki. Bright, shiny, neon green. That’s what we thought, at least, until we saw the deBolex Kawasaki ZRX1200R. Now we also approve of different shades of green. This machine looks incredibly retro, with its old school looks and new school kit, almost like a muscle bike. The LED headlight, made in a unique way, is now a deBolex Engineering trademark. It looks very futuristic. Then, when you look through the side, you see 4 mighty Mikuni flat side carburetors. Tuned properly, they transform the ZRX from a lazy cruiser, to a quarter-mile powerhouse. We love this bike because of the beautiful lines of the fairing, tank and cowl. All metal, shaped and beat by hand to perfection, pure craftsmanship. Hard to believe that all of the work was completed in-house, including the mesmerizing paint job, that isn’t only green, but also has gold and white details.

Builder: deBolex Engineering
Photocredits: George Romain

3. Suzuki GS750 turned Classic Racer by Walter van Elk

We do not see a tremendous amount of Suzuki’s being rebuilt into memorable machines unfortunately. So when the Dutch builder Walter van Elk came to us to have his 1978 Suzuki GS750 featured we happily obliged. Walter really took his time to finish this project. He spent no less than 7 years in his shed to create his ‘piece the resistance’. This might have had a lot to do with him having a hard time to make up his mind which direction to take. No bolt was left unturned on this project. Rather than listing the modifications it would be easier to list what has not been changed! The frame was left almost as it was, but installed the front of a Suzuki GSXR750-W, the petrol tank of a Suzuki GSX750, and the rear shocks of a Suzuki GS1000. The aluminium MORAD rims, both 18″ with stainless spokes, and the aluminium rear suspension originate from a Suzuki GSX750. I An aluminium Raask gear shifter and brake pedal were added to finish the look. Together with the custom-made exhaust, built from various existing exhaust parts, classic Ducati 750SS fairing, and exquisite paintjob, this Suzuki looks amazing.

Builder: Walter van Elk
Photo credits: Leonoor van Kinkel

4. Triumph Bonneville by BAAK Motocyclettes

The French have something special, je ne fais pas qoui, call it style, taste, or refinement. Their cuisine, their movies, their women Ooh la la la… The same goes for this very tasteful Triumph Bonneville T120 dubbed “The Bathtub”. Back in the late 50’s, some manufacturers, such as Triumph, would design and build these quirky rear fenders, meant to provide superior weatherproofing in countries where it rained a lot. Unfortunately, back in the days, California was becoming hugely popular, and the demand for motorcycles there grew exponentially. If you know a bit about California, you’ll know that it’s a dry place where it doesn’t rain often. So, customers would ask their dealers to ditch the goofy rear fenders, which meant the end of a design feature. The people of BAAK must have thought that it would look incredibly cool to build a bike like the once of yesteryear. And they were right. This Triumph looks so incredibly elegant and chic, it could pass as a factory replica of the original 50’s motorcycle. But building a rear fender like that is no job for the fainthearted. 26 days of grueling metal work, bending, grinding, welding, English-wheeling and cutting later, and the aluminium rear fender looks like it was molded and pressed from the factory. Almost makes you forget about all the other hand-made parts on this Triumph, such as the front fender, seat, headlight cover, 16” rear and 18” front wheels, and so on. Feast your eyes on this incredibly good-looking Bonneville Bathtub.

Builder: BAAK Motocyclettes
Photo credits: BAAK Motocyclettes

5. Royal Enfield 650 Desert Runner by Revival Cycles

We love Triumph, but we also love Royal Enfield. Continuously building motorcycles since 1901, and originally a weapons manufacturer, the former British now Indian motorcycle manufacturer has won over hearts of people over the world. Mostly in India, but also in the rest of the world. It is the people’s champion, and we recon, dare we say it, that IF Steve McQueen was alive and still in his prime, he would ride, nay, race a Royal Enfield 650. More specifically, this one built by Revival Cycles.

This Texas based builders really know their sh#t. The original bike is a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, a retro-style motorcycle that’s currently selling like hotcakes. The folks at Revival Cycle took that simple, affordable but good-looking air-cooled Enfield and turned it into a desert racing machine. Long travel suspension, with DRZ forks in the front with upgraded springs, and a pair of custom-made ICON gas-shocks in the rear, ready to soak up big bumps.

The ground clearance on this Royal Enfield is incredible, proper off-road minded design. Mind you, originally the Royal Enfield weighs in at around 200 kg or 440 lbs wet. To complete the desert racer look, the rear subframe got shortened and looped, alloy fenders were added, a bulletproof LED headlight nestled in the front, 18” wheels at the front and rear and a massive sump guard make this Desert Runner ready to race.

Builder: Revival Cycles
Photo credits: Revival Cycles

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[DaveM]

The hills are alive with the sound of Triumph

The call of the wild
We have been spoiled with pictures of magnificent bikes in great locations.
But when we laid our eyes upon David Bogusch’s 1971 Triumph T120 in the snow way up in the Swiss Alps, our jaws collectively dropped!
We are sure that all you readers will understand looking at these shots.

At Bikebrewers, we are suckers for English bikes especially the ones prior to the injection system. We’re also suckers for flat tackers… so imagine our surprise when we discovered this beautiful build performed by David Bogusch on top of a mountain in Central Europe.

Oil in the veins
This clean and elegant Triumph Bonneville carries the oil in the frame. Yes, you’ve heard right, a system invented by aeronautical engineers which did not work perfectly at that time and was not received well by the public. However, what was accomplished on this new Triumph launched in 1971 was still very comprehensive and, because of that, innovator. A completely new oil-bearing frame, new front forks & yokes, new wheels & brakes front & rear, new exhaust, and for better or worse, a new look.
Now let’s go back to the build!

Warum nicht?
30-year old David is passionate about restoring and rebuilding motorbikes. After finishing work on a 1968 Norton Commando at the end of 2018, he needed a new fix.
While meandering around a motorbike meeting one day, our friend discovered this still unpolished gem. The engine had already been tuned by a specialist 20 years ago with an improved camshaft, balanced crankshaft, valves and intakes machined, a more powerful oil pump and a dry clutch. He decided to take over the project and finish it.
With such a powerful and sporty engine, his vision was a street legal flat tracker. And ‘warum nicht?’ must have been his his first thought.
Making a deal with the owner was a matter of minutes. This guy had too many projects waiting to be finished and he liked what David had in mind for the Triumph.

We asked David to give us more specifics on his vision. His response: “I wanted to give the bike the visual character to match the “Gasser” motocross engine. An aesthetically beautiful motorbike, which not only captivates through its elegance and shapes – but also through its driving performance. In addition, it was important to me that this motorbike could be used on the road and that I could use it for everyday rides. Okay, short rides – because the tank is limited to about 100km.”

The hard way
The project was quite demanding because David had to learn to do most of it on his own. He holds a degree in Business Administration and wealth management and spends his days making his clients happy at a Management Trust company.
However at night this Dr. Jekyll turns Mister Hyde and disappears in his shed in the hills somewhere near St. Gallen.
Completely excluded from the outside world he performed set off performing his magic.
Making magic happen proved not to be a cinch.

Is there a problem officer?
In David’s own words on our question about the number of challenges he encountered: “Yes many – every day in the workshop was a challenge.
If you didn’t learn this profession – but acquired everything yourself – there are often things you don’t do often and then spend many hours doing them. For example, lacing and balancing the wheels was a very challenging job – to make sure that I didn’t scratch anything.”

He slightly modified the frame, laced and balanced his own wheels. He rewired all the electronics and designed some parts on his own thanks to CAD (self taught): the dual front light unit which looks sick; the gaskets and distance washers out of aluminum as well as the frame for the speedometer.

Have a seat.
He got some help to create the saddle which is 100% hand made and took many hours … check out the needle work on this one stitch by stitch!

The amazing paint job was completely done by hand as well with the help of Ersin. We love the look and feel of that gas tank with the old school Triumph logo and its golden touch!
Brakes and shocks were untouched keeping the feel of the original model from 1971.

