Custom builds from bikeexif.com
Custom Motorcycle Builds
- Thread starter DaveM
- Start date
Help Support Triumph Motorcycle Forum:
C
Chris Hunter
Guest
Custom Bikes Of The Week: 30 June, 2019
We’ve got an electrifying selection this week, with the debut of the £90,000 Arc Vector and a look at BMW’s surprise Vision DC electric concept. Plus a 144 hp Honda scrambler and a racy Royal Enfield from chassis legends Harris Performance.
Honda X11 by Lions Den We don’t see many custom versions of the CB1100SF. Honda’s turn-of-the-century naked is big, weighs 254 kg wet (560 lbs) and is hard to find on most secondhand markets.
But the short-lived ‘naked Blackbird’ has a lot going for it in the engine department, with 136 hp in the European version and a top speed of over 150 mph. It’s also tough and reliable and a good used buy if you can find one.
This light custom job comes from Lions Den Motorcycles of Hertfordshire in England, who focused on losing weight and getting rid of the huge stock tail section. A new subframe now bolts to the aluminum frame, topped with a racy single seat.
Other mods include a very clever new instrument/ignition housing at the front, a powerful LED headlight from Motodemic, and stainless steel mufflers from Spark. New finishes in dark graphic and gold—even on the wheels—add a lovely touch of luxury. [More]
Arc Vector electric motorcycle The British company Arc positions its Vector electric motorcycle as “the world’s most advanced” bike. And for £90,000, one should expect nothing less.
Next weekend, the Vector will be ridden in anger in public for the first time at the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed. Arc’s CEO Mark Truman will pilot the ‘neo café racer’ up the famous 1.1 mile hillclimb course, showing off the reported power-to-weight ratio of 650 hp per tonne.
Goodwood visitors will also be able to get a closer look at the bike when it’s on static display. The battery module forms part of the carbon monocoque, the front end sports a hub center steering setup, and the 399V electric motor should be able to shred tires at will.
If you’re impressed by what you see and you have the cash to spare, you’ll be pleased to know that the first Vector model will be limited to 399 units. Customer deliveries will begin in the summer of 2020. [Arc]
Honda CB1000R scrambler by Brivemo We see some oddball mashups here, but this is one of the weirdest. The Swiss Honda dealer Brivemo has taken a CB1000R—yes, the 144 hp naked sportbike—and turned it into an Africa Twin-style scrambler.
Cleverly nicknamed the ‘Africa Four,’ this balls-out scrambler is sporting the front end from a CRF450R motocross bike, a new headlight and offroad bars, a new seat unit, and a custom 4-into-1 exhaust system with a lightweight carbon fiber muffler.
The current Africa Twin has just 92 hp, which most folks would consider plenty enough for a proper offroader, so the ‘Africa Four’ will probably be a handful in the rough stuff.
But Brivemoto are considering putting this bike into the next edition of their annual ‘Africa Twin Raid,’ a blast through the deserts and backroads of Tunisia. If the rider can manage to physically hang onto the bike and the TKC80 tires don’t give up the ghost, we reckon this CB1000R will leave every other bike in the dust. [More]
Royal Enfield x Harris Performance 650 café racer After working in the background for many years with Royal Enfield, Harris has become a part of the Indian company’s financial empire. And now the esteemed British chassis specialist has stepped out of the shadows, with a factory-sanctioned custom 650 twin.
Enfield’s design boss Adrian Sellers describes the ‘Nought Tea GT650’ as a “retro style race bike, using all Harris Performance parts.” There’s a full set of Öhlins suspension, modified to suit the Continental GT 650 and installed with the help of custom-made yokes.
The airbox has been swapped out for a pair of intake pipes, and gases exit via a full custom exhaust system. There’s a custom fairing up front, a big bore kit on the engine, a new subframe and seat unit out back, and a terrific paint job that took hours of masking to create.
This cafe racer version of Nought Tea is designed for display at shows, and there’s a more hardcore v2 on the way that will be pressed into service on the racing scene. [More]
BMW Vision DC Roadster BMW sprung a surprise on the moto world this week with the Vision DC, which provides a clue to the German company’s future. To our eyes, it’s one of the most successful electric motorcycle designs of late, even accounting for the inevitable flights of fancy you get with concept bikes.
BMW hasn’t provided any specs or launch details, but the direction is clear: the company is sticking with design cues from the iconic boxer motor, even if that motor is replaced by a battery pack.
It’s a smart move, and one that avoids the usual focus on the upper visual architecture of electric bikes. Apparently the design will help with cooling, and BMW has also retained the cardan shaft drive and Duolever fork it’s known for. The rest of the styling is slick and modern, although the grills would be a nightmare to clean.
BMW has obviously put a huge amount of thought into this roadster concept, and we suspect that a watered-down production bike featuring many of the design elements will be hitting showrooms in a couple of years. Intriguing stuff.
Continue reading...
We’ve got an electrifying selection this week, with the debut of the £90,000 Arc Vector and a look at BMW’s surprise Vision DC electric concept. Plus a 144 hp Honda scrambler and a racy Royal Enfield from chassis legends Harris Performance.
Honda X11 by Lions Den We don’t see many custom versions of the CB1100SF. Honda’s turn-of-the-century naked is big, weighs 254 kg wet (560 lbs) and is hard to find on most secondhand markets.
But the short-lived ‘naked Blackbird’ has a lot going for it in the engine department, with 136 hp in the European version and a top speed of over 150 mph. It’s also tough and reliable and a good used buy if you can find one.
This light custom job comes from Lions Den Motorcycles of Hertfordshire in England, who focused on losing weight and getting rid of the huge stock tail section. A new subframe now bolts to the aluminum frame, topped with a racy single seat.
Other mods include a very clever new instrument/ignition housing at the front, a powerful LED headlight from Motodemic, and stainless steel mufflers from Spark. New finishes in dark graphic and gold—even on the wheels—add a lovely touch of luxury. [More]
Arc Vector electric motorcycle The British company Arc positions its Vector electric motorcycle as “the world’s most advanced” bike. And for £90,000, one should expect nothing less.
Next weekend, the Vector will be ridden in anger in public for the first time at the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed. Arc’s CEO Mark Truman will pilot the ‘neo café racer’ up the famous 1.1 mile hillclimb course, showing off the reported power-to-weight ratio of 650 hp per tonne.
Goodwood visitors will also be able to get a closer look at the bike when it’s on static display. The battery module forms part of the carbon monocoque, the front end sports a hub center steering setup, and the 399V electric motor should be able to shred tires at will.
If you’re impressed by what you see and you have the cash to spare, you’ll be pleased to know that the first Vector model will be limited to 399 units. Customer deliveries will begin in the summer of 2020. [Arc]
Honda CB1000R scrambler by Brivemo We see some oddball mashups here, but this is one of the weirdest. The Swiss Honda dealer Brivemo has taken a CB1000R—yes, the 144 hp naked sportbike—and turned it into an Africa Twin-style scrambler.
Cleverly nicknamed the ‘Africa Four,’ this balls-out scrambler is sporting the front end from a CRF450R motocross bike, a new headlight and offroad bars, a new seat unit, and a custom 4-into-1 exhaust system with a lightweight carbon fiber muffler.
The current Africa Twin has just 92 hp, which most folks would consider plenty enough for a proper offroader, so the ‘Africa Four’ will probably be a handful in the rough stuff.
But Brivemoto are considering putting this bike into the next edition of their annual ‘Africa Twin Raid,’ a blast through the deserts and backroads of Tunisia. If the rider can manage to physically hang onto the bike and the TKC80 tires don’t give up the ghost, we reckon this CB1000R will leave every other bike in the dust. [More]
Royal Enfield x Harris Performance 650 café racer After working in the background for many years with Royal Enfield, Harris has become a part of the Indian company’s financial empire. And now the esteemed British chassis specialist has stepped out of the shadows, with a factory-sanctioned custom 650 twin.
Enfield’s design boss Adrian Sellers describes the ‘Nought Tea GT650’ as a “retro style race bike, using all Harris Performance parts.” There’s a full set of Öhlins suspension, modified to suit the Continental GT 650 and installed with the help of custom-made yokes.
The airbox has been swapped out for a pair of intake pipes, and gases exit via a full custom exhaust system. There’s a custom fairing up front, a big bore kit on the engine, a new subframe and seat unit out back, and a terrific paint job that took hours of masking to create.
This cafe racer version of Nought Tea is designed for display at shows, and there’s a more hardcore v2 on the way that will be pressed into service on the racing scene. [More]
BMW Vision DC Roadster BMW sprung a surprise on the moto world this week with the Vision DC, which provides a clue to the German company’s future. To our eyes, it’s one of the most successful electric motorcycle designs of late, even accounting for the inevitable flights of fancy you get with concept bikes.
BMW hasn’t provided any specs or launch details, but the direction is clear: the company is sticking with design cues from the iconic boxer motor, even if that motor is replaced by a battery pack.
It’s a smart move, and one that avoids the usual focus on the upper visual architecture of electric bikes. Apparently the design will help with cooling, and BMW has also retained the cardan shaft drive and Duolever fork it’s known for. The rest of the styling is slick and modern, although the grills would be a nightmare to clean.
BMW has obviously put a huge amount of thought into this roadster concept, and we suspect that a watered-down production bike featuring many of the design elements will be hitting showrooms in a couple of years. Intriguing stuff.
Continue reading...
Who, in their right mind, would ride that one in the last picture 
Continental Racer: Sinroja’s Royal Enfield Drag Bike
A couple of years ago, Sinroja Motorcycles were one of the first workshops to join Royal Enfield’s new custom program. They built a couple of bikes, and the relationship went well. So when Sinroja were looking for a brand partner for their latest project, they knew just who to call.
The Leicester-based custom shop wanted to enter the European Sultans of Sprint race series in the ‘Factory’ class. All they needed a factory to collaborate with.
Royal Enfield and their Industrial Design boss Adrian Sellers came to the party with a brand new Continental GT 650, but there was an unexpected twist. By the time everything was singed off, Sinroja had just four weeks to prep the bike.
“Usually we can do aesthetics or performance in that time,” brothers Rahul and Birju Sinroja tell us, “but this project needed both. It had to look good and go fast.”
It certainly needed to be fast. Sinroja’s Continental would be competing with a nitrous-powered BMW 1250, a nitrous-powered Indian Scout ridden by the legendary Randy Mamola, and a supercharged 200-plus hp Harley.
The brothers already had a concept in mind: they would loosely take inspiration from a drag racer Royal Enfield themselves had previously built, ‘The Lock Stock.’
With help from Tamas Jakus at Jakusa Design, they quickly mocked up the design and graphics for ‘Two Smoking Barrels.’
But sharp looks alone weren’t going to cut it. With just 47 hp from its 648 cc parallel twin motor, the Continental GT 650 was seriously outgunned. “The project direction was clear from beginning,” the guys tell us. “We knew we had to go as lightweight and as powerful as we could.”
“When the already naked Continental GT (which weighs 205 kg) was delivered, we were worried. There weren’t any big body panels to strip to lose weight quickly.”
Luckily for Sinroja, performance experts S&S Cycle were in on the project from the word go. They’d previously worked with Royal Enfield and Harris Performance on ‘The Lock Stock,’ and filled the brothers in on exactly what sort of numbers were achievable. That info also helped Sinroja set a competitive target weight for the Continental GT—150 kilos.
S&S Cycle sent over custom pistons and sleeves to bore the twin out to 750 cc. They also supplied new injectors, cams, and an ECU, and built a straight-through twin exhaust system.
That gave Sinroja a great naturally-aspirated base to work from, but they still needed an extra boost. So they called on Trevor Langfield at Wizard of NOS to help them set up a unique dry nitrous system. The system’s neatly packaged underneath the seat, where the GT’s air box and wiring used to be.
With performance sorted, Sinroja started plotting the Continental GT’s diet. Everything was stripped off the bike and weighed, so that they’d know what to keep and what to ditch.
They needed a tight front end, so they dug a modern sportbike front end out of their parts bin, shaving off one of the brakes to keep things light. Danny at Fastec machined up a set of billet aluminum yokes to work with the stock headset. The lighter forks and yokes accounted for almost 10 kg of weight saving.
The rear end received a more radical treatment. Sinroja ditched the rear suspension entirely, then fabricated a new hardtail from Reynolds tubing to save weight and extend the wheelbase. They wanted to swap out the wheels as well, but couldn’t get a set of 17-inchers made up in time. So they kept the stock 18-inchers, wrapping them in Continental rubber.
Weight saving became an obsession. Rahul even recalled a lesson from university, where his professor explained how Toyota shaved 10 kg off a sports car just by reducing the weight of all the fasteners. So Sinroja swapped every last nut and bolt for lighter versions, and trimmed another 2 kilos off.
With the rolling chassis done, it was time to piece everything together. Chris Walton helped the brothers out by shaping an aluminum dummy tank, the tail end of which actually forms the seat pan.
Three fasteners hold down the entire arrangement. Underneath it, you’ll find a two-liter fuel reservoir, a Lithium-ion battery from Antigravity, and most of the electronics. (Towza from Towzatronics built a custom wiring loom at the last minute, trimming a further three kilos from the bike.)
The last few mods included a super-minimal cockpit, and a carbon fiber front fender made from the same mold as the one found on ‘The Lock Stock.’ Glenn at GD Design handled the paint, showing off the English flag on one side, and the Indian flag on the other.
Then Ian Tam, Constantinos Panayides and Tommy Butterworth helped Sinroja setup and tune the bike, along with Royal Enfield’s tech center staff.
On its first outing, ‘Two Smoking Barrels’ took gold at the Punks Peak hill climb at Wheels and Waves. And it came fourth at the last Sultans of Sprint race, narrowly missing the podium.
Not too shabby for a last minute rush-job.
Sinroja Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Royal Enfield product page | Images by, and with thanks to, Marc Holstein
Sinroja would like to thank Royal Enfield, along with sponsors S&S Cycles, Bell Powersports, and Contimoto UK.
Continue reading...
A couple of years ago, Sinroja Motorcycles were one of the first workshops to join Royal Enfield’s new custom program. They built a couple of bikes, and the relationship went well. So when Sinroja were looking for a brand partner for their latest project, they knew just who to call.
The Leicester-based custom shop wanted to enter the European Sultans of Sprint race series in the ‘Factory’ class. All they needed a factory to collaborate with.
