Custom Motorcycle Builds

[DaveM]

Who Dares Wins: Upcycle Customizes the Ducati 998

There are a few motorcycles in Ducati’s back catalog that would ruffle feathers if they were customized. Depending on how much of a purist you are, the 998 might just be one of them. It was the last model to carry the iconic 916’s aesthetic, but was powered by Ducati’s new, and much improved, Testastretta motor—making it kind of special.

Johhny Nguyen isn’t too fussed though. He’s a relatively young custom builder with a sharp eye and penchant for urban style, and isn’t afraid to buck tradition. He once built a Ducati 900 SS to match his BMX [below, left], and took inspiration from his favorite snowboarding sweater for the paint job on this eye-popping Ducati 998.

Johnny runs Upcycle Motor Garage part-time from his new workshop in Huntington Beach (he’s just moved there from Anaheim). He works alone most of the time, but friends regularly stop by to lend a hand. And since Upcycle is a hobby, Johnny’s more likely to build a bike to his taste and sell it later on, than take on commissioned work.

That’s exactly how this 2002-model Ducati 998 ended up on the bench.

A friend had spotted it on Craigslist in mint condition, and nudged Johnny to buy it—which he did. After riding it around in stock form for a while, the urge to modify it took over.

With 123 hp on tap, Showa and Öhlins suspension, and Brembo brakes, Johnny wisely decided to leave the 998’s bones alone, opting for a cosmetic overhaul instead. That meant ditching half of the Ducati’s OEM bodywork, for the round fairing and stubby tail combo that’s fast becoming his signature.

Johnny’s choice of fairing for the Ducati was inspired; he used a fiberglass Yamaha TZ250 part, made by Airtech Streamlining. Naturally it didn’t fit the 998 out the box, so he split it into a few sections, widened it out, and fiberglassed over the gaps to smooth it out.

The tiny front light is a twin LED unit, found at an off-road accessories shop.

The fairing’s mounted on a small tubular structure, that Johnny fabricated to work with the frame’s stock mounting tabs. It also holds the air sensor and horn, and attaches to the fairing via the latter’s windscreen mounting bolts. A couple of quick release fasteners hold the bottom half of the fairing in place.

Part of the reason that Johnny chose a full fairing, was to help hide away the fuel injected 998’s mass of electronic bits. He kept the original battery tray but moved everything around, swiveled the ECU, and installed a small Antigravity Lithium-ion battery.

The 998’s original fuel tank is still in play, but the rear-end’s been drastically reworked. There’s a new, abbreviated bolt-on subframe with a sharp kick in the end, capped off with a brown leather seat. Peer around the back, and you’ll spot a flush-mounted aftermarket Honda Grom taillight.

Up in the cockpit, Johnny kept the stock switches and Brembo controls, but added Vans ‘waffle’ grips and bar-end LED turn signals, along with a sleek digital gauge from Motogadget. Further down, a set of pie-cut headers snake behind the fairing, and exit via a throaty-sounding Competition Werkes muffler.

The final color scheme is both minimalist and bold: yellow paint with a white frame and wheels, and white accents inside the fairing. Johnny’s turned the 998 into a fresh neo-retro sportbike that’ll probably upset a few Ducatisti… but we’re into it.

Upcycle Motor Garage Facebook | Instagram | Images by Ryan D. Cheng

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[DaveM]

Seaside Scoot: Nicola Manca’s custom Honda Helix

I’ve only visited Sardinia once, but it was enough for the Mediterranean island to leave an indelible mark on me. Loaded with scenic mountains and beaches, and with more twisty roads than you can shake a stick at, it’s a motorcyclist’s paradise. And it’s the perfect backdrop for this quirky, surfboard-carrying moped.

We had trouble placing exactly what make and model it is—until the builder, Nicola Manca, filled us in. It’s actually a 1980s Honda CN250: a stretched scooter with 80s jet ski styling, that was also known as the Honda Helix in the USA. But thanks to a heavy restyle, it’s shed its retro-futuristic looks for a vintage beach cruiser vibe.

Nicola’s a pretty fascinating guy; he holds multiple degrees, works as business advisor in the aerospace industry, and organizes various charity-related motorcycle events. He’s also the founder of MAAN Motocicli Audaci—a custom workshop that’s actually more of a space for friends to hang out and tinker.

The Helix cost Nicola just €300, but the motor was shot. So he stripped off all of the bodywork, sold it for €350, and set about rebuilding the motor. “So I got €50 and the frame of a Honda Helix,” he quips. “What good luck!”

With the global pandemic sending Italy into lockdown, Nicola had plenty of time to overhaul the Helix. That not only saved him money on the engine rebuild, but also gave him the opportunity to pay attention to every last detail.

“I wanted to apply a custom approach to the project,” he says, “so much so that I forced Matteo, a 120 kg, two-meter beast, to make sure I didn’t get on the bike and use it before it was completed. This Helix has taught me to be patient, to take care of the details and only use it once it is fully completed.”

Once Nicola had removed the plastics, there was a ton of reworking to do to the frame. The entire rear section is new, the shock absorber mounts had to be rebuilt, and the radiator bracket was relocated. Nicola also fabricated new surrounds to mount a set of custom-built floorboards.

The floorboards and the ‘dashboard’ panels both feature teak inlays. Nicola took inspiration from the stunning wooden boats made by Riva, shaping the panels by hand from broken teak garden chairs that were destined for firewood. Then he used the leftover chair frames to fashion a surfboard rack.

The Helix’s wheels and brakes are original, but the suspension is pieced together from scalped parts. Nicola wanted a full chrome setup, so he matched Suzuki TU250 shocks to Yamaha Virago 550 springs, added shims to adjust the load, and had everything chromed.

Out back you’ll find a pair of drag-style mufflers, mounted up on a custom header. And there’s a license plate bracket too, mounted off the swingarm and equipped with a taillight.