Modifications
Frame has been slightly modified (but only visually).
Tank: Redmax Speedsop
Saddle: Götz Manufaktur
Paint: ET’s Lackierwerkstatt
Mikuni carburetor from a Yamaha XS650 (suitable flanges were welded onto the cylinder head).
Exhaust: Own combination of different parts
Electric ignition
Dry clutch (Bob Newby)
Motogadget M-Lock
Stronger alternator
Front and rear lighting, construction self-made
Stack speedometer
Many self-made CAD parts (David is am also willing to sell them)

We love the feel and look of this modified T120. It’s clean. It’s simple. It’s an improved Triumph. It looks great. With the enticing pictures in the snow we bet many of you are wondering how this Triumph handles on tarmac?!?

We haven’t tried it (yet), but David says (and we believe him): “Haha you have to experience that, you can’t describe it. It has really nice power – that’s really striking – you would never, ever give that to this moped. But it really sprints sportily!!! The twin sound echoing in the mountains is just exhilirating! The handling is very dynamic and because of the wide handlebars you have full control. The seating position is perfect – super comfortable. With this bike you are simply the boss on the road – I have never received so many “thumbs up” and “looks”.” he grins.

Famous last words
“So David, anything you want to share with us?” we asked him. His reaction: “I learned so much about Triumph, Bonnevilles and the engine. I have developed my skills on the lathe, on the CAD programme, spoking the wheels and upholstering. I think the constant new learning and problem solving – are the beautiful things about this hobby – which I want to share with everyone. If you have fun – build your own bike! And what I learned in particular: At the end of the rebuild – to take professional photos. That gives the project the honourable finish.

I would particularly like to thank Fabio for the unbelievable shots in the snow.

David, thanks for sharing your passion with us and please keep us posted on your next build!

Builder details:
Builder: David Bogusch
Website
email: [email protected]
Instagram
Facebook

The post The hills are alive with the sound of Triumph appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

UNIKAT Honda CB 900C Café Racer

HouseBrew
The team at UNIKAT are no strangers to BikeBrewers, with several builds featured in the past, the have become something of a large stakeholder to us. Thing is, we really like what comes out of their workshop. Take the recently featured Triumph Scrambler 1200XE for example. This time, the Poland based craftsmen have produced something rather unique. I know what you’re thinking, and YES, you are right: all their builds are unique! And yet, every time UNIKAT presents a newly customised bike, we are in absolute awe.

10-speed transmission
Founder and owner of UNIKAT, Grzegorz Korczak, first bought the 1981 Honda CB 900C in 2014 because he wanted to build a classic but strong café racer for himself. The fact that the bike has a dual-range transmission with a total of 10 (!) speeds was a bit intimidating, but it felt like this Honda was destined for greatness. Originally the build was supposed to be modest, keeping the original wheels, no engine rebuilds, and so on. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and quickly the notions of doing as little as possible were thrown out the window. This was going to be a piece of art. Since there were no compromises, this project took more than 5 years to complete. As a result of that, only the engine, drive and frame cradle remained from the original. Every other element got either built from scratch or heavily reworked.

Weight reduction
Grzegorz wanted this bike to look retro. He also wanted it to have as little paint as possible. As a result, each element made of aluminum is hand-polished and the rest of the components are covered with chrome. To reduce the weight, all that was unnecessary got binned. The suspension got shortened, tank remodelled, air-box deleted and electrics moved underneath the seat. Results: a weight drop of a whopping 40kg/90lbs and a much lower centre of gravity.The modified tank allowed for better exposure of the massive engine. The four velocity stacks are all handmade and took over a week to create. Other fine details are the oil pressure nipples and fuel tap, all custom made. The clip-ons are designed in a way that the bolts that fasten them are not visible. The speedo bracket is cut from a solid piece of billet aluminum. The custom made headlight brackets are made in-house too. Each part is hand-polished to a mirror finish.

UNIKAT wheels
Although it looks as if this Honda came with 17” wheels from the factory, make no mistake, these are the product of a lengthy fabrication process. Originally equipped with a 16” and 19” wheel combo, the bike needed a set up that was sportier. Standard 17” wheels just didn’t fit the narrow rear swing-arm that also houses a shaft drive. Plus, anything stock wouldn’t have been lightweight. Takasago rims were sourced, and a set of custom-made hubs, spokes and nipples were mated to get the desired results. The varnish on the Takasago rims were removed in order to get to the bare metal. Chrome plating the spokes, polishing the drive, chrome plating the swing arm, polishing the front callipers after disassembling the front suspension followed suit, with jaw-dropping results.

1950’s Hotrod
An interesting feature on this Honda are the flush mounted indicators at the rear. It shows just how much thought has been put into this build. Combined with the tailor-made mufflers, the beautiful, timeless, navy-blue paint that has a surprising depth to it, and the silver pin striped, this Honda looks like it’s from a different era. As far as engine performance goes, the Dynojet Stage 3 helped fine-tune the four huge carburettors, resulting in a strong 100 hp, respectable figures even by today’s standards. This motorcycle is not just a show bike; it is meant to be ridden. This was the reason for having a front fender, but also a rather nifty Plexiglas shield in the rear, that acts as a removable mud guard. Smart, if you want to keep the grime out of your carbs during rides, and want to maintain a clean look during expositions.

Relief
According to Grzegorz, the best thing about this project is that since the bike was bought, it has been registered and insured, not knowing how long this project would actually take. So, when the bike was finished, he was finally able to jump on it and ride. Was it all worth it? “Hell yeah!” Grzegorz says he cannot imagine a better investment of his time, attention and money, than this project.

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

The post UNIKAT Honda CB 900C Café Racer appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

YAMAHA XT660R Scrambler by Bunker Custom Cycles

Bunker Custom Cycles
You may not have heard of Bunker Custom Cycles, to be honest, neither did we. Until our eyes caught something on social media, that was so intoxicating, that we had to find out more about it! So, who are these mystery men? Bunker Custom is a two-man operation run by Mert and Can Uzer. They are two brothers based in Turkey, who started their journey back in 2009 when they couldn’t find what they were looking for in modern bikes. Since they couldn’t find anything that satisfied their needs, the brothers decided to get their hands dirty. As the saying goes, if you want something done well, you gotta do it yourself. The goal since then, has always been to meet specific rider’s needs mixed with Bunkers own aesthetic taste. They seem pretty enthusiastic about what they do, and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters, right?

Utilitarian
This project was made for a customer living in Adana (Turkey), where the temperatures can reach up to a scorching 53 celsius degrees in the summer. The upside of living in this city is that it is surrounded by the Toros mountains, covered with beautiful pine forests and laced with twisty mountain roads. Their customers’ wish was simple; he needed a reliable single cylinder bike, tuned and trimmed, to escape the summer heat for camping and exploring the high-altitude mountains from the East to the West, and as his daily commute in Adana when he is back for the winter. Ample storage was an absolute must.

Yamaha XT660R
The choice was made to start off with a 2007 Yamaha XT660R. The specs look good: 48hp, 60Nm torque, water-cooled single, weighing about 180 kg wet. These Yamaha’s have an incredibly good reputation and are considered by most as being bullet-proof. They started their work by preparing the engine first. A K&N high-flow air filter was added as well as a SC Project exhaust, mated to a tailor-made 2-1 exhaust pipe. Combined with a Power Commander module that was tuned for this bike, and gone are the jerky low-revs. As an additional bonus, the bike got smoother in the mid-range as well as quicker acceleration. One of the more notorious problems with these XT’s is that somehow all of them seem to have left the factory with a minimum of grease on all the bearings. Environmentally friendly? Perhaps. But also, really annoying if you own one of these bikes. So, all bearings got replaced with sealed versions. Maintenance done!

Tank
Now that the weak points of the XT had been tackled, some of the old rusty components got sandblasted and all metal parts received a fresh coat of paint. The plastics of the Yamaha got thrown out; they didn’t fit in the plans the Bunker builders had in mind. The undressed XT was a bit complex but promising. The main obstacle however, was the tank. With the Power Commander the XT was consuming a bit more fuel, so they had to make sure that no compromises with the fuel tank’s capacity were made. A smart solution was found by modifying the original fuel tank in a way that unnecessary space got used, allowing for a remodelling of the tank to a slimmer shape, without losing tank capacity. A new outer shell was made from aluminum, et voila, an optical illusion. Additional radiator covers were created to fit the bill.