Royal Enfield and their Industrial Design boss Adrian Sellers came to the party with a brand new Continental GT 650, but there was an unexpected twist. By the time everything was singed off, Sinroja had just four weeks to prep the bike.
“Usually we can do aesthetics or performance in that time,” brothers Rahul and Birju Sinroja tell us, “but this project needed both. It had to look good and go fast.”
It certainly needed to be fast. Sinroja’s Continental would be competing with a nitrous-powered BMW 1250, a nitrous-powered Indian Scout ridden by the legendary Randy Mamola, and a supercharged 200-plus hp Harley.
The brothers already had a concept in mind: they would loosely take inspiration from a drag racer Royal Enfield themselves had previously built, ‘The Lock Stock.’
With help from Tamas Jakus at Jakusa Design, they quickly mocked up the design and graphics for ‘Two Smoking Barrels.’
But sharp looks alone weren’t going to cut it. With just 47 hp from its 648 cc parallel twin motor, the Continental GT 650 was seriously outgunned. “The project direction was clear from beginning,” the guys tell us. “We knew we had to go as lightweight and as powerful as we could.”
“When the already naked Continental GT (which weighs 205 kg) was delivered, we were worried. There weren’t any big body panels to strip to lose weight quickly.”
Luckily for Sinroja, performance experts S&S Cycle were in on the project from the word go. They’d previously worked with Royal Enfield and Harris Performance on ‘The Lock Stock,’ and filled the brothers in on exactly what sort of numbers were achievable. That info also helped Sinroja set a competitive target weight for the Continental GT—150 kilos.
S&S Cycle sent over custom pistons and sleeves to bore the twin out to 750 cc. They also supplied new injectors, cams, and an ECU, and built a straight-through twin exhaust system.
That gave Sinroja a great naturally-aspirated base to work from, but they still needed an extra boost. So they called on Trevor Langfield at Wizard of NOS to help them set up a unique dry nitrous system. The system’s neatly packaged underneath the seat, where the GT’s air box and wiring used to be.
With performance sorted, Sinroja started plotting the Continental GT’s diet. Everything was stripped off the bike and weighed, so that they’d know what to keep and what to ditch.
They needed a tight front end, so they dug a modern sportbike front end out of their parts bin, shaving off one of the brakes to keep things light. Danny at Fastec machined up a set of billet aluminum yokes to work with the stock headset. The lighter forks and yokes accounted for almost 10 kg of weight saving.
The rear end received a more radical treatment. Sinroja ditched the rear suspension entirely, then fabricated a new hardtail from Reynolds tubing to save weight and extend the wheelbase. They wanted to swap out the wheels as well, but couldn’t get a set of 17-inchers made up in time. So they kept the stock 18-inchers, wrapping them in Continental rubber.
Weight saving became an obsession. Rahul even recalled a lesson from university, where his professor explained how Toyota shaved 10 kg off a sports car just by reducing the weight of all the fasteners. So Sinroja swapped every last nut and bolt for lighter versions, and trimmed another 2 kilos off.
With the rolling chassis done, it was time to piece everything together. Chris Walton helped the brothers out by shaping an aluminum dummy tank, the tail end of which actually forms the seat pan.
Three fasteners hold down the entire arrangement. Underneath it, you’ll find a two-liter fuel reservoir, a Lithium-ion battery from Antigravity, and most of the electronics. (Towza from Towzatronics built a custom wiring loom at the last minute, trimming a further three kilos from the bike.)
The last few mods included a super-minimal cockpit, and a carbon fiber front fender made from the same mold as the one found on ‘The Lock Stock.’ Glenn at GD Design handled the paint, showing off the English flag on one side, and the Indian flag on the other.
Then Ian Tam, Constantinos Panayides and Tommy Butterworth helped Sinroja setup and tune the bike, along with Royal Enfield’s tech center staff.
On its first outing, ‘Two Smoking Barrels’ took gold at the Punks Peak hill climb at Wheels and Waves. And it came fourth at the last Sultans of Sprint race, narrowly missing the podium.
Not too shabby for a last minute rush-job.
Sinroja Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Royal Enfield product page | Images by, and with thanks to, Marc Holstein
Sinroja would like to thank Royal Enfield, along with sponsors S&S Cycles, Bell Powersports, and Contimoto UK.
Continue reading...
It's a race bike so has a specific purpose 
Perfectly formed: Kingston’s Yamaha MT-125 tracker
If you live in the USA, you probably won’t have seen the Yamaha MT-125. But the mini ‘hyper naked’ is popular in Europe with younger riders and city commuters, where it’s an alternative to the Honda Grom and Kawasaki Z125 Pro.
The MT-125 is loosely based on the more familiar YZF-R125, with a high-revving 15 hp single, a six-speed ‘box, and a top speed of around 80 mph. Performance is peppy, build quality is high, and weight is low—a mere 138 kg (304 pounds).
Dirk Oehlerking, owner of Kingston Custom, is a fan.
He built ‘Young Star’ for Yamaha Motor Germany, and we’re betting they were surprised when Dirk said he wanted to build an MT-125, rather than the MT-07 or MT-09 chosen by most customizers.
“I wanted to build a beginner bike for youngsters and the young at heart,” he says. “A small tracker whose conversion costs should not exceed €1,000 [US$1,130].”
“There are only a few bike builders in Europe who dare to ride small motorcycles. In Europe, almost nothing under 400 cc is offered,” Dirk points out. “But one of the co-founders of the custom scene, Deus Ex Machina, rebuilt a Yamaha XT250 ten years ago.”
Dirk decided to go for a ‘beach tracker’ vibe, and it suits the little MT-125 perfectly. “I took the bike apart, removed the seat and stripped the frame at the rear.”
“In the workshop I had a Storz flat tracker seat, which was perfectly tailored for the Yamaha—I just had to adjust it a bit. And wow, the optics fitted perfectly with the original tank cover. Already the line of the tracker was finished.”
The new tail unit hides a compact lithium polymer battery, and the original wiring harness (including the ABS system) is tucked under the microfiber-covered seat.
Dirk has added a custom-fitted aluminum seat pan to protect everything, and hidden the radiator reservoir behind the tank cover on the left hand side.
The stock suspension is good—with 41mm KYB USD forks—but to get a flatter stance, Dirk has shortened the forks by 40 mm. He’s also extended the original shock linkage by a few millimeters, moving it downwards, to flatten the rear a tad.
Adding to the flat track vibe is a headlight board from C-Racer with two small headlights built in.
It works perfectly with the original bars, and the cockpit looks much cleaner now that the stock headlight nacelle has gone and the instrument panel has been moved backwards to sit right on the bars.
On each side are small flat track number boards, handmade from aluminum. Dirk has also switched out the enormous stock muffler for a sleek Norton Commando-style reverse cone unit, and replaced the turn signals and tail light with discreet units from the German LED specialist Highsider.
None of this is radical surgery though—just careful tweaks that, when combined, completely transform the look of the MT-125. Even the color of the bike is stock, although the rims have been finished in gold and shod with Heidenau’s grippy K60 tires.
“My goal was to keep as many original parts as possible,” he says. And the plan is to offer this conversion as an easy-to-fit kit.
Unlike most custom builds, Kingston’s MT-125 is practical and well suited to young urban riders—who may not have the skills or cash to handle a bigger bike.
As Dirk says, “It doesn’t always have to be big to be great!”
Kingston Custom | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Kati Dalek
Continue reading...
If you live in the USA, you probably won’t have seen the Yamaha MT-125. But the mini ‘hyper naked’ is popular in Europe with younger riders and city commuters, where it’s an alternative to the Honda Grom and Kawasaki Z125 Pro.
The MT-125 is loosely based on the more familiar YZF-R125, with a high-revving 15 hp single, a six-speed ‘box, and a top speed of around 80 mph. Performance is peppy, build quality is high, and weight is low—a mere 138 kg (304 pounds).
Dirk Oehlerking, owner of Kingston Custom, is a fan.
He built ‘Young Star’ for Yamaha Motor Germany, and we’re betting they were surprised when Dirk said he wanted to build an MT-125, rather than the MT-07 or MT-09 chosen by most customizers.
“I wanted to build a beginner bike for youngsters and the young at heart,” he says. “A small tracker whose conversion costs should not exceed €1,000 [US$1,130].”
“There are only a few bike builders in Europe who dare to ride small motorcycles. In Europe, almost nothing under 400 cc is offered,” Dirk points out. “But one of the co-founders of the custom scene, Deus Ex Machina, rebuilt a Yamaha XT250 ten years ago.”
Dirk decided to go for a ‘beach tracker’ vibe, and it suits the little MT-125 perfectly. “I took the bike apart, removed the seat and stripped the frame at the rear.”
“In the workshop I had a Storz flat tracker seat, which was perfectly tailored for the Yamaha—I just had to adjust it a bit. And wow, the optics fitted perfectly with the original tank cover. Already the line of the tracker was finished.”
The new tail unit hides a compact lithium polymer battery, and the original wiring harness (including the ABS system) is tucked under the microfiber-covered seat.
Dirk has added a custom-fitted aluminum seat pan to protect everything, and hidden the radiator reservoir behind the tank cover on the left hand side.
The stock suspension is good—with 41mm KYB USD forks—but to get a flatter stance, Dirk has shortened the forks by 40 mm. He’s also extended the original shock linkage by a few millimeters, moving it downwards, to flatten the rear a tad.
Adding to the flat track vibe is a headlight board from C-Racer with two small headlights built in.
It works perfectly with the original bars, and the cockpit looks much cleaner now that the stock headlight nacelle has gone and the instrument panel has been moved backwards to sit right on the bars.
On each side are small flat track number boards, handmade from aluminum. Dirk has also switched out the enormous stock muffler for a sleek Norton Commando-style reverse cone unit, and replaced the turn signals and tail light with discreet units from the German LED specialist Highsider.
None of this is radical surgery though—just careful tweaks that, when combined, completely transform the look of the MT-125. Even the color of the bike is stock, although the rims have been finished in gold and shod with Heidenau’s grippy K60 tires.
“My goal was to keep as many original parts as possible,” he says. And the plan is to offer this conversion as an easy-to-fit kit.
Unlike most custom builds, Kingston’s MT-125 is practical and well suited to young urban riders—who may not have the skills or cash to handle a bigger bike.
As Dirk says, “It doesn’t always have to be big to be great!”
Kingston Custom | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Kati Dalek
Continue reading...
Starrider: A CB750K with a street-legal nitrous kit
The CB750 is one of the most customized bikes of the past half-century. But just when we thought we’d seen every possible permutation, along comes something completely different: a DOHC ‘K’ with a nitrous injection system.
‘Starrider’ comes from brothers Lion and Ben Ott of Munich-based Motoism, and it’s road-legal on even the TÜV-strangled roads of Germany. It’s a little bit retro, a little bit futuristic, and dotted with high-tech components and lashings of carbon fiber.
The CB750 is assured of its place in motorcycling’s hall of fame, but the accolades tend to go to the original SOHC models. Appreciation is growing for the 16-valve DOHC models introduced in 1978, though.
And these machines are easier to find (and usually cheaper) on the secondhand market.
Lion and Ben have tried to strike a balance between performance, functionality, and looks. And rather than go all-out for a traditional CB750 café racer vibe, they’ve injected details inspired by flat track and speedway racers—such as enduro handlebars, a full rear wheel disc, and plenty of carbon fiber components.
A lot of the work went into the tank. “It’s probably the lightest CB750 tank in the world!” says Ben. “It’s entirely made from carbon fiber, and we developed a clean shape following the characteristic lines of the original tank.”
Even more weight has been dropped via a new subframe and seat unit, and the lightweight bars and aluminum pegs from LSL.
The engine has been completely refurbished, with all worn parts replaced, and then soda blasted and painted for a better-than-new finish. Motoism have installed a 4-into-1 stainless exhaust system with matching stainless steel silencer, which should bump output up a little from the 57 kW (77 hp) listed on the official German import specs.
The nitrous system adds 7.7 hp while remaining within TÜV regulations, but this can be cranked up to an extra 23 hp for track use. The bottle is hidden under the seat, along with much of the electrics, and there’s a Bluetooth-enabled Motogadget m.unit to control the electronics.
The nitrous system is activated by a little switch under the fuel tank. It senses the last third of the throttle travel, and starts to add fuel from an additional pump under the tank and NOX directly into the intake sockets.
“We modified the original intake sockets and installed the nitrous/fuel nozzles,” says Lion Ott. “The system can add up to 100% more performance, but for use on German roads we have to limit it to 10% more than the original performance.”
“For racing, that can be changed easily by changing the nozzles in the intake sockets.”
Upgraded suspension keeps the show on the road, with modified fork internals and new Öhlins shocks out back—custom-fitted to level out the stance of the bike. Motoism have also installed a new Brembo brake system, with double discs at the front, and the tires are Continental Classic Attack radials.
Setting the tone for the build is a most original headlight nacelle, made from—you guessed it—carbon fiber. The lamp itself is LED, and in the housing is a Motogadget digital tachometer and a warning light to reveal when the nitrous is kicking in.
The overall aesthetic is sleek and modern, but with just enough of a hint towards the CB750’s heritage. And with a substantial weight drop and a handy horsepower boost, ‘Starrider’ will easily keep up with the cut and thrust of Munich city traffic.
We have a feeling that Soichiro Honda would approve.
Motoism | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Leopold Fiala
Continue reading...
The CB750 is one of the most customized bikes of the past half-century. But just when we thought we’d seen every possible permutation, along comes something completely different: a DOHC ‘K’ with a nitrous injection system.
‘Starrider’ comes from brothers Lion and Ben Ott of Munich-based Motoism, and it’s road-legal on even the TÜV-strangled roads of Germany. It’s a little bit retro, a little bit futuristic, and dotted with high-tech components and lashings of carbon fiber.
The CB750 is assured of its place in motorcycling’s hall of fame, but the accolades tend to go to the original SOHC models. Appreciation is growing for the 16-valve DOHC models introduced in 1978, though.
And these machines are easier to find (and usually cheaper) on the secondhand market.
Lion and Ben have tried to strike a balance between performance, functionality, and looks. And rather than go all-out for a traditional CB750 café racer vibe, they’ve injected details inspired by flat track and speedway racers—such as enduro handlebars, a full rear wheel disc, and plenty of carbon fiber components.
A lot of the work went into the tank. “It’s probably the lightest CB750 tank in the world!” says Ben. “It’s entirely made from carbon fiber, and we developed a clean shape following the characteristic lines of the original tank.”