One of this seaside scoot’s standout features, is its super-sano cockpit. Nicola installed a set of 18” ape hangers with Biltwell Inc. grips, but made sure there wasn’t a single cable, switch or lever visible. For starters, the ignition and essential switches all sit on one of the teak panels lower down, and the throttle operates inside the bars.

“I built the throttle with an internal cable on the lathe” he says, “and spent many hours with the file in my hand. Then with putty. Then again with the file. And then more putty and file, until it was perfect.”

There’s no more front brake lever either, because Nicola built his own linked foot brake system that works with a cable-operated hydraulic pump.

Matteo handled the Helix’s paint and upholstery, with a brief to keep things intricate, decorative and playful. “I wanted to create a vehicle that had a strong vintage appeal and the taste of freedom and being carefree,” says Nicola, “which during the pandemic was what we missed the most.”

Nicola’s Helix is so whimsical, it’s almost easy to forget how much work went into it. Despite its size it’s one hella impressive build, and has already started delivering Nicola and his surfboard to the beach.

“When my friends visited my garage,” he says, “they thought I was crazy to try to make something beautiful from that Helix. But I think I fulfilled my goal.”

Nicola Manca | MAAN Motocicli Audaci | Images by Andrea Caredda

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, 7 March 2021

We’re heavy on Bavaria this week, with a blacked-out BMW R18 from Harley specialist MB Cycles and a flat track-inspired R100 from Cafemoto. And we take a closer look at Roland Sands’ retro-themed KTM and the slightly strange new ‘Lawrence’ from Brough Superior. Which bike would you prefer to put in your own garage?

KTM 790 Adventure by Roland Sands KTM know how to build ADV bikes, and the middleweight 790 has wowed road testers the world over. But there are a few people out there who are not so keen on the Austrian brand’s hard-edged styling, and one of them is the guy who commissioned this custom from Roland Sands.

The Californian whiz kid has given the 790 a timeless and slightly retro vibe without compromising practicality too much: the fitment of a RotoPaX fuel container counters a slight reduction in fuel capacity.

The tank is from a Suzuki GT750, and the plastic fenders are from a vintage KTM. The seat, very cleverly, is a straight lift from a Husqvarna Vitpilen, and there’s a tail bag right behind it on a custom mount/subframe assembly.

The brilliant engine, suspension and brakes are wisely left unmolested, but in another inspired raid on the parts bin, Roland has installed a Triumph headlight in front of ProTaper bars for an authentic retro vibe.

He’s also retained the essential factory radiator, but turned it vertical to make it less visible. A modified KTM skid plate protects the bottom of the engine, which now exhales via a tweaked Akrapovič slip-on muffler.

Despite the difficulties in getting the ‘water buffalo’ tank to fit, RSD have turned in a coherent build that doesn’t damage the KTM’s exceptional dynamic abilities. Clever work! [Via]

BMW R18 by MB Cycles It’s been a long time since a new model launch excited builders so much. There’s no official word on R18 sales figures yet, but quite a few have been snapped up by custom shops already.

Martin Becker of MB Cycles in Germany is one of those early adopters. “I bought four,” he tells us. “Don’t ask me why. Sometimes I wonder myself, because I’m mostly into Harleys!”

The bike shown here is his ‘test bed’—the other three will be built to order. “I saw it as a competition for myself to build something cool, and people have gone crazy since I showed it.”

Martin’s dropped the R18 by 70 mm [2.75 inches] by lowering the forks and using Öhlins components to create a lowering kit for the rear suspension. The wheels are new too, going from 19” to 21” at the front and 16” to 18” at the back. They’re now shod with Avon Cobra Chrome rubber.

On the bodywork front, Martin has installed a handmade rear fender—without struts—and added a modified Sport Glide fairing to the front end. ABM adjustable risers, superbike-style bars and Magura brake and clutch cylinders complete the cockpit.

After powder coating nearly everything that was originally chromed, Martin slotted in a new bobber-style seat and hacked off the giant factory mufflers, replacing them with stubby cans that open up the sound.

The result looks stunning, and if you’re as taken as we are, the good news is that Martin can build you a complete bike just like this—or supply the mufflers or lowering kit separately. Form an orderly queue. [MB Cycles | Images by Melissa Rademacher]

2021 Brough Superior Lawrence The former English marque has enjoyed a revival in recent years, with a new range of modern Broughs built in France at the Boxer Design factory.

This week they launched a new ‘Lawrence’ model, named after T. E. Lawrence—otherwise known as Lawrence of Arabia. The British writer and archaelogist died in 1935, two months after finishing his illustrious military career, while riding a Brough Superior SS100.

It seems odd to name a bike after someone who perished while riding an earlier model, but the specs look tantalizing.

The proprietary 997cc V-twin pumps out just over 100 hp, and the frame is machined from titanium. The Fior-type aluminum forks are damped with a fully adjustable monoshock, and there’s another monoshock acting on the pretty cast aluminium swingarm, which pivots on the engine crankcases.

Claimed weight is a tidy 200 kg (410 lb), and we suspect the Lawrence will be a nimble and invigorating ride. But like the name, the styling is a little odd. We’re told that the “sleek lines are designed after the fleeting, fluid curve of the daggers Bedouins customarily wore on their belts.”

There’s probably something lost in translation here, but there’s also a place for high end limited edition bikes. We suspect Brough will find a few well-heeled buyers for this machine. [Brough Superior]

BMW R100 GS by Cafemoto The BMW R-series doesn’t have a history in the flat track scene, but that hasn’t stopped the Gelsenkirchen workshop Cafemoto from playing ‘what if.’

For his twelfth build, shop boss Georg picked out an R100 GS with low mileage and let his imagination run wild. “The two-valve models never ran in flat track, but we like the design of them,” he says. “And cornering on secondary roads is perfect on a light BMW too.”