Macro-micro
After these major changes, some more, smaller yet subtle changes had to be made to finish the bike in the desired look. A seat pan and side panels were beaten from aluminum to carry the line under the tank. The seat can even be removed by using the original locking mechanism. They trimmed down the tail end of the frame and turned a loop to finish the frame, reminiscing of Yamaha XT500’s from yesteryear. Not-coincidently, this also provides all the mounting points for the rear removable top rack. This is probably as utilitarian as it gets. The front and rear fenders are beaten from 2 mm gauge aluminum. Another piece of aluminum can be found underneath the Yamaha, were a 3mm thick bash plate protects the engine. The brake and turn signals are eBay pieces bought for pennies to keep the costs low. Again, utilitarian. The headlight is a Bike Master 5.5 inch unit with a halo pilot light. And the headlight cowl is an aluminum custom made piece, to match the rest style. To meet the customers storage needs, the top rack and the left side rack was a must for all the storage needed for camping. Soft dry-bags for the left side and a GIVI mono-key hard case for the top that allows for helmet storage.

Editor’s note: how is it that motorcycle manufacturers fail to see that it is exactly these kinds of dual-sport motorrcycles that people want? Good looking, plenty of torque, low fuel consumption, acceptable weight, low costs, reliable, multiple-purpose. My deepest respect for the Uzer brothers, you guys nailed it with this one!

Photo credits: Onur Aynagoz

Builder details:
Bunker Custom Cycles
Website
Instagram
Facebook

The post YAMAHA XT660R Scrambler by Bunker Custom Cycles appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

Shed Built: Royal Enfield 650 Chai Racer by Paul Smith

The People’s Champion
Let’s start by stating that we have a week spot for Royal Enfield. We do not get sponsored by them; we have no affiliations with them. The reason we love them is because Royal Enfield has somewhat become the “People’s Champion”. Classic looking, British styled motorcycles (with the exception of the Himalayan), made to look the part without breaking the bank. Long gone are the times where Royal Enfield motorcycles would be considered unreliable. Not with the amount of money the company has put into R&D and improving manufacturing processes. Once only found in the United Kingdom and India, Royal Enfield has become hugely popular in Asia, Africa, and incredibly enough, even in South America. As a matter of fact, the demand from the continent has been so high, that Royal Enfield decided to open up a new, state-of-the facility, in Argentina. This has been a deliberate strategy, since Royal Enfield has big plans to grow in North-America too.

Serious Contender
When Royal Enfield first launched the 650 range back in 2018 (Interceptor and Continental GT) our bike hearts skipped a little beat. These two models, which are technically identical, looked like serious contenders in the retro-classic market. Triumph, Moto Guzzi and even BMW had a new competitor to deal with. The main difference between the Royal Enfield and the rest is that they are no-frills motorcycles i.e. there are no technological aids on them with the exception of ABS and a simple fuel-injection system. Furthermore, the price cannot be beaten. It is THE bike for those that want to buy a new retro bike, but don’t want to spend a ton of money. We can see why, because you do get a lot of bang for buck. The 650 puts out 48 hp and about 52Nm of torque. Those numbers may not seem like a lot, but considering the relatively low weight of about 200kg wet, which is carried fairly low in the double-cradle frame, it has plenty of oomph to catapult you through bends.

Blank Canvas
It goes without saying that Royal Enfield is hugely popular in India. It is a status symbol and the epitome of cool. People really like to ride their Royal Enfield and even more people like to customise their bikes. The custom scene is incredible in India, and very rarely does one’s Royal Enfield remain stock for long. Which brings us to the subject of the matter. Meet Paul Smith. He has been living in Goa India for a very long time now. Paul has built himself a reputation of master craftsman. Building bikes in his shed with nothing more than a hammer, a saw and a lathe makes Paul’s work especially notable. Paul has been wanting to build a bike based on the Royal Enfield 650 ever since it came out. Last year, Royal Enfield approached Paul and asked him to go all out, building a custom motorcycle based on the 650 Interceptor. Commission builds are unusual in India, so having the support from Royal Enfield to build something extraordinary is extra special.

Retroistic
Jugaad Goa, as Paul calls himself, had never worked on a motorcycle that has fuel injection before. Considering the techniques he uses, it does not surprise us. He’s an old-school builder after all. The second challenge was to build a café racer, something Paul hadn’t built before either. The idea was to build a motorcycle that could have been built in the 1940s-1950s thinking about what a street-fighter would look like back then. A retro futuristic motorcycle, or as Paul calls it “Retroistic”; clever! The 650 build is dubbed the “Chai Racer”. Chai is a tea-based drink which is extremely popular in India. Cafés aren’t popular in India, but chai-stalls are. Another neat feat!

Old-school craftsmanship
There isn’t much that was kept original on this Royal Enfield. Only the rim, fork legs, swing arm, engine and clocks were kept from the standard 650 Interceptor, everything else is a one-off handmade part. Paul has cast the back light, footpegs and cable holders in brass, giving them a very classy finish. All the rivets were punched in by hand. Paul doesn’t have access to an English wheel or anything like that in Goa. It’s all very basic, without any CNC or milling machines. “When I say hand made, I mean it”, Paul adds. We asked Jugaad Goa what he loves the most about this build, he responded: “I love the whole bike. To have an idea in your head and see it become a reality, it is the best one could wish for.” The most interesting and eye-catching feature on this Royal Enfield is probably the front cowl with a headlight, actually inspired by a mudguard! We reckon that this is probably Paul’s most notable build to date. Being funded by Royal Enfield allowed for some outsourcing. Paul’s good friends at TNT Motorcycles who helped out with excellent machining of the hubs and triple clamps. This is a motorcycle we would love to get our hands on, not for a long journey though, but perhaps to just pop down the local chai shop for a chai.

Photo credits: Paul Smit, Vibhor Yadav, Royal Enfield

Builder details:
Paul Smith “Jugaad Goa”
Instagram

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[DaveM]

Honda XBR 500 ‘Imatra’ by XTR Pepo

The Eighties
Back in the 80’s, Yamaha was trailblazing with their 500cc big singles, such as the XT500 and its street-smart sibling the SR500. It is needless to say that these 2 models have become iconic over the years. In 1985 Honda responded to Yamaha’s success by launching their own 500cc big single from the already popular and successful XL500 enduro, put into a street-bike frame. That’s how the XBR500 came to be. Performance-wise the 500cc thumper delivered around 44hp in its final form. Readers might not be impressed by those kind of power figures, but people that have ridden these bikes know different. It is the combination of a fairly low weight, carried low in the frame, and the torque delivery from tick over what gives the Honda sing its charme.

Bulletproof
The engine in the Honda XBR, XL, XR, and the GB was so incredibly reliable, that it had earned itself the reputation of being absolutely bulletproof. It is therefore no surprise that the blueprint of this engine is still being used today, in mass-produced Chinese built motorcycles such as the SWM 440 and the Mash 400. As a matter of fact, you can exchange some engine components from an original Honda 400 (a smaller displacement 500) with them. They are now even being sold in Europe with fuel injection and ABS. Talk about a success number!

Extreme Pepo
You may have heard of Pepo Rosell before. The founder of XTR Pepo has been featured countless times here on BikeBrewers. The French native who is now living in Spain made his name creating Radical Ducati, building some of the world most extreme Ducati’s. But, as things go sometimes, the growing business saw him move away from building bikes to managing a conpany. Corporate life was not what he was dreaming of… So, in 2015 he decided to start over again, except this time, with less business and more fun! Motorcycle mischief at its finest we might add.

Imatra
XTR Pepo’s latest build might not be as exclusive as some of the Ducati’s or Moto Morini’s that he build before. A 1990 Honda XBR500 might not be the most obvious of all choices, however, the vision Pepo was clear: create a simple but dedicated race bike that would entertain both novices and professionals. How fitting is the name of the build, Imatra, which is an old road circuit in Finland back in the 1960s all the way to the 1980s. It was a notorious track, claiming many lives of those who dared.