Even more weight has been dropped via a new subframe and seat unit, and the lightweight bars and aluminum pegs from LSL.
The engine has been completely refurbished, with all worn parts replaced, and then soda blasted and painted for a better-than-new finish. Motoism have installed a 4-into-1 stainless exhaust system with matching stainless steel silencer, which should bump output up a little from the 57 kW (77 hp) listed on the official German import specs.
The nitrous system adds 7.7 hp while remaining within TÜV regulations, but this can be cranked up to an extra 23 hp for track use. The bottle is hidden under the seat, along with much of the electrics, and there’s a Bluetooth-enabled Motogadget m.unit to control the electronics.
The nitrous system is activated by a little switch under the fuel tank. It senses the last third of the throttle travel, and starts to add fuel from an additional pump under the tank and NOX directly into the intake sockets.
“We modified the original intake sockets and installed the nitrous/fuel nozzles,” says Lion Ott. “The system can add up to 100% more performance, but for use on German roads we have to limit it to 10% more than the original performance.”
“For racing, that can be changed easily by changing the nozzles in the intake sockets.”
Upgraded suspension keeps the show on the road, with modified fork internals and new Öhlins shocks out back—custom-fitted to level out the stance of the bike. Motoism have also installed a new Brembo brake system, with double discs at the front, and the tires are Continental Classic Attack radials.
Setting the tone for the build is a most original headlight nacelle, made from—you guessed it—carbon fiber. The lamp itself is LED, and in the housing is a Motogadget digital tachometer and a warning light to reveal when the nitrous is kicking in.
The overall aesthetic is sleek and modern, but with just enough of a hint towards the CB750’s heritage. And with a substantial weight drop and a handy horsepower boost, ‘Starrider’ will easily keep up with the cut and thrust of Munich city traffic.
We have a feeling that Soichiro Honda would approve.
Motoism | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Leopold Fiala
Continue reading...
Triumph over adversity: A vintage bobber built from parts
It takes a measure of blood, sweat and tears to build a good custom motorcycle. And then there are the tricky projects that call for an even higher level of perseverance. Like this vintage Triumph bobber—which took four years to complete and included a massive scavenger hunt for parts.
“I’d always wanted to build a custom bobber using a pre-unit Triumph motor,” owner Marnitz Venter tells us. “But finding old and close-to-vintage parts is almost impossible.”
Marnitz lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he runs the parts and apparel site Old Skool Trading. He trades in old bikes on the side, builds the occasional custom, and hosts the local leg of the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride. And in the middle of this build he got married, moved house, and then renovated the place.
So it’s little wonder that his vintage bobber project took so long to come to fruition.
Marnitz had help too; a small army of friends that pitched in on everything from machining and welding, to advice and straight-up heckling. But finding time wasn’t the only struggle—getting all the ingredients together proved to be a huge mission.
Marnitz first found an old set of engine casings, and then eventually a BSA M20 transmission, a Japanese front drum brake hub, and bits and pieces of a BSA rear wheel. But the most important parts eluded him: a vintage Triumph hardtail frame and a girder front end.
“I learned that collectors do not like to part with vintage parts,” he quips. He eventually found an incomplete 1935 BSA Blue Star—and promptly traded it for a 1940s Triumph frame, along with various pieces of a 1930s girder fork.
That was enough to make a start. The girder front end was built up by machining the assortment of parts to fit together, and fabricating a few new pieces to tie everything in. Out back, the frame was stretched out by four inches.
Marnitz laced the front hub up to a wider rim, with stainless steel spokes, and modified the rear hub to work with the Triumph frame. He also added some drillium to both drum brakes, and wrapped both wheels in sawtooth treads from Allstate.
The motor is effectively an early 1950s Triumph iron-head unit, matched up to the 1940s BSA box. “The motor and gearbox was a complete rebuild,” Marnitz tells us. “I did not have all the parts to start out with. The rest of the stuff I scratched around for among friends and at the Classic Motorcycle Club of South Africa, and fabricated.”
The finished engine is a thing of beauty—from its open primary, to the drilled-out mounting plates. The setup includes a perfectly restored Amal carb, and a set of brutally short pipes, made for the project by V-Customs.
Up top, you’ll find the modified gas tank off an unnamed, late 60s Yamaha. It’s been finished in a classy piano black by Rudi Stark, and adorned with a pair of custom made Triumph badges. Just behind it is a leather saddle, upholstered Dion Korkie, and a custom-built rear fender.
Most of the remaining parts are all one-offs. That includes the oil tank, handlebars, foot controls and a number of rear brake components. There’s a small vintage headlight up front, a side-mounted taillight, and a host of nifty brass and leather touches to finish it off.
Marnitz made a point of crediting Louwrens Miller, Justin Waddington, Reginald Walddeck, Kyle Harvey and Dirk Coetzee for their help on various tasks. And then told us that he’d probably forgotten a bunch of other people, too.
But Marnitz has dedicated his Triumph to other friends who never saw the finished product. Matthew Morgan, Peter Moody, Piet Maas and Marnitz’s closest friend, Matthew Pape, all had a part to play—but all passed away at different times during the course of the project.
Marnitz’s bobber is a masterpiece, and a bittersweet reminder of camaraderie, loss and perseverance. And that’s not something you see every day.
Old Skool Trading | Marnitz Venter Instagram | Images by Kevin Sutherland
Continue reading...
It takes a measure of blood, sweat and tears to build a good custom motorcycle. And then there are the tricky projects that call for an even higher level of perseverance. Like this vintage Triumph bobber—which took four years to complete and included a massive scavenger hunt for parts.
“I’d always wanted to build a custom bobber using a pre-unit Triumph motor,” owner Marnitz Venter tells us. “But finding old and close-to-vintage parts is almost impossible.”
Marnitz lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he runs the parts and apparel site Old Skool Trading. He trades in old bikes on the side, builds the occasional custom, and hosts the local leg of the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride. And in the middle of this build he got married, moved house, and then renovated the place.
So it’s little wonder that his vintage bobber project took so long to come to fruition.
Marnitz had help too; a small army of friends that pitched in on everything from machining and welding, to advice and straight-up heckling. But finding time wasn’t the only struggle—getting all the ingredients together proved to be a huge mission.
Marnitz first found an old set of engine casings, and then eventually a BSA M20 transmission, a Japanese front drum brake hub, and bits and pieces of a BSA rear wheel. But the most important parts eluded him: a vintage Triumph hardtail frame and a girder front end.
“I learned that collectors do not like to part with vintage parts,” he quips. He eventually found an incomplete 1935 BSA Blue Star—and promptly traded it for a 1940s Triumph frame, along with various pieces of a 1930s girder fork.
That was enough to make a start. The girder front end was built up by machining the assortment of parts to fit together, and fabricating a few new pieces to tie everything in. Out back, the frame was stretched out by four inches.
Marnitz laced the front hub up to a wider rim, with stainless steel spokes, and modified the rear hub to work with the Triumph frame. He also added some drillium to both drum brakes, and wrapped both wheels in sawtooth treads from Allstate.
The motor is effectively an early 1950s Triumph iron-head unit, matched up to the 1940s BSA box. “The motor and gearbox was a complete rebuild,” Marnitz tells us. “I did not have all the parts to start out with. The rest of the stuff I scratched around for among friends and at the Classic Motorcycle Club of South Africa, and fabricated.”
The finished engine is a thing of beauty—from its open primary, to the drilled-out mounting plates. The setup includes a perfectly restored Amal carb, and a set of brutally short pipes, made for the project by V-Customs.
Up top, you’ll find the modified gas tank off an unnamed, late 60s Yamaha. It’s been finished in a classy piano black by Rudi Stark, and adorned with a pair of custom made Triumph badges. Just behind it is a leather saddle, upholstered Dion Korkie, and a custom-built rear fender.
Most of the remaining parts are all one-offs. That includes the oil tank, handlebars, foot controls and a number of rear brake components. There’s a small vintage headlight up front, a side-mounted taillight, and a host of nifty brass and leather touches to finish it off.
Marnitz made a point of crediting Louwrens Miller, Justin Waddington, Reginald Walddeck, Kyle Harvey and Dirk Coetzee for their help on various tasks. And then told us that he’d probably forgotten a bunch of other people, too.
But Marnitz has dedicated his Triumph to other friends who never saw the finished product. Matthew Morgan, Peter Moody, Piet Maas and Marnitz’s closest friend, Matthew Pape, all had a part to play—but all passed away at different times during the course of the project.
Marnitz’s bobber is a masterpiece, and a bittersweet reminder of camaraderie, loss and perseverance. And that’s not something you see every day.
Old Skool Trading | Marnitz Venter Instagram | Images by Kevin Sutherland
Continue reading...
No comment.
Hello Engine shows how to build a Triumph Desert Sled
The motorcycle industry is replete with modern replicas of classic machines. These days, you can buy bikes that mimic the style of vintage motos—but with hidden electronics and catalytic converters, and no oil leaks.
Period-correct old timers are becoming rarer by the day. So we need guys like Hayden Roberts: craftsmen who live and breathe classic motorcycles. He’s a British transplant living in Santa Paula, California, where he repairs and restores old British iron under the Hello Engine banner.
His latest project is a showstopper. Built for the Born Free show, it’s a Triumph desert sled that’s dripping with patina and could have been built in 1965—except that it’s not technically an original model.
Hayden gives us the skinny: “I’d been collecting parts over the years and wanted to build the desert bike I’d always hoped to find stashed in a shed someplace. The idea was that every piece had to be original, no reproductions, and was there to serve a purpose: a race ready desert bike, no filler.”
“Maybe I got a little too deep into it, down to the logo on the bolt heads having to be era correct. But I wanted it to look like it was built 54 years ago—when in reality I finished it last Sunday!”
Hayden’s Triumph is a ‘bitsa’ like no other: a textbook example of how to build a desert sled. The frame’s a 1964 TR6 unit—but it’s not stock. Hayden braced it at the steering head, strengthened it, and raked it out an additional three degrees for stability. The seat loop was bent up too, and the rear section de-tabbed.
At Iron Cobras Fabrication, Even Scott added a chromoly brace to the swingarm to strengthen it further. The rear shocks are longer-than-stock Girlings, with the stiffest resistance Hayden could find (identifiable by the green stripes on the springs).
“The front forks are heavily modified,” Hayden tells us, “as the original equipment was basically a pogo stick.” This setup uses 1950s Triumph fork sliders with modded internals. Hayden added a shuttle valve, lengthened the dampening rods, added new bushings, and replaced the springs with heavy-duty progressive items.
The result is more travel and better cushioning over rough terrain. A fork brace was fitted too, to mitigate flex in lieu of a front fender.
For wheels, Hayden started with a late 50s to early 60s BSA Goldstar front, chosen because those were lighter than the Triumph offerings from that era. The rear is a mid-60s Triumph wheel, paired with a Webco overlay sprocket. The front tire is an impossibly rare 19×4” Avon Trials Supreme, and the rear is an 18” Avon Gripster from the same era.
Hayden tells us that the engine work alone could fill an encyclopedia. According to the VIN, the motor’s a 1965 650 cc TR6—“but as you can see, it’s a motor Triumph never made.”
The back half of the timing cover was slashed off, and the rear of a pre-unit 1950s motor welded in. “This enables you to run a Lucas competition magneto instead of the stock alternator set up,” Hayden explains.
“Magnetos get a bad rep but a well serviced mag will last 50-plus years. If they were good enough for fighter planes, they’re good enough for an old dirt bike.”
To get the conversion to work, he had to add the magneto gear into the interlocking gear sequence in the timing case. Apparently, there’s no room for error: “Too far apart and the teeth on the gears won’t mesh; too close and they won’t turn.”
This setup also features a Bonneville crank with a light flywheel, a Johnson mild race cam, and a small valve cylinder head from a 1963 TR6. It’s been converted to a ‘breather’ configuration—meaning that the motor vents via the crankcase into the primary (something Triumph themselves would start doing in the 70s).
Hayden had a set of N.O.S. Webco valves and springs, so he added those too, along with a set of forged 10:1 pistons. “The motor turned out really rev happy and is a ton of fun all through the range,” he says.
Even the ‘Q’ style air filter has a story. “Info on these is as scarce as the filters themselves,” says Hayden. “I’ve been told they were made in either New Mexico or the SF valley by a guy named Bobby Jay. I’ve never seen an advertisement for one, and you just don’t see them come up for sale often.”
“These use a metal gauze and a replaceable piece of filter material. It replaces the stock left side cover and battery tray and tucks in out of the way. For me it’s the best looking of the air filters, like it belongs there.”
The twin exhausts are early 60s Bud Ekins pipes. Hayden wanted a system that exited on the left, so he could show off the magneto conversion on the timing side.
Then there’s the impressive finishing kit. The seat is an original Bates race seat, hard-mounted to the frame for extra strength. Since it’s not hinged any more, Hayden had to modify the oil tank with a side filler.
The controls consist of Stelling and Hellings bars, and 1960s Camco grips with a leather ‘donut’ on the throttle side to prevent blisters. Hayden ran all the cables through lengths of braided fuel line—“an old desert trick that protects them from getting kinked if you drop the bike, or catch it in the giggle weeds.”
Hayden’s dubbed his sled the ‘Desert Fox,’ a nickname given to racers like Bud Ekins and Larry Berquist back in the day. It’s portrayed by a hand-painted fox graphic on the fuel tank—a riff on the old leaping tiger logo of the 50s.
As for the rest of the tank, that’s an original too. It’s from a 1965 TR6, and still wears its Burnished Gold over white paint, and Robin Egg Blue pinstriping. (The decal on the oil tank is straight out of the 1963 Big Hare run).
The patina and shed-built vibe conceal just how technically awesome this Triumph is. Back in the day, it would have been cutting edge. But right now, it’s a lovingly constructed reminder of the golden era of desert racing.
Long live the Desert Fox!
Hello Engine | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Jesse Carmody
Continue reading...
The motorcycle industry is replete with modern replicas of classic machines. These days, you can buy bikes that mimic the style of vintage motos—but with hidden electronics and catalytic converters, and no oil leaks.
Period-correct old timers are becoming rarer by the day. So we need guys like Hayden Roberts: craftsmen who live and breathe classic motorcycles. He’s a British transplant living in Santa Paula, California, where he repairs and restores old British iron under the Hello Engine banner.
