Custom Motorcycle Builds

[DaveM]

Taste of Tsukuba: A classic Suzuki GS1200SS race bike

If you like to play Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport, you’ll know the Tsukuba circuit. It’s hugely popular with the street tuner guys, who use it for ‘time attack’ sprints—and it’s also home to some of Japan’s biggest motorcycle races, second only to the Suzuka 8 Hours.

In May and November every year, the circuit hosts the famous ‘Taste of Tsukuba’ races. These are open to classic race bikes, and the array of the machinery lined up on the grid is mouthwatering. And when racing restarts in Japan later this year, one of the bikes on the grid will be this freshly built Suzuki GS1200SS.

It’ll be piloted by American Jason Fullington, an old friend of Bike EXIF since the days when he worked at ICON Motosports in Portland, Oregon. For the past ten years he’s lived in Japan, and spends his weekdays running the importer AFG Motosports. At nights and weekends, he’s testing road bikes for global magazines, building race bikes for himself, and hitting the local tracks.

Jason’s latest track weapon is this GS1200SS, which is configured to run in the Formula Zero class at Tsukuba. That means it’s a very cool mix of old and new tech, and right up our street.

“There is some modern technology, but Taste of Tsukuba bikes are mostly ‘historical’ machines,” Jason tells us. “If you are a motorcycle lover of the old school, this event is the absolute best in Japan. The races draw in celebrity riders from around the world, including greats from WSBK and MotoGP.”

With 100 horsepower on tap and a dry weight of around 460 pounds, the stock GS1200S is an excellent choice for a fun track bike. “It took me several years to master the Tsukuba circuit on my Aprilia RSV4RF, so I was ready for T.O.T. battle,” says Jason. “But finding a spec T.O.T. machine for sale is almost impossible. So you must make one from scratch, and the older bikes in Japan have a price premium.”

Then Jason had a stroke of luck. At the circuit, he met local riding legend Hiroyuki Funaki, who owned a GS1200SS modeled to look like the Suzuka 8 Hours GS1000s from years past. “I told him how much I loved that bike. Then the following day Funaki-san messaged me, and said, ‘Do you want it?’ My jaw hit the floor.”

Jason picked up the Suzuki the next day. And because the May T.O.T. race was cancelled due to COVID19, he had time to turn the GS1200SS into the ultimate retro race bike. “I wanted to give it the most top-level spec possible. I had the time, industry friends, and a chief mechanic all at the ready.”

Jason has installed new bodywork from Katana Kaji and Magical Racing, based on his dream bike: the late 80s Suzuki GSX-R750RK limited edition. “The layout for the paint and graphics was done by Icon Motosports’ ace designer Kerry Miller. I also have two sets of practice fairings, which have paint mimicking the red, white and black Suzuka 8 Hours Yoshimura GS1000.” The neat seat pad came from the Italian specialist RaceSeats.

Starting from the front, Jason sourced a set of forged JB-Power Magtan rims from Bito. The suspension has been upgraded too, using new internals installed by Junpei Ohba of S&E Precision—a world-class Öhlins suspension engineer.

For braking, Jason has chosen the highest pedigree of racing-specific Brembo kit, without compromising the nostalgic look of the bike. It’s hooked up via Stäubli quick disconnects and custom-made HEL brake lines, which flow the stopping juices from a Brembo race brake master cylinder mounted on Battle Factory clip-ons. The CNC’d brake mounts and triples were all custom fabricated specifically for this bike.

The cockpit is dominated by an AiM Solo DL2 digital display, which also handles data logging via two GPS satellite constellations and a built-in database of 2,000 racetracks. On a more analog note, Yoshimura supplied the oil pressure gauge, control switches and buttons. And there’s a modern-day carbon lever guard, and an ACTIVE quick throttle.

Going to the clutch side we have an adjustable Brembo RCS19 to actuate the slave cylinder from K-Factory (who also furnished a custom sprocket guard). Jason’s also upgraded the clutch with a heavy-duty race-specific clutch and basket from F.C.C.

Oil cooling duties are handled by a 13-row set up from PLOT, and under the gas tank cover is a SuperBike83 inner race tank that feeds high-octane juice into the Mikuni flatslide TMR40 carbs. The ignition and spark are controlled by a trick AS UOTANI SPii Advanced kit, but the charging system has been removed.

The internals of the 16-valve, 1,156 cc inline four engine are currently unmolested, and perfectly fine. But in the future, Jason will add Yoshimura cams and valves for a little extra fillip.

Breathing is via handmade headers and a mid pipe from NOJIMA, with gases exiting through the beefy 60mm outlet of an SC-Project GP-M2 can. Power hits the back wheel via DID ERV racing chains “and a good selection of sprockets, both front and rear, depending on my mood and how I’m performing!”

The ultimate trick part, though, is a one-off custom swingarm from Mr. Numari at Super Build Maximum. “His fabrication talents have been used at the highest levels of motorcycling,” Jason enthuses. “It’s an honor to have his craftsmanship (and artwork, if you will) on my machine.”

Just above the swingarm are fully adjustable Babyface rearsets—better known as Sato Racing outside Japan. “We had to custom-make the base block because there’s no specific kit for the GS. We modeled it on a set intended for a Ducati Monster M1100.”