Fire-breathing race machine
The XBR from XTR Pepo is a tribute to the races from yesteryear. In honor of those races, Pepo built a full on, racing pur-sang, motorbike. The list of the mods is extensive, as you would expect from this builder, to make this Honda a fire-breathing monster. The amount of work and re-work the engine alone has undergone is at tier level BEAST. Every bit and piece on this bike has passed the hands of the master builder, except for the paintjob, which was beautifully executed by PINTUMOTO painting. Pepo made us a list, because Pepo knows we love lists. Our readers love lists too. Our readers dogs probably do too. So here goes:

Chassis/body:
• Modified frame
• Hagon rear shocks
• XTR Front bracket
• Aprilia RS 125 USD fork
• Tomaselli clip ons
• Derbi front hub with Excel rim
• NG front disk
• Frentubo brake line
• Brembo radial brake caliper
• Brembo front brake pump
• Koso rev counter
• XTR carbon fiber front mudguard
• XTR adjustable CNC machined footrest
• Mash Five Hundred rear hub with Excel rim
• XTR fairing
• Yamaha TZ 250 modified fuel tank
• Yamaha TZ 125 modified rear cowl
• XTR upholstery

Engine:
• Big-bore 600 cc engine with Wiseco high comp piston
• Honda XL 600 crankshaft
• Honda XBR 500 gearbox
• Eliminated magneto (runs with loosing LiPO battery)
• Magnesium Honda XR 600 left crank cover
• Kickstart only, eliminated electric starter and gears
• Reworked XBR camshaft to HRC specifications
• Ported heads
• FCR 39 carb with hand made intake
• Oil cooler

Pictures: Sergio Cardeña (@conotroenfoque)

Builder details:
XTR Pepo
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

Honda CL350 Scrambler by Slipstream Creations

History
Back in the 1960s, right when Honda started to make a name for itself in the motorcycle industry, they designing what could be considered the first ever dual-purpose motorcycle. Designated with the code “CL”, Honda registered the name “Scrambler” in the motorcycle manufacturers first attempt to combine two kinds of motorcycles into one. What was in essence a Honda CB road bike, a few modifications were made to enable the little parallel twin to traverse off the beaten path. A bigger tube frame with a front downtube gave extra strength and ran through the space where the electric starter was mounted in the CB model. Eliminating the starter gave clearance in the frame, and lightened the total weight of the bike. It had a small-capacity painted fuel tank, fork boots, 19-inch front and rear wheels, knobbly tires, a taller handlebar with cross-brace, and shorter fenders. Early models had painted aluminum fenders too. Honda built their CL series scrambler in a range of 50cc to 450cc.

Vintage inspiration
The fine example we are looking at today left the factory as a Honda CL350 Scrambler back in 1971. James Fawcett from Slipstream Creations, a St. Louis Missouri based outfit, told us that his customer chose this bike because he considers it to be a good size for ease of handling and simplicity. It is also a great platform for modifications while keeping an honest vintage Honda feel. Plus, he knew another builder in town who happened to have one, ready to be restored. The idea was to build a vintage Honda that could be used to bomb down the Ozark Mountain fire trails. He wanted this bike to have as much enduro feel as it could, while keeping the overall vibe of the original CL350. Simple changes like knobbly tires, wide handlebars, high fenders, that sort of things.

Everything in-house
All of the work on the CL was done in-house: design, metal fabrication, mechanical, paint and powder-coat, upholstery. One of the things James enjoyed about this project the most, was having control and flexibility at every point in the process. What modifications are made and what parts are being used? There were a number of small modifications made, but the biggest changes included the custom subframe and front suspension. He also made a small custom aluminum skid plate, a pannier rack, battery/electrical box, seat pan, and headlight brackets. Everything other than the engine internals was either brand new, or completely restored.

Resto-mod
The biggest challenge was probably the Honda’s suspension. James wanted to not only give this bike as much clearance and travel as possible, while keeping the vintage heritage intact, but the rider is 6’2” (1.88m) tall, so balancing those things would be extremely important. James fitted a 1976 Honda CB500T front fork, which gave us slightly longer travel up front, as well as a factory disk brake. While the steering bearings for the CB500T and the CL350 are the same, the stem length didn’t match, so it took some work to swap the stems out. Longer than stock Hagon rear shocks were also mounted. Combined with the custom subframe that was a bit taller than original, the small Scrambler got the stance it deserved.

Blast from the past!
The Honda turned out quite the head-turner if we may say so ourselves. The overall finished project as a whole works great and that’s exactly what the owner wanted it. James explains: “Little details like the custom pannier rack are kind of cool, but it’s the overall lines of the bike and the way it still has the retro Honda vibe – it’s so different from a stock CL350, but it’s totally a CL350.” We think this must be one of the best-looking resto-mod Honda scramblers out there. As far as riding goes, it looks like a blast! It sounds great and runs like a Honda should. The size of these small/mid-displacement bikes is so great with their combination of light weight and enough power to make you smile without a worry.

List of modifications:
• Original tank restored and painted with custom retro Honda graphics
• Custom subframe
• Custom fabricated battery/electronics tray mounted under seat
• Antigravity lithium battery and modern regulator/rectifier unit.
• Custom fabricated pannier rack
• Custom seat pan and seat upholstery
• Longer-than-stock Hagon rear shocks
• Full CB500T front fork and disk brake
• Scrambler high-pipes with stainless steel mufflers
• Custom skidplate
• Custom headlight mount
• Motogadget m-Blaze Pin LED turn signals
• Aluminum oversized rims laced to original powdercoated hubs
• Kenda K760 Trakmaster DOT approved knobby tires
• All of the little, big details

Photo credits: Slipstream Creations

Builder details:
Slipstream Creations
Website
Instagram
Facebook
E-Mail

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[DaveM]

Hide Brussels BMW R100RT “Brat-Café”

The era of airheads
We have seen many BMW airheads pass our screen here at BikeBrewers. Yet, every time a “new” customised boxer is presented by a builder, we shed a little tear. It seems that the once not-so-popular among bike builders BMW, is now the perhaps the all-time favorite of all. And rightfully so if we may add. Last couple of years we have started seeing a trend in the use of BMW’s very own 80s design cast iron wheels. They have become the new cool trend, and we dig them! Considering the immense popularity of airhead BMW’s, we were blown a bit out of our seat when we found out that Brussel-based builder Max Ingelrest from Hide Brussels managed to source a BMW R100 for less than 1000 Euro (900 USD)! A barn-find by all means.

Deal of the Century
There is a catch to this story though. The motorcycle was in bits and pieces. Max took it out of the hands of someone who intended to rebuild the 1981 BMW R100RT, but never managed to find the time to get really started. The upside of this project bike was that it came with a plethora of original and new parts. The OEM tachometer showed 35.000 km /22.000 miles, which means that this BMW is actually just run-in. A genuine steal if you ask us.

Brat-café
Max has a vision for this motorcycle. It was looking for a combination of café racer meets brat style, brat-café if you will. A simple, no frills, but with a lot of fine details is what he had in mind for this BMW. He spent a lot of time looking for a flat-twin R100 with a monolever. Although Max builds bikes for Hide all the time, this one was special. It had to be a signature bike, 100% Hide, that would be used for both personal pleasure and business. Steel and black was the only way to go.