His latest project is a showstopper. Built for the Born Free show, it’s a Triumph desert sled that’s dripping with patina and could have been built in 1965—except that it’s not technically an original model.
Hayden gives us the skinny: “I’d been collecting parts over the years and wanted to build the desert bike I’d always hoped to find stashed in a shed someplace. The idea was that every piece had to be original, no reproductions, and was there to serve a purpose: a race ready desert bike, no filler.”
“Maybe I got a little too deep into it, down to the logo on the bolt heads having to be era correct. But I wanted it to look like it was built 54 years ago—when in reality I finished it last Sunday!”
Hayden’s Triumph is a ‘bitsa’ like no other: a textbook example of how to build a desert sled. The frame’s a 1964 TR6 unit—but it’s not stock. Hayden braced it at the steering head, strengthened it, and raked it out an additional three degrees for stability. The seat loop was bent up too, and the rear section de-tabbed.
At Iron Cobras Fabrication, Even Scott added a chromoly brace to the swingarm to strengthen it further. The rear shocks are longer-than-stock Girlings, with the stiffest resistance Hayden could find (identifiable by the green stripes on the springs).
“The front forks are heavily modified,” Hayden tells us, “as the original equipment was basically a pogo stick.” This setup uses 1950s Triumph fork sliders with modded internals. Hayden added a shuttle valve, lengthened the dampening rods, added new bushings, and replaced the springs with heavy-duty progressive items.
The result is more travel and better cushioning over rough terrain. A fork brace was fitted too, to mitigate flex in lieu of a front fender.
For wheels, Hayden started with a late 50s to early 60s BSA Goldstar front, chosen because those were lighter than the Triumph offerings from that era. The rear is a mid-60s Triumph wheel, paired with a Webco overlay sprocket. The front tire is an impossibly rare 19×4” Avon Trials Supreme, and the rear is an 18” Avon Gripster from the same era.
Hayden tells us that the engine work alone could fill an encyclopedia. According to the VIN, the motor’s a 1965 650 cc TR6—“but as you can see, it’s a motor Triumph never made.”
The back half of the timing cover was slashed off, and the rear of a pre-unit 1950s motor welded in. “This enables you to run a Lucas competition magneto instead of the stock alternator set up,” Hayden explains.
“Magnetos get a bad rep but a well serviced mag will last 50-plus years. If they were good enough for fighter planes, they’re good enough for an old dirt bike.”
To get the conversion to work, he had to add the magneto gear into the interlocking gear sequence in the timing case. Apparently, there’s no room for error: “Too far apart and the teeth on the gears won’t mesh; too close and they won’t turn.”
This setup also features a Bonneville crank with a light flywheel, a Johnson mild race cam, and a small valve cylinder head from a 1963 TR6. It’s been converted to a ‘breather’ configuration—meaning that the motor vents via the crankcase into the primary (something Triumph themselves would start doing in the 70s).
Hayden had a set of N.O.S. Webco valves and springs, so he added those too, along with a set of forged 10:1 pistons. “The motor turned out really rev happy and is a ton of fun all through the range,” he says.
Even the ‘Q’ style air filter has a story. “Info on these is as scarce as the filters themselves,” says Hayden. “I’ve been told they were made in either New Mexico or the SF valley by a guy named Bobby Jay. I’ve never seen an advertisement for one, and you just don’t see them come up for sale often.”
“These use a metal gauze and a replaceable piece of filter material. It replaces the stock left side cover and battery tray and tucks in out of the way. For me it’s the best looking of the air filters, like it belongs there.”
The twin exhausts are early 60s Bud Ekins pipes. Hayden wanted a system that exited on the left, so he could show off the magneto conversion on the timing side.
Then there’s the impressive finishing kit. The seat is an original Bates race seat, hard-mounted to the frame for extra strength. Since it’s not hinged any more, Hayden had to modify the oil tank with a side filler.
The controls consist of Stelling and Hellings bars, and 1960s Camco grips with a leather ‘donut’ on the throttle side to prevent blisters. Hayden ran all the cables through lengths of braided fuel line—“an old desert trick that protects them from getting kinked if you drop the bike, or catch it in the giggle weeds.”
Hayden’s dubbed his sled the ‘Desert Fox,’ a nickname given to racers like Bud Ekins and Larry Berquist back in the day. It’s portrayed by a hand-painted fox graphic on the fuel tank—a riff on the old leaping tiger logo of the 50s.
As for the rest of the tank, that’s an original too. It’s from a 1965 TR6, and still wears its Burnished Gold over white paint, and Robin Egg Blue pinstriping. (The decal on the oil tank is straight out of the 1963 Big Hare run).
The patina and shed-built vibe conceal just how technically awesome this Triumph is. Back in the day, it would have been cutting edge. But right now, it’s a lovingly constructed reminder of the golden era of desert racing.
Long live the Desert Fox!
Hello Engine | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Jesse Carmody
Continue reading...
Zero XP: Untitled explores an electric future
A few short months after Zero Motorcycles revealed its newest SR/F model, the California electric motorcycle manufacturer has unveiled the Zero XP, a custom build from Hugo Eccles of Untitled Motorcycles.
Last year, while the SR/F was in the final stages of development, Zero gave Hugo exclusive access to the pre-production prototypes and to their team of engineering and electronics experts.
“We’ve been fans of Hugo’s work since we saw his Hyper Scrambler, says Zero’s VP of Product Development, Brian Wismann. “We felt the SR/F was the perfect fit for Hugo’s future-forward design approach.”
For Hugo, who trained at the Royal College of Art in London and has worked on concept cars for Ford, the SR/F project was an opportunity to rethink the design language of motorcycles.
“When you’re dealing with an internal combustion engine, you have built-in physical constraints,” he explains.
“The fuel tank has to sit above the motor to gravity-feed the carbs, the carbs are positioned away from turbulent airflow, the exhaust is routed to avoid heating the fuel or the rider, and so on.”
“But those rules don’t apply to an electric motorcycle—and that freedom is an incredible opportunity for a designer. If things like a fuel tank, exhaust, carbs, and clutch are no longer necessary, then what is?”
Apparently, not a whole lot. The bodywork of the Zero XP is minimal, with just enough to support the rider. And what there is, seems to float off the frame almost like an exploded diagram of a motorcycle.
The process began with removing everything except what was strictly required, like the knee panels—which Hugo found were critical to the rider’s ability to control the bike.
The knee panels blend into a transparent top surface that holds the system display and allows the rider to see down through to the electric powertrain.
“From the outset, I didn’t want to hide the powertrain behind a fairing,” says Hugo. “I wanted to unapologetically celebrate the character of this motorcycle.”
The XP’s powertrain is a machined aerospace-grade aluminum core that contains the batteries, motor, charger, and other control components—and also incorporates the seat.
“Drag bikes were an inspiration,” says Hugo. “With the XP, you’re literally riding the motor. This is a deceptively powerful bike and I wanted to physically embody that raw power.”
Hugo also drew inspiration from rally car aerodynamics and experimental aircraft. “The XP can go from zero to 200 kph (124 mph) without a single gear change, and the acceleration feels a lot like piloting a jet. I started thinking in terms of control surfaces, both human and machine, and everything fell into place from there.”
Hugo has lightly modded the Zero’s frame and the Showa suspension, and installed a Motogadget Motoscope Mini LED display into a custom CNC’d top bracket. Motogadget also supplied the m.lock keyless RFID ignition, integrated into ‘tank’ screen.
The brakes are hooked up using Goodridge braided stainless steel lines and an ISR master cylinder, and use twin 320mm NG floating discs at the front. The battery charger has been discreetly relocated, and the lighting now comes from Motobox.
Despite the extensive mods, the XP’s ergonomics will be familiar to Zero owners. “The SR/F already had good ergonomics, so I didn’t want to mess around with them,” says Hugo.
He left the seat in its original position, along with the footpegs—which are now held by custom CNC’d aluminum carriers that support edge-lit heel guards.
Clip-on bars, with an internal throttle and minimal switchgear, lend the Zero a more aggressive stance.
The final result is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, right down to the ‘Ghost Grey’ aircraft paint.
“Hugo is one of the most interesting designer-builders out there, and it shows with the XP,” says Wismann. “You can really see his industrial design perspective in every detail. He’s created something truly exceptional.”
As extraordinary as the XP looks, Hugo says he didn’t set out to design a futuristic version of a motorcycle. “This isn’t about novelty for novelty’s sake, or some nostalgic idea of the future.”
“The goal was to celebrate the unique riding experience with a new and function-led aesthetic. If the Zero XP looks futuristic, it’s because electric motorcycles like the SR/F are the future.”
If you’re in England and you’d like to see that future close-up, the Zero XP debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this Thursday and throughout the weekend.
Untitled Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Zero SR/F | Photography by Ludovic Robert
Continue reading...
A few short months after Zero Motorcycles revealed its newest SR/F model, the California electric motorcycle manufacturer has unveiled the Zero XP, a custom build from Hugo Eccles of Untitled Motorcycles.
Last year, while the SR/F was in the final stages of development, Zero gave Hugo exclusive access to the pre-production prototypes and to their team of engineering and electronics experts.
“We’ve been fans of Hugo’s work since we saw his Hyper Scrambler, says Zero’s VP of Product Development, Brian Wismann. “We felt the SR/F was the perfect fit for Hugo’s future-forward design approach.”
For Hugo, who trained at the Royal College of Art in London and has worked on concept cars for Ford, the SR/F project was an opportunity to rethink the design language of motorcycles.
“When you’re dealing with an internal combustion engine, you have built-in physical constraints,” he explains.
“The fuel tank has to sit above the motor to gravity-feed the carbs, the carbs are positioned away from turbulent airflow, the exhaust is routed to avoid heating the fuel or the rider, and so on.”
“But those rules don’t apply to an electric motorcycle—and that freedom is an incredible opportunity for a designer. If things like a fuel tank, exhaust, carbs, and clutch are no longer necessary, then what is?”
Apparently, not a whole lot. The bodywork of the Zero XP is minimal, with just enough to support the rider. And what there is, seems to float off the frame almost like an exploded diagram of a motorcycle.
The process began with removing everything except what was strictly required, like the knee panels—which Hugo found were critical to the rider’s ability to control the bike.
The knee panels blend into a transparent top surface that holds the system display and allows the rider to see down through to the electric powertrain.
“From the outset, I didn’t want to hide the powertrain behind a fairing,” says Hugo. “I wanted to unapologetically celebrate the character of this motorcycle.”
The XP’s powertrain is a machined aerospace-grade aluminum core that contains the batteries, motor, charger, and other control components—and also incorporates the seat.
“Drag bikes were an inspiration,” says Hugo. “With the XP, you’re literally riding the motor. This is a deceptively powerful bike and I wanted to physically embody that raw power.”
Hugo also drew inspiration from rally car aerodynamics and experimental aircraft. “The XP can go from zero to 200 kph (124 mph) without a single gear change, and the acceleration feels a lot like piloting a jet. I started thinking in terms of control surfaces, both human and machine, and everything fell into place from there.”
Hugo has lightly modded the Zero’s frame and the Showa suspension, and installed a Motogadget Motoscope Mini LED display into a custom CNC’d top bracket. Motogadget also supplied the m.lock keyless RFID ignition, integrated into ‘tank’ screen.
The brakes are hooked up using Goodridge braided stainless steel lines and an ISR master cylinder, and use twin 320mm NG floating discs at the front. The battery charger has been discreetly relocated, and the lighting now comes from Motobox.
Despite the extensive mods, the XP’s ergonomics will be familiar to Zero owners. “The SR/F already had good ergonomics, so I didn’t want to mess around with them,” says Hugo.
He left the seat in its original position, along with the footpegs—which are now held by custom CNC’d aluminum carriers that support edge-lit heel guards.
Clip-on bars, with an internal throttle and minimal switchgear, lend the Zero a more aggressive stance.
The final result is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, right down to the ‘Ghost Grey’ aircraft paint.
“Hugo is one of the most interesting designer-builders out there, and it shows with the XP,” says Wismann. “You can really see his industrial design perspective in every detail. He’s created something truly exceptional.”
As extraordinary as the XP looks, Hugo says he didn’t set out to design a futuristic version of a motorcycle. “This isn’t about novelty for novelty’s sake, or some nostalgic idea of the future.”
“The goal was to celebrate the unique riding experience with a new and function-led aesthetic. If the Zero XP looks futuristic, it’s because electric motorcycles like the SR/F are the future.”
If you’re in England and you’d like to see that future close-up, the Zero XP debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this Thursday and throughout the weekend.
Untitled Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Zero SR/F | Photography by Ludovic Robert
Continue reading...
Project Angel: A Grom and sidecar from Industrial Moto
We love Honda Groms and we love sidecars, so this brilliant little rig from Industrial Moto is a double-shot of perfection for us.
It was built as a present for a disabled lad, and comes from Tyler Haynes of Industrial Moto in Virginia, USA. Tyler is an accomplished custom bike builder, but he has history in the sidecar world too.
A few weeks ago, Tyler hit the headlines with his Project GUS (‘Grom Utility Sidecar’), a very clever $1,600 bolt-on kit with adjustable independent suspension.
“After GUS was released, a motovlogger called iamsouless contacted me,” Tyler reveals. “His real name is Chris, and he rides a Grom. He wanted to know if we could build a sidecar for his little brother Nick, who has Angelman Syndrome, so Nick could experience the joy of riding.”
Angelman Syndrome is a nervous system disorder that prevents normal activity and movement, and Chris takes care of Nick full time. So Tyler, being a good sort, decided to do the Grom build ‘at cost’—as well as covering the vehicle shipping costs.
Chris’s YouTube followers got wind of this, and started a GoFundMe campaign that met the build cost in just three days. Win.
Although there’s a wait list for Industrial Moto’s cargo-carrying Grom sidecar, Tyler got to work. He adapted the cart design to accommodate an auto-racing seat, complete with five-point harness.
Plus custom paneling in orange to match the brand colors of Chris’ YouTube channel.
“We designed the cart to accommodate Nick safely, because of his syndrome,” says Tyler. Underneath, there’s independent suspension with a shock to cushion Nick’s weight (the spring is color coded orange too).
There’s also a safety bar next to the sidecar wheel, and an adjustable grab bar in front of the seat—like you’d find on an old-school fairground ride.
The quality of the workmanship is impressive: “It’s crazy good welding,” enthuses Chris. And the deep, lustrous powder coat on the sidecar frame is top-notch too.