The Suzuki is now finished and ready to roll, but it’s a waiting game. “I’m patiently awaiting the reopening of the track to test her out, and prepare myself for the battles in November,” says Jason. “Podium or not, just to race in this prestigious event is an honor for this ole boy from North Carolina!”

Given Jason’s racing pedigree and the specs of this incredible machine, we’re banking on a podium finish.

Jason Fullington Instagram | AFG Motosports | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

TOURER OF DUTY: BMW K1100LT by Recast Moto.

Sports fans will do anything for a fix, and during the troubled times of Covid-19 it has been all eyes on the Eastern European country of Belarus. With all major sporting competitions shut down and the Olympics delayed for a year, the Belarusian Premier League has become the centre of attention. But here at Pipeburn we’re not fair weather fans and thanks to Minsk based outfit Recast Moto we’ve...

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[DaveM]

Winner Takes It All: Rod Motorcycles’ Bullet 500

David Zima isn’t a man to shy away from a challenge. When news of a custom build-off popped up in the Czech Republic, he didn’t really have time to build anything—or spare money for a donor. But he jumped in headfirst anyway.

Build-off contests are everywhere these days, and this one was run by the Czech importer of Royal Enfield. But it had a catch—builders had to buy their own Enfield donor bike. Fortunately there was an attractive discount on offer, and as the prize, whoever won the contest would get their money back.

“At the time, I was overwhelmed with work on other motorcycles,” David tells us, “and on constructing a new workshop. But the idea that shops from all over the Czech Republic could compete with a motorcycle modified from the same base suited me perfectly.”

“And because I’m a person who likes challenges, I added another motorcycle loan to my house mortgage and workshop loan—a motorcycle for which I had no customer, and didn’t even want!”

With a brand new Royal Enfield Bullet 500 on the bench, David, who operates as Rod Motorcycles, had his work cut out for him. He got the bike with time to spare—but once he’d cleared client work and could focus on it, the deadline was only two months away.

“I had a few visions in my head from the beginning, and thought that if it was to look good, the frame had to be cut,” he explains. “But cutting up an old, demolished and immobile motorcycle is a bit different to cutting into a new motorcycle.”

“So I walked around for a few days and couldn’t decide. But my brother couldn’t stand it anymore … so one day, while I wasn’t looking, he cut the motorcycle in half.”

With the Bullet now missing the rear half of its bobber-style frame, David had no choice but to spring into action. He rebuilt it with a more upright, leveled-out silhouette, and added a pair of longer-than-stock YSS shocks.

The frame work included fabricating new motor mounts and gussets, plus new mount points for a set of Tarozzi foot pegs and controls.

David originally had an elaborate plan to use a Honda XL500 front end, but time wouldn’t allow for it. Instead, he’s trimmed off the fork covers, along with the integrated headlight nacelle. David then fabricated new upper fork sleeves and headlight mounts, and redesigned the top yoke to take a set of traditional risers.

The fine-looking new arrangement is finished off with a new headlight, a vintage MX-style number board, and a set of classic chromed Tommaselli handlebars.

Other upgrades include a set of dual-sport Michelin Sirac tires, a larger front brake disc and a better master cylinder. The ABS system’s been removed, too.

The fuel tank was a saga unto itself. David’s initial plan was to build one from scratch, before deciding to use an old Husqvarna unit. Then David found a Honda item that fit the bill. Getting the Royal Enfield fuel pump to fit was much harder, and almost prompted him to convert the bike from fuel injection to a carb. But he eventually won the battle.

A fresh red and silver paint job gave him the vintage Husqvarna vibe he was looking for, and a milled and polished Jawa gas cap finished it off.

Both fenders are custom jobs; the front was trimmed from a part lying around the workshop, and the rear is two old fenders welded together. It’s capped off with a taillight sunken into a hand-made aluminum cover.

The bodywork’s finished off with a perfectly-proportioned saddle, upholstered by Rod Motorcycles’ go-to guy with an embroidered Royal Enfield logo on the rear.

David kept the Bullet’s original tool box (on the left side), but it now hosts a small Lithium-ion battery and the whole bike has been rewired around the latest Motogadget mo.unit blue Bluetooth-enabled controller. The ignition key now sits below the tank, and David has installed his own proprietary Rod Motorcycles switches on the bars.

The engine’s stock, but the carb now inhales through a K&N filter. The single, high-riding exhaust is a custom job, fabricated from stainless steel.

Despite the hard work that went into this Bullet 500, and the cracking results it produced, the contest didn’t go according to plan. Rod Motorcycles won—but they won by default, since no other Czech workshops entered the contest.

It’s an odd result that shouldn’t take anything away from the quality of this build, especially since David went all-out. If you like the idea of a tough but simple vintage-style scrambler, drop David a line: this picture-perfect Enfield is now for sale.

Rod Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

THROWBACK TRACKER: Harley-Davidson Sportster by Redmax Speed Shop.

Whether you’re looking at a big dollar bike parked up at a show and shine or flicking through the internet scoping out some crazy customs, at some point any true biker is going to ask themselves; I wonder how it rides? This takes on even more importance when it comes time to lay down your cash to have a shop build your dream machine. Thankfully Red Max Speed Shop in Devon, England...

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[DaveM]

Danger Zone: Federal Moto’s Kawasaki GPz1100

The year is 1986, and Tom Cruise is playing Maverick in Top Gun—flying an F-14 Tomcat by day and tearing around on a Kawasaki GPZ900R by night.

