Custom Motorcycle Builds

[DaveM]

Thruxton Gullwing X: A twist on classic café racer style

Every car enthusiast of a certain age knows the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. It made roof-hinged ‘gullwing’ doors famous—despite being a design trick first seen on the Bugatti Type 64. And it’s one of the most iconic sportscars of the last century.

The 300 SL has inspired the Alicante workshop Tamarit to create a limited edition series of customs, and the latest version is ‘Gullwing X.’ The link to the Mercedes design is the new bodywork on the bike, which is a monocoque arrangement with a front-mounted hinge allowing it to be lifted up at the back.

‘X’ is an upgraded version of Tamarit’s ‘Gullwing‘ design, and this prototype is the first in a limited series of nine. Tamarit’s José Antonio describes it as a ‘sport’ version: “Parts like the brakes, rims, carbs and cooling system are dramatically improved.” And quite aside from the nifty engineering, it’s drop dead gorgeous.

The base is a carbureted Triumph Thruxton, which means it’s powered by the classic 865cc air-cooled parallel twin that offers 70 hp in stock form.

Tamarit reckon their version is pumping out a stonking 98 horses, thanks to a complete engine rebuild, big valves, hot cams, and a free-flowing Tamarit ‘Speedster’ exhaust system. Plus two Keihin FCR39 racing flat slide carburetors with the essential TPS sensors.

The velocity stacks shown in the images are replaced by a pair of K&N pod filters for road use, but this engine has a much stronger and smoother ‘pull’ throughout the rev range than the standard setup. There’s also a custom oil-cooler-in-frame setup, with machined fins that help the cooling system work more effectively.

The new bodywork is made from fiberglass, with the standard fuel cell attached to it via a skeletal frame on the inside. “The biggest challenge was fitting the hydraulics inside, so the one-piece body can be lifted to access the battery and the rest of the electronics,” says José.

The hydraulic components are within the frame tubes, under the four gel seat pads of the shortened tail unit and custom subframe. There’s a hinge unit by the steering neck, and the body is secured to the frame by several pins. It takes just the turn of a key to release it.

The fairing is designed and hand-made by Tamarit, and shaped to echo the retro curves of the 300SL.

The wheels are especially stunning: they’re Kineo’s lightweight ‘Radio’ design, matched to Galfer discs and Beringer calipers, with Kustom Tech levers on the bars. The top triple tree is custom, with an inset Motogadget digital speedo and warning lights to keep the cockpit super-clean.

Despite the vintage look of the forks, they’re reconditioned originals—with new internals from Hagon, and chromed ‘springs’ added to the top to accentuate the retro vibe. The shocks are also deceptively modern, being Hagon ‘Nitro’ fully adjustable units with stainless steel construction.

More modernity comes from the electrics, which are routed through the omnipresent Motogadget mo.unit control box. And for easy starting, there’s a keyless mo.lock contact-free digital ignition system.

For us, the Gullwing X is just the right mix of ‘modern’ and ‘classic.’ The styling is faultless, it’s got oodles of power, and it’s likely to be as reliable as any modern showroom bike.

If we were putting in an order, we’d change out those Victory Classic TT tires though. This Spanish flyer looks like it could hold its own on the twisties as well as the straights.

Tamarit Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, 17 January 2021

This week’s selection is as varied as they come—from a new, ultra-modern electric motorcycle, to an eclectic BMW boxer with raw finishes. Plus we have two entries from Poland: a rough and ready Honda CB450 scrambler, and a Triumph Scrambler 1200 with supermotard style.

The Sondors Metacycle electric motorcycle Any conversation about electric motorcycles inevitably revolves around the tension between price, range and performance. So when we heard about a new two-wheeled EV that promises an 80-mile range and 80 mph top speed, and costs just $5,000, our interest was piqued.

It’s called the Metacycle, and it’s the first motorcycle from the established Californian electric bicycle brand, Sondors.

It’s a looker too, built around a cast aluminum frame and swingarm that take advantage of the blank slate that EV technology offers. By opting for a rear hub motor, Sondors have managed to keep the overall design compact and uncluttered. But with adjustable upside down forks and Bybre brakes (a Brembo brand), the Metacycle feels like it means business.

It also features a removable battery that’ll charge in four hours, and a wireless smartphone charging box with a clear lid. Oh, and it weighs a paltry 200 lbs.

Claimed figures from the hub motor are 8 KWh of nominal power or 14.5 KWh of peak power, and 80 ft-lbs of nominal torque or 200 ft-lbs of peak torque. Of course there’s no way of knowing how that translates into the real world without a test ride, and the maximum range undoubtedly depends on your average speed.

But the numbers do give us an idea of where the Metacycle sits in the current market.

At $5,000 it’s pricier than smaller pedelec (pedal electric cycle) bikes, like the Super73 RX. But it’s less than half the price of a Zero S, and a sixth the price of a Harley-Davidson LiveWire. With stats that tick the boxes for most urban commuters, the Sondors might just become the Suzuki DRZ400 of the EV world. [Sondors Metacycle]

Honda CB450 by JasinTom Motorcycles There’s something endearing about bikes that are made to be beat up. This 1986 Honda CB450 Nighthawk comes from Tomasz at JasinTom Motorcycles in Warsaw, and it’s a no-nonsense build that’s sure to be ridden hard at every opportunity.

Tom’s a fan of bikes made between the 60s and 80s, so the twin-cylinder Honda’s a relatively young donor for him. For this project, he’s built a rough-hewn cross between a flat tracker, a scrambler and a ‘Bratstyle’ bobber.

Before Tom got to the cosmetic work, he had to strip down the well-worn motor and treat it to a full rebuild. Up top is a vintage Honda enduro fuel tank, followed by a slim leather seat, perched on a custom subframe. Tom shaped up a pair of side panels with mesh inserts, and added a basic rear fender. The license plate and taillight sit on a custom arrangement mounted to the swing arm.

There’s a gratifying mix of old and new parts on this Honda. The headlight’s a modern LED unit, but the exhaust mufflers and rear shocks were repurposed from elsewhere. And the handlebars were welded up by Tom himself. The paint’s a simple military green affair that even extends to the engine cases, which have been treated to a distressed effect.

Tom’s Honda might not be a polished, high-end custom, but it sure looks like fun. Plus it apparently sounds “like a storm” and “can go sideways.” And it’s hard to argue with that. [JasinTom Motorcycles]

Triumph Scrambler 1200 by Unikat The Triumph Scrambler 1200 is one of few modern classic scramblers that can actually hold its own on dirt. But Polish outfit Unikat have taken this Scrambler in another direction, by turning it into a big retro supermotard.

The Scrambler’s also one of a growing number of heritage-focused motorcycles that looks really good out the box, making it hard to improve on. So the changes here are subtle rather than radical—but they make a big difference.

The most obvious change are the wheels; 17” tubeless wire spoke items from Kineo. Higher up is a full twin exhaust system from Zard, and out back the rear fender’s been trimmed right down. The seat’s been recovered in leather, and the factory taillight and turn signals have been ditched for an all-in-one LED strip embedded out back. (The license plate’s been relocated to a side-mounted bracket).