The works
A lot of work has happened since the moment the R100 rolled into the Hide workshop. Although the final results my appear to be sober, make no mistake, every single detail took effort and careful planning in order to get the fit and finish Max was looking for. Inspired by weathered textures and rat-rods, each piece has been reworked by Max’s hands, with the exception of the paint job, which was outsourced. When we received the list of mods done on this bike, we had to take a breath. We think you will too, so here goes (unfiltered):

On the Handlebar
• Motogadget Mini
• RebelMoto switch (neutral light and start button)
• Small Posh switch for M button and turn signal
• Biltwell Tracker mat black Handlebar with Brooks England Bar tape.
• Custom 3D end Plug with Hide logo
• Motogadget M View Spy
• Customized after-market brake and clutch levers

Front Fork
• OEM fork (lower 8cm) with springs swap and high-density oil.
• Brembo OEM brakes, sandblasted and aviation-grade hoses.
• All sheaths and wires are packed up with black nylon
• Custom Front light from old Honda CB

Wheels
• Shinko E270 4.5-18”
• Black OEM rims

Tank
• Sand blasted and brushed to have a roots texture. 3 layers hight gloss varnish
• 3D Hide logo

Frame
• Custom subframe with LED tail light and turn signals
• Black coating
• VonZetti seat
• Custom-made foot pegs (rear and front)
• Sandblasted OEM rear shock
• Many decorative works on various parts

Engine
• Full intern restoration (Valve / Piston + rings / full gasket kit)
• Sandblasted crankcases
• Carburettors cleaned and serviced, fitted with K&N filters
• Custom stainless-steel exhaust
• Invert carbs to fit cables with exhaust pipes
• Oil-cooler relocation

Electricity
• Lithium battery
• Ignition key relocation (under tank)
• All wires wrapped with black nylon tube

Results
If anything, this list clearly shows how much work has been put into this build. In terms of hours spend, Max claims that a whopping 300 hours has gone into this project. The results speak for themselves. There is nothing we like more than a motorcycle with a clean look. Simple, yet stunning. The question e always ask is: how does it ride? Apparently, it rides like a dream. The 1000cc boxer has loads of torque, and with the excess weight gone, it pulls hard. Although we wouldn’t want to ride it on rainy days, we sure would love to rip it around the streets of Brussels.

Photo Credits: Hide Brussels

Builder details:
Hide Brussels
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

An English bike in New York

Rahoul Ghose’s modified 2010 Triumph Thruxton shot in Industry City, Brooklyn NY

Classic Riders Community
As all editors on BikeBrewers are active members of the Classic Riders community we thought it would be a good idea to regularly spotlight on special builds spawned from within this 5000+ member community in over 40 cities across the globe.

This time we travel to New York where we meet with professional photographer, writer and graphic artist Rahoul Ghose to check out his dream.

A dream: Ten years in the making
Rahoul bought his Triumph Thruxton T100 brand new (*picture below) as it came out of the factory back in 2010. At the time he was still residing in California, one of the birth places of customization.
Los Angeles is the heart of the US aftermarket parts but Ironically most of the material manufactured and sold there is also illegal (in the States) to install on the bikes the parts are made for.

But hey, how boring would life be without #motorcyclemischief?

From the moment our friend bought his bike it as been subjected to constant modification. As Rahoul puts it: “Modding has always been in my blood. My other project is a 2002 MINI Cooper which has been highly modified and race-tested on tracks in Western Canada, where I grew up.”

Before the bike was even delivered there already was a full box of updated parts to install waiting in his garage. It contained a 2 into 1 powder-coated Arrow exhaust, a FEK and Airbox Removal Kit with pod filters, new led signal lights and numerous other bits and pieces to get the Triumph to match the riders’ taste. He also knew He wanted to get going on the suspension and brakes as time passed and give them serious upgrades as the OEM ones were considered ‘fairly unremarkable’ according to the New Yorker.

Strip and Eliminate
The owners vision for the bike was always to strip it down in the café racer tradition, eliminating weight and increasing power. The preferred colour scheme was always black with red highlights and just enough raw metal to not have the overall look completely blacked out. Contacts in the LA moto-community helped him to start the mod work. Aftermarket parts dealers, powder coaters, metalworkers many specialists were involved in creating Rahoul’s dream.

He had had this mental picture ever since his university days. At the time he was riding a (not very exciting) Yamaha Seca 400, while a friend of his snatched all the girls away from him showing up on a modded all black Honda CB 900, (circa 1980s), ‘cafe’d out’ with a sleek quarter fairing and red rims. This image stuck in the mind of the student like glue, knowing that one day he would zoom around on a bike like that too.

How much did it set you back?
This is always an interesting question when you talk to riders who are also passionate modifiers. His candid answer was: “The base model of the bike was $8799 US when purchased new. In the 10 years I’ve owned/modded the bike I have spent that much again, if not more” he wryly smiles.

Cross country
Since the bike left the dealership back in 2010, many loving hands have touched her and turned this already good looking Thruxton in to a ravishing black beauty with flaming red details in her hair. With a sunny start in the West, the bike has been done in both LA and New York.
In LA powder coating, parts installs and OEM parts modification were done by Yoshi at The Garage Company and Sashan Pirouzgar at Metrikmoto. In New York Rahoul called in help from Brian Ballard at A and J Cycles and powder coating by my friends at Arcanemoto.

Modification is the name of the game!
Our New York Classic Rider is not satisfied easily. The list of modifications just goes on and on. For those Triumph Thruxton afficionados amongst us here’s a taster and some inspiration:

Benji’s Cafe Racers (rear seat cowl with leather seat, and chopped front fender)
MAS Engineering bodywork (side panels, chain guard)
Tamarit belly pan
Kineo tubeless rims and rear sprocket; Avon Storm 3D tread
Motodemic adaptive LED headlight
Motogadget dark motoscope classic tachometer/speedometer and m.View Blade bar end mirrors
British Customs top triple tree clamp, airbox removal kit, billet headlight brackets, clutch arm finisher and fork brace
New Bonneville FEK and oil pressure gauge
Beringer brake caliper and pads with EBC rotors
Öhlins blackline rear suspension and race tech front fork springs
Oberon LED blinkers and brake/clutch levers
Ceramic coated Iron Cobras Fabrication 2-1 GP shorty exhaust
Free Spirits chain tensioner
Wilder Factory tank strap
Carpy’s Cafe Racers auxiliary fog lamp and ‘Thruxton’ pedestrian slicer
Deus ex machina saddlebag
Translogic quick shifter
Nology performance spark plug wires and ignition coil
powder coating through Brooklyn’s Arcanemoto.

As well as:
Woodcraft clipons & bar-end sliders
Spiegler steel-braided brake lines
LSL rearsets and engine frame sliders
Norman Hyde steering damper
Motone classic Monza gas cap
Super Corse Temperature Gauge Oil Fill Cap
STS Self-Cancelling Turn Signal and Smart Brake Modules
LC Fabrications EFI tops

In the works:
Omega Racer bullet fairing (SR 400 style), powder coated in black with black anodized hardware and self-made upper brackets (chromed knuckle joints and 8mm stainless steel rods)

Dream on
As can be distilled from the latter part of the above list, Rahoul is not finished dreaming yet. He describes his infatuation with the Triumph as “It’s been a labour of love, a conversation piece which has enabled me to meet some incredible friends in the moto world. Every time I think it’s finished another idea pops into my head. So safe to say the bike grows along with me.

I just love the way it handles. With its vastly improved suspension, its upgraded brakes, its wider tyre profile, its reduced weight and frame stiffeners (fork brace and steering dampener), the Translogic quick shifter, its power mods (airbox and air injection removal, Nology ignition coil and plugs and 2 into 1 exhaust, the bike handles extremely well and punches way above its class in terms of acceleration and top speed. In true 59 Club fashion, the Ton is an easy accomplishment.”

Builder details:
Builder: Rahoul Ghose – [email protected]
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Photography credits: Mark Squitieri

The Triumph in its original state back in 2010

The post An English bike in New York appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

Indian Springfield; a classic old-school bagger

Road tested; Indian Springield
Custom bikes are always at the center of BikeBrewers’ attention. But almost every custom art piece spawns from something that was produced by a motorcycle manufacturer. We feel it is only right to occasionally highlight new models we consider to be cool enough to be seen among all those magnificent custom dreams. The bikes we select all have a great potential for customization, bringing us back to our roots. In this editorial piece, our Spanish Brewer Thierry Tronquit Prats zooms in on an American heavyweight: the Indian Springfield

Abundance in everything
Just recently, I had the opportunity to test ride the 2020 Indian Springfield, a classic old-school bagger. This bike is a true powerhouse with Indian’s largest production engine prior to 2020. Its thumping heart is an 1800cc V-twin engine, well endowed with lots of torque. The machine is adorned with lots of chrome and other frilly stuff.