If you fell in love with that film and the bike ridden by its motorcycle-mad star, you’re not alone. “We all know that movie,” says Michael Muller of Federal Moto. “And we always knew that when Federal Moto built its first custom sportbike, we’d need the beefiest bad boy of the 80s: the GPz1100.”

The GPz1100 was the older, bigger brother of the Ninja 900, and the Chicago shop managed to secure a 1984 model. “It came to us bone stock,” says Muller. “With 120 hp, 73 foot pounds of torque, and a top speed of 135 mph [217 kph].”

“The commission came from an 80s kid,” says Muller. “He’s based out of Ohio and only swears by Kawasakis and KTMs. He is very excited for his Federal Moto custom.”

‘Danger Zone’ was an opportunity to blood Federal’s newest family member, mechanical engineer Desmond DiGiovanni. “He was an obvious hire and really took this build to the next level with 3D printing, water-jetting and digital design work,” says Muller.

“It’s nice to have to make a part only once now, after the measurements are rendered digitally. Damn kids these days!”

Muller, longstanding tech David Pecaro and DiGiovanni decided to strip the GPz right back, and go for a sleeker, more aerodynamic look to match the bruising performance. “In our opinion it has too much ‘baggage’,” says Muller.

Taking off the bodywork was only the start, though—there’s a ton of work gone into this stunning machine.

The engine has been treated to a top-end rebuild back to OEM specs, a rack of four Mikuni carbs from an ’84 KZ1000, and stainless steel velocity stacks with 3D printed top covers.

The mighty mill is now Cerakoted for protection, with polished aluminum covers. The header pipes have been finished in Cerakote too, and are terminated with Cone Engineering’s ‘Big Mouth’ stainless steel mufflers.

There’s a custom tray right behind the carburetors, which is home to an Antigravity AG-1201 ‘small case’ lithium-ion 12-cell battery. It feeds a Dyna electronic ignition system and Motogadget m.unit control box, and stays charged thanks to a lithium-spec regulator/rectifier combo from Rick’s Motorsport Electrics.

Other Motogadget goodies include a Motoscope Pro gauge, a remote m.lock 
ignition system, and classy m.switch push buttons on the new clip-on bars.

If the tank looks vaguely familiar, that’s because it’s from a modern Honda CB1100—with a custom gas cap added for a personalized touch. The rest of the bodywork is custom fabricated though, using computer modeling and 3D printing

There’s plenty of sweet custom fabrication here too, including the tail unit, side covers and headlight housing. The rear subframe and its new supports are hand fabricated, along with the 18-gauge steel seat pan (with electronics hidden below). The rest was 3D printed by Custom Color 3D printing in Chicago.

As well as the custom LED headlight unit with integrated turn signals, new boy Desmond DiGiovanni also designed the solid rear wheel 
panels, which were water jet cut for installation.

The brakes have been upgraded to modern tech, with CNC’d front and rear rotors, new Goodridge lines, and a Tokico four-piston setup at the front.

The entire front end is a transplant, with Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa forks (anodized gloss black) hooked up via a steering stem and upper triple tree from Cognito Moto. Cognito also supplied a custom hub to attach the 18-inch Excel front rim.

It’s all pulled together with deep, glossy black paint designed by Chris Paluch and shot by NSD Paintwerks—with an added hint of classic Kawasaki green.

The seat is an understated work of art too, upholstered by Dane Utech in black leather and suede supplied by the high-end leather specialist Relicate.

The bike was wheeled out in front of the camera before Federal were able to add a few finishing touches, such as a Brembo RCS front master cylinder and Motogadget mirrors.

But we’ll happily take it as it is. And we reckon Maverick would approve as well.

Federal Moto | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Daniel Peter | Video by Ben Petty

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[DaveM]

SALVAGE OPERATION: Honda CB750 by Sabotage Motorcycles.

Honda CB750, check. Firestones, check. Tan seat and clip-ons, check and check. The photos tell a story we’ve heard before. However, as I sat with Giles and Andy of Sabotage Motorcycles in their new warehouse space in the back streets of Sydney, Australia, there was a slow unfolding of a story they have been writing for years. This story is as much about rebuilding a bike as it is in the...

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[DaveM]

Custom Bikes Of The Week: 31 May, 2020

A sleek and sophisticated Thruxton from Massachusetts, a tiny BMW balance bike from the Netherlands, a rare Royal Enfield Interceptor up for auction, and a bizarre folding WW2 ‘parascooter’ from Excelsior—Britain’s first motorcycle company.

BMW K75 balance bike by Roel van Heur A while ago, Roel helped a friend to build a custom K75. Then Roel heard that his mate was expecting a baby—so he decided to build the kid a balance bike, inspired by his dad’s custom.

The Dutch designer started by sketching out the pint-sized two-wheeler in SolidWorks, then bought a pile of stainless steel tubing to build it up. The frame and forks were bent, cut, welded and hand-brushed at home. The fork ‘boots’ are 3D printed plastic items, but they’re just for show, since the forks are rigid.

There’s an alarming level of detail here. Roel had the triple trees laser cut out of stainless, with his own logo etched into the top yoke. Then he welded on the bars, and finished them off with bicycle handlebar tape. The headlight’s an old bolt-on part for classic cars, but it now runs with a small LED inside, and a battery hidden in the steering stem.