The front end’s sporting a high fender, headlight cover and small fly screen. Smaller add-ons include Rizoma reservoirs, Motogadget bar-end mirrors and turn signals, and hand-wrapped leather grips.

The lush blue paint’s been inspired by McLaren, and is echoed in the seat stitching and wheel spoke nipples, with a bunch of other parts done in black. Added up, it’s a clean custom that just ‘works’—and should ride as sharp as it looks, too. [More]

BMW R100/7 by Woidwerk We’ve seen the venerable BMW boxer customized in every style imaginable by now. But luckily there are builders like Woidwerk’s Ralf Eggl, who know how to think way outside the box.

This eclectic BMW R100/7 is what happened when a client told Ralf he likes wood and leather, and left the rest up to his imagination. Ralf envisioned a cafe racer with a mix of raw material finishes and a measure of patina, and sketched out an idea the very next day.

High on the list was finding a slimmer fuel tank—so he turned to his client’s father, who has an extensive collection of old bikes. Digging through his collection, they found a gas tank from the now defunct German manufacturer, UT, and matched it to the BMW.

Next, Ralf shaped up a sheet metal base for the tail, before carving out a rear hump from a solid piece of walnut. The seat’s covered in leather, and the ‘rivets’ at the back of it actually hide three fasteners; you can remove the wooden bit for a more bobbed look. There’s more leather trim on the grips, foot pegs and speedo, and Ralf even used leather bits to tie down the cabling.

The oversized fenders at both ends were made by hand, and the rear carries a license plate bracket, taillight and turn signals, to keep things street legal. Ralf shortened the front suspension a touch, and installed a new pair of rear shocks from YSS. There’s also a V-Rod headlight, ABM clip-ons, and a Motogadget speedo sunk into a walnut housing.

The exhaust was made to Ralf’s specification, by a friend that works at a German exhaust specialist. And since Ralf’s client is a nature lover, he added a hit of green to the bike, while still leaving most of the raw materials exposed. [Woidwerk]

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[DaveM]

MAGGOT MAGNIFIQUE: Honda CX500 by Duke Motorcycles.

The CX500 has always had a reputation for being one of the ugliest motorcycles Honda has manufactured. It’s been called many names, and ‘beautiful’ isn’t usually one of them. On the other hand, it’s become the bike of choice for many up-and-coming and reputable bike builders around the world. Being cheap and reliable, it’s no wonder it’s a popular donor in the custom scene.

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[DaveM]

BMW R18 by Kingston Custom: An Art Deco Meisterwerk

BMW has wasted no time getting the new R18 into the hands of customizers. Five months ago, before the Bavarian cruiser was even in showrooms, Roland Sands unveiled the low-slung ‘Dragster’ concept. Then a couple of weeks later, Bernhard Naumann of Blechmann revealed an even wilder build.

Now it’s the turn of Dirk Oehlerking, who runs Kingston Custom. He’s based in Gelsenkirchen—a six-hour ride from the BMW factory in Berlin—and has built around 17 BMW customs over the past 35 years. This is arguably his best yet.

The swooping lines and quality of finish are next level. But this is not a styling exercise endlessly refined in a CAD program on computer; Dirk still works in a totally analog way.

The design process begins long before the first screws are turned. “I put a lot of thought into it beforehand,” he says. “I have a constant stream of images running past my mind’s eye when deciding what style to focus on.”

“Once I’ve made that choice, I start with a sketch in pencil and Tipp-Ex [correction fluid]. Then I keep going, until I know in my heart of hearts: that’s precisely ‘it’.”

The BMW R18 has been designed with customization in mind, following the trail blazed by the R nineT. The showroom bike is something of a rolling homage, with visual (and technical) details echoing the R5 of the late 1930s. It also has a focus on modern-but-no-frills tech—such as the 1,802 cc (110 ci) pushrod motor.

Oehlerking often takes a deep dive into the bikes that he customizes. But this time he’s mostly left the mechanical side alone, because it would be change for the sake of change.

“I left the technology as it is,” he says. “The frame is 100% original.” Clever original design touches like the exposed drive shaft and rear wheel hub are still present and correct.

The real action is happening on the outside—with the extraordinary fairing and rear wheel cover. It’s possible to trace a clear lineage here, starting with Dirk’s ‘White Phantom’ R80RT of four years ago.

In 2018, his ‘Black Phantom’ took it up a notch, using parts from multiple airhead BMWs, and last year, we had the ‘Good Ghost’ R100. I remember thinking that it would be impossible to top that bike, but BMW head office obviously had other ideas.

The R18 is the fourth bike in this informal sequence. Called ‘Spirit of Passion,’ it retains the Art Deco vibe that Dirk has refined over the past few years. And although it looks like it belongs on the manicured lawns of Pebble Beach, or the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este in Italy, it’s actually a fully functional, rideable motorcycle.

You just wouldn’t want to drop it.

Dirk carved the shape of the bodywork out of rigid foam to create molds, and the final shell is fiberglass. It bolts to the standard R18 mounting points, and the matching rear wheel enclosure is attached to the swingarm—so that it follows the movement of the wheel.

It sounds simple, but there was obviously a lot of precision design and measuring happening here.

When it came to designing the ‘kidney grille,’ Dirk was inspired by the iconic BMW 328—the four-wheeled contemporary of the R5 motorcycle. The grille itself is crafted from aluminum slats, and the recessed oval above conceals an LED headlight from Highsider. Compact Kellermann indicators keep the machine street-legal.

The tiny windshield is custom-made using Makrolon polycarbonate, a lightweight glass substitute, but the leather seat is adapted from BMW’s own accessory catalog.

The bars are custom-made, and designed so that the turning circle is the same as the showroom bike. And with 150mm (5.9 inches) of clearance between the road and the lower fairing, ground clearance is not an issue, unless you are lapping the Nürburgring.

The tank is the standard fitment (dressed with a vintage R75 badge). Finished off with classic BMW black paint and subtle white pinstriping, the Kingston R18 could almost pass for an expensively restored vintage machine—at home in a European museum, or on the floor of a high-end auction house.

Except this one will start first time at the press of a button, and only needs servicing every 6,000 miles.

It’s a towering achievement from Oehlerking, surpassing even the White and Black Phantoms, and he’s rightly proud of it. “This project is probably the most impressive of my entire career,” he says. “It means a lot to me.”

If you’re feeling the love as well, you’ll be glad to know that Dirk has a limited edition production run planned. Not many custom motorcycles become collectors’ pieces, but we suspect this will be one of them.

Kingston Custom | Facebook | Instagram | BMW Motorrad R18 product page

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[DaveM]

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: BMW K1100RS by Marek.

New York City might be the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, but the state of the same name is a diverse landscape, from the bustling high-rise laden streets of Manhattan to the stunning and lofty peaks of the endless uninhabited mountain ranges. So a bike built to traverse the full range of roads the place has to offer needs open road ability with a stance and style to fit into any of the...