To get the look, Georg has added original aluminum alloy AMA flat track plates and combined them with LSL flat track bars, a modified ‘toaster’ tank and a new seat with old school leather upholstery. The ‘67’ is his year of birth.

To make the tank fit, he’s relocated the electrics to a housing under the back of the seat—which now sits on a shortened rear frame.

The wheel rims are new too, with the usual 21” going down to 19″ at the front and the 17” going up to an 18″ at the back to get better proportions. For the sake of authenticity, Georg has stuck with tubeless BMW spoke wheels from other models, though. “And we haven’t used flat track tires, because those that are available in 19″ don’t work that good on the streets,” he says.

The forks have been treated to upgraded springs and there are new Wilbers shocks at the back, to drag the handling towards 21st century levels.

Since the motor was in excellent condition, Georg has left the internals alone. But he’s installed a KTM muffler for better breathing and sound. “We kept the original ‘mid silencer’ though, to avoid a drop in torque,” he says.

Cafemoto’s R100 might not beat today’s cutting edge flat track racers to the flag at the end of the race. But it sure looks like a fun bike for blasting around tracks in Bavarian forests—and looking good in the process.

[Cafemoto | Images by Michael Larssen]

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[DaveM]

FACTORY FRESH SCRAMBLER: 2020 Suzuki DR650 by Ellaspede.

With the price of popular donor motorcycles only ever increasing as their age does too, you have to ask yourself whether that forty-year-old bike really makes any sense. With each one of those years and hard extra miles comes more wear and tear, that you’ll have to fix when it comes time to build your bike. So knowing the custom game like the back of their hand, Australia’s Ellaspede had a...

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[DaveM]

NATIONAL PRIDE: 2015 SYM SB300 by Mike’s Garage.

Despite a well-established global presence, Sanyang Motors — or “SYM” as it’s better known by — isn’t a company that’s given much thought or attention in the Western motorcycle world. This, however, isn’t the case in SYM’s native country of Taiwan, where the marque stands as one of the most important, and almost certainly the most historically significant motorcycle manufacturer in the East Asian...

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[DaveM]

Royal Enfield taps Crazy Garage for a rapid GT 650 racer

Royal Enfield is booming at the moment, with rising sales, multiple model refreshes and the new Meteor launch. But the Chennai manufacturer hasn’t taken its eye off the custom ball: it’s just commissioned a Continental GT 650 race bike from Crazy Garage of South Korea.

The ‘GT 650 RS’ is one of the most heavily modified Enfields we’ve ever seen. The styling harks back to the glory days of AMA superbike racing in the 1980s—before fairings became de rigeur—and the hard parts have got performance upgrades to match.

Builder Kim Chi-hyun, the founder of Crazy Garage, is renowned for his race-inspired customs, and is making a name for himself in the west too.

His skills caught the eye of Royal Enfield’s head office, who tapped him to build this GT 650. “We’ve been watching Crazy Garage for a while now,” says Aditya Malaker, who looks after Royal Enfield’s custom program. “He’d already built a GT 650 to race, but 2020 had other plans.”

“We were looking to collaborate on a one-off build in that region, and Crazy Garage stood out. When we eventually reached out to Kim, he jumped on the opportunity and the ‘GT 650 RS’ was born. The brief was simple: build a custom motorcycle that is unique to your style, keeping the original DNA of the Continental GT, and ready to take to the track!”

Kim has absolutely nailed the brief, and the only thing wrong with this GT 650 is that we can’t take it for a spin around a test track ourselves.

It’s hard to know where to start with the mods, because there are so many, but the core of this build is an uprated engine. It’s full of S&S Cycle parts, including high compression pistons, a hot cam, and a heavy-duty clutch. Fueling is controlled by a Dynojet Power Commander with autotune, which also compensates for the airbox removal and the custom free-flowing exhaust system.

There’s a Dynojet quickshifter too, to keep the power hitting the back wheel as much as possible. It’s combined with a quick-action throttle, and a handlebar switch that allows the rider to change the ignition map quickly and easily.

The oil cooler has been moved to the front of the bike, and plumbed in with race-spec lines. Crazy Garage have also removed the EVAP (evaporative emission canister) and pulse air valve, to keep the other plumbing to a bare minimum.

Since this is a track bike, the ABS and all extraneous electrics were removed. Braking is now handled by a complete Brembo system at the front, including an RCS master cylinder, calipers, and new rotors, all hooked up with new hoses from Swage-Line. Custom carbon ducts keep the discs cool under pressure.

The suspension’s been upgraded to Öhlins, with a one-off set of Custom 43 USD forks and a TTX shock. That shock is now attached to a single-sided swingarm, liberated from a 90s Honda VFR400R (NC30).

“It wasn’t difficult to mount, because it’s my job,” says Kim. “More calculations were required to set up the frame geometry and suspension link rods.” Lightweight 17-inch Marchesini rims are shod with ultra-sticky Metzeler Racetec RR tires.

Kim installed the forks using modified Ducati triple trees, with custom bars, a STACK racing tacho, and a Yoshimura digital temperature meter completing the cockpit. A Lithium-ion battery supplies juice to the starter motor, the halogen headlight and LED tail lamp, plus what’s left of the wiring loom.

One of the most significant mods is well hidden, though. The nine-liter fuel tank is now under the seat and the visible ‘tank’ is a custom piece made from thin-gauge steel. It’s matched to a new fiber-reinforced plastic tail section, which Kim bought off-the-shelf and then narrowed to match, before fitting it to the modified rear frame.

After a full refinish with a mix of powdercoat and conventional paint, the GT 650 is now ready to hit the circuit in anger. Kim is quietly confident of success—and who are we to disagree?

Crazy Garage Instagram | Royal Enfield

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[DaveM]

BRUTAL SIMPLICITY: 2016 BMW R nineT by STOOS Customs.