Tyler added a few custom stickers and then new rubber to finish off the Grom: orange-and-black Scott grips, and a fresh set of chunky Kenda K761 dual sport tires.
Chris was stunned by result, and so was his little brother Nick—even though getting the lad into the sidecar is a laborious and time-consuming business. Chris also has to tie Nick’s hands to the grab bar, to prevent them going anywhere they shouldn’t.
But the process is worth it. Just check the priceless video below.
Industrial Moto | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Mark Long
Continue reading...
We love Honda Groms and we love sidecars, so this brilliant little rig from Industrial Moto is a double-shot of perfection for us.
It was built as a present for a disabled lad, and comes from Tyler Haynes of Industrial Moto in Virginia, USA. Tyler is an accomplished custom bike builder, but he has history in the sidecar world too.
A few weeks ago, Tyler hit the headlines with his Project GUS (‘Grom Utility Sidecar’), a very clever $1,600 bolt-on kit with adjustable independent suspension.
“After GUS was released, a motovlogger called iamsouless contacted me,” Tyler reveals. “His real name is Chris, and he rides a Grom. He wanted to know if we could build a sidecar for his little brother Nick, who has Angelman Syndrome, so Nick could experience the joy of riding.”
Angelman Syndrome is a nervous system disorder that prevents normal activity and movement, and Chris takes care of Nick full time. So Tyler, being a good sort, decided to do the Grom build ‘at cost’—as well as covering the vehicle shipping costs.
Chris’s YouTube followers got wind of this, and started a GoFundMe campaign that met the build cost in just three days. Win.
Although there’s a wait list for Industrial Moto’s cargo-carrying Grom sidecar, Tyler got to work. He adapted the cart design to accommodate an auto-racing seat, complete with five-point harness.
Plus custom paneling in orange to match the brand colors of Chris’ YouTube channel.
“We designed the cart to accommodate Nick safely, because of his syndrome,” says Tyler. Underneath, there’s independent suspension with a shock to cushion Nick’s weight (the spring is color coded orange too).
There’s also a safety bar next to the sidecar wheel, and an adjustable grab bar in front of the seat—like you’d find on an old-school fairground ride.
The quality of the workmanship is impressive: “It’s crazy good welding,” enthuses Chris. And the deep, lustrous powder coat on the sidecar frame is top-notch too.
Tyler added a few custom stickers and then new rubber to finish off the Grom: orange-and-black Scott grips, and a fresh set of chunky Kenda K761 dual sport tires.
Chris was stunned by result, and so was his little brother Nick—even though getting the lad into the sidecar is a laborious and time-consuming business. Chris also has to tie Nick’s hands to the grab bar, to prevent them going anywhere they shouldn’t.
But the process is worth it. Just check the priceless video below.
Industrial Moto | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Mark Long
Continue reading...
Venier reimagines the Guzzi Nuovo Falcone for 2020
Moto Guzzi has a rich legacy of building motorcycles for Italy’s civil servants. The V7 of 1967 was originally designed as a police bike, and its longitudinally mounted V-twin motor went on to become a hallmark of the company. A couple of years later, the lesser-known Nuovo Falcone pottered onto the scene.
The Nuovo Falcone was a smaller alternative to the V7 built for the Italian army, and a couple of years later was sold to civilians too. It was powered by a 500 cc single pushing out around 30 hp, making it just about the most utilitarian Moto Guzzi you can find today.
So why customize one? “Well, take a look at the engine,” says Venier Customs founder, Stefano Venier. “How can you not pick the Falcone?”
Stefano and his crew at Venier Customs’ Italian workshop decided to build a modern take on the Nuovo Falcone 500. “Our design is what the Falcone could look like if it was re-designed by Moto Guzzi today,” he explains. “It’s not trying to be a ‘special’ or ‘custom build’—it’s our vision of the 2020 Moto Guzzi Falcone.”
According to Stefano, Nuovo Falcone Militare models are easy to find, and often with low mileage. He managed to source a late 1960s example in top shape, and with a measly 700 km (434 miles) on the clock.
Despite its visual condition, the donor was still a half-century old bike. So the Venier crew refreshed the motor with new seals and gaskets, and built a new wiring harness. The shop’s in-house mechanic even added an electric start to make day-to-day riding a bit easier.
A lot of the Nuovo Falcone’s original parts were still good enough to use—so Stefano envisioned a unique blend of custom and vintage.
The frame was trimmed of all unneeded brackets, and the subframe shortened. Venier Customs kept the front forks, wheels and classic drum brakes—but installed a new set of rear shocks.
All of the bodywork on this Nuovo Falcone is custom. The Venier crew shaped up a new aluminum fuel tank, seat pan, side panels and fenders, all in the shop’s sleek signature style. The seat’s covered in faux leather (because it holds up in rain better than real leather), and there’s a slim LED taillight tucked between it and the rear fender.
The Moto Guzzi’s foot and hand controls are all originals—right down to the decompression and choke levers on the bars, and the OEM switchgear. (“How awesome would it be if a ‘new Falcone’ had some new but vintage-looking parts on it?” wonders Stefano.)
But the rest of the cockpit is mostly custom. The bars are off a dirt bike, and are capped off with Biltwell Inc. grips.
The headlight bucket is a custom piece with LED internals, and the turn signals are modern LED items. Just above it is a hand-built aluminum dashboard, equipped with a modern GPS-enabled speedo, the key ignition and warning lights.
In typical Venier fashion, the Guzzi’s been repainted in a tidy monochrome livery with just a hint of gold. Everything’s been refinished in black or grey, giving the newly dubbed ‘VX Falcone’ an extremely cohesive feel.
The last few bits include a custom exhaust header with a blacked-out muffler from Mass Moto, and a set of Metzeler Perfect ME 77 tires. (They’re modern touring tires with classic treads, designed for smaller capacity motorcycles.)
The Venier VX Falcone might not be the quickest Moto Guzzi custom around, but it sure is handsome. And it should have just enough poke for some Sunday morning cafe-hopping.
If the Mandello factory did eventually build a remake as good as this, we’d be tempted.
Venier Customs | Facebook | Instagram | Photos: Donatello Trevisiol
Continue reading...
Moto Guzzi has a rich legacy of building motorcycles for Italy’s civil servants. The V7 of 1967 was originally designed as a police bike, and its longitudinally mounted V-twin motor went on to become a hallmark of the company. A couple of years later, the lesser-known Nuovo Falcone pottered onto the scene.
The Nuovo Falcone was a smaller alternative to the V7 built for the Italian army, and a couple of years later was sold to civilians too. It was powered by a 500 cc single pushing out around 30 hp, making it just about the most utilitarian Moto Guzzi you can find today.
So why customize one? “Well, take a look at the engine,” says Venier Customs founder, Stefano Venier. “How can you not pick the Falcone?”
Stefano and his crew at Venier Customs’ Italian workshop decided to build a modern take on the Nuovo Falcone 500. “Our design is what the Falcone could look like if it was re-designed by Moto Guzzi today,” he explains. “It’s not trying to be a ‘special’ or ‘custom build’—it’s our vision of the 2020 Moto Guzzi Falcone.”
According to Stefano, Nuovo Falcone Militare models are easy to find, and often with low mileage. He managed to source a late 1960s example in top shape, and with a measly 700 km (434 miles) on the clock.
Despite its visual condition, the donor was still a half-century old bike. So the Venier crew refreshed the motor with new seals and gaskets, and built a new wiring harness. The shop’s in-house mechanic even added an electric start to make day-to-day riding a bit easier.
A lot of the Nuovo Falcone’s original parts were still good enough to use—so Stefano envisioned a unique blend of custom and vintage.
The frame was trimmed of all unneeded brackets, and the subframe shortened. Venier Customs kept the front forks, wheels and classic drum brakes—but installed a new set of rear shocks.
All of the bodywork on this Nuovo Falcone is custom. The Venier crew shaped up a new aluminum fuel tank, seat pan, side panels and fenders, all in the shop’s sleek signature style. The seat’s covered in faux leather (because it holds up in rain better than real leather), and there’s a slim LED taillight tucked between it and the rear fender.
The Moto Guzzi’s foot and hand controls are all originals—right down to the decompression and choke levers on the bars, and the OEM switchgear. (“How awesome would it be if a ‘new Falcone’ had some new but vintage-looking parts on it?” wonders Stefano.)
But the rest of the cockpit is mostly custom. The bars are off a dirt bike, and are capped off with Biltwell Inc. grips.
The headlight bucket is a custom piece with LED internals, and the turn signals are modern LED items. Just above it is a hand-built aluminum dashboard, equipped with a modern GPS-enabled speedo, the key ignition and warning lights.
In typical Venier fashion, the Guzzi’s been repainted in a tidy monochrome livery with just a hint of gold. Everything’s been refinished in black or grey, giving the newly dubbed ‘VX Falcone’ an extremely cohesive feel.
The last few bits include a custom exhaust header with a blacked-out muffler from Mass Moto, and a set of Metzeler Perfect ME 77 tires. (They’re modern touring tires with classic treads, designed for smaller capacity motorcycles.)
The Venier VX Falcone might not be the quickest Moto Guzzi custom around, but it sure is handsome. And it should have just enough poke for some Sunday morning cafe-hopping.
If the Mandello factory did eventually build a remake as good as this, we’d be tempted.
Venier Customs | Facebook | Instagram | Photos: Donatello Trevisiol
Continue reading...
Custom Bikes Of The Week: 23 June, 2019
We’ve got a Harley-heavy selection this week, with a cafe racer from Italy, a scrambler from Japan and a tracker from the UK. Rounding out the selection are a rally-style Royal Enfield, and a jaw-dropping cafe/streetfighter Ducati Panigale.
Harley-Davidson Sportster by Speed and Custom Followers of the V-Twin scene in Britain will know Steve Willis’ name: as the man behind Speed and Custom, he runs one of Europe’s top in-house Harley-Davidson custom shops.
Steve just dropped us a line about this new Sportster 883 build. It was commissioned by a customer who was very taken with S&C’s Dirt Quake-winning Mert Lawill replica flat tracker, and wanted something in a similar vein. The idea was to build a Sportster with a rugged, shed built vibe, rather than something clean and showy.
On went a raw aluminum fuel tank from Omega Racer in Thailand, and a ribbed rear fender. The fender support was made from an old sissy bar, and the rider’s seat is a re-shaped Forty-Eight unit, upholstered by SM Trimming. The modern emulsion shocks were swapped for a set of more classic looking items from a Nightster, and a set of off-the-shelf number boards were modified to fit the sides.
This street tracker also features a Paughco exhaust system and a Bison Motorsports velocity stack, with a one-off aluminum cover over the fuel injection module, complete with the Speed and Custom logo. As for the ’44’ on the number boards, those are a nod to 1944—the year the customer’s father participated in the D-Day Landings. [Speed and Custom Instagram]
Ducati Panigale by Thornton Hundred Motorcycles With 205 hp and 145 Nm of torque on tap, the 2017 Ducati Panigale 1299 is mental enough in stock form. Now imagine stripping off the fairings and making it more compact. Jody Millhouse at Thornton Hundred Motorcycles did—and this ballistic cafe-slash-streetfighter is the result.
Jody did more than just bin the Panigale fairings though. Out back is a CNC-milled subframe and seat support, with a seat that’s not too far off the stock perch’s ergonomics. Up front, Jody designed and 3D printed a headlight nacelle that packs two LEDS—and lets air through to the Ducati’s intakes. New clip-ons from Renthal went on, along with Motogadget bar-end blinkers.
Exposing the Panigale’s guts meant that a lot of unsightly electronics were now on display. So Jody fabricated a set of side ‘winglets’ to round out the bodywork, and to hide away those components. He also fitted a new oil cooler in a new position, which meant he could clean up the plumbing significantly.
There’s about 70 hours of work in the exhaust alone. Jody 3D printed prototypes of the flanges, then built a pie-cut titanium system. He tweaked the bike further with an adjustable Ducabike shock linkage and AM rearsets. And between that exhaust, and a fresh engine tune, this Panigale now packs an extra 15 horses. [Thornton Hundred Motorcycles]
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy by Mr Martini A 1998-model Fat Boy is the last bike we’d pick for a cafe racer. But somehow, Mr Nicola Martini has pulled it off. Yes, this Harley is still low, long and planted—but it’s also extremely classy, and a suitable addition to Mr Martini’s stylish portfolio.
The biggest visual hit comes from the new bodywork. There’s a slimmer tank up top, and a new set of lower side fairings that give the Fat Boy an almost vintage racer feel. Mr Martini built two quick-release seat units too—one with a tail hump, and one with a bench seat to bring a friend along.
The Harley’s stance has been significantly tweaked. The Fat Boy’s chunky wheels are still in play, but they’re now hooked up to a polished JMC swing arm, a fully adjustable rear shock, and a set of upside-down front forks.
On the performance side, this Fat Boy’s packed with Edelbrock heads, an S&S carb and an open chain primary. The exhaust system is from Zard, but it’s no off-the-shelf part—the Italian company built it specifically for this bike. That alone should make this cruiser-cafe hybrid one helluva traffic light burner too. [Mr Martini]
Royal Enfield Himalayan by Wrench Kings The Himalayan’s biggest selling points are that it’s simple and affordable. But as a number of custom builders have already proven, it’s fun to customize too. This latest example comes from Wrench Kings, who’ve given the Royal Enfield dual sport a robust, rally raid vibe.
The underlying motorcycle has gone largely unchanged, save for a new exhaust that should add an extra pony or two (and improve the soundtrack). So most of the changes are around cosmetics, protection and usability.
Wrench Kings ditched the Himalayan’s OEM headlight and screen combo, and fabricated a rally-style front fairing. It features mesh panels up top with two LEDs, and mesh inserts on the sides to dress up the Enfield’s goofy front-end framework. There’s also a set of fog lights lower down, a new bash plate, and a GPS lurking behind the new fairing.
Wrench Kings also recovered the seat, built a neat little integrated taillight, and fitted Motogadget turn signals. There’s a set of side panels to visually beef up the fuel tank, and a shorter fender to abbreviate the tail. A repurposed jerry can on a custom mount adds some cargo carrying capability. Like the bike? You can also enter a lottery competition to win it.