But before talking about this custom cruiser, let’s review the heritage of this iconic American motorcycle brand. Did you know that the Indian Motorcycle Company was responsible for some of the earliest advancements in motorcycle technology and some impressive early motorcycle speed records?

In 1901, Hendee hired Oscar Hedstrom to create a gas-powered bike that could pace bicycle races. Following the success and excitement around this first machine, the company opened a factory in Massachusetts and began mass-producing motorcycles. In their first year on the market, a rider on an Indian motorcycle won a race from Boston to New York. In 1903, the Indian Motorcycle Company was on its way to becoming the largest and most important motorcycle manufacturer in the world. That same year, a couple of young men in Milwaukee built the very first Harley-Davidson motorcycle, creating what would become Indian’s biggest rival.

Win on Sunday, sell on Monday
In 1906, a pair of riders used an Indian motorcycle to ride from San Francisco to New York in a record-setting 31.5 days. In the 1910’s Indian Motorcycles were re-engineered with a modern suspension system, the first electric starter on a motorcycle and a whopping 1000cc engine. All of these upgrades helped Indian motorcycles break even more both speed records and endurance records. In 1911, Indian dominated the world of racing, winning the most prestigious race of them all, the Isle of Man Senior Trophy. By the end of that year, Indian motorcycles had set no less than 121 recognized racing records.

Throughout the first part of the 1900s, Indian produced high performance models (the first Indian Scout in 1920, the Indian Chief in ‘22 and the Big Chief in 1923) and was always ahead of its time improving the engine and frames. Indian managed to solidify itself in the history of motorcycling through road racing, dirt racing and land speed attempts on the world-famous Bonneville Salt Flats throughout the 20th Century. Indian also established itself in the world of flat track, leading it to become rivals with Harley-Davidson.

Rising from the ashes
However, in 1953, due to a lack of sales and the effect of the WWII, Indian Motorcycles ceased operations. The brand name and rights changed hands a few times from 1953 until 1977. It was only in 2011 that Indian made a strong come-back when Polaris Industries purchased the brand. 2013 marked the big unveiling of the rejuvenated Indian Motorcycle. The awesome Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin engine was introduced and a new generation of bikes was unveiled. The Indian Motorcycle has been reinvented with new models released over the last 7 years including the Indian Roadmaster, all-new Indian Scout, the flat tracker inspired FTR, the Indian Chief Dark Horse and the Springfield.

Springfield
The Indian Springfield hit the market in 2016 and its design has been carried over into the 2020 model year due to its success.
With a combination of power from the powerful ‘Thunderstroke’ 111 V-twin (119Lb-Ft @ 3,000RPM), world-class engineering and premium touring features, the Indian Springfield is built for the long haul. The valenced fender, introduced in 1940 and used through 1942, leads the way with a chrome brow and iconic, lighted war-bonnet crest. Chrome beer-can fork skirts beef up the stems, as does the headlight nacelle and whisker bar, and the latter supports a pair of passing lamps along with the front turn signals to wrap up the forward lighting. A true American icon! Much like the early American tour bikes, the Springfield pushes a large, quick-release windshield that leaves you with the similar level of protection as a true fairing but with much greater visibility forward and down. In my case, because of my height, it generated turbulence around the helmet. From what I know, a higher screen is available.

A chrome instrument panel rides on the 20.8L fuel tank with the on/off button, a round fuel gauge and large analog gauge for the speedometer. A host of indicator lights are set in the face of the speedo, and there’s a small LED screen to handle the remaining metrics and act as an interface for the Ride Modes feature. Standard features are 3 ride modes and rear cylinder deactivation. The Indian Springfield maintains rider-favourite features such as the genuine leather seats, remote-locking saddlebags and adjustable passenger floorboards. ABS, cruise control, key-less ignition and tire pressure monitoring also come standard.

Regarding the frame, a cast-aluminum skeleton holds it all together, and while that undoubtedly removes some weight, it still tips the scales at 376kg wet. It’s not at all what you’d call a ‘lightweight’ bike and not ideal for urban riding and zigzagging through rush hour traffic. It’s heavy and the deactivation / activation of the cylinder is quirky when you take off at a green light.
One area that I could see some improvement is the rear ABS. A slam on the rear brake pedal will still result in a tire lock and that is not good when you are riding in the city on a winter day. Trust me, I know what I am talking about.

Open road, here we come!
But once you set it free on open roads, you will discover an incredibly smooth and stable ride. The Springfield has stump-pulling torque way down low delivered to the back wheels by a belt drive and six-speed transmission. The seat is very comfortable and the riding position is perfectly upright. If lower speeds are all you need, the Springfield might just be the bike for you. If, like me, you like the cruiser style but also enjoy bombing through some twisties, the Springfield will do both of these quite well, better than the equivalent Harley Davidson Street Glide, in my personal opinion.

The 2020 Indian Springfield is a touring cruiser that is designed to both be modern in comfort and technology, but classic in terms of looks and feel.

The post Indian Springfield; a classic old-school bagger appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

Yamaha XJR1300 Café Racer “Kintaro” by SCULPT Moto

Long run
Some of the happiest people on the planet live and work in Hamamatsu, Japan. Yamaha introduced the XJR 1200 in Europe in 1995 and has continued to sell the XJR in Europe until 2016, but not without a few changes throughout the years. Most notably, the XJR got a 100CC more lung capacity, boasting a healthy 100 hp and 108 Nm of torque. Not bad considering that the engine is an air/oil-cooled unit. Overengineered even, some might say. In a similar way to Moto Guzzi, the XJR really started to become cool again around 2015, right near the end of its life cycle. There where Moto Guzzi decided to go full throttle with their retro bikes, Yamaha pulled out the plug of the XJR model to make room for the Faster Sons-series XSR and SCR. And to be honest, the XJR wouldn’t have survived the ever-stricter emission regulations without some serious R&D money being thrown at it. Which brings me back to that very first sentence. A run of 21 years is incredible and a remarkable achievement. Yamaha’s R&D-department can be proud of itself, because we feel that the XJR has become an iconic powerhouse.

Sculpture
Being an iconic motorcycle almost automatically means that inspiration is drawn from it. And that is exactly the story behind Sergey Smirnov’s Sculpt Moto built XJR 1300, dubbed the Kintaro. Specialized in Café Racers exclusively, the Latvian based craftsman considers each of his builds as a sculpture, hence the name “Sculpt Moto”. This means that in reality, they aren’t bike-builders but artists. We dig that. So, why choose an XJR 1300? The answer is simple. The XJR is a timeless classic that carries some really nice lines already. On top of that, XJR owners usually ride their bikes for many years. This makes it a popular motorcycle that still satisfies the needs of its owners.

Samurai!
The bike we see here today is a 2001 Yamaha XJR 1300SP full fat version, sourced in Germany. The SP-models come with Ohlins suspension as standard. Being a Japanese motorcycle, inspiration for this build was drawn from legendary Kintaro samurai. This Yamaha stands for the embodiment of the ancient legend of the samurai Kintarō and the power of the mysterious mask Hannya, which is considered a strong amulet for samurai.

Overhauling
A lot of work has been done in this build. The list of modifications is extensive, given the large number of details that have gone into this project. The process began with complete disassembly of the donor bike. The sub-frame was modified, and the frame got powder coated, as well as the swing arm and forks. The forks were upgraded with new Wirth springs, oil seals, bearings replaced, and oil. The engine was rebuilt and repainted, and the carbs received an upgrade with a DynoJet Stage-3 kit.