Cape Town has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. It also has some of the most formidable landscapes. Venture out from the city and you’ll hit the Franschhoek Mountains; a bit further and you’ll discover the gravel roads mainly used by large logging trucks. When building their latest bike, the South African-based shop STOOS Customs wanted to build a tough but classic-looking Beemer...

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[DaveM]

Nice Werk: Marcus Walz reveals kits to tweak the BMW R18

Whenever a concept motorcycle becomes a production motorcycle, there are tears over how far the final product has strayed from the original design. The BMW R18 is no exception—but ultimately it’s an unavoidable scenario. Concept bikes are there to turn heads, but production bikes need to consider practicality, mass appeal and homologation for different markets.

So once the bike’s rolled off the assembly line, it’s up to customizers to ‘fix’ it. This slick R18, from the famed German shop WalzWerk, is the third in a rapid sequence of subtly tweaked R18s that we’ve shown recently. And it makes a really strong case for the behemoth boxer’s potential, landing surprisingly close to the first R18 concept’s mark.

WalzWerk’s decision to nip and tuck the R18, rather than completely redesign it, is a deliberate move that’s informed by their current business model. The shop’s main focus right now is series builds—so they’ve designed the R18 in such a way that they can easily replicate it.

WalzWerk founder Marcus Walz explains the logic: “I’ve built bikes for a living for 31 years now. I don‘t have to reinvent the wheel, or build an R18 spaceship like some of my competitors did already. I‘m more focused on doing things in a commercial way, if you know what I mean.”

“Together with the Schizzo and the R nineT series bikes, we build around 70 bikes per year from the ground up, including R18s. And believe me, this makes me more happy than way back in the day with Walz Hardcore Cycles, building $150,000 bikes for Brad Pitt and Kimi Räikkönen.”

WalzWerk plan to build twelve R18s like this a year. And they’ve developed street legal kits that use the same parts, for customers that want to get their hands dirty. So while there’s a lot of clever custom work here, no single part is a true ‘one-off.’

Arguably the neatest touch here is the ‘Bobber’ kit, which drastically reworks the rear end. It starts with a floating solo seat, which is mounted onto a blank-off plate to cover the BMW’s inner workings. You can order the saddle in two sizes, and there’s 75 mm of adjustment, front to back, to fine tune fitment.

The kit also includes a slimmer-than-stock rear fender, which hugs the rear tire. It’s mounted on an elegant pair of stays, with tiny LEDs stealthily embedded in the actual mounting lugs. These act as taillight and turn signal combos—but we’re not sure where the license plate goes now.

If this R18 looks even more low-slung than the stocker, it’s because it’s been slammed by about three inches. The front fork tubes are now shorter, and have upgraded progressive springs inside. And there’s a new height-adjustable rear shock out back, custom-built for WalzWerk by Touratech.

The bike’s also running WalzWerk’s R18 ‘Big Wheel’ kit, which features a 21×3.50” front wheel, and a chunky 18×6” rear wheel. The rims are laced to the stock hubs, and go a long way to changing the R18’s stance.

Up in the cockpit are new risers and bars that sit lower and tighter than stock, along with adjustable levers, shorter brake lines and stealthy fluid reservoirs. There are also brackets to move the headlight lower and further back, and to bring the speedo in tighter, so that the whole front end feels way more compact. You’ll also find bar-end turn signals, and a set of WalzWerk foot pegs.

The crew has added an abbreviated front fender too. Both fenders can be ordered to fit the bigger wheels on this bike, or BMW’s OEM wheel sizes.

For the exhaust, WalzWerk stripped off the chunky chrome header covers and fishtail exhaust cans, and ceramic coated the headers in black. The new silencers are specially designed SC Project units, which the shop will be selling in either black or brushed stainless steel.

There’s not a stitch of chrome left on this cruiser now either. WalzWerk refinished all of the chrome bits in black, and fitted a pair of blacked-out valve covers from BMW’s own aftermarket catalog. And they swapped the engine badges out for their own branding.

The only splash of color is petrol blue on the fuel tank—an inspired choice, borrowed from the Porsche 356. It wears double black pin stripes on the sides, as a nod to BMW’s classic designs, and a neat graphic treatment on top.

WalzWerk have also fitted period-correct copper BMW roundels to the tank, and to the engine’s breastplate. (They’re an optional extra for the R18, and come in a box with the bike if you buy the ‘First Edition’ model.)

There’s nothing drastic or over the top going on here, but Marcus and his team have done well to identify the R18’s bugbears, and overcome them. If you weren’t tempted by the R18 before, would this convince you?

WalzWerk | Facebook | Instagram

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[DaveM]

SPELLBINDING: ‘The Black Witch’ Ducati Monster by Metalbike Garage.

Assembled in a garage are five Italian motorcycle fanatics with a diverse range of artistic and mechanical skills. They’re wearing black t-shirts and jeans, been handed the keys to a motorcycle and left to their own devices. You wouldn’t expect a result any different or any less brilliant than the stunning Ducati Monster S4RS café racer that sits before you. Based in Turin, the team at Metalbike...

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[DaveM]

Max. Minimalism: Walt Siegl’s new electric bike concept

The world of electric motorcycles is, in many ways, still finding its feet. With full-blown electric motorcycles at one end of the spectrum and pedal-assist bicycles at the other, there’s a huge middle ground where imagination can run wild. And that’s exactly where Walt Siegl has played with his latest custom.

Built entirely from the ground up, this new WSM creation is extremely hard to pigeonhole—and that’s exactly how Walt intended it. “I wanted to build a machine that looks like it comes from the larger two-wheeled world, and not only the motorcycle world,” he says. “From track bicycles and mopeds, as well as performance motorcycles.”

“Because my design platform is a combination of all these worlds, this bike could easily be the platform for a pedal-assist bike, a moped, or for an electric performance bike. Electric bike technology lends itself to this versatility.”

“I wanted a crisp and clean design, and the appearance of a concept bike, while still showing my handiwork and the love that went into building it.”