Harley-Davidson Sportster by Chikara Ueyama Most Sportster-based scramblers are built to look the part, and handle a modicum of actual off-roading. But this 1998 Harley-Davidson XLH883 was put together for proper off-road shenanigans. It belongs to Chikara Ueyama—CEO of Japanese parts manufacturer K&H—who built it over three years in his spare time.
Even though this scrambler’s still recognizable as a Sportster, Ueyama-san has made a ton of changes. He built the new fuel tank, rear fender, skid plate and seat pan himself, using carbon fiber reinforced polymer. But he kept the headlight, speedo, air cleaner cover, oil tank and rear struts, as a nod to the original.
There’s some trick framework going on too. Chikara fabricated little ‘subframes’ to lower the foot pegs, built a new exhaust mount, and moved the swing arm pivot. The swing arm itself is custom too—all design to accommodate a set of long Öhlins shocks. They’re matched up to a pair of upside-down forks, and a set of big hoops.
Finishing kit includes MX bars, knobby tires and a beefy Akrapovič exhaust. Chikara now treats it as a legit dual-sport bike, using it for everything from commuting, to adventure touring and rally events. [More]
Continue reading...
We’ve got a Harley-heavy selection this week, with a cafe racer from Italy, a scrambler from Japan and a tracker from the UK. Rounding out the selection are a rally-style Royal Enfield, and a jaw-dropping cafe/streetfighter Ducati Panigale.
Harley-Davidson Sportster by Speed and Custom Followers of the V-Twin scene in Britain will know Steve Willis’ name: as the man behind Speed and Custom, he runs one of Europe’s top in-house Harley-Davidson custom shops.
Steve just dropped us a line about this new Sportster 883 build. It was commissioned by a customer who was very taken with S&C’s Dirt Quake-winning Mert Lawill replica flat tracker, and wanted something in a similar vein. The idea was to build a Sportster with a rugged, shed built vibe, rather than something clean and showy.
On went a raw aluminum fuel tank from Omega Racer in Thailand, and a ribbed rear fender. The fender support was made from an old sissy bar, and the rider’s seat is a re-shaped Forty-Eight unit, upholstered by SM Trimming. The modern emulsion shocks were swapped for a set of more classic looking items from a Nightster, and a set of off-the-shelf number boards were modified to fit the sides.
This street tracker also features a Paughco exhaust system and a Bison Motorsports velocity stack, with a one-off aluminum cover over the fuel injection module, complete with the Speed and Custom logo. As for the ’44’ on the number boards, those are a nod to 1944—the year the customer’s father participated in the D-Day Landings. [Speed and Custom Instagram]
Ducati Panigale by Thornton Hundred Motorcycles With 205 hp and 145 Nm of torque on tap, the 2017 Ducati Panigale 1299 is mental enough in stock form. Now imagine stripping off the fairings and making it more compact. Jody Millhouse at Thornton Hundred Motorcycles did—and this ballistic cafe-slash-streetfighter is the result.
Jody did more than just bin the Panigale fairings though. Out back is a CNC-milled subframe and seat support, with a seat that’s not too far off the stock perch’s ergonomics. Up front, Jody designed and 3D printed a headlight nacelle that packs two LEDS—and lets air through to the Ducati’s intakes. New clip-ons from Renthal went on, along with Motogadget bar-end blinkers.
Exposing the Panigale’s guts meant that a lot of unsightly electronics were now on display. So Jody fabricated a set of side ‘winglets’ to round out the bodywork, and to hide away those components. He also fitted a new oil cooler in a new position, which meant he could clean up the plumbing significantly.
There’s about 70 hours of work in the exhaust alone. Jody 3D printed prototypes of the flanges, then built a pie-cut titanium system. He tweaked the bike further with an adjustable Ducabike shock linkage and AM rearsets. And between that exhaust, and a fresh engine tune, this Panigale now packs an extra 15 horses. [Thornton Hundred Motorcycles]
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy by Mr Martini A 1998-model Fat Boy is the last bike we’d pick for a cafe racer. But somehow, Mr Nicola Martini has pulled it off. Yes, this Harley is still low, long and planted—but it’s also extremely classy, and a suitable addition to Mr Martini’s stylish portfolio.
The biggest visual hit comes from the new bodywork. There’s a slimmer tank up top, and a new set of lower side fairings that give the Fat Boy an almost vintage racer feel. Mr Martini built two quick-release seat units too—one with a tail hump, and one with a bench seat to bring a friend along.
The Harley’s stance has been significantly tweaked. The Fat Boy’s chunky wheels are still in play, but they’re now hooked up to a polished JMC swing arm, a fully adjustable rear shock, and a set of upside-down front forks.
On the performance side, this Fat Boy’s packed with Edelbrock heads, an S&S carb and an open chain primary. The exhaust system is from Zard, but it’s no off-the-shelf part—the Italian company built it specifically for this bike. That alone should make this cruiser-cafe hybrid one helluva traffic light burner too. [Mr Martini]
Royal Enfield Himalayan by Wrench Kings The Himalayan’s biggest selling points are that it’s simple and affordable. But as a number of custom builders have already proven, it’s fun to customize too. This latest example comes from Wrench Kings, who’ve given the Royal Enfield dual sport a robust, rally raid vibe.
The underlying motorcycle has gone largely unchanged, save for a new exhaust that should add an extra pony or two (and improve the soundtrack). So most of the changes are around cosmetics, protection and usability.
Wrench Kings ditched the Himalayan’s OEM headlight and screen combo, and fabricated a rally-style front fairing. It features mesh panels up top with two LEDs, and mesh inserts on the sides to dress up the Enfield’s goofy front-end framework. There’s also a set of fog lights lower down, a new bash plate, and a GPS lurking behind the new fairing.
Wrench Kings also recovered the seat, built a neat little integrated taillight, and fitted Motogadget turn signals. There’s a set of side panels to visually beef up the fuel tank, and a shorter fender to abbreviate the tail. A repurposed jerry can on a custom mount adds some cargo carrying capability. Like the bike? You can also enter a lottery competition to win it.
Harley-Davidson Sportster by Chikara Ueyama Most Sportster-based scramblers are built to look the part, and handle a modicum of actual off-roading. But this 1998 Harley-Davidson XLH883 was put together for proper off-road shenanigans. It belongs to Chikara Ueyama—CEO of Japanese parts manufacturer K&H—who built it over three years in his spare time.
Even though this scrambler’s still recognizable as a Sportster, Ueyama-san has made a ton of changes. He built the new fuel tank, rear fender, skid plate and seat pan himself, using carbon fiber reinforced polymer. But he kept the headlight, speedo, air cleaner cover, oil tank and rear struts, as a nod to the original.
There’s some trick framework going on too. Chikara fabricated little ‘subframes’ to lower the foot pegs, built a new exhaust mount, and moved the swing arm pivot. The swing arm itself is custom too—all design to accommodate a set of long Öhlins shocks. They’re matched up to a pair of upside-down forks, and a set of big hoops.
Finishing kit includes MX bars, knobby tires and a beefy Akrapovič exhaust. Chikara now treats it as a legit dual-sport bike, using it for everything from commuting, to adventure touring and rally events. [More]
Continue reading...
Custom Bikes Of The Week: 7 July, 2019
We’ve got two very different track bikes on offer this week: a modern BMW endurance racer, and a Ducati 999 from XTR Pepo. Plus a XSR700 rally edition by Deus, sexy bolt-on upgrades for the R nineT from Hookie Co., and a simple but stylish short film from Age of Glory.
BMW S1000RR by Crazy Garage Modern superbikes are technological marvels that would run rings around the racers of yesteryear. But visually, most leave us cold. Here’s one solution: a 199 hp BMW S1000RR redressed as an 80s endurance racer.
It’s the work of Crazy Garage in Korea, and was built for a customer that wanted yesterday’s looks with today’s performance. And it’s no show pony either—it’s actually the client’s track day bike. So it already had forged wheels, Brembo brakes, Bitubo suspension and a Rapid Bike EVO installed.
That left Crazy Garage to focus on cosmetics. On went a custom fairing, bellypan and tail section, all made from fiber reinforced plastic. The S1000RR’s tank remained, but it shed some of its plastic cover panels.
The front end is just perfect, with an offset headlight and perforation, and there’s a single tail light embedded out back. This RR also features some carbon protective bits, a few hop up parts and a Racefit exhaust mounted on a custom hanger. The livery’s a play on BMW’s motorsport colors, swapping red for orange. [More]
BMW R nineT kit by Hookie Co. We’ve already featured a stylish R nineT kit from Hookie Co. And now the German shop has returned with a follow up—a set of bolt-on parts that cost less, and result in a more subtle rework of the Bavarian boxer.
They’ve dubbed their example bike ‘Street Eagle,’ and based it on a 2018 R nineT Scrambler. (But these parts should fit most R nineTs with ease). And the focus is on small DIY changes that have maximum impact. This kit works with the stock fuel tank, but here Hookie have given it a clever geometric livery, with a blacked-out section that transforms its lines.
Most of the action is happening out back. The Alcantara-wrapped saddle is a direct fit for the nineT, and the ‘Eagle Scrambler tail’ attaches directly to the nineT’s passenger subframe. It includes a rear loop, an aluminum plate and a Snake cargo strap.
This build’s finished off with Kellermann turn signals and combo turn-signal-tail-lights, a K&N air filter and an Arrow exhaust. The bar-end mirrors are from Motogadget, and the headlight’s an LED number. It’s a great spin on the stock nineT, and something we’d be tempted to try ourselves, given the chance. [More]
Yamaha XSR700 by Deus ex Machina Earlier this year, Deus ex Machina hosted the Sardinia Classic Deus Swank Rally—a throwback to the original Rally di Sardegna. And they fielded a bike too: this oddball-looking Yamaha XSR700, piloted by top cross-country mountain biker Marco Aurelio Fontana.
It’s function over form: for more off-road ability, Deus installed a complete Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200 front-end, including its 19” tubeless front wheel. They tuned the forks to match the XSR’s lower weight, then installed an Öhlins shock out back, along with a new linkage to increase travel. The rear wheel’s a 17” tubeless unit from Kineo, and the tires are Metzeler Karoo 3s.
Up top is a hand-shaped aluminum fuel tank, followed by a custom saddle. The rest of the bodywork is all plastic dirt bike fare from the Acerbis catalog. And the hand-guards are vintage plastic shields mounted on new Acerbis braces.
Other upgrades include a pukka road book holder, a hand-made aluminum bash guard, and a custom two-into-one exhaust from SC Project. Between the XSR’s sweet parallel-twin motor and the retro rally style, this one sure looks like fun. [More]
Ducati 999 by XTR Pepo Pepo Rosell is the closest thing to a mad scientist the custom scene has. The former head of Radical Ducati has a way of building bikes that look fast, borderline ridiculous, but always awesome. This time, he’s worked his magic on the Pierre Terrblanche-designed Ducati 999.
This one started as a 2004-model 999, but other than the trellis frame and motor, there’s not much left to recognize it by. It now wears a RAD fuel tank with Lightech fuel cap, and a RAD tail section, with upholstery by Pepo himself. The fairing’s from RAD too, and features a signature XTR endurance light.
With exposed belts and snaking two-into-one headers (they’re from Fresco, with a Spark muffler), the Ducati’s mechanical bits dominate the view. Pepo remapped the ECU too, and installed a lightweight LiPo battery. The carbon fiber water pump guard, LED turn signals and clip-ons are all from the XTR parts catalog.
As much as we love the original 999, there’s no denying that XTR Pepo‘s rework is kick-to-the-jaw cool. We’d love to see—and hear—it unleashed on the track. [More]
‘Escape the City Limits’ by Age of Glory For many people, motorcycles are more than just transport—they’re a means of escape, too. The French apparel company Age of Glory feels that way and has released a short film called Escape the City Limits.
It’s a celebration of leaving the city behind and heading for the hills. And the best way to do that is obviously on two wheels (preferably vintage) and with good mates.
Sounds about right to us. Grab a cup of coffee, and have a watch below.
Continue reading...
We’ve got two very different track bikes on offer this week: a modern BMW endurance racer, and a Ducati 999 from XTR Pepo. Plus a XSR700 rally edition by Deus, sexy bolt-on upgrades for the R nineT from Hookie Co., and a simple but stylish short film from Age of Glory.
BMW S1000RR by Crazy Garage Modern superbikes are technological marvels that would run rings around the racers of yesteryear. But visually, most leave us cold. Here’s one solution: a 199 hp BMW S1000RR redressed as an 80s endurance racer.
It’s the work of Crazy Garage in Korea, and was built for a customer that wanted yesterday’s looks with today’s performance. And it’s no show pony either—it’s actually the client’s track day bike. So it already had forged wheels, Brembo brakes, Bitubo suspension and a Rapid Bike EVO installed.
That left Crazy Garage to focus on cosmetics. On went a custom fairing, bellypan and tail section, all made from fiber reinforced plastic. The S1000RR’s tank remained, but it shed some of its plastic cover panels.
The front end is just perfect, with an offset headlight and perforation, and there’s a single tail light embedded out back. This RR also features some carbon protective bits, a few hop up parts and a Racefit exhaust mounted on a custom hanger. The livery’s a play on BMW’s motorsport colors, swapping red for orange. [More]
BMW R nineT kit by Hookie Co. We’ve already featured a stylish R nineT kit from Hookie Co. And now the German shop has returned with a follow up—a set of bolt-on parts that cost less, and result in a more subtle rework of the Bavarian boxer.
They’ve dubbed their example bike ‘Street Eagle,’ and based it on a 2018 R nineT Scrambler. (But these parts should fit most R nineTs with ease). And the focus is on small DIY changes that have maximum impact. This kit works with the stock fuel tank, but here Hookie have given it a clever geometric livery, with a blacked-out section that transforms its lines.
Most of the action is happening out back. The Alcantara-wrapped saddle is a direct fit for the nineT, and the ‘Eagle Scrambler tail’ attaches directly to the nineT’s passenger subframe. It includes a rear loop, an aluminum plate and a Snake cargo strap.
This build’s finished off with Kellermann turn signals and combo turn-signal-tail-lights, a K&N air filter and an Arrow exhaust. The bar-end mirrors are from Motogadget, and the headlight’s an LED number. It’s a great spin on the stock nineT, and something we’d be tempted to try ourselves, given the chance. [More]
Yamaha XSR700 by Deus ex Machina Earlier this year, Deus ex Machina hosted the Sardinia Classic Deus Swank Rally—a throwback to the original Rally di Sardegna. And they fielded a bike too: this oddball-looking Yamaha XSR700, piloted by top cross-country mountain biker Marco Aurelio Fontana.