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[DaveM]

Cut to Fit: RSD build a Honda Monkey for Wee Man

Customization can be about aesthetics and performance, but it can also be about making a motorcycle fit its rider better. This wild Honda Monkey from Roland Sands Design rolls all three approaches into one, with a build list to rival bikes twice its size.

The Californian workshop built the Monkey for skateboarder, stunt performer and Jackass star Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuña. Jason used to ride mini-motocrossers as a kid, but he wanted to get back on two wheels—and this time on the street. So he approached RSD to build a bike that would fit his frame.

“We are a non-denominational motorcycle company,” says shop boss, Roland Sands. “If it has two wheels and can be improved in the eyes of the owner and the RSD crew, it’s a project we are willing to take on.”

“Jason wanted something that was geared for the pavement, and built especially for him both in function and aesthetic. Now Jason is not your average biker: he’s got a normal size torso with short legs and short arms.”

“Starting out with a small bike seemed like the right thing to do. Enter the Honda Monkey.”

The Monkey might indeed be a small bike—but it’s got one of the thickest seats out. And since Jason was returning to motorcycling after a decade-long hiatus, getting both feet on the ground was a must. Removing the seat got the team halfway there, but perfecting the ride height would take a little more elbow grease.

RSD lowered the front forks with a Racing Bros lowering kit, and added a set of 280 mm Racing Bros shock out back. They fabricated a custom subframe with new shock mounts too, then trimmed down a Saddlemen seat, finishing it off with an embedded LED taillight.

The fenders are carbon fiber items from Tyga, mounted with a Composimo lift kit (front) and an adjustable TST ‘eliminator’ kit (rear).

Roland Sands’ background is in racing, and the shop’s bikes almost always feature a laundry list of performance upgrades. So this Monkey was never just going to be a simple ergonomics job.

On went a pair of lightweight BST carbon fiber wheels (yes, they make wheels specifically for the Monkey), shod with dual-compound scooter tires. The braking system is a mix: Brembo calipers on Chimera brackets, Galfer wave rotors and Spiegler lines.

Brake upgrades on a Monkey might seem gratuitous—but this particular Monkey has a top speed of 70-plus miles per hour. RSD tuned it with a Chimera intake and K&N filter, and a full Yoshimura exhaust system. The engine’s also sporting Driven Racing timing and valve covers, a stator and sprocket covers from Sex Machine, and revised sprocket ratios.

Up top are a set of ProTaper risers, bars and grips, with ASV levers. Just in front is a pair of Koso LED turn signals, mounted on Yoshimura plates. And the foot controls are Driven Racing parts, with a Hard Racing shifter shaft support bracket to help improve shifting.

Finishing touches include a Kitaco skid plate, a new gas cap, and a modified kickstand to suit the Monkey’s new ride height. All told, the changes ended up shaving about 40 pounds off the Honda’s original curb weight, making it even more fun to ride.

With every box ticked, the frame went off for an avocado green powder coat, while the tank was sent to Chris Wood at Airtrix for a matching paint job. It came back with a black on black finish, complete with carbon fiber inlays and avocado pinstriping.

The Monkey now looks killer, goes like stink, and fits its rider perfectly. And it’s compact enough for Jason to take on the road too.

“Wee Man is an ‘Instagram millionaire’,” says Roland, “but the guy’s gone through the process of having too much to stripping back, and simplifying his life to only what’s necessary.”

“He spends a lot of time on the road in his custom Sprinter van exploring the world. The Wee Monkey gives him the opportunity to set up camp and have bitchin’ street legal transportation anywhere he goes.”

Roland Sands Design | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Joe Hitzelberger

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[DaveM]

SLEEK & SHARP: Indian Scout Bobber by Purpose Built Moto.

The Indian Scout is one of the best-selling motorcycles in the USA, which is no surprise: they’re easy on the eye, comfortable to ride and have plenty of power to play with. It’s only been a few short years since Indian released the Scout Bobber and, as prices have gotten cheaper, it has become a popular donor bike in the custom community. Purpose Built Moto (PBM) have been patiently waiting for...

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[DaveM]

RETRO RACE REPLICA: 1990 Honda XBR500 ‘Imatra’ by XTR Pepo.

There was a time in the Motorcycle Grand Prix Championship that one weekend racers would find themselves at one of the world’s premier circuits, only to be racing on the real roads of places like the Isle of Man the next. They were a different breed, capable on the tools, often racing in multiple classes in the same day and usually in the pits next to the race fuel with a cigarette hanging out the...

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[DaveM]

ISDT Dream: A BMW R80/7 Scrambler from Estonia

Some custom shops have a knack for building motorcycles that are clean enough to pass for factory specials. But this BMW boxer from the Estonian powerhouse Renard Speed Shop takes things up a notch. Not only does it look like some sort of restored off-road racing prototype, but it was also pieced together from leftover parts.

Most of what you see here, including the 1979-model R80/7 donor, was dug out of Renard’s workshop, and modded to fit together. That’s right: this one’s a bitsa.

Despite how tidy it is, Renard built this scrambler as a practical ride for navigating the many forests around their ‘hood. And if you’re picking up shades of the BMWs that participated in the International Six Days Trials, you’d be right—that’s where the inspiration came from.

Renard first overhauled and cleaned the R80/7’s 42-year-old motor, then mated it to the four-speed gearbox from an older /5. It’s a robust build with the airbox still in play, but the stainless steel exhaust system is new. The crew fabricated it from scratch—from the two-into-one headers all the way to the one-off muffler.

Most of the scalped parts on this build come from a vintage CZ motocrosser of unspecified designation. Renard adapted the CZ triples to fit the BMW, then mashed up the CZ’s fork legs with the BMW’s fork stanchions and internals. Other CZ bits include the 21” front wheel, its drum brake, and its intriguing rear shocks.

Renard kept the BMW’s stock 18” rear wheel, but extended the swingarm to match the length of the new shocks.

The R80’s bodywork is a mix of custom-made and salvaged bits. The fuel tank is another CZ find (no surprises there); Renard widened its tunnel to fit the bike’s frame, then made an ‘analog’ fuel gauge for it. The seat’s custom—built on an aluminum pan, and upholstered with a piece of distressed vinyl that was lying around the shop.

The team modified the BMW’s subframe, then added a rear rack that was scalped off another bike. The tool roll is old stock from Renard’s own apparel and gear shop. The fenders were ordered from the Italian company Parafanghi Bastia, and the yellow number boards are all hand-made aluminum parts.

Up top are old motocross handlebars, with new grips and a Tommaselli throttle that was gathering dust. Renard produce and sell their own switchgear; a CNC-machined assembly with laser-etched icons on the buttons. The switches here are a new, more compact version, that the crew will add to their catalog soon.

There’s a Motogadget speedo hiding behind the front number board, and a set of Oberon bar-end mirrors, cleverly mounted under the bars instead.

The headlight’s an off-the-shelf part, mounted on modified Honda XBR brackets, and flanked by a pair of LED turn signals. Lower down is a pair of BMW R nineT Scrambler foot pegs.

Renard’s trials-style BMW is tied together with a host of small and considered details. The right number board’s shaped to wrap around the muffler, while the left has a cut out for the kick-start lever. And the team even modified the back of the front fender for extra clearance against the exhaust header.