The faux fuel tank was 3D printed in two halves, and finished in the same green as the dad’s bike. Better yet, it’s easy to unscrew them, and bolt on a new set if you want to change colors.

As for the hoops, they’re standard 12” balance bike wheels, wrapped in Kenda tires, because the tread pattern reminded Roel of classic motorcycle tires. The seat’s another off-the-shelf balance bike part, albeit a high-end one.

The owner of this mini-Beemer is going to be one stoked little tyke—as soon as he’s big enough to ride it. Who else thinks Roel should put this into production?

Triumph Thruxton by Nova Motorcycles This 2013-model Triumph Thruxton rolled into Nova Motorcycles‘ Massachusetts workshop for a simple spruce up—but the crew had a bigger vision. They’d just seen a bunch of great-looking Triumph customs at a major bike show, but all retained the stock fuel tank. So Nova figured the best way to make their Thruxton really stand out would be to use all-new bodywork.

Nova designed a new tank and tail unit, which was then executed in Kevlar-reinforced fiberglass by nearby specialist Tannermatic. Tannermatic also built the carbon fiber front fender, while Counterbalance Cycles made the seat. The green paint code’s straight out of Aston Martin’s book, complete with a subtle yellow highlight.

But there’s more than just new bodywork at play here. Nova added bolt-on braces to the Triumph frame too, inspired by the work of Colin Seeley. And they engineered a stunning triple tree and ‘floating’ headlight mount, in collaboration with COFAB Engineering.

They also threw a full catalog of Motogadget parts at the build, including a speedo that sits behind a laser-cut acrylic screen in the top yoke.

Other upgrades include a two-into-one exhaust, an air box delete kit and smaller bits from British Customs, an Andreani Misano cartridge kit for the forks, and K-Tech shocks.

Nova also improved the brakes with Brembo parts, and routed the rear lines to inside the frame. Clip-ons, rear-sets, an adaptive LED headlight; the parts list is as mouth watering as the perfectly-proportioned silhouette.

1968 Royal Enfield Interceptor The current day RE Interceptor is a 648 cc parallel twin with fuel injection and disc brakes. But our friends at Silodrome have just given us a glimpse of its ancestor: a rare original 1968 Interceptor that’s about to go on the auction block at Mecum.

The Interceptor was first released in 1960 with a 692 cc parallel twin motor, and was Royal Enfield’s fastest production bike at the time. By 1962, capacity had been bumped up to 736 cc, with a bunch of internal upgrades including a dynamically balanced crankshaft.

This one here is a 1968 Series 1A Interceptor—a model that featured further updates, like a coil ignition, a chromed fuel tank, and a new seat, handlebars and fenders. It’s a looker too, thanks to a full cosmetic revamp done just three years ago, and a fresh mileage of just 19,473 miles. It also has a new clutch, brakes, tires and cable.

Designed to go head-to-head with brands like Triumph and Norton in the US desert racing market, the Interceptor reportedly didn’t sell in big numbers—making good condition examples particularly rare. If this one floats your boat, why not put in a bid? [Via]

The foldable Excelsior Welbike Motorworld by V. Sheyanov is a Russian collection of rare and fascination wartime machinery. They have a knack for finding and restoring the most obscure of motorcycles—like this foldable paratrooper bike.

The Welbike, which came out in 1942, was built by Excelsior—Britain’s first motorcycle company. It was powered by a single cylinder, two-stroke 98 cc engine, mounted horizontally in the frame. It had no gear box, no headlight and just a rear brake, with a top speed of 30 mph on flat terrain.

It was essentially developed as a ‘parascooter,’ to be dropped alongside paratroopers as a mode of transportation on the ground. The Welbike would be stored in a container, and could be assembled in 10 seconds by unfolding its handlebars and raising its seat.

The only problem was, it wasn’t particularly effective. Due to the massive weight difference between the Welbike and the average paratrooper, they would often land far apart from each other. And with tiny wheels and not much power, it was often abandoned in rougher terrain, where going on foot was actually quicker.

Post-war it wasn’t a hit either, since it wasn’t street legal. Most Welbikes ended up being exported to North America, and sold in department stores, before it was discontinued in 1954. The Welbike might not have been particularly successful, but it sure is cute, and has our heads filled with ideas for a modern electric version that could fit in a car’s trunk. [More]

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[DaveM]

HAZANITIS: Max Hazan and the Art of the Machine.

Written by Gerald Harrison – The Harrison Collection I clearly remember the day I got the custom bug, and I’m not talking about a hybrid strain of COVID but my passion for custom motorcycles. A friend and I had started what we called “Monster Monday,” where we’d get together and tinker with our Monsters for a few hours every Monday evening, a phrase that definitely sounds a bit odd to the...

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[chaz500]

I like the way bikes are individual as we all are, the future of tin boxes powered by batteries will mean the world is a boring place.
going back to old school, my Triumph T100

a few hand made part , minimalist dash

a tribute to WW2 bomber crews, the seat re upholstered by a guy who has done Lancaster seats before.

the grips??? not tried them on the road yet

 

[DaveM]

Custom Bikes Of The Week: 24 May, 2020

The Buell X1 gets its turn with the amazingly prolific builders at K-Speed. Plus an impossibly elegant CB550 from Kott Motorcycles, and a (barely) street legal Honda XR650R tracker.