It’s function over form: for more off-road ability, Deus installed a complete Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200 front-end, including its 19” tubeless front wheel. They tuned the forks to match the XSR’s lower weight, then installed an Öhlins shock out back, along with a new linkage to increase travel. The rear wheel’s a 17” tubeless unit from Kineo, and the tires are Metzeler Karoo 3s.
Up top is a hand-shaped aluminum fuel tank, followed by a custom saddle. The rest of the bodywork is all plastic dirt bike fare from the Acerbis catalog. And the hand-guards are vintage plastic shields mounted on new Acerbis braces.
Other upgrades include a pukka road book holder, a hand-made aluminum bash guard, and a custom two-into-one exhaust from SC Project. Between the XSR’s sweet parallel-twin motor and the retro rally style, this one sure looks like fun. [More]
Ducati 999 by XTR Pepo Pepo Rosell is the closest thing to a mad scientist the custom scene has. The former head of Radical Ducati has a way of building bikes that look fast, borderline ridiculous, but always awesome. This time, he’s worked his magic on the Pierre Terrblanche-designed Ducati 999.
This one started as a 2004-model 999, but other than the trellis frame and motor, there’s not much left to recognize it by. It now wears a RAD fuel tank with Lightech fuel cap, and a RAD tail section, with upholstery by Pepo himself. The fairing’s from RAD too, and features a signature XTR endurance light.
With exposed belts and snaking two-into-one headers (they’re from Fresco, with a Spark muffler), the Ducati’s mechanical bits dominate the view. Pepo remapped the ECU too, and installed a lightweight LiPo battery. The carbon fiber water pump guard, LED turn signals and clip-ons are all from the XTR parts catalog.
As much as we love the original 999, there’s no denying that XTR Pepo‘s rework is kick-to-the-jaw cool. We’d love to see—and hear—it unleashed on the track. [More]
‘Escape the City Limits’ by Age of Glory For many people, motorcycles are more than just transport—they’re a means of escape, too. The French apparel company Age of Glory feels that way and has released a short film called Escape the City Limits.
It’s a celebration of leaving the city behind and heading for the hills. And the best way to do that is obviously on two wheels (preferably vintage) and with good mates.
Sounds about right to us. Grab a cup of coffee, and have a watch below.
Continue reading...
That Triumph desert sled is really cool and really well done. That takes me back to my early riding days. I like the Honda Grom with a sidecar. Really cute; but about as practical a crocheted prophylactic!
Have your say and win $500 to spend on moto gear
Fancy winning a voucher for US$500 to spend on products from Rizoma, REV’IT! or NEXX? Then let us know what you think of the finalists in the Rizoma Design Challenge.
The Challenge is a competition for designers, engineers, and students, and the theme is ‘Create the future of motorcycling.’ We’ve had a fantastic array of entries in two separate categories; one for concept/custom motorcycles, and one for aftermarket motorcycle products or accessories.
The winners will be chosen via a mix of professional judges and online public voting.
So head over to the voting page and cast your vote before 11:59 PST on Monday, July 22, 2019. There are four finalists to choose from in each category: just pick your favorites, and enter your details.
Voting is open to any reader who is over 18, from any country (unless they’re associated in any way with the promotion of this contest).
If you’re the lucky winner, you’ll get to choose $500 US dollars worth of products from the Rizoma, REV’IT!, and NEXX catalogs (subject to availability). The design competition winners will be announced on 1 August via the contest website, and the voting winner will be notified directly on 9 August.
So head over to the Voting Page now, and let us know which finalists you think are worthy of winning the Rizoma Design Challenge. Good luck!
Vote | Voting Rules | Rizoma | REV’IT! | NEXX Helmets
Continue reading...
Fancy winning a voucher for US$500 to spend on products from Rizoma, REV’IT! or NEXX? Then let us know what you think of the finalists in the Rizoma Design Challenge.
The Challenge is a competition for designers, engineers, and students, and the theme is ‘Create the future of motorcycling.’ We’ve had a fantastic array of entries in two separate categories; one for concept/custom motorcycles, and one for aftermarket motorcycle products or accessories.
The winners will be chosen via a mix of professional judges and online public voting.
So head over to the voting page and cast your vote before 11:59 PST on Monday, July 22, 2019. There are four finalists to choose from in each category: just pick your favorites, and enter your details.
Voting is open to any reader who is over 18, from any country (unless they’re associated in any way with the promotion of this contest).
If you’re the lucky winner, you’ll get to choose $500 US dollars worth of products from the Rizoma, REV’IT!, and NEXX catalogs (subject to availability). The design competition winners will be announced on 1 August via the contest website, and the voting winner will be notified directly on 9 August.
So head over to the Voting Page now, and let us know which finalists you think are worthy of winning the Rizoma Design Challenge. Good luck!
Vote | Voting Rules | Rizoma | REV’IT! | NEXX Helmets
Continue reading...
Showstopper: A 21st century boardtracker wows The Quail
The Quail Gathering is the motorcycle equivalent of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: a world-class display of rarified exotica and immaculate restorations, plus a few jaw-dropping customs to spice up the mix.
To win an award at The Quail is no easy achievement. But this year, Niki Smart’s incredible Honda XL500-based special won not one, but two trophies: the Custom/Modified category, plus the ‘Design and Style’ award presented by Arch Motorcycles.
Niki is well known in the automobile world: he’s a British car designer now working in the USA. He first hit the headlines as the lead designer on the Ariel Atom sportscar, and followed that up with concept cars for Cadillac.
Today, he’s a design manager for General Motors, working with the Advanced Design team in Los Angeles.
Niki’s bike, built around the engine of a 1981 XL500, was not your typical after-hours project—it took over a decade to finish and involved an army of specialists.
“There’s a long list of people who helped me a little, and a few people who helped me a lot,” says Niki.
Inspiration came from images of boardtrack racers that Niki saw at an exhibition. “I had never seen anything like the near-50 degree banking of the American board tracks.”
“The beautiful bikes of that era were legitimate 100mph machines,” Niki enthuses. “For me, the tall skinny wheels and tires balanced nicely with the pure open lines of the frame and engine.”
A second source of inspiration came from experimental European racers from the second half of the 20th century. “Before the telescopic fork took over, there were lots of interesting proportions thanks to unique front ends.”
Niki decided to use Hossack-style forks, and settled on the Honda XL500 engine. “It has the air cooled cleanliness and overall layout that I wanted. As well as being a four valve head with parallel twin exhaust ports, the late 70s to early 80s engines also had fairly pretty cases and covers compared to the later XL650.”
Niki handled all the design and fabricated most of the parts, but wisely handed over the CNC milling and composite laminating to experts. “I enjoy doing laminating—and make my own surfboards—but a friend is a very experienced laminator, and he offered to help with the carbon parts.”
The starting point was CAD. “I do basic design sketches to capture what I am imagining, and then start CAD modeling to see what will work and what won’t.”
Niki’s preferred software is Autodesk Alias, which he’s used extensively for 20 years in his day job. “Its strong point is developing refined surfacing, but it’s also good at outputting data to be CNC’d or 3D printed.”
With the XL500 engine three dimensionally scanned, Niki started working on the layout and proportions. He had the tire size set at 26 inches, and aimed for a riding position that left his six-foot frame slightly stretched out.
He also wanted a subtly raked feel to the profile, and ended up raising the centerline of the tank slightly, to avoid the front suspension becoming the tallest point on the profile.
The steering is packaged in between the suspension arms, suspended on a combination of radial and thrust needle roller bearings. And the bars drop out and down, helping to lower the visual weight of the bike down too.
Niki’s given the front suspension a steeper than normal geometry, thanks to the higher axle and large diameter tires. The wheels were troublesome: after an abortive attempt at machining the tire seats into carbon fiber rims, Niki switched back to steel.
Carbon fiber spokes are hooked up to CNC machined hubs on large hollow axle bolts. “I found the largest wheel bearings I could fit inside the brake rotor spider, and made them the basis for everything around the hub, matching the profiles of the rotors and sprocket carrier to the hub.”
Niki’s also experimented with different fabrication techniques, including ‘investment cast’ parts—as you might find on a lugged bicycle frame. “I was able to 3D print positive parts to take silicone molds from, which in turn allowed me to pour the investment wax pieces.” All of the frame tubing is made from 4130 chromoly, and it was possible to have the cast parts made in the same material.
Using a homemade jig, Niki then fixed the position of all of the key components, and joined them together with traditional fabrication.
The seat is a blend of the traditional board track seat and Niki’s old Kashimax Aero BMX seat, modeled in clay, scanned into CAD, and then made in carbon fibre and Kevlar.
It’s cantilevered off the back of the frame in an effort to create some extra comfort. “The tire profiles are very low and the air shocks quite basic, so this really helps the ride quality!”
The exhaust system was a particular point of pride. “I grew up in my Dad’s workshop learning to make exhausts, so I wanted to do a good job on this part,” says Niki.
The fuel tank is actually a split design, constructed in carbon fiber and fiberglass composite, with brass fittings. The inside of each half is hollowed out, creating a space between the tanks to hold the front shock and a compact 6V battery, plus the regulator, rectifier and electrical loom.
The colour scheme is intentionally dark. “I wanted to show the carbon fiber, but not in an overt manner—the contrast to the surrounding black is relatively subtle,” says Niki. There’s little in the way of decoration, aside from brass badges on the tanks.
The Honda wowed the judges at The Quail, and it’s wowed us too. As a 21st century re-interpretation of a classic board track racer, it’s just perfect—and also an astounding showcase for Niki’s design and fabrication skills.
Niki Smart | Instagram | Images by (and thanks to) Paulo Rosas of Speed Machines Design
Continue reading...
The Quail Gathering is the motorcycle equivalent of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: a world-class display of rarified exotica and immaculate restorations, plus a few jaw-dropping customs to spice up the mix.
To win an award at The Quail is no easy achievement. But this year, Niki Smart’s incredible Honda XL500-based special won not one, but two trophies: the Custom/Modified category, plus the ‘Design and Style’ award presented by Arch Motorcycles.
Niki is well known in the automobile world: he’s a British car designer now working in the USA. He first hit the headlines as the lead designer on the Ariel Atom sportscar, and followed that up with concept cars for Cadillac.
Today, he’s a design manager for General Motors, working with the Advanced Design team in Los Angeles.
Niki’s bike, built around the engine of a 1981 XL500, was not your typical after-hours project—it took over a decade to finish and involved an army of specialists.
“There’s a long list of people who helped me a little, and a few people who helped me a lot,” says Niki.
Inspiration came from images of boardtrack racers that Niki saw at an exhibition. “I had never seen anything like the near-50 degree banking of the American board tracks.”
“The beautiful bikes of that era were legitimate 100mph machines,” Niki enthuses. “For me, the tall skinny wheels and tires balanced nicely with the pure open lines of the frame and engine.”
A second source of inspiration came from experimental European racers from the second half of the 20th century. “Before the telescopic fork took over, there were lots of interesting proportions thanks to unique front ends.”
Niki decided to use Hossack-style forks, and settled on the Honda XL500 engine. “It has the air cooled cleanliness and overall layout that I wanted. As well as being a four valve head with parallel twin exhaust ports, the late 70s to early 80s engines also had fairly pretty cases and covers compared to the later XL650.”
Niki handled all the design and fabricated most of the parts, but wisely handed over the CNC milling and composite laminating to experts. “I enjoy doing laminating—and make my own surfboards—but a friend is a very experienced laminator, and he offered to help with the carbon parts.”
The starting point was CAD. “I do basic design sketches to capture what I am imagining, and then start CAD modeling to see what will work and what won’t.”
Niki’s preferred software is Autodesk Alias, which he’s used extensively for 20 years in his day job. “Its strong point is developing refined surfacing, but it’s also good at outputting data to be CNC’d or 3D printed.”
With the XL500 engine three dimensionally scanned, Niki started working on the layout and proportions. He had the tire size set at 26 inches, and aimed for a riding position that left his six-foot frame slightly stretched out.
He also wanted a subtly raked feel to the profile, and ended up raising the centerline of the tank slightly, to avoid the front suspension becoming the tallest point on the profile.
The steering is packaged in between the suspension arms, suspended on a combination of radial and thrust needle roller bearings. And the bars drop out and down, helping to lower the visual weight of the bike down too.
Niki’s given the front suspension a steeper than normal geometry, thanks to the higher axle and large diameter tires. The wheels were troublesome: after an abortive attempt at machining the tire seats into carbon fiber rims, Niki switched back to steel.
Carbon fiber spokes are hooked up to CNC machined hubs on large hollow axle bolts. “I found the largest wheel bearings I could fit inside the brake rotor spider, and made them the basis for everything around the hub, matching the profiles of the rotors and sprocket carrier to the hub.”
Niki’s also experimented with different fabrication techniques, including ‘investment cast’ parts—as you might find on a lugged bicycle frame. “I was able to 3D print positive parts to take silicone molds from, which in turn allowed me to pour the investment wax pieces.” All of the frame tubing is made from 4130 chromoly, and it was possible to have the cast parts made in the same material.
Using a homemade jig, Niki then fixed the position of all of the key components, and joined them together with traditional fabrication.
The seat is a blend of the traditional board track seat and Niki’s old Kashimax Aero BMX seat, modeled in clay, scanned into CAD, and then made in carbon fibre and Kevlar.
It’s cantilevered off the back of the frame in an effort to create some extra comfort. “The tire profiles are very low and the air shocks quite basic, so this really helps the ride quality!”
The exhaust system was a particular point of pride. “I grew up in my Dad’s workshop learning to make exhausts, so I wanted to do a good job on this part,” says Niki.
The fuel tank is actually a split design, constructed in carbon fiber and fiberglass composite, with brass fittings. The inside of each half is hollowed out, creating a space between the tanks to hold the front shock and a compact 6V battery, plus the regulator, rectifier and electrical loom.
The colour scheme is intentionally dark. “I wanted to show the carbon fiber, but not in an overt manner—the contrast to the surrounding black is relatively subtle,” says Niki. There’s little in the way of decoration, aside from brass badges on the tanks.
The Honda wowed the judges at The Quail, and it’s wowed us too. As a 21st century re-interpretation of a classic board track racer, it’s just perfect—and also an astounding showcase for Niki’s design and fabrication skills.