A warm grey livery keeps things classy, along with double black pinstripes and a pair of BMW roundels on the tank. It’s just the sort of high-class finish that we’ve come to expect from Renard—and the overall effect transcends its origins by a country mile.

Renard Speed Shop | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Kalle Veesaar

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[DaveM]

Master of Metal: Shiny Hammer’s Moto Guzzi 1000SP

We’re suckers for classic Moto Guzzi café racers. But we like it even more when someone messes up the recipe a little. As with this sleek and quirky 1000 SP from France—which mixes conventional and unorthodox styling cues to great effect.

It comes from Samuel Aguiar, a multi-talented chap who designs furniture as well as motorcycles. He runs the Shiny Hammer workshop in Saint-Quentin, a town near the border of Belgium in northern France.

Samuel’s previous creations include a Rocketeer-style electric scooter and a stunning Shovelhead. They’re both fantastic builds but have little in common with this Guzzi.

“This one’s based on a 1981 1000 SP,” says Samuel. “The donor bike had been crashed, and the front wheel was basically stuck in the engine. I had to make the bike ‘straight’ before making any mods. But on the engine, only the alternator was broken.”

The ‘Spada,’ as it was known, was an excellent bike in its day. It had sharp handling, an integrated braking system, and all-day touring ability. The relaxed V-twin sent around 70 horses to the traditional Guzzi shaft drive, and the bike could cruise at 100 mph for hours.

The plasticky styling has not dated too well though, and that’s the main thing that Samuel has fixed. “My idea was to start with a ‘known’ style for the fuel tank, and then go a little more unusual on the front fender,” he says. “I wanted a kind of ‘weird cafe racer’.”

It’s a personal build, so Samuel had the freedom to explore a few ideas. “I always say to myself that I’m gonna sell the project I’m working on, but then I fall in love with it! I keep most of my builds, since they are all quite different.”

After giving the engine a thorough check and service, Samuel replaced the 32mm Dell’Ortos with a pair of mighty 36mm units. The stainless exhaust system is custom, with twin straight-through pipes hiding baffles to keep the noise level down a little.

Tarozzi rear sets nestle above the upkick in the pipes, and the vintage-style shocks are oleo-pneumatic units from Fournales—with adjustable air springs that you can pressurize with a standard bicycle tire pump.

The forks are stock but refurbished, lowered a little, and upgraded with Brembo brakes. Samuel has also rounded off and polished the top triples, right behind a Motoscope Pro—the most recent generation of Motogadget’s digital dashboard.

The stock 18-inch mag wheels have been replaced by custom-built spoked Morad rims in the same diameter, in 2.5 [F] and 3.5 [R] widths. They’re shod with a fresh set of Avon Roadrider AM26 tires.

There’s a Beringer front master cylinder with a custom lever hooked up to the front Brembos, but the rear master cylinder comes from a 50cc scooter and operates via a custom linkage.

The hard yards are in the metalworking though. Like everything else on this Guzzi, apart from the grey leather seat, Samuel tackled it by himself in his workshop.

“I’ve wanted to be able to weld aluminum for years,” says, “and decided to learn on this project.” He bought a TIG welder and literally learnt on the job, although you’d never be able to tell.

The bodywork is all new, and all aluminum. The shapes of the tank and fairing (complete with a Peugeot Ludix scooter headlight) are perfectly judged, but it’s the front fender and shortened tail unit that provide the twist.

There’s no paint on the metalwork to hide any imperfections. “I was thinking about black or grey paint, but decided to just brush it and add a clear coat,” says Samuel.

Raw metal is a tough trick to pull off, because there’s nowhere to hide. But it’s becoming a signature look for Shiny Hammer—and Samuel has the chops to make it work.

Shiny Hammer | Facebook | Instagram

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[brooke]

ISDT Dream: A BMW R80/7 Scrambler from Estonia

Some custom shops have a knack for building motorcycles that are clean enough to pass for factory specials. But this BMW boxer from the Estonian powerhouse Renard Speed Shop takes things up a notch. Not only does it look like some sort of restored off-road racing prototype, but it was also pieced together from leftover parts.

Most of what you see here, including the 1979-model R80/7 donor, was dug out of Renard’s workshop, and modded to fit together. That’s right: this one’s a bitsa.

Despite how tidy it is, Renard built this scrambler as a practical ride for navigating the many forests around their ‘hood. And if you’re picking up shades of the BMWs that participated in the International Six Days Trials, you’d be right—that’s where the inspiration came from.

Renard first overhauled and cleaned the R80/7’s 42-year-old motor, then mated it to the four-speed gearbox from an older /5. It’s a robust build with the airbox still in play, but the stainless steel exhaust system is new. The crew fabricated it from scratch—from the two-into-one headers all the way to the one-off muffler.

Most of the scalped parts on this build come from a vintage CZ motocrosser of unspecified designation. Renard adapted the CZ triples to fit the BMW, then mashed up the CZ’s fork legs with the BMW’s fork stanchions and internals. Other CZ bits include the 21” front wheel, its drum brake, and its intriguing rear shocks.

Renard kept the BMW’s stock 18” rear wheel, but extended the swingarm to match the length of the new shocks.

The R80’s bodywork is a mix of custom-made and salvaged bits. The fuel tank is another CZ find (no surprises there); Renard widened its tunnel to fit the bike’s frame, then made an ‘analog’ fuel gauge for it. The seat’s custom—built on an aluminum pan, and upholstered with a piece of distressed vinyl that was lying around the shop.

The team modified the BMW’s subframe, then added a rear rack that was scalped off another bike. The tool roll is old stock from Renard’s own apparel and gear shop. The fenders were ordered from the Italian company Parafanghi Bastia, and the yellow number boards are all hand-made aluminum parts.

Up top are old motocross handlebars, with new grips and a Tommaselli throttle that was gathering dust. Renard produce and sell their own switchgear; a CNC-machined assembly with laser-etched icons on the buttons. The switches here are a new, more compact version, that the crew will add to their catalog soon.

There’s a Motogadget speedo hiding behind the front number board, and a set of Oberon bar-end mirrors, cleverly mounted under the bars instead.

The headlight’s an off-the-shelf part, mounted on modified Honda XBR brackets, and flanked by a pair of LED turn signals. Lower down is a pair of BMW R nineT Scrambler foot pegs.

Renard’s trials-style BMW is tied together with a host of small and considered details. The right number board’s shaped to wrap around the muffler, while the left has a cut out for the kick-start lever. And the team even modified the back of the front fender for extra clearance against the exhaust header.

A warm grey livery keeps things classy, along with double black pinstripes and a pair of BMW roundels on the tank. It’s just the sort of high-class finish that we’ve come to expect from Renard—and the overall effect transcends its origins by a country mile.

Renard Speed Shop | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Kalle Veesaar

Continue reading...

ISDT Dream: A BMW R80/7 Scrambler from Estonia

Some custom shops have a knack for building motorcycles that are clean enough to pass for factory specials. But this BMW boxer from the Estonian powerhouse Renard Speed Shop takes things up a notch. Not only does it look like some sort of restored off-road racing prototype, but it was also pieced together from leftover parts.