This isn’t the first time Walt’s worked with an electric powertrain—his Alta-powered PACT is one of the most alluring battery-powered two-wheelers we’ve seen. But that was very much a ‘motorcycle,’ and Walt wanted to do something unexpected this time. Creativity was paramount, because the project was commissioned by the Haas Moto Museum in Dallas, Texas.

“When we discussed the project,” says Walt, “Bobby Haas, the museum founder, and director Stacey Mayfield were in full support of my keen interest in building another electric motorcycle. Bobby is a great patron of custom bike builders (he has three of mine), and also continues to acquire every motorcycle that is truly relevant in the history of two-wheeled transportation. The museum is a must-visit.”

Walt wanted to build the lightest and strongest chassis possible, so he opted for a monocoque design with very little additional bodywork. The design was sketched out first, then a frame was built out of welding wire, and covered in paper to hone in on the final design.

Next up, Walt built a jig to fabricate the skeleton from thin-walled, small diameter chromoly tubing. Steel reinforcements were welded into the steering neck and rear suspension pivot points, and aluminum inserts added as mounting points. Then the whole thing was wrapped in carbon fiber, and finished with resin.

Up top is an Alcantara seat, built on a thin sheet of polyurethane on a carbon fiber seat pan. Just behind it is a mini tail ‘loop’ that was originally intended as a handle to move the bike around, but ended up being a design feature. The concept’s echoed further forward, where a cutout in the chassis provides access to the battery’s digital capacity display.

The only other ‘bodywork’ is a pair of battery covers, welded up from thin aluminum forms, and mounted with quarter-turn fasteners.

“The bike’s gestalt is defined by the lack of bodywork,” says Walt, “which was important to me. It was a win-win, because there was no bodywork needed to define its shape, and it saved weight. When I weighed the bike before paint, it was just 100 pounds [45 kg].”

At the core of WSM’s svelte speedster is a 3000W Sur-Ron motor, supplied by the e-bike company Luna Cycle. It’s hooked up to a 65 volt Panasonic battery pack, and controlled by a sine-wave controller that WSM programmed. The wiring harness is custom and uses Luna Cycle parts, and the gear reduction and final drive systems are belt-driven.

Up front is a set of shortened DNM forks with upgraded internals, held in place by WSM yokes. There’s a DNM rear shock, and the linkages, swingarm and disc brake set are all Sur-Ron parts. WSM boxed the swingarm in aluminum, and installed a pair of 19” Segway wheels with aluminum discs at the back.

Up in the cockpit you’ll find LSL clip-on clamps with custom bars and bar-ends, Sur-Ron controls and a Segway speedo. With no clutch or gear shifter, all that’s going on lower down is a neat set of foot pegs—and a small cover to protect the motor’s wiring. And that’s it; there’s very little else on this intriguing machine to distract the eye.

We asked Walt if he intends to build more of these. But he replied that since it’s for the museum’s custom bike section, it’ll remain a one-off—and more’s the pity.

At least he’s not throwing all of these ideas out the window… “My next e-bike project will have some elements of this bike for sure. The versatility of the platform is what I’m interested in.”

Walt Siegl | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Gregory George Moore

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[DaveM]

Fast Take: Riding the new BMW R18

This week we’re launching an occasional series of video reviews called ‘Fast Take.’ And we’re kicking off with riding impressions of the mighty BMW R18 cruiser.

Inspired by the classic R5, the new R18 is the bike that BMW hopes will challenge Harley-Davidson and Indian. It also has the biggest and most powerful two-cylinder boxer engine ever produced, with a massive capacity of 1,802 cc.

So we rode the R18 in both the USA and South Africa to see how it stacks up — and what you get for your money. This review was filmed on the backroads of New Hampshire, with Iron & Air’s Gregory George Moore in the saddle.

Our man Wes Reyneke provides the commentary, and also wonders, is the R18 the answer to a question no one asked?

Produced by Iron & Air Media | Directed by Daniel Olivares

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[DaveM]

Speed Read, 14 March 2021

We’re casting the net far and wide this week. There’s a brutal Aprilia Tuono V4 from Switzerland, a Harley cafe racer from Japan, and a new bike from the American small-batch manufacturer Janus. Plus Union Motorcycle Classics are raffling off a jaw-dropping Gary Nixon tribute Triumph.

Aprilia Tuono V4 by Le Weekend De Course The 175 hp Aprilia Tuono V4 isn’t the most obvious choice for customization, but that hasn’t put Gwenael Barthélémy off. He’s owned and raced them for years—and this is the third one he’s customized.

Operating as Le Week-End De Course, Gwenael’s been building bikes in Switzerland for five years now, always working with a hand-picked network of craftsmen. This project was easier than the last, because not only did Gwenael know what to expect, but he had a stack of leftover parts too.

The spec-sheet on this Pikes Peak-style racer is pretty juicy. It’s running a pair of lightweight forged Aprilia wheels, an Akrapovič exhaust and a stunning alloy race tank from Burgol Racing Technologie. The rear cowl is an Airtech Streamlining part, but it’s been heavily modified to fit the bike.

The Tuono also wears a set of tank side panels, and a chunky pair of fork guards. Up front are a set of Highsider LEDs sunk into a race plate from SwissMotorcycle.

Two Highsider LED strips are mounted vertically to the back of the rear number boards as taillights; a feature taken from Le Mans race cars.

The Martini livery is another Le Mans touch, inspired by the #22 Porsche 917K that won the 1971 race. Martini colors are usually a cheap trick, but here, the effect works surprisingly well. Gwenael committed fully to the style, too, with a dash of Porsche’s pepita houndstooth fabric on the seat to drive the point home. [More | Images by pepito.jpg]

Harley-Davidson Sportster by Hide Motorcycle Neat H-D Sportster cafe racers are a rare treat. The Sporty’s chassis doesn’t lend itself to classic cafe racer lines, so it takes a little imagination to whip it into shape. But if there’s one shop we’d trust to get it right, it’s Japan’s Hide Motorcycle.