Niki Smart | Instagram | Images by (and thanks to) Paulo Rosas of Speed Machines Design
Continue reading...
Yamaha Scrambler: An XSR700 that evokes the IT enduros
Any custom Yamaha XSR700 we feature is sure to spark discussion about the base bike’s design. The XSR700 draws criticism for its cluttered mechanics and hunched fuel tank—and both of those are hard for custom builders to get around.
This heavily upgraded XSR700-based scrambler rises above both those challenges. It’s a collaboration between Portuguese builders Nuno Capêlo (Capêlo’s Garage) and Ricardo Santos (Elemental Rides), and was built for Yamaha Portugal.
It’s not the first time Nuno and Ricardo have worked together for Yamaha Portugal—they built an SR400 two years ago that clearly impressed.
This XSR700 was commissioned as part of Yamaha Europe’s Yard Built program, with builders from nine different countries delivering bikes. The project’s theme was ‘Back to the Dirt,’ and this XSR has dirt creds by the bucketload.
“I talked with Ricardo,” Nuno tells us, “and he was totally in. His first ideas were very similar to mine, so I stopped everything I was doing and started sketching. After a lot of drawings exchanged with Ricardo, we quickly got to the final image of the bike.”
The XSR700 has good bones and a punchy and versatile motor. But Nuno and Ricardo wanted to improve its off-road capability—and give it a neo-retro look, inspired by the iconic Yamaha dirt bikes of the 70s and 80s. So they called it the ‘XSR700 TT’ for ‘True Tribute.’
They started by swapping out the XSR700’s suspension for something a bit more dirt-worthy. On went a set of custom 43 mm right-side-up Showa forks. They’re adjustable for compression and rebound, with 230 mm of travel.
The rear shock’s also from Showa, fully adjustable and hooked up to a removable linkage to match the front-end’s travel.
The wheels were switched out for a custom set featuring Talon hubs, Excel rims and stainless steel spokes. They measure 18” up front and 17” out back, and wear enduro tires from Mitas.
Nuno and Ricardo also upgraded the front brake with an EBC disc and Brembo caliper, and switched the brake lines out for Teflon ones. And they removed the ABS to drive home the XSR700’s off-road intentions.
With gutsy performance from the 74 hp parallel-twin crossplane crank motor, there was no need to fiddle with the internals. The guys simply switched the airbox for a pair of foam filters to make room for the new bodywork. Then they changed the rear sprocket from a 40T to a 52T, and fitted a heavy-duty O-ring chain from DID.
Most of the visual mastery is happening up top. The fuel tank’s a custom-built steel unit, and we’re told it was “inspired by 1970s bikes like the Yamaha XT500.” Nuno and Ricardo got around the XSR700’s awkward frame lines by adding cutouts for the rails, so that they could mount it low and level.
To tighten up the rear end, the duo modified a Yamaha DTR fender, and added a pair of sheet metal number boards. Up top is a solo saddle, wrapped in a synthetic, waterproof fabric. And just behind it there’s a tidy little luggage rack, with an LED taillight cleverly integrated into it.
The front fender’s from a Yamaha DT125MX, and was shortened to suit the XSR. For the MX-style headlight, the guys grabbed a nacelle from Portuguese brand HP. Then they tweaked it to fit the forks, added LED internals with a custom daytime running light, and built a grill to protect the lens.
Just behind is an Acewell speedo and a set of scrambler handlebars. The battery was switched for a Lithium-ion unit with Bluetooth connectivity (so that you can monitor it from your smartphone).
Other custom bits include guards for the radiator and oil filter, a new bracket for the rectifier, and aluminum foot pegs. The skid plate’s a one-off too, as is that radical, high-mounted twin exhaust system.
With so much off-road heritage to draw from, picking the XSR700’s new livery was tricky. “We were immediately thrown back to those yellow, white and black racing blocks,” says Ricardo.
“But after a few arguments, we went for a different color option, inspired by the Yamaha IT models.”
We applaud their choice. The XSR700 wears the classic IT scheme extremely well, and with the engine components all blacked out, is visually less busy too.
Nuno and Ricardo’s XSR700 TT is a smash hit. It’s sure to be a ton of fun in the woods, and would look even better dirty than clean. It’s just the sort of modern classic we wish the Japanese manufacturer would produce.
Capêlo’s Garage : Facebook : Instagram | Elemental Rides : Facebook : Instagram
Continue reading...
Any custom Yamaha XSR700 we feature is sure to spark discussion about the base bike’s design. The XSR700 draws criticism for its cluttered mechanics and hunched fuel tank—and both of those are hard for custom builders to get around.
This heavily upgraded XSR700-based scrambler rises above both those challenges. It’s a collaboration between Portuguese builders Nuno Capêlo (Capêlo’s Garage) and Ricardo Santos (Elemental Rides), and was built for Yamaha Portugal.
It’s not the first time Nuno and Ricardo have worked together for Yamaha Portugal—they built an SR400 two years ago that clearly impressed.
This XSR700 was commissioned as part of Yamaha Europe’s Yard Built program, with builders from nine different countries delivering bikes. The project’s theme was ‘Back to the Dirt,’ and this XSR has dirt creds by the bucketload.
“I talked with Ricardo,” Nuno tells us, “and he was totally in. His first ideas were very similar to mine, so I stopped everything I was doing and started sketching. After a lot of drawings exchanged with Ricardo, we quickly got to the final image of the bike.”
The XSR700 has good bones and a punchy and versatile motor. But Nuno and Ricardo wanted to improve its off-road capability—and give it a neo-retro look, inspired by the iconic Yamaha dirt bikes of the 70s and 80s. So they called it the ‘XSR700 TT’ for ‘True Tribute.’
They started by swapping out the XSR700’s suspension for something a bit more dirt-worthy. On went a set of custom 43 mm right-side-up Showa forks. They’re adjustable for compression and rebound, with 230 mm of travel.
The rear shock’s also from Showa, fully adjustable and hooked up to a removable linkage to match the front-end’s travel.
The wheels were switched out for a custom set featuring Talon hubs, Excel rims and stainless steel spokes. They measure 18” up front and 17” out back, and wear enduro tires from Mitas.
Nuno and Ricardo also upgraded the front brake with an EBC disc and Brembo caliper, and switched the brake lines out for Teflon ones. And they removed the ABS to drive home the XSR700’s off-road intentions.
With gutsy performance from the 74 hp parallel-twin crossplane crank motor, there was no need to fiddle with the internals. The guys simply switched the airbox for a pair of foam filters to make room for the new bodywork. Then they changed the rear sprocket from a 40T to a 52T, and fitted a heavy-duty O-ring chain from DID.
Most of the visual mastery is happening up top. The fuel tank’s a custom-built steel unit, and we’re told it was “inspired by 1970s bikes like the Yamaha XT500.” Nuno and Ricardo got around the XSR700’s awkward frame lines by adding cutouts for the rails, so that they could mount it low and level.
To tighten up the rear end, the duo modified a Yamaha DTR fender, and added a pair of sheet metal number boards. Up top is a solo saddle, wrapped in a synthetic, waterproof fabric. And just behind it there’s a tidy little luggage rack, with an LED taillight cleverly integrated into it.
The front fender’s from a Yamaha DT125MX, and was shortened to suit the XSR. For the MX-style headlight, the guys grabbed a nacelle from Portuguese brand HP. Then they tweaked it to fit the forks, added LED internals with a custom daytime running light, and built a grill to protect the lens.
Just behind is an Acewell speedo and a set of scrambler handlebars. The battery was switched for a Lithium-ion unit with Bluetooth connectivity (so that you can monitor it from your smartphone).
Other custom bits include guards for the radiator and oil filter, a new bracket for the rectifier, and aluminum foot pegs. The skid plate’s a one-off too, as is that radical, high-mounted twin exhaust system.
With so much off-road heritage to draw from, picking the XSR700’s new livery was tricky. “We were immediately thrown back to those yellow, white and black racing blocks,” says Ricardo.
“But after a few arguments, we went for a different color option, inspired by the Yamaha IT models.”
We applaud their choice. The XSR700 wears the classic IT scheme extremely well, and with the engine components all blacked out, is visually less busy too.
Nuno and Ricardo’s XSR700 TT is a smash hit. It’s sure to be a ton of fun in the woods, and would look even better dirty than clean. It’s just the sort of modern classic we wish the Japanese manufacturer would produce.
Capêlo’s Garage : Facebook : Instagram | Elemental Rides : Facebook : Instagram
Continue reading...
CP3: JvB-Moto’s ballistic Yamaha XSR900 custom
After an incredible seven years, Yamaha’s Yard Built custom program is still firing on all cylinders. In 2012 it kicked off with the Wrenchmonkees’ iconic ‘MonkeeFist’ XJR1300, and there have been over 60 pro builds since.
This is the latest, an XSR900 called ‘CP3’ from Jens vom Brauck of JvB-Moto in Cologne. It tips the scales at just 180 kg (397 pounds), and with 115 hp on tap, it’s one of the fastest Yard Built machines yet.
The stock XSR900 does 0 to 100 km/h in three seconds flat, but the JvB-Moto machine has around 20 kilos less weight to carry—so the performance will be even more ballistic.
The XSR900 is your classic ‘retro rocket,’ but Jens has brought it bang up to date. And he’s also deliberately made it easy for XSR owners to follow his path.
“It’s not a retro bike anymore,” he says. “The only things you might call retro are the lines and proportions. I’m a big fan of concept cars from the 70s and 80s and got a lot of inspiration there.”
Jens wanted his XSR900 to look fast, without looking ‘aggressive.’ “It doesn’t need a robot face, or to look like a dangerous insect!”
“It’s about less retro, more minimalist design—reduced and purposeful.” The appeal is definitely more ‘concept bike’ than ‘German custom bike,’ with understated styling and a crisp, clean look.
Jens has focused on switching up the looks of the XSR900, designing new tank covers, a new LED headlamp arrangement, and a bolt-on tail unit with built-in LED lighting.
The good news is that these parts will be available for Yamaha owners to purchase via the JvB x Kedo store in 2020.
“Customers will be able to reproduce the complete build or just parts of it,” says Jens. “The parts will be easy to assemble and bolt-on.”
Other custom components are the front fender, the tapered bars and matching riser, an instrument relocation kit, and a new numberplate carrier.
On the mechanical front, Yamaha got it exactly right with the liquid-cooled DOHC triple. So Jens has left the engine alone, simply fitting a Termignoni stainless steel exhaust system that offers a fruitier sound and a 4 hp boost in output.
The brake system gets an upgrade too, with Beringer disks at the front, and Jens has also installed a footrest kit from LighTech.
The rims are stock, but sheathed with custom carbon fiber covers, and the stock Bridgestone Battlax tires have been ditched in favor of grippy Pirelli Diablo Supercorsas—effectively a street-legal trackday tire.
Other smaller upgrades include LED indicators front and back, and Jens tells us that there are a few more minor parts in the pipeline.
He’s finished the XSR900 in a very dark blue: “I wanted it to look like a Yamaha. So besides the design clues, I chose the dark blue Yamaha Racing color, but made it even darker and with a matt finish.”
“But in the end, it’s really all about the engine,” he says. “To me, the bike’s looks exactly match the powerful triple now. Less of a cozy ‘retro’ machine, and more of a timeless, clean performance bike.”
We’ll buy that. We’ll also be keeping an eye on the Kedo store when the parts for this beauty go on sale.
JvB Moto | Facebook | Instagram | Yamaha Yard Built
Continue reading...
After an incredible seven years, Yamaha’s Yard Built custom program is still firing on all cylinders. In 2012 it kicked off with the Wrenchmonkees’ iconic ‘MonkeeFist’ XJR1300, and there have been over 60 pro builds since.
This is the latest, an XSR900 called ‘CP3’ from Jens vom Brauck of JvB-Moto in Cologne. It tips the scales at just 180 kg (397 pounds), and with 115 hp on tap, it’s one of the fastest Yard Built machines yet.
The stock XSR900 does 0 to 100 km/h in three seconds flat, but the JvB-Moto machine has around 20 kilos less weight to carry—so the performance will be even more ballistic.
The XSR900 is your classic ‘retro rocket,’ but Jens has brought it bang up to date. And he’s also deliberately made it easy for XSR owners to follow his path.
“It’s not a retro bike anymore,” he says. “The only things you might call retro are the lines and proportions. I’m a big fan of concept cars from the 70s and 80s and got a lot of inspiration there.”
Jens wanted his XSR900 to look fast, without looking ‘aggressive.’ “It doesn’t need a robot face, or to look like a dangerous insect!”
“It’s about less retro, more minimalist design—reduced and purposeful.” The appeal is definitely more ‘concept bike’ than ‘German custom bike,’ with understated styling and a crisp, clean look.
Jens has focused on switching up the looks of the XSR900, designing new tank covers, a new LED headlamp arrangement, and a bolt-on tail unit with built-in LED lighting.
The good news is that these parts will be available for Yamaha owners to purchase via the JvB x Kedo store in 2020.
“Customers will be able to reproduce the complete build or just parts of it,” says Jens. “The parts will be easy to assemble and bolt-on.”
Other custom components are the front fender, the tapered bars and matching riser, an instrument relocation kit, and a new numberplate carrier.
On the mechanical front, Yamaha got it exactly right with the liquid-cooled DOHC triple. So Jens has left the engine alone, simply fitting a Termignoni stainless steel exhaust system that offers a fruitier sound and a 4 hp boost in output.
The brake system gets an upgrade too, with Beringer disks at the front, and Jens has also installed a footrest kit from LighTech.
The rims are stock, but sheathed with custom carbon fiber covers, and the stock Bridgestone Battlax tires have been ditched in favor of grippy Pirelli Diablo Supercorsas—effectively a street-legal trackday tire.
Other smaller upgrades include LED indicators front and back, and Jens tells us that there are a few more minor parts in the pipeline.
He’s finished the XSR900 in a very dark blue: “I wanted it to look like a Yamaha. So besides the design clues, I chose the dark blue Yamaha Racing color, but made it even darker and with a matt finish.”
“But in the end, it’s really all about the engine,” he says. “To me, the bike’s looks exactly match the powerful triple now. Less of a cozy ‘retro’ machine, and more of a timeless, clean performance bike.”
We’ll buy that. We’ll also be keeping an eye on the Kedo store when the parts for this beauty go on sale.
JvB Moto | Facebook | Instagram | Yamaha Yard Built
Continue reading...
Similar threads