Honda CB550 by Dustin Kott This chic Honda cafe racer scores major points on both balance and subtlety. It’s the work of Dustin Kott, who’s been building Japanese cafe racers for longer than most—so he’s had plenty of time to hone his craft. And if you’ve followed Dustin’s career, you’ll spot a lot of his signature touches too.

That’s because this 1978 CB550 comes with a unique backstory. The client had originally ordered a few Kott Motorcycles parts to build the bike himself, with the help of his father.

A few months after the parts order went out, the entire bike showed up at the shop with everything fitted, and instructions for Dustin to “make sense of the build.”

Having some of his own style already imbued into the bike was a great springboard for Dustin, who proceeded to add the hands-on touches it needed to get over the finish line. He retained the stock fuel tank, but hammered out a pair of knee indents. They pair up nicely with an elegant perforated seat, and a typical Kott tail section.

This CB’s also running with a Suzuki GSX-R front-end, matched up to triples from Cognito Moto, and new Sun rims, laced by Buchanan’s. The headlight’s from a mid-sixties Triumph, and the exhaust is a burly four-into-one chromed setup. With a host of small details and a perfectly judged paint job, there’s not a hair out of place on this textbook cafe racer. [More]

Buell X1 by K-Speed Apparently there’s a lot of potential lurking under the skin of the Buell X1. When we asked our friends at K-Speed about their latest build, they told us they only made “minor changes.” They’re unnecessarily modest though, because this 2001-model X1 looks absolutely bonkers.

The biggest change is that the Buell’s clumsy bodywork is all gone. In its place is a hand-shaped tank, followed by a custom seat and subframe arrangement. The subframe bolts on and has an LED tail light embedded at the back, and there’s a leather Harley-Davidson belt adding extra security to the tank.

The cockpit’s all-new too, with fresh handlebars, grips and controls, and a small speedo mounted next to the tank. There’s a small LED headlight up front on hand-made brackets, new turn signals, and a custom-built fender hugging the front wheel. K-Speed also swapped the tires out for a set of Continental TKC80s.

The motor’s still stock, but the fuel injection system was traded for a carb. And yes, K-Speed are aware that there’s no cover on the air filter—it has a clear perspex shield, but they removed it for a video shoot to improve the soundtrack.

Put this side-by-side with a stock X1, and you’ll also notice that a ton of parts have been redone in black—except for the tank and fender, which are sporting raw finishes. [K-Speed]

Honda XR650R by Parr Motorcycles Just the other day we were singing the praises of the venerable Honda XR650L. But this wild street tracker is based on its far superior stablemate: the XR650R that dominated the Baja 1000 for so many years. The work of Spencer at Parr Motorcycles in Indiana, it looks absolutely sensational—and probably goes just as well, too.

Spencer grew up around flat track racing, so he took inspiration for this project from a bike he’d ogled in his youth: the legendary RS750. He started by stripping the 2002-model XR’s dirt-bike plastics off, then tried to figure out what fuel tank would fit the frame’s broad backbone. A 1974 CR125 Elsinore unit turned out to be just the ticket—once he’d fettled it a bit.

For the rear, Spencer fabricated a new subframe, topped off with an aluminum tail section. He also built a twin exhaust system, with a pair of SuperTrapp mufflers adding a period-correct hit.

There’s a fair bit of mechanical work going on here too. The XR motor was rebuilt, and the front end swapped for a set of Honda CRF forks, upgraded with Racetech internals. The wheels are 19” Excel rims on Dubya hubs, wrapped in dirt track rubber from Mitas.

The bike is street legal-ish too, with LED taillights, a Baja Designs headlight and a small Motogadget speedo.

With a throwback Honda paint scheme to finish it off, it’s an absolute showstopper. [More]

Ducati Streetfighter by Jérémie Duchampt With aggressive geometry and impressive numbers, the Ducati Streetfighter S is nothing short of beastly. But we’ve never seen it turned into a cafe racer … until now.

This mad science comes from Frenchman Jérémie Duchampt, who normally customizes cars, and who decided to ‘cafe’ the Streetfighter simply because he hadn’t seen it done before. His first big job was to design a new bolt-on subframe, and then a new tail section to sit on top of it. He kept the stock fuel tank, but extended the bottom of the tail unit to flow into it, mimicking its contours at the same time.

Up front, Jérémie swapped the Streetfighter bars for clip-ons, covered the original mounts, and built a carbon fiber shroud to hide the speedo. He also ditched the Ducati’s sharp triangular headlight for a more classic number.

Upgrades include a steering damper, a bunch of carbon fiber bolt-ons to shed weight, and a small Lithium-ion battery. The suspension was upgraded with parts from French company Delcamp Energie, and a Yoshimura muffler was matched up to the new custom headers. And since Jérémie is a car enthusiast too, a Gulf-inspired livery was the only logical choice. [More]

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[DaveM]

SILVER WING TAKES FLIGHT: Honda GL500 by Kaspeed Custom Motorcycles.

Success in any endeavor can breed complacency and from here even the mighty can fall at a rapid rate. But such is the commitment to excellence at Germany’s Kaspeed Custom Motorcycles they’re always investing in new ideas and doing the R&D to make sure their clients get only the best. So hot on the heels of their limited-run production bikes they’ve turned their attention to scramblers for the...