Founded by Hideya Togashi, ‘Hidemo’ are no strangers to Harley customs, and have bagged a number of Mooneyes show awards too. The other member of the Hidemo team, Naoya Watari, took the lead on this project, taking loose inspiration from Harley’s 1963 KRTT road racing bike.

Watari-san started with a 2003-model Sportster XLH883R, bored out to 1200 cc. It’s now fed by a Mikuni HSR carb with a Hidemo air cleaner, and breathes out through a pair of snaking stainless steel exhausts.

The chassis has been upgraded with a set of stunning Ceriani GP forks, with new shocks attached to the modified Harley swingarm. Hidemo also added 19F/18R aluminum wheels, and a new set of brakes from Performance Machine.

But it’s the bodywork that really stands out here. From the gorgeously sculpted tank, to the slightly bulbous (but not overdone) tail section, everything fits like it belongs there. A hand-made oil tank, masquerading as a belly pan, adds a neat finishing touch, along with a subtle black and grey paint job. [More]

Janus Halcyon 450 Ever heard of Janus Motorcycles? It’s a small built-to-order company based in Goshen, Indiana, that specializes in vintage-looking small capacity bikes. And they’ve just released a 450 cc version of their existing 250 cc Halcyon model.

The 1920s-styled Halcyon 450 uses a Chinese-made SWM 445 cc single-cylinder motor, wedged into a proprietary frame with Janus’ own leading-link forks. The engine only makes 30 hp, for a maximum speed of 90 mph, but the Halcyon’s more about looking good than being fast.

Off-the-shelf parts include Brembo brakes, Ikon rear shocks and a neatly-finished Sargent seat. But most of the Halcyon’s remaining parts, including the fuel tank and leather bits, are hand-made. Janus uses a network of craftsmen in their greater area to build their parts, many of whom are Amish.

The Halcyon starts at $13,500, depending on how you configure it—which puts it in the same bracket as the Triumph Bonneville T120. But each Janus is made to order, and there are multiple personalization options, including paint, trim, and even exhaust and luggage choices.

It means your money can buy you a totally unique ride. [Janus Halcyon 450]

Win a Triumph T120 Gary Nixon tribute The last time we featured Union Motorcycle Classics, they built a Triumph to raffle off for charity. And now they’re at it again. This time, they’re raffling off a bike they’ve just bought back from a client, after originally building it five years ago.

It’s quite a story: this Triumph originally started out as a 1972 T120 RV and a bunch of parts in boxes. Its owner asked for a red chopper, but instead, Union partners Mike Watanabe and Luke Ransom delivered a cracking tribute to Gary Nixon’s Daytona-winning Triumph race bike. (“He was a little surprised when he picked it up,” Mike admits.)

Union recently purchased the bike back at a reasonable price, because the owner loved the idea that it would be used to raise funds for a charitable cause. And because he wanted to start an organic mushroom farm, and needed capital.

The build itself is pretty spectacular. It features an oil-in-frame chassis with a host of custom parts, and a clever mix of period-correct bodywork. The tank was molded straight from an original Triumph Daytona tank, with a custom tunnel to fit the frame. The fairing and tail are Glass From The Past units that were massaged into place.

Other bits include custom yokes, Excel rims, a 1969 Triumph twin leading front brake, and custom exhausts built from Cone Engineering parts. Remarkably, the bike’s only done 3,500 miles since the engine was rebuilt—but it’ll get an extensive service before it goes off to its new owner.

Think that could be you? You can enter here, with all proceeds going to re:Act—an organization that helps at-risk youth in Southeast Asia.

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[DaveM]

BEIJING TO BRITAIN: Triumph Bobber by Mandrill Garage.

To say that Triumph’s retro range of modern bikes has been the saving grace of the company would be an understatement. Back from the dead and the company is booming, with the Bobber the fastest-selling bike in the history of the firm. But for some, there is a certain je ne sais quoi missing, perhaps the lack of raw and mechanical feel of those original British beauties. Away from the influence of...

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[DaveM]

SLIDE HUSTLE: Triumph Hooligan Flat Tracker by A&J Cycles.

To the average John Citizen, flat tracking racing like any form of motorsport on an oval appears to simply involve going around and around in circles. That is until you experience it yourself, and that first full power slide becomes a sultry seductress you just can’t resist. More throttle, more power, more speed and it feels like you’re defying physics itself. So, keen to up the ante with their...

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[DaveM]

Double Shot: two Velocette motors power Hazan’s latest

Max Hazan is known for building impossibly elegant, hand-crafted machines. His customs ride the line between motorcycles and art so well, that they confound the usual arguments about function versus form.

Hazan can play both sides of that particular coin, though. He once built a KTM 950 supermotard for personal use, aiming for a pseudo-factory look and ridability. Then a potential customer asked him to build another one just like it… and things snowballed.

“He actually wanted to buy the 950,” says the Los Angeles-based custom builder, “and was disappointed that I’d sold it to someone else. I was going to build him a similar KTM, but then he saw my Knucklehead sportbike. He decided he wanted something ‘crazy’ now, and something to ride later on.”

The brief eventually evolved into ‘go wild, make whatever you want.’ But it took Max a while to come up with the concept of the twin-engined, bicycle-inspired machine you’re looking at here. “I always like to think of something unique,” he explains. “If I’m going to spend six months working on something, I want it to be worth the effort in the end.”

“This idea came when I found one of these Velocette MAC engines on eBay and it turned out the seller was down the street. I knew right away when I saw the shape of the engine cases that two of them would fit together perfectly, and I could make a twin engine bike that didn’t look like the usual twin engine drag bike.”