Most of what you see here, including the 1979-model R80/7 donor, was dug out of Renard’s workshop, and modded to fit together. That’s right: this one’s a bitsa.

Despite how tidy it is, Renard built this scrambler as a practical ride for navigating the many forests around their ‘hood. And if you’re picking up shades of the BMWs that participated in the International Six Days Trials, you’d be right—that’s where the inspiration came from.

Renard first overhauled and cleaned the R80/7’s 42-year-old motor, then mated it to the four-speed gearbox from an older /5. It’s a robust build with the airbox still in play, but the stainless steel exhaust system is new. The crew fabricated it from scratch—from the two-into-one headers all the way to the one-off muffler.

Most of the scalped parts on this build come from a vintage CZ motocrosser of unspecified designation. Renard adapted the CZ triples to fit the BMW, then mashed up the CZ’s fork legs with the BMW’s fork stanchions and internals. Other CZ bits include the 21” front wheel, its drum brake, and its intriguing rear shocks.

Renard kept the BMW’s stock 18” rear wheel, but extended the swingarm to match the length of the new shocks.

The R80’s bodywork is a mix of custom-made and salvaged bits. The fuel tank is another CZ find (no surprises there); Renard widened its tunnel to fit the bike’s frame, then made an ‘analog’ fuel gauge for it. The seat’s custom—built on an aluminum pan, and upholstered with a piece of distressed vinyl that was lying around the shop.

The team modified the BMW’s subframe, then added a rear rack that was scalped off another bike. The tool roll is old stock from Renard’s own apparel and gear shop. The fenders were ordered from the Italian company Parafanghi Bastia, and the yellow number boards are all hand-made aluminum parts.

Up top are old motocross handlebars, with new grips and a Tommaselli throttle that was gathering dust. Renard produce and sell their own switchgear; a CNC-machined assembly with laser-etched icons on the buttons. The switches here are a new, more compact version, that the crew will add to their catalog soon.

There’s a Motogadget speedo hiding behind the front number board, and a set of Oberon bar-end mirrors, cleverly mounted under the bars instead.

The headlight’s an off-the-shelf part, mounted on modified Honda XBR brackets, and flanked by a pair of LED turn signals. Lower down is a pair of BMW R nineT Scrambler foot pegs.

Renard’s trials-style BMW is tied together with a host of small and considered details. The right number board’s shaped to wrap around the muffler, while the left has a cut out for the kick-start lever. And the team even modified the back of the front fender for extra clearance against the exhaust header.

A warm grey livery keeps things classy, along with double black pinstripes and a pair of BMW roundels on the tank. It’s just the sort of high-class finish that we’ve come to expect from Renard—and the overall effect transcends its origins by a country mile.

Renard Speed Shop | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Kalle Veesaar

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Love the BMW dirt bike . The rear shocks look like Fox Air units which were hot in the mid seventies and I believe we’re used on works CZ bikes as well as other factory and top privateer rides . Air suspension was the rage for a year or so then , I ran air only in the front forks for most of the 1975 season and it worked very well . Running springs plus the air was the norm but those springs were heavy .

 

[DaveM]

Speed Read, 24 January 2021

It’s a newsier mix than usual this week, with the Yamaha SR400 finally down for the count, and a top European motorcycle museum gone up in smoke. On the custom bike front, we’ve got two very sporty builds—one an XT600 supermoto, and the other a radically restyled BMW R nineT.

Yamaha XT600 supermoto by 86 Gear Motorcycles Christian Boosen runs 86 Gear Motorcycles in Warsaw, Poland, a city where the custom scene is starting to boom nicely. He’s just finished building this XT600 for a local client, and it looks like an absolute A-to-B supermoto weapon.

The engine got a massive shot in the arm with a rebuild including a high-comp piston, the cam from a TT600, and a Mikuni TM34 flatside carb—plus a new hydraulic clutch to handle the extra power.

When not zooming down Warsaw streets on the back wheel, the rebuilt forks (with progressive springs) and a YSS shock keep the bike planted on its new 17-inch supermoto-spec rims. A bigger front brake disc and new master cylinder help keep the rider out of trouble.

An XT500 fuel tank keeps the top line flatter than standard, and there’s a well-padded new seat (on a truncated subframe) to cushion kerb jumps and hard landings. This one looks like more fun than a barrel of monkeys. [Via | Images by Bartek Zaranek]

Sayōnara, Yamaha SR400 It’s finally the end of the road for the venerable SR400, which has been around since 1978. Yamaha has already withdrawn the plucky air-cooled single from most markets around the world, and this week it announced the end for its home market.

Two swansong models will be released on March 15—a regular ‘Final Edition’ and an upscale ‘Final Edition Limited’ [shown here] that’s restricted to a thousand units. We’re surprised that so many are still being produced, but then again, the SR is still an icon in the Japanese scene.

The FE Limited SR400 is only available in black, with a subtle sunburst effect hand-painted on the tank. Each bike will have a cast plate with the serial number, brass ‘sound fork’ badges, a faux leather seat, black anodized wheel rims, and black instrumentation.

The price for the FEL is a somewhat steep 74,800 yen, which equates to US$7,200. But given the love for the SR400 in Japan, it’s still probably a safe investment for buyers. And hopefully, we’ll still be adding to our archive of the best SR400 custom builds for some time yet.

BMW R nineT by Ortolani Customs What happens if you love your bike, but want a change of style? It can be dangerous to simply buy a new bike, because you could be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

That was the dilemma faced by Olivier Ortolani’s latest client, who loved his R nineT but wanted to change up the looks. So Ortolani found a way to complete transform the appearance of the R nineT without affecting its performance.

Taking inspiration from fighter jets and flat track racers, Ortolani has created completely new aluminum bodywork, with the tank sitting lower and the seat unit moved forward a little, for sportier ergonomics.

The oil cooling system has been split into two, with a compact cooler sitting above each boxer cylinder. A Dynojet Power Commander now keeps the engine running smoothly, because the breathing has been radically opened up—with CNC’d velocity stacks at the intake end and a stubby titanium Zard exhaust system terminating alongside the back wheel.

New forged PVM rims add to the sporting vibe, and paint is limited to a few ‘splatter’ effects on the raw alloy. It’s a million miles away from the look of the regular R nineT, and not surprisingly, Ortolani’s client is a happy man. [Via | Images by Bertrand Bremont]

The Top Mountain Crosspoint Motorcycle Museum This week, the moto press has been dominated by reports of the museum fire in Austria. It was shocking news, even though we’re guessing that most people outside Europe, this writer included, had never heard of ‘Crosspoint’ before.

What’s left of the magnificent building is over 2,000 meters above sea level, in the highest ski resort in the Austrian alps. It housed around 230 vintage motorcycles, plus many collectible cars. All were damaged by the inferno before fire crews could get the blaze under control.

From where we’re sitting, the most notable part of the story is the lack of fire suppression measures: some reports are claiming that the (mostly wooden) building did not have a sprinkler system. (A huge snowblower was roped in to help fire crews struggling to get a water supply, but by that point, it was too late.)