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[DaveM]

SIGNATURE SERIES: Ducati GT1000 Sport Classic by Purpose Built Moto.

Written by Tom Gilroy – Purpose Built Moto. The story of this bike is a long one, not only because of the extensive modification we’ve done to this Ducati Café racer but also because for a long time, I delayed even starting this build. Originally, I held off taking on the project until I was sure I could deliver on the ideas I had for the Ducati. In the end we’ve created an extremely unique...

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[DaveM]

Dr. Skin: An S&S bobber built for a dermatologist

Like many accomplished customizers, Martin Becker has lived an eventful life. For almost twenty years he’s been building bikes in the beautiful ancient city of Heidelberg—and petrol has been coursing through his veins since he got his first moped at the age of 13.

At 16, he started an apprenticeship as a motorbike mechanic, but his love affair with two wheels was interrupted by travels through India, Burma, Nepal and Thailand.

Martin rode through south India for weeks on a rented 500cc Bullet. On a trip to Rajasthan, he met some locals with custom Royal Enfields, and his custom building journey began.

He bought two Bullets, rebuilt them, and sent them to Germany.

By 2007 he’d caught the eye of the influential German magazine Custombike and these days he focuses on V-twins, mostly with old rigid frames. The TÜV restrictions in Germany are getting more draconian year-by-year, and old Harley frames—or aftermarket replicas from Santee or VG—give him extra liberty.

The story behind this classy S&S-powered shovelhead is just as interesting. It has an original 1955 ‘straight leg’ FL frame, to keep it road legal, but just about everything else has been modified.

‘Dr Skin’ belongs to dermatologist Dr. Andreas Schlegel, who admired an S&S-powered hardtail that Martin had built for a mutual friend. He wanted something similar, but a little skinnier and with a more classic look.

Martin already had the Panhead frame in his shop, and started figuring out what parts to fit. He quickly agreed on a style with Andreas: “We decided to make it classy, with black and white lines. To be honest, I was never a big fan of ‘colorful’ motorbikes.”

Power now comes from a new 93ci S&S Shovelhead motor, which pumps out 75 hp. S&S also supplied the Super E carb, the Teardrop air intake, and the ignition and coils. Handmade header pipes feed into SC-Project mufflers, and the oil tank is handmade too.

The gearbox is an S&S 5-in-4 transmission case, assembled with Andrews gears. Designed for 4-speed Big Twin frames, the case is only compatible with chain drive—but Martin has fitted a 2” ‘Shorty’ open belt drive primary from BDL. This works with an electric start—and encloses the tiny lithium battery. There’s also a BDL hydraulic clutch to keep the drivetrain operating smoothly.

Martin’s hooked up a set of Sportster forks at the front, shortening them by two inches and adding an extra three degrees of rake. They’re hooked up to Sportster bars via Biltwell risers, and are graced with hand controls from KustomTech.

The stance is absolutely spot-on, helped by a 21-inch front wheel and an 18-inch rear rim. Braking is very solid indeed, with a four-piston Performance Machine setup on the front wheel and a two-piston disc at the back. The rubber is classic Heidenau,
for more of a vintage vibe.

If you’ve figured out where the gas tank is from, you’ve got better eyes than us: it’s been lifted off an old NSU bike. The lovely rear fender is from Cooper Smithing Co. in the States, and the classy black paint was handled by Chikos Pinstriping.
The frame has been cleaned up and powdercoated to match by Metal Skin Works, and it’s topped off with an MB Cycles seat.

Andreas requested an unorthodox touch to finish off his bike: a compact trunk on the left side to house essentials such as a bottle of whisky, cigars and a lighter. So Martin located a suitable case from an old Moto Guzzi police bike and adapted it to fit.

“It was a very cool job and it also ended up in friendship,” Martin reports. “A few times, Andy brought his ‘tools’ when he visited me in my shop—and took some of my blood to check my condition, or cut out some birthmarks!”

For Martin’s sake, we’re just really glad he didn’t make any mistakes while building the bike …

MB Cycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Riders Eyes Photography

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[DaveM]

FROM JUNK TO STEAMPUNK: Honda CB750 ‘Douglas’ by Atomic Contraptions.

The Australian island state of Tasmania has a reputation for incredible scenery, crisp clean air and some of the best handcrafted gourmet food and drink you’ll find anywhere in the world. But with its isolation the residents have always been a resourceful bunch, preferring to repurpose to fill a void than wait for parts from the mainland. Now enter resident Andrew Knott, a creative force, designer...

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[DaveM]

Gentleman’s Express: Revival’s ‘BMW R90Esq’ restomod

The custom scene is replete with R-series BMWs, but they still split opinion. Purists say they’re classics that should be kept original; others are happy to whip out a grinder and get to work. This tasteful BMW restomod from Revival Cycles should be enough to satisfy both camps.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this airhead is the iconic R90S, but you’d be wrong. It’s actually a R90/6, the roadster cousin to the sportier S, given a hefty dose of S style.

As BMW’s first ‘superbike,’ the R90S legacy includes an AMA Superbike Championship win under Reg Pridmore, and the introduction of BMW’s famous Daytona Orange livery. But this /6 is likely to turn even more heads on the street, because Revival have done an excellent job with it.