The post-war MAC motor is a 349 cc air-cooled single, which clocked a remarkable top speed of 75 mph in its day. Max sourced the second unit in England, then added a four-speed Matchless transmission, mounted on its side.

The two powerplants basically run independently, but are linked by a set of belts, running on custom-machined aluminum pulleys that are attached to each main shaft. The final belt is double-sided, so it can simultaneously spin an Eaton TVS R410 supercharger, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

The motors are also stressed members of the custom frame, which is a handcrafted chromoly steel arrangement. Each engine’s crank breather is plumbed into the frame itself, at points where the tubes are angled downwards. The bulk of the oil mist runs back into the engines.

Max built the front suspension from chromoly steel too, with a unique take on a leading link system that uses a single, custom-built shock. It’s impressive enough on its own, but it’s almost overshadowed by the engineering that’s gone into the bicycle-style front wheel.

“I like to come up with new ideas on each project,” says Max. “They usually have something unique… but this bike was wild from front to back.”

“The front wheel was something that I had wanted to make for years—I love bicycle design and a deep ‘V’ has been on my mind for some time. But it was a clincher wheel, which meant that we couldn’t do it in one piece on the CNC mill. No CNC shop wanted to mess with the idea… other than my friend Mark Atkinson, who ended up making the rear too.”

Mark machined the wheel as two interlocking aluminum halves, held together with stainless steel dowels that are secured by the spokes’ tension. The brake is a traditional bicycle V-brake design, built from scratch, and equipped with three cork pads on each side. Max puts their efficacy at “about a six out of ten—about the same as a vintage drum brake.”

The rear wheel is also a custom aluminum part, but follows a more traditional design. At a glance it looks brakeless, but there’s actually a one-off four-inch stainless steel rotor and a floating caliper, mounted inboard of the rear sprocket.

There’s also no axle or wheel nut to speak of. Instead, the custom chromoly swingarm has a two-piece design, which threads through the wheel. Chain tension is adjustable via an eccentric cam at the swingarm’s pivot point. The side-mounted shock is an air-sprung Fox mountain bike shock that’s been stripped and polished.

As you’d expect, all of the Velocette’s lithe, flowing bodywork is custom. It’s been hand-shaped from aluminum, with minimal paint and twelve layers of bonded leather for a seat. The lines are traced by the exhaust, which snakes up and under the tail section. Keen eyes will also spot two filler caps on the fuel tank, because there’s an oil reservoir hidden inside it too.

The fuel tank is pressurized by boost from the supercharger, so that the blow-through carb system can be fed without needing a fuel pump. “It makes about 6 psi with the current 1:1 drive ratio,” Max explains, “and as crazy as the setup sounds, it runs like a naturally aspirated bike.”

Max’s Velocette is as narrow as it is beautiful, and also utterly unique. “Although it’s about eight feet long, it feels like a bicycle with two engines,” he says.

“The power is not mind-blowing, but if I had to guess I’d say it makes around 50 hp between the two 70-year-old 350s. And after about thirty minutes of riding you need to give your ass a break—but practicality wasn’t a part of this project.”

“This project was also one of the hardest to complete. It spanned a pandemic, the shutdown in LA, the arrival of our son Jack, and the sale and purchase of our home. And I did almost everything you see twice, including the paint, to get it where I was happy.”

“It was worth it!”

Hazan Motorworks | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Shaik Ridzwan | Article adapted from issue 43 of Iron & Air magazine, available soon.

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[DaveM]

TESTING THE LIMITS: A high-end kit for the Royal Enfield GT 650 by Bandit9.

Can you introduce yourself to our readers? My name’s Daryl Villanueva, Chief of Design at Bandit9 out of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I’m originally from the Philippines but grew up, studied and worked all over the world – Hong Kong, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, Dubai, Vietnam, Beijing and back in Vietnam. How did this project come about? This is our second collaboration with the fine folks...

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[DaveM]

Taking the edge off: Rajputana’s KTM 390 Duke cafe racer

KTM is growing incredibly fast in India. Last year, the Austrian marque sold 64,000 bikes—up more than 25% on the previous year. It’s enough to give pause to top-selling incumbents Hero and Bajaj, and the trend has been noticed by top custom shop Rajputana.

“We had not seen a cafe racer build done on a 390 Duke in India, so we decided to give it a go,” says founder Vijay Singh. “It was a client project and we used a 2015 Duke.”

Rajputana have a rock-solid reputation in the subcontinent; when Harley-Davidson launched the Street, for example, they tapped the Jaipur-based shop for the first officially sanctioned custom Street build.

This KTM was a private client commission, though. The 390 Duke is a popular model, along with the 200, since the Indian market favors smaller capacity bikes. And the 43 hp single-cylinder engine—also used in Husqvarna’s 401s—is one of the best in the business.

The usual brief with custom KTMs, no matter where the builder is based, is to make it look less like a KTM. The dynamic qualities of the bikes are well liked, but some retro-inclined folks find the distinctive styling too hard-edged or in-your face. And that was the case here.

The Rajputana crew has left the engine and suspension alone, since KTM dialed in those elements brilliantly at the factory. There’s a straight-through exhaust system to free up the breathing, but the main effort has been focused on the bodywork: there’s a new tank, tail unit and mini fairing hand-crafted from 20-gauge low carbon steel.

“The tank was built from scratch,” says Vijay. “It was inspired by the iconic 2007 Yamaha YZF-R1, before the crossplane cranks were released.” On both sides, attached to the tank, are the projector headlights from a BMW GS, and the KTM speedo has been relocated to the top of the tank, to clean up the bar area. Snake Skins tank pads help the rider’s knees to grip.

There’s a new rear frame too, with a design that looks like it could have come straight from KTM’s design studio Kiska.

“The design started as a wireframe model using welding wires, and when the design and proportions were finalised, we made the new subframe using mild steel pipe,” says Vijay. “We didn’t use the stock mounting points—instead, we used a CNC machine to make new ones.”