If it’s true, it’s an unfortunate oversight. It’s well known that the National Motorcycle Museum in Britain was destroyed by fire in 2003, also due to a lack of sprinklers. [News report]

Iron & Air: The Photo Issue is out Renowned photographer Scott G Toepfer is the guest editor of the latest issue of Iron & Air, and it’s a visual treat. The 114 pages are packed with stunning images and the stories behind them.

We get an insight into the work of photographers such as Yve Assad, Sinuhe Xavier and Bill Phelps, plus incredible examples of photographic skill—such as the image above by Charles Séguy.

“Photo issues are a rare opportunity to turn the lens on the photographers themselves and learn from their personal experience,” says Scott. “This is the heart of photography as a craft, and while we can digest as much imagery as we want within the span of a 24-hour day on our phones, we must occasionally remind ourselves that it is the quality of the art form that sustains it beyond an endless scroll.”

Give yourself an analog treat with a subscription here (and grab yourself a free back issue too, while you’re at it.)

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[DaveM]

FACTORY FRESH: BMW R100RT ‘Halier’ by Earth Moto.

After the Treaty of Versailles barred Germany from developing and producing aircraft or maintaining an air force, Bayerische Motoren Werke was forced to pivot from airplane engine production to tap into a myriad of other emerging industries including building motorcycles. Within its first few decades of producing bikes, BMW would not only repeatedly push the envelope technologically and...

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[DaveM]

The Rescue: A Honda CX500 cafe racer from Buenos Aires

Against all odds, the eternally goofy Honda CX500 has become a popular choice for custom projects. But it’s hard to get ‘right,’ as bike builder Patricio Germano now realizes. When it arrived in his workshop, this CX500 had already been worked over—but it was in dire need of a makeover.

Patricio runs the Invader Cycle Company workshop out of San Martín, in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area of Argentina. Invader is mostly a one-man-show, but Patricio had some help on this project from his friend, Martin Neme.

Patricio’s forte is choppers and bobbers, but he’s stoked to work on any style of build—even slick cafe racers like this one. Why? “Well, because it has two wheels,” he explains. “And when a customer gives me the liberty to do what I want, that’s when the best results show. Because the bike ends up looking like a ‘whole’.”

This 1979-model CX500 was booked in for some light rescue work, but the job soon snowballed. “The bike had been modified previously,” he says, “and the client wanted to fix some mechanical issues, and change the subframe and seat. But then he decided he wanted to redo the whole thing.”

Patricio prefers building bikes from scratch, but the client wanted to retain at least some of the stock CX500. So Patricio decided to focus his energy on more subtle changes.

“I wanted to build something classic,” he says, “but with some tech flavor. So I used the Motogadget stuff that is very subtle, and doesn’t pop out from the bike when you look at it. So when you see the bike you see something classic, but when you start to pay attention to the details, you notice the tech stuff.”

Patricio did indeed build something classic, thanks to some clever nipping and tucking. He kept the stock tank at the client’s request, but lifted it slightly at the rear to level it out. Then he built an all-new subframe, with a hand-shaped rear cowl to round it off.

The seat unit pops off to reveal a custom-made electrics box, and can be swapped for a passenger-friendly seat, along with bolt-on pillion pegs. The license plate holder looks like an off-the-shelf part, but it’s actually custom—it’s made from laser-cut parts, and designed so that it can be folded away.

This Honda not only cuts a classic silhouette, but also has a flawless stance. Patricio installed a set of Suzuki Hayabusa forks and yokes, after shaving the casting marks off the lower triple and powder coating the set black. A pair of Öhlins piggyback shocks keeps things propped up out back.

The wheels are 16” units from a Harley-Davidson, with the rear heavily modded to work with the Honda’s shaft drive. The front Tokico brake calipers are from the ‘Busa too, but they were stripped, painted black, and reassembled with stainless steel hardware and new lines. The rear brake’s a vintage NOS Brembo setup, and the rotors at both ends are custom.

Sticking to his original plan, Patricio rewired the Honda around a smörgåsbord of Motogadget goodies. He picked their Bluetooth-enabled mo.unit controller, and installed a new Li-Po battery and a Mosfet voltage regulator along with it.

Up in the cockpit are a Motogadget speedo, keyless ignition, grips, switches and bar-end mirrors. Patricio made his own clip-ons off the Hayabusa clamps, so that he could run internal wiring. The headlight’s a J.W. Speaker unit from Cognito Moto, and there’s a set of Motogadget turn signal and taillight combo LEDs at the back.

Other custom touches include a new aluminum radiator cover, with a honeycomb screen, fabricated by Hidden Custom. The exhaust mufflers are classic reverse cones from GD Motocicletas, and the airbox has been swapped for a pair of K&N filters. Buenos Aires Choppers took care of tuning duties, to make sure all the changes played nice together.

With everything in place, the CX500 was stripped so that its frame could be blasted and powder coated. Patricio had the smaller parts done in a satin black, and replaced all the hardware with stainless steel items.

Kustom Planet handled the luscious black paint job, while Only Custom Seat tackled the upholstery.

There’s not a hair out of place—and there’s no one part screaming for attention either. This CX500 is simply a perfectly proportioned cafe racer with a killer stance, and a well judged parts list. Not bad for a rescue job.

Invader Cycle Company Facebook | Instagram | Photos by Alejo Pichot

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[DaveM]

THE BRONZE AGE: 2020 Janus Halcyon 250 by Mark Attebery Studio.

In the early 20th century, the process of buying and owning a motorcycle was a truly personal experience. Literally hundreds of small manufacturers existed across the globe, allowing you to walk into the showroom on a high street and meet the man who built your bike. It’s an element sadly lacking in today’s consumer culture, but one American company is bringing it all back, and you can even meet...

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[DaveM]

Extra Large Supermoto: A KTM 1190 from RATicate Racing

Back in 2003, KTM took the LC8 V-twin motor from their flagship 950 Adventure, and stuck it in a big, gnarly supermotard. The 950 Supermoto eventually became the 990 Supermoto, but was ultimately dropped from the lineup with KTM’s next big motor upgrade. And that made the crew at RATicate Racing sad.

So when the Californian shop got a crashed 2015 KTM 1190 Adventure R in, they took the gap—and built the bike KTM never did. “We decided to take a fresh look at what we always hoped KTM would have built using the 1190 LC8 platform,” says founder David LaBree. “An oversized naked bike with long travel suspension—a big-bike Supermoto.”

“The new 1290 Super Duke R fills our desires for monster torque in a compact package. But with its short travel suspension and road oriented chassis, you find the need to ride it like a traditional sport bike in order to get the most of the performance.”

“The desire for sticking a leg out and launching off big curbs gave way to the RATicate Racing 1190 XLSM (Extra Large Supermoto).”

First on the list was undoing the damage done by the hostile impact of a Honda Civic. So the three-man RATicate team sent the frame off to Gerry Piazza at GP Frame and Wheel, where he straightened it out. “With a clean bill of health, and more importantly a clean canvas to paint on, we headed back to the workshop to start our journey into Supermoto bliss.”