Remarkably, this 1976 R90 has had one owner since new. It was his daily runner for many years, but he rode it less and less over time, and it eventually just sat for decades. So when he took it to Revival’s workshop in Austin, Texas, his intention was to have it restored back to stock.

As conversations progressed, the allure of the R90S’s history proved too strong, and the concept evolved into a gentleman’s sports tourer based on the S.

That meant it would need a fairing, a bigger fuel tank, a different seat unit, and twin discs up front. It also needed some luggage, and a paint job worthy of its source material. So Revival set to work.

Given the age of the motor, it was torn down and rebuilt with new pistons, rings and valves. The S had a different compression ratio to the /6, but the homage didn’t need to be that accurate. So Revival opted for a pair of Dell’Orto PHM 38 mm round-slide carbs for a little boost, matched up to pod filters and custom-made inlet manifold adaptors.

Other new parts include Venhill throttle cables, a lightweight starter motor and a custom-built stainless steel exhaust system.

A new cover was fabricated to replace the air box, and to house the electronic bits. The R90/S now runs off a custom wiring loom, with a Bluetooth-capable Motogadget m.unit Blue control box, and an Antigravity lithium-ion battery. Revival also wired in a regulator/rectifier from Rick’s Motorsport Electrics.

The R90 is sporting some sweet chassis upgrades too. There’s a set of fully adjustable 38 mm forks from CR Suspension up front, held in place by custom triple trees. And the rear end’s held up by a pair of Icon shocks, dialed in to the owner’s weight.

Revival managed to source an original pair of gorgeous Lester wheels for the BMW—a popular upgrade back in the day. They were fully refurbished and painted, and a new axle machined for the front. Then a pair of classic touring-specific Metzler Perfect ME 11 tires went on.

Out back you’ll find the BMW’s original drum brake, but Revival threw together a modern setup for the front. It includes four-piston Brembo calipers and EBC floating discs, Goodridge banjo fittings and Sniper lines, and a K-Tech master cylinder and levers (brake and clutch).

As for the bodywork, that’s all new. Revival have brought the front end up to spec with a R90S fairing, and a /7 tank that’s effectively the same as the S unit. The fairing’s sitting on custom-made brackets, and has been extensively trimmed inside—to rid it of the original instrument panel. The tank’s unmolested, but is topped off with a Monza-style cap from Motone.

The headlight’s a Bates number, mounted on a custom bracket. Just behind the fairing you’ll find a set of chromed cafe-style bars from LSL, a Tommaselli throttle, Revival’s own custom switches, and an Oberon bar-end mirror. There’s also a Motogadget Chronoclassic speedo, keyless ignition and bar-end turn signals.

Moving to the back, Revival fabricated their own tail section from aluminum—echoing the R90S lines but with a tighter effect. There’s a Biltwell taillight frenched in at the back, and a seat from Revival’s leatherwork department, Revival Ltd., up top.

Just below it is a custom subframe, finished off with custom license plate bracket. It’s flanked by a set of handsome Revival Ltd Duro panniers, sitting on hand-made supports. Custom fenders and mounts round out the bodywork.

With everything perfectly proportioned, the ‘BMW R90Esq’ works as both a restomod and a homage to an unforgettable motorcycle. It’s the final paint job that really pushes it over the edge—an immersive tobacco burst that was never in BMW’s catalog, but should have been.

It’s not all about the looks though: before handing it back to the client, Revival popped the R90Esq onto their dyno, to the tune of 60 horses at the back wheel. And it’s shed 61 pounds since it rolled through their doors.

For a bike that’s over four decades old, it sure looks fresh … and with enough original BMW-ness to impress even the most devout purists.

Revival Cycles | Facebook | Instagram

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[CarlS]

Great looking bike.

 

[DaveM]

TOUGH VINTAGE: 1976 Honda CB750 ‘M6’ by MONNOM Customs.

This story begins like many others: someone starts tearing a bike apart but soon enough realises that they don’t have the time to finish the project or are in way over their head. So the bike sits in a barn or garage for years, waiting for someone, anyone, to breathe life back into the ageing machine. This Honda CB750 seemed like a lost cause until Mike Gustafson from Iowa, USA came in.

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[DaveM]

Desert Fox: A Honda XR650 scrambler from Hungary

Way back in the day, scramblers were really just road bikes that were adapted slightly for desert use. And the same is true for the custom scene—when the scrambler style took off, builders were slapping knobby tires on everything from Honda CX500s to Kawasaki W650s.

But a new trend has emerged in recent years; taking bonafide dirt bikes, and restyling them with throwback looks. And if you’re building one of those, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better donor than the Honda XR650L.

The XR650 has remained relatively unchanged since it first broke cover in 1992 (and you can still buy a 2020 model in some countries). A close cousin to the XR650R that dominated the Baja 1000, but without the aluminum frame and with less power, it’s a robust, air-cooled thumper with unlimited potential for modification.

Most XR650L owners ‘uncork’ it, throw on a long range tank and call it a day. But Árpi Bozi, who operates as Mokka Cycles out of Budapest, Hungary, had different ideas.

Árpi is fast building a reputation for his sharp eye and slick finishes, and he’s put both to good use on the Honda.

He started with a 2007 US-spec XR650L that had made its way into Hungary some years ago—and is now headed back to the States, to its new owner in Texas. “The goal was to build a clean and high quality scrambler,” he tells us. “The kind Honda should make.”