But there is more:

• Metal parts chrome plated
• Detachable seat cowl with handmade black leather seat – “Fish Scales”
• Exclusive custom paint in Candy-Tangerine-sandpearl-metal flake
• KINEO spoked wheels
• Adjustable ABM clip-on set
• Rizoma Mirrors
• AceWell speedo/tacho with custom bracket
• LED Headlight 7” with CNC headlight brackets
• License plate bracket
• Fork gaiters
• Custom made radiator grille
• Custom made metal side covers
• K&N Air Filters
• LSL adjustable footrest
• Chrome Dina mufflers, new exhaust gaskets
• Custom made connecting pipes and custom made exhaust brackets
• Front bikini fairing and aluminium handmade Club-Style “87” side plates

The result of Sculpt Moto’s work speaks for itself. The combination of airbrush and the colors gives this XJR 1300 a very classy look. Not only that, but the quality of this build comes near a factory finish, giving the XJR a new lease on life. The question we always ask is: how does it ride? Apparently, it rides like a powerful sports car. Sergey Smirnov, we salute you sir!

Builder details:
Sculpt Moto
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

Shed-Build: Harley-Davidson Sportster 1275 by Daniel Nyland

Long runner
The Harley-Davidson Motorcycle company is one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers. One of the company’s most successful models has got to be the Sportster, which has been produced continuously since 1957. There have been countless different Sportster models, however, all of them had a 45-degree air-cooled V-twin engine and a softail. The long production run makes the Sportster one of the most popular motorcycles out there that are being modified by owners. And why not? Aftermarket parts are sold in abundance and in a wide variety of prices. People that own a Harley Sportster really love their bike. For a very long time, it was also the most affordable Harley-Davidsons on the price list. It is the VW Beetle of motorcycles.

Minimalistic
Daniel Nyland is an Arizona based engineer that loves to work on motorcycles in his spare time. He grew up riding dirt bikes and ATVs, and this particular Harley-Davidson was his first street motorcycle. The 1991 Sportster was sourced fairly cheap, which was great because that meant money could be spent on modifying it. Daniel feels that people often talk a lot of smack about Sportster, which is a load of nonsense because they are a blast to ride. We wholeheartedly agree with him on that point.

Inspiration for this build cannot be pinpointed to one specific moment or event, but rather a combination of various ideas. Daniel likes café racers and bobbers, so some influence was drawn from those. Many hours were spent on the internet looking at bikes and trying to figure out what would look badass. Going minimalistic was on the table, and it didn’t take long before all non-essential parts were removed, and the bike was stripped down to its bare bones. The engine had to be the centerpiece and everything else had to flow from there on.

Flow
Daniel believes that there are three major aspects to a well build motorcycle: the engine, the frame, and the bodywork. Each has to flow well with itself, but they all have to work with each other as well. The look of bare metal and seeing the grains and imperfections that are normally covered up by a traditional paint job, are what make Daniel’s heart pump faster. So, he wanted all the tins to be bare and add some hand drawn sketches to break it up as well as add some unique character to the bike. He knew he wanted the engine-case to be a semi-gloss black, with the covers and starter being raw metal grey, accompanied by a bitchin’ stainless steel 2-2 exhaust.

As with most builds, there were some challenges during the process. Assembling and disassembling the bike multiple times, making sure that everything was the way Daniel wanted it was one of those pains. All to make sure that in the end, he would realize that he should have done it differently. “When you look at the gorgeous creations from the pro builders you don’t understand the amount of foresight that goes into building a quality bike until you’re doing it yourself.”

Serious upgrades
Some of the work was done by a local shop called “Bloody Knuckle”. They helped out with some of the welding on the frame as well as creating the rear fender. Hammer Performance supplied the motor kit as well as reworking a set of 2007 heads. Everything else was done by Daniel himself.

What modifications are made and what parts were used?

• Bare Knuckle Choppers hardtail kit
• Black powder coat spoked wheels
• Custom speedo mount
• Vertical oil tank
• Blackbird fuel tank w/ integrated fuel sight
• Custom rear fender
• V-rod style headlight cowl
• Chainsikle rearsets
• 1275 kit from Hammer Perf w/ reworked 2007 heads
• HP560 cams
• CV40 performance upgrades
• RXC velocity stack
• EMD primary cover
• Custom SS exhaust w/ internal ceramic coat
• Dyna 2ki ignition w/ Dyna coils
• Trimmed cam cover
• Cognito Moto GPS Speedo
• Custom coil mount
• Antigravity battery
• Tokico front caliper conversion
• Progressive Suspension lowering springs
• Custom electrical box hidden underneath battery tray

Results
It is incredible to see that everything flows perfectly together, especially the subtle brass accents that help tie everything together. The Sportster rides like a beast, with the Hammer Performance kit hitting hard and pulling long. It’s loud, low, and without a doubt terrorizes the quiet suburban street of Arizona. If there is one thing that Daniel learned from this experience, it is that anyone can do this. Building a motorcycle is an amazing experience and everyone’s motorcycle should be an extension of themselves. Hear, hear!

Builder details:
Daniel Nyland
Instagram

The post Shed-Build: Harley-Davidson Sportster 1275 by Daniel Nyland appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

Brough Superior; Rolls Royce of motorcycles

The Roll Royce of motorcycles
Every serious motorcyclist will have heard the name at one point in his life: ‘Brough Superior’.
George Brough was the son of William Brough, an English motorcycle producer who had been building motorbikes in England since the turn of the century.

But growing up between motorcycle parts George wanted more and was ambitious enough to start his own brand just after the war in 1919. The son was convinced he could improve on his father’s designs, and made sure all motorcycles produced in his factory were high performance and of superior quality.

To achieve this all motorcycles were actually assembled twice. The first round was to make sure all parts fitted properly, whereas the second and final build was after all materials that needed to be painted or plated had been given the required treatment. After that all machines were test ridden to make sure they performed up to specifications.

It goes without saying that the Brough Superior were expensive and clients came mostly from higher echelons in British society.

Lawrence of Arabia: Eternal Brough Superior icon
Lawrence of Arabia, also known as Thomas Edward Lawrence or T.E Shaw (when he enrolled in the
Royal Air Force), was a British author. He owned no less than seven Brough Superiors. He was a fanatical rider. His Broughs were so important to him that he used to write about them in letters and in his books. The ultimate brand ambassador. Each of his Broughs was given a name that was similar to a royal lineage, going from George I to George VII.

In his book The Mint, Lawrence dedicated an entire chapter (The Road) to the pleasure he had of riding across England in the morning to get the best ingredients for a brunch.
This chapter is still considered as one of the most beautiful odes to riding motorcycles.

Ton up
Brough Superior was the first brand to have produced motorcycles that could go ‘Ton up’ (above 100 mph) even before the expression became common in the British café racer scene in the sixties.

The original factory produced motorcycles between 1919 and 1940. After the war it ceased production. It was not until 2014 when a by French motorcycle expert Thierry Henriette bought the rights to the brand name.

Presenting ‘The Lawrence’
After relaunching the iconic brand with Lawrence of Arabia’s legendary ‘S.S.100’ in collaboration with Aston Martin to create the only existing bike of the brand, French owned Brough Superior decided to set out to produce the most high end motorcycle of the world, the “Lawrence”.

In line with the original way of producing more than a century ago, modern day Brough superiors are also hand-built using only the best materials available (titanium, carbon fibre, aluminium), the production of the Lawrence benefited from the excellent network within the French aeronautical while it was being developed.

Launch delayed
A highly anticipated revelation of the bike was scheduled for the EICMA 2020 fair in Milan, but the show was cancelled due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lawrence was only recently released to the public online.

This new model represents a milestone for Brough Superior. Inspired by the mechanical architecture
of the S.S.100, the Lawrence has unique curves that were only possible to be created by using
carbon fibre. The frame of the motorcycle is in titanium, and its fork is a Fior type in aluminium.

The engine has entirely been developed internally by the Brough Superior engineers. The production
technology and the engineering skills that are required to build this bike partly come from the
aeronautical industry that is very influential in the region of Toulouse, France. The world’s leading
spaceships, satellites and aircrafts are also produced in the same region.

Limited edition
The original brand only manufactured only 3.048 motorcycles during the factory’s lifetime.
Only 188 editions of this 21st century edition will be produced. The number 188 is echoing the
birth date of T.E. Lawrence: 1888.

With the high standard of quality it is hardly surprising the price tag is in the upper regions as well. The French factory has set it around 66 000 euros, the definite price depending on local taxes.