Next up, the guys called renowned wheel builders, Woody’s Wheel Works, to build a pair of 17” wheels. They laced up a set of gold Excel rims to Woody’s hubs, wrapping them in Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tires from CT Racing.

There’s nothing wrong with the OEM brakes on the Adventure R, but RATicate wanted to go all-out. So they matched a set of Brembo M50 calipers to a set of their own wave rotors. Up top are Brembo RCS brake and clutch master cylinders, and there’s a Scott’s Performance steering damper to keep things stable at speed.

The engine had suffered an unfortunate bout of dirt inhalation, leaving the valves ground into oblivion. So the RATicate team tore it open and performed a full rebuild, before switching their focus to performance upgrades. On went a new intake system and velocity stacks from Rottweiler Performance.

For the exhaust, Dennis Etcheverry at Norman Racing Group welded together custom titanium headers, mating them to the Akrapovič muffler from a 1290 Super Duke R. Then the bike went to Shiv Pathak at OpenFlash Tuning, where it was tuned and dyno’d to a massive output of 137 hp and 115 Nm of torque (nine horses more than stock).

Only then did RATicate start messing with the KTM’s bodywork. Aiming for a factory effect, they mashed together a KTM 990 SMR tank and seat, a 990 SM tail and a Husqvarna headlight nacelle. The actual headlight is a Baja Designs LED unit, and the dash is remounted on a custom bracket.

The subframe was modified to match the new lines, and to show off the WP Suspension shock. In a bid to save weight and make the bike even more rowdy, the guys deleted the ABS system and installed a set of CoreMoto lines.

Before stripping the bike down for final powder coating and assembly, the crew took it to the track for a decent shakedown. “It exceeded all our expectations in the fun factor department as it was an absolute wheelie machine,” says David.

“However we quickly had our fears confirmed when the bike tended to want to fold the front when pushed hard, due to the lack of trail after going from a 21” front wheel down to a 17” wheel.”

Back at the shop, the guys designed a set of custom triples with adjustable offset inserts to increase the trail. “We headed back to the racetrack to confirm our math, and with the increased trail provided by the adjustable offset we were back in business. The front end stayed planted through the turns, especially on entry.”

With that sorted, the frame was powder coated in a textured black, then O2 Creations treated the body panels to a custom wrap. Last minute touches include Acerbis hand guards, a RATicate Racing clutch slave cylinder and front sprocket guard, Vesrah brake pads, a Supersprox rear sprocket and a D.I.D. chain.

“At the end of day we found the missing link: a bike that straddles the line between the 690 Supermoto and the 1290 Super Duke. Whether you’re looking for wheelies from first to fourth gear, launching off a loading dock, carving up your favorite back road, or simply pulling a stoppie into your favorite parking spot at the local coffee shop, the 1190 XLSM has you covered.”

RATicate Racing | Facebook | Instagram | Photos by Max Klein at Oxymoron Photography

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[DaveM]

ALUMINIUM BULLET: Yamaha XS650 by Yves Heitz.

If a recipe book existed that helped reveal the secret formula for turning a Japanese twin into a retro cafe racer with artisan alloy bodywork, it might go something like this. Take one middle-aged French biker with forty years on two wheels, add a lifetimes work at one of Germany’s leading manufacturers of designer metalwork, tip in a large splash of admiration for Japanese builder extraordinaire...

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[DaveM]

Bad Winners takes the Thruxton 1200 from good to great

Four years ago, the Paris workshop Bad Winners wowed us with a custom Thruxton café racer called ‘Zero Gravity.’ Company founder Walid Ben Lamine has now released v.2.0 of that killer build, and he’s planning a limited production run of 25 units.

The new kit is based on a current-model Thruxton 1200 RS, and the stats are impressive. It lops just over 30 kilos from the curb weight, and adds over 20 horsepower—so it’s not just a very pretty face. A fully kitted-out Thruxton will weigh around 165 kilos (364 pounds) and pump out 125 horses, which sounds like a recipe for amusement.

The engine has been hot-rodded, starting with a TEC cam that has more lift, duration and overlap than the standard cam. A high-flow air intake kit from Free Spirits increases power still further, with gases exiting via Termignoni exhaust pipes and a stubby, custom-made muffler from SC-Project.

A Dynojet Power Commander V with a custom Bad Winners map keeps the liquid-cooled parallel twin in optimum tune.

Power is only one half of the performance equation, so Bad Winners have also focused on ‘adding lightness.’ Ultra-light 17-inch Dymag CA5 monobloc carbon fiber wheels make a big difference to the handling dynamics, and weigh less than three kilos apiece.

The wheels are shod with Pirelli Diablo SuperCorsa road-legal race tires, in the SC2 compound. The 180-section rear tire and slightly wider rim than stock means that Walid had to fit an offset front sprocket to ensure proper chain alignment.

The tank cover, headlight cover, seat unit and front fender are all carbon fiber too. But there’s a traditional touch with the black leather seat, complete with angular pleats echoing white painted stripes that partially conceal the beautiful carbon weave on the tank.

The cockpit gets not-so-subtle upgrades too, with discreet Motone switchgear, plus Renthal clip-ons attached to a custom triple tree with an integrated digital dashboard. And that’s where most of Bad Winners’ development work has focused in the past few months.

“The electronics on modern bikes are a massive issue when you’re planning a build,” says Walid. “That’s why we decided to work on our dashboard. We have developed our own motherboard and software—we have an electronic engineer in-house—so we can communicate with any CAN Bus system.”

Bad Winners already have setups for Triumph bikes, the Husqvarna 701s, the Ducati Scrambler, the BMW R nine T, and the Yamaha XSR700/MT-07. “It’ll be on the market at the end of April,” says Walid.

It’s a high tech approach to a build that still looks decidedly analog on the outside, and we love the contrast. But Zero Gravity 2.0 almost didn’t happen.

Bad Winners hit a shaky patch due to Covid-19, but is now on solid ground as a business. “In March 2020 we almost closed the company when the first lockdown arrived,” Walid reveals.

“There were too many problems for us to work properly, finish projects or deliver to clients. Our cashflow was dying. But we decided to focus our effort on the digital side and the webshop. It worked, and we doing well now.”

Walid is now working out of a big new 560 sq. meter (6,000 sq. ft.) space, and the company is nine-strong. “We now produce kits and series runs of bikes,” he says. “It’s the only viable business model.”

If you’ve got a recent model Thruxton and fancy something a little lighter and more nimble, hit up Bad Winners via their website. We reckon they’re onto something here.

Bad Winners | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Pictures and Motion Studio

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, 31 January 2021

The Swedish electric bike company Cake takes on poaching in Africa, and Triumph cranks the Speed Triple up a notch. Plus we look at a custom Ducati Scrambler 1100 and Indian FTR 1200, and a new whip from the creative director of Super73.

Cake Kalk AP The Swedish electric bike manufacturer Cake has just joined forces with the Southern African Wildlife College in South Africa, to form the ‘Electric Bush Bike Anti-Poaching Coalition.’ It’s exactly what it sounds like: an initiative that uses electric bikes to combat poaching.