The LED lighting on the tail is embedded in neatly sliced acrylic, and the overall result is slick and professional.

The metallic paint is low-key and subtle, with hints of gold elsewhere on hard parts. It reflects the sophisticated visual ethos of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan: “We just wanted to get away from the usual black or greyscale.”

They wanted to get away from the 17-inch alloy wheels too. “The rims are off a Bonneville we rebuilt in the past—they were just laying around in storage. You never see a 390 Duke with spokes, and they instantly add so much more character to the motorcycle.”

To get the Triumph wheels to fit, Rajputana turned out a set of custom hubs on their trusty lathe, using billet aluminum. (“You simply count the holes in the rim and drill the hubs—easy sauce!”)

The tires are Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC slicks, 140 section at the front and 190 at the back, which get up to temperature fast in the hot climate. “We strongly believe that racing slicks make everything just better to look at.”

The excellent stock brake rotors and calipers remain, but Rajputana have added their own clip-ons, and upgraded the master cylinder to a Brembo radial unit. “The brake feel is simply amazing now.”

Rajputana have delivered one of those tricky ‘best of both worlds’ bikes: a complete restyle that doesn’t compromise the dynamic qualities of the original. We’re not averse to the angular styling of KTM factory bikes, but we have to admit: this is one of the tastiest KTMs we’ve seen.

Rajputana Customs | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Salman Aarif

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[DaveM]

MADE LIKE A GUN. FAST AS A BULLET: Royal Enfield Interceptor by Mid Life Cycles.

When Royal Enfield announced the development of an all-new twin-cylinder engine it appeared the company was taking the process very seriously. While some in the media had their doubts, the success of the 650 twins straight out of the showroom has been nothing short of phenomenal. But now comes news of perhaps the ultimate validation, with the Mid Life Cycles Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Salt...

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[DaveM]

Beer Monster: A pint-sized CZ 175 with a keg for a fairing

Any custom motorcycle is a byproduct of the personality of its builder, and the brief they’re working with. And it took a very special mix of people, concepts and raw materials to create this oddball CZ 175.

It comes from GarageBoss, a small group of motorcycle enthusiasts based in Prague, in the Czech Republic. “Our garage is the temple of sanity in our lives, which are filled with full time jobs, families and kids,” explains team member, Jan Štádler.

Late last year, the GarageBoss crew was invited to partake in the annual Czech design exhibition, Designblok… by building a custom motorcycle to exhibit. “We could not be happier,” says Jan, “as there is nothing we are more passionate about than motorcycles … sorry ladies.”

The theme of the exhibition was recycling and up-cycling, so the team put their heads together, and came up with a pretty zany cafe racer concept.

“Some of our country’s finest qualities are being very handy craftsmen, and top notch sinkers of the best pints of lager on the globe,” says Jan. “So at one very fruitful session at the GarageBoss HQ, we came up with a brilliant idea: let’s find an old beer keg from the same period as a bike, and use it to make a streamlined fairing.”

The crew hunted high and low for a 1970s Czech-made CZ 175 ‘type 477’ as a donor, because it’s a bike they all had fond memories of riding as kids. When they found one it was just shy of being a full-on barn find, with wrecked paint and rusty wheels and chrome—which made it relatively pricey at €1,000.

“Ideas for the design started popping up like bottle caps,” says Jan. “We knew it had to be fast, or at least look fast. So we went for a streamlined design, like in the old days of [GP racer] František Šťastný, when Jawa and CZ had their spot on the podium.”

GarageBoss set about cleaning up the dirty CZ, giving the engine and carbs a tune up and replacing the exhaust with a custom-made unit. Most of the basic running gear is stock stuff that’s been refurbished, but parts like the rims, tires and chain and sprockets are all new. The guys restored the CZ’s original drum brakes too, but stiffened up the suspension.

Finding and converting a beer keg into bodywork was easier said than done though.

The keg was made from 7mm thick old Czechoslovakian aluminum, and originally used in the Pivovar Protivín brewery in the 70s. “It was a nightmare to cut,” says Jan.

After a generous amount of cutting, bending and welding, the crew manipulated the keg into a front fairing, and a complete tailpiece. A headlight was sunk into the front, with three oddly sized taillights frenched into the tail. Behind the fairing are new clip-ons and grips, with new foot controls installed lower down.

But this upcycled CZ is all about the details too. GarageBoss took the bike to the exhibition incomplete—then assembled a team of craftsmen to lay down the finishing touches over the five days of the event.

The lively hand-painted tank is the first part that catches the eye, completed by a dual-texture leather seat with matching pink stitching. But look closely, and you’ll spot engraving on the engine casings, wheel hubs and more. The fairing’s also adorned with brass pendants, and the front ‘bubble’ is actually glass, shaped using traditional methods.

We’re impressed by the craft that went into this CZ, and enamored with its light-heartedness. The exhibition organizers must have felt the magic too, because the bike took home an award.

Cheers to GarageBoss, and to letting imaginations run wild!

GarageBoss Facebook | Instagram | Images by Mr Zdichy

GarageBoss would like to thank: “Ondřej and Jakub from EggoBag, the leatherworkers; Jakub Křelina the engraver; Ondřej Stára the jeweler, Patrik Antczak the graphics guy; Jakub Paleček from EXD Airbrush, the paint magician; and Jaroslav Mádle the master glass cutter.”

“And Jan Plecháč for coming to us with the original idea of having a custom build in this event, and leaving us free to create the design concept and watch it come to life!”

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[DaveM]

SUKA-TUNE STYLE: Yamaha TW225 ‘Urahara’ by Deus Japan.

The proliferation of blogs and social media has connected the global bike-building world like never before. Styles and build types that were once unique to their specific areas of origin can now be found on just about every corner of the planet. Despite the now Omni-connected nature of the modern customs scene, one genre of build that’s largely failed to catch on outside of its native locale is...

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