The proud owners of the brand name describe the birthplace of their latest brainchild as “a mesmerizing place where ideas take shape into beautiful objects.”
Each part of a Brough is thought, drawn and designed by the Factory’s engineers and designers. It is
then hand-built with the finest existing materials by Brough Superior’s craftsmen.
Welders, polishers, painters and saddlers are working in harmony within the headquarters of the
company.
Some parts like wheels and swingarms are cnc-ed by local machinist partners. Their expertise allows Brough Superior to meet the same quality requirements as in the aeronautical industry.

The BikeBrewers team is in high anticipation of an invite to travel to the South of France and fly this baby around in the lovely French countryside in search of the right ingredients for a decent picnic.

The post Brough Superior; Rolls Royce of motorcycles appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

Shed-build: Triumph Speed Triple “Paleo” from the Netherlands

Another one
We see a great number of modified and customised Triumphs in our mailbox and to be honest, we really can’t get enough of them. As we see more Triumph builds, our expectations unintentionally increase to new heights. When we first received the pictures of the Triumph Speed Triple we are featuring today, we got really excited! Not only because we enjoy a good Triumph build, but also because it is something out of the ordinary.

Rise from the dead
What many people seem to forget, is that Triumph Motorcycles were going to some bad times financially in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Sales weren’t any good, and the Hinckley made triple-cylinder engine motorcycles were not the success formula Triumph was hoping for. Not until 1994, when Triumph presented their very first powerful naked bike, the Speed Triple. It was a moderate success, but still good enough to put Triumph back on the map. The 885cc Daytona derived motorcycle proved that it could compete with other European motorcycle manufacturers. A few years later an updated model followed, the T509 which made instant fame for its bug-eyed front. As a matter of fact, this model become so successful, both in terms of performance and reliability, that it earned another update, with a bigger more powerful engine, measuring now 955cc and pushing out a whopping 108hp and 98 Nm (72 ftlb) of torque in 1998. It is this model that single-handedly propelled Triumph out of the red figures financially, and brought in the dough that financed the rebirth of the famous Bonneville.

Hooligan bike
The Speed Triple that Stan van Ijzerdoorn from the Netherlands used as a base bike for his build, is 2005 model 1050 Speed Triple. It is a hooligan bike of the highest order, with an incredible 131hp and a brick-pulling 104 Nm (77 ftlb) of torque. Impressive figures on their own, but when you realize that this Speed Triple weighs in at a neat 189kg (416lbs), you’ll start to understand why it is an absolute beast to ride. The single-side swing arm adds to the sexiness of the bike. Stan, who in his daily life runs a Crossfit box, got his hands on this Triumph to spend a little R&R time during the COVID lockdown. This gave him the time and opportunity to build something remarkable. A solid foundation if you ask us, but not an easy one to pull-off, especially as a novice builder.

If it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much!
Yet, Stan did a tremendous job completing this build. The list of modifications is extensive, and when considering that almost all the work was done by himself, we can only take our hats off to him. Stan bought a TiG welder and started practicing until he mastered the skill, leading a over 25 parts that were fabricated by himself on this build. The subframe and buddy seat were handmade, the battery box was relocated, all lights were swapped out with LED units, a minimalistic speedo was added, the handlebar got upgraded, and whole lot of paint work, from the wheels and swing arm, to the frame and fuel tank. What stands out the most, is the combination of gold and black. The color combination was originally also used by Triumph, only now it has been in a reversed order, creating a totally different impact.

License? What license?
Now here is the interesting bit. Stan has a passion for motorcycles and has done motocross for a number of years. He enjoys working on motorcycles; however, he doesn’t ride street legal motorcycles. That is because he never got around getting his license! We have been assured that it is on the top of his priority list, so we’ll have to take his word for it. For now, just like Stan, we will have to use a bit of our imagination to know how this bike rides. It MUST be fun to ride!

Builder details:
Stan van Ijzerdoorn
Instagram

The post Shed-build: Triumph Speed Triple “Paleo” from the Netherlands appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

Review: 2021 BMW S1000R

Faster, lighter & meaner
Custom bikes will always at the core of BikeBrewers existence. But almost every custom art piece spawns from something that was produced by a motorcycle manufacturer. We feel it is only right to occasionally highlight new models we consider to be cool enough to be seen among all those magnificent custom dreams.

In this piece our Spanish Brewer Thierry Tronquit Prats zooms in on a new Bavarian brew: the 2021 BMW S1000R.

Going back in time
It all started in 1992, when BMW developed the R1100RS which developed 90hp and 95 Nm of torque. The engine was a 1085cc air-cooled boxer with a top speed of 218 kph for 239 kg. It was a half-faired naked machine which at that time was very aerodynamic. As the years went by, BMW enhanced the bike by making it lighter, improving the boxer engine and aerodynamics.

In 2009, BMW launched the S1000RR ditching the boxer engine and replacing it with a 999cc inline-four configuration which had an output of 193 hp and a maximum torque of 112 Nm. The claimed top speed was 305 kph. The motorcycle featured a dry weight of 183 kg and it featured electronics like Race ABS, DTC, and a couple of rider aids. Since then, the S1000RR has gotten lighter, faster, more powerful and loaded with the latest technology.

A few years later, we have ridden into the year 2014 now, BMW launched the naked version of this powerful super-bike called the S1000R sharing the engine, gearbox, frame, suspension and fitting straight bars. In one word: INSANE!

Six years later, BMW have revamped their roadster based on the 2021 S1000RR. It is lighter, faster and is equipped with even more power. This is a super high tech machine filled to the brim with modern technology such as ABS Pro, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), full LED lighting and much, much more. Just as you may expect from the German technicians.

Power center
Let’s talk about the engine. It’s the same inline 4 you will find in the S1000RR but with a slightly different configuration … a more linear power delivery! It produces 165Hp available at 11.000rpm with a torque of 114Nm available at 9.250rpm. BMW has also modified the gearbox making the 4th, 5th and 6th speeds longer lowering consumption and the level of noise. For the first time, they have also added the engine drag torque control (MSR) so that the back-wheel won’t skid when you are brutally accelerating or violently down shifting.

Frame
How about the frame and the swingarm? The frame called Flex Frame is completely new and is not as wide as before therefore giving the pilot a better position and more freedom to move around. The suspended swingarm has been taken from the S 1000 RR and the spring strut with Full Floater Pro kinematics is now positioned considerably further from the swingarm and engine axle. This prevents the motor from overheating due to residual heat and ensures an even more stable temperature behavior and an even more constant damping response. In combination with the swingarm, which has its roots in motorsport, this results in increased grip and less tire wear.

Of course, the 2021 S1000R model comes with the latest technology. Its equipped with DTC (dynamic traction control), ABS Pro, which also works when you need to brake while in a curve, and three driving modes: Rain, Road and Dynamic. The Dynamic Pro is an open map that you can adjust to your preferences with the MSR (engine drag torque control) and the DBC (Dynamic Braking Control) which will help you in case of an emergency braking.

At the controls
Regarding the TFT screen, it comes with a 6.5 inches screen for better reading and more information. The rider can choose from different displays depending on the purpose. The Pure Driving display, for example, provides all the information needed for normal highway driving, while another center display show displays for lean angle, deceleration and traction control.

A Bluetooth smartphone interface is already included as standard to enable app-based arrow navigation. The TFT screen is conveniently operated from the handlebar by means of the multi-controller. The optional M package provides a third center display with a display bar and lap timer.

Brighten up your day
The new S1000R uses state-of-the-art LED technology: new LED headlight with optimized low beam and high beam; newly designed LED turn indicators and taillights. The rear indicators have been adopted from the S 1000 RR and feature an integrated tail / brake light function. Safety in night driving is ensured by the adaptive turning light, which is a component of the Headlight Pro as a factory option. The rider benefits from better road lighting when cornering to make night riding even safer.

Let’s finish the review of the BMW S1000R by talking about its design which is more dynamic and remains faithful to its appearance “tail up – nose down”. Pure power with an aggressive look putting more weight on the front tire for better handling. It comes in different color schemes keeping the sporty and dynamic appearance.

Thierry only has one question for BMW: When can we test ride it on a track?

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