Anti-poaching units in Southern Africa have recently been using dirt bikes as patrol vehicles, mainly because they can reach remote locations where roads are virtually non-existent. But keeping them fueled is an issue, and they’re noisy too, making it hard to sneak up on poachers. That’s where Cake comes in.

They’ve developed a spin-off from their flagship Kalk model: the Kalk ‘AP.’ And they’ve partnered with the solar power company Goal Zero, to develop charging stations that can keep the electric bikes charged when off the grid.

The Kalk AP is much the same as the regular Kalk, but with a few differences. It rolls on wider 18” hoops with chunky off-road tires, and there’s extra sealing on the suspension and drivetrain components.

The forks have been changed from air to conventional spring for easier maintenance, and the drivetrain software has been fine-tuned for the job in hand. All the ‘plastic’ bits, like the fenders, are made from a natural fiber reinforced ‘bio composite’ material, and there’s a detachable LED headlight too.

Cake are selling a limited run of 50 Kalk ‘AP’ models as a special charity bundle. $25,000 buys two Kalk APs and one charging station—you get one bike, and the other bike and the charging station get shipped off to the Southern African Wildlife College. [Cake Kalk AP]

Indian FTR 1200 by Tank Machine When the team at Tank Machine were tasked with customizing a brand new FTR 1200 S for an Indian dealer in Paris, they did the sensible thing: they dug into their own stash of parts. Tank Machine specializes in designing plug-and-play parts, and have a healthy selection of bits for the FTR—so they mixed some bolt-ons with a handful of bespoke finishes, et voilà!

Dubbed ‘Over-Track,’ this FTR 1200 ramps up the stock bike’s tracker vibe, adding a dose of racetrack style. Add-ons include the new headlight plate, fork protectors, rear wheel covers and swingarm-mounted license plate system. Up top are new ProTaper bars, new grips and a set of bar-end mirrors.

The turn signals are particularly slick. The front pair are LEDs embedded in a set of bolt-on radiator guards, and the rear pair sit flush with the bodywork.

The seat upholstery is custom, and features red stitching to complement the custom paint and anodized forks. Tank Machine added pair of IXRace MK2 slip-ons too, and ceramic coated the whole exhaust system black. It’s one of those clever builds that relies on tasteful changes without going overboard—but makes a massive impact. [Tank Machine]

Ducati Scrambler 1100 by Gasoline Motor Co. The Ducati Scrambler 1100 is a bit of an anomaly. A ‘Scrambler’ only in name, it’s better described as a naked retro naked roadster—a concept that the crew at Australia’s Gasoline Motor Co. have pushed to the maximum here.

Gasoline’s take on the big, v-twin Scrambler is a masterclass in subtlety. Sure, the paint job’s loud, but the fabrication takes a second glance to really appreciate. Most of it’s happening at the back, where Gasoline built a new tail and seat unit, and a two-in-one box muffler that exits under the tail.

The muffler design and position are inspired by the iconic 2003 Ducati 999R. Best of all, Gasoline did all of this without wrecking the subframe, so that the owner can swap back to the original bench for carrying a pillion. Other hand-made bits include the headlight nacelle, and a license plate bracket that mounts off the swingarm.

Gasoline also installed CNC Racing rearsets, new LED turn signals and glassless bar-end mirrors from Motogadget. Then they nudged the speedo to sit dead center, because the offset on the stock mounting system didn’t sit well with them.

Lastly, Gasoline wrapped the Ducati in a hot-rod livery that mixes satin, gloss, matte, glitter, metallic, gradients and patterns. Shop boss Jason Leppa calls it “an infuriating mix that is somehow pleasant on the eyes.” [Gasoline Motor Co.]

The new Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS The bug-eyed Triumph Speed Triple has a cult following, but the British marque has made it even better for 2021.

The outgoing ‘1050’ model was no slouch, but the updated 1200 RS features an all-new 1,160 cc triple-cylinder motor. It’s good for 178 hp at 10,750 rpm, and 125 Nm at 9,000 rpm—in a package that weighs just 436 lbs (198 kilos).

That makes the power-to-weight ratio 25% better than before, but the changes to the Speed Triple go deeper than just a simple power boost and diet. Triumph’s reduced powertrain inertia to improve engine pick-up, bumped up the redline to 11,150 rpm, and redesigned the slip and assist clutch. Despite being bigger, the new motor’s actually lighter, and more compact, than before.

Other changes include a new cast aluminum frame, and tweaks to the geometry and ergonomics. The ‘RS’ designation means top-shelf parts, so this particular Speed Triple gets fully adjustable Öhlins suspension, and sculptured Brembo Stylema brakes.

It also has a comprehensive electronics package, with everything from a quick-shifter to a six-axis IMU to assist ABS and traction control, multiple rider modes, and smartphone integration via Triumph’s own app.

Visually, the Speed Triple 1200 RS is a lot sharper too. Triumph have stuck to the angular twin headlight vibe, but the whole arrangement feels more focused. The overall vibe is slightly more aggressive than before, and Triumph have also dropped the usual two under-seat exhaust mufflers: it’s now a single burly, low-slung unit.

No one ever accused the Speed Triple of being boring—but this new version is faster, rowdier, better looking and lighter. Our bet? It’ll not only live up to its name, but also push the Speed Triple mythos even further. [Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS]

Super73 S2 by Chris Nelson Super73 have nailed the formula for small, accessible and fun e-bikes. Their S2 is a $2,695 pedal-assist unit with an aluminum frame, 20” wheels and a top speed of between 20 and 28 mph, depending which mode it’s in. And with its throwback mini-bike vibe, it’s a looker too.

This S2 belongs to Super73’s creative director, Chris Nelson, who’s customized it as his ideal Long Beach runabout. Yes, this is a custom e-bike… and it’s rad.

Up front, Chris slipped in a chunkier front-end from another Super73 model, dropping the forks slightly to maintain the S2’s ride height. Then he raided the company’s R&D department for a set of knobby tires that they’re working on. He also added a new set of bars with Biltwell Inc. grips, and a powerful Baja Designs Squadron LED headlight.

The biggest visual change is the fuel tank-styled battery: it’s moved from up top to within the frame. There’s now a full-length custom saddle resting on top, upholstered in leather and a gripper fabric by Saddlemen, complete with gel inserts. Other bits include a set of Crank Brothers pedals, fenders from other Super73 bikes, a custom-made cup holder and a Tiger bike lock.

It’s a slick build, wrapped in an even slicker paint job: a high gloss green-grey shot by a local hot rod painter. [Super73 S2 | Images by Garrett King]

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[DaveM]

RUDE AWAKENING: Ducati Supersport 1000 DS ‘RB002’ by Rude Bikes.

I’d like to introduce you to Rude Bikes and their TT2 Bol d’Or, only the second bike to emanate from their workshop in Seillans, in the South East of France. Using Ducati’s 1000 Supersport Dual Spark as a donor they have created an elegant and subtle chef-d’oeuvre, and from my time with the bike and its creators I learn that there’s a lot more to it than initially meets the eye.

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