Since this XR650 probably won’t see hardcore desert use, Árpi sacrificed its 21” front wheel for a 19” unit, for better visual balance with the 18” rear. Both hoops are new though, with Moose Racing rims laced to the stock hubs, and shod with dual-sport specific Heidenau K60 tires.

The front forks were rebuilt and lowered slightly, to tweak the stance further, but the rear was treated to a full transformation. Árpi trimmed the mono-shock mounts from the frame and swing arm, and grafted on a new set of twin shock mounts. The rear’s now held up by a pair of YSS piggyback shocks.

The subframe is new too, but it’s more than just a cut-n-loop job. Put it side-by-side with the stock frame, and you’ll spot new down tubes, gussets, and even bungs to mount passenger pegs to.

Higher up are a couple of details that have become Mokka signatures: the slim leather seat, and the hand-made battery box with its mesh inserts. The bodywork is rounded out with a reproduction classic Honda tank, and three fenders.

Yes: three. There’s a high-mounted fender up front, and a low-mounted hugger mounted to the swing arm at the back. That one’s there to actually catch muck, with a stubby unit higher up to round off the tail, visually, and to hold the Motone Eldorado tailight and license plate. It was also the trickiest to make, with Árpi burning through three iterations before the proportions were just right.

On the mechanical side, Árpi refreshed the motor and axed the air box in favor of a K&N filter,then fabricated a stainless steel two-into one exhaust. The wiring’s new too, built around a Motogadget m.unit and a new CDI.

Finishing kit includes a Daytona speedo, Norman Hyde handlebars, and discreet LED turn signals at both ends. It’s sprinkled with hand-made parts too—like the custom aluminum bar ends, and the new chain guard.

As with all Mokka builds, the Honda’s color scheme is simple and tasteful. The sandy hue on the tank is offset against a light grey frame, with warmer grey accents on the motor, swing arm and fork lowers. There’s nothing that screams for attention, and even Mokka’s own branding is extremely subtle.

This minimal scrambler is not only a worthy entry into Árpi’s fast-growing portfolio, but it’s also a textbook example of a retro scrambler with proper dual-sport aspirations. We certainly wouldn’t be mad if you handed us the keys.

Mokka Cycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Árpi Bozi

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[DaveM]

GATEWAY DRUG: BMW R100 ‘The Narcotic’ by Ironwood Custom Motorcycles

Just when you thought the addiction to the BMW R had peaked, a whole new wave takes the plunge, desperate for their taste of the boxer twin. It’s easy to see why, built right they’re more reliable than many brand new machines and offer a level of character that is hard to find on the cookie cutter showroom floor. Then there is the fact that workshops like Ironwood Customs make them so damn...

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[DaveM]

Essence of a Motorcycle: Heiwa’s Suzuki ST250 scrambler

Kengo Kimura is one of the world’s most versatile bike builders. He can create high-end customs that win ‘Best In Show’ prizes at Mooneyes.

He can also build wild concepts for the likes of BMW. And then he can take a humble commuter bike and make it look like a million dollars.

This elegant little scrambler is based on Suzuki’s ST250, an anonymous but competent single launched in the mid 90s and sold around the world under several different names—including TU250 and Volty. In the US, the second generation TU250X has been a slow but steady seller for over a decade.

The original bike had vaguely retro styling, but Kimura-san has amped it up to the max here.

He’s used a 2004 model ST250, and with a set of relatively minor changes (aside from a new fuel tank), turned the humble Suzuki into a lightweight go-anywhere machine.

The vibe is classic English scrambler, stripped to the minimum but with practical touches like hand-rolled fenders. The most obvious custom fabrication is the new fuel tank, which is sleeker than the jelly mold original—and minus the heavy Triumph Bonneville-style seams.

Kimura has also removed the subframe and built a new one to accommodate a classic tuck-and-roll seat, which is plush enough to merit retaining the stock rear shocks.

The forks are lowered by 50 mm though, to level out the stance. The new rims are 18-inch F&R 6061 aluminum items, now shod with rarely seen Dunlop K950 vintage trail tires.

To ramp up the scrambler vibe, Kimura has fitted offroad bars, plugged them with Amal-style grips, and stripped away all unnecessary controls. There’s a tiny analog speedo offset to the left, a mirror to the right, a 4.5-inch retro style headlight in front, and that’s it.

With around 20 hp on tap, the ST250 isn’t going to be pulling arms out of sockets. But Kimura has freed up the breathing with a free-flowing intake filter and a high-riding, handmade exhaust system. And given that the ST250 weighs well under 300 pounds dry, that’s enough power for an entertaining if not exhilarating ride.

For someone like Kimura, this is the work that pays the bills between the big commissions. But it also reveals his uncanny skill in making relatively few mechanical changes that completely transform the vibe of a bike.

A vintage BSA or Matchless scrambler is probably out of the reach of most of us right now, and the maintenance alone would be a separate headache. So a simple, bulletproof Japanese single with a few clever tweaks is a much more appealing proposition.

There’s no ABS here, or traction control, or unnecessary farkles. It’s just a go-anywhere bike that won’t break down, won’t require huge servicing bills, and should provide hours of unintimidating fun. In short, it’s the essence of basic motorcycling … and a bit of a looker too.

What’s not to like?

Heiwa MC | Facebook | Instagram

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